Survivor: 10 Players Who Were Big Fans Of The Show Before Going On

There are many examples of Survivor superfans coming onto the show, each of them with varying degrees of success.

Survivor fans are still buzzing about the end of season 43. Mike Gabler, considered the archetypal old goat, came out of nowhere to win the season. There are a lot of archetypes in Survivor 43, like Owen, who is a loser, but the actor is missing a true superfan.

Most people who join Survivor are fans of the show, but within the Survivor community there is a clear distinction between fans and superfans. Superfans go above and beyond to let viewers know they have extensive knowledge of the show and know the ins and outs of successful players. All Superfans have had widespread success with the show, but most have done well.

Rob Cesternino

Rob Cesternino is known as the original superfan, and for a long time was considered the best man to never win. He finished third in Survivor: Amazon and 15th in All-Stars.

Rob had only studied for a few seasons before the last show, as there were only 5 seasons before his debut. He was dubbed the "smartest man" for using his knowledge of the game Players will never win Jeff Probst. Rob switches between leagues to further his own game, something never seen on the show. After his appearance on the show, he continued his loyal following with a podcast that recaps every episode of Survivor.

Todd Herzog

Todd only competed once and was the champion of Survivor: China. Even though he was identified as a strategic threat from the beginning, he went all the way to the end.

Todd watched every season of the show until he was cast for season 15. He was 14 when the first season of Survivor: Borneo aired. Heading into his season, he felt like he was the perfect fit for the superfan archetype and formed an alliance with a huge threat to protect him. He also implemented Rob C's strategy of flipping between ballots to advance his race. He's the first true superfan who won the show after he delivered one of the best final tribal performances ever.

John Cochran

Cochran was an excellent player in both of his seasons and was highly sought after among the war victors. He first played Survivor: South Pacific and later won Karamoan.

Cochrane can be said to be The most famous superfan in Survivor history. On day one, he asked to be called by his last name like other Survivor greats. He also mentioned several times how he wrote a dissertation at Harvard Law School comparing the American jury system to those of survivors. Not only did he win his second bout, but he also pulled off the second perfect game in Survivor history.

Spencer Bledsoe

Spencer appears twice on Survivor. The first time was in Survivor: Cagayan, and the second time was in Survivor: Cambodia.

Regardless of his status in the tribe, Spencer is a high-profile player. Even when he was at the bottom of one of the worst tribes in Survivor history, he used his knowledge of the game to pull off the merger. He became a fan favorite for his bravery, underdog status, and he was drafted back to Cambodia as a result. He finally got some power the second time around. He failed to win due to zero votes in the final, but was the top player in both of Survivor's most popular seasons.

Adam Klein

Adam first performed on Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X, where he played a very impressive game and won. He was invited back for one of his best seasons, Winner of the War.

Adam was outspoken about how much the survivors meant to him and his family. He mentioned several times that his old family would sit and watch together, which resonated with some viewers when his mother died. He does make some mistakes that superfans won't expect, like wobbling when he tells Taylor about his reward stealing and when he has an idol. Regardless, Adam's performance in Winners at War cemented his status as one of the recent favorites.

Ryan Ulrich

Ryan appeared on one season of Survivor. This superfan made it all the way to the end of Survivor: Hero vs Healer vs Trickster, but lost to Ben.

Ryan was immediately identified as a huge fan when he was looking for an edge on a boat during a raft. He uses this advantage as leverage to gain a very powerful ally in Chrissy, which works well, as she pays him back by bringing him to the final tribal council. Some fans think Ryan has a real shot If Ben doesn't win the Start a Fire challenge, he wins.

Gabby Pascuzzi

Gabby was a popular player in Survivor: David vs Goliath. Fans love her relationship with Christian, but he caught her off guard in the final 8.

Gabby shows her super-fan nature by aligning herself with the right people before the merger. She is close to Christian and other members of David's tribe. She proved she knew what she was doing when she tried to take out Christian, because if they both made it to the end, he'd strip her of some credit. However, Christian elevates her and uses his idol to drive her out.

Aubrey Bracco

Aubrey was a member of the Brains tribe in Survivor: Kaôh Rōng, and entered the final tribal council. She hit it twice more after that, but never hit that far again.

Aubrey has one of the most comprehensive games in Survivor history. One of the biggest moves she makes is pushing Tai to her side and convincing him not to hand over his idol to Scott. This allows her to control the numbers for the rest of the game and stick to the end. she did Actions like this show her deep knowledge of the game and she just misses the chance to win it.

Hannah Shapiro

Hannah completed one season of Survivor: Millennials vs. Generation X. Hannah made it all the way to the final, but she won with zero votes.

Hannah uses her knowledge of the game to tone down her threat level so she can make it to the end. She exaggerated her "flustered" and "socially awkward" characters so the other victims wouldn't want to vote her out. Although Adam ended the final after conferring with the jury, Hannah had a very memorable fight that many super fans would have preferred to be a forgotten winner.

Jacob Derwin

Some superfans have achieved great success, while others have failed to live up to their high expectations. Jacob was one of those drifters who couldn't handle the stress of being a survivor.

Jacob made a huge mistake in Survivor: Ghost Island that super fans should know not to do. Immediately, he was squeezed out for looking for an idol too early and was sent to Ghost Island. Then he tried to pull a The fake idol drama failed in 19th place in order to stay. He knows the game, but can't apply his knowledge to real things.