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In season 38 of Survivor: Edge of Extinction, the long-running show made history with the largest jury ever. However, it looks like Survivor: Winners at War is about to break that record with the 40th anniversary season.

Natalie Anderson, Amber Brkich Mariano, Danni Boatwright, Ethan Zohn, Boston Rob Mariano, Parvati Shallow, Yul Kwon, Wendell Holland, Adam Klein, Tyson Apostol, Sophie Clarke and Kim Spradlin at Tribal Council
Natalie Anderson, Amber Brkich Mariano, Danni Boatwright, Ethan Zohn, Boston Rob Mariano, Parvati Shallow, Yul Kwon, Wendell Holland, Adam Klein, Tyson Apostol, Sophie Clarke and Kim Spradlin on the jury at Tribal Council | CBS Entertainment

How many jury members did ‘Survivor: Edge of Extinction’ have?

A typical season of Survivor has about eight to 10 jury members. However, Survivor: Edge of Extinction had 13 castaways voting for the winner. During a regular season of the 20-year-old show, the jury begins when players are voted out after the merge. These castaways go to Ponderosa, where they can eat, shower, and sleep in a clean bed while they await their chance to vote in the final tribal council.

However, for season 38, the producers added in a new twist. Instead of going to Ponderosa when players were voted out, they were sent to the Edge of Extinction island. On this more barren island, the castaways had less food to eat and more uncomfortable amenities. 

The players waited there for their chance to return to the game through a competition. Anyone who did not make it back into the game became a jury member. If things on the desolate island became too difficult, the castaways could raise the white flag and head to Ponderosa at any time. In Survivor: Edge of Extinction, two players left the game entirely — Keith Sowell and Wendy Diaz — on day 17.

Which season of ‘Survivor’ had the largest jury ever?

Survivor: Winners at War will make history on May 13, 2020, with the largest jury ever of 16 castaways. Season 40 will beat out the previous record of 13 jury members — set in 2019 by Survivor: Edge of Extinction.

The massive jury currently consists of Natalie Anderson, Parvati Shallow, Sophie Clarke, Tyson Apostol, Wendell Holland, Yul Kwon, Amber Mariano, Rob Mariano, Danni Boatwright, Nick Wilson, Jeremy Collins, Kim Spradlin-Wolfe, Ethan Zohn, and Adam Klein.

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The 14 players on the Edge of Extinction will have one chance to get back in the game in the finale episode. The other 13 will head to Ponderosa to await the final tribal council. The players in the game — including the returnee — will vote out two more players in tribal councils. Then the four remaining players will battle it out with a fire-making challenge to earn their place in the final three. 

Many ‘Survivor’ fans hate the Edge of Extinction Twist causing such an extensive jury

“I personally can’t stand it,” commented one YouTube viewer. “Some people on the jury won’t have even played a single day of Survivor with a person that is in the final tribal. Can’t WAIT for Edge of extinction to be extinct.”

The 40th season is the second time that the Edge of Extinction twist has caused such an extensive jury. Fans did not enjoy the twist back then, and many are complaining again, now.

“Agreed,” added another fan. “[There is a] 16 person jury, it would’ve been 17 if Sandra did not quit!”

Sandra Diaz-Twine raised the white flag when she was voted out of the game on day 16. She is at Ponderosa, but will not be a member of the jury. 

Find out who all of the remaining jury members will be during the 3-hour season finale of Survivor: Winners at War on May 13, 2020, at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.

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