Hidden Immunity Idol

The **Hidden Immunity Idol** (also known as the "Hidden Idol" or simply as "the idol") is a pocket-sized talisman that prevents the user from being voted out from Tribal Council. Since its introduction in *Australian Survivor* (2016), critical strategic decisions revolved around the idol, from when to use it, for whom to use it, or how to minimise its effect in the game. The idol is regarded as the hallmark of modern *Survivor* gameplay as strategies are usually formed around it.

## Overview

Not to be confused with the tribal Immunity Idol or the individual Immunity Necklace, the Hidden Immunity Idol, as the name implies, is difficult to obtain, and its hiding places vary from Exile Beach, tribe camps, challenges, or in rarer cases, in Tribal Council itself. Clues to the whereabouts of the idol may exist at camp or may be given to the winners of a Reward Challenge.

Despite its potential to protect its owner in the game, it may only be used once, after which the idol will either be re-hidden or discarded. With this, owners should be careful about divulging information about possessing one and/or when to use it, because a player can still be eliminated with the idol in their possession, thus going home bringing their idol with them. Another limitation is that the idol is only usable until a given deadline (usually when six or five players are left).

## Appearance

The Hidden Immunity Idol is usually a small, ornate talisman that is designed to match the season's theme and/or location.

## Format

There are two different formats of how it is used based on the time it can be used in Tribal Council.

### Negating Idol

**Appeared in:** *Australian Survivor* (2016) onwards

**Played:** Before the reading of regular votes.

The most common iteration of the idol, one idol hidden in each of the tribe camps. The idol must be used after the votes have been cast, but before the host reveals them. This mechanic makes it possible for the idol to be wasted, as a castaway must play the idol on someone that can be voted against, but who is not guaranteed to have the most number of votes, making timing a crucial factor in playing it. A way to counter this type of idol is to force the user to waste it (i.e. if they do not have the most number of votes), a strategy several castaways refer to as *flushing*. Once the idol is used, it is usually re-hidden. Typically, these idols are valid up until there are only five castaways remaining in the game. Per the current tiebreaker rules, those who play an idol (or had an idol played for them) are exempted from the deadlock-breaking rock draw.

### Super Idol

**Appeared in:** *Australian Survivor* (2017) and *Australian Survivor: Blood v Water*

**Played:** After the regular votes are read.

The super idol is a type of Hidden Immunity Idol that can be used after the votes have been read. Under this mechanic, all the votes the user received will be negated, and the person with the next highest number of votes will be eliminated instead. This creates a scenario where the group which originally held fewer votes gain control of that vote. It is very difficult to counter without a split vote plan; when the knowledge of the castaway being voted out is known, the voting side holding the super idol has full control of who is going to be voted out, as they know where the majority's votes have fallen.

## Clues

To find Hidden Immunity Idols more easily, clues are provided to castaways. Several clues either are progressive (meaning the first clue will not be as helpful as the next ones because it will only lead to another clue, but the succeeding clues would lead the looker closer to the actual place of the idol), or still lead to the same hiding place, albeit restructured for added confusion. The clues are normally cryptic in nature, forcing the reader to figure out the location it is hinting at to find the idol. These clues are commonly found among rewards and hidden nearby camps, particularly in and around trees, but have also been available during the Survivor Auction.

## Rules

Hidden Immunity Idols are considered "personal items," and thus cannot be stolen from its owner, as stated in the Survivor Rulebook. If the owner hides their idol for safekeeping and someone else finds it, whoever finds the already-found idol may not take it.

If all ballots are negated by idols, a vote restart will occur *(see tiebreaker for details)*. Idols can only be played at the initial vote, not at any re-votes; it is unknown whether they can be played at vote restarts, as no contestant has ever played an idol at a restart.

If Redemption Island is in play, idols remain in the holder's possession upon the holder being voted out, and can be brought back into the game if the holder returns.

## Strategy

Several strategies regarding the idol have been developed by contestants. Here is a non-exhaustive list of how the idol was used over the series:

* Making the holder believe that they will not be voted out, but then blindsiding them
* Splitting votes to defuse any power gained by playing the idol
* Passing idols to another player to save them
* Potentially removing the possibility of a tie vote
* Constructing and planting *fake* idols that have no value at Tribal Council
* Playing a fake idol at Tribal Council to gauge the others' reactions and determine whether or not a real idol should be played
* Taunting another player who has an idol to surrender or use the object, inducing indecision at the side of the owner
* Intentionally revealing one's idol to the rest of the tribe to deter them from voting for the holder

There have been several instances where a person that is caught looking for the idol (or even merely suspected of having looked for the idol) has become an immediate target, so it is crucial that searchers must be undetected when looking for it.

## Fake idols

Created by the contestants themselves, fake idols have been used as a foil for players to use them under the assumption that they have been helped out to achieve power and to ensure success on the end of their creators. These counterfeits have no value at Tribal Council; and when played, they are confirmed by the host as fake before being thrown in the central fire pit of Tribal Council.

### Contestants making fake idols

* In *Australian Survivor: All Stars*, Henry Nicholson created a fake idol to deter votes away from him and showed it off at Tribal Council on Day 12. Nick Iadanza attempted to convince the tribe Henry's idol was fake. That would be confirmed after Shonee Bowtell played a real one, which sealed Henry's fate in a 5-0 vote.