34. Survivor Nigeria (S22)
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I think Nigeria is one of those seasons where you question whether the actual season was good or not. The twist of having four tribes of four without any kind of combined tribal councils made the game interesting as Dan ( dwipeouts) was the one to make the merge out of the original Yoruba tribe. On a side note, the votes at merge while seemed predictable were a lot more chaotic than what met the eye. For example, Dak ( dak236) left with an idol in their pocket and was deemed as the early front-runner till they were eventually blindsided for eighth place. Also, Bailey ( baza76) was really a show stopper till they game an idol to Jacob (#BOBROCKS333) only to find themselves blindsided by the same vote. In the end, I enjoyed the cast and the season but it's just one that feels like we wanted more, or I'm comfortable placing it here.
33. Survivor Paraguay (S27)
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This is probably not a popular opinion but I think Paraguay was a good season. I give a lot of respect to Chris ( IRandomal123) in how they were relatively cold-blooded in how they eliminated players from the game and didn't really back down to anyone. Not to mention, I think there were some interesting premerge boots like Brittany ( LaFierceBrittany2) who got voted out for not participating in a challenge, and Paul ( paul028) getting voted out with an idol in their pocket (this could've changed the game). There was also no swap until the merge with starting tribes of six making the game a lot more challenging. Other memorable characters like Kyle ( RedsKanto) who arguably should be eliminated if his tribe attended tribal council makes it to the final six only to be legacy'd advantaged out and Harry ( harrywasnak) losing his second final tribal council in a tied vote. Outside of that, I think it was a good season but the environment was pretty hostile.
32. Survivor The Canadian Wilderness (S17)
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Arguably, you can make a case this season should be higher based on the number of split votes that took place this season. However, what holds this season back is the lack of characters and the winner's game is still to me a question mark. It was a super chaotic run from start to finish based on voting and many might assume there were advantages in play just by looking at the voting chart (there weren't). The one individual who really was the X-factor to this season was Morgan ( Snake) who really played the role of mastermind and OTT character super well until they were idoled out of the game. Also, inaugural appearances from Jordan ( jman96), Rhett ( Valero7), and Max ( Novamax243) helped boost the overall ratings. Bryan ( iTy990) won the game but I'd say the final three is arguably one of if not the weakest in the series history and still sometimes question how Bryan won. Messy season but too messy to the point it seemed I didn't get the full perspective.
31. Survivor Madagascar - Fans vs. Failures
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The running question that remains across a majority of viewers is why didn't Mike (Pieguy555)? Or maybe it's just him. Honestly, my memory of this season is super foggy but I think the thing that stood out to me was Mike ( Pieguy555) being the underdog against an arguably likable opposing alliance of Ashanti ( KingGeek), Kenneth ( konohavillage1), Lexie ( deathlyavocado) and Sagar ( obscurity). In the end, Lexie came away with the win as the first and only white level of the series playing a fantastic social game. On a side note, it was great seeing Ashanti (KingGeek) really steamroll as the primary villain of the season and working in close partnership with Ken ( konohavillage1). The few iconic individuals really brought out the best of this season but is floored primarily by maybe the lack and banding of a true opposition. Also, I forgot but Luther ( Reality_warped) saying his grandpa passed as strategy to survive the first tribal and lie about it added some drama.
30. Survivor Greece (S21)
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This season featured two returning players in Chris ( Chris1080) and Patrick ( Patrick319) being considered second-chance contestants after falling short in their initial seasons. On paper, this cast is stacked, and believe it was the first all-non-live season that I've ever hosted making it a bit unique. This season will definitely be remembered for its merge like Chili ( Lalisa) being voted out in a 6(0)-6(0)-1 vote along with other split votes throughout the game. Another thing that I'll remember about this season was that the momentum seemed to be for Patrick to win the game but Ray ( GentlemanG) really had a phenomenal final tribal council and changed a decent amount of the jurors' minds including Ethan ( Ethan000). If there's any fault for this season it was the lack of individuals being self-interested which kind of made it easy for Ray and Patrick to dominate a majority of the game.
Current Rankings
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30. Survivor: Greece (S21)
31. Survivor: Madagascar - Fans vs. Failures (S36)
32. Survivor: The Canadian Wilderness (S17)
33. Survivor: Paraguay (S27)
34: Survivor: Nigeria (S22)
35. Survivor: Thailand (S10)
36. Survivor: Cyprus - Dynamic Duos (S47)
37. Survivor: Suriname (S44)
38. Survivor: Azores (S42)
39. Survivor: Kadavu (S49)
40. Survivor: Sri Lanka (S12)
41. Survivor: Myanmar (S7)
42. Survivor: Palau (S8)
43. Survivor: Nicaragua (S29)
44. Survivor: Peru (S16)
45. Survivor: Jordan (S4)
46. Survivor: Israel (S38)
47. Survivor: Comoros (S25)
48. Survivor: South Africa (S30)
49. Survivor: Vietnam (S35)
39. Survivor Kadavu (S49)
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This part of the ranking will start the slew of third-generation seasons that just didn't make the cut. Unsurprisingly, I'll start with Survivor Kadavu the most recent season in the BigBen Survivor franchise. Kadavu, I believe had one of the more interesting casting processes as there was a vast amount of individuals who never really played group games along with some loyalists to the series. While the premerge and a ton of the game could be truly viewed as a snooze fest and the merge started off as a pagonging. What saves this season is the back half of the merge. It was entertaining to watch several duos in action that included Ali ( tokio) & Charl ( THEChanelOberlin), Brady ( CoachWade) & Keith ( keefe), Ikah ( ZforZombie) and James ( kingjames13). Not to mention, Brady coming away with the win after being in the minority most of the merge was a satisfying end result which help barely edges out Sri Lanka. I think this season had a lot more to give on a game front but still likely lacks in entertainment value.
38. Survivor Azores (S42)
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Azores is just an extremely weird season. However, what keeps this season ahead over a few of the other seasons is the dominance of one of the more successful trios in the series between Eric ( awwsum11), Skyler ( Sweez), and Tyler ( TMac_Elite). On Day 1, the final three assembled and on Day 39 they're all sitting at the end (despite strong efforts to knock them out from a resistance)! Honestly, I think this was one of the few jury votes that I didn't have a clear picture of where the cards would fall despite my opinion that Eric should probably be the favorite. Outside of that, I think another weird aspect to this season is everyone playing idols in the premerge so they'd be exhausted out along with vote stealers. There were some interesting votes as well like ( Spark_) getting out Erik ( YoundAndReckless) with a vote stealer and Erik deciding to idol out Kolby ( ThePug) because he was sketchy to save a near inactive in Alf ( Electric). Alf made it all the way to the final five and nearly won the game which is still sort of crazy as most individuals who start the game he did would've just been out next. We also had two quits really deep into the game which was frustrating. Weird season and a fair ranking in my eyes.
37. Survivor Suriname (S44)
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I'll say this... Suriname is another one that falls under the title of a weird season. I believe it was two minutes before the start of the season someone decides to quit two minutes before the game starts and not having enough time to find a replacement the cast was stuck at seventeen. What did I like about the season? First, I think Jan ( DarkTyphoon23) is arguably one of the best winners and overall players in the series so that helps a lot. However, I think another aspect was the merge was actually chaotic in a good/predictable way as we saw a few different powershifts after Shadi ( Chastain) quitting the game at the final nine. This merge was definitely not a snooze fest and I was likely a bit too critical in saying this season would remain at the bottom of the third generation. However, I won't lie and say something was definitely missing it's just something that I'm not recalling at this time. Also, this was a breakout moment for newer group game players like Travis ( Johns4250).
36. Survivor Cyprus - Dynamic Duos (S47)
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On paper, I think this season possessed one of the most stacked casts that I've had in an extremely long time. The duos were all relatively unique and consisted of individuals that either played together in a past season or were new to the series as a whole. Also, with this cast being so stacked there was also a returnee fast game where two individuals would reenter the game, and in this case, it was the duo of Darrius ( Darriusdabest) and Deshon ( deshonBANNEDISBACK) very iconic. Honestly, I do fault myself a bit for why the season is this low as I went on an unexpected vacation for a few days so that took away the pace of the game. Not to mention, I think Tylor ( bamold1999) was the central figure in this cast so I felt his will was being properly inserted into the players for the longest time. However, the emergence of someone that I didn't think would be a contender to win in Pietro ( _Ravenclaw_) really turned up a notch during the merge and will be remembered as one of the "flippiest flippers" of all time along with Billy ( Sealrfun23). Reckon, he definitely made the correct moves for his made game but I didn't think he built enough social capital to be considered as the actual winner of the season. Also, I think the dynamic was also interesting in that you can make the argument that the entirety of the jury likely played better overall games than the final three (that's why Pietro in my eyes is a good winner). Also, Stoner ( Gaiaphagee) received the first boot and Yung ( Yunggunzkeep18) was a nice addition as a player and casual viewer to the series.
35. Survivor Thailand (S10)
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This season will be forever known as... Jera Land! Jera ( XxHeroxX) for the longest time and still might be the best winner of the BigBen Survivor franchise. She was dynamic socially and strategically to the point she truly ran the game from start to finish. Her most memorable move is likely convincing Sean ( Caliboy) to take her to the end over Victoria ( VictoriaW) in the sense of essentially pulling a Woo. Also, the original Sook Jai tribe which originally entered the merge (6-4) in the minority all made it to the final five thanks largely to Jera at this time (credit definitely goes to the tribe as a whole). Renny ( TheRenny) was also one of the original underdogs in the series going on a consecutive immunity run and making it all the way to the final four and it's safe to say he likely wins if he makes it to the end. Overall, Jera vs. Renny compared a lot to Spencer vs. Tony from Survivor Cagayan. I think from a historical perspective this is a good spot for the season as it was the first true season of utter dominance by one individual but the cast was relatively invested (just not great TV). Also, Jera never wore the immunity necklace all season is another impressive fleet despite being the biggest threat all season.
Current Rankings
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35. Survivor: Thailand (S10)
36. Survivor: Cyprus - Dynamic Duos (S47)
37. Survivor: Suriname (S44)
38. Survivor: Azores (S42)
39. Survivor: Kadavu (S49)
40. Survivor: Sri Lanka (S12)
41. Survivor: Myanmar (S7)
42. Survivor: Palau (S8)
43. Survivor: Nicaragua (S29)
44. Survivor: Peru (S16)
45. Survivor: Jordan (S4)
46. Survivor: Israel (S38)
47. Survivor: Comoros (S25)
48. Survivor: South Africa (S30)
49. Survivor: Vietnam (S35)
Hi everyone! I'll be doing season rankings as "All Legends" will be taking place this December and be the final season of the franchise.
44. Survivor Peru (S16)
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Peru similar to Jordan had a decent cast on paper but didn't produce. There were three medical evacuations but the effort instead of being 20% was maybe closer to 40%. David ( DavidM7) really ran the season from start to finish but he did face competition from players like James ( Witz), Terrance ( ImGonnaWin), and Cory (#Lifer107). Not to mention, I think we saw some successful idol players and advantages used (primarily David using an extra vote at the Final 7 to knock out James). It would've been interesting to see Cory at the end because he hadn't received a vote against him till the Final Four. However, this cast also featured really good returnees in Romeo (#BritishRomeo), Julian (#TheSexiestDude990), and Will ( SurvivorFan37). Slightly edges out Jordan in this spot.
43. Survivor Nicaragua (S30)
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If I were to compare Survivor Nicaragua to any CBS Survivor season it would be Redemption Island. Brandon ( brandonrichie) aka the Boston Rob figure controlled the entire game to the point individuals were sacrificing their own individual games for him to win like David (DavidM7). Qaz ( Qazwdxedc) was also a driving force in the season with Brandon and Raul ( MrBird) was a somewhat interesting character who made the end. However, the fallen heroes of Keizo ( Foxy_Piplup), Watermelondrea ( TheEclipse), and Will ( SurvivorFan37) were dearly missed. The only real fun thing about this season was Stoner ( Gaiaphagee) being voted out premerge. The season just overall lacked entertainment due to Brandon's dominant gameplay.
42. Survivor Palau (S8)
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I think many individuals will be surprised by this or call it a bad take. However, Palau was not a very good season despite the abundance of returnees that came back in the future. The premerge was non-existent and the fact that nearly everyone at the Final Tribal Council had self-voted at multiple points was relatively frustrating as a host. I did enjoy hosting a few excellent players like John ( Coffeybean94), Michael ( FairyBoss), and Nick ( NJKoda1998). Also, Jon ( xRAIN_shooter) and Tico ( ticofernandez) going at each other made for a good rivalry. Not to mention, Sydney ( Guigi) despite mainly being a flop in this run returned to the series on multiple occasions and has been relatively successful. Did this season live up to the hype? Nope. However, it had a lot of potential to be much better.
41. Survivor Myanmar (S7)
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Yeah, this was a rough back-to-back stretch. The season is synonymous with Palau in that the casts on paper look relatively solid but doesn't live up to expectations. There was a Silent Auction that turned out to be a really big flop. On paper, I really enjoyed this cast because this was the era where stars players really entered the group game scene. However, in a similar situation, the winner Ben ( aceman509) was on the verge of being medically evacuated and someone who was an active contributor throughout the game Dawson ( dawson905) lost based on not being to own his game (a bit different than Palau). Who were the standouts? I'd say the entire final six minus the eventual winner were proactive in the game and all of them had been asked to return at some point. I believe this was also the season to feature a mutiny power that Brendon (#brenelle1120) ended up using to save himself getting to the merge. Also, Adrianna ( Saftronbtr999) single-handly was keeping her tribe afloat by winning competitions. Overall, better than Palau but we're splitting hairs when actually talking about which one is better.
40. Survivor Sri Lanka (S12)
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I sort of group these five season's all in the same tier. However, what makes Sri Lanka stand out amongst the rest of them? I'll give you two words. NATASHA ( BLONDELLE)!!!! Natasha is arguably one of the most influential players to have shaped this series along with being one of the most dynamic characters of all time. This series would not have lasted as long as it has without her. Natasha was on the verge of being the first boot but finds an idol an hour before the tribal council to idol out cult leader Chris ( Chris1080) in a 7(0)-1 vote. She would later on to finish in fifth place in a tight decision. The premerge was extremely underrated as well seeing Andrea (IceIceBaby) drawing the purple rock and a lot of close votes. However, I'd wish the merge was as good as the premerge as I distinctly remember two medical evacuations one being Ryan ( boneworks) who had two idols in his pocket and looked in my eyes to be a dark horse. Not to mention, the emergence of other group game players like Brady (CoachWade) the eventual winner, and Brandon (brandonrichie) really rose to the occasion and battled it out at Final Tribal Council (both were impressive). Overall, should this season be ranked higher than a few ahead of it? Potentially... but I can't base this strictly off three big characters driving the season and have to look at the full picture. Also, Matt (#mrcool) nearly won the game and that would have been a meme.
Current Rankings
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40. Survivor: Sri Lanka (S12)
41. Survivor: Myanmar (S7)
42. Survivor: Palau (S8)
43. Survivor: Nicaragua (S29)
44. Survivor: Peru (S16)
45. Survivor: Jordan (S4)
46. Survivor: Israel (S38)
47. Survivor: Comoros (S25)
48. Survivor: South Africa (S30)
49. Survivor: Vietnam (S35)
Hi everyone! I'll be doing season rankings as "All Legends" will be taking place this December and be the final season of the franchise.
49. Survivor Vietnam (S35)
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This is a season that always remains uncomfortable for me to talk about based strictly on the fact from start to finish it was not fun. I really forced the casting process and essentially casted a partial friend group as Tengaged was dead at this point in time. It was also not fun in the sense that the final vote became a huge controversy. If there is any bright spot in this season it's that Shawn ( SuitMan13) was medically evacuated and big players like Jake ( Lemjam6), Jasoi ( Jasoi), and Kelly ( Kelly0412) were the primary drivers of the season (there were entertaining moments for sure). Ultimately, there's a reason why this season was stripped from the record books.
48. Survivor Comoros (S25)
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Wow! Throughout the years, I think a lot of people believed this season would be the worst by a mile. Comoros maybe had the best logo in the series but the worst cast possible in regards to activity. We had two walks, two medical evacuations, and yet again another non-existent pre merge. What lifts this season over the other Vietnam is the duo of Patrick ( Pokepat) and Tashi ( tashi) sliding to the end together along with a few other characters in Barbra (BarbraStreisand) and Logan ( lhooper902976). Outside of that, I would say the game was extremely bad.
47. Survivor South Africa (S30)
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Honestly, the Second Generation probably provided the worst seasons of the entire series as we further look into these rankings. The season consisted of a quit and three medical evacuations and went on to be a very unmemorable season. What were the good takeaways? I really enjoyed Benjamin X ( BENLINUS) and Juniper ( NewNightmare7) duo that had been in the works as they ended up being powerful forces throughout the entirety of the game. It was also interesting that Tim ( lionsden121) turned out being the underdog. Other than that, Eoin ( Eoin) the last picked goes to win the game nearly being perfect and Kolby ( ThePug) would be the winner of All Stars II after being a late addition to the cast. Andrew ( turney1805) was unfortunately not on the jury trip.
46. Survivor Israel (S38)
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The concept of Survivor Israel in theory was sound. The format consisted of always having some form of combined tribal council. The season also featured four returnees in Adam ( mathboy9), Alan (AlanDuncan), Christian ( Christian37) and Martin ( Hudspith). We lost some heavy hitters early in Jayson ( BBlover96) and Chili ( Lalisa) which ultimately slowed down the game from an activity standpoint. However, new players like Robert ( Robson704) and Kyle ( Kyle12212) proved to be strong competitors and were both asked back for last chances to memory. What the season will likely be remembered for is Will ( IceBeast) steamrolling the season but not much else.
45. Survivor Jordan (S4)
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This is quite the throwback! At first glance, I think a lot of people will look at this cast and say what's so bad about this season? We had Jimbo ( sahmosean), Erik ( YoundAndReckless), Kelly ( Kelly0412), Mike ( Michael31), and the names continue. The problem that the season proved was activity and consistency. The "Black Vote" twist which allowed an eliminated player to cast a vote at the next tribal council was non-impactful and there were also self-votes across the board. Erik and Jimbo ran the season till Jimbo decided to cut Erik and Loop (Loopulle) was a unique character and became one of the more interesting zero vote finalists. On paper, I expected a much better season and got maybe 20% effort out of this cast outside of the individuals in the final four (along with John and Kelly).
Season Rankings
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49. Vietnam
48. Comoros
47. South Africa
46. Israel
45. Jordan
