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Survivor S40 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 20)

Feb 12, 2020 by PowerRankings101

In a few hours, we are going to witness one of the greatest television events in history. Twenty winners returning for the grand prize, which is now doubled (that’s right, TWO million dollars). Some winners have never played a second time and are here to prove they can do it again. Some legends have played two, three, four times before. We have contestants as old as season 2 returning, and as new as season 37 returning. We have a married couple competing together on separate tribes. We have superfans playing with the people they idolized. And we have an island of extinction to keep them on our screens all season. We have some cutthroat competition, and it’s time to get to it. Here are my predictions for SURVIVOR: WINNERS AT WAR.

20. Amber Mariano (6th Place on Season 2- Australia; Winner of Season 8- All Stars)- Most times, I make my rankings based on how I think everyone will place, but for this ranking, I think I’m going to order them based on how safe they are in the grand scheme of the whole season. Basically, I think Amber has the worst chance of anyone here. I love Amber, and I’m so glad she’s back, but she has a lot working against her. First, she’s only played with Ethan and Rob in the past, so she doesn’t have a ton of relationships. Also, since her husband Rob is on the island, people immediately see that as a power pair, and may want to take one of them out. And between Amber and Rob, while Rob is much more dangerous in the endgame, Amber isn’t as valuable in challenges or camp life. With extinction island in play, we’ll still get to see Amber on our screens all season, but I think she’ll spend most of the season on extinction island.

19. Rob Mariano (10th Place on Season 4- Marquesas; Runner-Up on Season 8- All-Stars; 13th Place on Season 20- Heroes vs. Villains; Winner of Season 22- Redemption Island; Mentor on Season 39- Island of the Idols)- Rob only won the game playing against a bunch of one-time players. Here, he’s playing against 19 other people who know his threat level, and will want him out asap. I think Rob could last longer if they need him for challenges, but Rob is much older than he was on his prior seasons, so I’m not even sure how physically dominant he will actually be. In terms of camp life, yeah it’s good to have Rob, but everyone here has won. Everyone has made fire. Everyone has built a shelter. They don’t need him as much as he thinks they need him. While people like Sandra, Parvati, or Tony will be used as meat shields and actual loyal allies, I think they will just get rid of Rob before they can hide behind him.

18. Sarah Lacina (11th Place on Season 28- Cagayan; Winner of Season 34- Game Changers)- Sarah is so good at the game, but her pre-game press scares the hell out of me. She basically said something along the lines of “I beat Sandra in my season, so I’m the real greatest of all time.” She seems so cocky, and because she is the most recent female winner, I think some people will be targeting her right away. Most of the contestants said she was one of the people they want to take out early on, and Sarah’s attitude going into the season doesn’t help her threat status. Yes, she beat Sandra, but Sandra was one of THREE winners playing on Season 34, so I don’t think that makes Sarah the best of all time. Sarah played the cop game, then the criminal game, now what? I feel like Sarah just isn’t going to make it happen this season.

17. Natalie Anderson (Winner of Season 29- San Juan del Sur)- Natalie played the game her first time with her sister, who was voted off first, and then hitched onto an alliance with Jeremy. Jeremy is on this season too, so there is also probably a threat for a power couple alliance. Not as tight of an alliance as Rob and Amber, obviously, but still a tight bond that people may want to break up early on. Another thing working against Natalie is that Natalie thinks its going to be men vs. women. She has said in all her interviews that she is excited to play boys vs. girls, but she has no clue that the tribes are going to be mixed men and women, which I think could throw her gameplan for a loop. Natalie, if anyone remembers, played a strong endgame, but had some arguments in the pre-merge, particularly with ball-player John Rocker. While she was clearly the winner of that fight, the fact that Natalie got in any fight at all means that people may find her a bit aggressive, and she could end up being an easy target from the get-go. It’s also worth mentioning that when Natalie and her sister went on Amazing Race, they were brought back for “Amazing Race: All Stars” and went home first. Maybe we’ll see her go early again? Natalie is one of the strongest people out there, so there’s a really good chance she could win some challenges and last on extinction island, but it’ll be an uphill battle for sure.

16. Wendell Holland (Winner of Season 36- Ghost Island)- I really like Wendell, and think he crushed it on his season (remember that tie vote?). The problem is, Wendell wants to play this game much more aggressively this time around, and I’m worried he’ll get a bit too cocky. He just played a year or two ago, so his ego is probably still a little heightened, and unlike someone like Nick, who oozed humility and being humble, Wendell seems to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder. I love Wendell, but think he’ll just be his own worst enemy this time around, and may have to rely on winning his way back on extinction island…IF he can win his way back.

15. Sandra Diaz-Twine (Winner of Season 7- Pearl Islands; Winner of Season 20- Heroes vs. Villains; 15th Place on Season 34- Game Changers; Mentor on Season 39- Island of the Idols)- Sandra is the Queen for a reason. She not only won once, but came back and won again. There’s no denying she’s the best to ever play. But I think she stands no chance of winning this season. I do think, however, she’ll do better than a lot of people expect. I think she’s going to be used as a shield for others, and be used for a few votes before she eventually gets cut toward the end of the pre-merge or early merge. Sandra is an all-time great, and win or lose, she’s still the queen. But I think it’s time for a second queen, or a king.

14. Ben Driebergen (Winner of Season 25- Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers)- Ben won by winning lots of idols. This season is going to be full of idols. If Ben finds idols, he’ll use some and make it a bit farther. But if he doesn’t, people will take him out before he can find any idols. Ben is coming into the game trying to play less of an advantage game, but a social game. The problem is, everyone has a preconceived notion of Ben, and I worry it’ll come back to bite him. I really don’t think Ben will go home first… He’s good in challenges. But people will be scared of Ben and try to get him out right before the merge in threat of him finding more idols and using them. Of all the one-time players who won, he is probably the person people are most threatened by, especially in a day and age where idols are so prominent.

13. Jeremy Collins (10th Place on Season 29- San Juan del Sur; Winner of Season 31- Cambodia)- Jeremy had a dominant win playing on Survivor: Cambodia, but he also had a distinct strategy of hiding behind big threats like Andrew Savage or Joe Anglim. Here, everyone is a big threat, and everybody knows his strategy, so he’ll have to change his approach this time around. I honestly don’t know how he’ll switch it up. He’s so likable, but anyone allowing him to get to the end is crazy. He’s such a good speaker at final tribal. He’ll probably make the merge (why would someone get rid of arguably the strongest man on the season?), but I don’t see him lasting much longer than mid-merge.

12. Yul Kwon (Winner of Season 13- Cook Islands)- Yul is a legend, and I can’t believe he hasn’t come back yet. Yul is a really good strategist, he’s very smart, and he seems to be a good, loyal ally. My only worry for Yul is that he’s so calm and collected, that he may not have the best social game, as some people may be attracted to bigger personalities. Yul is also playing in a new school game, so he’s gotta adjust his previous strategy a lot, similar to Danni, Amber, Ethan, etc. I think Yul will make the merge, but I think he could be a safe vote around the midway point of the game, as he is a big threat, and is always thinking one step ahead of the game.

11. Sophie Clarke (Winner of Season 23- South Pacific)- People don’t love Sophie because she had a very scrappy gameplay style. But she was able to beat three of the greatest icons of Survivor- Ozzy, Coach, and Cochran (in his first season). She was incredibly smart back in the South Pacific, and I think she’ll bring her intellect again here. I do worry that she may be a little harder to bond with because her game was primarily strategic over social, but because she isn’t the most likable, people may see that as a reason to take her along a bit farther. I see Sophie as a middle of the road finisher, because I don’t know if she can make the finale, but I don’t think she’ll go home as early as I originally expected at first glance.

10. Adam Klein (Winner of Season 33- Millennials vs. Gen X)- People try to undermine Adam’s win, saying that he only won because of a sympathy vote since his mom was sick when he played. But I think Adam made the right moves at the right time, and has a lot better of a chance than people expect this time around. I originally thought he might go out pre-merge, but the more I’ve watched his pre-game press, the more I like him and think he’s actually got a good idea of his threat level, as well as other people’s threat levels. Adam is such a big fan, and he’s going to play up the fact that he’s a wide-eyed kid, so people will string him along. He’s going to play to people’s egos and make them think he’s a goat, but if you let Adam get super deep in the game, he may become more and more of a threat. I don’t think Adam will win, because he made a few serious blunders his last time that if he makes this time around, he’s going to have a tougher time getting out of. But I see him going farther than people expect.

9. Denise Stapley (Winner of Season 25- Philippines)- Denise is one of the oldest on the season, so there could be a unanimous “we have to get her out because she’s older,” but the truth is, Denise is one of the most physically fit people on the season and she’s just so loyal, it would make no sense to get rid of her early on. I think Denise may struggle in the merge phase because she IS so loyal, and may have a tough time adjusting should a ton of advantages be used, or should a major twist or shift in the game happen. She’s someone who won a more recent season playing a more old-school game. She went to every single tribal council her first time, and won pretty easily in the end. But I think this time, people will use her as an ally, and cut her around the mid-merge point realizing how close she’s getting to the end.

8. Parvati Shallow (6th Place on Season 13- Cook Islands; Winner of Season 16- Micronesia; Runner-Up on Season 20- Heroes vs. Villains)- Parvati has probably the most consistent, impressive resume of all the 2-3 time players. She hasn’t done any worse than 6th place. I’d expect her to be a lot bigger of a threat, but people seem more threatened by people like Rob, Amber, Sarah, Sandra, and Kim. I really think Parvati will actually be okay. I think people will want to align with her in the hopes of cutting her later down the line. Similar to how Cirie went so far in Game Changers…I think people will know they can get her out later on, and will use her as a number. She’s a mom now, so she’ll play a much more different role and be more nurturing than flirty. It’ll be interesting to see Parvati play again, and in the hopes of seeing her go super far, and the fact that she has done super well every time she’s played, I’m putting her all the way up in 8th place.

7. Kim Spradlin-Wolfe (Winner of Season 24- One World)- Kim is an amazing winner, and I think everyone is well aware of it. I think people will try to take her out around the early-mid merge, simply because she was so dominant on her original season and they don’t want her to make an immunity run. I could see her and Danni playing a similar game, but Kim has just a much bigger target on her back than Danni does. The thing with Kim is, I could see her winning her way back from extinction island, which is why I have her this high. I hope she does really well.

6. Tony Vlachos (Winner of Season 28- Cagayan; 19th Place on Season 34- Game Changers)- Tony is one of my all time favorites. Can he win? I really don’t see how he gets there. But the thing is, on his last appearance, Tony was voted off second, because of how big a threat he was. Because of how bad he did, I don’t think anyone truly sees him as a large threat this time around. He’s a threat, but I think people will have bigger fish to fry at first, which is exactly the type of position Tony needs to be in this time around. I’d love to see Tony win again and be the king of Survivor. But as good as Tony is, I think they’ll be smart to cut him right before the fire making challenge in the finale, and he’ll finish in around 5th or 6th place, just missing out. But expect Tony to go much deeper this season than in Game Changers. I think there are still tricks up his sleeve.

5. Ethan Zohn (Winner of Season 3- Africa; 11th Place on Season 8- All-Stars)- Ethan is going to be the fan favorite. His story is so powerful, as a cancer survivor, and early old-school player who is returning after almost twenty years. I don’t think Ethan will adjust to the new-school game enough to win, but I think because he’s so likable, he’ll go really far. Anyone taking him to the final three knows Ethan will probably win, which is why I don’t see him going further than 5th place. But I think Ethan is a shoo in to be a deep player. He’s going to make lots of bonds with people, particularly some of the older school players like Danni or Parvati, and I could see Tyson taking him under his wing like he took Gervase in Season 27. Ethan is a legend, in and outside of the game, and I cannot wait to see what things he brings to this newer, fresher version of Ethan.

4. Nick Wilson (Winner of Season 37- David vs. Goliath)- Nick is so well liked by almost everyone, and while he just won a few seasons ago, he doesn’t seem to have the ego that Wendell, Sarah, or even Ben have. Nick is going to be someone people will want on their side as an ally. He’s easy going and smart, and was pretty loyal his first time around. The only reason I don’t see him making final three is because he is so good in front of a jury, and I don’t see this group of players wanting someone from such a recent season winning an All-Winners season. Nick, however, will make it far, I just know it. And I can’t wait to see the alliance names he comes up with this time around.

3. Michele Fitzgerald (Winner of Season 32- Kaoh Rong)- Michele is an underrated winner. She deserved her win. But a lot of winners don’t think she did, so they may not see her as a target, and string her along to the end. The only downside to this is, because people don’t see her as one of the “better winners,” I think she’ll have trouble winning in the end. My prediction for her is that she goes super deep, but doesn’t win in the endgame. It’s a shame because I like Michele and think she is a really good player, but with so many more “iconic” legends on the season, I’m bound to think someone with more of a prominent status in the iconography of the game will win.

2. Danni Boatwright (Winner of Season 11- Guatemala)- Jeff Probst predicted Danni to win for a reason. Danni played such a low-key game in her season, that nobody really felt threatened by her, but when she was in the endgame, nobody saw any flaws in her game, and she won almost unanimously against Stephenie LaGrossa, one of the show’s greatest icons of the earlier seasons. Danni had a smart approach of not revealing much of her strategy to producers and cameras, which may have made her an under-edited character, but gave absolutely nobody a read on what she was thinking or doing in the game. If anything, staying silent about her strategy helped her stay under the radar, and I have a feeling she’ll do the same this season. It’s important to note that she’s also really good in challenges, so even if she gets voted out, she could win her way back in.

1. Tyson Apostol (8th Place on Season 18- Tocantins; 15th Place on Season 20- Heroes vs. Villains; Winner of Season 27- Blood vs. Water)- Like I said with Tony, the fact that Tyson had such a bad game in prior seasons, I don’t think people will see him as big of a threat as he is. Tyson is a huge threat. He’s likable, funny, and he likes to align with people he can beat. The first time around, he was so young, and arrogant as hell. The second time, he made dumb moves and practically voted himself off. But his third time, he dominated and ran the show, and I think a lot of people will have their minds clouded by the fact that he did poorly his first two times and not target him. Tyson has the ability to win challenges, and will likely make bonds with a lot of players, particularly ones from older seasons like Yul or Ethan, like he did with Gervase on Blood vs. Water. I think, if Tyson gets to the end, he’s a respectable enough player to be crowned a two-time winner, and he certainly has grown and matured in the fact that he can show respect to the jury while also owning his moves. The winner of the season is going to be someone who the jury wants to represent this epic season, and Tyson is someone who I think the jury could get on board with having this iconic title. He’s my prediction to win, and even if he doesn’t win, he’s going FAR.

Well, those are my very bold, very inaccurate (as they always are) takes on this season’s cast. I really don’t want to be right with these rankings, as I want to be surprised all season. The game has evolved so much, so I’m most excited to see how players like Ethan, Amber, Danni, Parvati, or Yul fare in this new world. And I can’t wait to see some of the most entertaining players like Tyson, Tony, Sandra, or Jeremy play again. I am just way beyond excited. As for who goes home, I have to imagine they’ll split up the Marianos as soon as possible. Since we’re getting two boots, I’ll just predict them both. I think having them go out first and second would be interesting, to see how they do lasting the whole season on Edge of Extinction together, building each other up, being shoulders for each other to cry on. It’s almost poetic. Either way, I think Amber is toast, whether Rob survives the two-hour night or not.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Home 1st- Amber Mariano

Going Home 2nd- Rob Mariano

#survivor

Comments

Feel free to comment, but PLEASE, do not comment spoilers. Thanks all! HEre's to 40 seasons!

Sent by PowerRankings101,Feb 12, 2020

Ethan is my winner pick

Sent by TheGreatJake,Feb 12, 2020

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Survivor S40 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 20)

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