Survivor is one of the most loved reality TV shows worldwide. It shaped the way for other survival shows and competitions but remains unmatched. There’s something truly iconic about Survivor, and not just in the way it challenges contestants to tackle living on a deserted island without food or proper clothing and shelter.
While survival of the fittest is part of the game, the more significant factor is contestants going against each other. The game itself doesn’t shape them – they shape the game. For many Reddit users on the r/survivor thread, the best winners did just that. They voted and chose their favorites, which have in some form shaped how future generations will play and see Survivor.
10 Yul Kwon
Yul Kwon was among the first universally loved winners. He competed in Survivor: Cook Islands and won in a tight vote. Cook Islands was the first season to introduce a final three instead of two, making Yul’s odds of winning even more stacked against him. Despite that, he is among the rare players that never faced the danger of being voted out.
Redditors agreed his win was among the most deserving. According to the user ZeroChanceofWinning, “Yul was so far ahead of everyone on Cook Islands strategically and articulates himself extremely well.” They go on to explain how influencing and winning over people is among his best qualities.
9 Earl Cole
Earl Cole is often considered a forgotten player with a fantastic strategy. Although it’s been a while since his win on Survivor: Fiji, he’s often mentioned as an elite-level player. Fiji remains a memorable season for many things, including Dreamz and Yau-Man negotiating an exchange, the all-Black contestant final three, and the first unanimously voted winner, Earl. Getting all nine votes to win, Earl became the second Black player to win the game.
Since Fiji, he hasn’t come back to Survivor as the other beloved winners did. The user Rich_D_18, who started one Reddit thread, said this about Earl: “He was marvelous and almost flawless. Russell Hantz famously said he was made by God to play Survivor, but it may be Earl who was born for this game.”
8 James “J.T.” Thomas
J.T. Thomas competed three times – in Survivor: Tocantins, which he won, Heroes vs Villains, and Game Changers. J.T.’s game in Tocantins made him highly popular and regarded as one of the best to ever play, with many fans saying his strategy, gameplay, and overall charisma make him the perfect contestant.
The user KontosIN started a thread dedicated to J.T.’s win. They said: “no one seemed to want to take him out even when it was abundantly clear he would win every immunity and coast to an easy unanimous win. He never even received a vote to go home. I believe he played the first perfect game.”
7 Parvati Shallow
One of the most memorable and recognizable Survivor players is Parvati Shallow, who won Survivor: Micronesia. Parvati was charming and playful, but sneaky and intelligent – all traits worthy of a fantastic winner. Although many people’s feelings are mixed regarding Parvati, there’s no doubt her gameplay was clever and amusing.
She first competed in Cook Islands but came back to play in Micronesia, where she came out on top. In a thread dedicated to Parvati, the user billyandcandicelove wrote: “Parvati is one of my favorite players ever she is hilarious iconic and one of the best social and strategic players and dominated in the physicals challenge and will always be a queen and a goddess”
6 Natalie Anderson
Natalie Anderson is a strong, consistent, clever, and physically fantastic player. She won Survivor: San Juan del Sur, and came back for Winners at War. In both seasons, Natalie’s ability to see several steps ahead makes her one of the GOATs and most loved Sole Survivors.
In a thread about Natalie, the user laursor wrote: “The fact that she was learning how to be her own person for the first time on this show in front of cameras while trying to win this game is amazing,” adding also that “She was a strategic and social master at this game. She played the game with a perfect amount of big moves and being loyal.”
5 Jeremy Collins
Universally loved Jeremy Collins competed in San Juan del Sur at first. Before returning to Winners at War, Jeremy played and won Survivor: Cambodia with a unanimous vote. Jeremy’s a family man, likable, charming, and clever. He’s among the rare winners that everyone would go for a drink with.
For the user Classicchaserice, Jeremy made his way into their top ten with the words: “Nearly perfect social, strategic, and physical game for modern Survivor.” In a different thread, the user Beginning_Ad5785 responded to the question “Why do people like Jeremy so much?” with: “frankly I don’t see how anyone could dislike Jeremy that man is such a great guy who loves his family and I really struggle to find a flaw.”
4 “Boston” Rob Mariano
One of the best to ever play, a master manipulator and strategist is Rob Mariano or Boston Rob. He competed five times, and once returned with Sandra as a mentor on Island of the Idols. This was his chance to transfer some wisdom and knowledge onto younger players – but hardly anyone can come close to his level. However, just as Rob is loved, he’s often considered notorious.
Rob’s charm and wit led him to win Survivor: Redemption Island. In a thread about Rob, the user NoUseActingSoTough wrote: “It’s wild how Boston Rob literally broke and changed the game… We’d see him fully do it in All Stars, but it was the first time in an old-school season that I felt like I was watching New School Survivor.”
3 Sandra Diaz-Twine
Sandra Diaz-Twine often refers to herself as THE Queen of Survivor – and many agree. Although a villainous player, much like Boston Rob, Sandra’s more loved and respected for how well she plays Survivor. Even when other players knew who she was, they still fell under her influence. Although Survivor production seems to lobby for Sandra and Rob’s return whenever possible, it’s still exciting to see them.
Sandra was the first two-time winner – in Heroes vs Villains and Pearl Islands, and she even competed in Australian Survivor with her daughter. The explanation for Sandra’s dominance was well explained by the user Senior_Reserve_5788: “She sat next to two top tier players and beat them both. It isn’t an accident. She understands people, and that’s what wins the game.”
2 Kim Spradlin-Wolfe
One of the winners most referred to as the GOAT by Redditors is Kim Spradlin. She won Survivor: One World in what was arguably the most fantastic social and strategic game in recent Survivor history. Even by mathematical calculations, Kim’s game was flawless – her vote was on the right side and she avoided becoming the target nine times out of ten.
The Redditor Rich_D_18 wrote this about Kim: “She’s the ultimate winner and she dominated every single aspect of the game. Somehow, she wasn’t in danger towards the end of the game and her bonds were so strong that she would have been taken to the end by a lot of different players. She’s the best winner and it isn’t close.
1 Tony Vlachos
Considered the GOAT by numerous fans of the game, Tony Vlachos is the second player to win twice, after Sandra. People agree he deserved both wins, although his strategy improved in Winners at War after Survivor: Cagayan. Simply put, Tony is the full package – he’s charming, funny, intelligent, and calculated, the perfect combination of traits to make a player beloved.
Many users had amazing things to say about Tony. For example, the user AlexgKeisler wrote: “One of the things I like the most about Tony as a player is that, over the course of his two winning seasons, he has shown a definite ability to hold his own against other strong players.” Another Redditor, Raucous_Tiger, simply wrote: “Kim Spradlin had the single best win. Tony Vlachos is the best ever.”
