Survivor season 35 cast: Ben Driebergen sees himself as all-around threat

Our final Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers cast assessment dives into Ben Driebergen, who could be an all-around threat in season 35.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers has finally arrived, premiering on Wednesday night. In light of that, we’re wrapping up our cast assessments with a member of the Heroes tribe, Ben Driebergen, a Marine from Boise, ID.

In the sneak peek of the first six minutes of the premiere, Ben got some screen time when Jeff Probst was singling out specific members of each tribe. He noted Driebergen’s service to the United States as a Marine, which Ben responded to humbly by stating that he was “just doing his job.”

Obviously getting that kind of edit right out of the gate is something to like. However, there’s more than just that to like. When you start to look at what Driebergen has said in pre-game interviews and such from CBS, it’s pretty clear that he is bringing pretty close to the total package to Survivor:

Because there doesn’t seem to be that much of it, we’ll start with the potential negatives. Though Ben says he doesn’t think yelling and getting angry accomplishes anything, he does admit to having a “grizzly bear” side to him. When you’re out on the island with 17 strangers, the potential for that side coming out is dangerous.

What’s more, one of the former players he compares himself to in his CBS cast interview is Russell Hantz. Anytime that you and Russell are mentioned in the same sentence, that’s not a particularly good thing.

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However, in the same breath that Ben likens himself to Hantz, he also says that he has a bit of Boston Rob and Joe Anglim in his game as well. Here’s the full quote:

"I’m a little conniving and manipulative like Russell, have the determination and confidence of Boston Rob, and the athletic ability of Joe."

Say what you will about Russell, but if you combine the games of those other two with his game, you have the potential for a true Final 3 threat. Granted, this is a self-assessment and could be proven wrong in practice, but the fact that he sees himself this way is certainly eye-opening in that you’ll want to see what Ben is capable of in Fiji.

Driebergen’s military background also seems to help him. He seems like the type of guy that can most certainly lead, but also comes off likable enough to where that won’t put a target on his back. That ability can be an ace in the hole if it’s played out properly in the game. And if he truly is a physical threat, that makes him even more dangerous for his 17 fellow castaways.

Though there are some areas that make you hesitant, it would appear that Ben could be a quality player in every facet of Survivor. We’ll see if he’s able to live up to that, but it most definitely seems possible given what we know.

Next: Survivor season 35 cast assessment: Cole Medders

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers premieres at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS on Wednesday, Sept. 27.