As fans get ready for the finale for Season 42 of Survivor, already debate is sprouting over who is more deserving of a win. Should it be Jonathan, a challenge beast who struggles socially? Should it be Mike, who has earned the affection of his tribemates but lacks emotional control? Should it be Maryanne, whose under-the-radar game has impressed many fans?
Often enough, the eventual winner is a fan favorite who most agree deserved the $1 million prize. Sometimes, though, a deserving finalist loses in a devastating way. While fans continue to argue over who really deserved the million dollars, one thing is for sure: Some losses hurt more than others.
Dean Kowalski
Despite starting off on a losing tribe in Island of the Idols, Dean really seemed to have a chance to win the whole thing. After surviving up until Final Tribal, Dean had an excellent performance that impressed the jury. Still, it proved to be too little, too late, and wasn't enough to help him beat a strong candidate like Tommy.
"I’ve been Team Tommy from the beginning but I was convinced Dean had a shot for a little while. Incredible final tribal council," says Reddit user MetsJetsNovaSurvivor. Indeed, whether it was Dean's own performance or just a trick of the edit, he was a really impressive outcast, and it's disappointing he was never able to claim the million.
Hannah Shapiro
One of the most controversial winners in Survivor came from the Millennials vs. Gen X season when Hannah lost to unanimous winner Adam. "How she didn’t even get a single vote makes me so mad," says Reddit user lucascroberts.
Despite helping to orchestrate blindsides and managing to weave her way through a fast-paced and complicated season, Adam's Final Tribal Council performance completely overshadowed her. One of Survivor's best juries was simply unable to look past the tragedy of Adam's confession about his mom, and Hannah found herself on the losing end of the votes. Against any other outcast, she might have won. Unfortunately, Adam was too strong of a competitor for Hannah to overcome.
Parvati Shallow
As an outcast with some of the most memorable quotes in Survivor, Parvati has always had the respect of most fans. But, for fans of Heroes vs. Villains, the greatest tragedy of her Survivor career is the fact that Parvati only won once. "I'm a Sandra fan, but I walk away from HvV a lot happier if Parvati wins," says Reddit user CKyo.
Her sense of humor certainly helped to propel the season, and her alliance with Russell helped her to completely control almost every boot. She also played Russell brilliantly and even managed to get him to vote out his second closest ally on a whim. It was brilliant gamesmanship, but unfortunately, she let the one Villain join them in Final Tribal that was really trying to work with the Heroes. With that in mind, the Heroes voted as expected.
Benjamin "Coach" Wade
South Pacific is generally regarded as one of the strangest seasons in Survivor history. After all, only a few seasons end with what fans often describe as the outcasts developing a cult. Yet, under Coach Wade's leadership, the Upolu Tribe quickly began to skirt the line, as Coach began using religion to get Brandon Hantz to give up immunity.
Still, many argue that Coach should have won, regardless of his tactics. "Another season where people were bitter towards the person who actually played the game," says Reddit user chiaestevez. "It's always a crapshoot with the jury, whether they're going to value gamesmanship or value friendship." Considering Coach's control over his tribe, he should have claimed the win, even if Sophie was more liked. Still, Coach should have owned up to his strategy if he really wanted the Jury on his side.
Ozzy Lusth
The player who popularized the strategy of players voting themselves out, Ozzy is certainly a gamechanger as much as he is a challenge beast. Unfortunately, he's also one of the best to never win. Though he came close in Cook Islands, he lost thanks to Yul's incredible social strategy.
"I felt Ozzy should have won," says Reddit user milksteaklover. "Adam promised Yul his vote just for getting rid of Penner before him, and he said he would have voted Ozzy otherwise. If not for this stupid deal, Ozzy WOULD have won." Still, it isn't as if Ozzy couldn't have made the same deal with Adam. Yul was open enough that Adam trusted him more, and Yul followed through. If Adam trusted Ozzy enough to ask, Ozzy would likely have won the million.
Stephen Fishbach
A strong player in Tocantins, Stephen was JT's closest ally and a major reason the duo got as far as they did. In fact, the two are often considered one of Survivor's best bromances. Thanks to Stephen's careful strategic play, the team managed to reach Final Tribal Council together, where JT immediately began attacking him — much to Stephen's shock.
"I think that if Stephen Fishbach didn't shoot himself in the foot at FTC and had been more eloquent, he could have won Tocantins, and deserved it," says Redditor Skeeters. It's likely not a given, since JT was so unbelievably popular that season, but it's certainly a possibility. With a better Final Tribal Council performance, he could have won.
Domenick "Dom" Abbate
Dom or Wendell? That was the question that dominated the entirety of Ghost Island and left fans in turmoil for years after. The two were an incredible pair who both showed strategic, social, and survival accumbent that really propelled them in a season with an otherwise weak cast.
Some fans, though, weren't happy with the results. "Dom came in second to Wendell in the only tie we’ve had in survivor history. He (seemingly) made the major decisions and only lost due to Wendell’s better relationship with Laurel," says DrJEason on Reddit. It's a sad state of affairs, but it's true that either could have won had the other not been there. But a slight social advantage for Wendell meant Dom came in second.
Chrissy Hofbeck
In Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, Chrissy proved to be one of Survivor's strongest challenge beasts, but that didn't mean she didn't also have strategic skills. Chrissy walked circles around the cast strategically and, if not for the fire-making twist, likely would have won the entire thing.
"I don’t think there were any flaws in Chrissy’s game," says Redditor fieldsofsurvivor. "At FTC most of the jury really respected her I just think the flashiness of Ben’s moves idol after idol whilst he was a lone man in the game made him look more deserving to the jury." While it's unfortunate it happened to Chrissy, twists are a relevant part of the game, and players need to know how to adapt
Jessica "Sugar" Kiper
While she starred in a Survivor season that isn't really considered the best, some fans still today dislike how the Gabon Jury ignored Sugar. "Sugar ran practically the entire game by putting herself in swing vote positions. By doing so, she forced other players to cater to her and she made the decisions that would affect the rest of the game," says Reddit user PsychoARB.
It's completely true that in other seasons, Sugar's behavior likely would have been rewarded. Tony, Boston Rob, Parvati, and Kim were all rewarded by the Jury for their bold behavior. Still, it's hard to ignore that Sugar had a poor Final Tribal Council performance that let down the Jury and likely contributed to her loss.
Russell Hantz
Likely the most polarizing outcast in the show's history, Russell Hantz is a player that fans can't really stop debating. His loss in Samoa was a shock to the nation and has had ripple effects ever since. "That was a case of people being mad that Russell outplayed them, so they gave the money to someone who in just about every other season would have been called the 'coattail rider,'" says Reddit user chiaestevez.
Yet, to say that Russell completely deserved the win ignores a major aspect of the game: Social strategy. Though Russell completely schooled the rest of the cast, he never had a great grasp on social maneuvering. Though the Jury was bitter, it was his own actions that created that bitterness, which is part of the game.