Wes probably deserves two spots on this list. His Ruins comeback and his War of the Worlds comeback. However, I decided to give him one to include more comebacks and because he was already a top finisher regardless. I chose the Ruins over War of the Worlds as Wes appeared on the Champs VS series beforehand, so it wasn’t as big of a comeback as the Ruins one.

Wes started his Challenge career by winning 6 eliminations, making two finals, and winning the first individual season in the show’s history. He then retired as he reached the mountain top. At the age of 20/21, Wes RETIRED. We don’t get competitors that young anymore, and Wes retired at that age.

It says a lot that Wes did not play for four whole seasons, but when he returned, the entire cast was against him. Kenny for personal matters, Evan and Derrick for the Duel 1, Darrell from Fresh Meat 1, and Bananas for being Kenny and Evan’s follower. People like to overuse the word “pressed” when discussing reality TV personalities, but Wes had an entire team of the best male players in Challenge history PRESSED.

Without Wes, the Ruins becomes one of the most tedious and lopsided seasons in Challenge history. With Wes, it becomes a lopsided season with some fantastic fights. Wes and Darrell’s fight was great. Wes and Evelyn’s tirade against their Champs team is iconic, and his eventual defeat is perhaps the biggest upset in Challenge history. He was a divisive figure who got everyone to care about him despite being a 5'8 190 lb ginger, simply remarkable.

1 Shane Landrum— S29 Invasion, 16 season break (previous, S12 Fresh Meat 1)

Remember how I mentioned that Trishelle’s return was so bizarre and that she would only appear in someone’s fantasy cast season? Well, Shane’s return is even more bizarre because nobody was putting him on their fantasy cast. Shane is self-admittedly a bit of a wallpaper character from his original run on the show. Fans who passionately follow daily challenge performances knew Shane was a great competitor. His lack of final appearances made him seem below average to casual fans.

His return on Invasion was due to him calling Lisa Fletcher and begging to get on following his divorce as he needed a fresh start and a fun experience. Initially, Shane was trying just to fit in and not be the first eliminated. Stuck on an island with Challenge rookies who were taking shots above their pay level, Shane figured out he could go far in the game. Shane established a relationship with most of the women on the cast and a special bond with a group who would later be known as the “Lavender Ladies.” Shane, Ashley, Amanda, and Sylvia used their brains and found a way to get the numbers on their side to run the game. The alpha males so often dominate the Challenge, and for once, it was the real underdogs running the game.

Shane excelled in almost every daily challenge, and when he wasn’t, he was taking one for the team by taking down Bananas and CT by himself in a kamikaze mission. The Underdog Bloodbath ruined Shane’s chance of winning as he likely would have been able to politic his way to the end. Instead, he had to face his worst nightmare, a pure physical elimination to get the spot. He was the most well-rounded talent on his team and likely could have destroyed CT in the final. Swimming, eating, endurance, and puzzles are his strong suits! A win is too good. Part of Shane’s legacy is he comes a bit short, and he keeps you wanting him to get it finally. And if you hate him, you can continue cheering for him to lose.

His return is even more prominent because it opened the door wider for older cast members to come back. He was integral to convincing Veronica to return. Overall, he ended up being the heart of the Lavender Ladies. Which, even if you hate them, you cannot deny their 2 for 2 wins when all of them are together, and in the second run, finished first and second.