Survivor

**Survivor** is a U.S. reality-based competition television show, based on the Swedish television series, *Expedition Robinson* created by Charlie Parsons in 1997. It is currently hosted by Jeff Probst.

## Format

*Main article: Twist*
Twenty four to forty people, referred to as "castaways" or "survivors", split into two or more groups, referred to as "tribes", would be taken to a remote location, most often tropical, and forced to live off the land from 45 to 50 days. Every so often, the tribes would meet together to compete for reward, usually items to improve island living conditions or meals, or for immunity from being voted out at Tribal Council.

Usually signalling the halfway point of the season, the competing tribes would form one final tribe in an event called the merge. At this point, the castaways would be competing in challenges individually (though some post-merge Reward Challenges may divide the remaining castaways into teams). At least one person will have win individual immunity in the form of a necklace, preventing that castaway from being voted out at the next Tribal Council. Most castaways eliminated after the merge will begin forming the jury. Once the season gets down to the Final Two or Final Three, the finalists will plead their case to the jury. The jury will then cast their vote for the castaway they considered should be the Sole Survivor, in addition to the $1 million prize.

Since the original format in *Raja Ampat* (two tribes of twelve, merge at fourteen, jury at thirteen, and Final Two), the game has introduced several twists to keep players on their toes and to make the season more exciting and fresh to the audience.

#### Number of Members per Tribe

* **Two Tribes of Twelve**: First used in *Raja Ampat*, and subsequently used in *Madagascar*, *Greece*, *Peru*, *Mexico*, *Caribbean*, *Japan*, *Malakula*, *India*, *China Sea*, *Arabia*, *Tuvalu* and *Myanmar*, the castaways were divided into two tribes of twelve. Except for *Greece*, *Malakula*, *China Sea* and *Tuvalu*, the tribes consisted of six men and six women on each tribe. In *Greece*, *Malakula* *China Sea* and *Tuvalu*, the tribes were divided by gender with twelve men on one tribe and twelve women on the other.
* **Three Tribes of Eight**: First used in *Vietnam*, and subsequently used in *Hawaii*, *Guyana* and *Egypt*, the castaways were divided into three tribes of eight, consisting of four men and four women on each tribe.
* **Four Tribes of Seven**: First used in *All-Stars*, and subsequently used in *Polynesia*, the castaways were divided into four tribes of seven. The tribes would consist of either three men and four women or four men and three women.
* **Three Tribes of Nine**: Only used in *Kiribati*, the castaways were divided into three tribes of nine, with two tribes consisting of four men and five women, and one tribe consisting of five men and four women. The one person that was not a member of any tribe, would join the tribe that lost fist immunity challenge and voted one of their members out.
* **Two Tribes of Thirteen**: First used in *Khao Laem* and subsequently used in *Honduras*, *Melanesia* and *Wild West*, the castaways were divided into two tribes of thirteen. The tribes would consist of either seven men and six women or six men and seven women.
* **Three Tribes of Ten**: First used in *Venezuela*, and subsequently used in *Second Chance* and *Moon Islands*, the castaways were divided into three tribes of ten, consisting of five men and five women on each tribe.
* **Two Tribes of Sixteen**: Only used in *Heroes vs. Villains*, the castaways were divided into two tribes of sixteen, consisting of eight men and eight women on each tribe.
* **Two Tribes of Fourteen**: Only used in *South Africa*, the castaways were divided into two tribes of fourteen, consisting of sevenmen and seven women on each tribe.
* **Two Tribes of Fifteen**: Only used in *Congo*, the castaways were divided into two tribes of fifteen. The tribes would consist of either seven men and eight women or eight men and seven women.

#### "Versus"/Themed Seasons

* **Gender**: in *Greece*, followed by *Malakula*, and *China Sea*, the tribes were divided based on their gender, pitting the men against the women. Typically the tribes are switched up later in the game.
* **All returning players**: in *All-Stars*, *Venezuela*, *Second Chance*, *Heroes vs. Villains*, *Congo* and *Moon Islands*, twenty eight to thirty two players returning to play the game.
	+ **Second Chance**:
	+ **Heroes vs. Villains**: *Heroes vs. Villains* featured two tribes defined by popularity or infamy. The Heroes were picked for being deemed to play the game with integrity, courage and honor, while the Villains were picked due to their skills in manipulation, deception and overall notoriety.
* **Age**: in *Caribbean*, followed by *Myanmar*, the tribes were defined according to age, with an entire tribe of younger players and an entire tribe of older players.
* **Haves vs. Have-Nots**: *Kiribati* had the Haves vs. Have Nots twist. The "Haves" tribe was given all of the luxuries needed for living, and the "Have Nots" tribe was given little to nothing. After each Immunity Challenge, the winning tribe had to choose between better camp or immunity.
* **Few returnees per tribe**: in *Malakula*, three returning contestants joined one tribe, making them full-fledged players of the game. Ian Klain, Sandy Falls, Kathy Mark, Kenan Sean, Preston Kass and Corrine Kowell were given a second chance. The format returned in *Honduras* and *Wild West* with two returning players joining one tribe.
* **Blood vs. Water**: *Khao Laem*, *India* and *Melanesia* featured pairs of contestants with a pre-existing relationship. In the first and third Blood vs. Water, a tribe of former contestants were pitted against their loved ones who were playing for the first time. In the second version, an all-new batch of contestants underwent the same twist.
* **Fans vs. Favorites**: *South Africa* had fourteen self-proclaimed "superfans" of the show that were pitted against fourteen fan favorites from seasons past.

#### Merge

*Main article: Merge*
Usually occurring near the halfway point of the season, the merge sees the dissolution of any tribes in the game, with all remaining players forming a new tribe, and the challenges going from tribal to individual.

##### Fake Merge

*Main article: Fake Merge*
Only used in *Polynesia*, this twist saw Akamaru, Kamaka and Taravai under the impression that they had merged, until the following Immunity Challenge, where Jeff Probst revealed that the tribes had not actually merged. Instead the castaways were switched into two tribes of seven.

##### Delayed Merge

A delayed merge is when the merge occurs with less than fourteen castaways remaining. The first delayed merge occurred in *Greece* with twelve castaways remaining. The delayed merges in *Hawaii*, *Guyana* and *Japan* were done with thirteen remaining castaways, while merge in *Polynesia* was done with twelve.

##### Early Merge

An early merge is when the merge occurs with more than fourteen castaways remaining. The first early merge occurred in *Kiribati*, merging with fifteen castaways remaining. In *Khao Laem*, *Venezuela* and *Second Chance*, castaways also merged at fifteen.

### Tribe Switch

*Main article: Tribe Switch*
First introduced in *Madagascar*, a Tribe Switch reassigns castaways into new tribe compositions. Tribe Switches can occur at any point in the game.
There are a few variations of a Tribe Switch:

* A **swap** occurs when the number of members switched from each tribe are even.
* A **shuffle** is when a tribe can consist of any number of members from either tribe.
* A **mutiny** is when castaway(s) are offered to voluntarily switch tribes.
* An **absorption** occurs during three tribe seasons. This is when one tribe is dissolved and spread among the other two tribes without the other two tribes' members switching tribes.
* A **conquering** is when the remaining members of one tribe are absorbed into another tribe, where the season has no merge.
* A **disbanding** is when one or more tribes are dissolved with all remaining castaways in the game being shuffled into new tribes.
* An **expansion** is when a third tribe is introduced in a season starting with two tribes, with all remaining castaways being shuffled into new tribes.

### Previously Eliminated Castaways

A few seasons have made it possible for eliminated castaways to reenter the game.

#### Redemption Island

*Main article: Redemption Island*
First introduced in *Hawaii*, followed by *Guyana*, *Khao Laem*, *Honduras* and *Melanesia*, Redemption Island would see eliminated castaways compete in duels to reenter the game at one of two points: the merge or Final 5. In *Khao Laem* and *Melanesia*, three castaways would compete in each duel, with only one castaway being eliminated per duel, except for the two reentry duels. In addition, loved ones would be able to switch out, putting themselves on Redemption Island in place of their loved one.

#### Edge of Extinction

*Main article: Edge of Extinction*
First introduced in *Tuvalu*, the Edge of Extinction allows castaways to wait for an opportunity to reenter the game, either at the merge or at Final 5. After each castaway is eliminated, up until there are six in the main game, they will be given the option to go to the Edge of Extinction or finish their journey, permanently eliminating them from the game. While on the Edge of Extinction, a castaway may quit by hoisting a white flag. Unlike Redemption Island, castaways are not permanently eliminated until the second reentry duel. Any castaway who is on the Edge of Extinction after the merge is a part of the jury.