By its very nature as a reality show, Survivor typically favors the winners when it comes to the edit. They're obviously not going to give too much focus on people who are leaving in the first couple of weeks, and if they are given particular attention in a specific episode, there's a good reason that they're going home that week.
Many fans of Survivor remember the iconic players like Parvati, Russell, Boston Rob, etc. - all people who made it to the end. But there are a lot of great and memorable players who were eliminated before the merge, and as such, they have regrettably been lost to memory.
Russell Swan
Survivor: Samoa was the battle of the Russells. At least for the first half of the game. Russell Hantz was leading the Foa Foa tribe, who were being systematically eliminated by Russell Swan's Galu tribe. Before the merge, six Foa Foa members had been voted off, compared to only two Galu.
Russell Swan was positioning himself quite well within the game, being both a social and physical threat with strong leadership capabilities. Unfortunately, he missed the jury by two spots after collapsing from exhaustion during a challenge, resulting in his medical evacuation.
Darnell Hamilton
Despite being the first person eliminated from Kaoh Rong, Darnell Hamilton was quite a memorable player. As part of the Brawn tribe, Darnell helped create the camp's shelter and famously went to the bathroom in the ocean, prompting laughter from both his fellow tribe mates and audiences at home.
He was quickly shaping up to be one of the funniest and most entertaining players of the season, but an accident during the first immunity challenge prompted his early exit. Without said accident, Darnell could have gone quite far thanks to a potentially strong social game.
Bobby Jon Drinkard
Survivor: Palau is often regarded as one of the greatest seasons of the show thanks to a strong cast and one of the most memorable pre-merges in the history of the show. In an unprecedented bit of Survivor gameplay, the entire cursed Ulong tribe (minus Stephenie LaGrossa) was eliminated by Koror before the merge, leading to the term "Ulonging."
Bobby Jon Drinkard was a good player, both socially agreeable and physically dominant. However, he ended up losing a fire-making challenge to Stephenie, as they were the only two members left on Ulong. If Bobby was on any other tribe, he likely would have made the merge. In fact, he later returned for Guatemala and became the first jury member.
Tracy Hughes-Wolf
Micronesia is a masterpiece of a season. Perhaps the most feminist season of Survivor, Micronesia is famous for its inclusion of the Black Widow Brigade, which is one of the show's best known alliances. But a contestant often overlooked in the season is Tracy Hughes-Wolf.
Tracy was an incredible player, with the extremely rare ability to control the majority alliance from the outside. She was a strategic and social master of the game, but she unfortunately aligned herself with the wrong people and lost a numbers game. She is perhaps the greatest player not to have made the merge.
Chicken Morris
First castoffs have to be very memorable to be remembered. Chicken Morris is one of them. Chicken was the first person voted off of China, primarily for being a social outcast and not fitting in with the other members of his tribe.
However, his laid back attitude and heavy Virginian accent instantly made him a fan favorite, as many found his idiosyncrasies enjoyable to watch. His exit is also one of the most memorable in Survivor history, complete with a loud "DAYUM!" after the final vote was read.
Jacob Derwin
Jacob Derwin proves the dangers of playing too hard too early. Jacob certainly came to play Ghost Island, and he attempted to control the game from the very beginning. He made fake idols, relentlessly searched for real ones, goaded others into sending him to Ghost Island, and earned the Legacy Advantage.
All this in the first couple of days. His tribe instantly pegged him as too untrustworthy, and he was just the second person voted off Ghost Island. Regardless, his strong gameplay and respectable hustle instantly made him a fan favorite.
Robb Zbacnik
While typically regarded as one of the worst seasons of Survivor, Thailand nevertheless has some memorable players. One of them is Robb Zbacnik, who has one of the most enjoyable redemption arcs in the show's history. Robb instantly earned infamy for grabbing Clay Jordan around the throat and calling him a "backwoods hick."
But realizing that he was making too many enemies, Robb changed his ways and became more of a caring member of the tribe (even if it was to save his own skin). It made for fun TV, but it proved too late for Robb, and he became the sixth person voted off the island.
Tina Scheer
Tina Scheer was the first person voted off Exile Island, but she made an indelible impression through her tragic story and impeccable survival skills. Tina's son had tragically passed away shortly before the season began filming, and the grief caused Tina to alienate herself from the rest of the group.
However, she also proved an avid outdoorswoman and was easily able to build a shelter and maintain a campfire. Both aspects of her character made her an instantly unforgettable player. Unfortunately, her behavior proved a little too obnoxious for her tribemates and she became the first person sent packing.
Dan Barry
A contestant on Panama, Dan Barry earned popularity and acclaim for his general likability. An astronaut, Dan Barry was obviously very intelligent, and both his brains and his friendliness allowed him to place a firm foothold within the game.
This was further strengthened after starting the all-male alliance with Terry. However, the males were eventually forced to turn on each other, and Dan became the last person voted off before the merge. He departed on great terms with everyone, further proving his jovial and likable nature.
Gina Crews
Gina Crews is arguably the most likable pre-merge elimination, and she was given many confessionals throughout the first half of the season owing to her strong personality and underdog status. Not only was she fun to watch, but she was also a commanding and capable player.
She formed a strong bond with Hunter Ellis and eventually targeted Boston Rob, but she was on the wrong side of the numbers and eventually blindsided. Many fans have clamored for her return in a show of respect for her strong strategic gameplay.