These Are The Most Iconic Survivor Players

Since Jeff Probst hosted the first season of Survivor, hundreds of people have played the game. Now that there have been so many seasons of varying quality, some of the show’s players certainly stand out over others.

After all, once new fans figure out which seasons to watch first, they will realize that players can be memorable for things like being the first person to be medically evacuated. With that in mind, it begs an obvious question. Who are the most memorable Survivor players ever?

12 What Makes Rob Cesternino One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players?

Played During Survivor: The Amazon & Survivor: All-Stars

For casual Survivor fans, Rob Cesternino may not be among the show’s most memorable players. However, Rob had to be included in this list because of how memorable he is for Survivor superfans.

Easily the most successful Survivor podcaster, he is the force behind the Rob Has a Podcast empire. As a result, there is a significant percentage of the show’s fan base who listen to Rob discuss Survivor every week. On top of that, Rob is also memorable for how he played the game, since he arguably was the first player to master jumping from one alliance to another.

11 What Makes Jeremy Collins One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players?

Played During Survivor: San Juan Del Sur, Survivor: Cambodia, & Survivor: Winners At War

Arguably a player who has every talent a Survivor player could want, Jeremy Collins is still probably best remembered for one part of his game. No matter how smart Jeremy’s strategy was and how great he was during challenges, he is memorable for how charming and likable he is.

The obvious target throughout Survivor: Cambodia, Jeremy still managed to convince his tribemates that other people needed to be taken out first. Jeremy did this by charming his tribemates into seeing things from his point of view. Jeremy was so likable that he somehow managed to make his tribemates overlook how likable he was.

10 What Makes Ozzy Lusth One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players?

Played During Survivor: Cook Islands, Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: South Pacific, & Survivor: Game Changers

Throughout Survivor history, several players have become known as challenge beasts, including Jonathan Young, Joe Aglim, Colby Donaldson, and James Clement. Still, whenever people talk about the best challenge beasts in Survivor history, there is one person almost every fan points to, Ozzy Lusth.

While other Survivor players have won more immunity challenges during a season, Ozzy made every challenge he played look easy. On top of that, Ozzy was so confident in himself that he once intentionally went to Exile Island so he could earn his way back. If all that wasn’t enough, Ozzy also seemed to instinctively know the best way to complete challenges.

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9 What Makes Rupert Boneham One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players?

Played During Survivor: Pearl Islands, Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, & Survivor: Blood vs. Water

As of 2024, it has been more than a decade since Survivor fans last saw Rupert Boneham play. On top of that, it is also worth noting that Rupert has never won a season or even made it to the final tribal council. Still, Rupert remains one of the most memorable Survivor players ever for two reasons.

First off, Rupert always seemed to have a heart of gold that made most viewers adore him. Secondly, between Rupert’s big bushy beard and his trademark tie-dyed shirts, he is so easy to recognize that it is nearly impossible for big Survivor fans to forget him.

8 What Makes Benjamin “Coach” Wade One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players

Played Survivor: Tocantins, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, & Survivor: South Pacific

Most of the memorable Survivor players are on this list, at least partially, because of how they play the game. However, that has nothing to do with why Benjamin “Coach” Wade is here, since he is so memorable because of his truly unique personality.

Memorable for his grandiose stories and belief in himself, Coach isn’t exactly everyone’s favorite cup of tea. However, no matter how anyone feels about how Coach behaves, you have to credit him for being true to himself in a world in which most people want to blend in more.

7 What Makes Richard Hatch One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players?

Played During Survivor: Borneo & Survivor: All-Stars

No matter how long Survivor lasts, there is almost no chance that any season will ever get as many viewers as its first. After all, CBS News reported that the first season’s finale was the second most-watched television episode of the 2000s, since 51.7 million saw it.

One of the main reasons so many people watched that finale was that the masses hated Ricard Hatch and wanted to see him lose. However, Richard defied them all and won the season during the most watched Survivor season ever, which secured his place in the show’s history.

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6 What Makes Sandra Diaz-Twine One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players?

Played During Survivor: Pearl Islands, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Survivor: Game Changers, Survivor: Winners at War, & Australian Survivor: Blood v Water

As one of only two Survivor players who’ve won twice, that alone makes Sandra Diaz-Twine unforgettable. After all, Sandra is the answer to several Survivor trivia questions.

However, it has to be noted that Sandra is more than just a two-time Survivor player. Sandra has also created a slew of memorable moments, like when she yelled at her tribemates and told Russell Hantz that she was against him.

5 What Makes Cirie Fields One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players?

Played During Survivor: Panama, Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, & Survivor: Game Changers

Widely regarded as the best Survivor player to never win, Cirie Fields is an absolute strategic powerhouse. On top of that, Cirie is one of the best social players ever, since people want to trust her. Cirie has also extended that skill to most of the people at home, since most Survivor fans love and trust her.

For all those reasons and more, Cirie is considered to be one of the best and most memorable Survivor players ever.

4 What Makes Tony Vlachos One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players?

Played During Survivor: Cagayan, Survivor: Game Changers, & Survivor: Winners At War

Similar to Sandra Diaz-Twine, Tony Vlachos is one of only two people who’ve won Survivor twice. While that is truly impressive, the fact is that it isn’t the most memorable thing about who Tony is as a Survivor player.

Instead, it is Tony’s seemingly never-ending energy, his playfulness, and his larger-than-life personality that make him stand out. To prove that, all you have to do is ask a big Survivor fan about Tony’s llama impersonation, and they are very likely to have a big reaction.

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3 What Makes Russell Hantz One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players

Played During Survivor: Samoa, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Survivor: Redemption Island, & Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders

Throughout Survivor’s history, the show has had several villains. However, aside from people who committed serious misdeeds, Russell Hantz remains the show’s biggest villain. After all, Russell was the kind of player who lied about being affected by Hurricane Katrina and burned a tribemate’s socks.

Russell is also memorable for the debate about his gameplay. After all, many Survivor fans believe that Russell doesn’t truly understand the game.

2 What Makes Parvati Shallow One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players?

Played During Survivor: Cook Islands, Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, & Survivor: Winners at War

Quite possibly the most charismatic Survivor player ever, Parvati Shallow knows how to wrap other players around her finger. That attribute makes Parvati an extremely fun player for Survivor fans to watch.

During one of Parvati’s seasons, she was one of the leaders of an alliance called the Black Widow Brigade. That was a perfect name because watching Parvati entice people to fall into her web is such a memorable part of Survivor history.

1 What Makes “Boston” Rob Mariano One Of The Most Memorable Survivor Players?

Played During Survivor: Marquesas, Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Survivor: Redemption Island, & Survivor: Winners At War

Ever since Survivor: All-Stars aired, the show has held “Boston” Rob Mariano up as the ultimate player. In fact, when the show decided to bring back two players to coach newer players for a season, Rob was chosen alongside Sandra Diaz-Twine.

An extremely talented Survivor player, Rob has enjoyed a great deal of success during more than one season. Even when Rob gets voted out early, he doesn’t go quietly, like when he went to war against Russell Hantz. Considering how entertaining Rob is, he is a former winner, he has played the game 5 times, and he coached players. He had to top this list.

Survivor

Release Date

May 31, 2000

Cast

Jeff Probst

Seasons

45

Network

CBS

Showrunner

Jeff Probst

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