These Are The 10 Best Seasons Of Survivor

There have been 35 seasons of the hit CBS show, SURVIVOR! Some seasons have been better than others. I had no idea I had such strong opinions on this topic, but apparently I do. I've put together a ranking of my favorite seasons of the hit CBS show. Enjoy!

10. Survivor: Marquesas

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I’m sure that most Survivor fans will roll their eyes at this one, but hear me out. Originally slated to be filmed in Jordan, the location was switched to the Marquesas Islands after 9/11. It has been widely reported to be the toughest location ever. The crew, cast, and Jeff Probst said that the bugs, heat, and terrain were impossible to deal with. I also loved this season’s cast because it featured the first active Mormon on the show, Neleh Dennis. She and Vecepia Towry’s convictions created a conversation about religion that was fun to see played out on the beach. All of this is on top of the total flip of power near the middle of the game and the first appearance of the dreaded purple rock of doom! What a ride!

9. Survivor: San Juan Del Sur

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When I watch Survivor, I have this thing with underdogs and people who hold grudges and get the chance to take their revenge. This season featured both. Jon and Jaclyn held all the power for most of the season, voting out both Natalie’s twin and her friends. Natalie held on and eventually brought the royal couple crashing down. It was amazing to witness.

8. Survivor: Philippines

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This season was dominated by older people, which I am all about. Having Michael Skupin and Lisa Whelchel on board made for an marvelous bout of nostalgia. Also, Malcolm and Denise’s secret alliance is probably still the only one that was actually kept secret for the entire season. All of this was brought into fantastic contrast with the new-age super villain, Abi. This one was a hoot.

7. Survivor: Pearl Islands

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In my opinion, this season had the greatest and biggest personalities ever. Rupert, Sandra, Lillian, Burton, Johnny Fairplay, Christa, I mean! C’mon! This season also featured one of the greatest twists when formerly voted out players came back into the game. That’s been pretty controversial among Survivor fans but I LIVED for the drama.

6. Survivor: Guatemala

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This season’s diverse and interesting cast played out among the ruins of the ancient Mayan civilization. Throughout the season, viewers gained an appreciation for this long-gone culture. It started strong and ended even stronger with a surprise finish, not to mention the Bobby Jon/Stephanie redemption story! One of my favorites!

5. Survivor: Heroes vs Villains

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I usually don’t enjoy all-star seasons as much as regular seasons, but this one was different. As the cast got narrowed down, things only got better. In a season full of big personalities, Russell Hantz, Survivor’s resident troll, was the perfect villain among villains. I love seasons that feature a revenge story and Sandra’s revenge on Russell was so very sweet to watch! Sandra, the show’s only two-time winner, will forever be the queen of the game.

4. Survivor: China

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This season was heavily strategic. The final three planned it all out in the first or second episode and stuck together through it all, which is almost unheard of these days. Todd played an aggressive game and it turned out great for him, which also doesn’t happen too often. All this is on top of the fact that this season was the first American TV show to film entirely in China. It made history and brought the other side of the world to our living rooms.

3. Survivor: Australia

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The second season ditched the beach for the outback, which I loved getting to experience. The cast seemed truly outdoorsy which came in handy since they had to deal with extremely real natural drama. Remember when their entire camp was washed away in a flash flood?! This season also produced some likable and famous figures like Colby Donaldson and Elizabeth Hasselbeck. Not to mention that the winner was probably one of the best ever, Tina! (I love older winners)

2. Survivor: Tocantins

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After learning how to pronounce this one, I fell in love with the location (I love non-beach seasons). It was remote and stunning. The difference between evil and good in this season was more marked than most others. The JT, Stephen, and Taj alliance contrasted perfectly with the Coach, Debbie, Tyson team. The former alliance played incredibly smart despite some obvious disadvantages, making this season a true underdog story. Throughout this whole season, I was invested in good conquering evil and it did!

1. Survivor: Gabon

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This will always be my favorite season ever. For one, the location is out of this world. The beautiful green prairies, jagged cliffs, and heavy jungles put the country on my bucket list from the first episode. I loved watching the players interact with local tribes and wild animals, like elephants! Next, the players in this season were unconventional, diverse, and fun to watch. I found the alliances enthralling and never boring. At this point in the show’s history, alliances didn’t change very often. In Gabon, power shifted episode to episode. Add to that the total shift of power at the end and the oldest winner in Survivor history, and it’s the perfect season. #TeamBob