Summary
- Survivor: Cagayan proves to be the best season yet with a perfect cast, interesting story arcs, and a non-bitter jury that rewards strategic gameplay.
- Survivor: Micronesia provides entertainment and strategic gameplay with its memorable moments and the manipulation of Erik by the "Black Widow Brigade."
- Survivor: David Vs. Goliath earns its place with a stellar cast, lively gameplay, an unpredictable winner, and the introduction of key elements like the immunity idol nullifier.
With 20 years on the air, Survivor remains one of the best, most successful, and most popular reality competitions on television. Given all that history, it's only natural that the show has seen many ups and downs. Since Survivor 44's cast has moved on, it's time to decide the best Survivor seasons to date.
While no season of Survivor is a total failure with nothing to offer, some seasons are better and more popular than others. Survivor season 45 will have a slightly different format, but most seasons are largely the same. Specific casts gel together better than others to create compelling alliances, rivalries, strategies, and drama. Combining all these elements into a perfectly cohesive whole makes for a top-tier Survivor season.
15 Survivor: Gabon (Season 18)
Survivor: Gabon is one of the most divisive seasons among the show’s devotees. The reason why most Gabon haters dislike the season is that the gameplay is severely lacking. A thoughtful strategy was almost impossible; the winner felt like an afterthought. However, what makes Gabon great is the unforgettable weirdness of characters like nerdy Ken, grouchy Randy, professorial Bob, and permanent exile Sugar. Like a great cult film, Survivor: Gabon may not have mainstream appeal, but viewers who tune into its wavelength adore its unique strangeness.
14 Survivor: Blood Vs. Water (Season 27)
Blood vs. Water took Survivor’s previously successful “fans vs. favorites” theme and added a new twist. Once again, the cast consisted of half returning players and half newbies. But this time, each newbie was a loved one to one of the returning players. The idea was enough to add new juice to Survivor’s format and paid dramatic dividends. Suddenly, every vote-out had an extra emotional impact, especially when players faced the prospect of voting against (or even backstabbing) their loved one. The season was exciting from start to finish, and it had a satisfying conclusion when a longtime fan-favorite player finally won the game.
13 Survivor: The Amazon (Season 5)
Survivor: The Amazon is among the best of the show’s early seasons and makes an excellent entry point for new fans who want to know what the show was like initially. The Amazon still has the documentary feeling of Survivor’s first years, but it’s the season when strategizing and gameplay came to the forefront. This is mainly due to Rob Cesternino, one of the first Survivor super fans to play the game. The strategic smart aleck is considered one of the best Survivor players never to win, and he brought humor and cunning to the show that permanently changed it for the better.
12 Survivor: Philippines (Season 25)
Survivor: Philippines was a breath of fresh air after a run of seasons — Nicaragua, Redemption Island, South Pacific, and One World — that fans often name the show’s worst ever. Yet it does the Philippines a disservice to imply it’s suitable only when compared to those other seasons. The Philippines is excellent on its own merits.
First, it introduced a fun twist by bringing back three former contestants who all were medically evacuated from the game when they played previously. Nonetheless, the heart of the season is the alliance between Malcolm and Denise, who formed one of the strongest friendships ever seen on Survivor, two truly likable players who endured bad luck bordering on disaster repeatedly throughout the game. This season served drama and excitement like few others.
11 Survivor: China (Season 15)
Back in the day, an essential ingredient in the Survivor stew was the location of each season. The show circled the globe to place its contestants in new and exotic settings. One of the best seasons in this respect is Survivor: China. The setting felt fresh, and the theme ran strong throughout each episode. Of course, the theme and design aren't enough on their own to make a Survivor season great, and this one also boasts an incredible cast with beloved players such as James Clement, Amanda Kimmel, Peih-Gee Law, and Courtney Yates, all of whom returned to play again in later seasons.
10 Survivor: Tocantins — The Brazilian Highlands (Season 18)
In a tie between Survivor: Philippines, Survivor: China, and Survivor: Tocantins, the latter narrowly inches out solely on the ridiculousness of Survivor legends Benjamin "Coach" Wade and Tyson Apostol. Coach is Survivor's zaniest, most quotable character, while Tyson wins the "class clown" superlative. Winner of Survivor: Tocantins J.T. Thomas played a "perfect game" by never having a vote cast against him throughout the game and then receiving every vote to win at the final tribal council. Tocantins provides an exciting and unusual environment for Survivor in the heart of the Brazilian highlands.
9 Survivor: Cook Islands (Season 13)
Cook Islands presents one of the best tribe underdog storylines in the show's history with the success of the "Aitu 4" alliance. Survivor: Cook Islands pushed the envelope and caused controversy when it premiered in 2006 by featuring four starting tribes that were divided by race. Survivor season 13's dubious theme eventually dissolved as Jeff mentioned it less and less as the game continued. Several Survivor legends played for the first time in Cook Islands, including Parvati Shallow, Ozzy Lusth, Yul Kwon, Candice Cody, and Jonathan Penner. Although it might drag on in the middle, this season finishes strong with a nail-biting final tribal council and unpredictable winning vote.
8 Survivor: Palau (Season 10)
Survivor: Palau is distinctive from any other season due to its challenges. The Ulong tribe, one of the most cursed tribes in Survivor history, lost every single immunity challenge before the merge, with their tribe picked off one by one until fan-favorite Stephenie LaGrossa was the last woman standing. She was subsequently voted out soon after merging alone with Koror, but she returned twice in Survivor: Guatemala and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.
Palau was also an excellent location for the tribes to make due, with exciting fishing and wildlife. During the merge, two Palauan natives taught the tribe how to fish and cooked them a proper feast. Even better, the season's winner Tom Westman got drunk off the local's rum. This was a highly entertaining sight, given Tom's typically stoic nature.
7 Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X (Season 33)
Survivor 33 initially gave fans pause with its modern, peculiar theme: Millennials vs. Gen X. Worried this would be more of a gimmick than anything, there were low expectations for the season, but the results were surprising. Season winner Adam Klein treated all of his castmates to a weekend in Las Vegas after the live finale show and reunion, and they seem to be still thick as thieves. The cast provides an exemplary demonstration of building upon the unique friendships developed on the island by surrendering any bitterness or resentment left in the game.
6 Survivor: Pearl Islands (Season 7)
Survivor: Pearl Islands will almost always make any superfan's top 10 list. Survivor season 7 features an all-star cast of legends like Rupert Boneham, Sandra Diaz-Twine, Andrew Savage, and the notorious bad-boy villain who lied about his dead grandmother: Jonny Fairplay. The seventh season's first episode, "Beg, Barter, Steal," is undoubtedly the best season premiere of Survivor. In it, the two tribes scurried through a local village to barter for items to bring back to their camp, and it features an iconic scene in which Rupert steals the other tribe's shoes after he notices they were left unattended.
