8 Of The Best 'Survivor' Players Who Never Won

Highlights

• Contestants like Ozzy, Malcolm, and Xander prove that winning Survivor isn't everything, but strategy and gameplay are key.
• Players like Russell Hantz and Cirie Fields showcase that being a mastermind or villain can get you far, even without the final win.
• Competitors like Joe Anglim and Kelley Wentworth show that being a physical threat can make you a target, but also a tough player to beat.

The reality competition show, Survivor, has had many iterations across the globe. The American version has been airing since 2000, with forty-six seasons keeping viewers entertained thus far.

There have been many worthy contestants who have outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted to become the Sole Survivor at the end of their season, but there are also many who have gained notoriety and have proven themselves to be ultimate Survivor players, even if they haven't gained the ultimate final prize and title.

Here are eight of the best Survivor players that never actually won the game.

Updated June 2024: With so many seasons under its belt, "Survivor" may need to ramp it up a notch to keep viewers. All of the tips and tricks that the show has used in the past no longer appeal to viewers because nothing surprises contestants any longer. Perhaps with more contestants like those in the past that used new strategies, the reality show can get some new life breathed into it. Examples of what made the show work in the past are all included on this list. Even if they did not win, they all kept the show interesting.

8 Ozzy Lusth

Ozzy Lusth became the first Survivor player to be voted out three times in one season

There's a certain type of player that most viewers can't help but latch onto - the good-looking and competitive guy that can't seem to ever win the game. One of the first players to fit that mold started with contestant Ozzy Lusth.

Ozzy started his legendary run throughout Survivor's history on Season 13 - Survivor: Cook Islands.

In his first season, he won five out of the six individual immunity challenges, tying the record at the time. However, the jury thought of Ozzy as simply the brawn of the season, and he ended up in second place.

He returned to the game in Seasons 16, 23, and 34. Ozzy almost made it to the final two again in Season 23 but lost out due to his strength in challenges. However, Ozzy did succeed in being the rare survivor to be voted out three times in one season due to the twist of Redemption Island.

7 Malcolm Freberg

Despite being very competitive, Malcolm Freberg was constantly seen as too much of a threat and voted off

Similar to Ozzy, Malcolm Freberg fit into the mold of the competitive hunk that couldn't win the game no matter how hard he tried and how much he excelled in challenges.

Malcom's first season was Survivor: Philippines, Season 25. He made it to the final four due to his charm, social strategy, and his success in competitions. However, Malcolm proved to be too much of a threat and was cut before the final three.

Malcolm then went on to return for the next season, Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites, as a favorite. He wasn't able to command the game past the merge and was voted out once again.

Returning for the third time for Survivor: Game Changers, alongside Ozzy, he was blindsided quickly because of his unwavering status as a threat and a great player.

6 Xander Hastings

Xander Hastings' low-key scheming managed to keep him on Survivor to make it to the Final Tribal Council

One of the more recent competitors on this list, Xander Hastings competed on Season 41 and viewers were surprised to learn he wasn't what his fellow competitors thought when seeing an attractive surfer-type persona.

After the merge, Xander tried to tamper the target on his back and did everything in his power to survive week after week, earning him a spot at the Final Trial Council.

However, the jury found his strategic game lacking and favored the winner, Erika Casupanan.

5 Russell Hantz

Russell Hantz may be pigeonholed as the villain but he is also a brilliant Survivor player, having made it to the Final Tribal Council twice

One of the most infamous players, known for their villainous acts and treatment of the tribe, is Russell Hantz. Though he's painted as one of the most noteworthy villains of Survivor, there's no doubting his status as one of the greatest players as well. While he loved to cause chaos and stir up emotions in his tribe, Russell had a talent for finding Hidden Immunity Idols and being on the right side of the votes.

Russell's strategy, love it or hate it, helped him get to the Final Tribal Council twice. Unfortunately, his jury management, through his callous actions, caused him to lose both times. He's played the game four times and a fifth time he played on Australian Survivor.

4 Spencer Bledsoe

Spencer Bledsoe was initially seen as the underdog, but he quickly proved to have more gameplay

Spencer Bledsoe started his career on Survivor as the nerdy, underdog character who many underestimated. That quickly changed when he showed viewers how much of a strategic threat he truly was.

In his first season, Survivor: Cagayan, Spencer had few successes which were often met with a betrayal by his allies. But Spencer quickly found other players who were willing to work with him which earned him a final-four spot. However, it also showed everyone how involved Spencer was with eliminations, and the cast decided to cut him loose in the end.

Spencer returned a couple of years later for Season 31, Survivor: Cambodia. He made it through the merge and found power in his alliance, taking him to Final Tribal Council this time. However, he lost the prize and title of Sole Survivor as the jury was put off by his attitude and his social gameplay.

3 Joe Anglim

Joe Anglim was a huge threat on Survivor, which got him voted off the first time, but helped him to be successful in subsequent seasons

Joe Anglim is another contestant who's played the game three times, starting with his stint on Season 30 - Survivor: Worlds Apart. Due to his physical abilities, Joe was quickly targeted, which became an even bigger target after the merge of tribes.

Returning for the next season, Joe had the combined success of his tribe, winning every Immunity Challenge and then winning Individual Immunity Challenges after the merge.

The main reason Joe lost that season was that he passed out during a challenge and was voted out that night. However, he did end up with a different prize in fellow Survivor contestant, Sierra Dawn. The two married in 2019 and have two children.

2 Cirie Fields

Cirie Fields was a mastermind when it came to directing the majority alliance and blindsiding other players

Though she wasn't the greatest in physical competitions, Cirie Fields is a mastermind of social strategy.

In her first season, Survivor: Panama, Cirie made it far into the game by becoming a mastermind of the majority alliance and implementing blindsides. However, she went home in the final four after a fire challenge that ended in a tiebreaker.

She returned to the game three more times with Fans vs. Favorites, Heroes vs. Villains, and Game Changers, showcasing her legendary status time and time again.

Cirie managed to make it to the final three but the other two times she played she was voted out sooner because she was seen as such a strategic threat and also because she was the only one on her final season to not have an Immunity Idol, thus an elimination without a single vote.

1 Kelley Wentworth

Kelley Wentworth was a threat in competitions and a mastermind when it came to voting out other players

One of the few players to compete with a loved one, Kelley Wentworth is a shining example of a true survivor.

In her first season, Survivor: San Juan del Sur - Blood vs. Water, she got the chance to play with her father, Dale Wentworth. Kelley was ultimately seen as too big of a threat in competitions and as a strategic mastermind leading to her elimination before her father.

Kelley's return was spurred on by viewers for Season 31, Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance, and she took the opportunity to play a different, more determined game. Kelley blindsided, successfully used two Immunity Idols against votes that would've taken her out, and made it right before the Final Tribal Council.

For Kelley's third time playing, she proved herself strategically once again with a multitude of alliances, but she was blindsided after the merge.

It seems most of the iconic contestants ended up playing three times, but still can't find their way to the very end.