The 14th season of the hit reality series American Ninja Warrior wrapped up on September 5th, 2022, with the teenage Kaden Lebsack winning the second consecutive season in a row. The impressive feat for the high school sophomore puts him into rarified air with the pantheon of all-time great competitors on the show, only a handful of which have been declared the winner more than once.
With Kaden's monumental win fresh on the mind, it's worth looking back and assessing where his two-time run as American Ninja Warrior ranks in show history. Who knows, perhaps Kaden will win a third title in a row.
Levi Meeuwenberg - Season 1
Back when ANW was thought of as little more than a gimmicky novelty, free-runner Levi Meeuwenberg accepted the challenge and made a valiant run through the gauntlet. However, most would agree that Levi's biggest successes occurred on Sasuke, the Japanese competition ANW was adapted from.
After a controversial victory in Sasuke 26, Levi was declared the winner and the first American Last Ninja Standing. However, when invited to defend his title on ANW season 2, Levi was forced to withdraw due to an injury. After season 4, Levi retired from the competition, leaving many fans to think of what could have been if he kept going.
Brent Steffensen - Season 4
Professional stuntman Brent Steffensen has competed on ANW 10 times to date. In Season 4, he was named the Last Ninja Standing after becoming the first American contestant to complete the Ultimate Cliffhanger. While that feat certainly stands out, Brent was also the first contestant in Season 4 to reach the Wall Lift during Stage 2 of the finals in Las Vegas and complete it in time.
But just like Levi, Brent failed mightily on Stage 3 of the competition and fell from the Hang Climb into the water below. While his lone win is nothing to sneeze at, Brent's biggest accomplishment was racing through Stage One of the finals with 29 seconds left.
Brian Arnold - Season 5
Despite competing on the show 7 times to date, maintenance director Brian Arnold became the Last Ninja Standing in Season 5 after making it to the Las Vegas Finals by placing third in the city finals course. After barely completing Stage One with 3 seconds left, Brian picked up the pace and sped through Stage 2 with over 26 seconds remaining.
During his time on the long-running reality TV show, Brian also became the only challenger to defeat the Floating Boards but failed the Ultimate Cliffhanger due to a broken ledge. When given a mulligan, Brian became the only American to complete the Hang Climb and Spider Flip. Alas, Brian failed Stage 3 of the competition after struggling with the Flying Bar, narrowly besting Brent's run.
Geoff Britten - Season 7
Nicknamed Popeye for his immense forearms, Geoff Britten bested the competition in Season 7 and was famously named "The First American Ninja Warrior" after blazing through Stage 4 with 29.65 seconds left on the clock. However, due to a rule technicality, Britten lost the competition when Isaac Caldiero earned a faster time in the Final Stage.
The bittersweet defeat led to a rules change in Season 8 of the sports-related competition reality show. However, the fact remains that in spite of making history as the first official American Ninja Warrior, Britten failed to officially reach the pinnacle of the competition. However, most fans know in their hearts he was the Season 7 champ.
David Campbell - Seasons 2 & 3
After David Campbell became the Farthest and Fastest American in Seasons 2 & 3, he was deemed the very first two-time winner of American Ninja Warrior. While some may consider his level of competition below the impressive athletes of 2022, nobody can take away the fact that David was the first and still one of the select few to win the competition more than once.
While David found great success on Sasuke prior to competing in all 14 seasons of ANW, his dominant speed runs were as impressive as any seen in the show's early days. Campbell even earned the number 98 in Sasuke 27, the highest number given to an American in Sasuke history.
Daniel Gil - Season 12
Also known as Kingdom Ninja, Daniel Gil obliterated the obstacle courses in Season 12 en route to becoming the overall victor. During his epic run, Daniel did not fail a single obstacle the entire season and burned his way through the Spider Trap and Dragonback to win the Power Tower playoff bracket versus Flex Labreck, Adam Rayl, and Austin Gray. No other winners have accomplished such feats.
Beyond winning the Power Tower bracket on the beloved reality competition show, Gil's impressive defeat of Gray in the final matchup saw him fall behind only to race through the Cliffhanger to take the lead en route to victory. It's one of the all-time best photo finishes in show history.
Kaden Lebsack - Seasons 13 & 14
Fresh off his second consecutive ANW victory, Kaden Lebsack deserves all the credit in the world for his 100% win rate. Kaden's competed on the show twice and won twice, a feat that's doubly impressive when considering he's just 17 years old. Moreover, whereas many of his fellow winners failed Stage 3, Kaden made it to Stage 4 twice before tapping out, becoming the first competitor in show history to do so in consecutive years.
Kaden has used his youth and athleticism to clock lightning-speed times throughout the obstacle courses, setting rookie records for Stage 3 in Season 13 and improving his time lasted on Stage 4 in season 14 by 5 feet. With clear improvement from one winning campaign to the next, the sky is the limit for Kaden in his ANW future.
Joe Moravsky - Season 6 & 9
Other than the only two official American Ninja Warrior Champions, Joe Moravsky has always been considered a top ANW competitor. The professional meteorologist earned the title of Last Ninja Standing twice, once in Season 6 and again in Season 9, becoming one of the elite few to win the show more than once for his epic sprints through the courses.
In Season 6, Joe got revenge for being left out of the ANW: USA vs. Japan tournament by racing through the Floating Boards, Ultimate Cliffhanger, and brand new Propeller Bar in Stage 3 of the finals. In Season 9, Joe finished Stage 2 of the finals with over 25 seconds left and flexed his muscle by besting the Curved Body Prop and new Peg Cloud obstacle. An All-Star to boot, Joe is only behind the two official champs in ANW history.
Isaac Caldiero - Season 7
While Geoff Britten was deemed the first American Ninja Warrior in Season 7, when the dust settled, it was Isaac Caldiero who was crowned victorious as the first official American Ninja Warrior Champion in show history. Only one of two contestants to earn such a feat, Caldiero is easily one of the most impressive winners to date.
The overconfident ANW winner Caldiero earned the grand championship after beating Britten's time on Stage 4 in less than 3 seconds, becoming one of the most dramatic finishes of the season. Because ANW's rules stipulate that the fastest Kanzenseiha is awarded the $100,000 prize money, Caldiero fit the bill and earned the title.