Ranking the best new player casts in Survivor history

Best Survivor Casts – Number 2: Pearl Islands (Season 7)

Something I find fascinating whenever I go back and rewatch Survivor: Pearl Islands is how much I enjoy watching the season even though it’s a true old school season and there were no advantages to be had. No idols, no stealing votes (despite the pirate theme), and aside from an unpopular Outcasts twist, it’s a near perfect season.

The reason why Pearl Islands holds up almost 20 years later is because of its near flawless cast. Here are the names to emerge from this season:

• Sandra (Winner)
• Rupert
• Jonny FairPlay
• Lil (Runner-Up)
• Burton
• Andrew Savage

Even the minor characters like Darrah, Tijuana, and Christa were entertaining in their own right with Darrah’s “He lies, but also tells the truth sometimes” remark about FairPlay still being quoted by diehard Survivor fans to this day. This cast was so stacked and it’s absolutely why the season is still a fantastic watch so long after its initial airing.

Obviously most people remember Rupert, Sandra, and FairPlay from this season – as they should – but the entire cast had something to offer and a lot of the “lesser characters” on this season would have likely dominated the air time on another season.

It’s telling that Pearl Islands aired in 2003, but is still ranked as one of the best seasons ever. It’s because of that cast, which is the second best Survivor cast of all-time.