Survivor has held strong for multiple decades and 48 seasons, all with the same basic premise and elements required to succeed. Survivor is a mix of physical game, both for survival around camp and competition in challenges, a social game, and a strategic game. Some players have a balance of two or even all three, while others do not possess any.
Several, meanwhile, have a particular prowess towards one specific aspect of the game above all else, and better than nearly all the others who have played the game. The strategic element is often fairly easy to depict on Survivor, and has become one of the staples of gameplay talk in the newer eras. Obviously, it is essential for players to come up with various strategies to make it to the end, and how well you manage to do it while managing the jury often determines a player's opportunity to actually win the game.
The players that are among the best at the strategic game have established strategies not only for their season, but ones that were then replicated in season after season as well. While strategy is essential to Survivor, it does not always guarantee victory. Also, unlike social games, which have seemingly highlighted many female players, strategic game is often credited to male players (though it is my personal opinion that many women deserve far more credit for their strategic game as well).
1. Russell Hantz (Samoa, Heroes vs. Villains, Redemption Island)
Russell is a perfect example of a player who has mastered the strategic game through lying, deceiving, manipulation, and well-timed advantage plays.
He was one of the first to prove that challenge loses early, and going into the merge is not nearly the death nail that it was in the early seasons. Unfortunately, while his strategic gameplay was bar none, he pretty much ignored the social aspect, leaving him to lose back-to-back seasons at the final tribal council, with the jury having no respect for him as a player.
2. Richard Hatch (Borneo, All-Stars)
Survivor's first-ever winner, Richard Hatch, literally defined strategy for every season to follow. As the first to do it, there was no idea or expectation about how to play the game. He quickly realized that, in a game with voting, alliances were pivotal, and this discovery has been the foundation of reality competition shows ever since.
While new era strategies are far more complex, Hatch established a foundation that has held for decades since, and it would be unfair to leave him off the best strategists in history.
3. Parvati Shallow (Cook Islands, Micronesia, Heroes vs. Villains, Winners at War)
Another winner, Parvati, is considered one of the best social players ever, but that does not take away from her being one of the best strategic players as well. Her Black Widow Brigade alliance and subsequent moves throughout the season are still the most famous in Survivor history. She followed that up with massive strategic moves, including a double idol play, on Heroes vs Villains.
Simply put, Parvati is quite possibly the greatest example of an all-around threat, along with fellow winner Kim Spradlin, in Survivor history.
4. Tony Vlachos (Cagayan, Game Changers, Winners at War)
Tony is the second two-time winner in Survivor history. While his fellow two-time winner, Sandra Diaz-Twine, established the anyone but me strategy, Tony had a far more in-your-face and bold strategic plan. He came up with novelties like the spy shack that have been referenced in seasons across the world, and his ability to navigate blindsides, advantages, and big moves has led him to be known as a mastermind and king of Survivor.
By winning against all winners, he proved his gameplay is no fluke. Tony is among the best to ever play, and it is because of his undeniable strategic dominance.
5. Rob Cesternino (Amazon, All-Stars)
Rob Cesternino did not win the game, and it is an absolute tragedy that we have not seen him play in over 40 seasons. What places Rob C, now a name synonymous with Survivor, on this list was his development of the first true revolutionary strategy since Hatch on Season One. He introduced the concept of vote-flipping, which has been used ever since.
His youth may have hurt him in certain social capacities at the time, but there is no question that he was the first true strategic archetype for Survivor, and remains among the best to this day.
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