This past year, I began my chronological Survivor journey. I made it my goal to watch every season of Survivor in order from the beginning. The first season I ever watched was Cagayan, and I’d seen some of the big seasons here and there, but never went back to see every moment. Fortunately, and sometimes unfortunately in the case of some seasons, I’m progressing on my way for the 100% completion watchthrough.

I recently finished Heroes vs Villains and felt it was a good time to leave some of my thoughts here and rank this first era of Survivor. These opinions are all my own, and yes there are going to be spoilers — you’ve been warned.

20. Thailand (Season 5)

Where do I start? The Grind-gate? The scumbag winner? Clay? This was the first, and only, season I just truly did not enjoy watching. No one was likeable. The gameplay was awful. The conflicts were genuinely upsetting to see unfold. I finished this season in a day-and-a-half because of how badly I wanted it to be over. There are a few redeeming things about this season that I think are important to mention. “We lost to the rules” and Robb (two B’s) was iconic, the aesthetics and setting were unbelievably cool, the final immunity challenge was awesome, and — despite how much I revile Brian’s character — his winning game was dominant, impressive, ahead of its time, and underrated. Despite all that, this is the worst Survivor season I’ve ever seen.

19. Marquesas (Season 4)

Marquesas is boring. Boston Rob is nowhere near as impressive as you want him to be. He’s hot and homophobic, and that’s about it. John Carroll is one of the only players who attempts to really pull together some form of strategy and he’s punished for it. Vecepia is a lame winner. The Neleh and Paschal relationship is both weird and mostly uninteresting. Kathy is a solid castaway and player, and without her the season would be completely lost. Besides Kathy, Sean Rector is the best part, but the way he’s treated by his fellow castmates leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If it wasn’t for Boston Rob’s future Survivor legacy, people would forget Marquesas even existed.

18. Gabon (Season 17)

Eighteen almost feels too high for Gabon. Lucky for it, there’s enough humor to be found in how bad it is that it jumped the two disappointments behind it. There’s an Olympian that is the worst — truly, the worst — challenge competitor ever. A pin-up model (in 2008) that cries at everything. A completely insane man who makes weird noises and proposes to his girlfriend on the loved ones visit. Randy, the second nastiest castaway of all time. Corinne, the nastiest castaway of all time. A professional gamer who we witness have a real-life super villain arc. Then, of course, the winner Bob wears his buff as a bow tie the entire season while making fantastic fake idols and chastising the people who use said fake idols to trick people. It’s a nightmarishly bad season of Survivor, which is what makes it worth watching. That and the beautiful scenery of Gabon, which boasts lush greenery and elephants frolicking by the camp. I understand if it’s not your cup of tea, but what’s tea without a little Sugar?

17. Africa (Season 3)

Dehydrated contestants do not make for good contestants. Once you get over the shock of lions around camp, night shifts to watch for wildlife, and the difficulty the African savannah presents, the rest is pretty lackluster. We had some entertaining characters in Big Tom, Lex, and Kim, and a genuinely likeable winner with Ethan Zohn. But the gameplay was low level, players could barely function, and there was some biases that were uncomfortable to watch that affected the game early on. Survivor: Africa is the first season on this list that I would not call “bad,” but it isn’t that good, either. That lands it at 17.

16. The Australian Outback (Season 2)

The most watched Survivor season of all time is not the most entertaining. Far from it. Similar to Africa, completely depleted contestants on The Australian Outback were not the most fun to watch fail repeatedly in challenges and wallow in misery at camp. What puts this season above Africa in my eyes is that it had more memorable moments, and I find its cast slightly more entertaining. This season includes Skupin falling in the fire — one of, if not the most, brutal med-evacs in Survivor history — which seems like it sucks in the moment, but when you learn he’s a con artist and pedophile in real life, it seems almost karmic. There’s the beef jerky incident, Jerri the original Black Widow, Colby and his total contempt for Jerri, Keith’s weird email proposal, and a winner in Tina that is very likeable. Not to mention Amber, Alicia, Jeff Varner (future opinions withheld), and Elisabeth soon-to-be Hasselbeck. Colby challenge domination and poor decision-making aside, The Australian Outback has enough going for it to be an enjoyable time capsule into the early seasons of Survivor.

15. Guatemala (Season 11)

This is the first season on the list that includes truly settled Survivor-style gameplay that we’ve come to know. It’s also the first in the show’s history to have a hidden immunity idol and also the first Survivor season to include returnees and newbies side by side. If it’s so monumental, why is it so low? Well, it suffers from two major issues: a forgettable winner and Stephenie LaGrossa. Of all the Survivor seasons, Guatemala is the one I constantly forget who won. “It’s the woman who really liked the Kansas City Chiefs,” is all I remember. Danni Boatwright isn’t repugnant, like a Brian Heidik, but she is neither very likeable nor memorable. That hurts a season. Then, there’s returnee Stephenie LaGrossa. Fitting that “gross” is in her name. She is rude, mean, bad at playing the game, and outright not fun to watch — a complete disappointment after her uplifting story in Palau. The negatives don’t end there. The strategy, while recognizable, is low level, and the first challenge is so painfully grueling that is almost completely derails the beginning of the game. The positives are the interesting challenges, the setting, Gary Hogeboom “the landscaper,” Judd’s overreactions and comic relief, and Rafe. Man, I loved Rafe. Overall, Guatemala is mostly good, landing it above what I call the “hard to watch” seasons, but riddled with rough moments that put it at the bottom of the next tier.

14. Fiji (Season 14)

I thank God every day for Yau-Man. If I’m being honest, Yau-Man is the main thing propelling this season over Guatemala. Overall, this cast is mean, homophobic, racist, and outright hateable. It’s the hardest final tribal council to watch of quite possibly any season, with Lisi and Alex’s outright disgusting behavior. The Dreamz and Yau-Man car deal is hard to watch for both parties, an impossible situation that is both iconic and a scar on Fiji. Earl, while boring, is a very deserving winner. I liked all of the final four, and it’s the only all-black final three in Survivor history — and nobody was a goat by the end, either. This was also back when Fiji was a unique location (isn’t that novel). I liked Survivor: Fiji, just not as much as the rest. To me, if you’re a Survivor fan it’s a season you for sure want to watch, but maybe not one to revisit often — if ever.

13. Vanuatu (Season 9)

Some people really like Vanuatu, lauding it as a hidden gem of a season. I am not one of those people. Maybe at the time, Chris’ underdog win was some shock and an unbelievable victory. But, that type of win is sort of par for the course nowadays — a mostly unathletic castaway is on the bottom of both his alliance and a low priority threat for the majority alliance, who then gains footing as the majority alliance turns on each other. Add in a couple nice individual immunity wins, and a final two format that let Chris choose a scorned Twila as his competition, and that was it. Eliza, Ami, and Twila were great TV, and Julie really caught Jeff’s eye. The reunion show was hilarious with how much Jeff hated Chris. To me, Vanuatu is a season with a dull pre-merge, a good underdog story, and some solid characters. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but it doesn’t set itself apart in a positive way, either.

12. Panama (Season 12)

What Panama has going for it is a fantastic cast with the perfect amount of likeable, hateable, funny, good, and bad players. We get our first look at the legend Cirie Fields, who embodies the “get off the couch and apply” Survivor contestant. Her strategic acumen despite her challenge weakness, paired with her humor, is a joy to watch. She’s placed on the most chaotic tribe I’ve ever seen, Casaya, with the most dysfunctional alliance. Shane Powers is a casting gem (nicotine withdrawal included), Aras as the golden boy versus Terry Deitz is a great rivalry, and Danielle and Courtney are solid supporting characters. Exile Island is also introduced in this season, which is not my favorite Survivor gimmick, and a large part of what holds this season back in my opinion. I may have this season ranked lower than other people might, but despite its cast, Panama is a season of weird game mechanics and mostly weak strategy with a so-so winner. That’s why it sits down at 12.

11. All-Stars (Season 8)

All-Stars is a great season with maybe the best singular storyline — and certainly the best romance — in Survivor history, but it is marred by some genuinely dark moments that make it feel hard to truly love. The first returnee season of all time brings back all the stars (wow, how apt a name) and executes perfectly on the concept of seeing heavy-hitters duke it out. Richard Hatch is perfectly Richard Hatch, naked all the time and biting a shark back. I love Shii Ann in this season, Rob and Amber are truly perfect. The double car reward with the drive in movie is more than just cute. The issues, though, need to be mentioned. Jeff, Alicia, and others’ treatment of Jenna Morasca when she says she needs to leave because of a feeling about her sick mother, which turned out to be a correct intuition, is awful. It’s so upsetting it makes it hard to watch the next episode. Then, Sue was rubbed up on by Hatch while he was naked in a challenge, which led to her feeling violated and ultimately quitting. On top of those gross moments, the genuine hurt and betrayal expressed by Kathy and Lex due to Boston Rob’s betrayal is difficult to see unfold. Despite all its good, All-Stars bad is so heavy that I can’t manage putting it higher.

10. Borneo (Season 1)

A classic. The classic. Borneo is the first season of Survivor and it displays the most raw core the show has to offer, while representing its future perfectly. Richard Hatch is the perfect first winner. Sue’s rats and snakes speech at final tribal is the best of all time, Rudy is hilarious, and Greg, Sean, and Gervase are great comedic relief. If everything is so perfect, why is it only at 10? Well, unfortunately, it’s also not incredibly entertaining. The gameplay is straightforward. Nobody besides Hatch knows how to play. He quickly identifies the alliance strategy and “solves” the game with the most efficient way to win — now known admirably as “Pagonging.” Kelly Wigglesworth is a great challenge competitor, but by the time Kelly realized what she needed to do to win, Hatch had already built better relationships that she would never catch up to. I appreciate everything Borneo gave us — which is, truly, everything — but it really isn’t that good to watch when compared to the amazing seasons ranked ahead of it.

9. Samoa (Season 19)

I like Russell Hantz. I’m sorry. I know he’s an awful person. I know he treated everyone like crap. I know he’s too unlikeable to win. But, man, is he fun to watch. The 5-foot-6 schemer is just incredible at 99% of Survivor, and Samoa is his story. Some may complain at how much screen time he got. Some may hate him more than anyone else. I say give me more. Finding idols without clues is genuinely some of the most impressive gameplay I’ve ever seen. Controlling everything and everyone is even more impressive. What brings this season down? Mainly a weak supporting cast and, well, Russell Hantz. He’s grating — at times, disgusting — and that doesn’t make Samoa “fun.” Also, I know the jury never picks the wrong winner, and Natalie White has received far too much hate for it, but they picked the wrong winner. It’s a shame one of the most dominant games of all time is crushed by a bitter jury. If Russell wins, I think Samoa is remembered better and Russell is actually less hated. Instead, there’s something wrong about the season that makes it feel incomplete.

8. Palau (Season 10)

Palau has the worst tribe of all time and the most generous edit for a specific player that I’ve ever seen. Despite that, the winner and the entire final three are one of my favorite endgame groups. As the Ulong tribe dwindles from awful immunity challenge performances, leaving just Setephenie LaGrossa and Bobby Jon, we’re meant to truly care about these two, especially Stephenie. She beats Bobby Jon in fire and joins Koror as the sole member of Ulong to make it. It’s edited as this defiant story, which was compelling, but I didn’t fully buy into it. What makes this season for me is the final immunity challenge. After Ian is wishy-washy on his promise to Tom, and Katie and Tom berate and gaslight Ian incessantly, Ian feels awful during the final challenge. It lasts longer than any other challenge in Survivor history — nearly 12 hours — before Ian willingly jumps off the floating buoy to restore his honor and friendship with Tom and Katie. It’s a great moment, and it sends Tom and Katie to the final, where Tom takes the win. I felt satisfied with this season, happy with the winner, thoroughly entertained, and connected to the story. That’s why Palau lands all the way at eight for my rankings.

7. Cook Islands (Season 13)

As Parvati says in her first confessional: “Is this kosher?” The “race war” concept was certainly a choice… but the cast is so good it helps you forget that awful theme decision. Ozzy is the best challenge competitor we’ve ever seen, winning 5-of-6 individual immunities and incredibly helpful in the pre-merge team challenges. Parvati is Parvati — which is to say, incredible. Penner is hilarious and amazing for the game. Yul is completely socially dominant. And Becky, Sundra, Nate, and Candice were great pawns on the board. The Aitu Four has to go down as one of the strongest alliances ever. Also, remember when I said All-Stars had the best love story of all time? Well, that’s because I forgot about Billy and Candice.

So why only seventh? Besides “race war,” it’s a boring winner. The god-idol gives Yul more power than any Survivor player should, and so he doesn’t really need to worry for the whole season. That is what allows him to control everyone, and that sort of ruins it. Ozzy looks like he might give Yul a run for his money, but Yul had run the game for so long, making Ozzy look like his lapdog (who, because of the idol, had no choice but to do so). I love Cook Islands, but those two things hold it back just enough to keep it from leaping anything ahead of it.

6. The Amazon (Season 6)

This was the first season in the rewatch where I simply could not stop watching. It encapsulates everything I love about the really early Survivor seasons — loud personalities, truly difficult settings, people from different walks of life, and enough bad gameplay to keep things interesting. It also features my favorite narrator of all time, and the most intentionally funny contestant ever, Rob Cesternino. His quips are gold. It’s no wonder he’s become so popular in podcasting after his time on Survivor. He also needs more credit for evolving Survivor strategy and demonstrating how to control a game while flipping alliances. He did not win, but that was due to a final immunity challenge and not the social fallout from his gameplay. I also loved Christy, think Deena is underrated, enjoy Butch, and find the psycho Matthew storyline hilariously compelling.

This is also the first themed season, going for men vs women. I don’t enjoy the misogyny and sexism that comes with that theme, but the women do win more challenges than the men and there’s a woman winner. Speaking of the winner, I love Jenna as the winner. She deserves it, even though I really don’t like how she and Heidi treat Christy. Jenna played a great game, and despite Rob not winning being a source of disappointment, Jenna was certainly a worthy champion. The Amazon is a season with incredible characters and a narrator who perfectly brings you through the game until the very end, but its gratingly offensive moments hold it back and prevent it from being higher on my list.

5. China (Season 15)

Survivor: China dares to ask, “What if we had the coolest aesthetics in Survivor history and paired it with amazing challenges, great gameplay, a dominant winner, and a thoroughly entertaining cast?” And my answer to that question is “yes, please.” I love China. Frankly, it’s hard for me to put it as low as five. I think Todd Herzog should be talked about as one of the best winners in Survivor history. The way he built his alliances, cut off threats to him, managed his threat level, and then owned his game as a villain was nothing short of a masterclass. Like any great winner, when he encountered roadblocks — twists, James keeping both the idols, people disliking him — he cleared them, sometimes with tact and sometimes by dealing a swift killing blow. His final tribal is one of the best I’ve ever seen, and he may be the only person that’s ever shut Jean-Robert up.

You also get Amanda Kimmel, James, Courtney, and Peih-Gee thoroughly entertaining. The more Courtney confessionals in my life, the better. The James blindside with two idols in his bag is a great move. The rewards to temples and monuments, and unique China-specific challenges, make this season a unique gem. There are two things holding it back. The pre-merge strategy level is low, and the twist has a clear and obvious flaw — James’ existence and how easily the chosen swapped players become targets. Couple that with Zhan Hu throwing challenges to try and eliminate those targets, the middle of this season gets ugly. Regardless, I view China as the first season on this list to enter my “elite” tier of seasons. This season and above are simply the best of the best.

4. Pearl Islands (Season 7)

The best way to describe this season: iconic. The casting, the theme, the twist — chef’s kiss. The pirate-themed Pearl Islands opens with Jeff throwing the castaways overboard in their street clothes, forced to barter for supplies in the local village. Rupert steals, as a pirate should, and it’s the most chaotic start to a season ever. We get Rupert, Sandra, Jonny Fairplay, and a great supporting cast. I’ll be Drake until the day I die (out of fear of upsetting Rupert). This is the first twist that sees Survivors who are voted out come back into the game. In my opinion, this is the only time it’s done successfully. The mechanic works equitably and successfully because it still stays true to Survivor fundamentals — win a challenge, use your social game to have votes go in the direction you want at tribal council. Unfortunately, I really don’t like Lill or Burton. Burton was a good villain, the henchman to Fairplay’s schemes. But Lill? She’s entirely annoying, uninteresting, and downright hard to watch. Having her in the final two is thoroughly disappointing. I would love to see this season with a final three to see what would happen.

This season also has one of the most memorable lies in Survivor history, when Fairplay makes up his grandmother dying to gain sympathy while she’s watching Jerry Springer safely on the couch at home. Is the gameplay Pearl Islands groundbreaking? No. Is it some type of dominant winner game? No. But is it one of the best newbie casts in Survivor history with a perfect theme, great set of challenges, and top-tier entertainment value? Yes. And that’s why it lands at my number four spot.

3. Tocantins (Season 18)

In my eyes, Tocantins boasts the most entertaining newbie cast in the first 20 seasons. Yes, better than Pearl Islands. Tocantins cast has the top heights of Coach, Tyson, J.T., Fishbach, and it’s supplemented by amazing players and personalities like Taj and Sierra. Even the earlier boots have depth and interest, like Sandy and Spencer. I love the challenges (aside from shuffleboard), and the winning game is so impressive that people were literally willing to throw away their own games for the eventual winner. Speaking of that winner, J.T. plays the first perfect game in Survivor history — sweeping the jury and not receiving a single vote during the rest of the season. There is nothing more entertaining than watching the Dragon Slayer himself tout honor and form the “Warrior Alliance,” and then proceed to lie. It’s the epitome of Coach Wade — thank god he escaped that tribe in the Amazon so he could bless our TV screens. Tyson is one of the best confessionalists ever, his sass mixed with humor is perhaps matched only by Rob Cesternino and Courtney Yates. The landscape for this season is also just magnificent. Exile island is gorgeous, and a fantastic place for Coach to fast and meditate performatively.

For a season with a completely new cast, what more could you ask for? I understand some people may not like Coach, but to those people I say: “Coach Wade's foundation is built on a rock. Inside here? Unbreakable. Unbending. Unyielding. Immeasurable. Immovable. Invincible.” You’re watching reality TV, people. Enjoy a perfect RTV personality. To me, Tocantins is pure Survivor, and it’s one of my favorite seasons ever — not just in the first 20.

2. Heroes vs Villains (Season 20)

To many, Heroes vs. Villains is the best Survivor ever gets. It is the perfect cap on the first 20 seasons of the show. It encapsulates the narrative that flows through each season. The people you root for, and those you root against. Playing the game with honor as opposed to playing with the cutthroat, backstabbing gameplay that the game is engineered to reward. A full cast of returning players, each of them with an exciting narrative from their original season(s). It has amazing moments like Parvati’s double idol play, the first bag-wrestling challenge in the sand, Russel’s victory over Boston Rob and Tyson with the idol, Banana Etiquette, “Tomorrow we make our apologies, tonight we make our move,” J.T. completely misreading the situation and giving Russel the Heroes’ idol, abd “I don’t know about that.”

So why not No. 1? Most of that has to do with just how good Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites is, but “bad” gameplay and some casting decisions that I feel hold this season back from its full potential play into it as well. To start with the bad gameplay, the early Villains tribe is not very good. Boston Rob and some pre-idol season players try to stop everyone from looking for the idol instead of all searching. It’s dumb, and it’s a large reason why Boston Rob loses to Russel. Tyson’s vote misplay is unexplainable. J.T.’s idol donation, while iconic, is just straight up idiotic (maybe Fishbach’s strategic mind mattered more than we give him credit for in Tocantins). Russel, thinking he won Samoa at the time, plays an even worse jury-management game than before. If this season wasn’t made up of everyone’s favorite and most entertaining players, there would be a lot more criticism of the gameplay. Then for casting, let’s be honest with each other, if you could make a perfect Heroes vs. Villains cast from the first 20 seasons, are these the 20 players you would choose? Why is Candice here (and why is she a hero)? What is the point of Sugar? At this point, is Stephanie LaGrossa a hero? Randy sucks, even for a villain. Danielle is the best we could do? Parvati is a villain but not Amanda or Cirie?

Villains that I wish we got to see or I feel were more fitting: Shane Powers (Panama), Corinne Kaplan (Gabon), Richard Hatch (Borneo, All Stars)(and yes, he was on house arrest), Todd Herzog (China)(personal issues precluded it), Fairplay (Pearl Islands, Micronesia)(considered a “quitter” and hated by Jeff Probst), Rob Cesternino (The Amazon, All Stars), Ami Cusack (Vanuatu, Micronesia), Natalie Bolton (Micronesia), and Jonathan Penner (Cook Islands, Micronesia).

Heroes that I wish we got to see or I feel were more fitting: Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien (Marquesas, All Stars), Ethan Zohn (Africa, All Stars), Tina Wesson (Australian Outback, All Stars), Erik Reichenbach (Micronesia), Christy Smith (The Amazon), Taj Johnson-George (Tocantins).

Heroes vs. Villains is amazing. It’s Survivor right in its wheelhouse at the peak of its narrative capabilities with the best cast of all time. Any of my criticisms are nitpicks. It is truly only a few things away from being a perfect season. I fault nobody who has it at No. 1 on their all-time list.

1. Micronesia (Season 16)

Black Widow Brigade, you will forever be my favorite alliance. When considering strategy, social game, challenge ability, and entertainment value, I believe Parvati Shallow is the queen of Survivor — and Micronesia is her coronation. She has complete control the entire time. The men are wrapped around her finger, the women are her loyal assassins. Hell, even some of the women were beyond smitten by her charm.

Cirie Fields, Amanda Kimmel, Natalie Bolton, Erik Reichenbach, James Clement, Eliza Orlins, Ozzy, and Penner make this season a charm to watch from beginning to end. It has everything. Returners, newbies, a dramatic quit, two med-evacs, idols, fake idols, backstabbing, romance, a tribe swap, and perhaps the best (and worst) move in the history of Survivor. While on the topic, the moment where Cirie, Parvati, Amanda, and Natalie, convince Erik to give up the immunity necklace is my favorite moment in the show. The whole time you’re thinking, “No way he’s going to do this. No way.” Despite all common sense, it works. The sirens sang their song and the impressionable Erik dove straight into the ocean, drowning as they grinned. Somehow, even the way it’s shot is just cinematic.

The devastating twist that it was going to be a final two was also perfectly timed. Amanda, Parvati, and Cirie had more than an alliance — they all had a bond — and it was forcibly ripped apart by production. The emotion, the stakes, are palpable. By the end of the season, you’re still unsure if Parvati or Amanda are going to get the couple votes in the middle that will decide the game. Each name pulled out of the urn at the reunion is nail-biting.

I even find the low points of Micronesia to be appealing. I think Chet, and his existence on the island, is hilarious. Kathy’s brutal trips to Exile Island leading to her quit demonstrates the difference between a “Favorite” and a “Fan.” Fairplay’s “quit” for his pregnant girlfriend humanizes him. Ozzy’s failures and palpably painful blindside is as entertaining as it gets, despite losing a player who was loved by many at the time.

To me, Micronesia is as close to perfect as Survivor gets. I could watch it over and over and never get bored. For that reason, it lands in my top spot for the first 20 seasons, and probably my top spot in all of Survivor.

Ranking the first 20 seasons of ‘Survivor’