When Survivor: Winners at War concluded in 2020, it put a cap on the first all-winners season of the show, something fans had demanded for a long time. It was a fun and epic season, but it wasn't the best all-stars season Survivor has produced. That title still belongs to 2015's Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance.
The premise of Second Chance is that all the castaways had played only once before and didn't win. At its foundation, that setup is more dramatic than a cast made up only of people who won already. The Second Chance players were hungrier. They'd suffered more. They wanted redemption. For the next all-stars outing, Survivor should return to the well for another Second Chance season. They have plenty of great one-time players from which to pick.
Old School: Taj Johnson-George (Tocantins)
Survivor: Tocantins has one of those most stacked casts out of the show's 40 seasons. First and foremost is, of course, Coach. There's also J.T., Tyson, and Stephen, all of whom have returned to play again. So fans can be forgiven if they sometimes forget about the season's best non-returning player, Taj.
Taj dealt with her eccentric tribemates' antics with patience and grace, and she did it while exhibiting a charming personality of her own that helped her build strong alliances that took her almost all the way to the final tribal council.
New School: Lauren-Ashley Beck (Island of the Idols)
Nobody except Jeff Probst likes the new tradition of the fire-making challenge at final four. It makes for cheap dramatics, it defies Survivor's core value of allowing players to vote, and it hinders deserving players unnecessarily. The latter case in point: Lauren-Ashley Beck from Survivor: Island of the Idols.
Lauren was a sunny personality in a controversial season with a lot of ugliness, and her canny ability to play the game surprised not only Survivor fans, but Beck herself. Her strategic play and solid alliance with eventual winner Tommy took her nearly to the end before the fire challenge brought an unsatisfying end to her game.
Old School: T-Bird Cooper (Africa)
One of the best things about an all-star season of Survivor is seeing players from the show's earliest days, and this year marks 20 years since the production of Survivor: Africa. From that cast, there are few players fans would rather see again more than Theresa "T-Bird" Cooper.
The bright and wily T-Bird memorably charmed Survivor fans by singing "Tomorrow" to keep her spirits up during a brutal endurance challenge. It's the can-do spirit, still on display in her current "Talking With T-Bird" Survivor podcast, that says she'd still be competitive on the show two decades later.
New School: John Hennigan (David vs. Goliath)
Coming right in the middle of some of Survivor's least-loved seasons, Survivor: David vs. Goliath is one of the best the show's ever produced. Its cast is packed with memorable players, and pro wrestler John Hennigan is near the top of the list.
John at first glance looked like the scariest, most intimidating member of the Goliath tribe. But his sweet nature and intelligence soon subverted first impressions. Best of all was the friendship that developed between John and eccentric genius Christian. Christian himself is a shoo-in for a future returnees season, and fans would love to see him team up with John again.
Old School: Nate Gonzalez (Cook Islands)
Survivor: Cook Islands is another one of those seasons that has such an exciting cast that certain players who would've been standouts in other seasons can be easy to forget in this one. Nate is a player like that.
Nate was the first castaway voted out after the tribes merged, so he appeared in only about half the season. But his eccentric and aggressive personality made him an entertaining figure while he was on the island. Additionally, his final words after the tribe voted him out stand among the show's most memorable.
New School: Wardog DaSilva (Edge of Extinction)
It's easy to imagine that production thought they had Survivor: Cagayan winner Tony Vlachos 2.0 on their hands when they found Wardog for Survivor: Edge of Extinction. After all, it seems like a forgone conclusion that a guy who unironically goes by the nickname Wardog would end up on a reality TV competition eventually.
Not only does Wardog kind of look like two-time winner Vlachos, but he has the by turns charming and off-putting assertiveness to match. A Wardog with a social game slightly tweaked for better emotional awareness could be a sight to behold in a returnees season.
Old School: Natalie Bolton (Micronesia)
Many Survivor fans rank Survivor: Micronesia as the show's best season of all time, largely due to the dominance of winner Parvati Shallow and her four-woman "Black Widows Alliance" with Cirie, Amanda, and Natalie.
In a season of half all-stars and half new players, Natalie was the only new player among the Black Widows, and because of the long shadows of the three fan favorites in the alliance, she is too often forgotten. But Natalie was an extraordinary player, and her contribution to Eric's historic bamboozling can't be discounted. She needs to come back for round two.
New School: Laurel Johnson (Ghost Island)
Playing a quiet, below-the-radar game is a viable strategy that almost never gets any respect in Survivor. There's something to be said for manipulating players from behind the scenes, for being the consigliere, the vizier, the guy behind the guy. Laurel played this game on Survivor: Ghost Island, and it got her to the final three.
One problem in Survivor, a game in which players need to demonstrate to the jury during the final tribal council that they deserve to be there, is that a quiet game leaves an invisible resume. The jury roasted Laurel for riding the coattails of fellow finalists Dominick and season winner Wendell, and she undeservedly earned zero votes in the end.
Old School: Greg Buis (Borneo)
Greg from the debut season of Survivor is the holy grail of returnees. With his eccentric personality, charming sense of humor, and guileless approach to the then-novel format of reality TV, Greg became a fan favorite during season 1.
However, Greg has never come back, and not for lack of trying on production's part. "Greg Buis was someone we really wanted from season 1," Probst told Entertainment Weekly about casting Second Chance. Greg turned down the offer due to a job opportunity. After more than 20 years, fans are still hoping he'll return someday.
New School: Mike White (David vs. Goliath)
It ain't easy being a celebrity on Survivor. When castaways sniff out a famous person in their midst, they often move to vote out the star based on the idea that "they don't need the money." But Mike White, the screenwriter and recognizable sometimes actor on Survivor: David vs. Goliath, overcame this obstacle.
His tribemates recognized White as an actor and the writer of School of Rock, but they didn't target him for a vote-out because of it. Also, White's likable personality and aw-shucks looks belied his tactical and sometimes ruthless mind, allowing him to go far in the game. He charmed fans too, and lots of viewers would love to see him play again.