RuPaul's Drag Race Season 18 queens tease chaos, conflict, and questionable fashion

The queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 are not waiting for the premiere to set expectations.

Ahead of the show’s January debut on MTV, the cast has already outlined the contours of the season, pointing directly to conflict, interpersonal chaos, and at least one runway package that even the queens themselves describe as memorable for the wrong reasons.

In an exclusive superlatives game filmed for Entertainment Weekly, the RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 cast openly named the villain, the source of the drama, and the contestant whose fashion choices are likely to draw scrutiny as the competition unfolds.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 cast breaks down villains, drama, and runways

During the Entertainment Weekly video, the RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 queens were asked to identify the “villain of the season,” and the response was immediate and nearly unanimous. 

Before several queens turned their attention to Briar Blush, Darlene Mitchell said,

“I'm going to act like this is a hard one.” 

Ciara Myst referred to her castmate as “the goblin,” while Kenya Pleaser added that Briar was a “f***ing bitch” to watch out for inside the workroom.

Briar Blush did not dispute the label. Embracing the designation without hesitation, she said, 

“That's me. I'm the villain!” 

Discord Addams followed by calling Briar “a menace,” while Jane Don’t offered a blunt assessment: 

“I think she just intrinsically is a butthead.”

Nini Coco later described Briar as “sinister,” and Mia Starr summarized the sentiment with a warning grounded in experience. 

“She'll make you want to cuss that bi**h out, okay? She'll make you want to cuss her out!”

The early framing suggests that RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 will lean heavily into personality clashes, a familiar element of the franchise that often shapes both the competition and viewer response.

The queens’ willingness to openly name a villain before the first episode airs indicates a cast that is fully aware of how narratives form within RuPaul’s Drag Race and unafraid to participate in shaping them.

Beyond villainy, the RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 cast also voted on the contestant most likely to bring drama throughout the season.

In another unanimous decision, Athena Dion was named the drama of the year. Kenya Pleaser did not soften the description, calling Athena “the most dramatic b*tch I've ever met in my life.”

Discord Addams echoed the sentiment with humor, saying that “Athena thinks the entire cast works for her.”

The superlatives segment also touched on alliances and potential romances beyond the competition.

Athena Dion and Vita VonTesse Starr were named the queens most likely to hook up after filming, a category the cast had previously discussed with Entertainment Weekly.

While the segment did not expand on those dynamics, the acknowledgment adds another layer to how RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 relationships may evolve both on and off screen.

Not all of the attention was focused on conflict. The queens were also asked to identify which contestant seemed poised to become RuPaul’s favorite.

Juicy Love Dion nominated herself for the “Lydia B Kollins/Jorgeous RuPaul’s Favorite Twink Award,” saying, 

“The season 18 Lydia B Kollins/Jorgeous RuPaul's Favorite Twink Award, I mean, not to toot my own horn, but, toot toot! I'd say Juicy Love Dion.”

Several of the other contestants agreed that Juicy Love Dion appeared to capture RuPaul’s attention early in the competition, a factor that often carries weight in RuPaul’s Drag Race seasons.

Fashion, a cornerstone of RuPaul’s Drag Race, also emerged as a point of conversation, though not in the way most contestants hope.

Mandy Mango was singled out by the cast for having some of the weakest runway looks of the season.

DD Fuego previewed what viewers can expect, teasing that Mandy has a “very, very, very iconic, not good look” scheduled to appear in an upcoming episode.

While no further details were revealed, the phrasing suggested a moment that will likely be remembered alongside the franchise’s long history of divisive runway presentations.

The Entertainment Weekly superlatives video offers an early snapshot of the internal dynamics shaping RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18.

With the cast openly identifying villains, drama centers, and questionable fashion before the competition officially begins, expectations are already set for a season driven as much by personality and conflict as by performance challenges and runway execution.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 premieres Friday, Jan. 2, on MTV, introducing viewers to a cast that has made it clear they are ready to deliver spectacle, confrontation, and conversation from the moment the werkroom doors open.

Stay tuned for more updates.