On Feb. 25, the eyes of fans of the television reality show known as Survivor will be fixated on the television as the agency celebrates its 26th year on the air with its illustrious 50th season, where 24 of the game’s most legendary players will be competing to Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast each other to be crowned the Ultimate Survivor by their castmates and come back to their homes a millionaire.

From 2000 to 2019, Survivor was mostly played the same. The game would last 39 days. Players would receive rice to begin the game. There was a merge feast. There were few twists (though idols were introduced in Season 11). Seasons were named based off of a theme (either a location or gameplay centric).

Season 40 of Survivor, Winners at War, was filmed from May 22 to June 29, 2019, but the season aired from February to May 2020. In the middle of the season airing, the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged through the world, causing production plans to be halted for the upcoming Survivor filming season for Seasons 41 and 42, which were set to begin filming once the finale of Season 40 aired.

With the world changing, Jeff Probst, the host of the iconic show since the beginning, and the Survivor crew decided the game needed to change with the times. Because of the pandemic, the game shifted from 39 days to 26 days. Seasons changed from themes to numbers. Tribes went from two groups of 10 (20 total players) to three groups of six (18 players). Numerous twists, including the Beware Advantage and Shot in the Dark, were introduced. The reduction of days, the number of Tribes, and the numerous twists changed the game entirely. Rice was not given at the beginning of the game. Players had to EARN everything, including their Tribe supplies, food, and a spot at the merge. Season 41 truly kickstarted a New Era for the reality show that puts strangers in the jungle as a social experiment.

I have watched all the New Era seasons of the show, and it’s time to rank them from worst to first. Here is the criteria I have developed for these rankings (in no particular order):

  • Gameplay
  • The cast
  • Memorable moments
  • Winner and Final 3

9. Season 43

Season 43 was actually the last season I watched before I began compiling this list. For context, the first season of Survivor I ever watched was Season 45. I watched seasons 45, 46, 47 and 48 live as they happened. Then, this summer while waiting for Season 49, I watched Season 41 to understand the changes of the New Era. After watching 49 live, I knew I wanted to complete the New Era. Seeking advice from friends, I was recommended to then watch 44, 42, and 43 in that order. I was told 42 and 43 were not good seasons, but I would have to judge for myself.

I thought this season had a terrible edit early on in the game. I liked Jesse, Noelle, Cody, Sami, and Cassidy out of the gate, but I did not have an emotional connection to any of them. The pre-merge gameplay was almost nonexistent. It was like these players were playing on autopilot. Cody and Jesse had a relationship. Same with Cassidy, James, and Karla. But they never felt like a clear alliance the way both these teams were portrayed on television. 

While Justine and Lindsay were technically blindsided early on in the game, the first true blindside of the game felt like Elie at the merge. The fact Jesse had two idols soon after and nobody even seemed to care was weird gameplay. There were epic blindsides (James at the split vote, Noelle at Final Eight, Cody at Final Six, and Karla at Final Five), but I felt by that point it took long for this cast to play Survivor (though Noelle’s story as a paralympian with a progestic leg was inspiring).  

I thought Cassidy was underedited, and I thought she played the best game. I get it that Gabler never had his name written down on parchment until Final Tribal Council and that he was in a bunch of different alliances, and he was able to play the middle, but his story never came across on screen, and ultimately, Survivor is a TV show, and most of the season, including the finale, was underwhelming.

8. Season 48

Man, I am kind of shocked Season 48 is as low as it is on this list. I say that because I really like the cast and the people of this season. From episode one, we see the relationship of Joe and Eva, and we can tell this relationship is going to dominate the season. Joe makes it a point in a confessional during the first episode that he would rather vote himself out then let Eva down, and that Eva, even with her autism challenges, is a special individual and she reminds him of her daughters.

We see Eva struggle to tell her other Tribe members about her autism until she has a meltdown at one of the challenges. Joe consoles her in one of the most emotional moments in the game’s history. 

Kyle and Kamila’s secret alliance was one of the best strategic duo’s in history, but what underlies their brilliant gameplay was the gameplay all together post-merge. In the pre-merge, Sai and Mary’s frenemy relationship, with Cedric in the middle, created some epic Tribal Council drama, including one where thanks to a lost vote from Justin and a Shot in the Dark from Mary, Cedric alone had to decide whether to send Justin or Sai home.

However, once we got to the merge, the alliance of the strong people in the game (Joe, Eva, David, and Shaunhin) essentially ruled the game. Charity, Cedric, and Chrissy were picked off first. Then, the four-person alliance did turn on David, but the votes that followed (Star and Mary) were as straightforward as they could possible be. That’s four out of five episodes once the merge hit where there was little to no drama at Tribal Council, all because Mitch -- who had a great story pre-merge with him overcoming his stutter -- essentially disappeared from the screen because he could not make a big move.

The blindside of Shauhin at Final Six was a move from Joe and Eva, and the Final Tribal Council reveal of Kamilla and Kyle’s secret relationship was a great moment. The story of the murder of Joe’s sister also made Joe even more of  a sympathetic figure. 

There’s a reason why Joe, Kyle, and Kamilla are all returning on Season 50, but the lack of shock in the post-merge is what makes this season not one of the best. It has the opposite problem of Season 43. 48 had a great pre-merge and a boring post-merge. The difference is I think Kyle is a better winner than Gabler.

7. Season 44

The biggest storyline of Season 44 was the Final Four: Yam Yam, Caroline, Carson, and Heidi. Three Tika members who came into the merge completely outnumbered and at each other’s throats. The Tika Tribe was decimated since day one when Bruce had to leave the game after suffering a concussion during the opening seconds of the first challenge of the game.

Frannie and Matt’s relationship was fun to see bloom on screen over at Soka, and I respected the gameplay of Danny and Kane. Carolyn was the star of the season. She used her unusual personality to make people think she wasn’t a strategic player when deep down she knew everything that was going on around camp. I thought she deserved to win the game, and I thought Yam Yam won the game based off of social relationships and not being a threat. I don’t think he played a great game.

6. Season 41

It was wild watching the beginning of this season in July 2025 when I heard Probst say, “You all quarantined. You all tested negative for COVID. We can play this game safely.”

What a weird time we were living in just five years ago.

It was interesting watching the players navigate the New Era of Survivor and figure out what all the new advantages such as the Beware Advantage and the Shot in the Dark meant for gameplay heading into Tribal Council. 

Probst and the rest of the Survivor team were clearly trying out different twists to mix up the game. Some, like the Knowledge is Power Advantage, worked. Others like the Hourglass Twist that Erika went on where she could change history and flip the result of the merge challenge, and the saying of the three-word phrases to activate a hidden amulet, did not work. 

The biggest change in the game I did not like was the Do or Die stipulation, where players at the Final Seven immunity challenge had to decide if they wanted to compete. If they did, the first person out would have to play a game of chance. If they won, there would be a Tribal Council and vote out as normal, but they would be immune. If they lost, they would be eliminated, and there would be no Tribal Council.

Even though Deshawn would win the Do or Die game of chance, to me, it felt like it took the game out of the player’s hands, and at Final Seven, it felt unfair that Deshawn’s whole game came down to him picking the right box and not picking a box with a skull.

I do like how Probst gave us inside information to the new twists before the players’ would enter challenges, as well as show us where advantages were hidden. I wish that is brought back down the line.

As for gameplay, these players was a good group, with a lot of emotion between Deshawn, Shan, Liana, and Danny over the state of minority players in the game over the show’s history and with what was going on “back at home” as it relates to the George Floyd incident in 2020.

The players were good, but nobody stood out. I thought out of the Final Three (Xander, Deshawn, and Erika), Erika had the worst story, and her win was surprising, which in hindsight, would be a trend for the first four seasons of the New Era.

5. Season 42

Going into this season, I already knew Jonathan was going to be on Season 50, so I was intrigued to see why he was chosen. From jump, I knew why. He is not only likeable, but he is a challenge BEAST (and yes, I’m using CAPS for emphasis). 

Gameplay wise with the twists and the advantages, this cast did not see Survivor 41 before playing, so the new gameplay surprised them as well, and it was interesting to see how they navigated their new environment.

I thought this cast played more old-school Survivor with the blindsides and gameplay than the cast of 41. Tribal Councils were tense, especially the one where Maryanne and Drea played both of their idols during the split Tribal when they saw Rocksroy on the jury, and they both refused to let two African American competitors go home in the same day.

I liked they brought back the video messages from home on the reward with Omar, Lindsay, and Mike. That should come back in the future.

As for the winner, Maryanne pulling out the other idol she had and never played won the jury over, but again, I think this was a case of the jury overreacting to shock value. Mike played the middle and dodged bullets better than Maryanne did. Romeo winning Submmotion at the Final Four immunity challenge is the only reason why he was at the Final Three. He had multiple votes against him at multiple Tribals and wasn’t seen as a threat at all. Lindsay, Mike, Jonathan, Drea, and Tori (who I thought was underedited a bit and a really good strategic player), all played better games than Maryanne, who didn’t even win individual immunity. This season was a classic case of the best player doesn’t always win.

After watching this season, you could make a case for all the names I mentioned in the last graph (Maryanne included) to compete in the 50th season. 

4. Season 45

As mentioned above, Season 45 was the first season of the show I watched, so it does hold a special place in my heart, and it was a good season from jump. Even before the first marooning challenge, we get Emily taking jabs at Bruce for having the Survivor experience already after Bruce was taken out by injury in the previous season. That character arc for Emily took her and the yellow Lulu Tribe to Tribal, where if it wasn’t for Hannah quitting, Emily might have been the first boot.

Whether luck was on her side or not, Emily took that second chance and ran with it, becoming one of the most likeable characters by the time she was eliminated at Final Seven. Pre-merge also saw the emergence of Caleb on that mess of a Lulu Tribe as one of the most social players in the show’s history, as well as the return of the Survivor Auction for the first time since Season 13.

Post-merge, it was all about Dee, who not only dominated challenges, but used her strategic vision to  keep her No. 1’s in Julie and Austin (who she also formed a romantic relationship with) happy until she had to cut bait. This season also saw the blindside of Kellie, who uttered the famous, “What the hell guys?” line, and the feud between Katurah and Bruce.

There was a lot going on in the season, with a dominant victor in Dee. Season 45 also was the first to feature 90-minute episodes throughout the whole season, which when you go back and watch older seasons, is a welcomed change because we get to see more of camp life and the strategy behind the vote.

3. Survivor 49 

The most recent season of Survivor was an interesting one to say the least. The pre-merge started a little slow, with Kele losing not only the first three immunity challenges, but also another Tribe mate in Jake due to a potentially venomous snake bite. By episode four, Alex and Sophi were the only two members left of the Blue Tribe, almost forcing a Tribe swap by default. The difference between the Tribe swaps in Seasons 45 and 48 was this Tribe swap was a 7/7 swap, instead of a three-Tribe swap, marking the first time in the New Era there were two Tribes (at least until they switched back to three Tribes when there were 12 players left).

The three dominating characters of the season were Savannah, Rizo (RizGod BABY), and Sophi, who formed an alliance when they were teamed up with MC during the second Tribe swap. Going into the merge outnumbered 7-4, the trio were able to use different people to navigate their way to the Final Four, alongside Sage, who was/is one of the most interesting characters of the New Era. Sage played a very intentional game. She’s a different character by her own admission. She’s quiet. She likes to talk about zits and poop. She’s different, but she’s an assassin, and she used her under the radar tactics to eliminate her pre-merge rival in Shannon, but Steven at Final Six, when he was becoming a huge threat to win the million.

Rizo taunting his idol at everyone made for epic Tribals, and he somehow managed to convince the people not in his alliance that there was a twist with his idol, and that it expired at six, to the point where by the time he got to five, he didn’t even need to play it. That was the reason he is coming onto Season 50.

Then, there’s Savannah, who like Dee dominated challenges and won when she had too, but her social game and her relationship building, along with her cutthroat personality is what makes her such a good Survivor player, and the reason why she’s entering Season 50 with Rizo. 

I thought Seasons 45 and 49 were pretty similar in terms of likeability and watchability. I think 49 will be remembered more fondly because of the Tribals, so that’s why I rank it above 45.

2. Season 47

Full transparency: Seasons 46 and 47 are the two best of the New Era, bar-none. One had the best gameplay of the New Era by far. One had the best cast of the New Era by a wide margin. It’s really neck and neck.

Rachel was the best winner of the New Era in my opinion. Yes, did Sol save her at the Tiyana vote when all of Tuku plus Rachel was at Tribal Council and, Sol found the Safety Without Power advantage? Yes, but all winners in Survivor need a little luck. Just ask Rachel when she found an advantage in her fries during the auction.

The Andy edit needs to be studied! He may have been the best edited player I’ve seen. From having a meltdown on day three where he was almost the first boot, to crafting Operation: Italy along with Sam and Gieuneve to eliminate Carolyn at Final Seven, to telling Rachel about his game at Final Six, which ultimately led to his elimination. 

This season was the first and only of the New Era to not only feature 14 episodes instead of 13 (or 12 in the case of Survivor 42), but also to not have a double elimination. Also, one member from each Tribe was eliminated and went to Tribal during each of the first three episodes. Let’s also not forget Rome, who was the star of the pre-merge.

I think all those elements help flow this season well and make for interesting and fluid alliances post-merge.

1. Season 46

Marie turning on Charlie during Final Tribal Council with her vote and instead of a 4-4 tie with Kenzie, Kenzie winning the game 5-3. After every vote, Q telling his tribemates to vote him because he made a BIG MISTAKE, as well as forcing the group to play Hide N Seek, so he can figure out who’s playing the game too hard. Liz having an all-time meltdown because she couldn’t eat the Applebee's reward, which she desperately needed because she’s allergic to coconuts. Venus talking crap behind everyone’s back. And, oh, yeah, let’s not forget that five straight people went home with an idol in their pocket, as well as several means seven, according to first boot Jelinski. 

All this happened on Season 46, which was a magical season, with such a unique cast. There’s a reason why Q, Charlie, and Tiffany are on Season 50 (outside of the fact Q is my favorite player ever), and I think you could make a case for Kenzie, Marie, Venus, Liz, and Hunter as well. 

If there is a season for new fans to watch first (outside of Season 50), this would be the season I would recommend to start. This season is an all-timer for me. Survivor 50 could have ran Survivor 46 back, and I wouldn’t flinch at the idea.