2021 churned out a slew of viral trends and unforgettable content. We’ve put together our list of the best YouTubers of 2021, who made waves by creating some of the year’s most memorable moments and videos.
When it comes to social media platforms, YouTube is always a top contender — but it truly changed the game this year by diving headfirst into streaming and taking a chunk of Twitch’s top talent. We’ve also ranked Twitch’s top 5 streamers this year here.
On top of that, YouTube has seen a number of its best creators make a splash in a huge way, from hosting influencer game shows to recreating one of Netflix’s top series of all time.
Here is our list of YouTube’s best content creators of 2021.
5 – Valkyrae
Rachell ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter was a huge name in the influencer game this year. The YouTuber — who signed an exclusive contract with the platform in 2020 — appeared in music videos for Corpse Husband, Machine Gun Kelly, and Bella Poarch.
On top of that, Valkyrae even launched her very first merchandise line, unleashed a special edition gaming chair, and even became a co-owner of 100 Thieves. That’s what we call boss moves!
4 – Dr Disrespect
This list wouldn’t be complete without including the two-time Blockbuster video games champion, Dr Disrespect. Doc notably switched over to YouTube in 2020 after his mysterious Twitch ban, and has gone on to become a major presence on the site.
Doc has been at the top of his game this year, back to streaming with besties TimTheTatMan and CouRage, who also hopped over to YouTube from Twitch.
Got it? Good.#DEWDUAL2XP #GameFuelPartner https://t.co/wh00oTHBmn
— Dr Disrespect (@DrDisrespect) October 28, 2021
From teasing his very own battle royale game to starring in a Mountain Dew x Warzone commercial, it’s clear that the two-time’s 3.6 million subscribers are well-deserved after a year of hard work and streaming domination.
3 – Coffeezilla
When it comes to internet drama, Coffeezilla is always on top of the latest tea — and this year, there was more tea spilling than ever.
In 2021, Coffeezilla notably called out a slew of influencers for purported “scams” regarding cryptocurrency… something he’s become quite well-known for, as his specialty is exposing influencers’ scams to warn their well-meaning fans.
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In fact, Coffeezilla created an entire YouTube Rewind parody featuring the biggest influencer cryptocurrency drama of 2021, wrapping up the holiday season with a humorous jab at several high-profile content creators.
2 – ZHC
YouTube’s resident artist took over the website in 2021 after years of customizing top influencers’ phones, designer bags, cars, and rooms.
This year, ZHC hosted YouTube’s competitive game show, Instant Influencer, which took a more artistic turn off the back of season one’s more beauty-centric challenges.
Boasting over 23 million subscribers, it’s clear that ZHC’s massive customization projects have garnered him a well-earned following as he continues to up the ante with each video.
1 – MrBeast
Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson comes in at first place in our Top YouTubers list, and it’s not hard to see why.
This year, MrBeast started his very own charity to help feed his local community, raised millions of dollars to clean the world’s oceans with his #TeamSeas project, and partnered with a number of top influencers for his MrBeast Burger restaurant.
Of course, this list would be amiss without mentioning his viral Squid Game recreation, which broke YouTube records and even earned the approval of the show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk.
MrBeast continues to surpass expectations and constantly uses his internet fame as a way to do good in the world — and for these reasons, he’s earned the title of best YouTuber of 2021. We’re excited to see what the future has in store for this ceiling-shattering influencer!
Be on the lookout for more in Dexerto’s Best of 2021 rankings, dropping throughout December.