Hidden Immunity Idol

Hidden Immunity Idol
Survivor Gameplay
Description	Used to save oneself or others from getting voted out
Appearances	Guatemala - present

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 utilize the object, or defuse its powers. The Hidden Immunity Idol made its debut in Survivor: Guatemala, and in seasons containing the Exile Island twist, 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 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 Survivor: Guatemala, 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 make 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 Survivor: Fiji onwards, a player can still be eliminated with the idol in their possession, 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 37). A player may hold more than one idol if available.

Gary Hogeboom uses the series' first Hidden Immunity Idol

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 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 Survivor: Guatemala, 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 Survivor: Panama and Survivor: Cook Islands, 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

From Survivor: Fiji onwards (with the exception of Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: Gabon and Survivor: Cambodia), there have 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 get 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 Survivor: One World, 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 Survivor: Cagayan, while the current format still applied during the tribal phase, an fourth Hidden Immunity Idol was introduced post-merge. The said idol must be used after the votes have been read similar to Panama and Cook Islands. However, as revealed in "Chaos Is My Friend", 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 Survivor: Cambodia, the current usage of the idols were still applied, but the Hidden Immunity Idols for this season were designed very different from each other, making 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 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 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.

Hidden Immunity Idol Clue

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. Only four clues have been accepted out of ten during the season.

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.
• In Cagayan, the weakest castaway selected by each tribe leader were sent to their respective camps first, when they arrived they were given an option to either give their tribe an extra sack of rice, or to receive a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol. However, a Hidden Immunity Idol clue is also known to be found on certain rewards the tribes won in Reward/Immunity Challenges.
• In San Juan del Sur, on Exile Island, there are two urns in which each castaway who arrived must choose one of them to open and get a note inside of it. One of it contains nothing, while the other contains the clue to their tribe's idol (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 guarantee to have the idol clue.
• In Worlds Apart, before the castaways were sent to their camps, each tribe must choose a representative from their tribe to do a decision when they reach 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 but with no clue to the idol, 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 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 in the tribe camps, indicating exactly where the idol is going to be, which potentially means each clue is only applicable for the immediate challenge.

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, whoever finds the already-found idol may not take it.

In case of a tie, if the player who possesses an idol is subjected to 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 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 else other than the idol users and the player who has individual immunity.

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:

Strategy	Successful Uses	Unsuccessful Uses
Making the holder believe that he or she will not be voted out, but then blindsiding them (dubbed as "flushing")	See list of blindsided contestants	See list of successful idol usages
Splitting votes to defuse any power gained by playing the idol	See Split Vote
Passing idols to another player to save them	"Banana Etiquette" "Zipping Over the Cuckoo's Nest" "This Is My Time"	"It's a Turtle?!" "This Game Respects Big Moves" "Double Agent" "Cut Off the Head of the Snake" "It's My Night" "Mad Treasure Hunt"
Discarding the idol itself to scare anybody who would want to get it	"The Brains Behind Everything"	N/A
Potentially removing the possibility of a tie vote	"Whiners Are Wieners"	None
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!" "I Was Put on the Planet for This Show" "The Good Guys Should Win in the End"	"Livin' on the Edge"
Feigning an object in their pocket is an idol, prompting the others to vote somebody else	"A Sinking Ship" "Hell Hath Frozen Over"	None

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.

Hidden Immunity Idol History

Season	Hiding Place	Episode Found	Found By	Given To	Episode Used	Successful?	Victim	Pertinent Notes
Survivor: Guatemala	Xhakúm camp	"Secrets and Lies and an Idol Surprise"	File:S11 gary t.jpg Gary Hogeboom	None	“Secrets and Lies and an Idol Surprise”	N/A	None	It is unknown whether Gary would have been voted out had he not played the idol. This idol was not rehidden.
Survivor: Panama	Exile Island	"Starvation and Lunacy"	File:S12 terry t.jpg Terry Deitz	None	Never used			On Day 36, Terry was considered effectively immune by the other contestants as he held the idol at the last time idols could be played.
Survivor: Cook Islands	Exile Island	"Dire Strengths and Dead Weight"	File:S13 yul t.jpg Yul Kwon	None	Never used			Despite not using the idol outright, Yul used it to manipulate several votes in his favor. On Day 38, Yul was considered effectively immune by the other contestants as he held the idol at the last time idols could be played. Yul insisted to ally Becky Lee to use his idol and avoid a tiebreaker, but Becky refused and won the subsequent tiebreaker.
Survivor: Fiji	Moto camp	"An Evil Thought"	File:S14 yauman t.jpg Yau-Man Chan	None	"I Wanna See If I Can Make a Deal"		File:S14 stacy t.jpg Stacy Kimball	This was the first modern idol found in Survivor history, and the first idol of any kind played successfully.
	Ravu camp	"So You Think You Can Meke?"	File:S14 alex t.jpgFile:S14 mookie t.jpg Alex Angarita, Edgardo Rivera and Mookie Lee	File:S14 mookie t.jpg → File:S14 alex t.jpg Mookie Lee → Alex Angarita	"It's a Turtle?!"		None	Mookie kept the idol until he passed it to Alex in the episode it was used. This was the first modern idol played in Survivor history, and the first idol of any kind played unsuccessfully.
	Bula Bula camp	"I Wanna See If I Can Make a Deal"	File:S14 earl t.jpg Earl Cole	None	"You've Got That Puzzled Look"		None	This was the rehidden Ravu idol. This was the first idol played "by default" at the last time idols could be played.
Survivor: China	Fei Long camp	"That's Love, Baby! It Makes You Strong!"	File:S15 amanda t.jpgFile:S15 todd t.jpg Amanda Kimmel and Todd Herzog	File:S15 todd t.jpg → File:S15 james t.jpg Todd Herzog → James Clement	Never used			James received this idol from Todd and Amanda when he was kidnapped after Fei Long won the Reward Challenge.
	Zhan Hu camp	"I'm Not as Dumb as I Look"	File:S15 james t.jpg James Clement	None				Knowing where the Fei Long idol was found, James found the Zhan Hu idol at the same spot on their camp. Both idols were flushed upon James' exit and were not re-hidden. These are the first idols "flushed" while the holder still possessed them.
Survivor: Micronesia	Exile Island	"That's Baked, Barbecued and Fried!"	File:S16 ozzy t.jpg Ozzy Lusth	None	Never used			A new idol was planted upon Ozzy's exit.
	Exile Island	"I'm Ruthless... and Have a Smile on My Face"	File:S16 jason t.jpg Jason Siska	None	Never used			A new idol was planted upon Jason's exit.
	Dabu camp	"I'm Gonna Fix Her!"	File:S16 amanda t.jpg Amanda Kimmel	None	“I'm Gonna Fix Her!”		File:S16 alexis t.jpg Alexis Jones	The clues were on Exile Island, but the idol was hidden back at camp, beneath the tribe flag. This idol was re-hidden on Exile Island after it was played.
	Exile Island	"If It Smells Like a Rat, Give It Cheese"	File:S16 parvati t.jpg Parvati Shallow	None	Never used			Parvati found this idol, but she felt she did not need it, so she left the idol on Exile Island. This is the first idol to be found on Exile but not taken back to camp.
Survivor: Gabon	Exile Island	"It Was Like Christmas Morning!"	File:S17 sugar t.jpg Sugar Kiper	File:S17 matty t.jpg Matty Whitmore	"Say Goodbye to Gabon"		None	Sugar gave this idol to Ace Gordon, and later reclaimed the idol from him. This idol was played "by default" at the last time idols could be played.
	Fake Merge Feast	"The Brains Behind Everything"	Bob Crowley, Charlie Herschel, Corinne Kaplan, Crystal Cox, Ken Hoang, Marcus Lehman, Matty Whitmore, Randy Bailey, Sugar Kiper, Susie Smith	None	Never used			The castaways deliberately threw the idol at sea upon finding it. Randy offered possession of the idol, but everyone refused.
Survivor: Tocantins	Timbira camp	"Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This"	File:S18 brendan t.jpg Brendan Synnott	None	Never used			After finding this idol, Brendan shared to Taj the location of the other idol at Jalapao camp.
	Jalapao camp	"You're Going to Want That Tooth"	File:S18 stephen t.jpgFile:S18 taj t.jpg Stephen Fishbach and Taj Johnson-George	None	Never used			After J.T. Thomas discovered their idol, Stephen and Taj agreed to share it with him.
Survivor: Samoa	Foa Foa camp	"Taking Candy from a Baby"	File:S19 russellh t.jpg Russell Hantz	None	"All Hell Breaks Loose"		None	This was the first modern idol found without any clues.
	Galu camp	"Hungry for a Win"	File:S19 erik t.jpg Erik Cardona	None	Never used			No one knew Erik found this idol until after he had been voted out.
	Aiga camp	"Tastes Like Chicken"	File:S19 russellh t.jpg Russell Hantz	None	“Tastes Like Chicken”		File:S19 kelly t.jpg Kelly Sharbaugh	This is either the rehidden Foa Foa or Galu idol; it is unknown which because both were removed from play at the previous episode's Tribal Council.
	Aiga camp	"The Day of Reckoning"	File:S19 russellh t.jpg Russell Hantz	None	Never used			While never used, Russell flaunted this idol at Tribal Council for the rest of the game, threatening anyone who targeted him.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains	Heroes camp	"Tonight, We Make Our Move"	File:S20 tom t.jpg Tom Westman	None	“Tonight, We Make Our Move”		File:S20 cirie t.jpg Cirie Fields	J.T. switched his vote at Tribal Council, thwarting an attempted split vote. This was the first idol played before the merge.
	Villains camp	"Knights of the Round Table"	File:S20 russell t.jpg Russell Hantz	File:S20 parvati t.jpg Parvati Shallow	"Banana Etiquette"		File:S20 tyson t.jpg Tyson Apostol	Russell presented the idol at Tribal Council, but he handed it to Parvati, allowing her to use it. Tyson voted for Parvati at this Tribal Council, instead of Russell as was his alliance's plan. Ironically, this resulted in Tyson's own elimination.
	Heroes camp	"Expectations"	File:S20 jt t.jpg J.T. Thomas	File:S20 russell t.jpg → File:S20 parvati t.jpg → File:S20 sandra t.jpg Russell Hantz → Parvati Shallow → Sandra Diaz-Twine	"Going Down in Flames"		File:S20 jt t.jpg J.T. Thomas	After finding the re-hidden Heroes idol, J.T. handed this idol to Russell, who then gave it to Parvati, who gave it to Sandra at Tribal Council. This idol was the most passed, having four different owners prior to its use. This was the first idol passed across tribes before the merge. While technically "unsuccessful", this was part of a double idol play by Parvati on Sandra and Jerri Manthey, and the latter idol was successful.
	Villains camp	"Survivor History"	File:S20 danielle t.jpgFile:S20 parvati t.jpg Danielle DiLorenzo and Parvati Shallow	File:S20 parvati t.jpg → File:S20 jerri t.jpg Parvati Shallow → Jerri Manthey				At Tribal Council, Parvati gave away both her idols, one to Jerri and one to Sandra. In a post-game interview, Parvati revealed that she gave Jerri an idol before she gave Sandra an idol. As a result, without any evidence either way, this wiki considers the first idol given away (Jerri's) to have been the first idol Parvati obtained.
	Yin Yang camp	"Jumping Ship"	File:S20 russell t.jpg Russell Hantz	None	“Jumping Ship”		None	This was either the rehidden Heroes or Villains idol, it is unknown which because both were removed from play at the previous episode's Tribal Council.
	Yin Yang camp	"A Sinking Ship"	File:S20 sandra t.jpg Sandra Diaz-Twine	None	"Loose Lips Sink Ships"		None	This idol was played "by default" at the last time idols could be played.
Survivor: Nicaragua	Espada camp	"Fatigue Makes Cowards of Us All"	File:S21 jill t.jpgFile:S21 marty t.jpg Jill Behm and Marty Piombo	File:S21 marty t.jpg → File:S21 sash t.jpg Marty Piombo → Sash Lenahan	"This Is Going to Hurt"		None	While in possession of this idol, Marty was part of a tie vote between himself and Kelly Bruno. Marty is the first contestant to survive a revote while possessing an idol. Sash demanded the idol from Marty to keep himself longer in the game, promising he will not vote him out next. Sash's alliance voted Jill, Marty's only ally, instead. This idol was played "by default" at the last time idols could be played.
	La Flor camp	"Pulling the Trigger"	File:S21 brenda t.jpgFile:S21 naonka t.jpg Brenda Lowe and NaOnka Mixon	File:S21 naonka t.jpg → File:S21 chase t.jpg NaOnka Mixon → Chase Rice				NaOnka passed her idol to Chase the afternoon before she quit the game. This idol was played "by default" at the last time idols could be played.
Survivor: Redemption Island	Ometepe camp	"You're Looking at the New Leader of Your Tribe"	File:S22 kristina t.jpg Kristina Kell	None	"You Own My Vote"		None	This idol was found on Day 2, at the time the earliest an idol had been found.
	Zapatera camp	“You Own My Vote”	File:S22 ralph t.jpg Ralph Kiser	File:S22 mike t.jpg Mike Chiesl	"This Game Respects Big Moves"		None	Ralph came across this idol by accident.
	Ometepe camp	"Don't You Work for Me?"	File:S22 rob t.jpg Rob Mariano	None	"Seems Like a No Brainer"		None	This idol was played "by default" at the last time idols could be played.
Survivor: South Pacific	Savaii camp	"He Has Demons"	File:S23 ozzy t.jpg Ozzy Lusth	File:S23 whitney t.jpg Whitney Duncan	"Double Agent"		None	This idol was given to John Cochran when Ozzy decided to intentionally send himself to Redemption Island, then passed back to Ozzy upon his return from Redemption Island, then given to Whitney at Tribal Council.
	Upolu camp	"Taste the Victory"	File:S23 coach t.jpg Coach Wade	None	Never used			Coach kept the idol as a souvenir.
Survivor: One World	One World camp (Manono idol)	"Two Tribes, One Camp, No Rules"	File:S24 sabrina t.jpg Sabrina Thompson	File:S24 colton t.jpg Colton Cumbie	Never used			Sabrina is the first contestant to find the other tribe's idol and be forced to give it to a member of the other tribe. This is the first idol to be "flushed" by an evacuation. Colton wanted to give the idol to Jay Byars of the rival Salani tribe, but the rules of this season barred a tribe's idol from being passed to a member of the other tribe.
	One World/New Salani camp	"A Bunch of Idiots"	File:S24 kim t.jpg Kim Spradlin	None	Never used			The Salani camp used to be the One World camp, but after winning the first post-swap Reward Challenge, Salani kept the beach to themselves, forcing the rival Manono tribe to move out. Kim mailed the idol to Troyzan after the game.
	One World/Tikiano camp	"The Beauty in a Merge"	File:S24 troyzan t.jpg Troyzan Robertson	None	"Go Out with a Bang"		None	This was the rehidden Manono idol.
Survivor: Philippines	Kalabaw camp	"Don't Be Blinded by the Headlights"	File:S25 jonathan t.jpg Jonathan Penner	None	"Not the Only Actor on This Island"		File:S25 rc t.jpg RC Saint-Amour	This is the first idol to be played successfully, but not successfully eliminate the person the user voted for.
	Tandang camp	"This Isn't a 'We' Game"	File:S25 abimaria t.jpg Abi-Maria Gomes	None	"Whiners Are Wieners"		File:S25 pete t.jpg Pete Yurkowski	None
	Matsing camp	"Got My Swag Back"	File:S25 denise t.jpgFile:S25 malcolm t.jpg Denise Stapley and Malcolm Freberg	None	Never used			Malcolm kept the idol, but never had to use it as he was immune the last time idols could be played.
Survivor: Caramoan	Gota camp	"Honey Badger"	File:S26 reynold t.jpg Reynold Toepfer	None	"Kill or Be Killed"		None	None
	Bikal camp	"There's Gonna Be Hell to Pay"	File:S26 corinne t.jpgFile:S26 malcolm t.jpg Corinne Kaplan and Malcolm Freberg	File:S26 malcolm t.jpg → File:S26 eddie t.jpg Malcolm Freberg → Eddie Fox	"Zipping Over the Cuckoo's Nest"		File:S26 phillip t.jpg Phillip Sheppard	This idol was found prior to the previous episode's Tribal Council; as a result, events were shown out of order to avoid having Bikal camp scenes immediately prior to Gota's Tribal Council. Malcolm explicitly mentioned at Tribal Council that the idol he was giving to Eddie was his original idol.
	Gota camp	"Persona Non Grata"	File:S26 reynold t.jpg Reynold Toepfer	File:S26 malcolm t.jpg Malcolm Freberg	"Cut Off the Head of the Snake"		None	Malcolm still had his original idol at the time Reynold played this one on him.
	Enil Edam camp	“Zipping Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”	File:S26 malcolm t.jpg Malcolm Freberg	None	“Zipping Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”		None	This was the rehidden Gota idol. While technically "unsuccessful", this was part of a double idol play by Malcolm on himself and Eddie, and the latter was successful.
	Enil Edam camp	"The Beginning of the End"	File:S26 andrea t.jpgFile:S26 erik t.jpg Andrea Boehlke and Erik Reichenbach	None	Never used			Andrea was the first female to be voted out with an unused Hidden Immunity Idol in her possession.
Survivor: Blood vs. Water	Tadhana/Kasama camp	"Skin of My Teeth"	File:S27 tyson t.jpg Tyson Apostol	None	"Gloves Come Off"		None	This was the first idol to be hidden pre-merge, but not to be found until the merge (along with the Galang idol which was never found).
	Kasama camp	"Rustle Feathers"	File:S27 tyson t.jpg Tyson Apostol	File:S27 gervase t.jpg Gervase Peterson	"It's My Night"		None	This idol was played "by default" at the last time idols could be played.
Survivor: Cagayan	Luzon camp	"Hot Girl with a Grudge"	File:S28 garrett c.png Garrett Adelstein	None	Never used			This was the first idol to be found on Day 1.
	Aparri camp	"Cops-R-Us"	File:S28 tony c.png Tony Vlachos	File:S28 lj c.png LJ McKanas	"Mad Treasure Hunt"		None	None
	Solana camp	"Our Time to Shine"	File:S28 lj c.png LJ McKanas	File:S28 tony c.png Tony Vlachos				None
	Solarrion camp	"Bag of Tricks"	File:S28 spencer c.png Spencer Bledsoe	None	"Chaos Is My Friend"		None	This was either the rehidden Aparri or Solana idol, it is unknown which because both were removed from play at the previous episode's Tribal Council.
	Solarrion camp (special idol)	“Sitting in My Spy Shack”	File:S28 tony c.png Tony Vlachos	None	Never used			None
	Solarrion camp	"Havoc to Wreak"	File:S28 tony c.png Tony Vlachos	None	"It's Do or Die"		None	This idol was played "by default" at the last time idols could be played.
Survivor: San Juan del Sur	Coyopa camp	"Method to This Madness"	John Rocker	None	Never used			None
	Hunahpu camp	"We're a Hot Mess"	Keith Nale	None	"This Is Where We Build Trust"		Wes Nale	None
	Exile Island	"Wrinkle in the Plan"	Jon Misch	None				None
	Coyopa/Huyopa camp	“This Is Where We Build Trust”	Baylor Wilson and Natalie Anderson	→ Natalie Anderson → Jaclyn Schultz	"This Is My Time"		Baylor Wilson	None
	Exile Island	"Kind of Like Cream Cheese"	Jon Misch	None	Never used			None
Survivor: Worlds Apart	Masaya camp	"It's Survivor Warfare"	Carolyn Rivera	None	"My Word Is My Bond"		Dan Foley	None
	Nagarote camp	"Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner"	Jenn Brown	None	"The Line Will Be Drawn Tonight"		Kelly Remington	None
	Escameca/Merica camp	"Keep It Real"	Mike Holloway	None	"Holding On for Dear Life"		Tyler Fredrickson	None
Survivor: Cambodia	Quest for Fire challenge (Ta Keo idol)	"Second Chance"	Kelley Wentworth	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	None
	Draggin' the Dragon challenge (Bayon idol)	"We Got a Rat"	Jeremy Collins	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	None

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. So far, coincidentally, all of the contestants who played a fake idol were voted out at the same Tribal Council.

Contestants Making Fake idols

• In Survivor: Panama, 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 Survivor: Fiji, 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 Survivor: Micronesia 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 Survivor: Gabon, 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 Survivor: Tocantins, 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. (Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains)
• Also in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Rupert Boneham feigned a rock in his pocket as a fake idol.
• 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)
• In a secret scene for Survivor: San Juan del Sur, 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 Survivor: 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 Survivor: Worlds Apart, 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.

Gallery

Survivor: Panama Hidden Immunity Idol, a shrunken head

Survivor: Cook Islands Hidden Immunity Idol, a broken compass

Survivor: Fiji Hidden Immunity Idol, a carved turtle

Survivor: China Hidden Immunity Idol, a plaque

Survivor: Micronesia Hidden Immunity Idol

Survivor: Gabon Hidden Immunity Idol

Survivor: Tocantins Hidden Immunity Idol

Survivor: Samoa Hidden Immunity Idol

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains Hidden Immunity Idol

Survivor: Nicaragua Hidden Immunity Idol, a key

Survivor: One World Hidden Immunity Idol

Philippineshii1.jpg

Survivor: Philippines Hidden Immunity Idol (Kalabaw tribe)

Matsing idol.jpg

Survivor: Philippines Hidden Immunity Idol (Matsing tribe)

Tandang Hidden Idol.jpg

Survivor: Philippines Hidden Immunity Idol (Tandang tribe)

Survivor: Caramoan Hidden Immunity Idol, an Ifugao fertility charm

Survivor: Blood vs. Water Hidden Immunity Idols

Survivor: Cagayan Hidden Immunity Idol

Survivor: San Juan del Sur Hidden Immunity Idol

Survivor: Worlds Apart Hidden Immunity Idols

Trivia

• Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and Survivor: Cagayan are tied for the season with the most idols found, with six.
• Mookie Lee (Survivor: Fiji) 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 (Survivor: China) 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 (Survivor: Micronesia) is the first castaway to find a Hidden Immunity Idol but choose to leave it hidden.
• Survivor: Gabon is the first season to deliberately discard the idol as nobody wanted to claim ownership of it.
• Matty Whitmore (Survivor: Gabon) is the first castaway to use an idol and only receiving minority votes.
• Andrea Boehlke (Survivor: Caramoan) is the first female to be voted out with a Hidden Immunity Idol in her possession.
• The Galang (Survivor: Blood vs. Water) tribe is the only tribe to have an idol buried at their beach and never find it.
• The earliest use of a Hidden Immunity Idol was on Day 5 (Survivor: Redemption Island), when Kristina Kell played it on herself.
• Survivor: Worlds Apart 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 (Survivor: Worlds Apart) is the first eventual Sole Survivor that was supposed to be voted out, but was saved by a Hidden Immunity Idol.
• Survivor: 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.