When tribes convene at an Immunity Challenge, the winning tribe passes the Immunity Idol back to the host.
The idol is different every season and reflects the local culture or motif theme of the season. In seasons with more than two initial tribes, the Immunity Idol is separated into multiple pieces, to be shared by multiple tribes. In the event when the multiple tribes are spread into two new tribes, the tribe that wins the challenge would obtain the complete idol. The three exceptions were on Survivor: Philippines, Survivor: Cagayan, and Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, where two separate tribal Immunity Idols were up for grabs.
The Immunity Idol could sometimes be representative of a local deity and not just a cultural object. For example, in Survivor: Thailand, the Immunity Idol is a statue of Thepanom, the angel of protection in Thai culture, and in Survivor: Blood vs. Water it is Caishen, the god of wealth in Chinese mythology.
In most seasons, the idol is shaped like an ornate trophy, but in some seasons such as Survivor: Pearl Islands, Survivor: Vanuatu, Survivor: Panama, Survivor: Fiji, and Survivor: Samoa, the idol is shaped like a spear, and is stuck in the ground instead of being placed on a pedestal.
After the season, the idol is sold on eBay and, like with all Survivor memorabilia that is sold, the proceeds go to charity.
Description
- Survivor: Borneo: a large, colorful statuette with three faces on it.
- Survivor: The Australian Outback: A large statuette with colorful stones with a face.
- Survivor: Africa: A statuette with two figures standing on top of each other with faces.
- Survivor: Marquesas: A large tiki statuette.
- Survivor: Thailand: A Buddha statuette.
- Survivor: The Amazon: A figure of a person with a face, a colorful necklace, and cloth.
- Survivor: Pearl Islands: An ax with a skull on top with a coin in one of the skulls eyes.
- Survivor: All-Stars: A statuette of a person holding a drum, sitting on a clay figure. This idol can be taken apart to award 2 tribes with immunity. (There were 3 tribes at the beginning of that season).
- Survivor: Vanuatu: A long, spear-like object with a carved tiki.
- Survivor: Palau: A humanoid figure with necklaces around its neck.
- Survivor: Guatemala: An ancient, colorful, Mayan statuette.
- Survivor: Panama: A tall stand with three heads on it. This idol can be taken apart. In that season the winning three tribes were given immunity in the form of a head. (There were four tribes at the beginning of that season).
- Survivor: Cook Islands: A large tiki statuette that comes apart. In that season the winning three tribes were given immunity in the form of a part of the tiki. (There were four tribes at the beginning of that season).
- Survivor: Fiji: A Fijian war club attached to a skull with bones.
- Survivor: China: A terracotta warrior statuette.
- Survivor: Micronesia: A humanoid figure with shells and carvings.
- Survivor: Gabon: A Gabonese humanoid figure.
- Survivor: Tocantins: A red and tan human figure with motifs, called a ritxòtò.
- Survivor: Samoa: A large spear-like idol with a diamond shaped object and an animal skull.
- Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains: A large tiki statue.*
- Survivor: Nicaragua: A statue of a conquistador.
- Survivor: Redemption Island: A large humanoid figure
- Survivor: South Pacific: A large tiki statue.
- Survivor: One World: A tiki statue, known as the Hei-Tiki.
- Survivor: Philippines: A bird-like statue, called the Sarimanok.
- Survivor: Caramoan: A wooden Ifugao totem statue.
- Survivor: Blood vs. Water: A statue of a man, known as Cai Shen.
- Survivor: Cagayan: A Rangha statue.
- Survivor: San Juan del Sur: A human statue resembling Xochipilli, the Aztec god of arts and games.
- Survivor: Worlds Apart: A warrior statuette.
- Survivor: Cambodia: A humanoid statue.
- Survivor: Kaôh Rōng: A human warrior statue.
- Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X: An orange tiki.
- Survivor: Game Changers: The bust of a diver's helmet.
- Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: A statuette of a woman holding a shell.
- Survivor: Ghost Island: A tiki statue.
- Survivor: David vs. Goliath: A carved, white, wooden tiki statue.
- Survivor: Edge of Extinction: A carved, wooden dragon statue holding a yellow gem, and a phoenix-like statue. (The phoenix statue was used following the expansion.)
Hidden Immunity Idol
Gallery
Trivia
- Out of sheer joy, Rory Freeman accidentally broke the spear-like Immunity Idol in Vanuatu after violently sticking it into the ground when his tribe got back to camp after winning an Immunity Challenge. However, the idol was not repaired and it was inconsequential, as the said challenge was the last tribal Immunity Challenge before the merge.
- CBS gave the Survivor: China Immunity Idol to celebrity Neil Patrick Harris, an avid reality TV fan, as a gift for his 37th birthday.[1] However, the idol was apparently bought back as a prop for Ghost Island.
References
