Sole Survivor

The **Sole Survivor** is the title held by the winner of the reality TV show *Survivor*, as determined by a plurality of votes from the jury. It is the task of the jury to award the title to the castaway it believes to have most thoroughly embodied the game's three-word slogan: "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast."

## Criteria

There are no formal rules in choosing the Sole Survivor. The only eligibility requirement for the title is to make it to the final day of the game. (39 for most seasons, 42 in Australia, 40 in Blood vs Water and Thailand).

On the final evening of the game, the Final Tribal Council will be held in which the finalists are subjected to questioning by the jury. The jury may ask any questions or make any statements that they feel will help them make the best decision possible. As there is no objective definition of 'best' in this case, the methods by which castaways have won the game, and the reasons adopted by the jurors in voting for them, have varied widely throughout the history of the series.

Jury members are expected, however, to elect a winner that have credibly embodied the game's three-word motto: "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast."

* **Outwit:** The *social* element; the ability to bring about one's desired strategic goals without sacrificing one's social standing or alienating other contestants emotionally. A strong candidate will remain respected while playing an efficacious game.
* **Outplay:** The *strategic* element; the ability to outmaneuver other contestants and eliminate them in a manner conducive to one's own long-term success in the game. This component of the game may include alliance formation and management, execution of blindsides, use of Hidden Immunity Idols, advantages, or any other manifestation of guile, deception, or strategic command.
* **Outlast:** The *physical* element; the ability to literally survive the harsh realities of the game, such as harsh weather, grueling challenges, and the overall deprivation of necessities and luxuries. It is expected that the Sole Survivor will have not only endured the physical difficulties of the game, but indeed will have borne them with enthusiasm and grace.

It should be noted that in the game of *Survivor*, likability and respect are not always fungible qualities. In some cases, the winner may have played a game strategically dominant enough to overcome the fact that other finalists were more likable. At other times, the opposite may be the case, where a more sociable player may win due to the quality of their character even in the presence of a more strategically "active" but socially inept competitor. It is up to the idiosyncratic interpretation of the jury to determine who has fulfilled all three elements of "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast," and it is up to each finalist to present a compelling argument in their own favor, emphasizing their strengths and eliding their weaknesses at the Final Tribal Council. Regardless the jury's reasoning behind their vote, they fundamentally choose which finalist they feel comfortable losing to.

## Prizes

The Sole Survivor receives a check of $1,000,000, to be received after the season finale. Earlier winners additionally received a car that is usually similar to the one given at the Reward Challenge where a car was also given, though this has been abandoned. The winner, and all contestants present at the live Reunion Show will also receive an extra $10,000 appearance fee, which immediately follows the finale broadcast. All cash prizes are taxable at the U.S. rate of 35%, leaving the winner with $650,000.

Tony Vlachos, the winner of Winners At War, received $2,000,000, billed as the biggest prize given in reality television history.

## List of U.S. Sole Survivors

File:S2 tina t.png

## Trivia

* Sandra Diaz-Twine was the first *Template:Dab* contestant to win two seasons, having won both Template:S and Template:S. She was later followed by Tony Vlachos, who won Template:S and Template:S.
* So far, 24 men and 14 women have become Sole Survivors. Because Sandra and Tony both won twice, 15 seasons have been won by women and 25 seasons have been won by men.
* Bob Crowley is the oldest Sole Survivor, while Fabio Birza is the youngest by age at the time crowned. Tommy Sheehan is the youngest by birth date.
	+ Bob Crowley is the oldest overall winner, being 57 at the time of his win.
	+ Denise Stapley is the oldest female winner, being 41 at the time of her win.
		- However, Tina Wesson and Vecepia Towery are older than Denise by birth date.
* Earl Cole is the first Sole Survivor to win a jury vote unanimously, as he garnered all 9 jury votes in Template:S.
	+ J.T. Thomas in Template:S (7-0), John Cochran in Template:S (8-0-0), Jeremy Collins in Template:S (10-0-0), and Adam Klein in Template:S (10-0-0) have also won unanimously.
	+ J.T. and Cochran received no votes throughout the entire game, achieving a "perfect game". Jeremy received no counted votes, but did receive three votes that were voided by a Hidden Immunity Idol.
* Wendell Holland is the first Sole Survivor to win following a tie vote in the Final Tribal Council (5-5-0), in which the second runner-up cast the tie-breaking vote that awarded him the victory.
* Bob Crowley is the first Sole Survivor to also win the Fan Favorite Award.
	+ J.T. Thomas, Rob Mariano, and Kim Spradlin have also won Sole Survivor and the Fan Favorite Award in the same season.
* There have been two LGBT winners: Richard Hatch and Todd Herzog.
* With Natalie Anderson's win, she and Natalie White are the first two Sole Survivors to share a name.
	+ They would later be followed by Chris Daugherty and Chris Underwood.
* Chris Underwood is the first Sole Survivor to be voted out, earn his way back into the game, and win the game.
* Richard Hatch is the only Sole Survivor to be revealed on location rather than during the Reunion Show.

## See also

* Final Tribal Council
* Final Two
* Final Three
* Reunion Show