Hidden Immunity Idol

The Hidden Immunity Idol (also known as the "Hidden Idol" or simply as "the idol") is a pocket-sized talisman, and is widely believed to be the most groundbreaking twist ever to be created on Survivor. Its purpose is to, one way or another, negate all votes cast against the holder when he or she chooses to play it. The idol has influenced many of the contestants' strategies, whether they use the object, or defuse its powers. The Hidden Immunity Idol made its debut in, and in seasons containing the Exile Island twist, the idol is often hidden there.

It is not to be confused with the Tribal Immunity Idol or the Individual Immunity Necklace, as the Hidden Immunity Idol is not won at challenges. However, clues to the whereabouts of the idol may exist at camp or may be given to the winners of a Reward Challenge.

Overview
When the idol debuted in, its purpose was to give its owner Individual Immunity without the winning of an Individual Immunity Challenge. But in following seasons, it was reformatted to negate votes that the holder would receive at Tribal Council. Despite its potential to protect its owner in the game, it may only be used once, after which the idol will either be re-hidden or discarded. With this, owners should be careful about divulging information about possessing one and/or when to use it, because from onwards, a player can still be eliminated with the idol in their possession, thus going home bringing their idol with them (dubbed as "flushing"). Another limitation is that the idol is only valid until a given deadline (usually Day 37). A player may hold more than one idol if available.

Appearance
Similar to the Immunity Idol and the Immunity Necklace, the Hidden Immunity Idol is usually a small, ornate talisman that is designed to match the season's theme and/or location. Fore example, the Hidden Immunity Idol in China was a plaque-like wooden square with a Chinese symbol engraved on it. Other idols are designed like small necklaces or bracelets. Usually, the idol is an item based on the history or landscape of the area.

Format
The format of how the Hidden Immunity Idol is used every season differs, and as of now there are three different formats of how it is used based on the time it can be used in Tribal Council.

Guatemala
The Hidden Immunity Idol debuted in the merge phase of, where its existence was revealed via Tree Mail. The owner came to be Gary Hogeboom, who used it in the same episode, making him immune from the vote, similar to how the Immunity Necklace works. After its usage, the idol was discarded.

Panama-Cook Islands
In succeeding seasons, the mechanics of the Hidden Immunity Idol drastically changed. In and, instead of making the player immune before the vote, the Hidden Immunity Idol would now be able to nullify votes that are cast against the holder. When the host revealed enough votes to eliminate a contestant, the player in question would draw the idol to stay in the game. With the holder immune at the last minute, the person who receives the next highest amount of votes will be eliminated instead. This format was panned by fans, calling the item "too powerful," by using them akin to the "" used in. These idols are good up until the Tribal Council where there are only four contestants remaining.

Fiji-Present
From onwards (with the exception of,  and ), there has been one idol hidden in each of the tribe camps. Additionally, the format was once again changed. Instead of using it after the host revealed enough ballots to eliminate a player, players must use the idol after the votes have been cast, but before the host reveals them. This gesture will force castaways to become more cautious on possessing it and/or divulging information about possessing one. With this format, it is crucial for players to use his/her idol at the right time. Contestants must draw the idol at a Tribal Council where they are sure to receive votes, or else they will either waste the idol (if they had either no votes against them or if they have votes, there may not be enough to eliminate them) or be eliminated without even using the idol. This was dubbed by several contestants as flushing. Once the idol is used, it is usually re-hidden. From this point forward, the idols are valid up until the Tribal Council where there are only five contestants remaining. In, while there is only one camp, there are still two idols; one for each tribe. Both idols are exclusive for a tribe. For instance, if a member of one tribe finds the idol of the rival tribe, he/she has to give it to one of its members before the next Tribal Council.

When the castaway is voted out as a direct result of the use of the Hidden Immunity Idol, that person is said to have been "idoled out".

Cagayan
In, while the current format still applied during the tribal phase, a fourth Hidden Immunity Idol was introduced post-merge. Said idol had to be used after the votes have been read, similar to in Panama and Cook Islands. However, as revealed in, this Hidden Immunity Idol may only be used by its finder and may not be passed on to someone else. This version of the idol is referred to by the contestants as the "special idol" or "idol with special powers".

According to Jeff Probst, this was suggested in a text message by celebrity Tyler Perry, referring to the idol as the "Tyler Perry idol", a term which has entered the fan vocabulary.

Cambodia
In, the current usage of the idols still applied, but the Hidden Immunity Idols for this season were designed very different from each other, making it difficult for the players to know if the idols are real or fake. Also, for the first time the idols were hidden in the middle of the challenges instead of at camp, while the clues were to be hidden at camp.

Clues
To find Hidden Immunity Idols more easily, clues are provided to castaways. Several clues either are progressive (meaning the first clue will not be as helpful as the next ones because it will only lead to another clue, but the succeeding clues would lead the looker closer the actual place of the idol), or still lead to the same hiding place, albeit restructured for added confusion.

As the season progresses, more clues will be provided, regardless if the idol has already been found or not. These clues can be shared with others by the finder(s)' choosing; however, in several incidents in, Russell Hantz was notorious for finding the idols without any clues..

These clues may be a cryptic message similar to Tree Mail messages or rebus puzzles in. Sometimes, the exact location of the idol is stated outright.

In, Monica Culpepper began a trend of refusing the clue as to prevent a target from forming on one's back. Only four clues have been accepted out of ten during the season.

Over the years, there have been varying ways for how the clues have been given to the contestants:
 * In Guatemala, Heroes vs. Villains, Nicaragua, and Redemption Island, aside from the prize that a tribe gets after winning a Reward Challenge, a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol was either given to the winner/s outright, or hidden inside their prize.
 * In Panama, Cook Islands, and Gabon, the idol was hidden at Exile Island. The banished castaway will be handed clues of its whereabouts. Additionally, in Gabon, a second idol was revealed, hidden somewhere near the feast table during the fake merge feast.
 * Starting in Fiji, two Immunity Idols became available, with one hidden at each camp. The exiled castaways will receive clues. This was the first time a flushed idol was replaced with a new one.
 * In Micronesia, several mechanisms have been used:
 * The two people (one from each tribe) banished will be provided multiple clues that are scattered around Exile Island, where they have to compete for ownership of the idol. This was during the tribal phase of the game.
 * At the merge phase, several idols have been available. Ozzy Lusth possessed an idol, but wasn't able to use it during the Tribal Council where he was eliminated. With Ozzy's idol gone, a new one was placed on Exile Island, though its finder, Jason Siska, made the same mistake. The next idol was found by Amanda Kimmel, who possessed a clue while at Exile Island, but realized that the idol was at camp, under their tribe flag. Amanda's idol was re-hidden in the next episode. Parvati Shallow was sent to Exile Island in the next episode, and although it looked like she did not look for the idol, it was revealed in a post show interview that she found the idol while snorkeling and left it on the island to prevent trouble.
 * In Tocantins, two people will receive clues about the idol, only to realize that the idols were hidden at their tribe camp.
 * In China and Samoa, one player of the opposing tribe will visit the camp and they will provide the clue for the idol. In China, however, the member of the opposing tribe was forced to give the unopened clue to a member of the tribe they were visiting.
 * In South Pacific, the clue was also hidden at camp, providing more difficulty in finding the idol. The tribe that wins the Immunity Challenge will have a clue planted somewhere around their camp. The more Immunity Challenges a tribe wins, the more clues they get.
 * In One World and Caramoan, Hidden Immunity Idols would still be available, but for the first time, clues will not be provided, as Jeff Probst said that the contestants "do not need them" anymore.
 * In Philippines, the clues were hidden in the tribes' bags of rice, and the idol was actually on top of the bag of rice, disguised as the handle of the lid of the rice basket.
 * In Caramoan, several mechanisms have been used:
 * Malcolm Freberg bought "information" at the Survivor Auction on Day 29, which was a clue to an idol that he was allowed to read for 60 seconds.
 * As part of the Individual Immunity Challenge on Day 31, the winner would be rewarded with "information", which was the clue to an idol. Andrea Boehlke won the Individual Immunity and the clue.
 * In Blood vs. Water, the clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol will be given to the person who finished first in the Redemption Island duel. However, they will need to give the clue to any person left in the game.
 * Candice Cody won the first and second duel and both times decided to give the clue to her husband John Cody.
 * At the beginning of Cagayan, the weakest castaway of each tribe (selected by the tribe leaders) were sent to their respective camps first. When they arrived, they were given an option to either take an extra sack of rice for their tribe, or to receive a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol. However, clues were also known to be found on certain rewards the tribes won in Reward/Immunity Challenges.
 * In Worlds Apart, before the castaways were sent to their camps, each tribe chose a representative to make a decision when they reached their respective camps. The representative would then have to choose another representative from the tribe, who would join them in making the decision. The representatives would then have to choose either "Honesty" or "Deception"; choosing the former would give the tribe a big bag of beans for the entire tribe, while choosing the latter would give the representatives a clue to their tribe's idol, but with only a small amount of beans for the tribe.
 * In San Juan del Sur, on Exile Island, there were two urns. Each castaway who arrived must choose one of them to open and get a note from inside. One urn contains nothing, while the other contains the clue to their tribe's idol (the clue is the same for both tribes' idol). During the merge, when only one player gets exiled, only one urn would be available but would be guaranteed to have the idol clue.
 * In Cambodia, instead of being hidden in the tribe camps, the Hidden Immunity Idols are hidden in challenge venues instead, making it potentially harder for an idol to be hidden from others. However, clues are hidden at camp, indicating exactly where the idol is going to be, which means each clue is only applicable for the immediate challenge.

Rules
Hidden Immunity Idols are considered "personal items," and thus cannot be stolen from its owner, as stated in the Survivor Rulebook. If the owner hides his or her idol for safekeeping and someone else finds it, whoever finds the already-found idol may not take it.

If a player who possesses an idol is involved in a tie vote, he or she may not use his or her idol in the second round of voting.

If the players who received votes both use Hidden Immunity Idols, the vote will be voided, and a re-vote would commence. In this round of voting, the players must vote for someone other than the idol users and the player who has individual immunity.

Strategy
Several strategies regarding the idol were developed by contestants. Here is a non-exhaustive list of how the idol was used over the series:

There have been several instances where a person that is caught looking for the idol has become an immediate target, so it is crucial that searchers must be undetected when looking for it.

Fake idols
Created by the contestants, these idols have been used as a foil for players to use them under the assumption that they have been helped out by one of their tribemates. They have no value at Tribal Council, and when a fake idol is presented, Jeff Probst throws it into the fire pit stating that it is not a Hidden Immunity Idol.

Contestants Making Fake idols

 * In, Austin Carty made the first fake idol when he was marooned on Exile Island with Danielle DiLorenzo. He intended to use it as a bluff to avoid his ouster in that same episode, but had a change of heart. The secret scene was revealed in his interview with Julie Chen on the The Early Show.
 * In, Yau-Man Chan made a fake idol after finding his own Hidden Immunity Idol. He took half of a coconut shell and drew a face on it with paint, and to make sure that whoever found it was sure that it was indeed a Hidden Immunity Idol, he wrote "II" ("Immunity Idol") on it.
 * In, Ozzy Lusth made a fake idol on Exile Island after finding his own Hidden Immunity Idol. He took a decent-sized stick and carved a face on it. It was later found by Jason Siska and played by Eliza Orlins.
 * In, Bob Crowley made two fake idols. He gave one to Randy Bailey, who eventually played it. Bob's fake idols were noted as being very ornately-crafted and very convincing.
 * In, Taj Johnson-George also made a fake idol after finding the Jalapao Hidden Immunity Idol. Joe Dowdle found the idol, but since he was evacuated, he never played it.
 * Russell Hantz made a fake idol and gave it to Jerri Manthey, but she did not use it.
 * Also in Heroes vs. Villains, Rupert Boneham feigned a rock in his pocket as a fake idol.
 * Abi-Maria Gomes never made a fake idol either, but feigned the scroll container that contained the advantage she bought during the Survivor Auction as an idol.
 * In a secret scene for, Val Collins made a fake idol after bluffing about finding two Hidden Immunity Idols to keep her safe in the game, and try to divert votes away from her.
 * Also in San Juan del Sur, Dale Wentworth found what he thought could possibly be the idol on the well On Day 3. He eventually learned that John Rocker had possessed the real Coyopa idol, but used his fake idol as leverage in the game anyway.
 * In, Joe Anglim, using his expertise as a jewelry designer, made a fake idol using wood from a crate and pieces from his torch. Joe made a deal to give Mike Holloway the idol if Mike could swing the votes in his favor to stay in the game and send Jenn Brown home. Mike played the idol on Will Sims II at Tribal Council and learned that it was indeed a fake.

Trivia

 * and are tied for the season with the most idols found, with six.
 * Mookie Lee is the first castaway to transfer his possession of the idol to someone else. The recipient, Alex Angarita is the first castaway to use a Hidden Immunity Idol for nothing as he did not receive votes.
 * James Clement is the first male to be voted out with a Hidden Immunity Idol in his possession. In the same instance he is also the first castaway to be voted out with two idols in his possession.
 * Parvati Shallow is the first castaway to find a Hidden Immunity Idol but choose to leave it hidden.
 * is the first season to deliberately discard the idol as nobody wanted to claim ownership of it.
 * Matty Whitmore (Gabon) is the first castaway to use an idol and only receive minority votes.
 * Andrea Boehlke is the first female to be voted out with a Hidden Immunity Idol in her possession.
 * Galang and Angkor are the only tribes whose idols were never found.
 * Technically, the Angkor idol was never hidden, as the clue leading to its location at a challenge site was not found.
 * The earliest use of a Hidden Immunity Idol was on Day 5, when Kristina Kell played it on herself.
 * currently holds the record for the most number of castaways voted out during the merge due to an idol, and also holds the record for the most number of effective idol uses without one being wasted during the season. It is also the only season (with the current rules) in which every idol was used successfully.
 * Mike Holloway (Worlds Apart) is the first eventual Sole Survivor who was saved by a Hidden Immunity Idol in the season they won.
 * Worlds Apart is currently the only season with two back-to-back effective uses of a Hidden Immunity Idol. Mike Holloway played his idol to eliminate Tyler Fredrickson at the Day 32 Tribal Council, and Carolyn Rivera played her idol to eliminate Dan Foley at the following Tribal Council on Day 35.
 * Carolyn Rivera has the record for the longest time to have possession of one specific idol without giving it away, having the Masaya idol from Day 2 up to Day 35.
 * Kelley Wentworth holds the record for most votes negated in one Tribal Council using an idol, with 9, beating out Russell Hantz and Jenn Brown, the previous record holders, with 7.