Survivor Winners at War premiere power rankings: Champs in contention

15. Yul Kwon

If Yul finds a seam, gets in with a good group, and is able to find himself second in command with a dominant alliance (controlling in numbers), there’s no end to his potential. However, that’s a tall order for a man separated from most winners due to his relative isolation, high profile positions in both private business and public office, and winning so long ago.

If there’s one thing that has prepared him for the twist-heavy era ahead of him, he found a way to utilize an overpowered twist to his supreme advantage with the post-vote idol. He is also a meticulous strategist that still manages to empathize with people, so perhaps he’ll have a chance to charm people first before they fail to fall for his ruse.

14. Sandra Diaz-Twine

The other statue head known to the players ahead of time, Sandra Diaz-Twine is the only two-time winner to have accomplished the task without being in a scenario where somebody, by default, will win a second time. That’s not even a given this time around, as the “anybody but me” strategy paired with actually following through with her Game Changers “big threats alliance” grouping could work well.

She does represent the kind of winner from All-Stars that players vote out in an effort to remove the biggest threats which provide the least from a strength perspective, as she’s the only two-time winner in a sea of one-time champs. However, she is also one of the most ardent offseason strategists and will likely have a plan or two in effect to keep her safe through at least the first few votes.

13. Danni Boatwright

Under-the-radar players who can impress a jury of seasoned peers are few and far between, and in seasons with big stakes, it’s not always the flashiest moves, but who you can persuade to vote for you, that pulls it off. Danni Boatwright is the kind of player that has been on the outside of a majority alliance looking in and has taken them down (as well as outmaneuvering production) en route to doing so.

Though Danni is one of the more athletic people on her Sele tribe, she has won in one of the least advantage-heavy seasons. Even the negating idol wasn’t effective for Gary

Hawkins

Hogeboom, though the fact that it was just her and him actively looking without a clue and she didn’t find it doesn’t bode as well as it could.