Only a few Survivor challenges deliver pure chaos like "By Any Means Necessary."
This physical battle royale has shown up across multiple seasons under different names (Battle Dig, Beach Bash, Free For All, Water Slaughter, Marooning, and By Any Means), but the concept stays the same: grab something, dodge opponents, and bring it back to your station by any means necessary.
So far, we've seen eight "By Any Means Necessary" challenges in Survivor history, but we haven't seen the challenge in the New Era yet.
Let's count down all eight appearances from good to absolutely epic:
8. Survivor: Ghost Island (Season 36)
A ghost of a challenge, just like this season. For a challenge to be memorable, there must be dynamic characters that create interesting stories (in terms of matchups), or something cool has to happen.
Key Moment: Honestly, can anyone remember one? This version was as forgettable as the season's endless parade of non-activated advantages. Moving on.
7. Survivor: Palau (Season 10)
The original version of this challenge that started it all was way back in Survivor: Palau. Ulong won this challenge easily, one of the few they actually won. This challenge was interesting because it took place in water where contestants couldn't stand. They had to tread or swim to get their ring back to their side.
Key Moment: MVP Angie Jakusz taking on Janu Tornell and Gregg Carey at the same time! She showed surprising strength for her size. Not a fan of an only water-based version though. Jeff was probably still working out the kinks.
6. Survivor: Panama (Season 12)
This was an intense battle but nothing stood out for me. It was the first challenge that took place on land, which established the format we'd come to love in later seasons.
Key Moment: The transition to land made this challenge more physical and set the stage for the epic battles to come, even if this particular version lacked standout individual moments.
5. Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X (Season 33)
The Millennials were outsized on the men's side. Chris Hammons, a former Oklahoma football player, dominated for his tribe. But, this challenge is all about one person.
Key Moment: This is the moment Michaela Bradshaw became a Game Changer. She single-handedly kept the Millennials in the game by scoring 2 points. Michaela took a page out of Sugar's playbook on this one, showing that determination can overcome physical disadvantages.
4. Survivor: Caramoan – Fans vs. Favorites (Season 26)
Another blowout, but at least it was entertaining. This challenge gave us some comically mismatched pairings.
Key Moment: This was the funniest matchup in Survivor history – lean, twitchy Erik Reichenbach going against big, burly Shamar Thomas. Jeez, I wonder who won this one. Add in Phillip Sheppard bullying Michael Snow in his pink underwear and Malcolm Freberg making a name for himself by scoring the winning point, and you've got challenge gold.
3. Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites (Season 16)
This challenge took so long – I think someone said it was 2 hours long. Still a great watch and very physical from the start. Too bad we only saw a few minutes of it.
Key Moment: Erik Reichenbach threw Amanda Kimmel over his shoulder, and James Clement hated it so much he knocked down 3 people at once! Joel Anderson was supposed to be James' kryptonite, but he spent more time hugging sandbags than confronting the muscular postal worker. The intensity of this version set a new standard for physical Survivor competitions.
2. Survivor: Winners at War (Season 40)
Speaking about matchups and stories, this season had everything. What better way to start Winners at War than with 'By Any Means Necessary.'
Key Moment: Kim Spradlin-Wolfe dominated for Dakal. The Sele tribe was inches away from scoring, only for Kim to drag everyone back to the Dakal flag. She was an absolute challenge beast here. Boston Rob managed to score the only point for Sele. The worst part about this challenge? We didn't see enough of it. Twenty champions battling it out deserved more screen time.
1. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (Season 20)
This battle deserves its own article. The ultimate version of this challenge came when Heroes battled Villains in a match that perfectly embodied the season's theme.
Key Moments: This challenge was so epic it had multiple standout moments:
Sugar Kiper gave up vanity and took off her top in the middle of the challenge. Stephanie LaGrossa almost broke her shoulder in the first few minutes but refused to quit. Coach manhandling Colby Donaldson in one of his most villainous moments. This is the point when Colby started becoming fat Superman. James Clement beat Boston Rob and Tyson Apostal in individual matchups, showing why he was considered one of the game's most physically dominant players.
The Heroes vs. Villains version wasn't just a challenge – it was Survivor storytelling at its finest, with character arcs advancing through physical competition. The intensity between these returning players, many with scores to settle, created the perfect storm for this challenge format.
From its watery beginnings in Palau to the legendary Heroes vs. Villains showdown, "By Any Means Necessary" shows why physical challenges will always be Survivor gold. When you combine mud, bags, and competitive spirits, you get unforgettable television that keeps us coming back season after season.