Contestant

Contestants, also referred to as “Racers” and “Competitors” are the main characters in the Story Race series. They are the characters competing for the title of Story Race winner. They compete by showcasing fashion garments and occasionally creating their own editorial photo shoots. Contestants come in a variety of races, ethnicities, and even species. 
On average, there are 10 unique contestants on an individual season. Each Contestant has their own design aesthetic that they hone and perfect over time. Contestants that don’t win their seasons are eligible for All Stars, although certain factors, such as overall performance and audience reception, are taken into consideration when creating a shortlist.
== Human Contestants ==
Human Contestants make up the bulk of the story race franchise. The human characters are very diverse, with an array of ethnicities, body types, and age groups being represented throughout the years. Most human contestants transform into the opposite gender in drag. However, there are a select few whose gender does not change when they get into drag. 
Human characters have the distinct advantage of featuring many makeup types, which allows for their drag to be distinct from other contestants.
== Celebrity Contestants ==
There have been various contestants on Story Race who are famous persons in the real world. The first instance of this occurred during season 3, when Ariana Grande competed and earned 5th place. Since then, there have been quite a few characters inspired by famous people, as well as influencers, popular cartoon characters, and mascots. These characters are as follows: 
* Ariana Grande (Season 3, AS2)
* Jack in the Closet (Jack in the Box Mascot) (Season 3, AS1)
* Nathy Peluso (Season 4 AS3)
* Snow (Lithunium Snow) (Season 4, AS4) 
* Harper Finkle (Season 5, AS3)
* Daphne Blake (Season 5, AS2)
* Trixie Mattel (Season 5)
* Suga Mama (Season 6, AS4)
* Bimbo (Season 6)
* Melanie Martinez (Season 6)
* Jandora (Season 7)
== Animal Contestants ==
Animal contestants are another subcategory of contestants that appear very frequently. Since Season Two, an animal has competed on every season of Story Race, with the exception of All Stars One. The most common animal characters are mammals and birds. The list of Animal Contestants is as follows:
* Rhat (Season 2, AS2)
* Ribbecca (Season 3)
* Chica Fil A (Season 3, AS3)
* Gatorella (Season 4)
* Miaomiao (Season 5, AS4)
* Paajuu (Season 5, AS4)
* Bimbo (Season 6)
* Francine (Season 7)
== Unusual Contestants ==
Describes any contestant that isn’t a human or an animal. These characters are rather infrequent, and tend to be rather eccentric in their design aesthetic. To date, only one Unusual contestant has won story race. The Unusual Contestants are as follows:
* Hamilton Beach (Season 1, AS2)
* Aliana (Season 2, AS4)
* Jack in the Closet (Season 3, AS1)
* Buford the Snowman (Season 4)
* Tempore (Season 6, AS4)
* Empanada (Season 7)
* My House (Season 7)
== Design Aesthetics/Personality Scales ==
* Camp
* Chic
* Cute
* Pageant
* Punk
* Royal
* Tricky
There are different characteristics found in Contestants depending on their aesthetics. Color preference and silhouettes are not unique to each aesthetic, but some are more apparent in different aesthetics than others. There are 7 known design Aesthetics: Pageant and cute tend to be dominated by the female characters, while Royal tends to be mainly a male aesthetic. Contestants can have a blend of different aesthetics, however, a design will always be rooted in one central style that is recognizable.
In addition to Aesthetic, a Contestant’s fashion can be influenced by their Personality Scales. There are two scales: Silhouette and Sensibilities. The silhouette scale refers to the average size that a Contestant prefers their garment to be. Size can be anywhere from skimpy and streamlined, to maximalist outfits that cover the entire body. Sensibility scale refers to how much money a contestant prefers to spend on their package. This scale ranges from Crafty to Lavish. A high or low score on one scale does not indicate the score of another. For example, a low score on the Sensibility scale doesn’t necessarily mean a Contestant will always be crafty, and vice versa.