"Outwit. Outplay. Outlast." That's the M.O. of Survivor, the survivalist competition series currently on season 45, which sees a group of strangers living on an isolated island, having to provide food, fire and shelter for themselves whilst competing in a series of physical and mental challenges and avoiding being voted out off the island by their fellow castaways. (You can Survivor season 45 watch it live on CBS every Wednesday at 8 pm ET or catch up via Paramount Plus, FYI.)
Given the stakes of the game — a $1 million grand prize — it's no surprise a good deal of betrayals and backstabbing occurs on the island as the tribemates have to strategize their way to the finale. Ruthless gameplay has become such a token part of the Survivor experience that the powers that be held a Heroes vs Villains edition for the show's 20th season, dividing returning players into two tribes based on their reputation.
We think nobody in Survivor history has more of a reputation for being so good at being bad than these 10 villains, so here are our picks for the best Survivor villains of all time.
The 10 best Survivor villains of all time, ranked
10. Brandon Hantz
Seasons: South Pacific (2011), Caramoan (2013)
Is villainy genetic? Brandon Hantz — the nephew of notorious Survivor villain Russell Hantz (more on him in a bit), a lineage he tried to keep secret from his fellow castaways — made quite a case for that idea during the Camaroan season thanks to his hot-headedness and unstable behavior.
The most infamous example of Hantz's temper was when he deliberately poured out all of his tribemate's food reserves, prompting his Bikal tribe to forfeit the next Immunity Challenge so they could verbally and unanimously vote Brandon off the island.
9. Abi-Maria Gomes
Seasons: Philippines (2011), Cambodia (2015)
"I came into the game with the greatest of intentions. I wanted to play a beautiful, strategic game. In my real life, I'm not as abrasive, but something about Survivor brought out the worst in me," Abi-Maria Gomes told People of her time on the competition series, adding, "Demon Abi came out."
If only she had displayed that much self-awareness while she was on the show. Instead, Gomes irritated her fellow castaways with her abrasive attitude, vindictive gameplay and bullying tactics. Because of that, Abi frequently had a target on her back and she was voted out for her drama-causing ways.
8. Jeff Varner
Seasons: Australian Outback (2001), Cambodia (2015), Game Changers (2017)
Jeff Varner employed many erratic, aggressive moves during his Survivor career, but one stands out as the most cutthroat and cruel.
At Tribal Council during his Game Changers season, Varner intentionally outed fellow castaway Zeke Smith as a transgender man as proof of the latter's "duplicity." It was a horrifyingly harsh tactic that immediately was shut down by host Jeff Probst, who said of the moment: "I have rarely, if ever, personally commented on what is said or done in the game, but this is a unique situation that falls outside the normal boundaries… you just don't do that to someone. It was one of the most surreal moments I've ever encountered on the show."
The consequences of his villainous actions tarnished Varner both onscreen and off. As well as being eliminated from the competition at that very Tribal Council, he was reportedly fired from his real estate job after the season aired.
7. Colton Cumbie
Seasons: One World (2012), Blood vs Water (2013)
Don't let that innocent smile fool you, Colton Cumbie is one of the most hated contestants in Survivor history, largely due to his racial bigotry and derogatory remarks to fellow castaways. (He famously called one Black American competitor "ghetto trash.") Imbued with a false sense of importance, he was a nightmare to his all-male Manono camp, regularly refusing to participate in chores and resorting to frequent backstabbing and creating fake alliances.
Karma seemingly played its hand during Colton's Survivor: One World appearance, when he had to be medically removed from the competition due to supposed appendicitis.
6. Jerri Manthey
Seasons: Australian Outback (2001), All-Stars (2004), Heroes vs Villains (2010)
Polarizing Survivor personality Jerri Manthey participated in three editions of the competition series but secured her "villainess" status during her first appearance, on Australian Outback, when the former actress quickly made enemies within her Ogakor tribe, getting into frequent food-related tiffs with tribe chef Keith Famie and even accusing her tribemate Kel Gleason of smuggling beef jerky into the game.
Though she would, ironically, display a much more pleasant, personable attitude in the Heroes vs Villain edition, Jerri's villainous history was already set and she was booed off the stage by the audience at the All-Stars reunion show.
5. Jonny Fairplay
Seasons: Pearl Islands (2003), Micronesia (2008)
The mastermind behind the "greatest lie ever told on Survivor." Host Jeff Probst who dubbed it a "move so low and so evil, it definitely guaranteed Jon a spot in the Survivor villain hall of fame."
Probst is of course referring to Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton and his infamous "dead grandmother" scheme: prior to leaving for the Panama season, Fairplay had concocted a plan with a friend from home who would arrive on the island during the season's "Loved Ones Challenge" and falsely inform Jonny that his grandma had passed in a deceitful attempt at drumming up sympathy for him among the castaways.
It was manipulations like that that earned Fairplay a spot on E!'s House of Villains, a competition series bringing together notorious baddies from shows such as The Apprentice, Vanderpump Rules, 90 Day Fiancé and more.
4. Tony Vlachos
Seasons: Cagayan (2014), Game Changers (2017), Winners at War (2020)
Clearly, Tony Vlachos' ferocious gameplay worked — he is the second two-time winner in Survivor history, having been victorious in both Survivor: Cagayan and Survivor: Winners at War. It also cemented the Jersey City cop as one of the franchise's best villains.
During his time on the Cagayan season, Vlachos was known for constructing "spy shacks" to eavesdrop on his tribemates, blindsiding members of his own Solana Alliance and swearing on his dead relatives whilst double-crossing his fellow competitors.
3. Pavarti Shallow
Seasons: Cook Islands (2006), Micronesia (2007), Heroes vs Villains (2010), Winners at War (2020)
Regarded as one of the most skillful and ruthless contestants to ever play the game, Pavarti Shallow won the million-dollar prize during the Survivor: Micronesia season and finished as the runner-up on Heroes vs Villains.
Through it all, Pavarti weaponized her natural charisma, flirtatious manner (she used her girlish charms to ensure Nate Gonzalez's loyalty and pointedly had "cuddle sessions" with her tribemate Adam Genty) and some masterful alliance work, including forming the deadly Black Widow Brigade alliance, which targeted the men on the island and was responsible for some high-profile blindsides such as those of Ozzy Lusth, Jason Siska and Erik Reichenbach.
2. Richard Hatch
Seasons: Borneo (2000), All-Stars (2004)
Known as much for his cunning alliance strategy as for playing the televised game totally nude, Richard Hatch was the first-ever Sole Survivor, winning the competition's first season and outlasting all of the other Borneo castaways thanks to his willingness to deceive even his own allies ("Outright lying is absolutely essential," he said on the show), his overt arrogance in the face of competition ("I've got the million-dollar check written already. I'm the winner") and his ability to painstakingly play the long game.
Though Hatch would display even more wicked behavior off-screen in the years to follow — the TV personality went to prison in January 2006 for tax evasion and his house arrest order kept him from participating in the Heroes vs Villains season — he redefined what it meant to be a reality TV villain.
1. Russell Hantz
Seasons: Samoa (2009), Heroes vs Villains (2010), Redemption Island (2011)
Though there have been many villains throughout Survivor's 23-year history, the most notorious is none other than Russell Hantz.
From the jump, Russell exacted psychological warfare against his own Foa Foa tribe by lying about being a firefighter who survived Hurricane Katrina, burning fellow castaways' socks and emptying their precious canteen water. He continued to stoke paranoia on the island by discovering several Hidden Immunity Idols without even a single clue, which he used to ruthlessly take out his competition.
Though one of the most strategic Survivor players of all time, it was that very villainy that proved to be his downfall, with castaways passing over Hantz to crown another victor not once but twice during a Final Tribal Council.
