Survivor: Five favorites who may have played for the last time

Survivor: Winners at War was a terrific season, but several favorites might have played their last game.

Survivor: Winners at War was the fortieth incarnation of the beloved reality pioneer. Who wasn’t looking forward to the iconic players of the past match wits with the cutthroat students of the game that now populate every Survivor season?

A funny thing happened, though, as the season unfolded. The favorite old school players were quickly discarded from the game as winners from more recent seasons promptly took over the competition.

It was sad to see the players that pioneered strategies, and overall gameplay get dismissed so unceremoniously. The fact is, those players were unable to adjust to the fast-paced action and vote-to-vote mindset that is so prevalent in recent seasons.

Some of the older players looked, well, old. It seemed to have marked the end of an era for Survivor. Some people who dominated the game in the early years of the show have changed.

They now have families and different lives altogether. None were hesitant to give Survivor its due for changing their lives or hide the fact they love this game. Still, things didn’t feel the same watching them this time around.

It was apparent they were being outplayed, and most seemed to know it reasonably early. There is an excellent chance we will never see some of our all-time favorites play again. We may never see these five legends again.

Survivor favorites who may never play again: Number 5 – Ethan Zohn

Ethan Zohn may be the nicest person ever to win Survivor. He was successful in season three, Africa, by playing nice, being loyal to his alliance until the end, and being an all-around good guy.

Everyone knows his story of surviving not only the game but in life, battling cancer over the years. He is a hard person against whom to root.

In the game, however, he is just too nice. This first became obvious in season eight, All-Stars, when he didn’t show the cutthroat mentality needed to survive long as the game evolved.

In Winners at War, he looked lost and baffled most of the time, and was unable to keep up with the frenetic pace of the modern game.

When he first played the game, strategy and gameplay were still in the infancy stage, growing and developing. There were no idols or advantages; it was more about relationships and alliances.

Ethan will always be a favorite from the early years, but it was apparent he is no longer able to compete in the game.