With a legacy as long as a show like Survivor, we are bound to come across players who do not just play a good game, but who become legendary for their impact on the game. Whether the impact be social, strategic, personality-based, or a combination of all of the above, many castaways have made themselves memorable to casting and audiences alike.
That said, becoming a legend does not ensure a player a win. "Boston" Rob Mariano took four attempts at the game to get his first winning season, and Tyson Apostol took three. Others became legends because of their wins, including two-time winners Sandra Diaz-Twine and Tony Vlachos. However, many of the most iconic players in the game have never won a season. Which legends shock fans in the fact that they never pulled out a victory?
1. Cirie Fields
No list of legends who never won the show could be made without mentioning one of the best of all time, Cirie Fields. Arguably one of the best social players on Survivor, Cirie has become infamous not just for her infectious, likable personality but also her ruthlessly strong gameplay. Unfortunately, she is also known for her shocking exits, having nearly invented ways to get voted out. It is this that has her on the list more than anything else.
Cirie has played the game four times, yet has never taken home the victory. Her first season, Survivor: Panama, was where she began her connection with the audience. Her wit, humor, charm, and relatability immediately endeared her to the viewers. She ended up placing fourth, going home in a fire-making challenge.
Cirie's second appearance was on Survivor: Micronesia. As a member of the most famous Survivor alliances of all time, the Black Widow Brigade, Cirie brilliantly orchestrated some of the most shocking blindsides of all time. Cirie was projected to win the game, making it to the Final Three against alliance partners Parvati Shallow and Amanda Kimmel. However, Jeff shocked everyone by announcing the season had a surprise Final Two, and Cirie ended up voted out. Her heartbreaking exit is one of the most powerful in Survivor history.
Cirie made her third appearance on Survivor Heroes vs. Villains, where she was again knocked out of the game unconventionally. Fearing her connection to the others from the Black Widow Brigade, as well as her performances in challenges, JT Thomas flipped on Cirie and leaked the vote, causing Tom Westman to idol her out of the game as the fourth vote out.
Cirie's fourth and final appearance, Survivor: Game Changers, was possibly both her best game and the most shocking of all her exits. Having played a brilliant game, Cirie was in the driver's seat at the Final Six, having avoided being a target most of the game and being in everyone's good graces. It appeared she had a strong chance at making it to final tribal, until "advantagegedon" took place, with all five other tribe members becoming immune. Cirie automatically was eliminated, the first in Survivor history to go home with no votes cast against her.
Cirie is one of the only players to be eliminated in new ways every time she played, and none of them were a conventional vote-out. She has had success on other reality shows, namely The Traitors season 1, but the Survivor win eludes her. She is cast on the upcoming Australian Survivor season, Australia vs. The World. Perhaps this will be her winning opportunity. If not, could we see her on Survivor 50?
2. Russell Hantz
Russell Hantz may be the most recognizable villain in Survivor history. Unlike Cirie, it is completely clear why Russell did not win. However, his lack of wins is the bone of contention not just for him, but many fans as well, who believe he deserved jury votes and was dethroned by bitter players. While this is not a belief I espouse, I do believe he is a legend who could easily have won the game.
Russell played his first two seasons back to back, on Survivor: Samoa and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. He played both games largely the same, given that the cast of Heroes vs. Villains had not seen his first season yet. He pulled off some incredible strategic turnarounds and blindsides, maneuvering his way from the minority to the final three on both seasons. However, his lying, abrasive personality, and arrogance cost him the jury vote in both seasons.
His third and fourth appearances were short-lived, and his personality and reputation preceded him. On both Survivor: Redemption Island and his season of Australian Survivor, he was one of the first players voted out and could simply never find footing in the game. In Survivor: Redemption Island, his tribe actually threw a competition to vote him out (which many see as that tribes undoing and the ultimate win of another legend, Boston Rob).
Russell Hantz is a strategic mastermind. He is able to lie and manipulate better than almost any player in the game, and on many juries, that would have won him the game. He misread his castmates, though, and his personality and actions kept him from earning their votes, and if you ask Jeff, rightfully so. Nevertheless, he is a legend, and one that we are shocked did not pull out a victory, but do not expect to see him on Survivor 50.
3. Amanda Kimmel
Amanda Kimmel may not be the most recognizable by her personality, but she certainly should be by her gameplay. Amanda set a Survivor record at one point, having lasted the longest number of days in the game without being voted out, at 108, which is a standing record even today. She played a strong game all three seasons she played in, but has yet to find her elusive win.
On her first season, Survivor: China, Amanda played an under-the-radar, but intellectual, game. She sat back and observed players, and in turn was able to read them incredibly well. When balanced with her likeable personality and her ability to win challenges, she became a shoo-in for the Final 2. Unfortunately, she went against another fantastic player in Todd Herzog, and could not pull out the victory.
Amanda's second season went exactly like her first. She was part of the aforementioned Black Widow Brigade, and her similar social and observational skills brought her to the end. Winning final immunity gave her the chance to vote out Cirie, taking herself and Parvati to the Final Two. Much like her game against Todd, however, Parvati was seen as too strong of a player and beat out Amanda for the win..
Amanda's third and final appearance, on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, was the first time she did not make the end, although it was not from lack of trying. She was in a powerful position with the numbers for a good portion of the game. However, a sneaky lie by Russell Hantz, a timely double idol play the tribal before, and a fear of her reuniting with Parvati, cost Amanda her numbers and ultimately her game, at the second tribal after the merge.
Amanda is one of the most underrated players in Survivor history. On most seasons, she would have won not once but twice. She simply ended up going against two phenomenal legends in their own right, and could not convince the jury of her winning game. Her record will likely never be broken, and if given another shot, she could very likely make it a deep run again. Could she be a candidate for Survivor 50?
4. Jerri Manthey
Jerri Manthey is a legend not just for her gameplay but for how she shifted the game and left her mark on the show. Jerri is regarded as the first female villain of Survivor, and she self-proclaimed herself the first "Black Widow". While her game involved lying and deception, she was strong strategically and physically, which has carried her deep in multiple different seasons. In the end, though, she fell just short each time.
Her first season was way back in Survivor: Australia, where she earned her reputation that has carried ever since. Her battles with eventual winner Colby Donaldson are what fans likely remember her for, but her gameplay was also solid. She ended up taken out by Colby, who she felt betrayed her, but her memorable, outspoken attitude made her a shoo-in for a returnee season.
Jerri did return for Survivor: All Stars. She wanted to downplay her outspoken personality, but quickly fell back into her old ways. Despite this, she had control in the majority for most of the pre-merge, navigating through alliances and taking out players she needed gone. A surprise tribe shuffle at the potential merge became her undoing, and she was voted out after her effort to protect Amber Birkich, the eventual winner.
In her final appearance, Jerri played perhaps her best game in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. As a member of the villains, Jerri was able to align with some of the strongest players in the game. Even after losing her best ally, Boston Rob, early, Jerri navigated back into the power. She became the swing vote at multiple points throughout the season, and likely would have won had she made the end. Russell saw that and decided to take her out in the final five.
Jerri played strong games and establish herself as a female legend from very early on. She is memorable, intelligent, and strong. Despite some early backlash from a fanbase who was not yet ready for villains, Jerri has since become a well-loved member of the Survivor community. She may not have won yet, but she certainly could have. Hopefully, she will have her opportunity again soon.
5. Ozzy Lusth
Ozzy Lusth differs from some of the other players here. He was a solid strategic and social player, but his real claim to fame is his physical game, both in challenges and in survival aspects around camp. Ozzy proved his worth right away, climbing coconut trees, playing prolific fisherman, and carrying his tribe to immunity challenges. Yet, these skills never brought him the win.
Ozzy played four different times, but never pulled out a win. In his first appearance, Survivor: Cook Islands, he wowed audiences with his feats of "superhuman" skill and survival talent. Despite the controversial theme of the season (split by race), Ozzy was one of the most popular contestants on the show and won fan favorite. His skills to navigate in the minority, combined with his physical ability, carried him to five immunity challenge wins, tied for the most ever in a single season. He made the final three, but ultimately lost by one vote at the end.
Ozzy's second season was Survivor: Micronesia, where he was blindsided by powerhouse Cirie and the women of the tribe. Ozzy was seen as a threat immediately, but was able to use his social skills to manuever into power alliance positions. Despite being in the majority alliance after merge, Ozzy's threat level became to large, and she was able to convince the woman to flip on him when he was no longer immune at a tribal council.
Ozzy's third season, Survivor: South Pacific, was almost entirely dictated by his physical prowess. He won multiple immunity challenges and two seperate times was voted out, only to battle back on Redemption Island and return to the game. He was on the outs for most of the game, and some of his aggressive communication rubbed people the wrong way. Ultimately, he could not come through at the final immunity challenge and was voted out a final time.
Ozzy had one more appearance, this time in Survivor: Game Changers. He once again made the merge, the first and only player to ever manage to do so four different times. Yet again, though, his threat level was too high. Despite being in a good position socially, at the second tribal council after the merge, Ozzy was not immune, and multiple opponents took the opportunity to blindside him before he could rattle off a series of victories.
Ozzy was able to find immunity idols and play from both the bottom and from a power position to be one of the more successful players in Survivor history. However, he simply could not manage his threat level, and thus never returned to the final tribal to plead his case. Ozzy defined the era of super physical survivalists, an archetype that has since been replicated numerous times, and his play style has forever changed the game. Perhaps he will have one more chance to make the end and win.
All of the players above were legends in some facet of the game, playing both a memorable game as well as a historic one. Yet they are not the only legends to never win. Players like Kelley Wentworth, Spencer Bledsoe, Aubry Bracco, Malcolm Freberg, Stephen Fishback, David Wright, and Rob Cesternino are also often listed among the best players to never win, even after playing multiple times.
Even several former castaways who have only played once are also considered among the best to never win, including Domenick Abbate, the first player to ever have a tie at the Final Tribal Council broken by the third-place finisher. Any of these players could be on the list depending on the person writing it.
With the upcoming season 50 already known to be an all-star season, and with rumors that CBS is taking over casting and looking to cast true legends, could any, or even most, of these names find their way to the show? Time will tell, but fans would be excited to see many of these incredible castaways try one more time to take home the win.