Survivor has evolved over the years, forcing players to adapt and strategize to all-new twists and concepts. Back in Season 1, Borneo, the game was simple: socialize, perform well, or get voted out. There were no twists, advantages, or gimmicks. Since that time, the core game has remained largely the same: socialize effectively or get voted out. However, there have been some major shifts and twists as well.
From hidden advantages like extra votes, Safety Without Power, and Steal A Vote, to themes like Edge of Extinction and Redemption Island, to format changes like final four fire making and jury questioning, Survivor has never been afraid to change up the game. Perhaps the single biggest and most impactful change game during Survivor: Guatemala (Season 11), when Jeff Probst introduced the concept of the hidden immunity idol.
Since that introduction, the hidden immunity idol has become woven into the fabric of the game, creating some of the most exciting and memorable moments and blindsides in Survivor history. While the game originally introduced just one idol at a time, the game now has multiple idols in play throughout the season. As a result, many players end up possessing multiple idols throughout the game. But who has held the most?
Some players have become hidden immunity idol magnets
While the new era players have more opportunities to find idols, they are not the only players who have a knack for discovering them. Iconic players from previous eras have had the opportunity over multiple seasons to find the hidden advantages, which is also an advantage when it comes to the record books.
In this case, we will be totalling all hidden immunity idols found by a player over the course of their Survivor career thus far. Also, for this list, idols must have been found directly by the player, not given to them by someone else. So, who has been the strongest magnet for these essential hidden powers?
Honorable Mention: Kellee Kim
While Kellee is unfortunately known for the ugliness and harassment displayed during season 39, Island of the Idols, Kellee is also the only female player to discover three hidden immunity idols in the same season, as well as the only female player to find two idols in one episode. Although it does not break the top five, her iconic feat deserves to be recognized by Survivor fans.
5. Tony Vlachos (S28, S34, S40)
Total Idols: 4
Tony Vlachos is the only male castaway to win Survivor twice, but that is not the only claim to fame. On his first season, Survivor: Cagayan, Tony was able to find three different idols, including the infamous super idol that he never had to play. He was voted out too soon in Game Changers to add to that total, but he did find an idol in Winners at War, which he used at Final 6. This leaves Tony with four total idols, tied with three others on the list, although it took him the most seasons to pull it off.
4. Rick Devens (S38)
Total Idols: 4
Rick Devens was a massive personality on a show with some interesting players, but a vastly unpopular Survivor: Edge of Extinction twist. Rick was one of the beneficiaries of the twist, earning his way back into the game at one stage while eventual winner Chris Underwood game into the game at the other. Rick was a constant target, but his affinity for finding hidden immunity idols and winning immunity challenges carried him to the final four. He was gifted one idol for earning his way back into the game, but still found three more, the only player on the list to collect four in just one season.
3. Ben Driebergen (S35, S40)
Total Idols: 4
Ben Driebergen is a fairly controversial winner, thanks to his needing to find idols in order to keep himself safe in the game. Still, he did what he had to do to navigate his way to the end. His idol plays, or Ben Bombs as they were nicknamed, game three times in his original season, Survivor: Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers. The three plays happened in the final three tribal councils, and he then won the, at the time, brand new fire-making challenge to make the final three (another controversial result). Ben found one additional idol in Winners at War, bringing his current idol total to four.
2. Tai Trang (S32, S34)
Total Idols: 4
Tai is unique to this list in that he is the only player to have found more idols in his second season than in his first. On Survivor: Kaoh Rong, Tai found an idol premerge that he could have converted to a Super Idol, but ultimately chose not to, which sent home Scot Polard, who believed Tai would use the super idol combo on him when he was voted out. Tai then found three more idols on Game Changers, including becoming the first player to find two idols in one day. His most memorable play was at the Malcolm Freberg elimination.
1. Russell Hantz (S19, S20, S22)
Total Idols: 6
Is it any surprise that perhaps the most outspoken villain in the game, one whose strategic ability is considered one of the best of all time, stands atop this list all his own? While Russell technically possessed 6 idols, one of those was given to him by JT, so we are removing that one. Still, he found five idols on his own, three in Survivor: Samoa and two more on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. He was eliminated too early on Redemption Island to find an idol then.
Russell is not just iconic and record-setting for how many idols he found, but he also changed the way idols were viewed forever. Before his season, players would find idols by earning clues to their whereabouts. Russell broke that format, managing to find all his idols without a single clue, a standard that is now commonplace on Survivor. If you add in the idol he found on the international Survivor: Australia season he appeared on, it is clear the "King of Samoa" is also the "King of Hidden Immunity Idols". Too bad he is not the king of actually winning the game.