Ranking my favorite 39 Survivor characters in a redo of a ranking I did almost 2 years (just after One World) plus 3 extras as homage to Australia. A lot has changed after I rewatched seasons 1-27 so it will have a lot of changes from bottom to top. Cagayan won't be included because too recent and would need to rewatch which won't happen for a while.
Keep in mind that everyone who made this list for me is in like the top 10% of Survivor characters for me so getting 42 isn't a slight in the slightest
this ranking did not have a 2 month lag inbetween posts, that is not the blog ranking you are looking for
6- Ian Rosenberger
Ian on the surface is just a funny, goofy, lovable guy who was having a ton of fun out there. But on top or underneath of that there is also an extremely complex character that creates one of the greatest dynamics and underlying conflicts in Survivor history.
Ian is an integral part of the most dominant tribe in Survivor history. He, along with Tom and Gregg, are the main forces that help drive the tribe to success with strong leadership and athleticism that allowed them to topple a physically superior group of players. It creates a nice little niche for himself that helps makes himself notable, even if he lacked a personality.
But Ian doesn’t lack for personality. He’s sort of an Ethan lite sort of character and person; though he comes across as stronger on screen while Ethan can sort of slip out of focus at times. Ian’s a chipper, earnest guy that obviously is playing a game that is several sizes too big for him. Eventually the deceitful nature of the game catches up with him and helps kick start a fantastic final leg of Palau that is among the franchises best. Ian gets caught up in lies and plans he had hatched to dispose of some of his closest allies and everything he had been setting up crashes on top of him. He can’t cope with the sudden loss of integrity and friendship and tailspins out of control, having to win a fire challenge to make the final three, which leads to the (in) famous final challenge where he quits the game as a show of integrity and friendship towards Tom and Katie.
I know there’s a sizable portion of the Survivor fan base that doesn’t like him for quitting but I love him for being so raw. I really enjoy when characters bring morality into their game and don’t just operate as gamebots. Ian taking a truly unique path and sealing Palau with a legendary conclusion is one of my favorite things.
Hint for 5: This contestant lost a final immunity challenge
fairplay