Some Survivor players really know how to play the game. There are a bunch of different ways that Survivor can be played: you can be a hero, provide for the tribe, kill it at comps, and make friends with everyone. Or you can play the villain, scheme, and lie your way to the top. Or you can be a combo of both. The list is almost endless in how to get to the top of the mountain. Here is a list of Survivors who really understood what it took to win, or at least get very deep into the game.
Kelley Wentworth
Kelley Wentworth first appears in Survivor: San Juan del Sur — Blood vs. Water, alongside her dad, Dale, and didn't make a huge impression on the tribes, or really, the audience. She was voted out on Day 11, but it was clear she understood how to play. She would prove that in each of her next two appearances, making it to Day 37 before becoming the last person on the jury in Survivor: Cambodia. Kelley then competed in Survivor: Edge of Extinction, making it to the jury again, but falling short after getting voted off on Day 27.
J.T. Thomas
In J.T. Thomas' first of three appearances on Survivor, he became the first player to win the million-dollar first prize by playing what is now known as a "perfect game." Thomas never received an elimination vote through every tribal he was a part of, and, as icing on the cake, he got every single vote to win at the final tribal. He later appeared in Survivor: Heroes and Villains (as a "hero") and Survivor: Game Changers, but his reputation preceded him, and he was voted out early in both. No one wanted to mess with him.
Sandra Diaz-Twine
Sandra Diaz-Twine really needs no introduction to Survivor fans. She became the first person to ever win the game twice, winning both Pearl Islands and then Heroes vs. Villains. Sandra is among the most devious players of all time, and that served her well, proving that even someone with a reputation can still win a game with a giant target on their back.
Rupert Boneham
On a list of players that every fan has of who they most want to see return, Rupert Boneham is usually on it. The gentle giant was a hit with fans the moment he came into our living rooms in Pearl Islands. Thus far, he's returned three times in All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains, and Blood vs. Water. His best finish was in Heroes vs. Villains, where he finished fourth and just missed the final tribal. He did win $1,000,000 for winning the fan vote, showing that at least the audience believes he really knows how to play the game.
John Cochran
John Cochran doesn't look like he should be a great player, but as he first showed on Survivor: South Pacific, looks can be deceiving, and he proved how cold and calculating he could be. Though he didn't win South Pacific, he would return for Caramoan and not only win, but collect all eight votes from the jury at the final tribal, capping off just the second "perfect game" in Survivor history.
Cirie Fields
It's incredible to remember that Cirie Fields was almost the first contestant in her first appearance in Panama. Her social game saved her, and despite not being the best physical competitor by any means, Cirie showed just how powerful a great social game can be, ultimately finishing 3rd. In Fans vs. Favorites, she once again used that social game to make it all the way to Day 38 before becoming the final member of the jury. Her final appearance, to date, in Heroes vs. Villains, saw her out early, as her fellow tribe mates recognized just how good he was.
Jeremy Collins
In his first time competing on Survivor, in Blood vs. Water, Jeremy Collins did okay, making it to the jury, but just barely. The Massachusetts native returned for Second Chance and showed he really knew what he was doing when he took home the ultimate prize of Sole Survivor against a stacked cast of part contestants. In his final appearance, Jeremy once again made it to the jury, but was ultimately voted out on Day 31.
Parvati Shallow
Over four appearances as a competitor on Survivor, Parvati Shallow has proven just how cunning and devious she can be. She finished sixth in her debut in Survivor: Cook Islands, then won the whole thing in Fans vs. Favorites. Parvati finished runner-up in her next appearance, in Heroes vs. Villains. Obviously, anyone making it to two final tribals knows what they are doing.
"Boston" Rob Mariano
No list like this would be complete without Survivor legend "Boston" Ron Mariano. He's competed five times, winning Survivor: Redemption Island after finishing runner-up to his "showmance" and future wife, Amber, in Survivor: All-Stars. His since become a pretty big celebrity around his Survivor skills, appearing on Traitors as well.
Richard Hatch
Richard Hatch is a polarizing and controversial player, and frankly, a person. However, as the winner of the very first season of Survivor, he literally wrote the book on how to win the game as a villain. He simply has to be here, whether you like him or not.
Tommy Sheehan
In a fun twist, Tommy Sheehan ultimately won the title of Sole Survivor on a season called Survivor: Island of the Idols without finding or playing an idol. He simply did it the old-fashioned way by making alliances and winning comps.
Yul Kwon
In the 13th installment of Emmy-nominated Survivor, Cook Islands, Yul Kwon proved he was playing chess when everyone else was playing checkers. Yul is often cited as being among the smartest competitors in the show's history, and he showed it by winning in his debut season. He returned for Winners at War, but was eliminated on Day 18 because of the threat he posed.
Sarah Lacina
Police officer Sarah Lacina has a great combo of brains and brawn (landing on the "brawn" tribe in her debut on Survivor, in Cagayan. In that season, she was eliminated as the second member of the jury, but on her return in Game Changers, she used her skills to take home the ultimate prize. She followed that up in Winners at War, where she ultimately became the last person eliminated before the final tribal.
Tony Vlachos
As one of only two two-time Survivor winners, Tony Vlachos is always going to be part of a list like this. He definitely falls on the "villain" side of things, but he still had enough skill in his politicking that he was able to win over the jury twice. He is still among the most aggressive players of all-time, famous for his "spy shacks" and cold, calculating style.
Kim Spradlin-Wolfe
You want to know a great way to win? Do what Kim Spradlin-Wolfe did in her first season, One World. Not only did she find a hidden immunity idol, but she won four of the final five individual immunities. That's how to play the game! When she returned to the show in Winners at War, she won some more challenges, but was ultimately voted out on Day 29.
Jonny Fairplay
This will undoubtedly be a controversial choice. Jon Dalton, aka Jonny Fairplay, is notorious in Survivor history for his lie about his grandmother dying during Pearl Islands. The move was as cold as it comes, and for that, he grungingly deserves a spot on this list, for the sheer audacity of his "gameplay."
Ozzy Lusth
You might wonder how a contestant who holds the record for eliminations, being voted five times over his five times on the show, would be on this list. Well, it's because Ozzy Lusth also set records for being the first person to make it to the merge four times and, at the time of his fifth appearance, competing for the most total days in Survivor history.
Stephenie LaGrossa
Stephenie LaGrossa's first appearance on Survivor, in Season 10, Palau, immediately became legendary as her tribe was decimated before the merge, losing almost every challenge. She arrived at the merge with only one other fellow tribe member. That is a lot of tribals to survive. In Guatemala, Stephenie made it to the final tribal, before losing to Danni Boatwright.
Russell Hantz
Maybe the most controversial player in Survivor history, Russell Hantz, is the ultimate villain, a role he has relished in all three of his seasons on the show. He also basically invented the strategy of aggressively looking for idols, and both things benefited him greatly. He's managed to make it to the final tribal council twice, but he's never won, in large part due to his inability to play the social game correctly.
Amanda Kimmel
Like others on this like Amanda Kimmel has been masterful at her ability to create and maintain strong alliances, but her social game has failed her. In the first two of her three appearances on the show, China, Micronesia, and Heroes vs. Villains, she navigated her way to the final tribal, but lost both times. She holds the record for the most days in the game without being eliminated, 108 days.
Rick Devens
Rick Devens has thus far only appeared in one season of Survivor, but he proved to be a formidable contestant, missing the final tribal because of falling short on a fire-building competition. He'll surely be back at some point to compete again.
Yau-Man Chan
Yau-Man Chan was an instant fan favorite in his first season, Fiji, when he quickly showed how much he understood about both actual survival on a tropical island and how well he could navigate the game. Ultimately, he almost made it to the end, getting voted out right before the final tribal because he was an obvious shoe-in to win if he made it. When he returned for Fans vs. Favorites, he was eliminated quickly, as his reputation preceded him.
Brian Heidik
Brian Heidik is one of the few people on this list who has only competed in one season, and it was way back in 2002 in Thailand. Still, he proved he knew what he was doing in building trust (and multiple alliances), showing the world how the game could be played.
Natalie Anderson
One of the most incredible stories in Survivor history is Natalie Anderson's. In her first appearance, in the second Blood vs. Water season, she competed along with her twin sister, Nadiya. Well, for a bit anyway, as Nadiya was the first person voted out that season. Still, Natalie, a former Amazing Race contestant, didn't stay down for long and took home the win at the end of the season. She proved it was no fluke when she went all the way to the final tribal in Winners at War, losing to Tony in the final vote.
Tyson Apostol
Tyson Apostol is considered one of the most notorious "villains" in Survivor history for his gameplay across four seasons, Tocantins and Heroes vs. Villains, Winners at War, and the season in which he won, the first Blood vs. Water season. He was as cold-blooded as they come in his appearances, and it worked out pretty darn well for him. Still, he seemed to always do it with a wry smile on his face, knowing he was a villain, and relishing it.
Twila Tanner
Twila Tanner is someone who has become kind of a stereotype on Survivor, as the country girl who is very capable in the survival aspect, but surprises people with her strategy skills. This proved successful, as Twila made it all the way to the final tribal before losing to Chris Daugherty in Vanuatu.
Rob Cesternino
Rob Cesternino isn't the most famous "Rob" in Survivor history, but he's a pretty legendary player. His debut came in Season 6, The Amazon, where he established himself as a person who really understood the game, getting, as the last player to get eliminated and join the jury before the final tribal, making it 38 days. His prowess at the game made him a target when he returned for All-Stars, and he was eliminated early.
Chris Daugherty
Chris Daugherty was an underdog almost the whole time he was competing in Vanuatu. Still, despite his post-merge alliance getting destroyed, he held on by himself with some brilliant gameplay and relationship building, and it all ended with Brian being crowned the champion.
Jonathan Penner
On the surface, as he showed right away in his first season Cook Islands, Jonathan Penner has a prickly demeanor that you would think wouldn't serve him well in this game. He proved everyone wrong, however, making it all the way to Day 33. In his second appearance, Micronesia, Penner was medically evacuated due to a knee injury. He returned for Philippines and once again made it to the jury before getting voted out on Day 30
Jerri Manthey
Jerri Manthey is often described as the first "villainess" for her gameplay in the show's second season, The Australian Outback. She embraced it too. She's competed three times. almost reaching the end in Heroes vs. Villains, where she became the final member of the jury on Day 38.
Stephen Fishbach
Stephen Fishbach would probably be the first to tell you that he was an unlikely candidate to go deep in the game as a "city guy," but he was a fantastic competitor in his first season, Tocantins, finishing as the runner-up at the final tribal. He finished a respectable 9th in his second appearance in Cambodia.
Todd Herzog
Survivor: China is one of the most impressive non-"All-Star" seasons of Survivor, mostly because Todd Herzog quickly built an alliance that saw him through all the way to the end, where he was crowned the Sole Survivor. Not everyone on this list has won a season, but it's always more impressive when you have.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
