Top 20 Exact Moments a Drag Race Queen Became the Villain

#20: Ciara Myst: Plotting to Sabotage Discord Addams

“The Rate-A-Queen Talent Show, Part 2”

Sometimes, one has to go to extreme measures to maintain their spot in a competition. Ciara Mist experienced this firsthand following her performance in the Rate-A-Queen talent show, where she was ranked in last place. That meant that she would have to lip sync for her life the following episode. Ciara decided that her best chance of survival was going up against a competitor she felt she could beat. Her final plan? Convincing the group one contestants to intentionally give Discord Addams a lower score. Her attempted sabotage backfired almost immediately when multiple queens warned Discord about the plan. Although it didn’t work in the end, it showed a calculating side of Ciara that the viewers hadn’t seen yet.

#19: Mistress Isabelle Brooks: Reading Sugar & Spice

“One Night Only, Part 1”

The antagonist of season 15 was clear from the very beginning. Mistress Isabelle Brooks wasn’t shy about throwing shade, which became evident as soon as Sugar and Spice trotted into the work room. As soon as they finished their entrance, viewers were treated to a confessional from Mistress, where she gave her candid thoughts on the twins. Her shady status was confirmed later on that episode, when she responded to them talking about their TikTok fame by pretending she had never heard of them before. It was an iconic introduction to her villainy. Her arc continued throughout her season and into All Stars 10, when she successfully conspired to steal points for herself and Jorgeous from Kerri Colby and Nicole Paige Brooks.

#18: Naomi Smalls: Eliminating Manila Luzon

“RuPaul’s Best Judy’s Race”

Although this decision was the most strategic in terms of bettering her chances of winning, it also solidified her status as a villain. Manila Luzon did extremely well throughout All Stars 4 and won multiple challenges. Naomi Smalls noticed this and took note. In the eighth episode, the latter found herself in the top and the front runner in the bottom. When she was declared the lip sync victor, she immediately used her power as the winner to send Manila home. It was a truly shocking elimination, but Naomi seemingly didn’t regret it a single bit. She even doubled down on her controversial choice the following episode, making it clear that she felt her choice was valid, even if some wouldn’t think it was fair.

#17: Raven: Coming for Tatianna

“Once Upon a Queen”

Throughout the second season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” this queen was unapologetic in offering her often critical opinions about others. However, one person in particular was constantly the target of Raven’s ire. During the seventh episode, they were all tasked with creating autobiographies. Tatianna didn’t do the best, which Raven made sure to comment on during “Untucked.” She insulted her in confessionals and to the other contestants, dragging everything from Tatianna’s look to her performance in the challenge. Although she’d been shady in the past, these reads in particular came across as personal. Their feud continued on for the rest of the competition, and by the time it was over, Raven’s role as the villain was more than solidified.

#16: Kandy Muse: No Star Quality

“The Bag Ball”

With just one quote, she transformed into the villain of season 13. Following the Bag Ball, the queens took to Untucked, where Kandy Muse began her shady descent. After being accused of being arrogant by Tamisha Iman, she went off and declared that if someone didn’t have star quality, then they needed to leave. This triggered a larger argument between herself and Tamisha, which ended with the two yelling at one another and getting into each other’s faces. Kandy coming for a legend in the drag scene was a bold choice, especially one that the fans already loved. Although the fight solidified her as an antagonist, it also created TV gold that helped her and Tamisha gain even more attention.

#15: Darienne Lake: Coming for BenDeLaCreme

“Oh No She Betta Don’t!”

Given that the queens are all competing for the crown, it only makes sense that rivalries would form. During the sixth season, that was the case for Darienne Lake and BenDeLaCreme. Although they worked together previously, that all changed during “Oh No She Betta Don’t.” The sixth episode saw Darienne’s claws come out for the first time, with her making the bold choice to not choose DeLa for her team. While that wasn’t necessarily villainous by itself, her defensive attitude over her choice was. When she was asked about her choice later on, she immediately shut it down with an abrasive response. It then cut to Darienne’s confessional, where she implied that she thought DeLa wouldn’t do well in the 90s rap-themed challenge.

#14: Brita: Attacking Aiden Zhane

“Gay’s Anatomy”

One constant throughout “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is the contestants being asked who they think should go home. When the Season 12 batch were faced with this question, Brita initially responded by saying Nicky Doll should be eliminated. However, her tune changed once they joined the safe queens for “Untucked.” There, she lamented about her choice and said that she wished she had picked someone else. When pressed for an answer, she immediately called Aiden Zhane out, who’d been deemed safe. She laid into her and even proclaimed that she should’ve been in the bottom. Although Aiden stood up for herself and Brita apologized after the episode aired, the latter was seen as the villain in the eyes of several fans.

#13: India Ferrah: Accusing Alexis of Sabotage

“Snatch Game of Love”

When you stand the chance of being eliminated by your peers, you may find yourself doing anything to stay on their good side. India Ferrah appeared to have this mentality when she found herself in the bottom for the fourth episode in a row. This led her to inform Shea Couleé that Alexis Mateo had conspired to send her home earlier on in the season. Making such a claim not only increased Alexis’ chance of going home – it also painted her as a ruthless competitor. The accused queen denied the allegations. India’s last-ditch effort to stay in the competition led to her elimination and her being deemed a liar on national television, ending her “All Stars” run on a rough note.

#12: Raja, Delta Work, Manila Luzon & Carmen Carrera: Heathers vs. Boogers

“Face, Face, Face of Cakes”

Not every season has just one villain. The third installment in the main franchise saw four queens sharing that status. The Heathers – composed of Raja, Delta Work, Manila Luzon, and Carmen Carerra – were formed in the beginning of the competition. Although their bond began in the earlier episodes, they officially solidified their clique in the seventh episode. They saw themselves as above the other contestants when it came to both talent and looks. Those involved even went so far as to refer to their fellow competitors as boogers, which was essentially a nicer way of saying they weren’t up to par. Although those outside of the clique more than held their own in the game, the Heathers’ confidence never wavered.

#11: Arrietty: Stealing Jewels’ Jokes

“The Villains Roast”

Even something as seemingly small as the performance order in a challenge can cause a villain to be born. That was the case for Arrietty, who felt slighted over her placement in the roast lineup. She saw it as Jewels intentionally trying to sabotage her, and quickly turned on her. Rather than harness that energy and come up with some playfully shady reads, she instead opted to steal her competitors’ jokes as revenge. Arrietty put her plan into action during her set, inserting two plagiarized jokes that threw Jewels off her game. It paid off in the short term, with her former friend ending up in the bottom alongside her. Although she went home, she left with her villainous status fully intact.

#10: Plane Jane: Her Entrance

“Queen Choice Awards”

The best reality TV stars let you know who they are immediately. Season 16’s Plane Jane was clearly not there to be liked. If she were, she wouldn’t have used her very first confessional to take a shot at Katya, arguably one of the most beloved contestants of all time. Then, to prove her authentic Russian heritage, she demonstrates her ability with the language by brutally insulting all the queens who walked in before her. This is all within the first two minutes of meeting her, mind you. Plane is not afraid to speak her mind. Sometimes, it even seems like she can’t help herself.

#9: Derrick Barry: Coming for Bob

“Supermodel Snatch Game”

Given her inflated ego and slight dose of delusion, no one could convince the Britney Spears impersonating diva of season 8 that she performed poorly. Which is why she seemed to take it personal when Bob the Drag Queen reminded her that her performance in the New Wave Queens challenge was bad. Derrick Barry, however, was in denial about her negative critiques from the judges and immediately went for the jugular. It was bad enough that she picked a fight with a fan favorite, but making disparaging remarks about Bob’s drag? Now, that was peak Drag Race drama. It also gave Bob a worthy opponent to step over on her way to the crown.

#8: Serena ChaCha: Mirror Trash Talk

“RuPaullywood or Bust”

Who says a season only needs one villain? Season 5 was packed with many catty queens, but this early out made quite an impression. Serena ChaCha was fresh-faced and overconfident, believing her youth was the only asset she needed. And she was not afraid to let her competitors know that. When asked a simple question about her Panamanian heritage, she quipped that Penny Tration should consider retiring in the country. Things quickly devolved from there. Serena’s non-stop vitriol put a target on her back, and soon enough, the attacks were coming from all sides. She sure stirred up a lot of drama for someone who only lasted two episodes.

#7: Alexis Michelle: The Faux Fur Runway

“Reality Stars: The Rusical”

Some fans may call this season RuPaul’s Best Friends Race, but that doesnt mean there weren’t villains among the cast. Alexis Michelle, the Broadway queen, clearly thought the Rusical challenge was hers to lose. Then the judges lambasted her runway look. Instead of owning it, Alexis threw the responsibility on her fellow contestants for not telling her that she looked bad. Given that it’s a competition for a lot of money, expecting your rivals to step in with some fashion advice seems kind of crazy. It was this same lack of self-awareness that would dog her throughout the rest of the competition.

#6: Gia Gunn: Coming for Kelly’s Credentials

“Scream Queens”

From the moment she walked in, Gia Gunn oozed confidence. She also had a very sharp wit. Though she always portrayed herself as just telling it like it is, her supposed straightforwardness often bordered on brutal, especially when it was aimed at the more seasoned queens. In the first episode, Gia made her stance clear when she questioned Kelly Mantle’s talent, suggesting that even with her long career in the industry, drag might not be her true calling. Once Kelly was eliminated, Gia found new targets, including Darienne Lake. Throughout her stint on the show, Gia’s presence was a constant shadefest, no matter how many times she said no tea, no shade.

#5: Roxxxy Andrews: Jinkx Out of Drag

“RuPaullywood or Bust”

Move over, Coco and Alyssa. Right from episode one, the editors got right to work setting the stage for season 5’s biggest rivalry: between Roxxxy Andrews and Jinkx Monsoon. This began the moment the two queens met in the Werk Room for the first time. It was clear that Roxxxy was already not feeling Jinkx. Her snide remarks about Jinkx’s look out of drag were rude enough, but once Roxxxy started grilling Jinkx about her narcolepsy, we knew she was going to be a major instigator of drama. The whole segment gave big mean girl energy. Little did we know, this was just a tip of the heavy drama that was to come.

#4: Valentina: The Reunion

“Reunited”

This season 9 fan favorite may have won the Miss Congeniality crown, but her fellow contestants weren’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for her. Although she painted herself as sweet and innocent on the show, Valentina had rubbed many of her castmates the wrong way by the time they got together to shoot the reunion. Months of resentment and online drama finally boiled over at the event. The toxic behavior of some of Valentina’s fans on social media had reached a fever pitch after her elimination, and her failure to intervene on her competitors’ behalf left a bad taste in their mouths.

#3: Ra’Jah O’Hara: Taking Yvie Down

“Good God Girl, Get Out!”

Although she eventually redeemed herself in later All Stars seasons, Ra’Jah O’Hara didn’t do much to endear herself to fans during her first run on Season 11. Eventual winner Yvie Oddly made no bones about telling it like it was. When she called out Ra’Jah and a few others for not being truthful, the purple queen was not having it. She launched into a tirade about Yvie’s looks in her confessional that might have gone a little too far. Once she opened that Pandora’s Box, there was no going back; her villain status was pretty much cemented.

#2: Tyra Sanchez: Bridezilla

“Here Comes the Bride”

Back in the day, Drag Race was a lot less touchy-feely. The queens freely spoke their mind without fear of being hounded online by the fans. Although queens like Raven had their fair share of nefarious moments, the true villain of the season was Tyra Sanchez. Sure, she already exhibited bratty behavior in the first few weeks, but it was in the bridal challenge that she truly showcased both her talent and her ruthlessness. When her season-long tension with Tatianna boiled over in the episode, it announced her as the resident villain. Yet even after being called out on the mainstage, she still won the challenge, and ultimately, the crown. Sometimes, the villain really does come out on top.

#1: Phi Phi O’Hara: Go Back to Party City

“Queens Behind Bars”

Season 4 finalists Sharon Needles and Phi Phi O’Hara tried to hash out their differences after a contentious group challenge in the third episode. It, however, didn’t work. The following week, their discussion quickly escalated into one of the franchise’s most memorable fights. When the season aired, Sharon quickly became a fan favorite, and this moment only helped boost her popularity. Unfortunately for Phi Phi, her incredible takedown made her the antagonist in Sharon’s winner edit. While the performer has since distanced herself from the franchise, her cattiness and mind games earned her a spot in the Hall of Fame of Drag Race villains.

Which “Drag Race” villain do you think is the most iconic? Let us know in the comments below!