25 Best Seasons of ‘Survivor,’ Ranked

Survivor is an American CBS reality competition that’s been running since 2000. It is hosted by Jeff Probst and involves a group of contestants stranded on a remote island who must complete physical and mental challenges for rewards and immunity from elimination. Contestants are voted out each episode until one is ultimately given the title of “Sole Survivor” and wins the grand prize money.

Survivor has continued to be a massively successful show since its debut and has continued to prove itself to be one of the most iconic and well-regarded reality TV shows of all time, especially with the release of its currently ongoing season, Survivor 45. As the series continues to evolve and maintain itself as a premiere reality TV show, it becomes even easier for fans to look back on the show’s past and see all the amazing seasons throughout its history. Fans are drawn in by each Survivor season’s unique theme, the compelling character storylines, and the thrilling challenges. Though the show has had 45 seasons thus far, there are a few that many fans agree to be the best of the anthology series. These best seasons of Survivor keep viewers on the edge of their seats, from start to finish.

Survivor

Release Date

May 31, 2000

Cast

Jeff Probst

Seasons

44

Studio

CBS

Watch on Paramount+

25 Survivor: Panama

Season 12 (2005)

Survivor: Panama is the season most often recognized for popularizing the Exile Island twist, an unexpected twist in the show in which a player is banished from their tribe for a day to Exile Island, forced to live on their own separate from existing camps. This twist, while simplistic at first glance, completely opened up the game of Survivor strategically, especially with the advent of Immunity Idols able to be found on Exile. This twist would eventually become commonplace in Survivor, yet it’s far from the only reason that Panama works so well as a season.

Panama features some of the earliest inklings of high-end strategy and game knowledge from a large majority of the new cast, as opposed to previous seasons where the strategy would be rallied by a select few masterminds. Iconic contestants like Cirie Fields and Terry Deitz found their start in this season, with even the one-time players being massively entertaining and iconic within the Survivor fanbase. While often looked over in favor of more flashy seasons that would follow, Panama has a distinct energy as a sort of last hurrah for this distinct era of the show.

24 Survivor: Samoa

Season 19 (2009)

It’s easy for Survivor seasons to end up being defined by a singular star player who takes up the majority of the screen time, in most cases being the season’s winner. No season in the show’s history is more greatly defined and revolved around a singular player than Survivor: Samoa, which is confined to the groundbreaking gameplay of notorious villain Russell Hantz. It can make the season’s viewing experience conflicting for some viewers, as those who aren’t a fan of Russell’s style of play may find the season to be a chore to get through.

However, there is a reason that Russell has become such an emblematic and powerful figure as one of Survivor‘s most infamous villains, as his level of play in Samoa was simply unheard of at the time. Russell completely revolutionized how Survivor would be played from then on out with his fast-paced flashy playstyle of finding idols without clues to survive one vote at a time, while brewing chaos and mistrust till the end. It makes Samoa an incredibly enjoyable season to watch unfold, as it becomes a wild game of chess where Russell controls all the pieces.

23 Survivor: All-Stars

Season 8 (2004)

The first ever all-returnee season of the show, Survivor: All-Stars had the major selling point of bringing back the biggest and most iconic Survivor players from the first seven seasons and having them compete for a second chance at victory. The season was able to allow already iconic players a chance to shine on the screen once more, as well as giving a true redemption chance for players who misplayed on their first time out. While the early game of the season may have been disappointing due to the mass targeting of big threats and previous winners, the season truly comes into its own in the second half.

It was surely disappointing for fans of Survivor to see the biggest All-Stars of the All-Star season to be the first people voted out, yet from the ashes of the old gods rose up new, even stronger legends in the form of Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich. Rob and Amber quickly take control of the latter half of the game with such strategic prowess and ruthlessness that it redefined strategy going forward. The season as a whole is the perfect send-off to the first era of the Survivor‘s history, as it makes the true final jump into a game defined by its deception and efficient gameplay.

22 Survivor: San Juan del Sur

Season 29 (2014)

Acting as a sequel to the massively popular Blood vs Water season, Survivor: San Juan del Sur takes the exciting fan favorite season’s twist, having family members play alongside each other, and improves upon it greatly. While the season doesn’t have the draw of exciting returning players, it also isn’t bogged down by the uninteresting and stakes-removing Redemption Island twist, acting as a true, classic game of Survivor filled with connections beyond the game.

While the pre-merge of San Juan del Sur is mostly uninterested, focusing on petty drama and uninteresting characters, the season truly ramps up once the merge happens. The issuing struggles and revenge story put into place by Natalie Anderson, slowly plotting and getting revenge for a blindside at the beginning of the merge, makes the entire back half of the game enthralling and unpredictable. Combined with several other enthralling contestants, such as the legendary Keith Nale, San Juan de Sur transforms from one of Survivor‘s most disappointing seasons into one of its best and most exciting.

21 Survivor: Kaôh Rōng

Season 32 (2015)

Following up on the success found within Survivor: Cagayan, Survivor: Kaôh Rōng is the show’s second rendition of dividing its tribes into the categories of Brain, Beauty, and Brawn. The season continued the winning streak that the series had throughout the mid-2010s, delivering greatly on high-level strategy and a multitude of iconic and memorable characters.

While it takes a while for the season to truly get going, as it doesn’t find its stride until the merge, the high points of Kaôh Rōng are easily some of the most engaging and effective of the series. The season is also notorious for being the most dangerous and punishing season of the entire show, with a record-high number of medical evacuations, and some of the most dangerous challenges in Survivor.

20 Survivor 42

Season 42 (2022)

As a part of the newest era of Survivor, Survivor 42 is a display of some of the most cutthroat and intelligent levels of gameplay that Survivor has ever seen. The season also has the benefit of having a cast who hadn’t seen Season 41, allowing for all the twists that the audience has grown accustomed to and witnessed still being brand new and revealing to the contestants. However, what especially makes the season so enthralling to watch is its varied and entertaining cast of contestants.

The vast range and differences in the cast allow each member to work of each other, both strategically and non-strategically, in ways that make for enthralling and electric television. Combined with modern Survivor’s tendencies to allow deeper, more personal dives into each contestant and their lives outside the game, Survivor 42 easily has some of the most emotionally resonating moments of the entire show. The greatest part is that this more intimate and personal look at the cast doesn’t take away from the gameplay and strategy, which is still at a fast-paced and expert level.

19 Survivor: The Amazon

Season 6 (2002)

Easily one of the most overlooked seasons of the show’s early years, Survivor: The Amazon was one of the show’s biggest origin points for the type of deceptive high strategy that would eventually define the show. The season was also the first season of the show to actually follow a theme, dividing its two tribes by gender, and cementing themed seasons as a staple going forward.

While the gender-divided theme of the season screams the early 2000s, The Amazon shines through despite its dated theme thanks to the high level of amazing gameplay on display, especially for one of the early seasons. This comes thanks in part to the masterful gameplay of Rob Cesternino, who revolutionized strategy in the game forever as one of the best Survivor players to never win the game.

18 Survivor: Palau

Season 10 (2005)

Themed around the Pacific Theater of World War II, Survivor: Palau proves itself to easily be one of the most entertaining and enthralling of the show’s early seasons. The season has a massive divide and evolution throughout, as it paints one of the most unique and defining storylines and sequences of events ever seen on the show.

What makes Palau such an engaging season to watch in the modern era is its unadulterated display of domination in the game by one tribe over the other, to a level not seen before or since. It’s the only time in the show’s history that one tribe in the pre-merge won so many times that the entire enemy tribe lost all of their members before the merge even happened. However, once the merge does happen, the dynamic of the season completely changes, as it sees this group of iconic dominating players all having to face off against one another.

17 Survivor 41

Season 41 (2021)

Survivor 41 had much more pressure on itself compared to other seasons, as it wasn’t only following up the amazing culmination season of Winners at War, but it had also spent a year and a half on hiatus because of COVID-19. When the show finally returned, it proved that it was able to evolve and change with modern times, completely reinventing itself while still staying true to what makes Survivor so great.

What makes Survivor 41 so engaging to watch for longtime fans is just how much the show understands and respects its audience, going out of its way to be transparent about the show in unprecedented ways. The season’s adjusted 26-day game also makes the proceedings much more fast-paced and engaging, as the cast is constantly on high alert in a very heightened version of the incredible reality TV show.

16 Survivor: Cook Islands

Season 13 (2006)

While the season gets off to a rough start with one of the worst themed twists in the series, Survivor: Cook Islands soon enough becomes one of the most entertaining and exciting seasons of the show. The season sees the debut appearances of some of the most iconic Survivor players of all time, including the likes of Jonathan Penner, Ozzy Lusth, and Parvati Shallow.

Cook Islands has a number of aspects that would theoretically make it one of the worst seasons of the show, from its problematic theme of tribes divided by race to the abundance of overpowered twists. However, the dynamic and highly skilled cast of contestants circumvents all of these issues to make the season one of the best Survivor seasons. The Survivor season is easily the best display of the head-to-head comparison of the two premiere ways of playing the game, pitting one of the best physical players against one of the best strategic players in the ultimate showdown.

15 Survivor: Pearl Islands

Season 7 (2003)

Following a distinct pirate theme for the entire season, Survivor: Pearl Islands became one of the best seasons of the show’s early years thanks to one of the best newcomer casts of the entire series. The season is filled with iconic and memorable moments that are considered some of the greatest individual moments of the entire show, along with many surprising twists and turns.

Pearl Islands features some of the most iconic contestants that the show has ever seen, ranging from all-star fan favorites Rupert Boneham and Sandra Diaz-Twine to the infamous reality show villain Jonny Fairplay. Even with its strange one-time twists, the undeniable on-screen chemistry and high-level strategy among the entire cast make the season a thrill ride to watch over 20 years later.

14 Survivor: Borneo

Season 1 (2000)

Survivor: Borneo was Survivor‘s first season and premiered in May of 2000. Contestants in this season had no clue what they were walking into and likely didn’t expect for some of them to end up eating rats. Survivor legends like Richard Hatch, Kelly Wiglesworth, Rudy Boesch and Susan Hawk were introduced in this season and ended up becoming recurring contestants on the show.

While the gameplay in Borneo‘s season may be considered slow-moving in comparison to today’s standards, the show’s concept was incredibly innovative for its time and inspired dozens of other reality TV competition series. Borneo ended up having over 51 million viewers tune in for its finale and thus launched the long-running and widely beloved show.

13 Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X

Season 33 (2016)

The title of this season makes its concept clear. Tribes were originally divided based on age. Those in the millennial generation were placed on one team and those part of Generation X were placed on the other. In this battle based on age, cast members formed rivalries and friendships alike and weren’t afraid to work alongside those much older or younger than them in their pursuit of victory.

Besides the heartwarming camaraderie that was built between cast members in this season, the journey of contestant David Wright is an especially intriguing watch. He evolves from being more subdued to being a very dominant player in the game, giving fans someone to root for throughout the season.

12 Survivor: The Australian Outback

Season 2 (2001)

Survivor: The Australian Outback was the much-anticipated follow-up to the massive hit first season of the now long-running TV series, and was tasked with upping the ante in just about every conceivable way. As opposed to having its contestants compete in the usual jungle island setting the series is known for, they are dropped into the harsh and hot deserts of Australia.

While the first season is iconic in its own right, the direct follow-up was able to build on everything that made the original season work so well, as well as make adjustments that better reflect the future of the show. The second season of Survivor arguably had just as much, if not a bigger impact on the show as a whole as the first season, as it also featured a number of iconic cast members and storylines, and achieved some of the highest viewership of the entire show.

11 Survivor: Philippines

Season 25 (2012)

This season initially divided castaways into three tribes instead of two, making competitions and alliance building even more high-stakes. Survivor: Philippines features some of the most infamous contestants in Survivor history, including Jonathan Penner, Lisa Welcher and Abi-Marie Gomes.

Alongside the many intriguing storylines the season showcases, the alliance between Denise Stapley and Malcolm Freberg had viewers on the edge of their seats. The duo narrowly managed to fight through until the end, always at risk. Stapley was the first player in Survivor history to attend every single Tribal Council and be at threat during every elimination. This makes her win at the end even more commendable.

10 Survivor: David vs. Goliath

Season 37 (2018)

Survivor: David vs. Goliath follows a theme in which its two drives are divided by degrees of success in life, with the David tribe consisting of underdogs while the Goliath tribe consists of overachievers. While many of the show’s themes over the years only really apply during the early game and fizzle out post-merge, this season’s theme stays consistent and relevant throughout the entire season.

David vs. Goliath is filled with memorable and iconic moments throughout the entire season, thanks its part to its amazing cast who brings excitement and flair to every aspect of the game. This season features a number of modern-day fan-favorite castaways, including Christian Hubicki, Mike White, Angelina Keeley, and Nick Wilson, on top of many more who make this one of the best modern seasons of Survivor.

9 Survivor: Tocantins

Season 18 (2009)

While Survivor had made the jump to HD in the previous season, Gabon, Survivor: Tocantins was the first season to fully take advantage of the jump in visual quality. The season sees the contestants competing in the Brazilian Highlands and features numerous beautiful set pieces and backdrops that are arguably the most beautiful the show has ever been.

On top of its highly original and engaging location, Tocantins has one of the most lovable and fun-to-watch casts in the entire show’s history, with iconic Survivor players such as J.T. Thomas, Coach Wade, and Tyson Apostol making their debut this season. It’s easily one of the most satisfying and engaging storylines to watch unfold and makes for a perfect entry-level season for those looking to get into Survivor.

8 Survivor: Game Changers

Season 34 (2017)

The 34th season of Survivor brought back the show’s most revolutionary players from previous seasons. By creating a cast full of people who aren’t afraid to speak their minds, take risks, and even turn on their alliances, Survivor: Game Changers is a revolutionary season in Survivor history.

The season features fan favorites like Sandra Diaz-Twine, Sarah Lacina, Tony Vlachos, Cirie Fields, Malcolm Freberg, Troyzan Robertson, and more. Wild moments like an unexpected blindside against Malcolm, Cirie’s default elimination, and the return of Exile Island cemented the season in the Survivor hall of fame.

7 Survivor: Winners at War

Season 40 (2020)

Survivor: Winners at War featured the long-awaited concept that fans had been dreaming of. 20 previous Survivor winners returned to compete to win the “Sole Survivor” title for a second time (or in Queen Sandra’s case, a third time). This season presents the best of the best in Survivor history, and the contestants know that they must play even smarter, stronger and ruthlessly than ever before to outplay everyone else.

In Winners at War, many of the contestants have a pre-existing relationship with one another. Regardless, the heightened cash prize (here $2 million instead of $1 million) is enough to convince players to turn against their own friends. The season is a thrilling watch as it combines old-school and new-school strategies and other unique rules are brought to the game.

6 Survivor: China

Season 15 (2007)

Survivor: China sees the contestants traveling and viewing a number of Chinese monuments and landmarks as the entire season incorporates aspects of China’s vast culture into its design and philosophy. These philosophies would not only reflect themselves upon the challenges, campsites, and set design, but would go on to symbolize the top-notch gameplay on display during the season.

Survivor: China features some of the most engaging and fun-to-watch contestants in the show’s history, with cast members like Courtney Yates, James Clement, and Amanda Kimmel stealing the show. The show also arguably features some of the most high-level and effective gameplay in the show’s history, especially for a relatively early season, making for one of the best seasons of Survivor.