The Most Iconic 'Survivor' Castaways of All Time (2024)

In 2021, the former footballer joined the cast ofSurvivor 41.

The Houston-born reality star describes himself as "competitive, charismatic and optimistic."

The California-born healthcare consultant was the first contestant eliminated on Survivor 41.

Fans will never forget how her tribe assured her she wouldn't go home, only to stab her in the back.

In 2021, the 20-year-old college student joined the cast ofSurvivor 41.

Her personal hero is ballerina Misty Copeland. "I see Misty Copeland as a hero because she faced incredible odds growing up in terms of her home life, but she also stayed committed to her craft and her love of ballet to get where she is today," she said.

The Chicago-basedapp developer is a contestant on Survivor 41.

His hobbies include free climbing, road tripping, antique shopping and graphic design.

In 2021, Foye joined the cast of Survivor 41.

The flight attendant is deaf in one ear. "I focus heavily on reading lips and am fluent in ASL," he said.

Sandra Diaz-Twine was the first two-time winner inSurvivorhistory, doing it back-to-back in Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villians.

She has also beenknown as one of the most adaptable players of all time. In both of her first two seasons, her alliance was dismantled. Despite those challenges, she was able to maneuver into new alliances that saw her to the final tribal council.

The gym owner from Warwick, Rhode Island proved a worthy contestant when he formed an alliance with Missy Byrd and Elizabeth Beisel that held a power position in Survivor: Island of the Idols.

Unfortunately a double elimination and his physicalsuperiority led to the other castawaysvoting him out before the finale.

Survivor: Island of the Idols contestant Salman saidher biggest pet peeve is "people lacking personal hygiene and table manners."

Despite the other contestants'wariness of her eccentric and unpredictable behavior, the competitorproved herself to be a calm and collected player when it mattered.

She used her sway to get stronger Survivor castaways eliminated and was able to win three immunity challenges to earn a spot in the finale, where she received zerovotes.

The amicable grade school teacher became the Sole Survivor of Survivor: Island of the Idolsdespite having never possessed a hidden idol or even winning an individual immunity challenge.

Instead, he used his social skills and ability to stay neutral, coasting all the way to an 8-2-0 vote over Dean Kowalski and Noura Salman.

Russell wasthe contestant everySurvivorfan loves to hate. Although he has never won, his co*cksure and confrontational gameplay brought him to final tribal council in his first two of four seasons (Survivor: Samoa and Survivor: Heroes vs Villains.)

Each time, his disrespectful interpersonal play kept his castmates from voting him as the Sole Survivor.

This New Jersey native and Survivor: Island of the Idols contestantdescribedhimself as "jovial, observantand likeable."

Dean proved an adaptable contestant when he was quick to upgrade his relationships after the tribe switch. Two individual immunity idol victories propelled him into the final three.

Tony Vlachos is the second two-time winner in Survivor history (Survivor: Cagayan and Survivor: Winners at War).

Fansremember himfor his assertive leadership and double-crossing nature.

Famously, the police officer constructed "spy shacks" that allowed him to gather information from other contestants.

This Survivor: Island of the Idols castawaydescribedherself as"competitive, resilientand vibrant."

The law student's social savvy was a little too strong out the gate, and she was seen as a threat to her fellow tribe members.

She was voted out the first chance Vokai got.

Jack Nichting told CBShe wascounting on his excellent navigation skills tomake it to the end ofSurvivor: Island of the Idols.

The graduate student from Virginia was able to navigate a blindside attack on his alliance and a tribe switch.

However, a hidden immunity idol by Dean led to his exit despite only receiving two votes.

The Survivor: Island of the Idols contestant countedgetting on the series as one of her greatest achievements. Unfortunately, the good news didn't continue much longer for the digital content creator.

Despite finding a hidden immunity idol in the first few days of the contest, she was voted out when fellow contestants did not trusther romantic interest, and potential alliance, withDean.

Rhode Islander Beisel said she enjoys surfing, violin, and wakeboarding. She also appeared to enjoy swimming—she won an Olympic medal for it!

Her competitiveness and water skills came in handy onSurvivor: Island of the Idols,but ultimately they were her downfall as the rest of her tribe voted her out for fear she would dominate in the remaining solo challenges.

Boston Rob is a five-time contestant, appearing on Survivor: Marquesas, Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains,Survivor: Redemption Island, andSurvivor: Winners at War.He also returned to mentor contestants on and Survivor: Island of the Idols.Needless to say, he's a popular contestant.

The master manipulator finally won on Redemption Island.

Despite her love of sports and competition, Angie did not do well in the opening three challenges ofSurvivor: Philippines.

The former Miss Utah Teen USA was voted off on day eight in order to keep the Matsing tribe strong.

This personal injury lawyer from Philadelphia saidshe feels like she was "born to play this game." Her run to day 32 ofSurvivor: Island of the Idolswas less than stellar.

She managed to make it past the merger despite multiple attempts to vote her out. The fact that she was not seen as a threat saved her on multiple tribal councils. When she used an hidden immunity idol and had a strong alliance going, it seemed like she was finally ready to take control of the game. Thenher alliance imploded and she was sent home.

Survivor: Island of the Idols contestant Beck's main pet peevewas said to be"people that take a French fry while asking 'can I have a fry?'"

The California nanny's alliance with Tommy carried her all the final four. It was there that her likeability was her downfall. Deemed too strong to make the final, she became the last player to be voted out before it.

The pro poker player had traveled to 30 countries before appearing on Survivor: Island of the Idols.

His world and poker experience did not carry him farinto the game. He lost a struggle for thetribe's trust to Elaine Stott, who had him voted out first.

Kelley is a seasoned pro who has appeared on Survivor: San Juan del Sur,Survivor: Cambodia andSurvivor: Edge of Extinction.

The marketing manager from Seattle always made it past the merger. During Cambodia,she used hidden immunity idols and puppet-masteredblindside votes to make it all the way to the final four.

Andrea first appeared onSurvivor: Redemption Islandwhen she was just a 21-year-old student. She joined Rob Mariano's "Stealth R Us" alliance, which carried her all the way to 5th place.

Since then she placed 7th and 8th in Survivor: Caramoan and Survivor:Game Changers, respectively. Andrea is known for her aggressive, cutthroat voting record and ability to adapt to the game at hand.

Parvati wasthe Sole Survivor from Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites, winning $1 million for placing first. She is beloved by Survivor fansfor her manipulative flirting and villainous nature.

She also competed on Survivor: Cook Islands and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (runner-up) andWinners at War.

This ex-NFL cheerleader appeared inSurvivor: Cagayan.Morgan's most famous moment was perhaps choosing a clue to the hidden immunity idol instead of providing her tribe with extra rice, something she lied about later on.

She flew under the radar but started to annoy her tribemates when she claimed Kass was jealous of her beauty and spent most of the day sleeping.

In total, she made it 22 days before being voted off the show.

Jaclyn was a member of the "Fab Five" alliance that dominated Survivor: San Juan del Sur.She made it all the way to the final tribal council, where she came in second to Natalie Anderson.

The former castaway eventually tied the knot with fellow alliance member Jon Misch.

The former Miss Montana is remembered for placing third on Survivor: China and second on Survivor: Micronesia. This made Amanda the first contestant to reach day 39 on two separate occasions.

The third time wasn’t the charm when she later placed ninth onSurvivor: Heroes vs. Villains.

A former Miss Virginia USA, "Desi" wasknown for her impressive strategic gameplay during her appearance on Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.

She won the first immunity idol after the merge, which ultimately put a target on her back she couldn't shake. She lasted 21 days, placing 11th.

This seemingly quiet southern belle turned into a master of manipulation when her "Foa Foa Four" alliance was in the minority following the merge.

She used her innocent disposition to convince the "Galu Alliance" to vote out their own, snowballing a series ofevents that would lead to her being voted as the Sole Survivor ofSurvivor: Samoa.

Not only is this Texan bridal shop owner the winner of Survivor: One World, fans also named her the Sprint "Player of the Season."

Kim played the under the radar and worked on developing relationships early in the game. By the merge, she was a leader in two separate alliances. She used the flexibility to her advantage to make, and win, the final tribal council.

She returned for Survivor: Winners at War, where she placed ninth.

Before marrying quarterback Tim Hasselbeck and becoming a host of The View,Elisabeth was a fan favorite from the second season of Survivor.

Perhaps it was her pleasant demeanor and kindness rare for contestants that made her stand out. She was the last of her tribe to be voted out inSurvivor: The Australian Outback,giving her a 4th place finish.

Julie wasperhaps most known in Survivor lore for dating host Jeff Probst for three years after her appearance on Survivor: Vanuatu.

In the game, her downfall came when she attempted to form new alliances in the top five.

Ultimately, fellow castaways were threatened by her likeability and voted her out before she could reach the final tribal council.

Albert wasa cunning player fromSurvivor: South Pacific.His greatest moment came when he convinced Brandon Hantz he needed his immunity necklace, which in turn doomed Brandon's torchlight.

The baseball and dating coach made it all the way to final tribal council but came in third place when he didn't receive any votes.

Julie wasnot known by Survivor fans for her cunning nature or high-level strategy, instead, she wasremembered for what is often referred to as "The Trail Mix Scandal."

The Survivor: San Juan del Sur contestant became infamous after she quitthe game when she was caught hoarding her tribe's trail mix in her bra—and because she missed her family.

Cole was part of the legendary Soko tribe, which never lost a challenge pre-switch inSurvivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.However, this led to an alliance between Levu and Yawa that overpowered the remaining members.

The wilderness therapy guide from Little Rock, AK was sent packing after 24 days.

Christina had a unique strategy in her season of Survivor. When challenged by fellow contestants for being a weak player, she responded with humility.

Seemingly docile and unthreatening, she survived multiple attempts to be voted out. The career consultant from West Hollywood was eliminated just one day shy of the final tribal council on Survivor: One World.

The Survivor alum was a 20-year-old nursing student when she appeared on Survivor: Nicaragua.

Kelly impacted the game, for an unusual reason. She quit the game with fellow contestant NaOnka Mixon on the 28th day, disappointing her fellow contestants and leading to changes concerninghowpeople who voluntarily quit are treated on the jury.

One of the strongestSurvivor players of all time, Stephenie has competed on three seasons of the reality show: Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.

Stephenie was a true survivor, being the last of her Ulong tribe to survive in her first season. She was the runner-up in her second outing, losing the final tribalcouncil vote due to the ruthless path she had taken to reach the finale.

This memorable castawaycompeted on Survivor: The Australian Outback, Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.

Jerri quickly established herself as one of the early villains of Survivor inAustralian Outback. By her third season, she had loosened up her game to be more amicable. This led to a fourth-place finish, her personal best.

Chelsea was a member of the "Salani Alliance" from Survivor: One World. She wasknown both for her charming demeanor and athletic ability.

She made it all the way to the final three, where the jury insinuatedshe only made it by attaching herself to Kim Spradlin. Still, if that were easy, everyone would do it.

Jefra competed onSurvivor: Cagayan,where she appeared affable and honest compared to her fellow survivors.

She skidded through eliminations a couple of times before the merge. Afterwards, her distaste of "Solana Alliance" leader Tony Vlachos' skeezy tactics put her on his radar and she was blindsided.

This barrel racer from Utahtook part in two reality TV rodeos: Survivor: Worlds Apart and Survivor: Game Changers.

Sierra played the majorityalliance game inWorlds Apart, making it to 5th place before being voted out.

She returned with more advanced strategies in Game Changers, orchestrating the elimination of Hali Ford and Ozzy Lusth. Her discovery of the legacy advantage proved to be her downfall, as Sarah Lacina had her outted.

Danni was an under-the-radar player that built relationships in Survivor: Guatemala. She wasrevered for outwitting a majority alliance, turning them against each other and then infiltrating their ranks on her way to win the $1 million.

She did not fit so well in the faster and evolved game ofSurvivor: Winners at War, and left the island second.

The pin-up model, also known as "Sugar," is a memorable castaway thanks to her stints on Survivor: Gabon, where she placed third, and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.

In her Gabonseason, she was able to find the hidden immunity idol on Exile Island, giving her enough power to outlast attempts to vote her out and eventually placing third. During the entireseason she had never had a vote cast for or against her.

InHeroes vs. Villains, she was criticized for her laziness and became the first person to be voted out.

Libby wasa contestant on Season 36,Survivor: Ghost Island. She was a strong social player, holding sway over a couple of blindside votes as part of the Malolo tribe.

After the merge, Libby was the victim of a hidden immunity play, which turned the vote towards her.

Thiscastaway has pulled double duty, appearing on two seasons of the series: Survivor: Samoa and Survivor: Cambodia.

InSamoa, she held onto her alliance which allowed her to continue to the merge despite being a liability in immunity challenges. It was then that she got on Russell Hantz's nerves, and the notorious villain had her voted out.

InCambodia,she was quickly voted out after attempting to create an alliance with all of the womenin her tribe.

Michael competed inSurvivor: Ghost Islandwhere he displayed valuable athletic prowess and impressive strategic intuition for an 18-year old.

When pressed up against a wall, Michael attempted to lie and say he had an immunity idol to discourage votes against him. Although initiallysaved by an extra vote advantage, Michael was eliminated in the revote.

This special education teacher wasremembered by Survivor fans for being overly critical of her castmates and for being misled into thinking she was in control of a game that was controlling her.

Alicia successfully formed an all-women alliancethat carried her faron Survivor: One World, but she was ultimately blindsided in the final five by that season's winner, Kim Spradlin.

This model fromDenver, CO that appeared inSurvivor: Millennials vs. Gen X proved to be a worthy competitor.

Ken spoke less and worked more around the camp. His reserved and subtle demeanor eventually developed an alliance of Takali outsiders that grew strong post-merge. Ken won four immunity challenges and made it all the way to the final tribal council, where Adam Klein became the unanimous winner.

Kat competed onSurvivor: One World and also returned for Survivor: Blood vs. Water with her then-boyfriend, Big Brother's Hayden Moss.

She fared much better in her first stint. Though seemingly naive to the greater game around her, she was able to place seventh thanks to her strong alliances.

Reality TV fans remember her for saying "blindsides are always fun and exciting" right before being blindsided attribal council.

Joe Anglim has competed in three seasons of the long-running CBS reality series:Survivor: Worlds Apart,Survivor: CambodiaandSurvivor: Edge of Extinction.

He has beenone of the most athletically threatening players in the history of the show. His competency has led to all of his tribes'successes in immunity challenges.

After each merge, he has been voted out by fellow castaways who viewedhim as a threat.

Natalie was a contestant onSurvivor: Redemption Island, where she was part of Rob Mariano's"Stealth R Us" alliance.

Although the alliance carried her all the way to the final tribal council, she was criticized by the jury for riding Rob's coattails.

Boston Rob eventually went onto win in his fourth attempt at the game.

This iconic castaway was seen inSurvivor: Tocantins. She joined the ranks of the "Jalapao Three" alliance which carried her all the way to the final four.

She attempted to convince the others to bring her into the final tribal council to no avail. After failing to win immunity, she was voted out on the 38th day.

This former NFL player appeared onSurvivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.

Alan caused a stir early on in the game when he made a scene accusing JP and Ashley of forming a secret alliance, even forcing JP to disrobe to prove he was not carrying a hidden immunity idol.

After a switch, Joe Mena wisely played a hidden immunity idol, nullifying the votes against him and sending Alan home withtwo votes.

This well-liked Survivor alum has appeared on Survivor: Nicaragua and Survivor: Caramoan. She played a conniving and flirty game in her first attempt, placing tenth.

She returned forCaramoanwhere she was a lot more genuine. She joined "Stealth R Us 2.0," which carried her far into the merge. Seen as a threat for her genial nature, she was blindsided by her allies.

This fireman/EMT appeared on the26th season of the CBS series,Survivor: Caramoan.He played a unique game, somehow surviving until the final four despite never being part of a majority alliance.

If Eddie had won the final immunity challenge, it is likely the respect he earned from competitors would deliver him the $1 million prize.

However, he lost the challenge to eventual winner John Cochran and was voted out on the 38th day.

Reynold appeared onSurvivor: Caramoan where he founded the"Cool Kids Alliance" with Eddie Fox. He formed further alliances after a tribe switch, but was alwaysseen as a strategic and physical threat by other players.

After failing to secure precious immunity, he was voted out on the 31st day.

Reality TV fans recognize this castaway from two seasons of the series: Survivor: Panama and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.

Danielle was busy in Panama. She made it to the final after playing a diverse game filled with bitter rivalry, betrayal and seminal challenge victories. She lost the vote 5-2 and came in second place.

InHeroes vs. Villains,she picked up right where she left off, reaching another merge and coming in seventh place.

John Cody appeared onSurvivor: Blood vs. Water.Although part of the dominant "Five Guys" alliance, his allies began to distrust him.

After his blindside sentencing to redemption island, John put together a series of wins to almost carry him to the merge, but he fell one duel short and left on the 19th day.

This model wasmost famous for being a part ofthe "Muscle Alliance," which was formed between the stronger members of the Manono tribe inSurvivor: One World.

However, the remaining "misfits" formed together to take down the brawn boys one by one. Jay attempted to affiliate himself with them, but was voted out on the 25th day.

Don't be deceived by this castaway being placed in the beautytribe on Season 32 of the series, Survivor: Kaoh Rong -- Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty, she came to play.

This college student played the field by affiliatingherself with two separate alliances. After the merge, she chose to double-down on the wrong one as it eventually entered the minority and she was voted out on day 29.

The contestantshowed herself to be a versatile and cunning inSurvivor: Blood vs. Water, Survivor: Cambodia and Survivor: Game Changers.

Her best placement was fifth inBlood vs. Water. However, she is most known from that season for voting out her own mother.

This insurance saleswoman fromSurvivor: Philippinesfumbled her game and was voted out on the 13th day.

She is still remembered in Survivor lore for kissing Probst twice. Once when she was eliminated and a second time at the live finale.

This Survivor: Edge of Extinction castaway showed her adaptability in her first season of Survivor. After her power alliance was disrupted, she successfully infiltrated the new majority and slipped into the final five.

Noticing her adept gameplay, she was voted out by the tribe before she could reach the finale.

This fun-loving and freeSurvivor: Samoa contestant won over audiences' hearts with her excitable and social personality.

Unfortunately, she drew the short end of the straw when her alliances plan to vote out Rusell Hantz was wiped away with an immunity idol. She only reached 11th place and has not been back for a second season.

This martial artist appearedon two seasons of the show: Survivor: Cagayan and Survivor: Cambodia.

InCagayan, he quickly became a fan favorite for his laid-back attitude. He played an honorable game, taking his ally Tony Vlachos to final tribal council instead of Kass, whose unpopularity would probably have delivered Woo the prize money. Instead, he got just one vote and became the runner-up.

Ozzyis a fan favorite who has appeared on Survivor: Cook Islands, Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: South Pacific and Survivor: Game Changers.

Ozzy tied a record for the most individual immunity challenges, winning five out of six. This incredible feat was not enough to impress the final tribal council, which gaveYul Kwon one more vote, making him the winner.

Ozzy continued to do his thing in later seasons, again reaching the final four inSouth Pacific.

Alicia competed on Survivor: The Australian Outbackall the way back in the year 2000. She returned forSurvivor: All-Stars,the eighth season.

She was respected by fans for her frank, hold-no-punches personality. In both her seasons, her experience as a personal trainer threatened people, and she was dismissed due to her potential to go on an individual immunity run.

Eliza appeared on two seasons of Survivor, making the merge in both.

The contestant from Survivor: Vanuatu and Survivor: Micronesiahas beenbestremembered for her antics. Including her over-the-top facial expressions during Tribal Councils and uttering the famous line "it's a f**king stick" when her clueless ally Jason tried to gift her an immunity idol.

Malcolm has been tapped forthree seasons of the reality competition series: Survivor: Philippines, Survivor: Caramoan and Survivor: Game Changers.

His greatest game was his first, where he and his ally Angie Layton successfully pitted the two more powerful tribes against each other post-merge. This carried him all the way to fourth, where he was blindsided before he could reach the final tribal council.

This professional bodybuilder appeared on Survivor: Kaoh Rong.She demonstrated an ability to adapt and strategize when she flipped alliances and blindsided others.

Cydney made it all the way to fourth place, but was sent to the jury after losing a fire-making challenge to Aubry Bracco.

This silver-hairedNYC firefightertook the top prize on Survivor: Palau.Tom used his natural leadership to maintain a strong tribe. He then went on to tie the record for most individual challenges won on his way to a 6-1 win in the final tribal council.

Tom was brought back as a hero in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains,but failed to win over his new tribe and was voted out on the 14th day.

Jeremy placed tenth on Survivor: San Juan del Sur. He returned forSurvivor: Cambodia,where he became the Sole Survivor by playing a level-head game with multiple strategies.

He returned a third time forSurvivor: Winners at War, this time placing eighth.