10 RuPaul’s Drag Race Queens That Were Totally Robbed Of A Win

As many viewers can surmise, RuPaul’s Drag Race is a cutthroat, high-stakes competition. Contestants try their hardest week after week to fight for the top prize. Some wins and eliminations seem justified and feel right to fans, while other times, they appear unfair or biased in some way.

Of course, a given queen cannot be robbed of a win they never possessed in the first place, but the saying has become so commonplace and engrained in the fanbase that it can seem hard to escape. Be it a main challenge or the crown itself, fan reaction to a given competitor’s supposed undeserving loss has resulted in these queens being considered “robbed.”

10 Gigi Goode (Season 12)

Gigi impressed judges and fans early on in the season. Not only could she turn a stunning look, but she could sing, act, and she crushed the Snatch Game. She won many challenges right out of the gate, making her a top contender for the crown.

Gigi started to falter mid-season, but she rebounded in the final musical challenge to nab a rare fourth win. Some fans considered Gigi favored in the competition, saying she should’ve been up for elimination in her bad weeks, whereas some see her as the deserving winner of season 12.

9 Katya (All Stars 2)

The loveable Russian basketcase from season 7 came back to All-Stars with a vengeance. She only had one week where her anxiety got the better of her, and she shined the rest of the time. She did great in the challenges, had many memorable looks on the runway, and even turned her struggles with mental illness into a hilarious commercial.

The narrative of Katya wanting to prove to herself that she could succeed without crumbling under stress was relatable and compelling, so it disappointed some fans when the crown went to Alaska.

8 Jan (Season 12)

Jan was the peppy pop star of season 12 who captured fan’s hearts with her chipper attitude, pop culture knowledge, determination, and undeniable talent. When the Ru-sical challenge came along, Jan knew it was her time to shine and bag an overdue win.

She delivered a killer performance with confidence and flair and combined with an impressive runway, it seemed Jan had this in the bag… until Gigi Goode won. This moment provided the “face crack of the century” and has become one of the most iconic and heavily debated moments on the show.

7 Raven (Season 2)

Raven has gone on to become a Drag Race legend, but she had a rocky start in season two. She had two bottom placements early in the season but was able to work her way to a consistent top placement, even nabbing two consecutive wins.

Her upward trajectory made it seem like she was primed to win the season. She had an attitude that rubbed some queens the wrong way, but many fans preferred her to the ultimate winner, Tyra Sanchez. Coming back for the first season of All-Stars, Raven was the runner-up again, leading to her “always the bridesmaid” legacy.

6 Bimini Bon-Boulash (UK: Season 2)

Bimini took the judges and fans by storm and by surprise on her season. After landing in the bottom two the first episode, she turned in a spectacular lip-sync performance that proved she was worthy to stay, and subsequent challenges and runway looks proved she was worthy of the crown.

She won four challenges in just five episodes and delivered some of the most iconic moments in Drag Race history including her Snatch Game, bacteria look, and “UK Hun?” performance. Bimini had the most momentum and fan support going into the finale, which only made it more shocking when she lost to Lawrence Chaney.

5 Divina De Campo (UK: Season 1)

Divina came into the season a polished and accomplished queen. A perfectionist, she was hard on herself when she initially didn’t meet the standards she set for herself, but this didn’t stop her from having fun.

She proved herself to be the perfect blend of serious and goofy, with many great challenge performances and whimsical, colorful runway looks. Her mix of professionalism and playfulness made her a fan favorite to win. However, Vivienne ended up winning the season, leading many fans to speculate she was favored to win from the beginning, and that Divina never stood a chance.

4 Denali (Season 13)

Season 13’s icy-spicy queen quickly skated her way into fan’s hearts. Denali was an undeniable star, with killer runway looks, hilarious challenge performances, and a grit that only her years of figure skating training can give her. Even when she was in the bottom, Denali delivered one of the show’s most seminal lip syncs of all time to “100% Pure Love” by Crystal Waters.

She was eliminated during the makeover challenge even though many fans feel she didn’t deserve to be in the bottom in the first place after a less-than-stellar makeover from her partner. Here’s hoping she comes back and crushes All-Stars.

3 Ginger Minj (Season 7)

The self-proclaimed “glamour toad” of season seven, Ginger made Drag Race look easy. With three challenge wins and heaps of southern charm, Ginger made a compelling case as to why she should win the season. She was hysterical in almost every challenge, and, even when she faltered, she handled it with humility and humor.

Ginger had momentum going into the finale, and the opportunity presented itself for the franchise to crown its first plus-sized winner. Violet Chachki ultimately won the season, with many fans of Ginger feeling was swindled out of a justified crowning.

2 Manila Luzon (All-Stars 4)

The artsy and fashionable Manila Luzon grabbed the judge’s attention back in season three for her killer kitschy fashion and zany sense of humor. After being the runner-up on that season, Manila came back and dominated All Stars 4. She soared in both the challenges and the runway and showed how queens can elevate their aesthetics while staying true to their brand.

But, due to the “lip sync for your legacy” format of All-Stars, she was sent home by Naomi Smalls in a gut-wrenching twist of fate. The looks on the judge’s and fellow queen’s faces said it all. This frontrunner for the crown was taken out in a strategic yet tragic way.

1 Shangela (All-Stars 3)

After the second and third seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Shangela was finally in top form on her season of All-Stars. She was in the top two and ultimately won many challenges, and, when fierce competitor BenDeLaCreme eliminated herself from the competition, the crown seemed to be Shangela’s to lose.

But, when RuPaul announced a jury of the eliminated queens would be deciding who makes it into the final two, Shangela knew she had lost. Fans felt like her charm, humor, and splashy runways were all for nothing. This twist was so poorly received by fans of the show and the queens themselves that it hasn’t come back since.

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