Survivor has consistently been a staple in American pop culture for well over two decades now. In that time, countless players have come and gone from our television screens. Each has had a unique personality, backstory, life experience, and approach to the game. In doing so, they have connected with, engaged, or inspired the fan base in personal and relatable ways.
Not all the players make an impact that fans love. Sometimes, players draw the ire of fans. Sometimes they get lost in the shuffle. Many times over the years, players have really made themselves into heroes. However, among the most memorable characters of all, players whom fans often have the most passionate reactions to, are the Survivor villains.
So, who were the best villains in the series, and how does one even determine who the "best" villain is? For the sake of argument, I am judging the players on a variety of factors, including: fan reactions, impact on the season or seasons they played, and consistency within their "villainous gameplay". The off-island background of a player does not play a direct role, and villains that were deemed so purely due to their bad behavior are also not considered (see: players fans love to hate).
Honorable Mentions: There have been so many phenomenal villains over the years that could not make the cut here, but Jonny Fairplay, Courtney Yates, Tyson Apostol, Coach Benjamin Wade, Sandra Diaz-Twine, Parvati Shallow, and Richard Hatch were all in the running as well. However, each is represented in other categories as well, and I wanted the list to span over a bit of a variety of different eras. There is no question, though, that each of the above-mentioned names is among the best villains of Survivor history.
1. Jerri Manthey
The original Black Widow was also arguably the first true villain in Survivor history, at least in terms of her overall gameplay. For several years, Jerri was one of the most hated players in Survivor history, but by her third appearance, she turned her reputation around to being one of the most beloved, even being one of the most talked about snubs for Survivor 50 casting.
Her villainous reputation was largely based on her deception of fan favorite Colby Donaldson, but often overlooked is how well Jerri played the game in multiple different seasons. She is definitely among the best villains.
2. Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano
Boston Rob is often considered one of the best players to play the game, and even wrote his own book about how to play. The reason he landed as a villain is largely because of his strategic gameplay, which often entailed lying, deception, and backstabbing to move him further in the game.
Add in his cocky confidence and sarcastic humor, and Rob was a perfect fit for the villain role, although he was also well-liked by the fan base overall. While he now sits as a polarizing figure, his success on the show clearly establishes him as among the best villains.
3. Russell Hantz
Russell Hantz is a villain we love to hate, but you cannot have a best villains list without including him on it. His strategic ability is second to none, but unfortunately, his social game was among the worst, leaving him in discussions the best to never win instead of actually landing on the winners' list.
Russell is the definition of a villain, with lying, backstabbing, deception, and arrogance all a part of his gameplay repeatedly. Add in his condescending attitude towards his castmates, and there is no doubt Russell is one of the greatest villains to play Survivor.
4. Corinne Kaplan
Ironically, it was not necessarily Corinne's gameplay that landed her as a villain. In fact, she was pretty loyal and honest with those she aligned with, and had a solid amount of understanding and strategy within the game.
The reason she was a villain, however, was the way she talked about her fellow tribemates, as well as her absolutely brutal final tribal council speech directed at finalist Sugar. The way she spoke may actually make her the most clear villain on the list, but her overall gameplay was strong enough to earn her a spot on the best villains list.
5. Jesse Lopez
Jesse is the epitome of a modern-day Survivor villain. Unlike in the past, where villains often treated their fellow castmates poorly, either to their face or at least behind their back, Jesse never really did that.
He was certainly cocky and confident, but his villainy mainly stemmed from his ruthless gameplay strategy. He had no problem lying, backstabbing, and deceiving his way as far as possible in the game. He blindsided some of his closest allies and nearly made it to the end doing so. Jesse is someone who would be very interesting to watch play again, and defines new era villains.