There are plenty of types of players when it comes to Survivor, from the physical competitors to the savvy social ones to the strategic powerhouses who've revolutionised the game. While several winners have balanced the physical, social, and strategic elements of the game, there are some who have prevailed or are more commonly known for their outwitting abilities.
Here are five women who have played Survivor and, regardless of whether they won or not, are, in my opinion, the best master strategists of the game in over 40 seasons.
1. Kim Spradlin-Wolfe
In an alternate universe, Survivor: One World wouldn't be considered one of the worst seasons of the show had it not been for a cast, sheep mentality, and mainly Colton Cumbie. However, if anyone wants to see how a master strategist of Survivor operates, and in their first try at the game, it is worth seeing Survivor: One World to watch Kim Spradlin work her magic.
From the first second, Kim controlled the women's tribe and led her core alliance to her season's endgame. Mostly everyone recognised how big of a threat Kim was, yet no one dared to blindside her due to Kim's almost flawless social game and, later, due to her record-winning individual immunity run. Though Kim did face some backlash at the Final Tribal Council, she was able to highlight her strategic, social, and physical prowess, which later gave her the title of Sole Survivor.
When Kim later returned to Survivor: Winners at War, she had a massive target on her back due to her strategic reputation. Once again, Kim demonstrated why she was one of the greats, as she managed to outlast until the Final Eight when she was caught plotting against Tony Vlachos and later voted out. Kim consistently demonstrated how tenacious, smart, and capable she was as a well-rounded player and solidified her legacy as one of the best players the game has ever seen.
2. Sandra Diaz-Twine
This list must include the only woman who has ever won the game twice in Survivor's history and its international versions. With her hilarious and cutthroat confessionals, superb under-the-radar gameplay, loyalty to the end social game, and an epic anyone-but-me strategy, Sandra is one unforgettable player who rightly deserves her place in the Mount Rushmore of strategists of Survivor.
During Survivor: Pearl Islands, Sandra showed her gameplay capabilities from the get-go when she managed to gather supplies from her tribe in Panama by speaking Spanish with the locals and by warning her fellow tribemate, Trish Dunne, that a local lady perhaps wanted more than friendship with her. Well, kidding aside, Sandra showed off throughout the season that one of her core values when playing Survivor was her loyalty, which would also become one of her best-known qualities in subsequent seasons.
If Sandra swore her allegiance to someone, she would go down and swing for that person, which garnered her a lot of support from the jury. Had Tijuana Bradley voted for Sandra at the Final Two, Sandra would've been the first person in Survivor history to have had a perfect game, meaning having no votes against her and having all the jury votes to win.
When Sandra returned for Heroes vs. Villains, she declared from day one that she would be a meaner version of herself than the one we met back on PI. However, Sandra turned out to be a hero among the villains. With her trustworthy and loyal gameplay style and having the better social game out of the Final Three, Sandra was crowned the Queen of Survivor as she got her second win.
During Game Changers, Sandra was unable to get rid of her gigantic target. She was voted out too soon before she could have enough momentum to go far, but not before she got rid of Tony Vlachos, who undoubtedly was one of the biggest threats there and delivered some epic meme moments along the way.
Sandra also appeared in Survivor: Island of the Idols as a mentor, alongside Boston Rob, and later returned in the long-awaited all-winners season in Survivor: Winners at War. During WaW, old-school winners were immediately targeted, with Sandra being one of the most coveted targets. Once she was eliminated, she decided to leave the game after realising she'd have to face the Edge of Extinction. Sandra's Survivor journey wasn't over yet, as she also played on Australian Survivor's Blood v. Water season with her daughter, Nina Twine. Nina then became one of Australian Survivor's best players having learned all of her mother's tricks and turns.
In several appearances over a 15-year span, Sandra demonstrated to fans and haters alike why she is one of Survivor's most important players. She continuously outwitted her enemies, outplayed her opponents, and ultimately outlasted most of her competition—and with that, the queen stayed queen. Adios.
3. Parvati Shallow
Who would've thought that the young woman who played on Survivor: Cook Islands would later become one of the best-known women players not only on Survivor but throughout reality TV? One of the founders of the epic Black Widow Brigade alliance, Parvati Shallow, encompasses what all types of players wish to be and have: being a strategic powerhouse, a social butterfly, an endurance physical competitor, and having never-ending charm.
During her Cook Islands run, Parvati was typecast as the stereotypical flirty young woman on an island that was there to have fun. Though she made the jury, Parvati didn't showcase her plethora of strengths until her second time on the game. On Survivor: Micronesia, Parvati demonstrated what happens when one is severely underestimated and broke the rule book when playing the game, as she lethally dominated the game alongside her all-women's alliance, which led to her winning the season.
When the then-coined villainess returned in Heroes vs. Villains, Parvati faced an uphill battle of constantly being targeted in fear of what she could do in the game. With her strategic mindset, social bonds, and immunity run, Parvati managed to get to the end, where she narrowly lost the game but earned everyone's respect along the way, especially with the masterful gameplay move where she correctly played two idols and single-handedly initiated the Heroes' downfall.
Just like Sandra, Parvati had a massive target on her name when she returned to Survivor: Winners at War and couldn't escape her fate as old-school winners were outnumbered and targeted. However, Parvati will soon return in the upcoming Australia vs. The World season, where, regardless of her placement, she will surely create enough chaos, damage, and unparalleled gameplay, which we will still be discussing in years to come.
4. Cirie Fields
If there ever was a player who continuously met obstacles, last-minute twists, and plain dumb advantage wars that got in the way of her win, it is no other than the legendary Cirie Fields herself. Once known as the person who got up the couch to play Survivor, Cirie broke everyone's expectations when she turned out to be one of Survivor's most iconic, beloved, and strategic masterminds in all of its history.
In Survivor: Panama, Cirie was on the "older women" tribe with only four members, and thank the Survivor gods, Cirie didn't leave on that first Tribal Council where no one would ever have known the diamond in the rough that was in the making. Alongside her dysfunctional Casaya allies, Cirie reached the final four, where, due to being perceived as a social jury threat, she was ultimately eliminated after facing Danielle DiLorenzo at a final four fire-making challenge.
During Survivor: Micronesia as a Favorite, Cirie cemented her legacy alongside her Black Widow Brigade alliance, as one by one, they eliminated all of their adversaries, particularly the men post-merge. At the final five, Cirie and her allies decided to convince the last man left, Erik Reichenbach, to give his individual immunity to Natalie Bolton instead, giving the fans one of the most unbelievable, jaw-dropping moves in reality TV's history.
Cirie's appearance on Heroes vs. Villains was too short, as her performance back in Micronesia was still too fresh in everyone's minds. Cirie once again came back in Survivor: Game Changers, where even though she was one of the biggest names out there, she was never once targeted by anyone until the ill-fated Advantage-geddon during the Final Six.
Despite having no votes against her, Cirie was the only person left for elimination after everyone else had a semblance of immunity and heartbreakingly left in the most devastating twist yet, which was completely out of her control. Luckily for us, Cirie will return alongside her fellow Black Widow ally, Parvati, on the upcoming Australia vs. The World, where Cirie could finally get her win. It is also worth mentioning that Cirie did win in other shows, such as The Traitors and Snake in the Grass.
Cirie is one of those players who is so much more than meets the eye. She's sweet, amicable, and has a mother/nurse vibe, which has worked so well in her favour that not many see her coming until it's too late. Cirie perfectly embodies how anyone could play Survivor, but not everyone is on her level of gameplay, as the Big Brother 25 cast learned the hard way when Cirie almost won the entire season had it not been for the season being filled with too many unbalanced physical challenges.
5. Dee Valladares
Lastly, there are too many strategic women to choose from in over 48 seasons. Having named four from the other eras of Survivor, this place is for a new era winner who demonstrated what a smart, strategic, social, and competitive woman can do in Survivor, and that is Dee Valladares from Survivor 45.
Dee came into the game as a force to be reckoned with. Dee, with the help of her Reba four alliance, completely dominated the game during all of its phases, and Dee exponentially increased her winning chances by methodically eliminating every threat to her game at every vote. By also winning immunity necklaces, Dee couldn't be stopped, and once she reached the Final Tribal Council, the jury gave her the necessary votes to consolidate her win.
Dee encapsulated what a new era winner is: someone who isn't afraid to make big moves but also knows how and when to do them. Also, Dee showed how to have a visceral grip on the game while still playing alongside and with allies without demeaning them or making them feel less, which also greatly helped her jury management.
Honorable mentions: Amanda Kimmel, Rachel LaMont, Genevieve Mushaluk, Natalie Anderson, Shan Smith, Kelley Wentworth, Aubry Bracco, and Sarah Lacina