Final Three

Final Three
Survivor Gameplay
Description	The three final castaways who plead their cases to the jury to win the game
Appearances	Cook Islands-present (except Micronesia, Tocantins, and Cagayan)

The Final Three are three remaining contestants who are present at the Final Tribal Council to plead their case for the title of Sole Survivor. This is currently the only alternative format to the Final Two on the American version, though there have been rare instances of Final Fours on other editions.

Introduced during the finale of Survivor: Cook Islands, host Jeff Probst later explained that the reason for this change was to deny the winner of the final Immunity Challenge an easy win through voting out the bigger threat in favor of someone unlikely to receive as many jury votes.

Whilst fan reaction to Final Threes has been mostly positive, several players have adapted to the change by simply taking two easier-to-beat contestants to the end, which in turn has coined a player who fits this mold as a "goat". More often than not, only two of the castaways in a Final Three receive votes.

This format has become more common than a Final Two and has been seen in twenty-seven seasons. A Final Three with a nine-person jury started in Survivor: Cook Islands and continued through Survivor: Fiji. This configuration has also been seen in six subsequent seasons, spanning from Survivor: Samoa through to Survivor: One World. A Final Three with a seven-person jury was seen in Survivor: China, Survivor: Gabon, and Survivor: Kaôh Rōng, while a Final Three with an eight-person jury was featured in seasons spanning from Survivor: Philippines to Survivor: Worlds Apart (except for Survivor: Cagayan), as well as in Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers and Survivor 41 through 48. A Final Three with a 10-person jury was first used in Survivor: Cambodia, and would later be used in Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X, Survivor: Game Changers, Survivor: Ghost Island, Survivor: David vs. Goliath, and Survivor: Island of the Idols. However, Island of the Idols would have apparently had an 11-person jury had a castaway not been ejected. A Final Three with a 13-person jury was seen in Survivor: Edge of Extinction. A Final Three with a 16-person jury was seen in Survivor: Winners at War.

Gallery

The first Final Three (Cook Islands).

The Final Three of Fiji.

The Final Three of China.

The Final Three of Gabon.

The Final Three of Samoa.

The Final Three of Heroes vs. Villains.

The Final Three of Nicaragua.

The Final Three of Redemption Island.

The Final Three of South Pacific.

The Final Three of One World.

The Final Three of Philippines.

The Final Three of Caramoan.

The Final Three of Blood vs. Water.

The Final Three of San Juan del Sur.

The Final Three of Worlds Apart.

The Final Three of Cambodia.

The Final Three of Kaôh Rōng.

The Final Three of Millennials vs. Gen X.

The Final Three of Game Changers.

The Final Three of Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.

The Final Three of Ghost Island.

The Final Three of David vs. Goliath.

The Final Three of Edge of Extinction.

The Final Three of Island of the Idols.

The Final Three of Winners at War.

The Final Three of Survivor 41.

The Final Three of Survivor 42.

The Final Three of Survivor 43.

The Final Three of Survivor 44.

The Final Three of Survivor 45.

The Final Three of Survivor 46.

The Final Three of Survivor 47.

The Final Three of Survivor 48.

International

• Australia
• Baltic States
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Flanders
• France
• Germany (Unofficial)
• Italy
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Philippines
• Quebec
• Romania
• Russia
• Spain
• South Africa
• Sweden

The Final Three of Blood v Water.

The Final Three of Heroes v Villains.

The Final Three of Australia v The World.

The Final Three of Baltic Robinson 2001.

The Final Three of Jungle Star.

The Final Three of Robinsonův ostrov 2018.

The Final Three of Ingen Kan Føle Sig Sikker.

The Final Three of Expedition Robinson VIP.

The Final Three of Paradise vs. Robinson.

The Final Three of Robinson Ekspeditionen 2010.

The Final Three of Robinson Ekspeditionen 2017.

The Final Three of Robinson Ekspeditionen 2022.

The Final Three of Robinson Ekspeditionen 2023.

The Final Three of Robinson Ekspeditionen 2024.

The Final Three of Expeditie Robinson 2005.

The Final Three of Nederland vs België.

The Final Three of Le Totem Maudit.

The Final Three of Outback.

The Final Three of L'Isola dei Famosi 17.

The Final Three of L'Isola dei Famosi 19.

The Final Three of Survivor México (2021).

The Final Three of Survivor México (2022).

The Final Three of Survivor México (2023).

The Final Three of Nicaragua.

The Final Three of Thailand.

The Final Three of Expeditie Robinson 2005.

The Final Three of Nederland vs België.

The Final Three of Expeditie Robinson 2022.

The Final Three of Expedition Robinson VIP at the Final Tribal Council.

The Final Three of Robinsonekspedisjonen 2022 at the Final Tribal Council.

The Final Three of Palau.

The Final Three of Celebrity Showdown.

The Final Three of Celebrity Doubles Showdown.

The Final Three of Survivor Québec 1.

The Final Three of Survivor Québec 2.

The Final Three of Survivor Québec 3.

The Final Three of Supraviețuitorul: Filipine at the Final Tribal Council.

The Final Three of Posledniy Geroy 4: Konets Igry at the Final Tribal Council.

The Final Three of Posledniy Geroy 5: Superigra at the Final Tribal Council.

The Final Three of Perdidos en Honduras (2008).

The Final Three of Perdidos en Honduras (2009).

The Final Three of Perdidos en Nicaragua.

The Final Three of Perdidos en Honduras (2011).

The Final Three of Supervivientes 2016.

The Final Three of Supervivientes 2017.

The Final Three of Supervivientes 2024.

The Final Three of Champions.

The Final Three of Island of Secrets.

The Final Three of Expedition Robinson VIP at the Final Tribal Council.

The Final Three of Robinson 2021 before the final challenge.

The Final Three of Malaysia before the final challenge.

The Final Three of Robinson 2023 before the final challenge.

The Final Three of Philippines before the final challenge.

The Final Three of Robinson 2024 before the final challenge.

Trivia

United States

• In seasons with a Final Three, the number of Sole Survivors based on the gender of the losing finalists have been:
  • Against both of the opposite gender, twelve (Todd Herzog, Bob Crowley, Natalie White, Sophie Clarke, John Cochran, Sarah Lacina, Tony Vlachos, Erika Casupanan, Maryanne Oketch, Yam Yam Arocho, Dee Valladares, and Kenzie Petty).
  • Against both of the same gender, three (Fabio Birza, Kim Spradlin, and Natalie Anderson).
  • Against both of different genders, eighteen (Yul Kwon, Earl Cole, Sandra Diaz-Twine, Rob Mariano, Denise Stapley, Tyson Apostol, Mike Holloway, Jeremy Collins, Michele Fitzgerald, Adam Klein, Ben Driebergen, Wendell Holland, Nick Wilson, Chris Underwood, Tommy Sheehan, Mike Gabler, Rachel LaMont, and Kyle Fraser).
• China, Philippines, San Juan del Sur, Worlds Apart, Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, and Survivor 48 are the only seasons whose respective Final Threes all received votes.
  • Only four second runners-up have received any jury votes: Amanda Kimmel in China, Missy Payne in San Juan del Sur, Ryan Ulrich in Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, and Joe Hunter in Survivor 48.
• Nicaragua is the only season to feature three male finalists.
• Both seasons to have three female finalists (One World and San Juan del Sur) started out with blue and orange tribes, and had their winner come from a blue tribe.
• Fiji is the only season to have the Final Three comprised only of African-American contestants.
• Winners at War is the only season where the Final Three was comprised of people from only one state; all three finalists were from New Jersey.
• Survivor 45 is the only season where the Final Three all had the same birth year, 1996.