‘Survivor’: The 5 Best Seasons, Ranked
With over 43 seasons of Survivor, it’s difficult to choose which ones stand out the most. There have been numerous entertaining seasons full of impressive gameplay, dynamic casts, and shocking Tribal Councils that have left us with our jaws on the floor. But we’ve narrowed the list of all-time great seasons to five must-sees for any Survivor fan.
5. ‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X’
Including Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X on our list of the top five Survivor seasons might be a controversial pick, but we wholeheartedly stand by it.
Adam Klein is one of the most underrated winners (aside from Vecepia Towery). After all, he is one of five castaways to win the show unanimously, and he played a smart (yet chaotic at times) strategic and social game. Plus, Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X introduced us to multiple memorable players, including Zeke Smith, David Wright, Hannah Shapiro, Jay Starrett, and Michaela Bradshaw.
Overall, season 33 was full of exciting blindsides, shocking idol plays, and a cyclone that forced producers to evacuate the castaways. And who could forget the iconic rock draw that sent Jessica Lewis packing? Or the cringeworthy showmance between Taylor Stocker and Figgy Figueroa? Just talking about Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X makes us want to rewatch the season.
4. The first season of ‘Survivor’ — Borneo
We’re taking you back to 2000 when no one knew what Survivor was, but they were ready to go on this new adventure with host Jeff Probst and 16 unheard-of contestants by their side. And the result was a reality competition series that took the world by storm. Fifteen million people tuned into the premiere, which grew to 51.7 million viewers by the finale. And the rest, you could say, was history.
Survivor: Borneo, the show’s first season, didn’t have any hidden immunity idols, Beware Advantages, or rock draws, but it was undoubtedly one of the most entertaining installments of the series.
Most players didn’t understand the game (we’ll never get over Sean Kenniff’s alphabet strategy), but Richard Hatch and the Tagi alliance definitely did, which is why they made it to the final four. Ultimately, Richard became the show’s first Sole Survivor during the Final Tribal Council, and we’ll forever remember Sue Hawk’s infamous “rats and snakes” speech.
Survivor: Borneo laid the groundwork for what is one of our favorite shows, and for that reason alone, it deserves a spot on our best seasons list.
3. ‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains’
Whereas some shows don’t utilize returning players to the best of their abilities (we’re looking at you, Big Brother), Survivor invites back castaways who deserve a second chance and makes them shine again. And one of the best examples of a successful returning players season in the history of reality television is Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.
The concept was simple yet brilliant — gather 10 former castaways who fans regarded as heroes and 10 seen as villains for the historic 20th season. And the minute the 20 contestants stepped foot onto the beach, it was magic (and so, so brutal).
Overall, the Villains outplayed the Heroes with challenge wins, sneaky moves, and ruthless backstabbing. And there are so many memorable moments from Heroes vs. Villains, including Tyson Apostol’s mind-boggling blindside, J.T. Thomas handing over a hidden immunity idol to Russell Hantz for no reason, and Parvati Shallow playing two idols in one single Tribal Council.
Oh, and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains produced the show’s first two-time winner, Sandra Diaz Twine. The queen stays queen, alright.
2. ‘Survivor: Cagayan’
While Tony Vlachos’ gameplay in Survivor: Winners at War was mighty impressive and deserving of the second two-time winner, his first appearance on the show takes the cake. And Woo Hwang will never not be reminded of his foolish mistake of bringing Tony to the final two over Kass McQuillen.
Despite not playing under the radar, Tony was able to make it to the end and win Survivor: Cagayan. He was an obvious threat from the get-go, but his spy shacks, ruthless gameplay, and hidden immunity idol finds secured him a spot in the finale. And Tony’s connection with Woo ensured he would make it to the final two, even though everyone knows that Woo would have easily won against Kass.
Aside from Tony, season 28 featured various smart and entertaining castaways — Kass, Spencer Bledsoe, Tasha Fox, Sarah Lacina, and more. We’ve said it before and will say it again — a Survivor cast makes or breaks a season. And the all-newbie Survivor: Cagayan cast was one for the history books.
1. ‘Survivor: Micronesia’ is our favorite season
OK — we know that it’s not a revelation to declare Survivor: Micronesia as the best season, but there’s a reason why fans love the first iteration of Fans vs. Favorites.
Obviously, the Black Widow Brigade’s manipulation and blindside of Erik Reichenbach is one of the greatest moments in Survivor‘s history. But there are so many more moments in Micronesia that make it a must-see season — Amanda Kimmel and Ozzy Lusth’s showmance, two medical evacuations and a quit, Ozzy’s fake idol, and a Final Tribal Council for the ages.
Survivor: Micronesia‘s only downfall is the surprise final two twist which screwed over the beloved Cirie Fields. At least Cirie got her revenge in The Traitors on Peacock.
All seasons of Survivor are available to stream on Paramount+.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
