Hidden Immunity Idol

The Hidden Immunity Idol (also known as the "Hidden Idol" or simply as "the idol") is a pocket-sized talisman, and is widely believed to be the most groundbreaking twist ever to be created on Survivor. Its purpose is to, one way or another, prevent the user from being voted out in a Tribal Council vote. The idol has influenced many of the contestants' strategies, whether they use the object, or defuse its powers.

## Overview

The purpose of the Hidden Immunity Idol is to negate votes that the holder would receive at Tribal Council, giving them safety without having to win the individual Immunity Challenge of that round. 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 as 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 valid until a given deadline (usually the Final Five).

A player may hold more than one idol if available. The Hidden Immunity was first introduced during Survivor: Philippines, with the rules and uses evolving throughout the rest of the seasons it has been used. It is important to note that the idol has not been present in every season since its introduction, but castaways are not informed at the beginning of the game if idols are in play or not.

## 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 the actual place of the idol), or still lead to the same hiding place, albeit restructured for added confusion.

## 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 his or her idol for safekeeping and someone else finds it, whoever finds the already-found idol may not take it. If all countable votes are negated by idols, a vote restart would happen (see tiebreaker for details). Idols can only be played at the initial vote, not at any revotes.

## Appearances

There are three different ways that an idol can be present within a season; hidden only during the pre-merge, only during the post-merge or in both the pre and post-merge. This does not mean that idols that were only hidden during the pre-merge were only eligible to be used before the merge. Instead, this shows that this season did not include idols hidden post-merge. Below is a breakdown of which category each season fits in.

## Gallery

Kalabaw Idol (*Philippines*), a plaque with the tribe logo*Survivor: China* Hidden Immunity Idol, a plaque*Survivor: Nicaragua* Hidden Immunity Idol, a key*Survivor: Cook Islands* Hidden Immunity Idol, a broken compass*Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains* Hidden Immunity Idol, a heitiki*Survivor: Cagayan* Hidden Immunity Idol, a balinese medallion*Survivor: Blood vs. Water* Hidden Immunity Idols, a copper ring*Survivor: Fiji* Hidden Immunity Idol, a carved turtle*Survivor: Tocantins* Hidden Immunity Idol, a Brazilian medallion*Survivor: Micronesia* Hidden Immunity Idol, a Micronesian carving*Survivor: Guatemala* Hidden Immunity Idol, a maya statue*Survivor: Borneo* Hidden Immunity Idol, a two-headed snake*Survivor: Caramoan* Hidden Immunity Idol, an Ifugao fertility charm*Survivor: Cambodia* Hidden Immunity Idol, a Cambodian artefact*Millennials vs. Gen X* Hidden Immunity Idol, a shell*Survivor: Indonesia* Hidden Immunity Idol, a hei matauGondol and To Tang Idols (*Kaôh Rōng*), two halves of the yin-yang*Australia* and *Australia II* Hidden Immunity Idol, a hei matau*Mamanuca Islands* Hidden Immunity Idol, a beaded string*David vs. Goliath* Hidden Immunity Idol, a string with two rocks at the end*Game Changers* Hidden Immunity Idols, a key, then a metal pendant
## Trivia

### Firsts

* Domenic was the first person to use a Hidden Immunity Idol on Day 6 of Survivor: Philippines.
* Ashleigh was the first person to use a Hidden Immunity Idol incorrectly on Survivor: The Australian Outback.
	+ Winston and Cara hold the record for the most number of idols incorrectly played, with 2 each.
* Vanessa is the first castaway to be eliminated with two Hidden Immunity Idols played at the same time.
* Dion is the first castaway to play a Hidden Immunity Idol and be eliminated after an idol was played against him in the same season.
* Bailey is the first castaway to be eliminated from an idol play in two separate seasons.
* Karleigh is the first player to successfully play an idol on someone else. She is also the first player who played an idol on someone else and had another player use their idol on her.
* Joey is the first player to unsuccessfully play their idol on someone else.
* Ika is the first and currently only player to have someone else play their idol on her on two separate seasons. However, both of these idol plays have not removed the majority of votes.
* Jodie is the first castaway to transfer her possession of the Hidden Immunity to someone else, being Joshua.
* Kevin is the first castaway to be eliminated after two idol plays cancelled every vote at tribal council, leading to a null vote.
	+ Declan would follow as the first person eliminated after three correctly used idols and a null vote.
	+ Alecia would then become the first person eliminated by consensus after a null and deadlocked vote.

### Records

* *Survivor: Philippines* and *Survivor: The Australian Outback* hold the record for the most Hidden Immunity Idol plays, with seven.
* Bianca currently holds the record for the most idol plays throughout the course of one season, being three idol plays during Survivor: Caramoan.
	+ She is the first castaway to play multiple Hidden Immunity Idols in the same season.
	+ She also holds the record for the most amount of idols played during the course of her entire career, with five.
* Bianca holds the record for the earliest play of a Hidden Immunity Idol, being on Day 5.
* Jack, Ellody, Xavier, Jose and Hardeep all hold the record for the latest play of a Hidden Immunity Idol, being on Day 37.
* Dion, Flick, Julia and Winston hold the record for the most number of votes negated by a single idol, with seven.
* Karleigh and Xenia hold the record for playing a Hidden Immunity Idol on the most number of seasons, with three.
* Dion holds the record for the most times being the victim on an idol play, during three separate seasons.

### Miscellaneous

* Koror, Ulong, Mecherchar, Kuneho, Saboga, Lopevi, Chikara and Rawson are the only tribes to have idols hidden at their camps but never be found.
	+ The Mercherchar idol would later be an advantage won by Doug on Survivor: Island of Secrets.
	+ Survivor: Palau was the first season in which the idol was in play, but none of them were used.
* It is very rare for multiple Hidden Immunity Idols to be hidden at camp at any one given time. This first occurred on the Dangrayne tribe from Survivor: Philippines.
	+ This rule would later appear on *The Australian Outback*, *Cagayan*, *Fiji* and *Cloncurry*.
* Takali, Asaga, Levu, Vuku, Boran, Malolo and Brawn are currently the only tribes whose idols have been found but not played because the holder was voted out prior.
	+ However, the Takali idol would later be an advantage won by Doug on *Island of Secrets*.
	+ Luvu is the first tribe whose idol was found but not activated because one of the two holders was voted out before the 24 hour activation period.