Survivor (U.S.)

Survivor is a U.S. reality-based competition television show, based on the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson created by Charlie Parsons in 1997. It premiered on May 31, 2000, and is currently hosted by Jeff Probst.

The United States version is produced by Survivor Entertainment Group, a joint company created by the television network CBS and Executive Producer Mark Burnett.

The series airs on Wednesdays (formerly Thursdays) at 8:00 pm during the fall and spring.

History[]

An instant hit in the United States, the first eleven seasons of Survivor regularly rated among the top ten most-watched television shows. The show is considered the pioneer of the reality television genre, being the first highly rated and profitable reality show on television, and often considered to be one of the best shows during the 2000s.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The show has regularly been nominated for various Emmy Awards, such as Outstanding Cinematography for Reality Programming and Outstanding Picture Editing for Reality Programming. Jeff Probst has won four consecutive years for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program. Survivor has also won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program, for the show's handling of an incident between Jeff Varner and Zeke Smith in Survivor: Game Changers.^[4]

Starting with Survivor: Island of the Idols, Canadian citizens are eligible to apply for the show. Prior to this, dual-citizen Americans had to give up their non-American citizenship for legal reasons to earn their winnings, though the only known case of a castaway doing so is Todd Herzog in Survivor: China.^[5]

Format[]

Main article: Twist

Similar to the original Expedition Robinson, sixteen to twenty people, referred to as "castaways" or "survivors", split into two or more groups, referred to as "tribes", would be taken to a remote location, most often tropical, and forced to live off the land for the duration of the game. Every so often, the tribes would meet together to compete for reward, usually items to improve island living conditions or meals, or for immunity from being voted out at Tribal Council.

Usually signalling the halfway point of the season, the competing tribes would form one final tribe in an event called the merge. At this point, the castaways would start competing in challenges individually (though some post-merge Reward Challenges may divide the remaining castaways into teams). At least one person will win individual immunity in the form of a necklace, preventing that castaway from being voted out at the next Tribal Council. Most castaways eliminated after the merge will begin forming the jury. Once the season gets down to the Final Two or Final Three, the finalists will plead their case to the jury. The jury will then cast their vote for the castaway they consider should be the Sole Survivor, in addition to the $1 million prize.

Since the original format in Survivor: Borneo (two tribes of eight, merge at ten, jury at nine, and Final Two), the game has introduced several twists to keep players on their toes and to make the season more exciting and fresh to the audience.

Division of Tribes[]

Main article: Tribe

Number of Members per Tribe[]

Two Tribes of Eight: First used in Survivor: Borneo, and subsequently used in The Australian Outback, Africa, Marquesas, Thailand, The Amazon, Pearl Islands, China, and Tocantins, the castaways were divided into two tribes of eight. Except for The Amazon, the tribes consisted of four men and four women on each tribe. In The Amazon, the tribes were divided by gender with eight men on one tribe and eight women on the other.
Three Tribes of Six: First used in Survivor: All-Stars, and subsequently used in Philippines, Cagayan, Worlds Apart, Kaôh Rōng, Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46, the castaways were divided into three tribes of six, consisting of three men and three women on each tribe.
Two Tribes of Nine: First used in Survivor: Vanuatu, and subsequently used in Palau, Guatemala, Fiji, Gabon, Redemption Island, South Pacific, One World, San Juan del Sur, and Edge of Extinction, the castaways were divided into two tribes of nine. When this format was first used in Vanuatu and later in One World, the castaways were divided by gender, one tribe consisting of nine men, and the other tribe consisting of nine women. In other seasons using this format, except Fiji and San Juan del Sur, the tribes would consist of either five men and four women or four men and five women. (Palau started with twenty castaways, but one man and one woman were eliminated in the tribe selection.) In Fiji, due to Mellisa McNulty dropping out late, Sylvia Kwan, would be selected to pick the tribes and in San Juan del Sur, a female-female pair was pulled shortly before the game started, thus both seasons started with both tribes having five men and four women.
Four Tribes of Four: Only used in Survivor: Panama, the castaways were divided into four tribes of four, divided by gender and age, therefore two tribes had four men each and two tribes had four women each.
Four Tribes of Five: Only used in Survivor: Cook Islands, the castaways were divided into four tribes of five. Two tribes consisted of three men and two women, while the other two tribes consisted of two men and three women.
Two Tribes of Ten: First used in Survivor: Micronesia, and subsequently used in Samoa, Heroes vs. Villains, Nicaragua, Caramoan, Blood vs. Water, Cambodia, Millennials vs. Gen X, Game Changers, Ghost Island, David vs. Goliath, Island of the Idols, and Winners at War, the castaways were divided into two tribes of ten, consisting of five men and five women on each tribe.

"Versus"/Themed Seasons[]

As per the consensus of the producers, a batch of contestants could be sorted into tribes with a common theme, sometimes based on the cast's personal attributes. Some seasons have contestants be joined with returning players, all of which have certain similar attributes.

Gender: First seen in Survivor: The Amazon, followed by Survivor: Vanuatu and Survivor: One World, the tribes were divided based on their gender, pitting the men against the women. Typically the tribes are switched up later in the game.
All returning players: In Survivor: All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains, Cambodia, Game Changers, and Winners at War, 18 to 20 past players returned to play the game.
- Heroes vs. Villains: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains featured two tribes defined by popularity or infamy. The Heroes were picked for being deemed to play the game with integrity, courage and honor, while the Villains were picked due to their skills in manipulation, deception and overall notoriety.
- Second Chance: In Cambodia, 20 castaways who had lost their original seasons were voted into the season for a second chance at victory.
- Game Changers: In Survivor: Game Changers, Survivor brought back 20 former players who were proclaimed as game changers, people who tried to change the game.
- Winners at War: In Survivor: Winners at War, 20 winners from previous seasons of Survivor were invited to play again for an even bigger grand prize.
One returnee per tribe: In Survivor: Guatemala, Redemption Island, South Pacific, and Philippines, one returning contestant joined one tribe, making them full-fledged players of the game. In Guatemala, Stephenie LaGrossa and Bobby Jon Drinkard, who were the last remaining members of the ill-fated Ulong tribe were given a second chance. In Redemption Island, Rob Mariano and Russell Hantz settled their rivalry dating back from Heroes vs. Villains. In South Pacific, Coach Wade and Ozzy Lusth joined the game under the premise that they were popular to have terrible social games in their previous outings. In Philippines, Jonathan Penner, Russell Swan, and Michael Skupin were all medically evacuated in their previous seasons. Edge of Extinction expanded on this format, bringing back four former castaways and assigning two to each tribe of new players.
Age and Gender: In Survivor: Panama, its sixteen contestants were divided into four tribes of four according to age and gender: Younger men, younger women, older women, and older men.
Ethnicity: In a rather controversial move, the castaways of Survivor: Cook Islands were divided into four tribes of five according to their ethnicity: Hispanic, Caucasian, African, and Asian.
Haves vs. Have Nots: Survivor: Fiji had the Haves vs. Have Nots twist. Known as one of the worst twists in Survivor history, the "Haves" tribe was given all of the luxuries needed for living, and the "Have Nots" tribe was given little to nothing.
Fans vs. Favorites: Survivor: Micronesia and Caramoan had ten self-proclaimed "superfans" of the show that were pitted against ten fan favorites from seasons past.
Age: In Survivor: Nicaragua, the tribes were defined according to age, with an entire tribe of younger players and an entire tribe of older players. This theme returned in the form of Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X.
Blood vs. Water: Survivor: Blood vs. Water and San Juan del Sur featured pairs of contestants with a pre-existing relationship. In the first Blood vs. Water, a tribe of former contestants were pitted against their loved ones who were playing for the first time. In the second version, an all-new batch of contestants underwent the same twist.
Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty: In Survivor: Cagayan and Kaôh Rōng, the tribes were divided into 3 tribes of 6 according to the contestants' best attribute that gets them by in life: Intel lect, physical strength, or physical appearance and social skills.
White Collar vs. Blue Collar vs. No Collar: In Survivor: Worlds Apart, the tribes were divided into 3 tribes of 6 according to the contestants' social class of occupation.
Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: In Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, castaways were separated based on praised qualities about themselves.
David vs. Goliath: In Survivor: David vs. Goliath, the castaways were divided into two tribes based on their degree of success in life: the underdog "Davids" and the overachieving "Goliaths".

Merge[]

Main article: Merge

Usually occurring near the halfway point of the season, the merge sees the dissolution of any tribes in the game, with all remaining players forming a new tribe, and the challenges going from tribal to individual.

Fake Merge[]

Main article: Fake Merge

Only used in Survivor: Thailand, this twist saw Chuay Gahn and Sook Jai under the impression that they had merged, until the following Immunity Challenge, where Jeff Probst revealed that the tribes had not actually merged.

Delayed Merge[]

A delayed merge is when the merge occurs with less than ten castaways remaining. The first delayed merge occurred in Survivor: Thailand, due to the advent of the Fake Merge delaying the actual merger to when eight castaways remained. To date Thailand is currently the only season to merge at eight. The delayed merges in Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Cook Islands, and Survivor: Gabon were done with nine remaining.

Early Merge[]

An early merge is when the merge occurs with more than ten castaways remaining. The first early merge occurred in Survivor: Samoa, merging with twelve castaways remaining. Since Survivor: Nicaragua, merging with eleven or more castaways has become the norm, with some seasons merging as early as the final thirteen.

Earn the Merge[]

Main article: Earn the Merge

Since Survivor 41, once the pre-merge phase is over, the tribes abandon their colors and are divided into two teams of equal members. The winning team will earn their merge Buff. The rest of the castaways, the losing team, do not earn the merge until one of them is voted out.

Finalist and Jury composition[]

Final Two and Jury of Seven: Original format; used from Survivor: Borneo to Survivor: Panama and in Survivor: Tocantins.
Final Three and Jury of Nine: First introduced in Survivor: Cook Islands and subsequently used in Survivor: Fiji and from Survivor: Samoa to Survivor: One World.
Final Three and Jury of Seven: First introduced in Survivor: China and subsequently used in Survivor: Gabon. Survivor: Kaôh Rōng would have seven jurors voting at the Final Tribal Council, but originally had eight until the Juror Removal twist on Day 38.
Final Two and Jury of Eight: Currently has only been used in Survivor: Micronesia.
Final Three and Jury of Eight: First introduced in Survivor: Philippines, and subsequently used in Survivor: Caramoan, Survivor: Blood vs. Water, Survivor: San Juan del Sur, Survivor: Worlds Apart, Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, Survivor 41, Survivor 42, Survivor 43, Survivor 44 and Survivor 45. Kaôh Rōng originally had eight jurors, but only seven would remain on the jury due to the Juror Removal twist.
Final Two and Jury of Nine: Currently has only been used in Survivor: Cagayan.
Final Three and Jury of Ten: First introduced in Survivor: Cambodia, and subsequently used in Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X, Survivor: Game Changers, Survivor: Ghost Island, Survivor: David vs. Goliath, and Survivor: Island of the Idols. As Ghost Island ended in a tie, the second runner-up would join the jury as the eleventh member to break the tie. Island of the Idols was originally supposed to have eleven jurors, however, the ejection of one castaway reduced the number of jurors to ten.
Final Three and Variable Jury: First introduced in Survivor: Edge of Extinction and subsequently used in Survivor: Winners at War. Theoretically, as everyone voted out until five remain in the main game may be on the Edge of Extinction until the second re-entry point, the season's jury could have any number of jurors. Edge of Extinction would feature thirteen jurors and Winners at War would feature sixteen.

Tribe Switch[]

Main article: Tribe Switch

First introduced in Africa, a tribe switch reassigns castaways into new tribe compositions. Tribe switches can occur at any point in the game.

There are a few variations of a tribe switch:

A swap occurs when the number of members switched from each tribe are even.
A shuffle is when a tribe can consist of any number of members from either tribe.
A mutiny is when castaway(s) are offered to voluntarily switch tribes.
An absorption occurs during three tribe seasons. This is when one tribe is dissolved and spread among the other two tribes without the other two tribes' members switching tribes.
A conquering is when the remaining members of one tribe are absorbed into another tribe, where the season has no merge.
A disbanding is when one or more tribes are dissolved with all remaining castaways in the game being shuffled into new tribes.
An expansion is when a third tribe is introduced in a season starting with two tribes, with all remaining castaways being shuffled into new tribes.

Tribe Raid[]

Main article: Tribe Raid

First introduced in Survivor: Marquesas, a Tribe Raid allows one tribe to raid another tribe's camp for a short period of time to take as many items as they can. While used in Marquesas, Survivor: Tocantins, and Survivor: Cagayan once, in Survivor: Pearl Islands, Survivor 43, and Survivor 45, after a Reward Challenge one person from the winning tribe would be sent to the losing tribe to take one item from their campsite.

Schoolyard Pick[]

Main article: Schoolyard Pick

In Survivor: Thailand, Survivor: Palau, and Survivor: Gabon, a Schoolyard Pick was used to determine the tribes. In Thailand and Gabon, the oldest man and oldest woman would select the tribes. In Palau the man and woman who found the Immunity Necklaces would pick their tribes, with one man and one woman being unselected in the process, eliminating them from the game. Schoolyard Picks have also been used in tribe switches to determine the new tribes.

Buried Treasure[]

Main article: Buried Treasure

Buried Treasure is a twist that allows tribes to find a lucrative reward hidden in their campsite. When first used in Survivor: Pearl Islands, the tribes would win clues to the location of the chest after a Reward Challenge. In Survivor: All-Stars, the tribes were given a chest with three locks whose keys were hidden. Winning Reward Challenges would earn tribes clues to where one of the keys are hidden.

Kidnapping[]

Main article: Kidnapping

Kidnapping is the right to take one member of the opposing tribe for a short period of time. This twist was first used in Survivor: Pearl Islands, where the winner of the Day 12 Immunity Challenge would kidnap one member of the losing tribe until after the following Reward Challenge, skipping Tribal Council. Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Cook Islands would use this twist, though only the kidnapped castaway would simply skip Tribal Council. Survivor: China would use this twist throughout the pre-merge, where a castaway would be kidnapped after each Reward Challenge and be given a clue to their kidnapper's Hidden Immunity Idol, returning at the next Immunity Challenge. Survivor: Samoa would use a similar twist called Observing, where the winning tribe's leader would send someone to observe the losing tribe. Similar to China, the observer would be sent after a Reward Challenge and return to their tribe at the Immunity Challenge.

Previously Eliminated Castaways[]

A few seasons have made it possible for eliminated castaways to reenter the game.

The Outcasts[]

Main article: The Outcasts

Only used in Survivor: Pearl Islands, the Outcasts would see the first six castaways eliminated from the seasons compete for a chance to reenter the game. If the Outcasts could finish the Immunity Challenge before either Drake or Morgan, they would be eligible to vote at least one of them back into the game. If they finished last, no one from the Outcasts would return.

Redemption Island[]

Main article: Redemption Island (twist)

First introduced in Survivor: Redemption Island, Redemption Island would see eliminated castaways compete in duels to reenter the game at one of two points: the merge or Day 36. In Redemption Island, only one castaway would be eliminated from each Redemption Island duel, except for the final reentry duel, where only one person could reenter the game. In Survivor: South Pacific, group duels were rehashed so only one castaway could continue on. In Survivor: Blood vs. Water, three castaways would compete in each duel, with only one castaway being eliminated per duel, except for the two reentry duels. In addition, loved ones would be able to switch out, putting themselves on Redemption Island in place of their loved one.

Edge of Extinction[]

Main article: Edge of Extinction (twist)

First introduced in Survivor: Edge of Extinction, the Edge of Extinction allows castaways to wait for an opportunity to reenter the game, either at the merge or on Day 35. After each castaway is eliminated, up until there are six in the main game, they will be given the option to go to the Edge of Extinction or finish their journey, permanently eliminating them from the game. While on the Edge of Extinction, a castaway may quit by hoisting a white flag. Unlike Redemption Island, castaways are not permanently eliminated until the second reentry duel. Any castaway who is on the Edge of Extinction after the merge is a part of the jury.

Tribal Council-Related[]

There have been a few twists utilizing Tribal Council.

Double Tribal Council[]

Main article: Double Tribal Council

A Double Tribal Council is when both pre-merge tribes are informed that they will both be voting someone out on the same night in back-to-back Tribal Councils. This twist is usually used in seasons with more than sixteen castaways. First introduced in Survivor: Pearl Islands, for the Outcasts finishing first, Drake and Morgan would both vote out one member of their tribe, however only Drake would end up voting, as Osten Taylor quit at Morgan's Tribal Council. In Survivor: Vanuatu the twist would take its more familiar form, where one tribe would win reward (usually in the form of food and watching the other tribe's Tribal Council), and at least one person having individual immunity. In Survivor: Winners at War and Survivor 41, the twist was used with three tribes; the first place tribe would win immunity, while the two losing tribes were both required to vote someone out at Tribal Council.

Double Elimination[]

Main article: Double Elimination

A Double Elimination is where one tribe attends Tribal Council to vote two people out consecutively. This twist was first used in Survivor: Cook Islands, where the tribe that lost a particular Immunity Challenge was given a message in the bottle and were informed they were to vote another castaway out immediately. In Survivor: Redemption Island and Survivor: South Pacific, this twist occurred post-merge, and an impromptu Immunity Challenge was conducted between the vote. In Survivor: Ghost Island, Survivor: Island of the Idols, Survivor 41, Survivor 42, Survivor 43, and Survivor 45, the merged tribe was split into two temporary teams, with each team having one person with immunity, and voting out one person.

Joint Tribal Council[]

Main article: Joint Tribal Council

A Joint Tribal Council is where two tribes attend Tribal Council to vote out one, single castaway, and usually occurs when three tribes are in play. The two tribes are not given any time before Tribal Council to interact with one another, and this often results in a live Tribal Council. This twist was first used in Survivor: Game Changers, and later in Survivor: Edge of Extinction. Survivor: Samoa and Survivor: One World saw both of its pre-merge tribes attend Tribal Council together, but in both instances, it was to inform the castaways on the status of an evacuated castaway and in One World to inform the tribes of the merge.

Exile Island[]

Main article: Exile Island (twist)

First introduced in Survivor: Palau as a one-time twist, Exile Island sees a castaway being banished to a secluded island for a short period of time. Exile Island would first appear as a season-long twist in Survivor: Panama, where the Hidden Immunity Idol is hidden. Since then a few tweaks to the twist have been implemented, such as exiling one person from each tribe (used in Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: Tocantins, and Survivor: San Juan del Sur), the choice between idle comfort or idol protection (used in Survivor: Gabon), or Hero Duels, where one person from each tribe would compete in a duel for reward, with the loser being exiled, along with someone from the opposing tribe, (used in San Juan del Sur). If a tribe switch occurs with an uneven number of people, the odd-person out may be exiled, joining the tribe that loses a member after the next Tribal Council.

Ghost Island[]

Main article: Ghost Island (twist)

Ghost Island is a variant on Exile Island. Similar to Exile Island, a castaway is banished to Ghost Island for a short amount of time. While on Ghost Island, an advantage may be available for the exiled to find, based on objects that were linked to previous Survivor mistakes or bad moves. If an advantage is available, a castaway may wager their vote for a chance to get the advantage. If they fail to make the right choice, they will be unable to vote at their next Tribal Council.

Island of the Idols[]

Main article: Island of the Idols (twist)

Island of the Idols is a variant on Exile Island. Similar to Exile Island, a castaway is banished to Island of the Idols for a short amount of time. On the island are a pair of former Survivor winners, to help coach the castaway exiled in an aspect of Survivor. If they wish to, they may compete in a Mentors' Challenge to apply what they have learned. If they decide to compete and win, they will earn an advantage. If they lose the challenge, they will lose their next vote at their next Tribal Council.

Hidden Immunity Idol[]

Main article: Hidden Immunity Idol

First introduced in Survivor: Guatemala, the Hidden Immunity Idol grants protection for the person who finds it. In Guatemala, the idol had to be played before the votes were cast and worked similar to the Immunity Necklace, granting a person immunity at the Tribal Council it was used. In Survivor: Panama and Survivor: Cook Islands, the Hidden Immunity Idol could be played after all the votes are read, negating all votes against the user, and eliminating the person with the second-highest number of votes. This type of idol is often referred to as the Super Idol. A super idol would be hidden post-merge in Survivor: Cagayan and at the marooning in Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. Survivor: Kaôh Rōng would allow a person to combine two idols to form a super idol. Starting in Survivor: Fiji the Hidden Immunity Idol could only be played after the votes were cast, but before they are read, negating any votes cast against the user, but also making it possible for an idol to be wasted.

Challenge Advantage[]

Main article: Challenge Advantage

A Challenge Advantage is a one-time advantage that gives the user an advantage in an upcoming challenge. The advantage first appeared in a Survivor Auction in Survivor: Guatemala. Most Challenge Advantages are usually used for an upcoming individual Immunity Challenge, though one was offered in Survivor: Game Changers as part of the Advantage Menu for an upcoming tribal Immunity Challenge. Survivor: Edge of Extinction saw advantages to practice for the upcoming reentry duels, in addition to an advantage that allows the user to penalize someone at the first reentry duel.

First Impressions[]

Main article: First Impressions

The First Impressions twist sees voting a castaway out on Day 1. First introduced in Survivor: Tocantins, the castaways were not actually voted-out but instead flown out ahead to their tribe's campsite, where they were given the dilemma of searching for a Hidden Immunity Idol or to build a shelter before the others arrived. In Survivor: Blood vs. Water, the First Impressions twist was used to immediately eliminate these castaways and send them to Redemption Island, for a chance to return to the game. In Survivor: Cagayan, this twist was used in conjunction with the Tribe Leader twist, where the leaders would select someone they think are the weakest. Similar to Tocantins, the castaways were not actually voted out, but instead flown out ahead and given the dilemma of a clue to a Hidden Immunity Idol or an extra bag of rice.

Tribe Leader[]

Main article: Tribe Leader

The Tribe Leader twist sees the tribe vote for someone to be its leader and make decisions. First introduced in Survivor: Samoa, the tribe leaders were used to make decisions challenge assignments, sit-outs, observers, etc. and given a necklace to signify them as leaders. If a leader is eliminated, the tribe must elect a new one. When used in Survivor: Cagayan, Survivor: Worlds Apart, and Survivor: Ghost Island, the leaders were only shown performing their duties on Day 1 (though the existence of a chore chart in Ghost Island might suggest otherwise^[6]).

Medallion of Power[]

Main article: Medallion of Power

Only used in Survivor: Nicaragua, the Medallion of Power would give the tribe that used it an advantage in the challenge of their choice. Once the tribe uses it, the Medallion of Power is given to the opposing tribe. The Medallion of Power was retired after the tribe switch.

One World[]

Main article: One World (twist)

The One World twist has opposing tribes living together for a determined period of time. The twist first appeared in Survivor: Thailand in conjunction with the Fake Merge twist, where Chuay Gahn and Sook Jai were assumed to be merged. Survivor: Palau and Survivor: Fiji would implement this twist, where the castaways lived together until the tribes were properly formed. Survivor: One World would implement twist, seeing the Manono and Salani tribes living together until the tribe switch.

Day Zero[]

Main article: Day Zero

Day Zero is only used in Blood vs. Water seasons where loved ones are secluded for a twelve-hour period before the game begins.

Voting Advantages[]

Some seasons have included advantages that involve votes.

Extra Vote[]

Main article: Extra Vote

The Extra Vote was introduced in Survivor: Worlds Apart, allowing a castaway to vote twice in one Tribal Council. In Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers and Survivor 44, the finder would have to abstain from the immediate Tribal Council to gain the power, taking the extra parchment to vote at a future Tribal Council. Starting in Survivor: Ghost Island, the castaway didn't need to announce the use of the advantage, and would instead just use it in the voting booth.

Vote Steal[]

Main article: Vote Steal

The Vote Steal was introduced in Survivor: Cambodia. Similar to the Extra Vote, it allows a castaway to vote twice but does so by stealing another castaway's vote, preventing them from voting. In Survivor 44, this advantage was called Control a Vote, being introduced and used at the final 10, where one castaway who was immune controlled the vote of another castaway.

Vote Blocker[]

Main article: Vote Blocker

The Vote Blocker, similar to the Vote Steal, prevents a castaway from voting but does not allow the user to vote an additional time. The Vote Blocker was first introduced in Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, where the holder of the advantage would have to block one vote at the next Tribal Council regardless if the holder's tribe attended Tribal Council or not. In Survivor: Island of the Idols, the Vote Blocker was changed to work more closely to other advantages, having the holder to inform that they are using the advantage and on who, and can be used at any Tribal Council until its expiration.

Juror Removal[]

Main article: Juror Removal

Only used in Survivor: Kaôh Rōng, the Juror Removal allows the user to eliminate one member of the jury.

Legacy Advantage[]

Main article: Legacy Advantage

The Legacy Advantage is an advantage that is found early in the game, only for its power to be used at a later date. Currently, the Legacy Advantage works like a Hidden Immunity Idol. Unlike other advantages, if a castaway is voted out with the Legacy Advantage in their possession, the eliminated castaway must will it over to someone currently in the game. When the advantage was introduced in Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X, it could only be used when six people remain in the game. Starting in Survivor: Game Changers, the Legacy Advantage could be used when either thirteen or six people remain in the game.

Reward Steal[]

Main article: Reward Steal

The Reward Steal allows a castaway to steal a reward to claim it for themselves or for their tribe. This twist was first introduced in Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X and later used as part of the Advantage Menu in Survivor: Edge of Extinction.

Advantage Menu[]

Main article: Advantage Menu

The Advantage Menu is an advantage that offers the holder one of three options. It was first introduced in Survivor: Game Changers, where John Cochran offered the exiled Debbie Wanner a fake Hidden Immunity Idol kit, an Extra Vote, or an advantage for her tribe at the next Immunity Challenge. In Survivor: Edge of Extinction, the Advantage menu offered a Reward Steal, an Extra Vote, or the advantage's use as a Hidden Immunity Idol, and could only be used up until the third Tribal Council.

Idol Nullifier[]

Main article: Idol Nullifier

Introduced in Survivor: David vs. Goliath, the Idol Nullifier negates the use of a Hidden Immunity Idol. The advantage can only be played at the voting booth, where the user must state who the Idol Nullifier is to be used on. If the user correctly guesses that person will use a Hidden Immunity Idol on themselves or have an idol played for them, the advantage will be revealed, negating the idol. The Idol Nullifier will not be revealed if the user guessed incorrectly.

Shot in the Dark[]

Main article: Shot in the Dark

Starting in Survivor 41, all castaways will be provided with a six-sided die, representing the Shot in the Dark. If the castaway thought they'd be in trouble, they'll use this die inside the voting booth, inserting it in a special box, and selecting one scroll from a bag. By using the Shot in the Dark, the castaway will have to give up their vote. The Shot in the Dark had a one in six chance at saving the castaway.

Knowledge is Power[]

Main article: Knowledge is Power

Introduced in Survivor 41, this advantage allows the user to steal any advantage they wish, provided they ask the holder of the advantage the correct question. If they don't ask the correct person, or they don't ask for the correct advantage, the advantage will be rendered useless.

Do or Die[]

Main article: Do or Die (twist)

First used in Survivor 41, the person who placed last in the Immunity Challenge will be forced to play this game at Tribal Council. The castaway will pick one of three boxes, with one box granting them Immunity, and the other two boxes eliminating them from the game.

Inheritance Advantage[]

Appearing in Survivor 44, the holder would use it in the voting booth. If any advantages were used in that Tribal Council, the holder will get all of the advantages for their own use.

Seasons[]

Viewership Note: Starting in the 2013-2014 series rankings (Blood vs. Water and Cagayan) and ending in the 2018-2019 series rankings (David vs. Goliath and Edge of Extinction), the two seasons aired in that time were listed under Survivor, rather than separately.

Season	Tribes	Number of Castaways	Filming Location	Filming Dates	Season Run	Sole Survivor	Viewership (millions)
Borneo	Pagong Tagi Rattana	16	Pulau Tiga, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia	March 13, 2000 - April 20, 2000	May 31, 2000 - August 23, 2000	Richard Hatch	28.30^[7]
The Australian Outback	Kucha Ogakor Barramundi		Herbert River, Goshen Station, Queensland, Australia	October 23, 2000 - December 3, 2000	January 28, 2001 - May 3, 2001	Tina Wesson	29.80^[8]
Africa	Boran Samburu Moto Maji		Shaba National Reserve, Kenya	July 11, 2001 - August 18, 2001	October 11, 2001 - January 10, 2002	Ethan Zohn	20.69^[9]
Marquesas	Maraamu Rotu Soliantu		Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia, France	November 12, 2001 - December 20, 2001	February 28, 2002 - May 19, 2002	Vecepia Towery	20.77^[10]^[11]
Thailand	Chuay Gahn Sook Jai Chuay Jai		Ko Tarutao, Satun Province, Thailand	June 10, 2002 - July 18, 2002	September 19, 2002 - December 19, 2002	Brian Heidik	20.77^[10]^[11]
The Amazon	Jaburu Tambaqui Jacaré		Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil	November 7, 2002 - December 15, 2002	February 13, 2003 - May 11, 2003	Jenna Morasca	19.97^[11]
Pearl Islands	Drake Morgan The Outcasts Balboa		Isla del Rey,^[12] Pearl Islands, Panama	June 23, 2003 - July 31, 2003	September 18, 2003 - December 14, 2003	Sandra Diaz-Twine	20.72^[13]
All-Stars	Chapera Mogo Mogo Saboga Chaboga Mogo	18	Pearl Islands, Panama	November 3, 2003 - December 11, 2003	February 1, 2004 - May 9, 2004	Amber Brkich	21.49^[14]
Vanuatu	Lopevi Yasur Alinta	18	Efate, Shefa Province, Vanuatu	June 28, 2004 - August 5, 2004	September 16, 2004 - December 12, 2004	Chris Daugherty	19.64^[15]
Palau	Koror Ulong	20	Koror, Palau	October 27, 2004 - December 4, 2004	February 17, 2005 - May 15, 2005	Tom Westman	20.91^[16]
Guatemala	Nakúm Yaxhá Xhakúm	18	Laguna Yaxhá, Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park, Petén, Guatemala	June 27, 2005 - August 4, 2005	September 15, 2005 - December 11, 2005	Danni Boatwright	18.30^[17]
Panama	Bayoneta Casaya La Mina Viveros Gitanos	16	Pearl Islands, Panama	October 31, 2005 - December 8, 2005	February 2, 2006 - May 14, 2006	Aras Baskauskas	16.82^[17]
Cook Islands	Aitutaki Manihiki Puka Puka Rarotonga Aitutonga	20	Aitutaki, Cook Islands	June 26, 2006 - August 3, 2006	September 14, 2006 - December 17, 2006	Yul Kwon	15.75^[18]
Fiji	Moto Ravu Bula Bula	19	Macuata, Vanua Levu, Fiji	October 30, 2006 - December 7, 2006	February 8, 2007 - May 13, 2007	Earl Cole	14.80^[18]
China	Fei Long Zhan Hu Hae Da Fung	16	Zhelin Reservoir, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China	June 25, 2007 - August 2, 2007	September 20, 2007 - December 16, 2007	Todd Herzog	15.18^[19]
Micronesia	Airai Malakal Dabu	20	Koror, Palau	October 29, 2007 - December 6, 2007	February 7, 2008 - May 11, 2008	Parvati Shallow	13.61^[19]
Gabon	Fang Kota Nobag	18	Wonga-Wongue Presidential Reserve, Estuaire Province, Gabon	June 23, 2008 - July 31, 2008	September 25, 2008 - December 14, 2008	Bob Crowley	13.81^[20]
Tocantins	Jalapao Timbira Forza	16	Jalapão, Tocantins, Brazil	November 2, 2008 - December 10, 2008	February 12, 2009 - May 17, 2009	J.T. Thomas	12.86^[20]
Samoa	Foa Foa Galu Aiga	20	Upolu, Samoa	June 11, 2009 - July 19, 2009	September 17, 2009 - December 20, 2009	Natalie White	13.45^[21]
Heroes vs. Villains	Heroes Villains Yin Yang		Upolu, Samoa	August 9, 2009 - September 16, 2009	February 11, 2010 - May 16, 2010	Sandra Diaz-Twine	13.669^[21]
Nicaragua	Espada La Flor Libertad		San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua	June 14, 2010 - July 22, 2010	September 15, 2010 - December 19, 2010	Fabio Birza	13.611^[22]
Redemption Island	Ometepe Zapatera Murlonio	18	San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua	August 16, 2010 - September 23, 2010	February 16, 2011 - May 15, 2011	Rob Mariano	12.585^[22]
South Pacific	Savaii Upolu Te Tuna		Upolu, Samoa	May 30, 2011 - July 7, 2011	September 14, 2011 - December 18, 2011	Sophie Clarke	12.77^[23]
One World	Manono Salani Tikiano		Upolu, Samoa	August 1, 2011 - September 8, 2011	February 15, 2012 - May 13, 2012	Kim Spradlin	11.636^[23]
Philippines	Kalabaw Matsing Tandang Dangrayne		Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines	March 17, 2012 - April 25, 2012	September 19, 2012 - December 16, 2012	Denise Stapley	11.851^[24]
Caramoan	Bikal Gota Enil Edam	20	Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines	May 21, 2012 - June 28, 2012	February 13, 2013 - May 12, 2013	John Cochran	10.815^[24]
Blood vs. Water	Galang Tadhana Kasama	20	Palaui Island, Santa Ana, Cagayan, Philippines	May 19, 2013 - June 27, 2013	September 18, 2013 - December 15, 2013	Tyson Apostol	11.303^[25]
Cagayan	Aparri Luzon Solana Solarrion	18	Palaui Island, Santa Ana, Cagayan, Philippines	July 11, 2013 - August 18, 2013	February 26, 2014 - May 21, 2014	Tony Vlachos	11.303^[25]
San Juan del Sur	Coyopa Hunahpu Huyopa		San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua	June 2, 2014 - July 10, 2014	September 24, 2014 - December 17, 2014	Natalie Anderson	11.351^[26]
Worlds Apart	Escameca Masaya Nagarote Merica		San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua	August 4, 2014 - September 11, 2014	February 25, 2015 - May 20, 2015	Mike Holloway	11.351^[26]
Cambodia	Bayon Ta Keo Angkor Orkun	20	Koh Rong, Cambodia	May 31, 2015 - July 8, 2015	September 23, 2015 - December 16, 2015	Jeremy Collins	10.993^[27]
Kaôh Rōng	Chan Loh Gondol To Tang Dara	18	Koh Rong, Cambodia	March 30, 2015 - May 7, 2015	February 17, 2016 - May 18, 2016	Michele Fitzgerald	10.993^[27]
Millennials vs. Gen X	Takali Vanua Ikabula Vinaka	20	Mamanuca Islands, Fiji	April 4, 2016 - May 12, 2016	September 21, 2016 - December 14, 2016	Adam Klein	10.322^[28]
Game Changers	Mana Nuku Tavua Maku Maku	20		June 6, 2016 - July 14, 2016	March 8, 2017 - May 24, 2017	Sarah Lacina	10.322^[28]
Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers	Levu Soko Yawa Solewa	18		April 3, 2017 - May 11, 2017	September 27, 2017 - December 20, 2017	Ben Driebergen	10.289^[29]
Ghost Island	Malolo Naviti Yanuya Lavita	20		June 5, 2017 - July 13, 2017	February 28, 2018 - May 23, 2018	Wendell Holland	10.289^[29]
David vs. Goliath	David/Vuku Goliath/Jabeni Tiva Kalokalo	20		March 29, 2018 - May 6, 2018	September 26, 2018 - December 19, 2018	Nick Wilson	9.43^[30]
Edge of Extinction	Kama Manu Lesu Vata	18		May 31, 2018 - July 8, 2018	February 20, 2019 - May 15, 2019	Chris Underwood	9.43^[30]
Island of the Idols	Lairo Vokai Lumuwaku	20		March 21, 2019 - April 28, 2019	September 25, 2019 - December 18, 2019	Tommy Sheehan	6.424^[31]
Winners at War	Dakal Sele Yara Koru	20		May 22, 2019 - June 29, 2019	February 12, 2020 - May 13, 2020	Tony Vlachos	7.628^[32]
Survivor 41	Luvu Ua Yase Viakana	18		April 15, 2021 - May 10, 2021	September 22, 2021 - December 15, 2021	Erika Casupanan	5.560^[33]
Survivor 42	Ika Taku Vati Kula Kula			May 16, 2021 - June 10, 2021	March 9, 2022 - May 25, 2022	Maryanne Oketch	5.368^[34]
Survivor 43	Baka Coco Vesi Gaia			May 2, 2022 - May 27, 2022	September 21, 2022 - December 14, 2022	Mike Gabler	4.992^[35]
Survivor 44	Ratu Soka Tika Va Va			June 5, 2022 - June 30, 2022	March 1, 2023 - May 24, 2023	Yam Yam Arocho	5.002^[36]
Survivor 45	Belo Lulu Reba Dakuwaqa			April 16, 2023 - May 11, 2023	September 27, 2023 - December 21, 2023	Dee Valladares	4.961^[37]
Survivor 46	Nami Siga Yanu Nuinui			June 1, 2023 - June 26, 2023	February 28, 2024 - May 22, 2024	Kenzie Petty	4.742^[38]
Survivor 47	Gata Lavo Tuku Beka			May 13, 2024 - June 7, 2024	September 18, 2024 - TBD	TBD	TBA

Success[]

Main article: Survivor (franchise)

Merchandise[]