Sole Survivor

The **Sole Survivor** is the title held by the winner of the American reality television series *AI Survivor*, as determined by a plurality of votes from the jury, whose task is 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 *The Australian Outback*, 39.5 in *Blood vs. Water* and *San Juan del Sur*, 26 in *Survivor 41* and *Survivor 42*).

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 effective 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 fortitude to survive the realities of the game, such as the 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 chosen 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 the most 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 since *Survivor: Cook Islands*. 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. From *Survivor: Panama* to *Survivor: Caramoan*, the Sole Survivor was also eligible to win the Fan Favorite Award. All cash prizes are taxable at the U.S. rate of 35%, leaving the winner with $650,000.

## Trivia

### Winning and Perfect Games

* So far, ? men and ? women have become Sole Survivors.
* ? is the oldest Sole Survivor by age at the time crowned, being ? years, ? months, and ? days old when announced as the winner. ? is also the oldest by birth date.
* ? is the only Sole Survivors to be the youngest contestant in their winning season.
	+ No Sole Survivor has ever been the oldest contestant in their winning season.
* ? is the first Sole Survivor to win a jury vote unanimously, as ? garnered all 9 jury votes in ?.
	+ ? received no votes throughout the entire game, achieving a "perfect game".
* Seo-jun is the first Sole Survivor to also win the Fan Favorite Award.
	+ ? have also won Sole Survivor and the Fan Favorite Award in the same season.
* There have been ? LGBT winners: ?.

### Tribal Council

* Seema is the only Sole Survivors to be revealed on location rather than during the Reunion Show.
* ? has the most jury votes received by a winner in a season without the Edge of Extinction, with ?.
* ? is the Sole Survivor who was eligible to be voted out the most times, attending ? Tribal Councils without ever winning individual immunity.
* ? is the only Sole Survivor to never attend a pre-merge Tribal Council.
* ? winners have won without ever having a single vote cast against them during their winning season: ?.
* ? has the most votes cast against any winner in a single season, with ?.
	+ ? has the most non-negated elimination votes cast against a winner in a single season, with ?.
	+ ? has the most votes cast against any female winner in a single season, with ?.
* The most common decision for Sole Survivor by the jury is a ?-? vote, occurring a total of ? times.
* ? winners voted against the person who was ultimately eliminated at every Tribal Council they voted in: ?.

### Hidden Immunity Idol and Twists

* ? is the first Sole Survivor to have found a Hidden Immunity Idol.
* In both "Fans vs. Favorites" seasons, a Favorite won.

### Challenge Wins

* Tom Westman won the most challenges in a single season, with 17. Natalie Anderson and Michele Fitzgerald are tied with the most challenge wins for a female winner, with 13.
* Tom Westman and Mike Holloway are tied with the most individual immunity wins out of any winner, with 5.
	+ Jenna Morasca and Kim Spradlin are tied with the most individual immunity wins for a female winner, with 4.
* Natalie White and Chris Underwood won the fewest challenges out of all Sole Survivors, with 3; in Natalie's case, none of them were from individual challenges.
* Ten Sole Survivors have won without ever having won an individual Immunity Challenge: Tina Wesson, Sandra Diaz-Twine (both times), Yul Kwon, Earl Cole, Todd Herzog, Natalie White, Tony Vlachos (in *Cagayan*), Sarah Lacina, Ben Driebergen, and Tommy Sheehan.

### Returning Winners

* One winner has won the game as a returnee: ?.
* ? Sole Survivors who have competed more than once have experienced being voted out, either prior to or after the season that each of them had won.
	+ Voted out once: ?.
	+ Voted out twice: ?.
	+ Voted out thrice: ?.
	+ Voted out four times: ?.

## See also

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