Hidden Immunity Idol

The Hidden Immunity Idol (also known as the "Hidden Idol" or simply as "The Idol") is widely believed to be the biggest twist to ever occur in the US version of Survivor. Its purpose is to, one way or another, give the holder immunity when they choose to play it. The idol has influenced many of the contestants' strategies, whether they utilize the object, or defuse its powers. The Hidden Immunity Idol made its debut in Survivor: Guatemala, and since the inception of Exile Island, the idol is usually hidden there, though not always.

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

Overview
When the Idol debuted in, its purpose was to give its owner Individual Immunity without the winning 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 make its owner survive longer in the game, it can only be used once (where the idol will be either re-hidden or discarded after its use). With this, owners should be careful about divulging information about possessing one and/or when to use it, because from Survivor: Fiji on wards, a player can still be eliminated with the idol, thus going home bringing his/her idol with him (dubbed as "flushing"). Another limitation is that, the idol is only valid until a given deadline (usually Day 36). 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 a usually small, ornate talisman that is designed depending on the season's theme and/or location (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 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.

Survivor: 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 and 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 will have to 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 "Get Out of Jail Free card" used in Monopoly. These idols are good up until the Tribal Council where there are only four contestants remaining.

Fiji-Present
The previous format drew controversy because From onwards, there have been two available idols, one 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 gett eliminated without even using the idol. This was dubbed by several contestants as flushing. Once the idol is used, it is usually rehidden. 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.

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 applies during the tribal phase, a fourth Hidden Immunity Idol will be in play, which will be hidden at the merged tribe camp. The said idol may be used two ways, before the votes are read, or after the votes have been read.

Rules
Hidden Immunity Idols are considered as "personal items," 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, the latter may not take it.

In case of a tie, if the player who possesses an idol is subjected to a tie vote, they may not use their idol in the second round of voting.

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 to others by the finder/s' choosing; however, in several incidents in Survivor: Samoa, Russell Hantz was notoriously popular for finding the idols without the need of clues.



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

In Survivor: Blood vs. Water, Monica Culpepper began a trend of refusing the clue as to prevent a target from forming on one's back. As of the most recent episode, only four clues have been accepted out of ten.

Over the years, the clues for the Hidden Immunity Idol have varying ways of how they were given to 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 tucked 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 in Exile Island, though its finder, Jason Siska, also 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 is also hidden at camp, providing more difficulty in finding the idol. The tribe that wins the Immunity Challenge will have a clue implanted somewhere around their camp. The more a tribe wins an Immunity Challenge, 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 a handle to 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.

Strategy
Several strategies were developed by contestants that has something to do with the Hidden Immunity Idol. Here is a non-exhaustive list of how the idol was used over the series:
 * Making the holder believe that they will not be voted out, but then blindsiding them (dubbed as "flushing;" seen in Ready to Bite the Apple, I Promise..., I'm Ruthless... and Have a Smile on My Face, All Hell Breaks Loose, The Beginning of the End)
 * Splitting votes to defuse any power gained by playing the idol (see Split Vote for all cases in which this has been done)
 * Passing idols to another player to save them (Banana Etiquette, This Game Respects Big Moves, Double Agent, Zipping Over the Cuckoo's Nest, It's My Night)
 * Discarding the idol itself to scare anybody who would want to get it (Apple in the Garden of Eden)
 * Potentially removing the possibility of a tie vote (Going Down in Flames, Whiners Are Wieners)
 * Players secretly constructing and planting fake idols that have no value at Tribal Council (An Evil Thought, I'm Not as Dumb as I Look, I'm in Such a Hot Pickle!, Nothing Tastes Better than Five Hundred Dollars, The Good Things in Life Aren't Easy)
 * Feigning an object in their pocket is an idol, prompting the others to vote somebody else (A Sinking Ship, Reap What You Sow)
 * A player not possessing an idol taunting another player who has one to surrender or use the object, inducing indecision at the side of the owner (You're Looking at the New Leader of Your Tribe, Cut Off the Head of the Snake)
 * Handing out multiple idols to shield more potential targets (Going Down in Flames, Zipping Over the Cuckoo's Nest)

There have been several instances that 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.

If a Hidden Immunity Idol is played, the user would be immune for the Purple Rock tiebreaker. If all players who received votes use idols, and all votes are voided, a revote would happen, but the users would be immune for that round of voting.

Owning History

 * (idols played before the votes are cast)
 * Gary Hogeboom became the first Survivor contestant to possess a Hidden Immunity Idol. He found it despite Judd Sergeant getting the clue. He used it in the episode Secrets and Lies and an Idol Surprise. As he was the intended target of the majority alliance, it is assumed that he would have been voted out had he not used it.
 * (first season with idols played after the votes are read)
 * Terry Deitz found the idol on Exile Island, but he never used it as he won five consecutive individual immunities. At the final four, the last time the idol could be played, he was considered effectively immune by the other castaways due to his possession of the idol, and did not receive any votes. After the idol's effects expired, he lost the Final Immunity Challenge and was voted out.
 * Yul Kwon found the idol on Exile Island, but did not use it. Similar to Terry's situation, he was considered effectively immune at the Final Four due to his possession of the idol; however, unlike the previous season, his season had a Final Three instead of the traditional Final Two, which meant that Yul never had to face a Tribal Council where he was without his idol
 * (first season with idols played before the votes are read)
 * Yau-Man Chan found the Moto tribe's Hidden Immunity Idol and decided to keep it a secret from his alliance. Once his secret was exposed, his alliance still honored his allegiance and voted out the opposition. In the episode I Wanna See If I Can Make a Deal, he finally used it to save himself and eliminate Stacy Kimball. If the idol was rehidden, it was never found.
 * Mookie Lee found the Ravu Hidden Immunity Idol and shared it with his alliance, the Four Horsemen. When Dreamz Herd, the only member of the alliance who was oblivious of Mookie's idol, discovered this, Dreamz secretly defected from the alliance and planned to vote Mookie. The Syndicate Alliance, however, was confused on who to vote for, until Stacy Kimball suggested a simple alternative: vote out the only Horseman whose name had yet to come up - Edgardo Rivera. In the episode It's a Turtle?!, Alex Angarita played Mookie's idol, but for naught because he did not receive votes. The Syndicate Alliance's plan worked, sending Edgardo home instead. Mookie's idol was rehidden.
 * Eventual winner Earl Cole discovered the rehidden Ravu idol thanks to Yau-Man's bold truck deal with Dreamz. He played it by default in the final 5 vote - the last vote that a hidden immunity idol can be used - though he did not receive a vote.
 * Eventual winner Todd Herzog found the Fei Long tribe's idol with the help of James Clement. Todd gave the idol to James, who then found the Zhan Hu tribe's idol as well. James was blindsided in the episode Ready to Bite the Apple with both idols still in his possession. James's idols were not rehidden.
 * Jaime Dugan was the first castaway to use a fake Hidden Immunity Idol, in the episode I'm Not as Dumb as I Look.
 * Ozzy Lusth found an idol on Exile Island, but was blindsided in I Promise... with the idol in his possession. Ozzy's idol was rehidden.
 * Jason Siska found the rehidden idol on Exile Island, but he too was blindsided with the idol in his possession, in I'm Ruthless... and Have a Smile on My Face. Jason's idol was rehidden.
 * Amanda Kimmel found the rehidden idol at camp, and played it in the episode I'm Gonna Fix Her!, saving herself and eliminating Alexis Jones. Amanda's idol was rehidden.
 * Eventual winner Parvati Shallow found the rehidden idol on Exile Island, but left it on Exile because she was in no danger of being voted out.
 * Sugar Kiper found an idol at Exile Island, gave it to Ace Gordon, and later reclaimed the idol from Ace. Sugar gave it to Matty in The Good Guys Should Win in the End, who played it as it was the last chance to play an idol.
 * During the fake merge feast, a second Hidden Immunity Idol was buried somewhere near the feast table. The contestants decided to throw the second idol at sea to prevent being targeted for elimination.
 * Randy Bailey is the first male castaway to play a fake Hidden Immunity Idol.
 * Brendan Synnott found an idol at the Timbira tribe camp with the help of the clue on Exile Island, but was blindsided in The Biggest Fraud in the Game with the idol in his possession. Brendan's idol was not rehidden.
 * Taj Johnson-George found an idol and gave it to Stephen Fishbach. Stephen did not play the idol.
 * Russell Hantz found the idol hidden at the Foa Foa camp without any clues. He used it in All Hell Breaks Loose, but did not receive any votes.
 * Erik Cardona found the idol hidden at the Galu camp, but was blindsided in All Hell Breaks Loose with the idol in his possession. Only one idol was rehidden after the Tribal Council where two idols were played/"flushed".
 * Russell Hantz found a second idol almost immediately after it was rehidden. He played it in Tastes Like Chicken, saving himself and eliminating Kelly Sharbaugh. Russell's idol was rehidden.
 * Russell Hantz found a third idol, but did not play it.
 * Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
 * Tom Westman found the Heroes idol. He used it in Tonight, We Make Our Move, averting a tie with Cirie Fields and eliminating her. Tom's idol was rehidden.
 * Russell Hantz found the Villains idol. He gave it to Parvati Shallow, who used it in Banana Etiquette, saving herself and eliminating Tyson Apostol. Russell's idol was rehidden.
 * J.T. Thomas found the rehidden Heroes idol. He gave it to Russell Hantz, who gave it to Parvati Shallow.
 * Parvati Shallow found the rehidden Villains idol; after Russell gave her the Heroes idol, Parvati possessed two idols. She gave one idol to Jerri Manthey and one idol to Sandra Diaz-Twine in Going Down in Flames, averting a tie between Jerri and J.T. and eliminating J.T. Only one idol was rehidden.
 * Russell Hantz found the rehidden idol. He used it in Jumping Ship, but did not receive any votes. Russell's idol was rehidden.
 * Sandra Diaz-Twine found the rehidden idol. She used it by default in Loose Lips Sink Ships, but only negated minority votes.
 * Marty Piombo found the Espada tribe's idol. He gave it to Sash Lenahan
 * NaOnka Mixon found an idol. She later gave it to Chase Rice. Chase and Sash both used their idols by default in This Is Going to Hurt; Sash negated one vote, while Chase did not receive any votes.
 * Kristina Kell found the Ometepe tribe's idol on Day 2. She used it in You Own My Vote, but only negated minority votes. Kristina's idol was rehidden.
 * Ralph Kiser found the Zapatera tribe's idol completely by accident. He gave it to Mike Chiesl, who played it in This Game Respects Big Moves but did not receive any votes. Ralph's idol was not rehidden.
 * Rob Mariano found the rehidden Ometepe idol. He played it by default in Seems Like a No Brainer, negating one vote.
 * Ozzy Lusth found the Savaii tribe's idol. He gave it to Whitney Duncan, who played it in Double Agent but did not receive any votes.
 * Coach Wade found the Upolu tribe's idol, but did not play it.
 * Sabrina Thompson found the Manono tribe's idol; because she was on Salani, she was not allowed to keep it so she gave it to Colton Cumbie. Colton was evacuated with the idol in his possession in Thanks for the Souvenir. Colton's idol was rehidden.
 * Kim Spradlin found the Salani tribe's idol, but did not play it as she had individual immunity the last time it could be played.
 * Troyzan Robertson found the rehidden Manono idol at the merged camp. He used it in Go Out with a Bang, but only negated minority votes. Troyzan's idol was not rehidden.
 * Jonathan Penner found the Kalabaw tribe's idol. He used it in Not the Only Actor on This Island, saving himself and eliminating R.C. Saint-Amour. Jonathan's idol was not rehidden.
 * Abi-Maria Gomes found the Tandang idol. She used it in Whiners Are Wieners, averting a tie with Pete Yurkowski and eliminating him. Abi-Maria's idol was not rehidden.
 * Malcolm Freberg found the Matsing idol, but did not play it as he had individual immunity the last time it could be played.
 * Reynold Toepfer found the Gota idol. He used it in Kill or Be Killed, but only negated one vote.
 * Reynold Toepfer found the rehidden Gota idol. He gave it to Malcolm Freberg in Cut Off the Head of the Snake, who played it but did not receive any votes.
 * Malcolm Freberg found the Bikal idol on Day 4 and the rehidden Gota idol on Day 28. He played the Gota idol on himself and the Bikal idol on Eddie Fox in Zipping Over the Cuckoo's Nest, negating minority votes on himself averting a tie between Eddie and Phillip Sheppard, eliminating Phillip. Only one idol was rehidden.
 * Andrea Boehlke (with the help of Erik Reichenbach) found the rehidden idol on Day 31. Andrea was blindsided in The Beginning of the End with the idol in her possession. Andrea's idol was rehidden, but was not found.
 * Tyson Apostol found the idol only with the parts of the clue the Tadhana's members told to him. He played it in the episode Gloves Come Off, but received no votes. He again found an idol in Rustle Feathers once it was re-hidden after he played it in the previous Tribal Council. He gave it to Gervase Peterson in the tribal council at day 37.
 * In episode one, Garrett Adelstein found the idol after choosing the clue to the idol instead of extra rice for his tribe. Garrett was blindsided with the idol.
 * Tony Vlachos found the idol in the pond behind the tribes camp, after finding the clue in the basket that contained the salt won in the second immunity challenge.
 * Jonathan Penner found the Kalabaw tribe's idol. He used it in Not the Only Actor on This Island, saving himself and eliminating R.C. Saint-Amour. Jonathan's idol was not rehidden.
 * Abi-Maria Gomes found the Tandang idol. She used it in Whiners Are Wieners, averting a tie with Pete Yurkowski and eliminating him. Abi-Maria's idol was not rehidden.
 * Malcolm Freberg found the Matsing idol, but did not play it as he had individual immunity the last time it could be played.
 * Reynold Toepfer found the Gota idol. He used it in Kill or Be Killed, but only negated one vote.
 * Reynold Toepfer found the rehidden Gota idol. He gave it to Malcolm Freberg in Cut Off the Head of the Snake, who played it but did not receive any votes.
 * Malcolm Freberg found the Bikal idol on Day 4 and the rehidden Gota idol on Day 28. He played the Gota idol on himself and the Bikal idol on Eddie Fox in Zipping Over the Cuckoo's Nest, negating minority votes on himself averting a tie between Eddie and Phillip Sheppard, eliminating Phillip. Only one idol was rehidden.
 * Andrea Boehlke (with the help of Erik Reichenbach) found the rehidden idol on Day 31. Andrea was blindsided in The Beginning of the End with the idol in her possession. Andrea's idol was rehidden, but was not found.
 * Tyson Apostol found the idol only with the parts of the clue the Tadhana's members told to him. He played it in the episode Gloves Come Off, but received no votes. He again found an idol in Rustle Feathers once it was re-hidden after he played it in the previous Tribal Council. He gave it to Gervase Peterson in the tribal council at day 37.
 * In episode one, Garrett Adelstein found the idol after choosing the clue to the idol instead of extra rice for his tribe. Garrett was blindsided with the idol.
 * Tony Vlachos found the idol in the pond behind the tribes camp, after finding the clue in the basket that contained the salt won in the second immunity challenge.
 * Tyson Apostol found the idol only with the parts of the clue the Tadhana's members told to him. He played it in the episode Gloves Come Off, but received no votes. He again found an idol in Rustle Feathers once it was re-hidden after he played it in the previous Tribal Council. He gave it to Gervase Peterson in the tribal council at day 37.
 * In episode one, Garrett Adelstein found the idol after choosing the clue to the idol instead of extra rice for his tribe. Garrett was blindsided with the idol.
 * Tony Vlachos found the idol in the pond behind the tribes camp, after finding the clue in the basket that contained the salt won in the second immunity challenge.
 * Tony Vlachos found the idol in the pond behind the tribes camp, after finding the clue in the basket that contained the salt won in the second immunity challenge.

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 the Idol. So far, coincidentally, all of the contestants who played a fake idol were voted out at the same tribal council.

Contestants Making Fake Idols

 * Yau-Man Chan made the first fake 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 idol he wrote "II" ("Immunity Idol") on it. (Survivor: Fiji)
 * Ozzy Lusth made a fake idol on Exile Island. He took a decent-sized stick and carved a faced on it. It was later found by Jason Siska and played by Eliza Orlins. (Survivor: Micronesia)
 * Bob Crowley made two fake idols. He gave one to Randy Bailey, who eventually played it. (Survivor: Gabon)
 * Taj Johnson-George also made a fake idol. Joe Dowdle found the idol, but since he was evacuated, he never played it. (Survivor: Tocantins)
 * Rupert Boneham never made a fake idol, but he put a rock in his pocket to make it look as if he did. Russell Hantz was fooled by this saying "I know what idols look like, and I also know what they look like in pockets". (Survivor: Heroes vs Villains)
 * Russell Hantz never made a fake idol, But he and his alliance made it look like Russell's ally Stephanie was "protecting" the "idol" in her bag. (Survivor: Redemption Island)
 * Abi-Maria Gomes never exactly made a fake idol either, but feigned the scroll container that contained the advantage she bought during the Survivor Auction as an idol. (Survivor: Philippines)

Contestants Playing Fake Idols

 * Jamie_plays_fake_idol.jpg[[Jaime Huffman|Jaime Dugan]] became the first contestant to play a fake Hidden Immunity Idol (in Survivor: China). She had found the plaque that James Clement had left lying around and was certain she was in possession of an actual Idol and had even spotted the two real plaques hidden in James's bag. While said plaque was fake, it was similar in appearance to the real ones. The only difference was that it did not have a message stating it was indeed an immunity idol.
 * Eliza Orlins was the second player to play a fake Hidden Immunity Idol (in Survivor: Micronesia) and the first to play an idol specifically planted by another player. However, unlike Jaime, Eliza knew the idol was fake and wanted to play it in hopes that she could expose Ozzy Lusth as being in possession of the real Idol since he was the creator of the fake Idol
 * Randy Bailey was the third player to play a fake Hidden Immunity Idol (in Survivor: Gabon). Bob Crowley created the fake Idol and after a suggestion by Sugar Kiper to give it to Randy, Bob did so, figuring that he had nothing to lose and would stay in the game.