Top Ten Game Changers

After the idea of a game changers season was announced, I wondered what my own list would be. I could do a made up cast of it if I wanted to, but I’m not sure that I will. I had already done my version of a Legends cast between Cagayan and San Juan del Sur. So I’m making a top ten list of the players that I think changed the game the most. I’ll forgo any rules that I may have used to form this and just skip to the top ten. Who made this list? Read on and find out.

#10 Russell Hantz (Samoa, Heroes versus Villains, Redemption Island): Whether you actually like this person or you despise him like I do, you have to admit that his overall sliminess of his game is something that you had never seen in the game before. He is quite a terrible person and would probably admit that to anyone. Few people have had the sheer control over eliminations that he did. He’ll never win, but he has a huge following and changed the show, if not for better, than definitely in a new way.

#9 Colton (One World, Blood versus Water): Here’s another person that I didn’t like who is worthy of this list, once again, for the absolute control that he had over people. Who else could convince his tribe to give up immunity after winning a challenge? The fact that everyone agreed to this, including the person who end up getting voted out as a result, is a sheer shock, the likes of which we’ve never seen before nor will ever see again. I still don't know why people didn't like the move.

#8 Johnny Fairplay (Pearl Islands, Micronesia): This is yet another contestant whose overall villainous ways were unprecedented at the time that it first appeared. He convinced his friend to do a lie before the show even started. When that episode in question first aired, you might have believed that his grandmother had, in fact, died. You’d believe that until the moment that the truth (err, lie) was revealed and you hated this guy even more than you did. Ultimately, while he was a huge dick, he ended leaving an impression on the game that you haven’t seen before.

#7 Christy (Amazon): Here’s what some might see as a strange choice for the list, but before her, there were no disabled contestants who played the game. Now I find the term disabled to be insulting and will avoid using it whenever possible. We saw some of her struggles to fit into the game, yet she made it quite far in it. With her, we saw that you don’t have to be a “normal” person in order to play Survivor. You can have a major difference between you and other people and still fit in as a player.

#6 Yau-Man (Fiji, Micronesia): While a lot of people changed the game regarding the use of the hidden immunity idols, few would have thought of the idea before Yau-Man did to actually create a fake idol and hope that others use it. Even though he was eliminated early into Micronesia, it wouldn’t have nearly been as good as it ended up being if there wasn’t a fake idol in it. While Ozzy did it, Yau-Man was certainly the inspiration that has inspired Ozzy and whoever else made one afterwards as part of the game. Plus, when it came to the actual idol, he knew how to affectively use it. Even without idols, he was certainly influential in proving that smart people have a place in the game.

#5 Stephenie (Palau, Guatemala, Heroes versus Villains): While her game has admittedly gotten worse, she certainly proved that some players can survive everything in the game, even all the members of their own tribe. While it might not be possible for another contestant to be all that’s left of their tribe ever again, it certainly changed the way that she was able to, more or less, outplay everyone on her tribe to the point of outlasting them all.

#4 JT (Tocantins, Heroes versus Villains): This guy made it to day 39 without a single vote cast against him and then got every single jury vote. Nobody else had ever done that before. He helped disprove the theory that only villains can win (in my opinion, at least) and remained quite popular. Even his second time around, when he foolishly gave up his idol to a member on the other tribe, he changed the game yet again. One wonders what he can still do with the game.

#3 Chris (Vanuatu): Here’s the person who may have been the ultimate underdog winner. Few people could manage such a great, late game turnaround. The fact that he could be the last man left in the game and not be voted out by the SIX women who were still in the game was quite impressive. He was able to turn themselves against each other and came out on top.

#2 Richard (Borneo, All-Stars): This man is pretty much responsible for so much in Survivor that we could take for granted. We might not have alliances if he didn’t help create the first one. Villains wouldn’t be as powerful and good as they are without him. People wouldn’t be making bold and risky moves like he did when he threw the final immunity challenge. That could have got him voted out, but it didn’t. I did have to include the first real game changer in this list, so here he is. But who, do I feel, changed the game the most? Who is the number one game changer?

#1 Tony (Cagayan): What a gamer this man is. He takes Jersey attitude to a whole new level. There are so many great moments with this character that it is easy to see why he ended up dominating the game his season. What type of person can really play this evil and still win? Well, he’s that type of person. So few people can do what he does, in the way he does it, and still be likable in the end. That is why I have him listed as the number one game changer in Survivor.

Honorable mentions: Greg from Borneo was a lovable goof he proved right away that you can have fun while playing the game. Susan from Borneo and All-Stars proved that jurors have a huge influence on how the game goes down. Ethan from Africa and All-Stars proved that nice guys can actually win. Kathy from Marquesas and All-Stars is the person who I think was able to cause the first ever power shift. Vecepia from Marquesas changed, once again, the way people could win the game. Jenna from Amazon and All-Stars made unique moves that affected the game. Burton from Pearl Islands proved that people could change their fate in the game. Osten from Pearl Islands may not have changed it in a good way, but he was the first quit and that changed the game. Tom from Palau and Heroes versus Villains proved that being a leader can actually work out well in the end. Yul from Cook Islands changed how the hidden immunity idol could be used. Earl from Fiji was the first person to get all the jury votes. NaOnka from Nicaragua actually created an official known change in the rules, even though it was under terrible circumstances that she caused.

I’m sure that there are some great people that I forgot to mention, for one reason or another. I can’t remember everyone. But I do think that I came up with a good top ten list of game changers. I’m hoping that they make the whole cast official soon so I can do special posts regarding that before the season actually starts. For now, this is Adam Decker, signing off.