Survivor: The 10 Best First Boots, Ranked

Nobody wants to be the first person voted out on Survivor. Not only is their once-in-a-lifetime experience is cut short, but they have to forever live with being the “first boot” of their season. They miss tribe swaps, the merge, and Final Tribal Council. The one silver lining, though, is the pre-jury trip they get to embark on with their fellow ousted castaways, though that comes weeks later.

Over the course of 40 seasons of Survivor, there have been First Boots ranging from predictable, unexpected, or even due to medical evacuations. Some of these eliminations have been well-deserved and from castaways that lacked what it took to play, while others were potential contenders that just saw their torch snuffed too soon.

10 Marisa Calihan (Samoa)

On the first day of season 19, scheming Russell Hantz made alliances with every young girl on his tribe: Natalie, Marisa, Betsy, and Ashley, hoping their naivety and weakness would help propel him to the finals.

Poor Marisa never stood a chance. When she caught on to Russell’s “Dumba** Girls Alliance” and tried to foil his plans — he foiled hers, and she became the first person voted out of Survivor: Samoa. Marisa was too smart for his games, and it ultimately cost her a chance at winning the million.

9 Jon “Jonny Fairplay” Dalton (Micronesia)

Coming off being a notorious villain on Survivor: Pearl Islands, it seemed like Jonny Fairplay was ready to dominate the first Fans vs Favorites season.

After playing both alliances formed on the Favorites beach, Fairplay broke down and revealed to his fellow castaways that he actually wanted them to eliminate him. He expressed regret for leaving his pregnant girlfriend at home, but his teammates weren’t sure they believed the villain to be sincere, or if he was just scheming. Ultimately they honored his wish, and his sacrifice saved Parvati from elimination and led her on the path to victory.

8 Tina Scheer (Panama)

It was one of Tina Scheer’s life goals to compete on the reality show. In fact, she was slated to appear on season 11, Survivor: Guatemala, but had to drop out prior to filming due to a personal tragedy.

Once she arrived on the beach of Panama, Tina had a strong work ethic and thrived in the wilderness, however, she separated herself from the group as she grieved her son, who had passed away a year prior. Her self-isolation caused the other ladies on her tribe to bond, and they eventually decided to take her out over the “weak” link. Cirie Fields, who went on to be a fan favorite.

7 Reem Daly (Edge Of Extinction)

Reem Daly was targeted due to being too motherly on the Manu tribe. Her controlling tendencies came across as overbearing, and she was the first person voted out and sent to the Edge of Extinction.

Unlike past first boots, Reem stayed on the island for 35 days and actually made the jury. She endured the harshest conditions on a beach with virtually nothing for a chance back in the game. She even had frequent spats with eventual winner, Chris Underwood, and it was surprisingly refreshing to see her cast her jury vote for him.

6 Tina Wesson (All-Stars)

One of the biggest themes of Survivor: All-Stars was targeting winners early. The logic was that they already had the money, and it was the returnee’s turn to get a proper chance at the million.

Sadly for season 2 winner, Tina Wesson, that meant that she was sent packing when the Saboga Tribe lost the first immunity challenge. The good news was that she was free from the bickering of Rupert and Jerri, and she was already a millionaire, though it definitely would’ve been fun to see stay in the game a little longer.

5 Zane Knight (Philippines)

Zane Knight thought he had mastered the strategic element of Survivor after his tribe lost the first immunity challenge. He took complete credit for their abysmal failure and insisted that the tribe write his name down.

Thinking his competitors would praise him for taking the fall, Zane thought he was safe at the vote. However, his tribemates did exactly what he said he wanted them to do, and he was voted out unanimously. It was a hilarious first episode, but sad to see such a fun character be eliminated so quickly.

4 Francesca Hogi (Redemption Island & Caramoan)

So far, Francesca Hogi is the only person in Survivor history to have the honor of being voted out first twice – a title she would surely like to give up and hand over to someone else.

In Survivor: Redemption Island, Francesca was targeted by Philip Shepard right off the bat and sent packing after a tribal council spent bickering with him. She was invited back for the second Fans vs Favorites due to her comedic first elimination, only this time she was targeted after trying to send her Redemption Island castmate Andrea Boehlke home. Once again, she was the first boot, revealing that she wasn’t cut out for the longevity of Survivor.

3 Natalie Anderson (Winners At War)

It seemed like the old school winners were going to take over Survivor: Winners at War when they successfully voted out season 29 winner Natalie Anderson at the first tribal council.

However, being voted out only fueled the fire in Natalie’s torch, and she went on to dominate life at the Edge of Extinction. On Day 35, she won the re-entry challenge and was back in the game. She could’ve won it all had she battled Tony Vlachos in fire at the Final Four, but she took the safe route instead, ultimately getting second place.

2 Pat Cusack (David Vs Goliath)

41-year-old Pat Cusack was psyched to be on Survivor: David vs Goliath, and was popular among the others on his tribe.

Sadly, on the boat ride back from the first immunity challenge, Pat suffered a severe back injury and had to be medically evacuated from the game. He was the first boot of the season, despite never having a vote cast against him. He luckily made a full recovery, and definitely deserves a second shot at the game.

1 Sonja Christopher (Borneo)

Sonja Christopher was the first person ever voted off Survivor, a decision that was not unanimous and mostly rooted in the fact that she was one of the older members of the tribe and struggled in the first immunity challenge.

Sonja left the game with a smile on her face, honored to even be a part of the very first season of Survivor. Her legacy remains, and her tribe mates were sad to give her the First Boot. She provided smiles, laughs, and great campfire songs before her departure.

About The Author

Emily Proctor
(215 Articles Published)

Emily Proctor is an entertainment writer and avid television fan. She recently graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Communication, Media, and Theatre Arts. In addition to writing for Screenrant, Emily frequently publishes personal essays on her Medium profile and personal blog SheWritesTV.com. She is also an aspiring actress and songwriter.

You can follow Emily on Twitter at @emproct for more of her opinions on pop culture, the latest TV and movies, and links to her work.

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