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Top 100 Survivor Players Power Rankings (#60-51)

Aug 28, 2020 by PowerRankings101

Last time, we ranked the top 61-70 contestants (Kenny, Erik Reichenbach, Danni, Bob, Matty, Fabio, Stephenie, Yau-Man, Natalie White, and Heidi) and you had to guess for the next batch. Today, we’re gonna look at the 51-60 ranked contestants on my list. Once again, it’s all opinion, so there’s no right or wrong placement, and being on the list at all is an honor. 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 60: David Wright (Millennials vs. Gen X; Edge of Extinction)- David is such an amazing Survivor player, and many who just watched him on Edge of Extinction would forget how rough his first few days of Survivor on Millennials vs. Gen X really were. His paranoia really took over his game for a while, and made the big mistake of looking for an idol out the gate and drawing some attention. After the first few days, however, David starts playing hard, campaigning to stay and ultimately voting out Rachel, being instrumental in blindsiding Paul, and playing an idol on Jessica to boot Lucy. David then became a truly visible threat, but was able to garner enough numbers to combat the other majority, led by Zeke, getting Will to flip on Zeke. David was able to win two immunities along the way and lost the game in the very last tribal because he was just the biggest threat left in Adam’s way. I was super impressed with David’s game. That being said, he did emerge as a huge target pretty early on, and was always on his toes. He didn’t have the ability to float or coast, which makes his game all the more impressive, but also gives him little chance of winning if he ever returns to the game. He did return for Edge of Extinction, and while he was well liked by everyone, his tribe was sent to tribal council 5 out of 6 times in the pre-merge, and he lost his right hand man out the gate in Rick Devens in episode 4. He makes the merge, and instead of having his allies trust, all his past Lesu members (Wentworth, Lauren, and Wardog) all vote for him! Once that happens, him and Rick are on the outs for a lot of the game, and David ultimately gets taken out a few weeks later. I think his game in Edge is messy because he can never really get things to go his way both challenge-wise and numbers-wise. I do think he’s incredibly inspirational as someone who overcame anxiety and paranoia to become a power player on Millennials vs. Gen X. I do think David will always make a big impact on every season he’s in, even if (as we saw with Edge) he didn’t necessary hold much power at all like he did in his first season. He definitely earns a spot on the list because he is really fun to watch and had an amazing first season.

*Number 59: Benjamin “Coach” Wade (Tocantins; Heroes vs. Villains; South Pacific)- Coach is an interesting person to rank, because as a character, I think he’s one of the best we’ve ever seen. As a player, not so much. His only good game is South Pacific, and even then, he completely blows it in the final tribal council. On Tocantins and HvV, despite making the jury both times, I feel like a lot of his longevity is due to being so dramatic and over the top, that people can use him as a number and use his loyalty for their benefit. In Tocantins, he does have a good alliance going, but once the merge hits, instead of wisely trying to take out the minority of Stephen, Taj, and JT, he starts trying to turn on his own Timbira members, like Brendan and Sierra, which ultimately get them taken out (as well as his ally Tyson), leaving COACH in the minority, and putting him as the easy 5th place boot. In HvV, he is seen as a loyal member of Rob’s alliance until he flips and is part of the reason Rob goes home. From then on, his game is pretty much wasted, as he lets Russell’s side dominate and send him out the very next tribal. He’s a great character both times, but he really lets his loyalty get in the way of getting anywhere near final tribal. In his final season, I do think he plays a great game though, and really has control pretty much the whole way through. He seems to be a brand new Coach, and really seems mature and much more calm, compared to the intense version of his past gameplay. I do think he blows it in the end, but for Coach to dominate the whole season like he did, I do think it’s very impressive and commendable.

*Number 58: Tai Trang (Kaoh Rong; Game Changers)- Tai is a gem of a human being, and really won over our hearts. But I think people forget how well he actually played. He found idols like a monster, and was really good at the survivalist aspect of the game. Like Coach, he couldn’t exactly sell himself well to a jury in the end, but was part of some instrumental moves along the way. I do think his Game Changers game is even more impressive than his first. In his first, he gets along pretty well with everyone in the pre-merge, and ultimately became a number for Scot and Jason. The best moment, however, is seeing Tai turn on Scot, not letting him have the super idol, and blindsiding him, which gives him a lot of great longevity, working close with Aubry to make the final tribal council. His Game Changers game is really impressive, as he is able to find THREE idols. He was able to make a huge play and blindside Malcolm, playing his idol on Sierra. He was able to get on everyone’s good side, which Cirie was able to spot, seeing as how well he connected with other human beings. He managed to get all the way to final four again (the last day 38 vote off before the fire-making twist was introduced), which was really impressive. The thing is, Tai doesn’t make any huge moves on his OWN, he’s much more instrumental in OTHER people’s plans. However, he is always able to be part of those plans because he’s trustworthy and incredibly likable. He is authentically himself, and that makes him a big threat because of how much people like him without him even trying, but also makes him a huge asset. Tai was able to make it to final four both times, which is something any Survivor could and should make the list for. It’s truly an accomplishment. He deserves to be on the list this high as I think he could make it this far almost every time he plays, and makes our hearts warm in doing so.

*Number 57: James Clement (China; Micronesia; Heroes vs. Villains)- James is a legend. He was one of the most visibly intimidating contestants they’ve ever had, as he had more muscles than any player ever. But behind the stronger exterior was a very lovable ally in James. He didn’t take any BS from anyone, but the people he was aligned with, he was loyal and respectful to. His most memorable ally was Amanda, who he played three seasons with. Despite having some disputes with several contestants, James’ bond with Amanda was always heartwarming, particularly in his final HvV episode where he returned to his beach with his leg braced up and Amanda ran to give him a hug. As an actual game player, obviously James has faults, particularly in China, where he got booted with two idols. But it’s a testament to James’ game that he was able to have two idols anyway, as he worked tight with Todd and Amanda and was able to play the swap perfectly. His Micronesia game and HvV game both involved James working with the majority. While Parv eventually lost James’ trust, James was pretty smooth sailing for most of Micronesia, and could’ve gone longer had he not been pulled due to injury. It’s quite ironic that the biggest, strongest guy the show has seen went out twice due to an injury. I think James will go down in Survivor infamy for his boot in China, but I think he proved two seasons after that that he was able to find his way into a majority alliance for most of his time in the game, and he really won over America’s hearts too in the process.

*Number 56: Nick Wilson (Winner of David vs. Goliath; Winners at War)- Nick is interesting because Nick has one of the best zero to hero wins in David vs Goliath, but flops pretty hard in Winners at War, despite going far? It’s confusing. But I do think Nick is a good player, as he is an outsider and never seemingly takes control, allowing him to float along for a while. After his disastrous first episode of David vs. Goliath where he was almost the first boot, he was able to then make some core alliances with people like Davie and Christian, which got him very deep into the game. At the tribe swap, he was able to befriend both Mike and Angelina, who he’d later go to final three with. Nick looked like he may be doomed after Davie’s boot, but Nick was able to win immunities and secure his spot in the final three. I like Nick because he really embodied his season’s theme. He knew he was the underdog, and was able to beat so many other power players. The Davids getting their revenge on the Goliaths and sending huge players like Dan, John, and Alec at the merge was pretty awesome to watch. That being said, while Nick was instrumental in those moves, he owes a lot to Christian, Carl, and Davie as well. I do appreciate someone, like Nick, who can work well with his alliance collaboratively though, and he earns lots of respect for that. His Winners at War game was…well…not as good. He was part of Tyson’s blindside early on, but after that, he really didn’t have much control at all. He tried to play hard, but when it did, it only backfired and resulted in him getting booted. The editors also didn’t exactly portray Nick in the best light, but again, he really didn’t do too many notable things throughout the season. Regardless, Nick is a winner and had a pretty good first game, so I give him that credit, and while he didn’t play well, he still made it far on WaW.

*Number 55: Tom Westman (Winner of Palau; Heroes vs. Villains)- I know I’m going to get LOTS of flack for this placement (but top 55 is still good!), but I do think, as dominant as Tom was in Palau, he doesn’t really get the chance to play any hardcore strategy until the “absorption” (since it technically wasn’t a merge). His tribe wins so many times, we don’t truly get to see how Tom would fare in some of the earlier tribal councils, and while it’s impressive that he never had to go to tribal, he almost got to sit around for half the season and didn’t have to overcome as much as other winners. Dominance? Yes. But that’s more on the team’s merits than Tom’s himself. As for his post-absorption game, I think Tom plays really well. I mean, duh. He runs the dominant strategy in the game and him and Ian really run it to the end. I do think, however, that Ian may have actually had a shot at beating Tom had they been sitting alongside each other in final two, and Ian quitting is ultimately the reason he is off this list and why Tom is so revered. Tom also turned some of his tribe members off, particularly Coby, who showed early season bitter jurorness, and I feel that, had Koror gone through more tribal councils earlier in the game, more jurors may have been bitter at Tom’s gameplay because Tom did show more care and respect to other teammates more-so than others. But the thing is, his tribe DID win, so he didn’t even have to worry about making any tough cuts except for Willard in the beginning, which really maintained everyone’s trust with Tom. A hero indeed. Now why is he this low on the list? He has one of the most disappointing games on Heroes vs. Villains. He is the only winner that goes home pre-merge, and he doesn’t just go home, but he is a target in the very first episode, on the outs of the numbers. Sure, he survives because Sugar and Steph are more on the outside, but once it’s down to him and Colby, Tom HAS to find an idol to stay alive. He does, but gets out Cirie (in my opinion, he should’ve went for one of the stronger physical players like Amanda or James). I’m a Cirie stan, so her boot never sit well with me. After that, he basically has no options and goes out easily over JAMES, who had a hurt leg. That just shows how poor Tom’s social game in Heroes vs. Villains is. I do wish he had pre-gamed a bit more, but because his only real friendship was Stephenie, it seemed like he was doomed from the start. I like Westman, but I do think his second outing is so bad (like Nick’s), I just can’t put him too much higher than this.

*Number 54: Cydney Gillon (Kaoh Rong)- Cydney is such an underrated player, and I think it’s because she only plays once. I remember being such a big fan of hers, and I think, if you talk about Michele, Aubry, and Tai (which we did earlier), Cydney has to be in conversation, as she helped make up one of the strongest final fours in history. She was always giving 110% in challenges (so much so that she almost got medevaced in the harsh sand challenge that sent Caleb out). She was one fire-making challenge away from potentially winning the whole game, and had a really good shot had she beat Aubry in that challenge. What captivated me most with Cydney was her story, and how much emotion and fight she put into the game. I think she was a player that was able to lay low enough to not be a primary target a lot of the time, but was still visible enough to make moves and get in with the right groups of people. She was one of the master engineers behind Nick’s blindside, and turning on her Brawn tribe members Scot and Jason at the merge proved to be a great move for her game. She knew when to strike, having a great read on the tribe, and that is why I’m impressed with Cydney’s game so much. Sure, she came up short, but she’s one hell of a competitor.

*Number 53: Andrea Boehlke (Redemption Island; Caramoan; Game Changers)- Andrea is the queen of consistency. She never makes the final three, but always gets jury. She was voted out all four* times (yes, she was voted out twice in season 22), all around the same place. I do like Andrea’s adaptability. Seeing her showmance Matt go home in episode 2 in Redemption Island, Andrea needed to get on Rob’s good side, and was able to make sure other people stuck out more than her. I do think she was so young, which makes her game all the more impressive. In Caramoan, she once again fit in nicely with the right people, as she did in Game Changers also. Where Andrea’s game gets a little flack is because she always seems to be one step behind at the wrong point, and that’s usually when she gets blindsided. But the fact that she gets blindsided in both Carmoan and Game Changers shows that she has confidence, and she felt so secure that her tribe needed to go to greater depths to get her out. I like seeing Andrea play the game. She is wise for her young age when we first see her, and continues to evolve her strategy as the flirt, who also plays hard to enough to intimidate at times, and ultimately emerges as someone with much more power than we expect. I like Andrea, and she makes my list for placing well all three times she plays.

*Number 52: Courtney Yates (China; Heroes vs. Villains)- Courtney is a CHARACTER. I love watching Courtney more than I like Courtney’s game, but I do think she has lots of merits in her strategy. She almost plays Sandra’s “anyone but me” strategy, claiming that she is weak and easier to beat in the end, which actually gets her a long way. The thing is, she almost WINS, and in a season where Todd flubs final tribal council, she may actually win it all. She was able to win an immunity when James wasn’t. She got the last laugh on her rival Jean-Robert (and again Coach!). I do think in HvV, she plays a little worse, but that’s not her own wrongdoing. Tyson and Coach both kind of screw her game in a sense, as if Tyson doesn’t vote himself out, they take out Parv, Russell, and Danielle pretty handily, and again with Coach, if he doesn’t vote Rob out, there’s potential to bounce back. I still love her game, as she plays second in command to Sandra. Yes, she’s weak in her tribe’s strength, which puts her down a bit in rankings, as she would likely get booted early in most seasons. But on the seasons we saw her on, she utilized being the “harmless” weak girl to her strategy, made it further than expected, and roasted her tribemates along the way. On the list for her character, high on the list for her game play. Love Courtney.

*Number 51: Victoria Baamonde (Edge of Extinction)- Victoria is one of my favorite one-time players to never win. Many people underestimate Victoria because the edit really kept her under the radar, though we still were able to see her strategy evolve. We got to see her brain turn, even if it wasn’t “in your face.” I love what she did on Edge of Extinction. She votes correctly on EVERY tribal council until episode 11 (and even THEN, she only votes incorrectly because of a split vote…which is so impressive). Not only that, but she has a hand in voting out ALL four returnees on her season. She votes out Aubry in the pre-merge, and not only that…she ORCHESTRATES it. She plans the blindside, then goes the extra mile to convince Aubry that she is her #1 ally, and they have full trust. Aubry doesn’t see it coming. She then gets out Joe, as most of the others do, for being a challenge threat, but again, Joe trusted Victoria too, having played a lot of the pre-merge with her. She then helps get out David and Wentworth in the same episode. It’s really impressive to see Victoria vote correctly so consistently, because she always knows where the votes are going. She even knew when to vote against her FRIENDS in Eric and Julia. Why is Victoria so high if she gets booted in 6th, and why is she above Rick, Gavin, AND Chris Underwood? I’ll tell ya…Victoria only goes home because of Edge of Extinction. If Chris doesn’t get back into the game, nobody knows how big of a threat Victoria really is. Chris said “the jury sees Victoria as the best player,” so obviously, her target gets much bigger. The thing is, until then, nobody was even looking at Victoria as a target! If she makes the end, I think Victoria sells her case better than Julie, Gavin, and Lauren, and would really only lose to Devens, but by that point, I think she’d find a way to get Devens out if Chris didn’t come back with an idol. She had such a good read on everything going on and only got bested because a dude got to spend WEEKS with the jury, and knew he could use it against her. I’d love to see Victoria play again because I think her gameplay was under the radar enough that nobody would target her out the gate. Not only does she vote on the right side almost every single time, but she also never receives a vote until her boot episode. She’s just such an impressive player that only gets screwed because of the edge twist, and likely wins if the edge isn’t in play and Underwood doesn’t put an immediate target on her back. I love Victoria, and I hope to god we get to see her play again.

That was my top 60-51. So here are some clues for the next batch of contestants on the list. Let’s see if you can guess.

50. Ties a record with #49 for most individual immunities in a single season. This player only played Survivor twice.
49. Ties with #50 for most immunities won in a single season, but has played three times.
48. This two-time player wore both green and orange buffs BOTH times they played, but didn’t spend much time in an orange buff on either of their seasons.
47. This person beat out Boston Rob, Richard Hatch, Cesternino, and Jerri Manthey for Best Survivor Villain at America’s tribal council and didn’t even PLAY on All-Stars.
46. This person had two iconic rivalries: one led them to a victorious win, the other led straight to redemption island.
45. This three-time player only got voted out of the game twice, but has never made it to final tribal council (except as a juror, of course)
44. This winner may not be a fan favorite, but earned their win after winning three straight immunities to get to final tribal council in an old-school season.
43. This player won the game without a single immunity win or hidden immunity idol.
42. One of Survivor’s most recognizable faces, this player and their spouse played on another CBS show after Survivor!
41. This person is known for a famous rivalry, and despite falling short to their rival in their first season, they were able to vote their rival out on their second and third seasons.

If you have any guesses for the next installment of the list, please drop them below. What do you think of numbers 51-60 on the list? Looking forward to sharing 41-50 next time.

#casting
#survivor

Comments

50. Terry or Culpepper
49. Colby
48. no clue. Someone from Cagayan? Tasha, kass, spencer?
47. Fairplay
46. Tina or Aras
45. Penner
44. Jenna M?
43. Natalie White or Tommy Sheehan
42. Rupert, Ethan, Jenna M (those are the only legends to play on Amazing Race, bc it's not keith or whitney)
41. Jerri

Sent by SurvivorGames,Aug 30, 2020

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Top 100 Survivor Players Power Rankings (#60-51)

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