18) Nick Wilson Nick is the winner of Survivor: David vs. Goliath, and while his three immunity wins and underdog status propelled him to the win, Nick never really seemed to be in control of the game , and it was only a twist of fate that saved himhis tribe was planning on voting him out first, but a medical evacuation of another player saved them from going to Tribal. Watch David vs Goliath CBS
17) Adam Klein Adam worked well with his allies, and he knew when to shift gears and cut someone loose. He was also on the wrong side of a bunch of votes, and he played his two immunity idols incorrectly . Despite all of that, Adam won Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X with a unanimous vote, making him the fifth person to do so. However, he also holds the distinction of having the most in-season elimination votes against a unanimous winner. Watch Millennials vs. Gen X CBS
16) Amber Mariano Amber first competed on Survivor: The Australian Outback, and her alliance with Jerri Manthey and the rest of the majority alliance pushed her all the way to Day 33but when the alliance turned on Jerri and voted her out, Amber was next to go because they viewed her as a threat to win. In Survivor: All-Stars, Amber made a quick alliance with Boston Rob. Her future husband made a deal with Lex to take care of Amber after a tribe swap, but Rob later reneged on said deal. Rob and Amber ended up making it to the final two, but many of the jury members criticized Rob for his numerous lies and deceptive gameplay during the season. Amber ended up winning All-Stars in a close 4-3 vote, but many believe that Rob propelled her to the win . Watch All-Stars CBS
15) Danni Boatwright Honesty and loyalty aren't usually words that you associate with Survivor players, but Danni was able to make it through the game with both of those characteristics intact. After her alliance was decimated, she won an advantage from the Survivor auction that led her to win her second immunity challenge on day 33. The other alliance soon turned on each other, and Danni was able to make it all the way to the final two, where she beat Stephenie LaGrossa in a 6-1 vote to win Survivor: Guatemala. However, a key part of her win was the fact that LaGrossa had burned a number of her former allies , and they were upset with her. Watch Guatemala CBS
14) Ethan Zohn Along with being the Sole Survivor of Survivor: Africa, Ethan just might take the title of the most-liked winner. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone with a bad thing to say about him, and he basically won his season due to his strong alliance and easygoing nature . He later competed on Survivor: All-Stars, but as a previous winner, he was an instant target. He was voted out on Day 21, but he also lasted the longest out of the four former winners on the season. Watch Africa CBS
13) Denise Stapley Denise had the unfortunate distinction of being the only castaway on Survivor: Philippines to attend every single Tribal Council on the season, as her original tribe lost every single immunity challenge prior to the merge. But while Denise's strong alliance led her to the grand prize, some fans believe her gameplay was a little too under the radar . Watch Philippines CBS
12) Tony Vlachos Tony's gameplay on Survivor: Cagayan was frenetic, chaotic, and manipulative, but it ultimately landed him the win . Tony built spy shacks to eavesdrop on his fellow castaways, swore on his badge and his family and then double crossed his allies, and found several immunity idols. Tony later competed on Survivor: Game Changers, but his old tricks rubbed his tribe the wrong way, and he was voted out on Day 6 after clashing with Sandra. Watch Cagayan CBS
11) Wendell Holland Wendell was an extremely strong social player, and his tight bond with Domenick Abbate lasted throughout the entire season of Survivor: Ghost Island. They later formed an alliance with Donathan Hurley and Laurel Johnson, and Wendell won the last two immunity challenges before he secured himself a spot at the Final Tribal Council by winning the fire making challenge. Domenick and Wendell both got five votes from the jury, marking the first tie in Survivor jury history. Laurel, the second runner-up, ended up casting the deciding vote, and she picked Wendell, pointing to his strategic gameplay and strong social bonds. Watch Ghost Island CBS
10) Sarah Lacina Sarah's first run on Survivor: Cagayan saw her initially align with Tony Vlachos, who was a police officer like her. After a tribe swap and a merge, Sarah was a swing vote between two different alliances, but her reluctance to choose a side led to Tony's alliance voting her out. In Survivor: Game Changers, Sarah played much more aggressively, and she was able to get and play a Vote Steal , and she blindsided Sierra Thomas after Sierra revealed that she would give her Legacy Advantage to her if she was voted out. Sarah went on to win the season with 7 votes to Brad Culpepper's 3. Watch Game Changers CBS
9) Yul Kwon Yul appeared on Survivor: Cook Islands, the infamous Survivor season that divided the tribes based on race. He was smart and well-liked, and his own tribe called him The Ringleader. When Yul was sent to Exile Island, he was able to get an immunity idol, but he was never in real danger of getting voted out, so he never had to use it. He was later able to use his strategic skills and his idol to get Jonathan Penner to switch alliances at a key time in the game . At the end of the season, Yul ended up beating Ozzy Lusth in a 5-4 vote. Watch Cook Islands CBS
8) Natalie Anderson Natalie had a rough go of it at the beginning of Survivor: San Juan Del Surher twin was the first castaway to be eliminated, and she later lost her closest ally, Jeremy. Those losses caused Natalie to throw her game into overdrive later in the game, and she orchestrated multiple blindsides and cleverly played her immunity idol . Watch San Juan Del Sur CBS
7) Sophie Clarke While flashy gameplay is often (overly) praised on the series, Survivor: South Pacific winner Sophie showed that a low-key game is just as effective . Her alliance with the Upolu Five , three immunity challenge wins, and powers of persuasion led to her win. Watch South Pacific CBS
6) Kim Spradlin-Wolfe It's rare to find a player that combines strategy with social skills and physicality , but Survivor: One World's Kim did just that. She became the leader of an all-female alliance that made it to the end, and she won four of the last five immunity challenge. Watch One World CBS
5) Jeremy Collins Jeremy was an extremely likable and strong player from the start, and his time on Survivor: San Juan del Sur saw him help his tribe win five out of six immunity challenges. However, he was blindsided shortly after the merge after the other castaways realized how much of a threat he is. On Survivor: Cambodia, Jeremy was still likable and physically strong, but he had refined his game to be more strategic . He aligned with strong players like Andrew Savage and Joe Anglim in order to keep the heat off of himself ( the meat shield strategy), and he played his two immunity idols perfectly. Jeremy went on to win Cambodia with a unanimous vote. Watch Cambodia CBS
4) Tyson Apostol Tyson's three turns on Survivor: Tocantins, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, and Survivor: Blood vs. Water showed that he's willing to backstab you with a smile , and his self-aware gameplay and strong bonds with his alliance led to his Blood vs. Water win. And while Tyson became somewhat infamous for that time he essentially voted himself out on Heroes vs. Villains , he got the last laugh when he blindsided brothers Aras and Vytas Baskauskas on Blood vs. Water. Watch Blood vs. Water CBS
3) Boston Rob Mariano You know you're legendary when you get a call to be an advisor to a whole new crop of Survivor players. Boston Rob's time on Island of the Idols just reiterated why he's so great, and as the show's first four-time contestant (Survivor: Marquesas, Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, and Survivor: Redemption Island), Rob's blend of deviousness and humor makes watching him incredibly fun. And while it did take him four times to win, his gameplay on each season was well thought out and strategic . He once threw an Immunity Idol clue into a volcano, pitted other castaways against each other, and maybe faked fainting in the forest . And of course, the fact that he and his now-wife Amber were able to make it to the final two of All-Stars is a feat in and of itself. Watch Redemption Island CBS
2) Sandra Diaz-Twine Just in case you forgot, let's remind you that Sandra is Survivor's only two-time winner . The fact that she was able to convince a jury to hand her a million dollars not once, but twice, is amazing, and while Sandra was never a physical threat or a master schemer, her willingness to adapt and go along with new plans at the drop of a dime served her well. After her wins on Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Sandra went on to compete on Survivor: Game Changers. She had a huge target on her back the entire time, but she was able to help eliminate her biggest rival, Tony, before she was voted out on Day 16. Watch Pearl Islands & Heroes vs. Villains CBS
1) Parvati Shallow There's a reason why she's called the Queen of Survivor. Parvati's performances on Survivor: Cook Islands, Survivor: Micronesia, and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains are legendary, and the alliance that she put together on Cook Islands, the Black Widow Brigade , is still talked about. Her blend of charisma and willingness to take out anyone, anytime makes her a strong player, and she's not a slouch in the physical department either, as she won 3 individual immunity challenges during Heroes vs. Villains. Parvati made a number of firsts on the showfirst contestant to play two Hidden Immunity Idols at the same Tribal Council, first first contestant to win the same challenge in different seasons, and she's one of five contestants to make it to the Final Tribal Council twice. Her presence is still felt in the game, and a contestant on Island of the Idols was voted out solely because she was too similar to Parvati . Watch Cook Islands CBS
