Many debates rage concerning the worst winners of Survivor. But what about the worst losers? Of course, the term "loser" must be applied rigorously when it comes to Survivor, as 19 people technically lose a season. By "loser," people typically refer to the contestants that played a horrible game and were quickly eliminated. For the purposes of this list, we'll include anyone who was voted out pre-merge.
What makes a really bad Survivor player? Someone who is lazy? Someone who can't socialize? Someone who can't compete? Someone who makes terrible strategic moves? Why not all four? These are some of the worst losers of Survivor, ranked.
J.T. Thomas (Heroes Vs. Villains, Game Changers)
The only reason Thomas isn't lower on this list is because he actually played a Perfect Game in Tocantins. But how can a Survivor winner end up on a worst losers list?
Well, his atrocious gameplay in both Heroes vs. Villains and Game Changers, that's how. He infamously gave his idol to Russell in HvV and was blindsided with a hidden immunity idol in his possession on Game Changers. They were monumental mistakes that cost J.T. his reputation within the Survivor community.
Colton Cumbie (Blood Vs. Water)
Most fans cringe when they hear the name Colton Cumbie, one of the most notorious Survivor villains ever. That's because he's one of the most despicable villains the game has ever seen. He makes Russell Hantz look like Cinderella. He played a strong if controversial game in One World, but he totally fell apart in Blood vs. Water. Despite promising personal redemption, Coltie quickly reverted to his old, caustic ways, intentionally provoking chaos and disarray. Everyone hated him, and he eventually quit on day 7 because he wasn't getting his way. It was a cowardly way for one of Survivor's biggest villains to go out.
"Purple" Kelly Shinn (Nicaragua)
Nicaragua is widely thought to be the worst season of Survivor, and Purple Kelly was one of the worst players of the season. Does that make her the worst player ever? No, but she's certainly up there. Kelly actually made it to day 28, so there's something to be said about that. However, she barely did anything for herself and was constantly controlled by Brenda and Sash. But her controversy stems from her infamous decision to quit the game on day 28 alongside NaOnka. It was a stunningly bad and anticlimactic decision that Survivor fans still aren't over, and their premature departure is a major reason for Nicaragua's negative reputation.
Ben Browning (Samoa)
When it comes to the biggest villains in Survivor history, very few people Samoa's Ben Browning. This dude was truly despicable, and his social game was off-the-charts terrible. He played dirty in challenges and became the first solo player ever kicked out of a challenge.
He continuously antagonized his tribemates. And he was openly racist, calling fellow castaway Yasmin Giles "ghetto trash." His abrasive personality and racist comments quickly ensured his departure. The only reason he's not better ed is because he was overshadowed by the much more successful Survivor villain Russell Hantz.
Chicken Morris (China)
We love Chicken, but he played a pretty terrible game on China. Chicken was immediately on the outs with his tribe due to his commanding presence and bossy attitude.
When asked to tone down the bossiness, he veered too hard in the opposite direction and refused to give his opinion on anything. He was eventually targeted due to his indecisiveness and ive behavior, becoming the very first person voted out of China.
Chet Welch (Micronesia — Fans Vs. Favorites)
Chet's game throughout Micronesia is certainly not one to be studied. He never really fit into the Airai tribe due to his age, and he was immediately placed on the outs alongside Tracy and Kathy. He also performed poorly in challenges, so really, there weren't many reasons for keeping him around. He somehow managed to eek his way to the tribe switch but eventually asked to be voted out - presumably due to the piece of coral lodged in his foot. Regardless, Chet received a vote in every single Tribal that he attended, and he received the most votes of the season with 12.
Osten Taylor (Pearl Islands)
Osten Taylor was quite well situated within Pearl Islands. He was physically strong and generally well liked by the Morgan tribe, which basically ensured him a place in the merge.
Unfortunately, he simply wasn't cut out for Survivor. Osten was visibly tired and lethargic throughout the game, he was bad in challenges, and his discomfort resulted in a nasty attitude. He asked to be voted out on day 6, and when that wasn't honored, he eventually became the first person in Survivor history to quit. Jeff was not happy.
Wendy DeSmidt-Kohlhoff (Nicaragua)
Being the first one voted off always sucks. It sucks double for Wendy, seeing as how her own plan worked against her. She planned on hiding her talkative and bubbly personality from her tribe, less they find her annoying and vote her out first.
Unfortunately, people saw her as weak instead, and when she decided to defend herself and show her true colors, people found her...annoying. Just as she predicted. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy, and Wendy was the first person voted off in a unanimous 9-1 vote.
sca Hogi (Redemption Island, Caramoan)
Is sca the worst player in Survivor history? Probably not, but it's certainly debatable considering her resume. She was the first person voted out on Redemption Island due to her confrontational personality and feud with Phillip Sheppard.
When she and Phillip returned for Caramoan, she naively confronted Phillip again and placed a major target on her back. She was again blindsided at the first Tribal Council, making her the first player to be voted out first in two separate seasons. Despite her brief time on the show (twice), sca still proved herself a likable Survivor contestant (except to Phillip), and some fans would love her to get a third chance.
Zane Knight (Philippines)
The "worst player ever" title can't go to sca, as one could make an argument that she was a target of bad luck. On the other hand - Zane Knight. Zane is an infamously terrible player from Philippines.
He itted his own alliances to other people, he performed incredibly poorly in the immunity challenge, and he single-handedly took credit for the tribe's poor performance and asked to be voted off. This was a ruse to root out his true allegiances, but it didn't work. His tribe answered his call and unanimously voted him off.