Survivor has completed 48 seasons and spanned 25 years, with hundreds of castaways having competed in that period. Over the years, fans have fallen in love with castaways, felt their pain and raw emotions, seen heroes become household names, and villains become players that households have on their minds for all the wrong reasons. Some players are remembered years later, while others are immediately forgotten.
Perhaps the most talked about and popular category of players is the infamous villains fans love to hate. Players can land on this list for a whole variety of reasons. Oftentimes, it has to do with their lying and highly strategic gameplay. Other times, it is their abrasive, cocky, or even downright mean personality they exhibit in the game. Many have managed to turn their image around from love to hate to simply love, none more so than the original female villainess, Jerri Manthey.
Many players never shake their reputation, though, and these are the players that the fandom has come to love to hate the most. We are looking at the Top 5 here. Keep in mind, anyone on this list is loved to hate based on choices or comments they made in-game. Anything outside the scope of the game (political, criminal, etc.) is not a factor for the purposes of this ranking! Also note, players like Jeff Varner (for outing Zeke) and Dan Spilo (for sexual misconduct) were not included as their behavior is well beyond the scope of gameplay.
1. Russell Hantz (Samoa, Heroes vs. Villains, Redemption Island)
No villain-based list could be complete without quite possibly the most infamous of all time, Russell Hantz. In his three seasons (four if we include his brief stint on Australian Survivor), he played pretty much the same game: lie, backstab, manipulate, and do whatever he had to do to make the end game. Of course, his incredibly arrogant, cocky attitude and his treatment of his fellow players did not help either, which is why he quickly became one of the most villainous players of all time, one that reminds love to hate and highly polarizing to this day.
2. Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton (Pearl Islands, Micronesia)
Jonny Fairplay launched himself into stardom with what was, at the time, the single most hated and talked about strategic move in reality television history. On a loved one's visit, he lied about his grandmother dying in an effort to garner sympathy from his tribe members, while giving confessionals, laughing about the lie. Much like Russell, he was a highly strategic and highly arrogant player throughout the game. While his reputation precedes him, he has since made an entire career in podcasting and reality television from his villain moment.
3. Naonka Mixon (Nicaragua)
Naonka held the title of the most hated Survivor player of all time after her appearance on Survivor Nicaragua. Unlike the previous two players on the list, Naonka was not hated for her strategic gameplay or her arrogance. Instead, she was hated for the erratic, outspoken, rude, and often insulting comments and behavior throughout her season, culminating with her eventual quitting of the game. Ironically, she may have even had a shot to win the game. Fans thought her hateful behavior was deserving of the title of most hated player.
4. Colton Cumbie (One World, Blood vs. Water)
Colton not only quickly overtook Naonka as most hated player of all time, he has managed to continue to hold it over 20 seasons later. He was a strategic player, but the hate came from his absolutely deplorable behavior. He acted spoiled, aggressive, condescending, insulting, and even racist throughout his time on the show. That he was given a second chance was perhaps most shocking of all. His mistreatment of his tribe mates has made him easily the most disliked casting decision in Survivor.
5. Kass McQuillen (Cagayan, Cambodia)
Kass admitted herself that on her first season that she just assumed people would compartmentalize everything and see the game as a game and not real interactions. That philosophy made her a strong strategic player, but a terrible social one. Her commentary was often gold, but also led fans to a love hate relationship in the end. That said, her appearances have built her a legacy in the game, one many fans wanted to see continue on Survivor 50.
HM: New Era Players
While many of the New Era players have not had the time to build up quite the same legacy as the ones on the above list, it is entirely possible certain players could land themselves on the love to hate lists soon. While pure villains are not as common as in past seasons, players like Q Burdette (46, 50), Jesse Lopez (43), Karla Cruz (43), Rome Cooney (47), and Saiounia "Sai"' Hughley (48) are all among the most mentioned villains of the 40's.