Tribe Switch

A **tribe switch** was the first game-changing twist of *Survivor*. This twist sends members from one tribe to the rival tribes and vice versa.

## About

The tribe switch is a twist that can happen at any specific point during the game. This reassignment of tribes is effective until the tribes merge or a new opportunity to switch tribes occurs (e.g. a mutiny or a second switch.) This is denoted by contestants wearing a newly-supplied buff in the color of their new tribe. They then drop their old buff on the ground and start wearing the new one.

Normally, a switch would send half of the members of a tribe to the other when both tribes have an equal number of members, although this has changed over the years as the switch can even the tribes out with the same number of members.

If the number of remaining contestants is irregular, the odd person out may be sent to Exile Island. There, they will wait until a tribe votes out a member. They will then become a member of that tribe, resulting in each tribe having equal numbers.

## Classifications

A tribe switch could be classified as one or more of several types:

* Swap - Typically done during early seasons, it happens when the switch is done in a way ensuring that each tribe exchanges the same number of castaways. Among Survivor fans, all tribe switches are commonly referred to as "swaps" regardless of the specific type.
* Shuffle - A shuffle happens where each tribe could have a different number of new members. Many times, however, the number of castaways coming from a particular gender is considered, making sure each new tribe has good gender balance. A shuffle could be a random draw or be systematic, typically through a Schoolyard Pick.
* Absorption - An absorption happens if one tribe gets dissolved, with its members being the only ones eligible to switch and are distributed to the remaining tribes.
* Conquering - A conquering happens when the remaining members of a losing tribe get absorbed by the other tribe, and only one tribe is left (i.e. no merge).
* Disband - Typically a variation of the shuffle, it happens when a tribe gets dissolved, then a shuffle is done to put the castaways on the remaining tribes.
* Expansion - An expansion happens if an auxiliary tribe is introduced in a two-tribe season. Typically, a shuffle is then done after.
* Mutiny - A mutiny happens when castaways from both tribes are offered an option to join a rival tribe.

## Twist History

### *Madagascar*

* Type: Swap

The first time a switch occurred was on Day 18 in *Madagascar*. Both the Alaotra and Ikopa tribes were instructed via Tree Mail to send four representatives to meet host Jeff Probst for reasons still unknown at the time. Once the representatives arrived at the meeting place, Jeff informed them that they would be joining the other tribe.

### *Greece*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Shuffle

On Day 13, both tribes ranked one person in secret as the most important within their tribe. The castaways voted most important would stay on their former tribes and become the new captains in a Schoolyard Pick.

#### Switch #2

* Type: Mutiny

On Day 21, the castaways were offered to have a mutiny, switching them to the rival tribe. Natalia Shwarger accepted the offer, switching her from Dýnami to Thárros.

### *Hawaii*

* Type: Disbanding

On Day 18, Kōke'e was disbanded, and each castaway chose one covered buff on a tray, indicating their new tribe.

### *Peru*

* Type: Shuffle

On Day 15, while some players were away on a picnic (Ozzy Barnes and Dan Grand for Huayna; Rob Bigman and Eva Chanele for Urubamba) both tribes were asked *Who has the most tribe pride?* The people who were selected (Jace Drake for Huayna; and Agatha Tracy for Urubamba) would stay on their tribe. The five remaining Urubamba members were switched to Huayna, while the seven remaining Huayna members randomly chose a buff: Marge Roffeler and Mona Margot picked the only two Huayna buffs, therefore the five others were switched to Urubamba, with the players on the picnic remaining on their original tribes.

### *All-Stars*

* Type: Disbanding

On Day 16, the four tribes became two. Koror and Malakal were disbanded, with the 20 remaining contestants randomly shuffled into the new Airai and Ulong tribes with 10 members each.

### *Caribbean*

* Type: Swap

On Day 19, the tribes would draw rocks. The castaways to draw their tribe's colored stone would be the captains (Malcolm Klement for Arawaks and Sylvia Griff for Kalinago). The captains privately chose four members of the opposing tribe to join their tribe.

### *Kiribati*

* Type: Absorption

Marakei, the tribe that lost the Reward Challenge on Day 16 was dissolved and its members absorbed into the remaining two tribes.

### *Polynesia*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Disbanding

On Day 17, a tribe switch took place, disbanding the Papuri tribe. Each castaway chose one covered buff, indicating which tribe they would be on. All 19 castaways were divided into three tribes, Akamaru, Kamaka and Taravai, with Akamaru and Taravai having 6 members each, and Kamaka having 7.

#### Switch #2

* Type: Disbanding

On Day 20, another tribe switch occurred, simultaneously dissolving the Kamaka tribe. Each castaway then chose one buff in a bowl that contained an equal number of Akamaru and Taravai buffs, each wrapped and covered, which would indicate each castaway's new tribe.

### *Japan*

* Type: Conquering

When Gabby Zack became the only Gifu tribe member left, Tree Mail on Day 25 informed her that she would become part of Fukui and instructed her to go their camp where she was given a Fukui buff.

### *Malakula*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Swap

On Day 10, captains were designated, who then chose *teams* by a Schoolyard Pick. The unpicked contestant, Sandra Monday, was sent to Exile Island and would replace the next contestant to be eliminated.

#### Switch #2

* Type: Mutiny

On Day 16, the castaways were offered to have a mutiny, switching them to the rival tribe. Angelina Maslov and Jason Pace accepted the offer, switching them from Vao to Uri, and also leaving Vao with only five tribe members.

### *Khao Laem*

* Type: Shuffle

The season featured a tribe switch on Day 15 when there were eighteen castaways still in the game (two more were on Redemption Island). Each castaway was asked to take one bamboo tube from a tray which contained a buff determining to which tribe the castaway would belong.

### *Venezuela*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Shuffle

On Day 13, each castaway chose one covered buff on a tray, indicating their new tribe.

#### Switch #2

* Type: Shuffle

On Day 22, another tribe switch occured. Each castaway chose one covered buff from a tray, indicating which tribe they would be on.

### *Egypt*

* Type: Absorption

Ptah, the tribe that lost the Reward Challenge on Day 14 was dissolved and its members absorbed into the remaining two tribes.

### *Second Chance*

* Type: Expansion

On Day 10, the 24 remaining castaways were informed that the switch would put them not only into three but to four tribes instead. Each castaway chose one box on one of two trays, containing a buff indicating which new tribe they would be on. It was then revealed that the new third tribe would be called Misool, and would have to start from scratch in a new camp, only having the same supplies that they had from Day 1, and not having any of the supplies they procured during the marooning.

### *India*

* Type: Mutiny

On Day 17, the castaways were offered to have a mutiny, switching them to the rival tribe. Nat Ci and Nathan Vynce accepted the offer, switching Nat from Paanee to Rakt, and Nathan from Rakt to Paanee.

### *Honduras*

* Type: Swap

Both tribes would separately draw rocks. The two castaways to draw tribe-colored rocks (Arthur Korrens and Domenica Praier) would be the captains in a Schoolyard Pick on Day 15.

### *Melanesia*

* Type: Expansion

On Day 16, a tribe switch took place, introducing a third tribe named Tiga. Each castaway chose one covered buff on one of two trays (one for each gender), indicating which tribe they would be on. Tiga would have to move to a new camp with the same supplies as Day 1.

## References

Battle of the Sexes · Blood vs. Water · Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty · Old vs. Young · Returning Players · Schoolyard Pick

**Tribal Council-Related**
Double Elimination · Double Tribal Council · Extra Vote · Hidden Immunity Idol · Idol Nullifier · Joint Tribal Council · Juror Removal · Safety Without Power · Vote Blocker · Vote Steal

**Miscellaneous**
Advantage Menu · Buried Treasure · Day Zero · Exile Island · Fake Merge · Fire Token · First Impressions · Haves vs. Have Nots · Kidnapping · Legacy Advantage · Mutiny · One World · Reward Steal · Summit · The Outcasts · Tribe Leader · Tribe Raid · **Tribe Switch**