Sole Survivor

The **Sole Survivor** is the title held by the winner of *Australian 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.

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 has 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, gruelling 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 likeable. 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 favour, emphasising 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.

## Trivia

### Winning and Perfect Games

* The finalists' families are flown on location to witness the winner reveal, except for seasons with a reunion show where all finalists and their families are present at a location in Australia.
* So far, 5 men and 5 women have become Sole Survivors.
* Shane Gould is the oldest Sole Survivor by age at the time crowned, being 61 years old when announced as the winner. She is also the oldest by birth date.
	+ Guy Leech is the oldest male winner, being 42 years old when announced as the winner. He is also the oldest by birth date.
* Kristie Bennett is the youngest Sole Survivor by age at the time crowned, being 24 years old when announced as the winner. Liz Parnov is the youngest by birth date.
	+ Jericho Malabonga is is the youngest male winner, being 25 years old when announced as the winner. He is also the youngest by birth date.
* Shane Gould is the only Sole Survivor to be the oldest contestant in her winning season. No contestant who has been the youngest in their season has been Sole Survivor.
* Pia Miranda is the first Sole Survivor to win a jury vote unanimously, as she garnered all 9 jury votes in *Champions v Contenders* (2019). She is currently the only Sole Survivor to win a Final Two vote unanimously.
	+ Mark Wales in *Blood v Water* (10-0-0) and Liz Parnov in *Heroes v Villains* (7-0-0) have also won unanimously.
* The closest a Sole Survivor has been to a "perfect game" is Liz Parnov in *Heroes v Villains*, who only received two Tribal Council votes in the entire season, and won the jury vote unanimously.
* Guy Leech is the first Sole Survivor to be voted out, earn his way back into the game, and win the game. Hayley Leake also holds this distinction.
* David Genat is the first Sole Survivor to reside in the United States and the first to reside outside Australia overall to win the game.

### Tribal Council

* Jericho Malabonga and Shane Gould are the only Sole Survivors to be revealed during the Reunion Show rather than on location.
* Kristie Bennett and Hayley Leake are tied for the most votes cast against any winner in a single season, with 11. They are also tied for the most non-negated elimination votes cast against a winner in a single season, since none were negated by idols.
	+ Mark Wales has the most votes cast against any male winner in a single season, with 8. This includes 3 votes negated by an idol.
	+ Guy Leech has the most non-negated votes cast against any male winner in a single season, with 6.

### Hidden Immunity Idol and Twists

* Shane Gould is the first Sole Survivor to have found a Hidden Immunity Idol.
* Mark Wales is the only Sole Survivor to use a Hidden Immunity Idol successfully in their winning season.

### Challenge Wins

* \_ won the most challenges in a single season, with \_. \_ has the most challenge wins for a female winner, with \_.
* Hayley Leake has the most individual immunity wins out of any winner, with 5.
	+ David Genat has the most individual immunity wins for a male winner, with 3.
* \_ won the fewest challenges out of all Sole Survivors, with \_; in \_ case, none of them were from individual challenges.
* Shane Gould is the only Sole Survivor to have won without ever having won an individual Immunity Challenge.

### Returning Winners

* Two winners have won the game as returnees: David Genat and Mark Wales. Both were second-timers.
* Five winners have played more than once: Jericho Malabonga, Shane Gould, David Genat, Hayley Leake and Mark Wales. They have all experienced being voted out, either prior to or after the season that each of them had won.
* Hayley Leake is the only returning winner to become a jury member and to be eliminated after the merge.