Richard Hatch won the inaugural installment of Survivor in 2000, becoming the first Sole Survivor to take home the $1 million prize. To commemorate the show’s 20 year anniversary, Hatch spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, where he said he knew the show would “knock people’s socks off” before it even aired. 

His run set the framework for all of the manipulation, backstabbing and strategy that is now standard for the reality series. Hatch was later sentenced to 51 months in prison for not paying taxes on his winnings, and he also received another nine-month sentence for failing to amend his 2000 tax return. 

He made his sole Survivor return in season eight, the first All-Stars installment, where he placed 14th. Dubbed one of reality TV’s first villains, Hatch appeared on the second season of E!’s House of Villains, and has appeared in various reality shows over the years including The Biggest Loser and The Apprentice.

Tina Wesson won season two of Survivor, making her the first woman to win the series. Before Survivor found its filming home in Fiji, installments were filmed in varying places around the globe, and this one was shot smack-dab in the middle of the Australian outback. 

Tina later returned for two more Survivor seasons; season eight (the first All-Stars installment) and season 27 (aka Blood vs. Water), where she placed fourth. Her season two runner-up, Colby Donaldson, will be returning to the franchise for Survivor 50.

Season three was won by Ethan Zohn, where he entered the show as a professional soccer player. Ethan has played Survivor three times; including his winning turn on season three, a last-place finish for season eight’s All-Stars and Winners at War, where he placed 18th. 

Vecepia Towery won Survivor: Marquesas, notably making history as the first-ever Black winner of the reality competition series. Season four was her sole stint on the show, as she’s never returned to compete in a second installment.

Brian Heidik is one of the most infamous winners in the franchise, having won the fifth season in 2002.

Jenna Morasca won season six of Survivor when she was a mere 22 years old, having actually filmed the series when she was only 21, making her the youngest woman to win (an accolade she shares with another winner on this list). She also held the title for youngest winner ever for a few years before season 21’s Sole Survivor was crowned. 

Another esteem she holds, Jenna is the first of two former Survivor players to be the youngest contestant on two seasons. She returned for All-Stars (season eight), where she set another record, becoming the first woman to quit the game.

Sandra Diaz-Twine won her first season of Survivor in 2003. As you’ll read later (if you’re not well-versed in the show’s history), Sandra is the first person to ever win the series twice, standing as the Sole Survivor for the second time in the beloved Heroes vs. Villains season. Sandra is also the first Latin-American winner of Survivor. 

She has appeared on the show several additional times, including to compete on Game Changers (season 34); Winners at War (season 40); and the international spinoff Australian Survivor: Blood V Water (Australia’s season nine). Plus, she joined Island of the Idols (season 39) as a mentor alongside another winner on this list.

Amber Brkich won the first-ever installment of Survivor to feature returning players, aka season eight’s All-Stars. She made her debut on season two and later appeared on Winners at War, where she was voted off first. 

During her winning season, Amber met her now-husband, Boston Rob Mariano, where their love story played out onscreen. Boston Rob finished as her runner-up, and on the finale, he proposed to her, marking the first engagement on the series and time two Survivor players wed. It’s where Amber wore the “I Heart Rob” shirt, arguably the most iconic fashion moment from the show’s canon, where she also beat her now-husband for the title of Sole Survivor.

Chris Daugherty won Survivor: Vanuatu in 2004, his sole appearance on the show. 

Tom Westman won the 10th season of the reality series. During Survivor: Palau, Tom matched Colby Donaldson’s record of most individual immunity challenge wins of five. He went on to compete on Heroes vs. Villains (season 20), where he was dubbed a “hero.” He placed 16th. 

Danni Boatwright reigned supreme on Survivor: Guatemala in 2005. 15 years later, she competed on Winners at War (season 40), and was voted out second behind fellow champion Amber Brkich. 

Survivor: Panama — Exile Island was won by Aras Baskauskas. He came back to compete on season 27’s Blood vs. Water, alongside his brother Vytas Baskauskas, who later appeared on Cambodia — Second Chance.

Yul Kwon won Survivor: Cook Islands, aka season 13 where each tribe was divided up based on the four ethnicities of Asian American, African American, Hispanic American and Caucasian. Throughout his time competing, he was never in danger of being eliminated, and notably is the first castaway to find a hidden immunity idol and win the show.

He is also the first Asian-American Survivor winner, and has returned to the show once for Winners at War (season 40). 

The first unanimous winner of Survivor was Earl Cole. Earning every single vote from the jury members, Earl won Survivor: Fiji in late 2006, also becoming the first Black man to win the show. 

Todd Herzog won Survivor’s 15th season in 2007. 

One of the most recognizable names from the franchise, Parvati Shallow won the Fans vs. Favorites season of Survivor in 2008. In that season, she was a part of the Black Widow Brigade, an all-woman alliance that successfully eliminated a string of male players and placed in the top four. 

Parvati has appeared on four seasons of the main installment, and she nearly won her first season after Micronesia, season 20’s Heroes vs. Villains. Her first appearance was in season 13 for Cook Islands (where she placed sixth) and she also competed on season 40’s Winners at War (finishing 15th). Parvati recently won her second Survivor title on the Australian spinoff Australia v The World, earning another accolade to her reality TV résumé.

Outside of the Survivor world, Parvati appeared on season two of Peacock’s The Traitors, where she was deemed a Traitor. She placed 11th.

Robert “Bob” Crowley is the champion of season 17. He stands as the eldest Survivor winner ever. 

James “J.T.” Thomas Jr. won his first appearance on the show, in May 2009 with Tocantins (season 18). He swiftly replied a year later for Heroes vs. Villains (season 20) and also competed on Game Changers (season 34). 

Natalie White won Survivor: Samoa in late 2009. She’s the first woman to win the show against two other male finalists. 

Sandra Diaz-Twine became the first-ever double Survivor winner in May 2010. Named the Sole Survivor of the iconic Heroes vs. Villains installment, her impact on the game is unmatched, which is why she’s known as the “Queen.” And as she says, “the Queen stays Queen,” and she’ll carry on that esteem no matter how many more times she returns to play. 

Sandra also competed on Australian Survivor: Blood v Water in 2022 alongside her daughter, placing 19th. Outside of the franchise, she was featured on The Traitors season two, and almost made it to the very end of the game, finishing in 5th.

Jud “Fabio” Birza is the youngest winner of Survivor, having played the game and won when he was only 21. (Season six winner Jenna Morasca and later season 23’s Sophie Clarke were both 21 when the show was filmed, but they turned 22 by the time the votes were read and they earned their respective wins.) He won four immunity challenges, and has never returned to the show.

Another fixture of the franchise, Rob Mariano — better known as “Boston Rob” — won Survivor season 22, aka Redemption Island. Before that, he appeared on the show three times; first in season four, season eight and season 20. During the eighth installment, the first All-Stars, he met his now-wife and that season’s winner Amber Brkich, and proposed to her at the season finale. 

Boston Rob went on to compete once more on Survivor for season 40’s Winners at War, making him the first player to appear in five seasons, setting the record for the most installments played by a castaway. He additionally served as a mentor of Survivor: Island of the Idols, further extending his stamp on the show’s lore. 

And it’s safe to say he’s no stranger to reality TV. Boston Rob has also competed on two seasons of The Amazing Race; season one of NBC’s Deal or No Deal Island; and most recently played as a Traitor on the third installment of The Traitors.

Sophie Clarke shares the accolade of being the youngest woman to win Survivor with Jenna Morasca, nabbing the title at a mere 22-years-old during season 23. (They were both 21 when their respective seasons were filmed.) 

She came back for the mammoth all-winners season (the 40th installment), where she placed tenth.

Survivor: One World was won by Kim Spradlin, with another unique format that initially separated tribes based on gender. During her run on the series, she matched the record for most individual immunity challenges won by a woman with four. Kim also appeared in Winners at War, where she finished ninth. 

Denise Stapley was named the Sole Survivor of Survivor: Philippines. She is the eldest woman to win the show, as she was 41 when season 25 filmed and 42 when her installment wrapped. Like a few other winners on this list, Denise returned for the all-winner season. There, placed sixth. 

John Cochran, more commonly referred to as merely Cochran, won his second turn on Survivor with season 26, Fans vs. Favorites. During his debut on South Pacific (season 23), he placed eighth. 

The first iteration of Survivor’s Blood vs. Water format, which casts duos who are related to one another, was won by Tyson Apostol. There, he competed alongside his now-wife Rachel Foulger. But that wasn’t his first season on the show, as Tyson previously appeared on Tocantins (season 18) and Heroes vs. Villains (season 20). He subsequently returned for Winners at War (season 40), placing eighth. 

Adding his reality TV status as a “villain,” Tyson will be next seen on the third season of Peacock’s House of Villains.

Tony Vlachos won Survivor during his first season for the 28th installment. But that wasn’t the end of his winning — after placing 19th on Game Changers (season 34), he won the monumental Winners at War season in 2019. He is the second person to win Survivor twice, behind Sandra Diaz-Twine. 

And that wasn’t his later appearance in the franchise, as Tony recently went on the Australian spinoff to compete on Australia v The World. There, he finished in 11th place.

Natalie Anderson won the second Blood vs. Water installment during season 29, notably avenging her twin sister, Nadiya Anderson, being the first player voted out of the game. She entered the show notably having formerly appeared on The Amazing Race. 

Natalie notably competed on the all-winners season, where she placed second to Tony Vlachos. Outside of Survivor, she can also be caught on season four of Peacock’s The Traitors.

Mike Holloway won season 30, which was themed around contestant’s jobs with the title of Worlds Apart — White Collar vs. Blue Collar vs. No Collar. Mike represented the blue collar tribe, and he also notably matched the record of most individual immunity challenge wins for a man (with five). 

Jeremy Collins won Cambodia — Second Chance, a season where fans voted on which past Survivor players they wanted to see return for another shot at the title of Sole Survivor. He originally appeared on season 29 (where he finished 10th), and made his third appearance on the show for Winners at War (he finished eighth.)

Michele Fitzgerald won season 32 of Survivor, which was sanctioned by the terms of Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty. Hailing from the original Beauty tribe, Michele did not attend a tribal council until the merge, making her the first castaway (and winner) to do so. She returned for Winners at War (season 40), where she placed third, also notably meaning she has never been voted out of the game. 

Another season where the tribes were initially split based on a theme, season 33 saw two tribes filled with nothing but millennials and a separate tribe with only Gen Xers. Adam Klein represented for the millennials, and went on to win the season. 

Another installment full of returning players, season 34’s Game Changers cast tapped former castaways who (you guessed it) changed the game. Sarah Lacina won the season, originally playing on season 28’s Cagayan, where she placed 11th. She returned for Winners at War, finishing in fourth place, nearly making the final tribal council. 

Ben Driebergen won season 35 of Survivor, entitled Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. He also competed on Winners at War (season 40), where he placed fifth. 

Wendell Holland won Survivor’s 38th season in a franchise-defining moment. After all the jury votes were read and it was revealed he tied with Domenick Abbate, their fellow top three finisher Laurel Johnson was put on the spot to cast the game-winning vote, and she voted for Wendell. 

He also appeared on the all-winners installment (season 40). Wendell finished Winners at War in 13th.

Survivor split the season 37 cast into two tribes based on two profound distinctions: David vs. Goliath, aka underdogs versus leaders. Nick Wilson, labeled a David, would win the season. (His runner-up was notably The White Lotus creator Mike White.)

Nick has returned once for season 40 (Winners at War), where he finished seventh. 

Chris Underwood’s path to winning Survivor is arguably the most unique out of all the show’s champions. He notably was the third person voted out of season 38, though a unique twist allowed exiled players to venture to the Edge of Extinction, where they remained stranded on an isolated island until they received a chance to play their way back into the game. 

There were two shots at returning to the game in a form of a challenge; Chris won the second, returning to Survivor on day 35, joining the final six players. He would go on to win the show, having played the game the least amount of days out of any winner, with only 13 days under his belt. He is also the second Latin-American winner ever, and the first Latin-American man to win the series. 

Chris’ win is one of the most infamous and controversial of the series due to this short-time actually playing the game of Survivor.

Another season with a unique format, Tommy Sheehan won season 39 of Survivor, better known as Island of the Idols. 

Before season 50 was chopped up to be one of the most anticipated installments of Survivor, there was season 40’s Winners at War. A cast comprised of nothing but past winners, it truly was a once-in-a-lifetime season of the show, one that was won by season 28 champion Tony Vlachos. The win solidified his place in Survivor history, becoming not only the second person to win the show twice, but the winner of one of the most iconic seasons of the show ever. 

Since Winners at War, Tony has not returned to the flagship franchise, though he did compete on the Australian spinoff for 2024’s Australia v The World. He was also on The Traitors‘ third season.

Erika Casupanan won season 41 of Survivor, and her win marked a few firsts for the flagship franchise. She became the debut Canadian to win the show, and also remains as the only Filipino and Southeast Asian person to have nabbed the $1 million prize. 

Maryanne Oketch won Survivor 42 in May 2022, making her the second Black woman to be named Sole Survivor. She’s currently the youngest champion in the show’s orbit, and she won in a near-unanimous vote of 7-1. 

Mike Gabler won the 43rd season of the CBS reality show. He is the second eldest Survivor winner, and has never returned to the series.  

Season 44 was won by Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho in 2023. He is also the first contestant and winner of the show to reside in Puerto Rico. Yam Yam recently extended his competitive reality TV résumé with an appearance on season four of The Traitors. 

Dee Valladares won season 45 of Survivor, and is a new-school darling of the franchise. She previously co-hosted the On Fire podcast, a companion to the main series, with Jeff Probst, and was one of a select few (24, to be exact) former players to be asked to appear on Survivor 50. 

Kenzie Petty is among a pool of the show’s new-school era winners. She made it to the final tribal council on her installment after successfully starting fire, notably making her the first woman to win the fire-making challenge and then the show. 

Season 47 was won by Rachel LaMont. Like a few other women on this list, Rachel tied the record for most individual immunity necklaces won by a woman (with four wins during her season). 

The spring 2025 season of Survivor was won by Kyle Fraser. And he’s already ready for more gameplay, as Kyle will next be seen on the cast of season 50.

The last winner crowned before Survivor’s landmark 50th season was Savannah Louie. During her time on season 49, she tied the record for individual immunity challenges won by a woman, with four wins. She and Rizo Velovic were immediately asked back for Survivor 50 — and by immediately, we mean they were invited onto the next installment a mere few hours after she was named the winner. 

“I feel like it wasn’t even a question. How can you say no to that?” Savannah told The Hollywood Reporter of her decision to return to the show right after winning. “When we were asked to come on, the cast wasn’t released officially, but you heard all these rumblings. And so as a Survivor fan, before I was a player, how could you ever turn that down?”

Being deemed the winner of Survivor 50 will be a title one castaway will wear with an insurmountable amount of pride. Time will only tell which former player will take home the title.