Though it’s been hinted at since the preview reveal back in December, Survivor: Winners at War finally, officially reveals the red and blue starting tribes.
This has been the season many Survivor fans have been waiting for. The first time we’ll get a returning player from Guatemala comes 29 seasons after they first won the game, with Winners at War bringing back winners from as long ago as season 3 in Africa all the way to several recent winners who have made Fiji their winning country.
With several players having won their game playing with (or against) several other winners en route to becoming a Sole Survivor, the balancing act for producers comes in deciding who starts where. You don’t want to put all the young guns on one tribe for challenge strength, yet you don’t want a pre-game alliance or too many players who have worked together before.
EW has the starting tribe delineations for Survivor: Winners at War, with ten players on the red Dakal tribe and ten players on the blue Sele tribe that represent as fair a split as possible. Here they are:
Dakal Tribe (Red)
- Tyson Apostol: 39, Mesa, AZ, “Son, husband, father, friend. In a different order, though.”
- Sophie Clarke: 29, Santa Monica, CA, Healthcare Consultant
- Sandra Diaz-Twine: 44, Riverview, FL, Case Manager at a Law Firm
- Wendell Holland: 35, Philadelphia, PA, Furniture Company Owner
- Yul Kwon: 44, Los Altos, CA, Product Management
- Sarah Lacina: 34, Cedar Rapids, IA, Police Officer
- Amber Mariano: 40, Pensacola, FL, Director of Marketing and Communications
- Kim Spradlin: 36, San Antonio, Texas, Interior Designer
- Nick Wilson: 28, Williamsburg, KY, Attorney
- Tony Vlachos: 45, Allendale, NJ, Police Officer
Sele Tribe (Blue)
- Natalie Anderson: 33, Edgewater, NJ, CrossFit Trainer
- Danni Boatwright: 43, Shawnee, KS, Owner of Sideline Chic
- Jeremy Collins: 41, Foxborough, MA, Firefighter
- Ben Driebergen: 36, Boise, ID, Stay-at-home Dad
- Michele Fitzgerald: 28, Los Angeles, CA, Keynote Speaker/Host
- Adam Klein: 28, Los Angeles, CA, Keynote Speaker/Host
- Boston Rob Mariano: 43, Pensacola, FL, Construction
- Parvati Shallow: 43, Pensacola, FL, Construction
- Denise Stapley: 48, Marion, IA, LMHC & AASECT Certified Sex Therapist
- Ethan Zohn: 45, Hillborough, NH, Social Entrepreneur / Keynote Speaker
Obviously, some of the most direct connections have been separated, mostly centering around Boston Rob. This means both Amber and Sandra are on opposite tribes as him, yet based on pre-game interviews, Amber might not be keen to work with her. Sandra’s also on the same starting tribe as Tony once again, which may prove to put her in trouble.
On the other hand, Jeremy Collins and Natalie Anderson are a duo that has played together, while everyone else is on neutral ground or in possible opposition. This might mean one or the other will be targeted first on the Sele tribe, if not one of Ethan Zohn or Boston Rob. The possibilities are endless; tell us what you think of these Survivor: Winners at War starting tribes!