At its core, the competitive television series Survivor still to this day maintains its traditional format of separating competitors within Tribes, with each episode narrating their challenges across all areas of survival - maintaining their camps, succeeding in challenges, and surviving the dreaded Tribal Council.

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For newcomers to the Survivor franchise, it can be tricky to choose just which Survivor season to start with, so we've decided to list the best ones. Just which Survivor entry would fans enjoy the most to see the full extent of the show’s motto - to outwit, outplay, and outlast?

Updated on June 4th, 2024, by Rhenn Taguiam: With Survivor 46 having just finished airing its finale episode, fans of the survival-themed reality show may be interested as to just what this acclaimed series offers that sets it apart from its contemporaries. Aside from the iconic Tribal Council, Immunity Idols, and various sets of challenges, Survivor seasons are known for featuring riveting tales among their casts, as well as drama involving mind games, alliances, backstabs, and unlikely winners. Now that Survivor has 46 seasons, fans and newcomers have quite a lot of episodes to catch up on, especially if they want to keep themselves “in the know” when the next Survivor season begins to air. Thankfully, newcomers may only need to watch select seasons to know just what makes Survivor a hit franchise, with recommendations including the very first season, as well as specially-themed seasons featuring fans, crowd favorites, heroes, and villains, all of which have been added to this list with its latest update.

27 Season 35 (Heroes Vs. Healers Vs. Hustlers)

Rotten Tomatoes: 32%

It’s precisely because of the reputation of Season 35: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers as one of the more contentious entries in the Survivor franchise that makes it worth the watch. Despite the pre-merge interactions between the Heroes, Healers, and Hustlers being more of a chore than anything else, the early domination of eventual 1st and 2nd Runners-Up Chrissy Hofbeck and Ryan Ulrich opened up the series to the potential of intense post-merge setups. The duo delivered, with the addition of eventual Sole Survivor Ben Driebergen as a threat through his own brand of scheming and playing double agent to undermine the Chrissy-Ryan alliance.

The eventual rivalry between the trio became a highlight of the season, which makes its conflicting Final Four all the more disappointing to fans. Viewers may still appreciate the level of complexity in post-merge dynamics, especially with surprising blindsides, clutch moments, and one particular fiasco with Hidden Immunities that remains infamous to this day.

26 Season 23 (South Pacific)

Rotten Tomatoes: 42%

A direct follow-up to Redemption Island, it makes sense for South Pacific to mark the return of the eponymous mechanic. Not only that, but former Castaways Coach Wade and Ozzy Lusth joined the two starting Tribes - with their experience and natural charisma naturally attracing the Castaways of the reality show towards them. Coach’s more open and laid-back leadership style directly opposed the more aggressive Ozzy, providing a breath of fresh air to what fans might consider a more underwhelming cast.

The merge consisting of equal members per Tribe resulted in more dynamic alliances, especially with Coach and Ozzy still being powerhouses in their respective groups. Castaway Brandon Hantz being the nephew of the infamous Russell Hantz became a point of contention, while Sole Survivor Sophie Clarke proved she can skillfully play “the game” through her wits and keen understanding of her fellow Castaways.

25 Season 12 (Panama: Exile Island)

Rotten Tomatoes: 60%

Panama: Exile Island marks the first full inclusion of the Exile Island mechanic in the acclaimed reality show, making its man-versus-wild premise and the prospect of a Hidden Immunity Idol among the more exciting new mechanics introduced in the series. While fans feel conflicted with the introduction of four starting tribes, the early merges in Day Four ramped up the intensity and clashing of personalities.

Chief among these rivalries are the frequent bickering of Sole Survivor Aras Baskauskas and 2nd Runner-Up Terry Deitz, adding some level of depth to castaway relationships. Cirie Fields and her strong people skills showcased the social aspect of playing “the game,” while Shane Powers provided intriguing mind-games, the occasional witty banter, and outbursts that usually caught other Castaways off-guard.

24 Survivor 44

IMDb Rating: N/A

Fans who want a return to the form of the series’ more dramatic roots will enjoy Survivor 44 for its shining moments of personal development, especially with the presence of the Tika Three, composed of Yamil Arocho, Carolyn Wiger, and Carson Garrett. This season also came with numerous twists and turns, such as various Immunity Idols, Journeys that may cost them votes or gain advantages, perks related to the Merge, and even the ability to control votes.

However, the abundance of new concept layouts throughout the season has transformed Survivor 44 into an “average” experience for fans, especially with how they often interrupt moments among Castaways. Thankfully, Yam Yam is an appealing enough Sole Survivor that his personality, on top of exciting post-merge plays and strategies, also managed to carry the season to being a worthwhile watch.

23 Season 15 (China)

IMDb Rating: 7.3

Unlike other Seasons of the Survivor reality competition, it’s Survivor: China that perhaps partly encapsulated one of the key highlights of the franchise in the form of a delightful cast of characters. Aside from a rather peculiar choice of having the season set in China, what the Season has in rather unremarkable challenges makes up for having an exciting cast of characters that, aside from the enjoyable one-liners from Courtney Yates, the alliance between Todd Herzog and Amanda Kimmel remain an extremely exciting thing to witness.

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Not to mention, the attempt of Jean-Robert Bellande to outsmart Todd in the strategy component of the title only for the tables to turn against him was quite a delight to see. Whereas James Clement’s elimination (with two Immunity Idols!) was a pain to witness, Todd’s spectacular rise from a schemer to Sole Survivor remains a hallmark of the season.

22 Season 2 (The Australian Outback)

IMDb Rating: 7.7

One of the unique seasons in the reality drama competition so far, Survivor 2: The Australian Outback gives viewers a glimpse of life in Australia’s forested regions - distant in both aesthetic and survival demands, especially versus the tropical landscapes of modern seasons. With a wildfire just miles from the pre-merge camps, Survivors are pressed to ensure their camps are properly made - a reality check made more intense with other interpersonal stakes such as the dynamic between Jerri Manthey and Colby Donaldson, and eventual Sole Survivor Tina Wesson her other post-merge allies bonding over their motto being the most deserving to win the role.

Being only the second season, it also had notable events that became “firsts” throughout the series. For instance, this was the first season to have a blindfold challenge, as well as a standing-on-a-pole-in-the-water challenge, as well as solving a voting deadlock based on previous votes against each contender.

21 Survivor 41

IMDb Rating: 4.9

Considered the first Survivor series to air during the COVID-19 pandemic, Survivor 41 attempts to shake things up for the franchise by introducing quite several new mechanics such as immunity in exchange for a vote (Shot in the Dark), being able to vote only after Immunity Idol activation (Beware Advantage), and even the ability to reverse the results of a group immunity challenge (Hourglass).

However, the new format presented a visible challenge for Survivor to adapt to shorter days, fewer episodes, and a longer runtime per episode. As a result, the final cut often failed to present impactful moments where they mattered, especially in the days leading up to the Final Tribal Council. Erika Casupanan’s win seemed well-deserved, but the unrefined new mechanics felt as though Erika and the other Castaways weren’t given enough opportunities to build momentum with them.

20 Survivor 42

IMDb Rating: 7.5

Considered one of the “newer” iterations of the reality competition under post-COVID television, Survivor 42 tries to spice things up by balancing a shorter 26-day (instead of 29) stay in Fiji with more intense challenges and newer twists. New to the game is the concept of leaving the exiled island, where the exiled player can either leave their hourglass alone with no consequence or break it to reverse the recent immunity win of a tribe and join the new winners. Meanwhile, another twist is the “Do Or Die,” where the first one to lose an immunity challenge can pick one (1) of three (3) boxes, two (2) of which forces them out of the competition.

However, it’s also perhaps the cast surrounding Survivor 42 that makes it quite a worthwhile watch. Aside from gleeful Maryanne Oketch, fans can see stereotypes broken by the bromance between buff Jonathan Young and nerdy Omar Zaheer, alongside other highly personal stories. Sadly, the absence of a “token bad guy” did eliminate a lot of excitement from the strategy aspect of the game, and the exiled island twist doesn’t give much of a strategic choice to the participants.

19 Season 13 (Cook Islands)

IMDb Rating: 7.5

Despite a rather slow start, Season 13: Cook Islands catapults into intense territory once viewers get into the “groove” of the series. While this season boasts perhaps one of the most diverse casts of Castaways so far, the two-episode premise of splitting tribes according to ethnicities can leave a sour taste in a viewer’s mouth. The third episode puts a quick end to this by mixing up everyone into two tribes as per Survivor tradition, but the intensity ramps up to 11 as its twists only begin here.

By the ninth episode, an opportunity to perform a Mutiny causes two Aiutaki members to defect to the Rarotonga tribe, leaving a four-person Aiutaki against a battalion of eight in Rarotonga. The twist doesn’t end here, however, as the disadvantaged Aiutaki simply decimated Rarotonga in subsequent challenges in quite a satisfying clapback, eventually eliminating Rarotonga after Rarotonga in Tribal Councils. Unfortunately, the rather racist connotations in Cook Islands can make the season difficult to appreciate from a modern perspective.

18 Season 26 (Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 69%

Serving as the show’s second version of the “Fans versus Favorites” concept, Survivor 26: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites served as one of the more intense seasons of the reality drama show, particularly with the blend of hardcore fans and standout returnees. While the pre-merge segments definitely gave the advantage to the returnees, it’s the post-merge reality drama and strategy that made Caramoan a sight to see.

Particular to this season would be the “Stealth R Us” alliance from Phillip Sheppard, the returnee strategist from Survivor 22: Redemption Island, making his presence known like a historical figure from a drama series. While their seven-man dominating alliance has proved just how efficient a well-thought-of social alliance could get, the underdog alliance between Malcolm Freberg (Survivor 25: Philippines) and fan Reynold Toepfer alongside their Immunity Idols have turned the tables against the seemingly-undefeatable team. Other than that, the usual banter between Survivors doesn’t leave much to expect from this particular season.

17 Season 32 (Kaoh Rong - Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 86%

In a survival situation, what would dominate: the smart ones, the athletic ones, or the charismatic ones? This is something that Survivor 32: Kaoh Rong - Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty exemplified, as the three (3) tribes in this Cambodia-set reality drama competition are based on these perceived dominant attributes as though they are characters from a drama. Aside from the delightful cast members, Season 32 does feature exciting mechanics. For instance, aside from Hidden Immunity Idols, possessing two (2) of these Idols can be combined into a Super Idol that can be played after votes are read. Moreover, the winner of the final reward challenge was also given the option to remove a member of the jury.

Most notable in this season is the sheer level of unpredictability and intense competition between the cast. Moreover, the Season is probably the most “punishing” iteration of the series, especially with its multiple evacuations. And while these situations can make this season not for the faint of heart, the level of discipline and control on the part of Jeff Probst as both a host and a producer made

16 Season 4: Marquesas

Amazon: 3.5/5

Set in French Polynesia’s Marquesas Islands, Season 4: Marquesas was a refreshing early twist to the Survivor formula. The season did start ordinarily, with the contestants being divided into the Maraamu and Rotu Tribes, which stood for “Wind” and “Rain” in Marquesan, respectively. In third tribe fashion, the two (2) tribes merged into a singular Soliantu tribe, which the contestants coined to mean “Sacred Allegiance to the Sun.”

Despite the “regular” trends, Marquesas set a precedent on various trends and rules for seasons of the reality show to come. For instance, admirable in this season is the effort of the otherwise-regarded “weaker” contestants ganging up to dominate their “stronger” counterparts in voting sessions. However, an internal alliance called the Rotu Four caused a Survivor's forced “rocking out” due to continuously deadlocked votes in a surprising twist, forcing subsequent seasons to avoid ties. Likewise, this served as the debut of fan-favorite Rob Mariano, who would become a contestant in at least four (4) other seasons after this one.

15 Season 10: Palau

IMDb Rating: 8.2

It’s not uncommon for a Survivor Season to have a theme, but it’s Season 10: Palau that would probably do a bit of divergence away from the usual “tropical” trends of the island-survival competition. This time, the Palau-set Survivor season would have a World War 2 Pacific Theater theme, featuring more intense challenges for Survivors, and a Tribal Council featuring actual World War 2 relics, including barbed wires, cement, weapons, and fallen aircraft.

This time around, Tom Westman of the New York City fire department outvoted advertising exec Katie Gallagher in a final vote, making him the Sole Survivor in a surprising twist. Aside from this win, however, perhaps iconic to Season 10 are three (3) players who would eventually become popular enough to return in other Seasons, such as Tom Westman, Stephenie LaGrossa, and Bobby Drinkard.

14 Survivor 45

IMDb Rating: 6.2

Serving as the latest season of Survivor to grace the post-Pandemic era, Survivor 45 set in Fiji retains many of the safety protocols introduced since Survivor 41. In turn, the show still boasts 18 Castaways split into three tribes and a 26-day gameplay period. This overall shortened take on the show might make older fans crave more extended hijinks and tactical movement between Survivors, but the season does live up to the adage “less is more.”

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As a result, Survivor 45’s jampacked 90-minute episodes condensed storylines into rollercoasters of tactical moves that needed quick thinkers to follow them. The Final Tribal Council flip from winner Dee Valladares that upended alliances and shocked the jury into submission was something worth the watch, especially with the build-up from previous episodes. Unfortunately, the rather long format failed to give the final episode its deserving “wow” moment - an oomph that much of its thrilling episodes lacked due to the format change.

13 Season 34: Game Changers

IMDb Rating: 7.5

As the name implies, Season 34: Game Changers was when the show went full experimental and tried changing a lot of known mechanics in the Survivor reality show. Fans know this season for causing many chaotic changes to the show formula, which the contestants used to their maximum strategic efficiency - quite similar to twists and turns in a crime show.

This strategic supremacy is demonstrated by Sarah Lacina, whose calculated flips managed to take control of critical elements that resulted in her decisive win. A key component introduced in the show is the Game Changers format, where 20 returning contestants return to contend for the title of Soul Survivor. Another surprising twist came from the Exile island, where one person without a tribe was sent in exile - only to be given one of the secret advantages, including a challenge advantage, an Extra Vote, or the ability to create a fake Hidden Immunity Idol.

12 Season 6: The Amazon

IMDb Rating: 6.8

It’s not uncommon for a long-lasting reality show to have seasons that try to change the formula, but it’s usually one season that begins the trend. In the case of Survivor, this came in the form of Season 6: The Amazon, where its Amazon-heavy themes became the first for the show. The season also introduced “twists” in the Survivor formula that heavily influenced the seasons. These included the first instance of a merged tribe and a Final Tribe Council with seven jury members.

There were also interesting twists that changed the dynamic of the season entirely, which can be a breath of fresh air for TV fans who got used to comedies. For instance, Day 13 had the youngest members of the tribe go on a summit where they decided on a “remix” of the tribes, as they had been initially separated as men (Tambaqui) and women (Jaburu). Moreover, this was the first season to feature a Survivor contender with a disability, in the form of Christy Smith, who was hearing impaired.

11 Season 27: Blood Vs. Water

IMDb Rating: 7.0

Reality show contestants who are blood-related often have the expectations of teaming up together. This same notion is broken early in Season 27: Blood vs. Water of the Survivor reality show. In this Survivor season set in the Palaui Island of the Philippines, the “Blood vs. Water” mechanic is emphasized, where contestants - returnee Survivor contestants and a loved one - were sent to the island a day before (Day 0) under the notion of being in the same tribe, only for the biggest shocker the next day to reveal that returnees and their loved ones would be in separate tribes.

Not only that, but the season also features a Redemption Island, where everyone voted out will be sent here first. When the Redemption Survivors reach three, they must conduct a three-way duel to officially kick someone out while the two (2) remain and afterward engage in a match that returns them to the game. Exciting events in the season include early-game domination between strategists MAras Baskauskas and Brad Culpepper before returning players Gervase Peterson, Monica Culpepper, and Tyson Apostol created a powerful three-way alliance. Despite efforts from contenders Hayden Moss and Ciera Eastin to destroy the team, Tyson won Sole Survivor due to this play.

Season 25: Philippines

IMDb Rating: 8.0

While the idea of three Tribes isn’t at all new to the Survivor franchise, it’s in Season 25: Philippines that transformed the tri-tribe concept into something to look forward to. Although this series is the seventh to feature returning castaways, three of the returnees in Philippines were all medically evacuated in previous Seasons, making this their time to shine.

Starting tribes in the Season were Tandang (Rooster), Kalabaw (Carabao), and Matsing (Monkey), respectively. And what’s perhaps interesting would be Sole Survivor Denise Stapley, who serves as not only the oldest female winner in the show’s history. Rather, Stapley also became the only person thus far to have attended and survived every Tribal Council meeting in the Season.

Season 7: Pearl Islands

IMDb Rating: 7.9

Fans of Survivor who thought it was high time the series explored pirates would delight in Season 7: Pearl Islands. Set in the Pearl Islands close to Panama, the Season lasted for 39 days, with 16 castaways duking it out for the title of Sole Survivor.

What’s perhaps interesting about Pearl Islands has to do with the level of intrigue castaways were willing to indulge in for the purposes of executing their plans. For instance, castaway Johnny Fairplay faked his grandmother’s death in order to gain sympathy from his Tribe. Not only that, but a shocking twist that brought two castaways back for another shot at the title of Sole Survivor was a thrill to watch at the time for a show that was just getting its footing.

10 Season 18 (Tocantins)

IMDb Rating: 7.1

Completing the even more exotic locales of the Brazilian Highlands in Season 18: Tocantins is its cast of remarkably colorful characters, making this one of the more beloved seasons in the reality show. The return of Exile Island with new mechanics spiced things up for tribes Jalapao and Timbira, with the post-merge Forza Tribe being where much of the season shines. Just the presence of goofy Coach Wade alone is enough to win fans over with his interactions with his peers, and the rather villainous Tyson Apostol creates quite the thrill with his iconic cunning smile.

Even the eventual rivalry between Stephen Fishbach and eventual Sole Survivor James Thomas Jr. became a sight to see, especially for the latter J.T. whose maneuvering over Survivor politics allowed him to cruise through Tribal Councils relatively unscathed. While others may call J.T. quite the “boring” Sole Survivor, others also admire his deft social and mental gymnastics against his fellow competitors.

9 Season 40: Winners At War

IMDb Rating: 8.7

Celebrating the series’ 20th Anniversary, Season 40: Winners At War had 20 previous Sole Survivors return to once again compete for the much-coveted title. Set once more in Fiji, the game brings back the “Edge Of Extinction” as a game mode, whereas eliminated players are sent to a desolate island to wait for an opportunity to get back into the game.

The game also offered Fire Tokens as a new form of currency, allowing players to purchase advantages such as food and items. What’s perhaps tenser are the strategies the winners used throughout the match. After all, they first started eliminating people with deep connections outside the show, such as spouses and children. Afterward, they were able to target the older, “old-school” Survivors as well.

8 Season 33: Millennials Vs. Gen-X

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 88%

Given the premise of a season title such as Millennials Vs. Gen-X, viewers of the show would at first think it’s about time these generations proved their superiority against the other. Instead, what resulted was a tight-knit cast with friendships and rivalries that resonated with viewers even after the show had ended.

Not to mention, David Wright’s start as one of the “weakest” members of the Gen-X team and eventual rise into one of the powerhouses of the show was a delight to watch. Even the betrayal experienced by one of the castaways became one of the most memorable moments of the show.