Survivor 48 is right around the corner. With only two weeks until the new season premieres, we already know the cast and the tribe breakdowns for the beginning of the game thanks to the new trailer for the season.
With the full cast available, we shared some first impressions of the players who will be starting the game on the purple tribe.
In the first 47 seasons, six winners originally started on purple tribes:
- Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Micronesia)
- John Cochran (Survivor: Caramoan)
- Wendell Holland (Survivor: Ghost Island)
- Tommy Sheehan (Survivor: Island of the Idols)
- Yamil "Yam Yam" Arocho (Survivor 45)
- Kenzie Petty (Survivor 46)
Technically, there have been seven winners wearing a shade of purple if you want to include the magenta Bayon tribe during Survivor: Cambodia when fan-favorite Jeremy Collins won.
Bianca Roses
"I make a living persuading people to do things."
Age: 33
Hometown: West Orange, N.J.
Current Residence: Arlington, Va.
Occupation: PR consultant
My Prediction: There are some PR professionals who have used those skills to do well in the game (notably Erika Casupanan who won Survivor 41) and I have a feeling Bianca will keep with that tradition, for the most part. I foresee her sitting on the jury, not for their lack of gameplay abilities, but mostly due to the fact that she comes from a large family. That often comes with a natural tendency to speak loudly over people to be heard when no one is listening—rightfully so, families can be a lot! Once she starts getting comfortable with her alliance members (namely post-merge), it's possible those family vibes will translate into the game, making her seem like she's a threat or not a team player in an alliance, and be her downfall.
Shauhin Davari
"I want people to feel like, 'this guy has my back,' but I'm also gonna have to stab 'em in their back..."
Age: 38
Hometown: East Bay, Calif.
Current Residence: Costa Mesa, Calif.
Occupation: Debate professor
My Prediction: I'm excited to see how Shauhin plays, because he's really a coin flip for me. He understands how this game works, and as nice as he is outside of it, he's not afraid to play and take people down on his road to the end. Just based on his career alone, he knows how to work both sides of an argument, which will allow him to analyze each move he makes and how it will affect his game now and in the future. His gameplay has potential to have a heroic or a villainous outcome, but whichever path he takes, I think he'll make it to the merge, but might not make it to the jury.
Joe Hunter
"I want people to see someone... who was in a dark place, took that struggle and turned it into triumph."
Age: 45
Hometown: Vacaville, Calif.
Current Residence: West Sacramento, Calif.
Occupation: Fire captain
My Prediction: This season features a lot of men who are very family-focused, and Joe is no exception. I could see him taking on a caretaker role in the Purple tribe, which would be the foundation of getting him to the merge. Once there, he has the physical prowess and will be a challenge threat, possibly extending his life in the game until people take note and vote him out at their first chance. I have a feeling we'll see him at Final Tribal as a jury member strongly campaigning for the best player vs. the nicest player.
Star Toomey
"Do you know how many people wish they could be here right now? I'm not taking nothing for granted."
Age: 28
Hometown: Monrovia, Liberia
Current Residence: Augusta, Ga.
Occupation: Sales expert
My Prediction: Star is undoubtedly a big personality, and it will be very interesting to see how the Purple tribe meshes on day one with that in mind. Either they are going to love her and have a fun dynamic or immediately isolate her for it. But the other side of Star's big charisma is how wildly she clearly loves her family. She's out here for her son and, historically, having that family drive tends to keep castaways more grounded and driven with that final goal in mind. I see her doing pretty well, but I don't know if she'll make it to the jury.
Eva Erickson
"I always am looking for new challenges."
Age: 24
Hometown: Eagan, Minn.
Current Residence: Providence, R.I.
Occupation: PHD candidate
My Prediction: Eva is the youngest castaway this season, but I think that will actually be an advantage for her. She's still a student and can lean into her naiveté, allowing others to think they're taking her under their wing. People love to feel important and Eva is in the perfect place to make castaways think they're all that by "looking up to them." But she's no fool. She's played with the big boys and she's not afraid of taking risks. I could see her making it to the Final Three, but she needs to build a killer resume on her way there (without anyone noticing) to claim that $1 million.
Thomas Krottinger
"What they don't realize is that I am the biggest threat of the entire cast."
Age: 34
Hometown: The Woodlands, Texas
Current Residence: Los Angeles
Occupation: Music executive
My Prediction: If I had to pick one player to cast as the super fan of the season, I would suspect it to be Thomas. Everyone at home is going to fall in love with him, but within the game, I really hope he plays a game of deception and gives off villain vibes. We need more classic gameplay villains in this new era and Thomas doesn't seem like someone who is willing to just wait for something to happen, he's going to make it happen. This is either going to reveal him as an early threat, or like a snake in the grass, keep him hidden through the merge until he makes a big move that ends with him on the jury.
Watch Survivor 48 starting Wednesday, Feb. 26, on CBS and Paramount+.