Top Ten Best Survivor Moves

Through the years there have been some very good strategical moves, but which ones make the top ten?
The Top Ten
1 Tom Emotionally Manipulates Ian Into Giving Up the Final Immunity in Order to Gain His Friendship Back - Season 10
2 Brenda Finds Out Andrea is Gunning for Her and Blindsides Andrea, Also Flushing Out the Hidden Immunity Idol - Season 26

This blindside was awesome, it was a complete Showdown beetwen Brenda and Andrea, and Andrea didn't even know it. Also at tribal council there were some really awesome reactions, including the reaction of Malcolm, Reynold, Eddie and Andrea.

3 Vecepia and Sean Convince the Remaining Maraamu Members to Side with Them Against the Rotu - Season 4
4 Parvati Plays 2 Idols, Saves Her Whole Tribe After Merge - Season 20

Russell getting Tyson to vote himself off was less a good move by Russell and more a moronic move by Tyson. But THIS was a move! Parvati recognized Amanda's lies but still put her neck on the line by playing her idols for her fellow villains. Had Russell been in charge of the idols haveV would be drawing rocks.

Very overrated move. She wasted an idol. Yes it allowed them to do a pagonging, but keeping an idol for yourself would have been the wiser thing to do. It worked and was awesome. But it's not the best move of all time.

5 Russell Gets Tyson to Vote Himself Off - Season 20

Craziest hail marry in survivor history. It wasn't smart gameplay but it was amazing to watch. It made no sense. To say Russell merely wanted to go out honorably is to not know the character of Russell hantz. That is the opposite thing he would do. Russell did the least Russell thing ever and was unselfish, convinced Tyson to change his vote, and swayed Jerri and Coach to his side. Insanity.

This wasn't a move. This was editing and luck. Russell played his idol on Parvati cause he wanted to go out in an honorable way or something, but Tyson decided to wing it and vote for Parvati. Tyson never talked to Russell, therefore, I don't agree with this move being on the list at all.

6 Cirie Orchestrates Erik's Blindside - Season 16

Cirie was the main mastermind of Fans Vs Favourites. She was the one who created the finak three alliance with Parvati and Amanda. She was the one who decided to get rid of Ozzy. She got Jason to step down from immunity. However, although she did do a great job at orchestrating this move; Natalie really was the major decider. Regardless, you can't deny that had James not been med-evaced she would have won the game in a final three against Parvati and Amanda. Top Player

Cirie had the wisdom to see Erik's idiocy and create an almost impossible opportunity. I've rewatched this series of events multiple times; it always puts a smile on my face. Cirie deserved to win this season.

7 Richard Bows Out of the Final Immunity Challenge - Season 1

Knowing he could only beat kelly, but would surely lose if he back stabbed Rudy, Rich ingeniously threw the final challenge knowing both would take him.

So damn ballsy. This move just shows how cunning Rich was and how much he really understood the game that he was creating for others to follow.

8 Boston Rob Convinces Ometepe to Blindside Matt; Twice - Season 22

Poor Matt. He was the only one who possibly could have halted the March to Victory by Boston Rob, and the latter was smart enough to know this and take care of him.

9 David Idols Out Lucy - Season 33
10 Natalie Convinces the Galu Tribe to Vote Out Eric, Causes Galu to Self-Destruct - Season 19

Once this happened, you could see that ol' Mo was not going to be kind to Galu.

The Contenders
11 J.T. & Stephen Infiltrate Timbira, Get Them to Turn on Brendan - Season 18
12 Yul Threatens Jonathan with Idol, Jonathan Flips - Season 13

This should be higher. This is probably up there with Parvati's double idol as one of the best moves ever. Without this he doesn't come close to winning

Still down in numbers, Yul used his idol to make Jonathan Penner switch back to his alliance, allowing them to have the power and eventually Yul took his alliance straight to the final four

13 Parvati and Cirie Orchestrate Ozzy's Blindside - Season 16

You people give parvati WAAAY too much credit. She didn't do anything this season other than help recruit 2 people into their alliance. She only won because of a surprise final two that robbe cirie, and bragged about those moves basically stealing cirie's thunder.

Wow! He did NOT see that one come. He didn't know Parvati's Women Alliance existed. He thought it was the original Malakal (Parvati's) Couples Alliance. Parvati & James, Amanda & Ozzy. Jason and the girls (except Amanda) blindsided him. At FTC he was pissed with Parvati.

14 Sandra Convinces Russell to Blindside Coach - Season 20

This is a great move, this is what saved her. If she didn't get coach voted off, Courtney would have gone home and she would go next at 6 People left in the tribe. But she didn't play Russell, Russell still voted for Courtney! What she did was play Parvati and Danielle and convinced THEM to vote for Coach. I don't know why they say she played Russell if he didn't even vote with her. I guess because of his confessionals. But convincing Parvati and Danielle: 2 people is more impressive anyway.

This actually wasn't a big move on her part. Russell was going to vote Coach out anyway; he wanted to increase the misconception that a female alliance was running the villain tribe.

15 Richard Hatch Makes Original Survivor Alliance - Season 1

The fact that no one else decided to form an alliance seems unfathomable today, but at the time only Rich had the gall and foresight to do it. The first and only time that seven different people had votes cast against them during a tribal (when they merged). Never seen again, nor will it ever be.
Rich created the way Survivor has been played for 32 seasons. Agree with previous poster that this should be number one for that reason alone.

This should be #1. No one else thought to make an alliance, and when he did everyone said it was "unethical. " Yet, alliances have been a staple of the show the last ten years. He forged it perfectly: one person who can win challenges and be a threat (Kelly), one person who was more obnoxious (Sue), and one who was 100% loyal no matter what (Rudy), with Rich calling the shots to ensure victory. Best player ever.

16 Amanda "Lies" About Not Having the Hidden Immunity Idol. Uses It to Blindside Alexis. - Season 16

Another good move by Amanda. Seriously underrated, and deserves to be in the Winners' Echelon a lot more than Todd or Parvati.

Yeah, Amanda did NOT lie at all. When she said she didn't have it, she really didn't. But she found it later.

17 Kelley Wentworth Idol Play - Season 31

In that episode CBS also never ever shown a conversation that related with Kelley. Because all they show that all those 9 players trying take out either ciera or abi so when I saw that Kelley played the idol, my first reaction is "why the hell she use it? when she had show much difficult to find it." but after seeing the vote I convince my self that SHE IS THE BEST FEMALE SURVIVOR.

18 Malcolm Plays Two Idols and Dismantles Stealth 'R' Us by Blindsiding Phillip - Season 26

What an overrated move. Why play idols for his whole alliance? If had kept one for himself, he could have easily gone on an immunity run, and have it as back up. Also, not only did they take out Phillip, the least likely to win the game, but made everyone else aware of who they were voting for, so no one from Stealth R Us would turn on each other like Tyler and Will did from World's Apart.

Perhaps it was overkill, but it was nice to see that "in your face!" move.

19 Cirie Blindsides Courtney - Season 12

This move is a bit overrated. There were 6 people: Terry, Courtney, shane, Aras, Danielle, and Cirie. Terry convinced Courtney to vote for Aras and Shane wanted to vote for Danielle. Cirie didn'tconvince them to vote this way, they just wanted to. She just saw the opportunity with Aras and Danielle to vote for courtney. That was all the convincing she had to do. Still a great move but it was opportunistic seeing all the other three votes would be split 2-1. She didn't make it that way.

Cirie was amazing here. She convinced two people to vote one way, one person to vote another way, and then vote with two other people to vote out her biggest threat. Its hard enough to explain the move, imagine trying to execute it.

20 Natalie Convinces Jason Not to Play His Idol - Season 16
21 Russell Plays Idol, Kelly Gets Voted Off - Season 19

This vote was so hard! But Russell found the idol without a clue and everyone's reaction was hilarious! Besides, Russell's amazing!

This was not amazing it was just a simple idol play. Get rid of idols!

22 Tina Gets Mitchell Voted Off - Season 2

Very underrated because the conversations weren't shown live but if you listen to interviews with Tina on survivor oz you'll hear that she convinced Colby to vote for Mitchell and force a tie while they were walking to tribal council. This eliminated Mitchell because of past votes and allowed Colby Tina and Keith to take the majority within the tribe and led them to eventually be the final 3.

This is the most underrated big move.

23 Everybody Turns on John, Tammy, Rob, and Zoey - Season 4

The single biggest move in the entire first four seasons. Before then, a power alliance had never been overthrown.

Afterwards...well, let's just say that all future alliances need to watch their backs lest they fall on shaky ground.

Finally, a tribe flip. That's all I'll say.

The first time in survivor history when there was a shift in power

24 Rob Cesternino Betrays Alex - Season 6

Jenna, Heidi, Rob, and Alex had the power to vote off who ever they wanted. But, after Alex told Rob that he was going to be voted off at the Final Four, Rob turned on his alliance and got Alex voted off

Telling somebody they are going home is a big no-no on the game because the joke will be on the loudmouth. This means you Alex

25 Stacy Convinces Everyone to Vote for Edgardo - Season 14

This move also exposes Dreamz who was playing both sides.

8Load More
PSearch List