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Top 100 Survivor Players Power Rankings (#80-71)

Jul 29, 2020 by PowerRankings101

Last time, we ranked the top 81-90 contestants (Chrissy, Ben, Peih-Gee, Joe, Jay, Gervase, Taj, Candice, Brenda, and Chelsea) and you had to guess for the next batch. Today, we’re gonna look at the 71-80 ranked contestants on my list. Again, making the list is an honor in itself, regardless of placement, and my opinion is only my opinion. You will disagree, and that’s okay, just be polite, kind, and respectful in your comments and healthy discussion. I cannot wait to hear what you think. Here we go.

*Number 80: Carolyn “Mama C” Rivera (Worlds Apart)- The biggest robbery in Survivor isn’t Cirie in Micronesia or Game Changers, it isn’t Devon in HvHvH, it isn’t even Dom on Ghost Island. It’s Carolyn not getting a second chance on Cambodia, a season after her great run on Worlds Apart. Worlds Apart is full of some complicated and unlikable players, but I think Carolyn emerges as both a great personality and a great strategist. I even think she played a better strategy than Mike Holloway, and while he is higher on this list—mostly for outplaying her and clinching the victory—I may have voted for Carolyn in final tribal due to her success. She found an idol on one of the first few days of the season, and she was able to hold onto that idol for a majority of the season. People don’t realize how ruthless she was, blindsiding her allies like Max and Tyler, eventually teaming up with Mike for the rest of the game. She won a clutch two immunities (on a season with a comp beast), and beat Rodney, the next biggest threat, in a fire making challenge. I just love Mama C’s game in the fact that she plays much younger than her age, and defies the “older woman” stereotype. I found her relatable, incredibly smart, and as I said, SO robbed for Cambodia, where she should’ve gotten her second chance. Monica Padilla who?

*Number 79: Amber Mariano (The Australian Outback, Winner of All-Stars, Winners at War)- Amber is an iconic figure within the Survivor community. She is one of the legends for her bond and eventual marriage with Boston Rob, though some people overlook her strategy. She perfected the meat shield strategy, teaming up with Rob, and making herself seem like the lesser of two evils. Some—including myself—knock Amber for not having much of a strategic say, which is true, but the game is simply getting to the end and getting jury votes, and she did both. She won on a season against several winners, which was definitely impressive. The biggest issue I have with Amber is that she was nearly forgettable in her first season, and she really wasn’t playing too well on the most recent Winners at War. She even admitted that she went on for Rob, to help Rob, and I don’t really respect that, given that Vecepia, Tina Wesson, Natalie White, and Jenna Morasca weren’t on the cast, and would’ve given it their all. How can you not have Amber on the list of top 100 though? She’s an icon, and remains the reason why nobody lets a showmance get to final two together. A game changer.

*Number 78: Rudy Boesch (Borneo; All-Stars)- Similar to Amber, Rudy is an undisputed legend, but maybe not for their strategy. Rudy was one of the most fascinating characters of the early era of Survivor, and casuals still know his name and his impact today. A former Navy seal, Rudy was the oldest person to ever play the game, and he outlasted so many others to be in the final three. I do think Richard, his partner in crime, did most of the dirty work on that season (which was so experimental and new, there wasn’t really “dirty work” to be done), but I do think, had he won final immunity, he could’ve been our first winner. He would’ve gone a lot further in All-Stars had he not injured his ankle, as I feel his tribe would’ve voted for Ethan first had that not been the case. I do think Rudy showed that anyone, of any age, could play Survivor, and he really stands out amongst those who set the foundation for this legendary social experiment. I send my condolences to Rudy’s family, as Rudy sadly passed away at the age of 91 in 2019.

*Number 77: Danielle DiLorenzo (Panama; Heroes vs. Villains)- I think Danielle is severely underrated, as she wasn’t as visible as some bigger personalities on BOTH her seasons. But she ended up playing pretty well on both. On Survivor: Panama, Danielle was part of the Casaya 6, one of the most iconic tribes in the history of the show, being a crucial member of Bobby’s vote out, and hiding behind the feud between Courtney and Shane as well as Aras and Terry throughout the post-merge. Danielle fought in the endgame, eliminating Cirie in fire and then winning the final immunity challenge and sending Terry, the challenge beast, home. I don’t think she was ever going to win her season, but she still made it to the end, taking out some big threats along the way. On Heroes vs. Villains, she played one of the most impressive games, teaming up with Parv and Russell to take out a slew of villains. Danielle was part of the operation, and seemed to have final three locked up—where she very well may have won—but got taken out as Russell was threatened by her relationship with Parvati. I do think Danielle stood a good shot at winning, being competitive, but not villainous enough to turn off the Heroes’ respect. She’s incredibly underrated, as she could’ve easily flopped on Parvati and Russell, but wanted to pledge her loyalty, and without her, those two wouldn’t have been able to make it as far in the game. Not the best player from a strategic sense, but an instrumental one in both her seasons. She belongs on this list.

*Number 76: Gavin Whitson (Edge of Extinction)- Gavin is incredibly underrated, and I think it’s because the edit didn’t really show him off well enough. I never understood the argument that Chris, who played 11 days, should beat Gavin or Julie, who played the full 39, and Gavin played with a pretty great self-awareness throughout. He, Eric, and Victoria had a great alliance that helped blindside Aubry in the pre-merge, taking out arguably the best strategic player of the season. I think he really had a good grasp on almost all the post-merge, actually taking out Eric, and fighting his way to the final three, hiding behind bigger threats like Victoria, Devens, and Underwood. Ultimately, he wasn’t able to sell his game, which is a shame, because I would’ve voted for him in the final three. I do think Victoria did a lot of his dirty work, but his social game is what kept him in the good graces of most of the cast. He’s a southern guy with southern charm, and he really made it easy for people to trust him. Not one of the best to never win, but still a great player that should have won his given season out of the three sitting in the end.

*Number 75: Kelly Wiglesworth (Borneo; Cambodia)- Kelly had the record for the largest gap between seasons (1 and 31) before Ethan and Amber broke the record for Winners at War (8 and 40). Kelly is an iconic Survivor figure, emerging as Survivor’s first ever challenge beast, winning four immunities on her season. She was part of the first alliance with Sue, that ultimately expanded to Richard and Rudy as well. She only lost by one vote, and could’ve easily been the winner of the season if she had a better final tribal. I was a big fan of hers and couldn’t wait for her to come back on Cambodia. Unfortunately, she really didn’t get shown too much, and was nearly invisible throughout the season. She didn’t seem to have success voting correctly, only voting correctly ONCE in the season, for Shirin in episode 2. Otherwise, she voted incorrectly, and was taken out by Stephen Fishbach and others to undercut Joe, her biggest ally. Overall, a severely unimpressive game. But I had to include Wiglesworth because she was an icon, making it all the way to final tribal in the first season. She is part of the reason Survivor lives on, and despite her poor performance in Cambodia, she still made the merge regardless, which is something impressive.

*Number 74: Devon Pinto (Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers)- Devon simply goes higher than Chrissy and Ben because I think Devon had the season locked up had it not been for the fire-making challenge. Ben goes home, and I think Devon wins over more of the jury than Chrissy and Ryan. He dominated the season in terms of social game, being on most people’s good side. He was part of an iconic Round Table alliance, and had many people coming to Devon for information. He had such good relationships with everyone on the season, never really making an enemy the whole season, only Ashley upon betraying her. I think Devon is severely underrated, as he played the “dumb surfer guy” role, but was incredibly smart, conscious of every bond and relationship he made throughout the season. He only blindsided his allies when he needed to, and kept his Day One friendship with Ryan throughout the game. I wish Devon didn’t have that fire making challenge, because he would’ve had the game won hands down. I think he’s a more consistent player along all three—social, strategic, athletic—than Ryan, Chrissy, or even Ben. He’s due for a return, and I hope he gets to play again someday.

*Number 73: Hayden Moss (Blood vs. Water)- All problematic political views of his aside, I enjoy Hayden as a player in the game. He played one of the most flawless games of Big Brother on season 12, and then had his shot at Survivor. He did exactly what he did on his Big Brother season, teaming up with the boys, eventually getting Marissa and Rachel out of the game before switching things up, surviving the pre-merge, and eventually solidifying himself with Tyson and Gervase for a while in the beginning of the merge, sending out winners like Aras and Tina. He ultimately tried to gain control against the vets, teaming up with Ciera, Caleb, and Katie Collins, but Ciera flipped, sending Hayden’s number one ally Caleb home, and causing Hayden to hustle from the bottom for the first time all season. He was able to help force the second ever rock-draw in the history of the show, convincing Ciera that she was on the bottom, eventually earning her trust again. It didn’t work out for him, but it’s inarguably one of the most bold moves of the show’s history, and had Katie not gone home and Tyson been booted instead, we may have seen a very different final tribal. I think Hayden proved that he had real strategy, and did well on both reality shows, something Caleb wasn’t able to do seasons later.

*Number 72: Natalie Bolton (Micronesia)- Natalie is an iconic figure in the show, despite having a pretty crappy edit. We didn’t know a ton about Natalie in the pre-merge (possibly because she only lost two immunity challenges), but she definitely emerged as a great Survivor villain in the post-merge. She’s one of the iconic Black Widow alliance members, teaming up with Parvati, Amanda, Cirie, and Alexis to create some great blindsides. The most iconic blindside, of course, was having Erik Reichenbach give away the immunity necklace. Erik was a super tough competitor to beat, and her convincing was instrumental in the operation. Had Erik not given away the necklace, and Amanda went home, there’s a good chance Natalie is sitting in the final two with Erik. She may not have won, but she was damn close. I think Natalie is severely underrated, and is a great villainess that should’ve gotten a second shot. Whereas Sherri, the last remaining fan on FvF2, was a goat taken to the end, Natalie was the last fan standing AND a super competitive player.

*Number 71: Randy Bailey (Gabon; Heroes vs. Villains)- Randy adopted 11 puppies, and named them all after his Gabon castmates. He’s one of the show’s most hilarious characters in the fact that he is so dry and judgmental the entire season. The best thing about Randy is, as ridiculous and pissed off as he can be, he honestly has a good read on the game, and almost nails it on the head with everything he says. He knows exactly who’s in control, and who stands in his way, and even if the tribe doesn’t listen, he still makes his opinion known and tries to take those people out. We see this in Heroes vs. Villains…Randy calls from the BEGINNING that Parvati will run the show, and nobody listens to him! He is also impressively good in challenges in Gabon, and does a great job in the team phase of the game, something we sadly didn’t see in his return (almost embarrassingly so). I think Randy has an advantage over many contestants in that he plays completely void of emotion, and doesn’t give a crap about what you think of him, and makes his hatred known. I don’t think people give him enough credit (probably because he is too grumpy for some people), but I appreciated his honesty, and I think it’s why Marcus, Charlie, and Corinne could trust him so easily. He’s a great character, and I’d always love to see Randy on any season of the show. The episode where Randy gives out his cookies in the auction, with Bob making a fake idol, and Randy getting blindsided…it’s one of the finest episodes the show has ever seen from a sheer entertainment standpoint. I think, had his tribe listened to him in Heroes vs. Villains, it could’ve been a completely different outcome, and I think he’s one of the more underrated villains in the show’s history. Justice for Randy.

That was my top 80-71. So here are some clues for the next batch of contestants on the list. Let’s see if you can guess.

70. Like Natalie Bolton, who I mentioned earlier, this player had an immunity necklace given to them at tribal by the person who won individual immunity.
69. This winner pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the game, though they never got a shot to compete again on a future season.
68. This player is currently the oldest living returnee player, providing a series of firsts on their initial season.
67. Despite being a fan favorite on their initial season, this player returned to be beaten by a newbie in final tribal council.
66. A winner, this player is one of few who isn’t necessarily known by their first name, but rather a different, more unique one.
65. This player is unique for proposing to his girlfriend on the island, in an iconic moment from his season.
64. This winner was an alternate on their initial season, but still got the chance to play, and made a huge mark on their season, winning not only the million dollar prize, but fan favorite as well.
63. This winner had a rather impressive first game, but had a rough go on Winners at War.
62. Despite not playing on either season, this player was still showcased at the live reunion show for both Heroes vs. Villains and Ghost Island.
61. On a season full of “misfits,” this unlikely mastermind managed to take out several big threats early on, playing with every single player on their season (except for one).

If you have any guesses for the next installment of the list, please drop them below. What do you think of numbers 71-80 on the list? Looking forward to sharing 61-70 next time.

#survivor
#casting

Comments

70. Albert/Heidi/Julie Rosenberg
69. Natalie White
68. Oldest living? Idk, one of the older season players...maybe Sue Hawk or Hatch
67. Coach
66. Cochran/Fabio/JT those are the only nicknames I can think of
65. Matty
64. no clue
63. Danni/Nick/Wendell/Denise (strictly thinking edit wise)
62. Erik Reichenbach
61. n/a

Sent by SurvivorGames,Aug 6, 2020

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Top 100 Survivor Players Power Rankings (#80-71)

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