Summary

The maxi challenges are key in determining the top competitors each week on RuPaul's Drag Race.
Past winners like Latrice Royale and BeBe Zahara Benet have proven their talent with four wins each.
Trinity the Tuck has dominated the competition with an impressive 11 maxi challenge wins, making her the ultimate queen.

Over the years, RuPaul’s Drag Race has brought charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to our TVs. After many Drag Race seasons and All Stars spin-offs, this is one of the best reality shows of all time, with nearly two dozen Emmy Award nominations and nine wins. Often referred to as the ‘Olympics of Drag,’ RuPaul’s Drag Race puts fierce queens to the test, with challenges that range from acting to sewing, from doing stand-up comedy to writing lyrics. These contestants are often their own designers, models, makeup artists, choreographers, and writers.

Drag Race fans know that maxi challenges are the challenges that the queens are judged on during each episode. In a way, maxi challenges are often treated as more important than what the queens even display on the runway. Thus, these are challenges that typically determine who the Bottom Two will be, as well as who comes out on top each week. With RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 unfolding, it's time to visit the queens with the most maxi challenge wins.

10 Latrice Royale

4 Wins (Tie)

The beloved Latrice Royale has won four maxi challenges during her time on RuPaul’s Drag Race. However, those victories were pretty spread out during the three seasons that this queen starred in. On season 4, Latrice won two maxi challenges: episode 4 (“Queens Behind Bars”), when the iconic “get those nuts away from my face” quote was born; and episode 8 (“Frenemies”), when Latrice and Willam won for their live singing act.

On All Stars 1, when Latrice Royale was paired with Manila Luzon as Team Latrila, they won the ‘opposites attract’ photoshoot maxi challenge on the very first episode (“It Takes Two”). Then, Latrice returned for All Stars 4, and won the Episode 7 (“Queens of Clubs”) maxi challenge for her bee-themed nightclub. All in all, Latrice Royale has won four maxi challenges during three seasons competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race. She's certainly a force to be reckoned with on the iconic reality TV show.

9 BeBe Zahara Benet

4 Wins (Tie)

BeBe Zahara Benet is not only the original RuPaul’s Drag Race winner – having won the first-ever season in the series –, but she is also now fresh in everyone’s mind for having competed on 2018’s All Stars 3. Overall, the rrra-ka-ta-ti-ti-ta-ta queen has won a total of four maxi challenges throughout her Drag Race appearances, making her one of the best maxi challenge winners.

On season 1, BeBe won two maxi challenges: Episode 3 (“Queens of All Media”) and Episode 6 (“Absolut Drag Ball”). The latter was the challenge that crowned her as the winner of season 1. Then, on All Stars 3, BeBe Zahara Benet won two consecutive maxi challenges: Episode 5 (“Pop Art Ball”) and Episode 6 (“Handmaids to Kitty Girls”). She's truly one of the best winners of RuPaul's Drag Race.

8 Chad Michaels

5 Wins (Tie)

Cher impersonator and RuPaul’s Drag Race Hall of Famer Chad Michaels has had one of the most successful runs of any queen in the entire franchise. At first, this queen was the runner-up of season 4, losing only to the nearly-unbeatable Sharon Needles. Then, she went on to be crowned the winner of All Stars 1. Chad Michaels remains one of the most iconic RuPaul's Drag Race cast members.

On season 4, Chad Michaels won two maxi challenges: Episode 2 (“WTF!: Wrestling’s Trashiest Fighters”) and Episode 5 (“Snatch Game”). Then, on All Stars 1, Chad won the three consecutive maxi challenges leading up to the finale: Episode 3 (“Queens Behaving Badly”), Episode 4 (“All-Star Girl Groups”), and Episode 5 (“Dynamic Drag Duos”).

7 Katya

5 Wins (Tie)

Tied with Shangela is another fan-favorite, Katya, who has won a total of five maxi challenges during her time on season 7 and All Stars 2. During her original season, Katya won the maxi challenges on Episode 6 (“Ru-Hollywood Stories”) and Episode 10 (“Prancing Queens”) alongside Violet Chachki. On All Stars 2, Katya won Episode 2 (“All Stars Snatch Game”), Episode 6 (“Drag Fish Tank”), and Episode 7 (“Family That Drags Together”). However, she lost all three times during the Lip Sync For Your Legacy.

Fun fact: Katya actually holds the record for most lip sync losses of all time on RuPaul’s Drag Race. In total, the queen has lost five lip syncs. Right behind Katya is her BFF, Trixie Mattel, who lost four lip syncs throughout her appearances in the franchise. However, it didn't stop her from becoming a RuPaul's Drag Race icon.

6 Shangela

5 Wins (Tie)

Shangela may have been the first eliminated queen on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 2, but this professional queen has slayed the competition every time that she returned to the franchise, earning a total of 5 maxi challenge wins.

On season 3, Shangela’s second time on Drag Race, the queen won two maxi challenges: Episode 3 (“Queens in Space”) alongside Alexis Mateo and Episode 8 (“Ru Ha Ha”) for its stand-up comedy challenge. She proved she was a force to be reckoned with on the show.

Then, Shangela came back-back-back again for All Stars 3, where she won three maxi challenges: Episode 2 (“Divas Lip Sync Live”) for her Mariah Carey impersonation; Episode 4 (“All Stars Snatch Game”) for her Jenifer Lewis impersonation; and Episode 7 (“My Squirrelfriend’s Dragsmaids Wedding Trip”) as the character of Actavia.

5 Alaska

6 Wins

Alaska was first brought into the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise as the boyfriend of season 4 winner Sharon Needles. However, the snake queen has far surpassed that title since being cast on season 5, having one of the best Drag Race stats ever and ending up being crowned the winner of All Stars 2. In total, Alaska has won six maxi challenges. Alaska is one of the most iconic queens.

On season 5, Alaska won two maxi challenges: Episode 8 (“Scent of a Drag Queen”), for her Red for Filth perfume marketing campaign, and Episode 11 (“Sugar Ball”), for her three sickening ball looks. Years later, Alaska ran over the competition on All Stars 2, winning a total of four maxi challenges. The first All Stars 2 win came on Episode 2 (“All Stars Snatch Game”) for her iconic performance as Mae West. Then, Alaska won three consecutive maxi challenges: Episode 4 (“Drag Movie Shequels”), Episode 5 (“Revenge of the Queens”), and Episode 6 (“Drag Fish Tank”).

4 Manila Luzon

7 Wins (Tie)

Ever since season 3, Manila Luzon has been slaying RuPaul’s Drag Race. On her original season, Manila won three maxi challenges (and was therefore tied with season 3 winner Raja during the finale): Episode 5 (“QNN News”), Episode 12 (“Jocks in Frocks”), and Episode 13 (“Make Dat Money”). It is important to note that episodes 12 and 13 led up to the finale, meaning that this queen arrived in the Top 3 having consecutively won the previous two maxi challenges.

As Team Latrila (alongside Latrice Royale on All Stars 1), Manila Luzon won the first maxi challenge of the season. Years later, as she returned for All Stars 4 to compete on her won, Manila matched the three wins that she had on her original season. The queen had a consecutive streak of victories on Episode 3 (“Snatch Game of Love”), Episode 4 (“Jersey Justice”), and Episode 5 (“Roast in Peace”). In total, Manila Luzon has won seven maxi challenges, being tied with two other queens for the most victories in the history of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

3 BenDeLaCreme

7 Wins (Tie)

BenDeLaCreme was a fierce competitor on both Drag Race season 6 and All Stars 3, despite both of those seasons being filled by very strong competitors. All in all, Ben has won seven maxi challenges, which is the most wins a queen has ever had in the franchise. On season 6, Ben won two maxi challenges: Episode 1 (“RuPaul’s Big Opening”) and Episode 5 (“Snatch Game”).

Then, before eliminating herself on All Stars 3, BenDeLaCreme won a whopping five maxi challenges, which is basically every episode that she was on, except for one. These wins took place on Episode 1 (“All Star Variety Show”), Episode 2 (“Divas Lip Sync Live”), Episode 3 (“The B*tchelor”), Episode 4 “All Stars Snatch Game”), and Episode 6 (“Handmaids to Kitty Girls”). On the latter, Ben won the Lip Sync For Your Legacy and sent herself home. Another record held by BenDeLaCreme is that she is the only queen in the history of RuPaul’s Drag Race to have won the Snatch Game twice.

2 Shea Coulee

8 Wins

Despite the fact that Shea Coulee had the same maxi challenge wins as Latrice Royale and BeBe Zahara Benet before her appearance on All Stars 5, it is definitely worth a mention that this queen snatched all four of her victories while only being on one season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. However, the formidable queen rose to eight maxi challenge wins after her appearance on All Stars 5.

On season 9 alone, Shea Coulee won four maxi challenges. On Episode 4 (“Good Morning B*tches”), Shea won alongside Sasha Velour. Right after, on Episode 5 (“Reality Stars: The Musical”), this queen earned her first solo win for portraying Blac Chyna – a character that Nina Bo’Nina Brown really wanted to get.

Shea Coulee had another dual victory alongside Sasha Velour on Episode 9 (“Your Pilot’s On Fire”), making all the judges laugh out loud with their Teets & Asky pilot. Then, Shea’s last win took place on Episode 11 (“Gayest Ball Ever”), largely due to her high-fashion ‘construction worker’ look.

1 Trinity The Tuck

11 Wins

Trinity the Tuck was tied with Manila Luzon and BenDeLaCreme for seven maxi challenge wins. However, unlike her counterparts, Trinity did walk out of All Stars 4 as the winner (a title that is shared with Monet X Change). However, after she competed in All Stars 7, Trinity became the ultimate queen of maxi challenge wins.

On season 9, Trinity the Tuck won three maxi challenges: Episode 3 (“Draggily Ever After”), Episode 7 (“9021-HO”), and Episode 10 (“Makeovers: Crew Better Work”). Then, on All Stars 4, Trinity managed to break her previous record by winning four maxi challenges on the same season. On All Stars, the queen won Episode 1 (“All Star Super Queen Variety Show”), Episode 3 (“Snatch Game of Love”), Episode 7 (“LaLaPaRUza”), and Episode 9 (“Sex and the Kitty, Girl 3”). However, it was her four wins on All Stars 7 that made her queen of RuPaul's Drag Race.