Survivor: The 10 Best Season Finales, Ranked (According To IMDb)

When a reality competition, like Survivor, is coming to a close, fans expect there to be fireworks. Considering how the show manages to keep viewers hooked with the challenges, drama, and the rivalries between alliances, the viewers go into the finale with high expectations. They hope that the producers manage to keep this momentum going and give them a reason why they should return for the following season.

Up to now, Survivor finales have fully lived up to the hype as each episode has a level of suspense that is unmatched. No one ever knows what to expect or if there will be a last-minute twist that will throw the game into a new perspective. However, that’s what keeps them interesting. While all finales have been memorable, only a few manage to stand out above them all.

10 Season 6: The Amazon, “…And Then There Were Four” – 8.5

The men outnumbered the women going into the final four of Survivor: The Amazon. Jenna Morasca was the only woman left standing and was the target of Rob, Butch, and Matthew heading into the final few challenges. However, Jenna dominated the last couple of immunity challenges, eliminating Butch and Rob (her biggest competition) respectively.

Jenna took Matthew von Erfelda to the final two, where she received six out of the seven jury votes, making her the youngest winner to date at only 21 years old.

9 Season 17: Gabon, “Say Goodbye to Gabon” – 8.7

The final five consisted of Sugar, Bob, Kenny, Susie, and Matty. Sugar’s alliance emerged as strong contenders when they headed into the last few tribal councils. Kenny was blindsided by his former allies first, and a tie was forced when it came to the final four vote. Matty and Bob went head to head in a fire-making competition, but the 57-year-old physics teacher got flame first, sending Matty to the jury.

Tensions were seen to escalate further, especially when Corinne and Sugar met again. While jury member Corinne was seen to overstep the mark in her speech to Sugar, it did become clear that Sugar was not going to win. Bob ultimately prevailed and received four jury votes, with Susie placing second with three.

8 Season 37: David vs Goliath, “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” – 8.7

In a season with a fantastic cast of newbies and a final six composed of four Goliaths and 2 Davids, the finale most definitely lived up to the standard season 37 had already set.

Related: Survivor: Boston Rob’s 10 Best Moments In The Game

From Angelina’s immunity idol antics, Davie’s heartbreaking blindside, to a final four fire-making challenge that resulted in the ever-positive Kara becoming the final member of the jury, the season finale was nothing short of greatness. Ultimately, the underdog, 27-year-old Nick Wilson won in a 7-3-0 vote for his kindness and strong friendships he had formed over the 39 days.

7 Season 25: Philippines, “Million Dollar Question” – 8.8

Malcolm and Denise were fan-favorites heading into the final days of the game on Survivor: Philippines. Having survived the first four tribal councils, being split up and sent to opposing tribes, and then reunited to take control at the merge, they had overcome it all.

Because of his likability and overall athleticism, it was the smartest decision to eliminate Malcolm following the final immunity challenge (which Denise, Lisa, and Michael did). Jonathan Penner finally exposed Lisa’s past as a childhood television star (something no one had figured out) and Denise defeated Michael and Lisa in a 6-1-1 vote.

6 Season 28: Cagayan, “It’s Do or Die” – 8.9

A season with many twists and turns saw an unexpected final four: Tony, the cop from Jersey known for his chaotic gameplay, Woo, a cool lovable surfer, and Spencer and Kass, who were known for butting heads with each other.

Spencer’s strategic mastermind persona made him a target at the final four, leaving Woo, Kass, and Tony to vie for the million. Shockingly, for the first time in ten seasons, there was a final two instead of the typical final three format. Woo won the final immunity challenge and foolishly chose to take Tony with him to the end because he felt him more deserving. This was a decision that bit him in the behind as he lost to the creator of the ‘Spy Shack’ in an ‘8-1’ vote.

5 Season 33: Millennials v.s Gen X, “I’m Going for a Million Bucks” – 8.9

Any season finale with a unanimous winner is fun, but it’s even more fun when the unanimous win comes in the form of a final three, a la Earl Cole in Survivor: Fiji. Season 33 was no different, with millennial Adam Klein defeating Ken and Hannah 10-0-0 when it came down to the wire.

Ken lacked votes because of the betrayal of his closest ally David at the last tribal council, and Hannah was accused of riding the coattails of her tribemates. Ultimately, the win went to the Survivor super-fan Adam.

4 Season 10: Palau, “The Ultimate Shock” – 8.9

The Koror tribe accomplished a lot of wins in the first 37 days but also spent each one of those days together. Katie, Tom, and Ian formed a final three alliance earlier on, which meant Jenn was on the outs headed into the final four. With Tom winning immunity, Jenn’s back was against the wall and her only line of defense was throwing 23-year-old Ian under the bus for his wavering trust when it came to both Katie and Tom.

A tie-breaker occurred during the vote, and a fire-making challenge eliminated Jenn, Tom, Ian, and Katie got their final three spots after all. However, after Ian’s guilt began to eat away at him, he eventually gave up final immunity. After Tom got permission to vote him out, he ended up taking Katie to the final two and won 6-1.

3 Season 7: Pearl Islands, “Flames and Endurance” – 8.9

Despite being voted out third, Lillian Morris returned to the game due to the Outcasts twist in the middle of the season. She ended up sticking around all the way until the final 2, where she squared off against Sandra Diaz-Twine.

The infamous Johnny FairPlay made it to the final three, being ousted by Lil following the final immunity challenge. The jury then handed over the win to Sandra in a 6-1 vote after grilling her much harder, ultimately respecting the game she played and her no holds barred attitude.

2 Season 40: Winners at War, “It All Boils Down To This” – 9.1

The Edge of Extinction aspect of the game allowed for previously voted out contestants to vie for re-entry on Day 35. Natalie Anderson, Season 29 winner and the first voted out on this season emerged victorious and came back to the game stirring up trouble. With six former winners remaining, Michele and Natalie banded together to take down Cops R Us.

Idols and immunity wins saved the Cagayan alliance of Tony and Sarah until the final four, where Natalie won and decided to take Michele with her to the finals. Tony and Sarah had a fire-making challenge where Tony defeated his biggest ally. Tony’s big moves throughout the game, legendary status, and ability to outlast so many famous players allowed him to be crowned Sole Survivor and take home the 2 million dollar prize.

1 Season 31: Second Chance, “Lie, Cheat and Steal” – 9.2

In one of the most hectic tribal councils Survivor had ever seen, Kelley and Jeremy played idols for themselves, which negated all of the votes and resulted in Kimmi and Tasha being tied during a revote. Unless everyone could agree whether to vote out Kimmi or Tasha, Keith, the lone un-immune castaway, would be sent to the jury. Kimmi was sent home instead, with Keith being eliminated by the next tribal.

Jeremy’s biggest threat was Kelley Wentworth, who lost the final immunity challenge and was thus sent packing. Jeremy won unanimously over his allies Tasha and Spencer, mastering the art of what it means to get a second chance.

About The Author

Emily Proctor
(213 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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