Advantage

Throughout the course of the Survivor series, advantages have been available for contestants to potentially help maneuver themselves into a more favorable position in the game. Usually obtainable at camp, Challenges, Survivor Auctions, Exile Island, Ghost Island, Edge of Extinction, or Summits, advantages may help increase the longevity of a player, but do not guarantee it. Players may opt to use an advantage as they see fit, either by invoking its intended purpose, or by using it as a bargaining tool to form alliances.

Advantages may or may not be transferable, but cannot be passed on to tribemates while the host reads the votes at Tribal Council.

Challenge Advantage

Main article: Challenge Advantage

The earliest advantage to appear on Survivor, it gives a player an edge in a particular challenge.

Challenge Disadvantage

A variant of the Challenge Advantage, instead of giving one player an advantage in the next challenge, the Challenge Disadvantage allows them to penalize another player of their choice.

Medallion of Power

Main article: Medallion of Power

A variant of a Challenge Advantage, the Medallion of Power was briefly used during the pre-Tribe Switch portion of Survivor: Nicaragua.

Reentry Advantage and Disadvantage

In Survivor: Edge of Extinction, advantages were hidden on the Edge of Extinction to give the voted out player who finds it an edge at the reentry challenge, rather than at the next Immunity Challenge. Additionally, one such advantage allows the finder to penalize another contestant at the reentry challenge.

Hidden Immunity Idol

Main article: Hidden Immunity Idol

The most common advantage available, the Hidden Immunity Idol nullifies any votes cast against its owner at Tribal Council, eliminating the player with the next highest number of votes instead.

Super Idol

This idol can be used after the votes have been read. The amount of power of this advantage changes each season. In Survivor: Panama and Survivor: Cook Islands, the idol must be given to somebody else before Tribal Council to save them. In Survivor: Kaôh Rōng, two idols must be combined to form a super idol, but can be played to save anybody. In Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, the super idol is found during the marooning, and can only be used at the first Tribal Council. If the holder's tribe wins the first Immunity Challenge, they must anonymously give it to someone on the losing tribe.

Preventive Idol

Only appearing in Survivor: Guatemala, this idol can only be used before the votes are cast, acting like an Immunity Necklace. However, it was shown that regular idols can be used like this in Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.

Legacy Advantage

Main article: Legacy Advantage

Obtained at an early point in the game, the Legacy Advantage acts as a Hidden Immunity Idol that may only be used at certain points in the game. If a player is eliminated with this advantage in their possession, they must privately will it to another player still in the game in their final words.

Temporary Hidden Immunity Idols

Introduced in Survivor: Ghost Island, these idols can only be used for a set number of Tribal Councils that the holder attends. In Ghost Island and Survivor: David vs. Goliath, the holder could choose to risk their vote to extend the life of the idol. This idol made another appearance in Survivor: Winners at War when someone on the Edge of Extinction could sell an idol good for three Tribal Councils for one Fire Token.

Split Idol

Introduced in Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, these idols have two halves that must be combined to have power. In Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, the first half was hidden at camp, while the second half was in plain sight at the following Immunity Challenge. In Survivor: Edge of Extinction, both players who returned to the game were given an idol where one half of it must be given to somebody else before the next Tribal Council. If both holders survive the following Tribal Council, the two halves can be combined, making a fully-powered Hidden Immunity Idol. In Survivor: Winners at War, the idols hidden before the merge were all split idols. The finder must give half of it to another player. It can be returned at any point later on, making a fully-powered Hidden Immunity Idol.

Beware Advantage

Main article: Beware Advantage

Extra Vote

Main article: Extra Vote

Players who possess this advantage have the ability to have one extra vote at any Tribal Council until a certain point in the game.

Vote Steal

Main article: Vote Steal

A variant of the Extra Vote, this allows a player to prevent another from voting and take that player's ballot as their own.

Bank Your Vote

In Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, an Extra Vote was hidden at the merged tribe's camp. The person who obtained it must abstain from voting at the next Tribal Council to get the Extra Vote. This variant of the Extra Vote was named the "Bank Your Vote" advantage during its subsequent appearance in Survivor 44.

Control A Vote

In Survivor 44, a variant of the Vote Steal advantage was introduced, allowing one member of the winning team to control the vote of one member of the losing team. They must select whose vote they wish to control, then publicly state whom that person must vote against. That person must then vote as dictated. The advantage holds no power over Extra Votes.

Vote Blocker

Main article: Vote Blocker

One-half of the vote steal, this allows the holder to block another person from voting. In Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, it had to be used at the next Tribal Council. If the holder's tribe wins the next Immunity Challenge, they must anonymously play it on someone on the losing tribe. In its reappearance in Survivor: Island of the Idols, it worked more closely to other advantages, and it could be used at any Tribal Council up to a certain point.

Juror Removal

Main article: Juror Removal

On Day 38 of Survivor: Kaôh Rōng, the Final Three competed in a Reward Challenge in which the winner may eliminate one member of the jury, depriving that juror of the right to participate at the Final Tribal Council.

Reward Steal

Main article: Reward Steal

The Reward Steal is an advantage that allows its owner to steal a reward from another player or the opposing tribe after any Reward Challenge.

Advantage Menu

Main article: Advantage Menu

An Advantage Menu allows a player to select one of a handful of advantages offered on a list. However, the timeframe to use the advantage before it expires may be limited.

Fake Hidden Immunity Idol Kit

At the second Tribe Switch in Survivor: Game Changers, the person who drew the blank buff was sent to Exile Island, where a fake Hidden Immunity Idol kit was one of the choices on an Advantage Menu. Though the kit was not chosen, host Jeff Probst stated that the fake idol would look nearly identical to a real Hidden Immunity Idol.

Fake Hidden Immunity Idol

In Survivor: Ghost Island, a fake idol was hidden by production that, while hidden like an idol and having a parchment, is not a legitimate Hidden Immunity Idol. The power of the fake idol is to deceive players into believing the holder possesses a real one.

In Survivor 44, the regular Hidden Immunity Idols were in a bag in a publicly visible cage. Along with the idol, the bag also had a powerless item that was similar in appearance to a real idol at one of the other camps that could be used as a fake idol to make the cage appear to not be tampered with.

Idol Nullifier

Main article: Idol Nullifier

At some point during the game, a player who obtains the Idol Nullifier and wishes to use it must correctly guess who a Hidden Immunity Idol will be played for while casting their vote during Tribal Council. An incorrect guess will result in the advantage being wasted, but the identity of the user of the Idol Nullifier will also remain anonymous.

Fake Advantage

In Survivor: Island of the Idols, a mysterious note was found hanging from a tree at camp, with the person who grabbing it sent to the Island of the Idols. Though they lost their vote at the next Tribal Council, they were given a blank piece of parchment along with a pen, and were told that they could do anything they wanted with it.

Fire Tokens

Main article: Fire Token

In Survivor: Winners at War, Fire Tokens allow a player to purchase food, comfort, or other advantages from a menu found at camp and on the Edge of Extinction.

Safety Without Power

Main article: Safety Without Power

This allows the holder to leave Tribal Council before the votes are cast. This makes them unable to be eliminated, but in return for being immune, they will not vote. This cannot nullify another advantage.

50/50 Coin

This acts like a regular Hidden Immunity Idol, except the fate of the user depends on a coin flip. It has two sides: safe and not safe. It must be used at the time a Hidden Immunity Idol can be played, and may be played for another person. The user will then flip the coin; if it lands on safe, any votes cast against the user will not count. If it lands on not safe, the coin has no power.

Extortion Advantage

In Survivor: Winners at War, the person who found this advantage on the Edge of Extinction can penalize someone still in the main game for as many Fire Tokens as they think they can get. The person who receives the disadvantage must pay the demanded amount of Fire Tokens, or they will be unable to compete in the next Immunity Challenge, as well as lose their vote at the following Tribal Council.

Knowledge is Power

Main article: Knowledge Is Power Advantage

At Tribal Council, the Knowledge is Power advantage allows its holder to ask any player whether they are holding onto an idol or an advantage. That player must be truthful in their reply; if they are indeed in possession of an idol or advantage, they must effectively transfer ownership to the Knowledge is Power holder when asked.

Hourglass

Main article: Hourglass Advantage

Introduced in Survivor 41, the player who holds the the Hourglass Advantage is given the opportunity to reverse the results of the previousthe castaways were split into two teams of five to compete in a team Reward/Immunity Challenge, with two players sitting out. The winning team chose one player to share their reward and immunity with, and sent the other player to Exile Island where they would encounter the Hourglass twist. By breaking the hourglass, the exiled player would effectively and unilaterally reverse the results of the challenge, stripping immunity from the challenge winners and transferring it to themselves and the challenge losers.

Advantage Amulet

Main article: Advantage Amulet

In Survivor 42, the Advantage Amulet was introduced at the opening challenge. One member of each tribe would receive one amulet apiece; all amulets remaining in the game must be played together, and the function of the advantage depends on the number of amulets left at the time of play:

• If all three amulets are used, the holders could collectively cast another vote.
• If two amulets were left, using them together could give the holders a Vote Steal.
• If only one active amulet remained, it could be played as a regular Hidden Immunity Idol.

The amulets remained in play until there were 6 players left.

Choose Your Champion

In Survivor 43, an advantage was introduced that allowed to holder to earn immunity at Tribal Council by correctly predicting who would win the upcoming Immunity Challenge. The advantage holder must secretly select a castaway, then present the advantage at the Immunity Challenge before it begins. Their pick would remain anonymous until Tribal Council before the votes are read. If their prediction is revealed to be correct, then any votes cast against them will be voided.

Inheritance Advantage

Introduced in Survivor 44, the Inheritance Advantage allows its holder to pocket all advantages and Hidden Immunity Idols played at any single Tribal Council until the final seven. Its holder must play the advantage by casting it in the urn when it is their turn to vote.

Goodwill Advantage

Introduced in Survivor 45, the Goodwill Advantage allows its holder to restore a lost vote at any Tribal Council in which they would have otherwise been unable to vote, either due to a penalty they incurred or a disadvantage played against them.