Inside Survivor’s resident stat-man Rob Brodeur breaks down the various stats, figures, and trivia for the upcoming all-winners season.

Cast/Season

Winners at War is the first time a filming location has been used 8 times in a row. Season 33 (Millennials vs. Gen X) through season 40 (Winners at War) was filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji.

This is the fifth season with all returning players. All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains, Cambodia – Second Chance, and Game Changers are the others. Cambodia is the only all-returning player season that didn’t feature any returning winners.

This is the 13th season with some form of returning players. All-Stars, Guatemala, Micronesia, Heroes vs. Villains, Redemption Island, South Pacific, Philippines, Caramoan, Blood vs. Water, Cambodia, Game Changers, and Edge of Extinction are the others.

With this season, the number of returning players has passed 100, with the total being 103.

Every season from 31 to 37 has their winner represented in this season. 31 – Cambodia – Jeremy Collins. 32 – Kaoh Rong – Michele Fitzgerald. 33 – Millennials vs. Gen X – Adam Klein. 34 – Game Changers – Sarah Lacina. 35 – Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers – Ben Driebergen. 36 – Ghost Island – Wendell Holland. 37 – David vs. Goliath – Nick Wilson. If Mike Holloway (season 30 winner) were included, then every winner from season 27-37 would have been represented. 27 – Blood vs. Water – Tyson Apostol. 28 – Cagayan – Tony Vlachos. 29 – San Juan Del Sur – Natalie Anderson. If John Cochran (season 26 winner) AND Mike Holloway were included, then every winner from season 22-37 would have been represented 22- Redemption Island – Rob Mariano. 23- South Pacific – Sophie Clarke. 24- One World – Kim Spradlin. 25- Philippines – Denise Stapley.

7 out of 16 returning winners are not playing on Winners at War. Richard, Jenna, Tom, Cochran, Aras, Tina, and JT have played multiple seasons but aren’t playing this season.

Adam is the youngest player this season at 28, while Denise is the oldest at 48.

Ethan and Amber hold the record for most seasons between appearances, having 32 seasons between All-Stars (Season 8) and Winners at War (Season 40). This record was previously held by Kelly Wiglesworth who had a 30 season gap between appearances from Borneo (Season 1) to Cambodia (Season 31). Amber also holds the record for the longest amount of time between her original season and most recent season with a 38 season gap between The Australian Outback (Season 2) to Winners at War (Season 40).

Guatemala is the only season with multiple returning players where the only returning players were finalists that season.

Danni, Michele, and Yul are the only first-time returning winners this season to return from a season where at least one of their fellow finalists have already returned. Danni won Guatemala – Stephenie has returned. Yul won Cook Islands – Ozzy has returned. Michele won Kaoh Rong – Aubry & Tai have returned.

Amber, Parvati, Sophie, and Denise are the only winners this season to receive votes pre-merge in the season they won.

There are five seasons with multiple returning players in which all of the returning players came from only one starting tribe. They are as follows: Africa – Boran – Ethan, Lex, & Tom. Nobody from Samburu has returned, although T-Bird Cooper was on the ballot to return for Cambodia. Vanuatu – Yasur – Ami & Eliza. Nobody from Lopevi has returned. Redemption Island – Ometepe – Rob, Phillip, Andrea, & Francesca. Nobody from Zapatera has returned, although Stephanie Valencia was on the ballot to return for Cambodia. Caramoan – Bikal – Andrea & Malcolm. Nobody from Gota has returned. San Juan del Sur – Hunahpu – Natalie, Keith, Jeremy, & Kelley. Nobody from Coyopa has returned.

All four of the winners that won seasons that Ozzy was on are playing in Winners at War. Cook Islands – Yul. Micronesia – Parvati. South Pacific – Sophie. Game Changers – Sarah. Sophie is the only one that Ozzy voted for to win (he was in the Final Tribal Council in Cook Islands, so couldn’t vote).

Every time Rob played Survivor, the eventual winner came from his starting tribe. Marquesas – Maraamu, Vecepia. All-Stars – Chapera, Amber. Heroes vs. Villains – Villains, Sandra. Redemption Island – Ometepe, Rob. Coincidentally, the three seasons this happened where Rob didn’t win, a woman won.

As of this season, Heroes vs. Villains is now tied with The Australian Outback for the highest percentage of returning castaways, with 50% of the cast returning for future seasons. The Australian Outback had 16 players and 8 have returned. Tina, Colby, Amber, Jerri, Alicia, Varner, Skupin, and Kimmi have played more than once. The Australian Outback has the highest number of returning players from an all-newbie season with 8. Heroes vs. Villains had 20 players and 10 have returned. Sandra, Russell, Parvati, Rupert, Candice, JT, Coach, Rob, Tyson, and Cirie have returned since being on the season. Heroes vs. Villains has the highest number of returning players of any season with 10. Heroes vs. Villains and The Australian Outback also share another record, where players from both seasons have returned 13 times total.

Amber, Ethan, Natalie, and Rob have all participated on The Amazing Race. Natalie is the only one to be on The Amazing Race before competing on Survivor. Despite all four of them being winners of Survivor, none of them have won The Amazing Race. Jenna Morasca, also a winner of Survivor, was on The Amazing Race (she was partnered with Ethan).

Both players who were the highest placing former winner in an all-returnee season are playing on Winners at War. Ethan was the highest placing former winner in All-Stars, finishing above Richard, Tina, and Jenna. Sandra was the highest placing former winner in Heroes vs. Villains, finishing above Tom, JT, and Parvati. She was also the highest placing former winner in Game Changers, finishing above JT & Tony.

Earl, Chris, and Tommy are the only players who won in Fiji but aren’t returning for Winners at War.

7/20 of the players this season have previously played in a season filmed in Fiji. Adam, Sarah, Sandra, Tony, Ben, Wendell, and Nick. Rob was also on a season in Fiji (Island of the Idols) as a mentor and not as a player.

Tyson is the only winner this season who was a pre-merge boot, jury member, and winner. The only other winners to do this are Tina & JT. You could technically include Chris Underwood from Edge of Extinction as well, given that he was a pre-merge boot, jury member, and winner, but it happened all in the same season due to the Edge of Extinction twist.

Every first boot in an all-returning player season (with the exception of Vytas in Cambodia) has made it to the finale in a previous season of theirs. All-Stars – Tina Wesson. Heroes vs. Villains – Sugar Kiper. Game Changers – Ciera Eastin (Blood vs. Water). Winners at War – Whoever is first boot will have made the finale in a previous season, as the entire cast is winners.

Every season with all-returning players has had at least one player from The Australian Outback on the cast. All-Stars – Amber, Colby, Jerri, Alicia, and Tina. Heroes vs. Villains – Colby and Jerri. Cambodia – Varner and Kimmi. Game Changers – Varner. Winners at War – Amber. Skupin is the only returning player from The Australian Outback to return for a season but never be on a season with all-returning players.

Yul is the only returning player from Cook Islands who hasn’t played three times or more. Ozzy and Parvati have played four times. Candice and Penner have played three times.

As of this season, the only seasons to not be represented in a returning player season are Edge of Extinction and Island of the Idols. If you’re counting Rob and Sandra as representatives of Island of the Idols, then Edge of Extinction is the only season to not have players represented in a subsequent season.

Heroes vs. Villains and Kaoh Rong are the only seasons where the entire final three (as in FTC finalists) have returned to play again. Heroes vs. Villains – Sandra, Russell, and Parvati have played again. Kaoh Rong – Michele, Aubry, and Tai have played again.

Only five winners this season have previously been on the jury. They are as follows: Parvati – jury member in Cook Islands. Tyson – jury member in Tocantins. Amber – jury member in The Australian Outback. Jeremy – jury member in San Juan Del Sur. Sarah – jury member in Cagayan. Amber and Parvati are the only two to not vote for the eventual winner of the game. Parvati voted for Ozzy and Amber voted for Colby. Coincidentally, both Amber and Parvati placed sixth in their first season and won their second season.

Despite playing more than once, Tony, Sandra, Rob, and Ethan have never been members of the jury.

If you were to watch every season that the Winners at War cast is on, you would see 101 out of the 103 returning players. The only two you wouldn’t see as cast members on the seasons are Corinne Kaplan and Brenda Lowe. Bob Crowley (winner of Gabon), Fabio Birza (winner of Nicaragua), and John Cochran (winner of Caramoan) aren’t on Winners at War.

All three winners who have made it to the final tribal council twice (Rob, Sandra, & Parvati) are playing this season. The only other players to achieve this feat are Amanda Kimmel (China & Micronesia) and Russell Hantz (Samoa & Heroes vs. Villains). They’re also the only two players in Survivor history to lose at FTC twice. Coincidentally, all five players who have made it to FTC more than once played on Heroes vs. Villains.

This will be Rob and Sandra’s third season appearing together. They were on the Villains tribe in Heroes vs. Villains. They were mentors on Island of the Idols.

Sandra has previously been on a tribe with the most players this season with five. Heroes vs. Villains – she started on the Villains tribe with Rob, Parvati, and Tyson. Game Changers – she started on the Mana tribe with Tony and swapped to Nuku with Sarah. Rob has been on a season with five other players, but he was never on the same tribe as Ethan in All-Stars.

Michele is the only winner to never attend a pre-merge tribal council.

Denise is the only winner to attend every tribal council in a season.

Ben has the most votes cast against a winner with 11. Nine of those votes were canceled with a hidden immunity idol.

Ethan, Sandra (in Pearl Islands), Natalie, and Nick won Survivor without any votes cast against them in the season they won. Nick and Natalie are the only players going into this season with no votes cast against them, as Ethan and Sandra have been voted for in other seasons they were on.

Jeremy and Adam have the highest number of votes to win their winning seasons with 10 votes. Tony has the highest number of votes in a final two with 8. Amber has the lowest amount, with only 4 votes to win. Jeremy and Adam are the only unanimous winners to play this season. Cochran, JT, and Earl aren’t on this season.

9/20 players have never played with anyone else on this season. Danni, Sophie, Kim, Denise, Michele, Adam, Ben, Wendell, and Nick have no previous season connections to the other winners. Yul and Natalie are the only two-time players to have a connection to another winner. Yul played in Cook Islands with Parvati. Natalie played in San Juan Del Sur with Jeremy.

The only two winners to ever participate in a rock-draw tiebreaker are playing this season. Tyson participated in one in Blood vs. Water. Adam participated in one in Millennials vs. Gen X.

This season will have 11 winners playing for their second time, 5 winners playing for their third time, 3 winners playing for their fourth time, and 1 winner playing for his fifth time. Two-time Players: Nick – David vs. Goliath. Wendell – Ghost Island. Ben – Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. Adam – Millennials vs. Gen X. Michele – Kaoh Rong. Natalie – San Juan Del Sur. Denise – Philippines. Kim – One World. Sophie – South Pacific. Yul – Cook Islands. Danni – Guatemala. Three-time Players: Sarah – Cagayan, Game Changers. Tony – Cagayan, Game Changers. Jeremy – San Juan Del Sur, Cambodia. Amber – The Australian Outback, All-Stars. Ethan – Africa, All-Stars. Tony and Ethan won their first season and lost their second season. Sarah, Jeremy, and Amber lost their first season and won their second season. Four-time Players: Sandra – Pearl Islands, Heroes vs. Villains, Game Changers. Tyson – Tocantins, Heroes vs. Villains, Blood vs. Water. Tyson is the only winner to have won his third season. Parvati – Cook Islands, Micronesia, Heroes vs. Villains. Sandra and Parvati are the first female winners to return for a fourth season. Cirie is the only other female player to play four times. Five-time Player: Rob – Marquesas, All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains, Redemption Island.

Tyson is the only returning winner who won on his third time playing, while Rob is the only winner to win on his fourth time playing.

Tony and Sarah are the third pair to have played three times on the same seasons. This was previously done by: Colby and Jerri in The Australian Outback, All-Stars, and Heroes vs. Villains. Amanda and James in China, Micronesia, and Heroes vs. Villains. Unlike the previously mentioned pairs, Tony and Sarah were not on the same tribe as each other in one of their seasons (Game Changers).

Cochran is the only player to win on their second season but not be on Winners at War. Amber, Parvati, Sandra, Jeremy, and Sarah won their second season and are on Winners at War.

24/39 seasons are represented in Winners at War. The Australian Outback, Africa, Marquesas, Pearl Islands, All-Stars, Guatemala, Cook Islands, Micronesia, Tocantins, Heroes vs. Villains, Redemption Island, South Pacific, One World, Philippines, Blood vs. Water, Cagayan, San Juan Del Sur, Cambodia, Kaoh Rong, Millennials vs. Gen X, Game Changers, Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, Ghost Island, and David vs. Goliath. The Australian Outback, Marquesas, and Tocantins are the only three seasons represented in Winners at War that aren’t represented by the winner of the season. Tina won The Australian Outback. Amber placed 6th in The Australian Outback and won All-Stars. Vecepia won Marquesas. Rob placed 10th in Marquesas and won Redemption Island. JT won Tocantins. Tyson placed 8th in Tocantins and won Blood vs. Water

15/39 seasons are not represented in Winners at War. Borneo, Thailand, The Amazon, Vanuatu, Palau, Panama, Fiji, China, Gabon, Samoa, Nicaragua, Caramoan, Worlds Apart, Edge of Extinction, and Island of the Idols.



Check back next Saturday (Jan. 18) for Part 2 of our Season 40 Pre-Season Stats!

Survivor: Winners At War premieres February 12, 2020, on CBS.

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