Survivor, having been on for 40 seasons and spanning 20 years, has had multiple memorable castaways that have stuck out from the rest. In 2010, Survivor had an all-star season entitled Heroes vs Villains which pitted some of those incredible characters against one another.
Through the years, even more 'heroes' and 'villains' have emerged, ones that viewers love and hate alike. How one chooses to play the game, either with strong morals or completely moral-less, impacts how they go down in the Survivor history books and creates their reputation among other Survivor players.
"Hero" They Hated: Colby Donaldson
Colby Donaldson competed on season two of the hit reality show in the Australian Outback. He dominated in challenges and had a clear path to the final two. He took the moral high ground when he won the final immunity challenge and took the lovable mom Tina Wesson with him to the finals over chef Keith Famie.
In his subsequent seasons, Colby's love for Survivor clearly diminished, and he stood by traditional gameplay despite the ever-changing game. Fans couldn't quite forgive how he could give away a win to Tina, be eliminated so early in All-Stars, and appear completely apathetic in Heroes vs Villains.
"Villain" They Loved: Courtney Yates
A 20-something waitress from New York, Courtney tried her hand at Survivor in season 15: China. Despite her never holding back and constantly speaking her mind, Courtney was able to find close allies in Todd and Amanda and earned herself a spot in the final three.
Courtney's blunt confessionals where she made fun of her teammates made her a fan-favorite, and her eye-rolls at tribal council had jury members giggling. At the end of the day, Courtney didn't care about anyone's hurt feelings; she just wanted to win the million dollars.
"Hero" They Hated: Candice Cody
Known for the famous 'mutiny' in season 13: Cook Islands, Candice surprised everyone when she was cast as a hero on Heroes vs Villains. Candice played a big part in season 13, being a major antagonist against the likes of Yul and Ozzy.
However, season 20 depicted her as heroic for returning to her former tribemates back in the day, only for her to once again betray her team, the literal Heroes, years later.
"Villain" They Loved: Benjamin 'Coach' Wade
The self-declared 'Dragon Slayer' first competed on Survivor: Tocantins. He was arrogant and egotistical, but very much oblivious, making him an exciting character to watch. He preached tribe unity and loyalty, though he threw his fellow castaways Brendan and Sierra under the bus to further himself.
In his returning seasons, Coach continued to cement himself as one of the greatest villains in Survivor history. Coach would probably refute the claim himself, though, in a weird way, it only makes him more loveable.
"Hero" They Hated: Ben Driebergen
Survivor season 35 winner Ben Driebergen surprised fans when he beat out Chrissy Hofbeck at Final Tribal Council. Ben was quite literally placed on the 'heroes' tribe on his first season due to his veteran status.
Fans had a hard time warming up to Ben due to advantages and idols showing up seemingly out of nowhere and only for him, giving him a path to the end others didn't have. Additionally, him laying down on his sword in the final five of Winners at War was disappointing and anticlimactic for someone who had it made it so far.
"Villain" They Loved: Angelina Keeley
One of the newer villains of Survivor, Angelina Keely proved to be mischievous on David vs Goliath. It made total sense that she was a member of the Goliath tribe, consistently taking control and speaking her mind whenever she deemed necessary.
Angelina's best moments came in the form of begging Natalie, a castaway she had just voted out, for her jacket and volunteering to sit out a crucial immunity challenge in exchange for rice for the tribe. Angelina viewed herself as a hero despite being manipulative and all of her actions having a sinister ulterior motive. She was a joy to watch, and one of the better villains of new-age Survivor.
"Hero" They Hated: Stephenie LaGrossa
Stephenie's tribe, Ulong, was decimated in Survivor: Palau. As the last person standing, she entered the merge on a tribe of total strangers. Her underdog status made her easy to root for, and it came as no surprise when she was invited back the following season as a team captain.
Her return in Guatemala turned her from a likable hero to an overly-confident competitor. Her attitude and ruthlessness made it uneasy for her former alliance members to forgive her, and they ultimately handed Danni Boatwright the win over her. Her fall from grace continued on Heroes vs Villains when she found herself on the outs and was eliminated second.
"Villain" They Loved: Shane Powers
Season 12, Survivor: Panama, had a cast of characters, most of which struggled to get along with one another. From Aras and Terry's post-merge feud to Courtney and Shane's screaming matches, there was rarely a dull moment at camp. At the center of a lot of the problems was Shane Powers, a man who quit smoking just days before being deserted on an island with total strangers.
Shane might not have been fun to live with, but he was hilarious to watch. He even created a fake Blackberry cell-phone out of wood! Shane was another villain that didn't see himself in such a light, firmly believing he would've won had he went all the way.
"Hero" They Hated: Ozzy Lusth
Ozzy had every character arc possible over his four attempts at Survivor. In Cook Islands, he was the outsider, on Micronesia, he was the love-sick heartthrob, come South Pacific, he was the popular kid and biggest threat, and, by the time he competed in Game Changers, he was just old and tired.
Ozzy was fun to watch in challenges and easy to root for as an underdog his first time around, but the more he played, the more played out he became. He was never able to secure the win no matter how many times he tried, and viewers would rather other players return in his place.
"Villain" They Loved: Russell Hantz
Russell Hantz was the Survivor villain. He was cut-throat and heartless, which, despite getting him to the end, lost him jury votes not once, but twice.
Fans loved watching Russell's merciless gameplay, turning others against one another and taking down some of the biggest Survivor names in history like Boston Rob, Colby, and Rupert in Heroes vs Villains. Unlike other villains, Russell knew he was bad and was proud of it, never apologizing for the way he chose to play the game.