Less than one month untilSurvivor 51takes our screens by storm, which means we officially know our 21 castaways who will be leading the way. That’s right…21! For the first time inSurvivorhistory, 21 players will take on the challenge of outwitting, outplaying, and outlasting each other to become the Sole Survivor.
And let me tell you, the new castaways embarking on an open era journey are going to be some fierce competitors. We have a professional wrestler, a sociology professor, a baseball executive, and THREE farmers just to name a few.
And with the “open era” in play, the show has officially announced that, “every twist, every idol, every advantage in the series’ history may come into play in any order and without warning,” which means players aren’t the only ones who are going to be on their toes this season. Fans at home need to prepare for anything and everything.
But for now, let’s meet the21 new castaways(in alphabetical order) forSurvivor 51:
Aaliyah Puglia
Age:24
Hometown:Gloucester City, N.J.
Current Residence:Providence, R.I.
Occupation:Chef
Our Thoughts:A creative mindset, a huge family support system, and a fan ofSurvivorstrategy, Aaliyah is giving major Dee Valladares vibes. We predict she’ll be a big social player with an under-the-radar competitive strategy running in her mind 24/7.
Alexis Levine
Age:34
Hometown:Atlanta, Ga.
Current Residence:Atlanta, Ga.
Occupation:Criminal defense attorney
Our Thoughts:Described as a social butterfly and a chameleon, Alexis has the heart to play the game as a caretaker and the head to play the game like a master strategist. She’s reminding us of aWinners at WarParvati Shallow, but of course she lacks a target on her back upon entering the game, so her odds are higher.
An “Thien An” Nguyen
Age:24
Hometown:Fort Worth, Texas
Current Residence:Fort Worth, Texas
Occupation:Medical student
Our Thoughts:As soon as farts enter the conversation, you have to wonder if we have another Sage Ahren-Nichols on our hands. But Thien An appears to know how to leverage her quirkiness with her charm that might help with jury management if she can make it to the end. And the fact that she’s studying to be a doctor, she clearly knows how to think logically and assess situations.
Ana Sani
Age:34
Hometown:Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
Current Residence:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:Voice actress
Our Thoughts:A combination of Kamilla Karthigesu’s personality and Kristina Mills’ backstory, Ana’s literal job is to effortlessly become other people. This social superpower is either going to give her a huge boost as she is able to bond with multiple unique personalities or hinder her game greatly as people feel like they can’t trust her off the bat.
Angelica “Jelly” Loblack
Age:29
Hometown:Garland, Texas, and Midwest City, Okla.
Current Residence:Bloomington, Ind.
Occupation:Sociology professor
Our Thoughts:A similar mentality entering the game as Cirie Fields inPanama, Jelly isn’t a fan of the outdoors and never expected to see herself onSurvivor, but is ready to take on the challenge of the game. She has huge potential to be both a social and strategic threat and with her background in sociology, it will be interesting to see how she reads others within this social experiment.
Brady Booker
Age:27
Hometown:La Salle, Ill.
Current Residence:Knoxville, Tenn.
Occupation:Pro wrestler
Our Thoughts:A big family, country boy and massive Super Fan, Brady has the physicality of Jonathan Young and the mentality of Jeremy Collins. He’s interested in creating an alliance with multiple types of players and hopes to use his challenge strength as a distraction for his strategic plays.
Carter Krull
Age:24
Hometown:Rock Rapids, Iowa
Current Residence:Sioux Falls, S.D.
Occupation:Livestock farmer
Our Thoughts:If Carter isn’t the new era baby of J.T. Thomas and Joe Anglim, I don’t know who would be. He has a natural charisma that will easily convince others to team up with him and then a follow-through of support that will allow others to trust him more deeply as they move through the game. Plus, his eclectic background will help him connect with more players.
Cristian Chavez
Age:26
Hometown:Salt Lake City, Utah
Current Residence:Salt Lake City, Utah
Occupation:Head of HR
Our Thoughts:Did we just discover Jeremiah Ing’s long lost brother? The two share an eerily identical personality, but Cristian’s background in human resources may help him be the chest master of season 51. He knows how to read people and how to encourage people both socially and professionally which could provide a huge boost to his pre-merge game.
Danny “Kilby” Kilby
Age:30
Hometown:Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada
Current Residence:London, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:Game designer
Our Thoughts:The kind of player who does what it takes to make his goals happen, Kilby has an energy about him that is either going to draw people in or push them away. Not unlike Zeke Smith or Rizo Velovic—though it seems Kilby can actually do puzzles—his Super Fan status is going to be a huge factor in his game, but it all comes down to who he lands on the beach with.
Devin Way
Age:33
Hometown:Lufkin, Texas
Current Residence:Los Angeles, Calif.
Occupation:Actor
Our Thoughts:Every season that includes a semi-prominent actor, there’s always one specific player who spots them and calls them out—for better or worse. Devin himself says he’s a combination of Joe Hunter and Rick Devens, which I could see for sure. A chaotic physical strength with a heart of gold has the potential to go far in the new era, but since we’re entering the open era, we’ll have to wait to see how that unfolds for Devin.
Eric Macksoud
Age:34
Hometown:Lincoln, R.I.
Current Residence:Windsor Locks, Conn.
Occupation:Mental health counselor
Our Thoughts:Both Eric’s personality and professional trajectory remind of the lowkey gameplay of Hannah Shapiro, but he has a villainous edge that’s showing off a little bit (like a tiny, tiny amount) of Russell Hantz. The combination of those two players will be interesting to watch, especially because both had strong social games in extremely different ways. I’ll be curious to see how Eric’s social game imprints on other players this season.
Jenna Doore
Age:30
Hometown:Perrysburg, Ohio
Current Residence:Toledo, Ohio
Occupation:Wedding photographer
Our Thoughts:Jenna has major Christian Hubicki and John Cochran vibes in that her love forSurvivoris so deeply ingrained in her life back home that she could easily immerse herself into this adventure of a lifetime without losing her sense of self and still understanding everything that’s going on around her. If she can keep the numbers in her favor, she’ll be a good ally and a dangerous adversary.
Kristin Flickinger
Age:49
Hometown:Ketchum, Idaho
Current Residence:Santa Barbara, Calif.
Occupation:Crisis management
Our Thoughts:Both professionally and personality-wise, I see so much of Denise Stapley in Kristin. She has an inner and outer strength that could push her forward with an added layer of authenticity that could keep her steady in the game. And as a Super Fan, she knows the history of the game and how to navigate herself and others throughout the season.
Lewis Kelly
Age:28
Hometown:Dublin, Ireland
Current Residence:Puerto Rico, USA
Occupation:Farmer
Our Thoughts:An Irish accent definitely gives Lewis a leg up in the social department with an easy charm right off the bat. It’s kind of giving Greg Buis as I could imagine Lewis using appropriate flirting, disarming banter, and engaging humor to get his way in this game. But there’s always one player who seems right through the charisma and knows there’s a strategic brain behind there. If Lewis can spot that player before they spot him, he has a chance to go far.
Linnea Capobianco
Age:25
Hometown:Kearny, N.J.
Current Residence:Jersey City, N.J.
Occupation:Entrepreneur
Our Thoughts:Visibly, when I first saw Linnea in the teaser trailer, I had to do a double take to confirm it wasn’t Amanda Kimmel, but now meeting her, I’d say she reminds me more of the type of character who would sit well between Debbie Wanner and Benjamin “Coach” Wade. She’s unapologetic in the way she lives, and her heart is strongly rooted back home to help her stay connected on the island.
Maggie Nestor
Age:40
Hometown:Middleway, W.Va.
Current Residence:Charlestown, W.Va.
Occupation:Farmer
Our Thoughts:A hard-working ray of sunshine, Maggie seems like a cross between Tina Wesson and Amber Brkich. She’s willing to go all-out and play fearlessly, which has the potential to get her wrapped up in schemes that don’t logically work, but could ultimately turn out to be the biggest moves of the season.
Mike Pinsky
Age:32
Hometown:New York City, N.Y.
Current Residence:New York City, N.Y.
Occupation:Baseball executive
Our Thoughts:A sporty Stephen Fishbach, Mike is ready to put in the social, strategic, and physical work needed to maintain a solid place inSurvivor. And all those things together will likely put him solidly in the middle until we get to the post-merge game where his under-the-radar gameplay finally hits everyone in the face.
Ori Jean-Charles
Age:27
Hometown:Spring Valley, N.Y.
Current Residence:Spring Valley, N.Y.
Occupation:Personal trainer
Our Thoughts:Ori appears to be the perfect combination of charm and strength, which will help him significantly in the early game. Reminding me a bit of Matt Elrod (Wyatt Nash), he has the potential to go on a winning streak, whether for his tribe or individually, who’s to say. But Ori will have to navigate the game carefully as there’s no Redemption Island in play for him to come back from—that we know of…
Patt Cannaday
Age:33
Hometown:Tampa, Fla.
Current Residence:Washington, D.C.
Occupation:Federal prosecutor
Our Thoughts:I’m getting major Eliza Orlins professional vibes and Shannon Fairweather charisma from Patt. Her discipline has the potential to get her embedded in the gameplay early which will either be good for her in building a strong Day 1 alliance, or could affect her game by coming off too intense too early.
Rob Antonson
Age:40
Hometown:Johnston, R.I.
Current Residence:Cumberland, R.I.
Occupation:Airline gate agent
Our Thoughts:New England accent Rob? I think I’ve seen this film before… but based on where he is in his life, I think season 51’s Rob has the potential to give the same energy as Boston Rob Mariano during hisHeroes vs. VillainsandRedemption Islandera. We’ll see if that works out in his favor.
Sharonda Cox
Age:34
Hometown:Pompano Beach, Fla.
Current Residence:Richmond, Ky.
Occupation:Resident, OBGYN
Our Thoughts:Sharonda has a genuine heart that reminds me a lot of Katurah Topps, but she also seems like she’s not afraid to take others down strategically like Rob Cesternino. Her empathy will either be her biggest strength or her biggest weakness in the game, but she definitely has the potential to be a great player.
Watch all 21 cast introductions in the video below:
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