Survivor has been on the air for 20 years. In that time, it's quite obvious that the game has undergone many changes - some momentous, others more subtle. Most of these changes were slow to roll out, and they often resulted from a player changing how the game was conducted.
Throughout its 20 year run, Survivor has enjoyed a slew of memorable players. Some are memorable for their personalities, others for how they played the game. And that's not to say that these people were winners. In fact, many of them aren't. But regardless, their style has left an indelible impression on how the game is played.
Richard Hatch
Of course, everyone is going to point to the very first winner as a major influence on the show. Even though his reputation was eventually ruined, there's no denying that Richard Hatch is perhaps the most influential player in Survivor history.
His gameplay style laid the very foundation for Survivor strategy, and all further strategies have been built around his core. He was also the first player to start an alliance, and alliances quickly became a key component of Survivor. Contestants now start alliances on day one, and they owe the strategy to Richard Hatch.
Colby Donaldson
While not the winner of The Australian Outback, Colby Donaldson is one of the most prolific Immunity Challenge winners. Colby was the first person to prove that physical dominance could carry a player far. He made Survivor history by winning five individual immunity challenges, and this record remains unbeaten.
In fact, only five other survivors have accomplished this feat throughout its 20-year history, including Tom Westman of Palau, Terry Deitz of Panama, and most recently, Brad Culpepper of Game Changers.
Brian Heidik
The winner of Thailand, Brian Heidik isn't one of the more popular Survivor winners, but he's definitely one of the most influential. Brian did two things throughout his run. Firstly, he proved that players don't necessarily need to be liked in order to win, as Brian remained quite caustic and personally distant throughout much of Thailand.
But the most important part of his gameplay was inventing the "goat strategy," which is taking someone weak and disliked to the finals in order to secure an easy win. It's a strategy that is still being utilized to this day.
Rob Cesternino
Today, Rob Cesternino is well known for his popular reality show podcast, Rob Has a Podcast. But 20 years ago, he changed the game of Survivor forever through his intelligent and duplicitous gameplay throughout The Amazon. Cesternino was the first Survivor player to largely play for himself and forego both alliances and close relationships.
He easily turned on allies if it meant a better standing in the game, and he remained loyal to no one but himself. This constant flip-flopping earned him a reputation, he it also earned him the title "the smartest player to never win" by Jeff Probst.
Jonny Fairplay
Survivor had villains before, but Jonny Fairplay was the first person to actively lean into the role. Fairplay didn't necessarily come to win the game - he came to mug the camera and cause as much drama as he possibly could. Of course, it also helps that he was pretty good at the game.
While he is infamous for the popular "grandma lie," Fairplay acted in a villainous nature throughout much of Pearl Islands, and many of the show's most notorious and best villains - Russell Hantz, Colton Cumbie, Coach - owe their style and reputation to Fairplay.
Parvati Shallow
Perhaps the most famous female to ever play the game (besides maybe Sandra Diaz-Twine), Parvati Shallow changed how the "flirty female" was viewed. Before Parvati, the cute flirts were often regarded as weak and voted off quite early. However, Parvati used her good looks to her advantage and crafted the iconic Black Widow Brigade in response.
Like the titular spider, Parvati often lured people into her web before striking, and it changed how everyone plays the game. To this day, many people attempt to do what Parvati did, but none have been as successful. Nowadays, players are on high alert for "another Parvati" and powerful female alliances.
Boston Rob
There is no Survivor player quite like Boston Rob. Not only is he the most popular player of all time (having appeared more times on the show than anyone else), but he's also one of the most influential in of cutthroat strategy. Boston Rob transcended Survivor's popularity to become a national superstar, and he implemented many strategies that have become common occurrences on Survivor.
These include the buddy system, vote splitting, and voting out powerful people before the merge. Of course, those are just three of many, and countless people have attempted to mirror Boston Rob's style throughout the years.
Russell Hantz
Russell Hantz owes a lot to what came before, as his aggressive style of gameplay was heavily inspired by Boston Rob. However, he also changed the game in his own unique way. Throughout Samoa, Russell would often find idols without any clues, and he would utilize these idols to his advantage later in the game.
Before Russell, players often relied on these clues to find the idols. After Russell, everyone mimicked his strategy and attempted to find them on their own. Not only that, but it placed a much higher emphasis on idols and other twists going forward. In many ways, Russell started the "Big Moves" era that Survivor is currently in.
Natalie White
A by-product of Russell Hantz's aggressive gameplay was the rise of the "reverse goat" strategy. Perhaps realizing that Russell was not well liked by the jury, Natalie White allied herself with Russell and took herself to the finals.
Russell saw Natalie as a goat, but Natalie saw Russell as a "reverse goat" - someone who technically played well but who proved so unlikable that no one was willing to vote for them. Natalie's win is divisive though no less legitimate, and other controversial winners, like Michele Fitzgerald, played a similar low-key, under-the-radar game.
J.T. Thomas
J.T. Thomas is known for quite a few things. Perhaps his most infamous moment came in Heroes vs. Villains, when he got played hard by Russell Hantz and willingly gave up his immunity idol. But he changed the game in Game Changers (a very prophetic title).
During one tribal council, J.T. stood up and began discussing the vote with Brad, resulting in widespread chaos. This was unprecedented, and it forever changed the fabric of tribal councils. To this day, final tribals are filled with whispering and scheming, and it was seen numerous times throughout Winners at War.