The Immunity Idol is a totem that symbolizes Tribal Immunity and is awarded to the winning tribe(s) of an Immunity Challenge. Not to be confused with the Hidden Immunity Idol or the Immunity Necklace, the Immunity Idol serves as a trophy-of-sorts that grants an entire tribe exemption from Tribal Council, thus avoiding elimination.
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 Philippines, Cagayan, and Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, where two separate tribal Immunity Idols were up for grabs.
The Immunity Idol could sometimes be representative of a deity and not just a cultural object. For example, in Thailand, the Immunity Idol is a statue of Thepanom, the angel of protection in Thai culture, and in 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 Pearl Islands, Vanuatu, Panama, Fiji, and Samoa, the idol is shaped like a spear, and is stuck in the ground instead of being placed on a pedestal.
After the season finale, the idol, like with all Survivor props, are auctioned to charity.
List of U.S. Immunity Idols
- Survivor: Borneo: A large statuette with three faces.
- Survivor: The Australian Outback: A large aboriginal totem.
- Survivor: Africa: A statuette of two African figures standing on top of each other.
- Survivor: Marquesas: A large tiki statuette.
- Survivor: Thailand: A statuette of Thepphanom.
- 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 fish. If three tribes were competing, the first-place tribe received the drum-player and the second-place tribe received the fish.
- Survivor: Vanuatu: A long, spear-like object with a carved tiki and a pig jaw.
- Survivor: Palau: A humanoid figure with necklaces around its neck.
- Survivor: Guatemala: An ancient, colorful, Mayan statuette.
- Survivor: Panama: A tall stand with three shrunken heads on it, with designs representing the three wise monkeys, in a voodoo style. If four tribes were competing, the second and third-place tribes received one head each and the first-place tribe received the staff itself with the remaining head.
- Survivor: Cook Islands: A large statuette of Tangaroa, god of sea and fertility. If four tribes were competing, the first-place tribe received the head, and the other two winning tribes received the abdomen and feet.
- 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 bust of a conquistador.
- Survivor: Redemption Island: A Mesoamerican humanoid figure.
- Survivor: South Pacific: A large tiki statue.
- Survivor: One World: A tiki statue known as the Hei-Tiki.
- Survivor: Philippines: A Sarimanok statue. During the three-tribe portion of the game, the two tribes that won immunity received identical idols.
- Survivor: Caramoan: A wooden Ifugao totem statue.
- Survivor: Blood vs. Water: A statue of a man, known as Caishen, the Chinese god of wealth.
- Survivor: Cagayan: A Rangda statue. During the three-tribe portion of the game, the tribe that finished second received a smaller version of the statue.
- Survivor: San Juan del Sur: A human statue resembling Xōchipilli, the Aztec god of arts and games.
- Survivor: Worlds Apart: A warrior statuette made of wood and metal pieces. During the three-tribe portion of the game, the runner-up tribe received the base the statuette stood on.
- Survivor: Cambodia: A dancing Devi statue. During the expansion phase, a "reversed" version of the original idol was awarded to the runner-up tribe.
- Survivor: Kaôh Rōng: A human warrior statue sitting on a base of bull head carvings. During the three-tribe portion of the game, the tribe that finished second received the statue's base.
- Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X: An orange tiki. During the expansion phase of the season, the second-place tribe received a smaller tiki.
- Survivor: Game Changers: The bust of a diving helmet. During the expansion phase of the season, the second-place tribe received the stand the bust was mounted on.
- Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: A statuette of a woman holding a shell; the second-place tribe won a smaller version of the statue.
- Survivor: Ghost Island: A tiki statue. If three tribes were competing, the first-place tribe won the top half, while the second-place tribe won the bottom half.
- Survivor: David vs. Goliath: A carved, white, wooden tiki statue. If three tribes were competing, the second-place tribe received a smaller, brown version of the statue.
- Survivor: Edge of Extinction: A carved, wooden dragon statue holding a yellow gem, and a phoenix-like statue. The phoenix statue was introduced following the expansion to be given the runner-up tribe.
- Survivor: Island of the Idols: Two Fijian Moai faces tied to a wooden structure with vines. The idol can be split in half as the season was planned to have a three-tribe phase, but the idea was shelved as the tribes stayed two throughout the pre-merge.
- Survivor: Winners at War: A skull with a Fire Token in each eye held up by chain-adorned crossbones. If three tribes were competing, the first-place tribe received the skull and the second-place tribe received the crossbones.
- Survivor 41: A carved, wooden tiki statue. If more than one tribe was eligible to win immunity, the second-place tribe received a smaller version of the statue.
- Survivor 42: A snake with its tail in its mouth sitting on a set of rocks, resembling the ouroboros. The winning tribe received the snake, while the second-place tribe received the rocks.
List of Foreign Immunity Idols
- For the list of Immunity Idols from non-U.S. versions, see Immunity Idol/International.
Hidden Immunity Idol
Gallery
Survivor: Borneo Immunity Idol.
Survivor: The Australian Outback Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Africa Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Marquesas Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Thailand Immunity Idol.
Survivor: The Amazon Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Pearl Islands Immunity Idol.
Survivor: All-Stars Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Vanuatu Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Palau Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Guatemala Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Panama Immunity Idol, themed as "see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil".
Survivor: Cook Islands Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Fiji Immunity Idol, a skull-smash weapon.
Survivor: China Immunity Idol, a terracotta warrior.
Survivor: Micronesia Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Gabon Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Tocantins Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Samoa Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Nicaragua Immunity Idol, a bust of a conquistador.
Survivor: Redemption Island Immunity Idol.
Survivor: South Pacific Immunity Idol.
Survivor: One World Immunity Idol, the Hei-tiki.
Survivor: Philippines Immunity Idol, the sarimanok.
Survivor: Caramoan Immunity Idol, an Ifugao totem.
Survivor: Blood vs. Water Immunity Idol, Cai Shen, the Chinese god of wealth.
Survivor: Cagayan Immunity Idols, the Ranghda.
Survivor: San Juan del Sur Immunity Idol, Xochipilli, the Aztec god of arts and games.
Survivor: Worlds Apart Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Cambodia Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Kaôh Rōng Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Game Changers Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Ghost Island Immunity Idol.
Survivor: David vs. Goliath Immunity Idols.
Survivor: Edge of Extinction Immunity Idols.
Survivor: Island of the Idols Immunity Idol.
Survivor: Winners at War Immunity Idol.
Survivor 41 Immunity Idol.
Survivor 42 Immunity Idol.
Trivia
- In Vanuatu, Rory Freeman accidentally snapped the head of the spear-like Immunity Idol after violently sticking it into the ground when his tribe won immunity. As the idol was won at the last tribal Immunity Challenge before the merge, the damage was considered inconsequential and the idol was not repaired.
- Most of the Immunity Idols auctioned for charity were bought back as props for Ghost Island.
- CBS gave the 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
