01: Borneo (Summer 2000)

Location: Pulau Tiga, Sabah, Malaysia
Number of castaways: 16
Starting tribes: Pagong and Tagi, named after local beaches
- Merged tribe: Rattana, named after rattan, a species of palm abundant in Borneo
Winner: Richard Hatch of Middletown, Rhode Island
First season of the US series; originally simply called "Survivor", and later Survivor: Pulau Tiga, before adopting its current retronym as of All-Stars (and possibly to avoid confusion with season 10's subtitle, which was set in Palau).
As opposed to later seasons, the winner was announced on-site (this would not happen again until the New Era Retool, starting with 41).
Among the season's memorable personalities, Richard Hatch had the most lasting impact, setting the tone of the game forever by getting the Tagi tribe to organize their votes against the Pagongs.

02: The Australian Outback (Winter 2001)

Location: Goshen Station, Queensland, Australia
Number of castaways: 16
Starting tribes: Kucha and Ogakor, Aboriginal words for "kangaroo" and "alligator" respectively
- Merged tribe: Barramundi, an endemic species of fish
Winner: Tina Wesson of Knoxville, Tennessee
The only season to last 42 days, instead of 39 (Seasons 1-40) or 26 (New Era). First season to use previous votes as the method of breaking ties.
This season is infamous for the first forced evacuee: Michael Skupin, who burnt his hands on a bonfire. It's also well-known for Colby Donaldson's individual immunity challenge streak and the tension between him and Jerri Manthey. Home season of Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who became a panelist for The View for ten years.
This was the most-watched season in the show's history, finishing at #1 in the 2000-01 season.

03: Africa (Fall 2001)

Location: Shaba National Reserve, Eastern Province, Kenya
Number of castaways: 16
Starting tribes: Boran and Samburu, named after actual tribes living in the area
- Merged tribe: Moto Maji, Swahili for "fire and water"
Winner: Ethan Zohn of Lexington, Massachusetts
First season to feature a tribe swap.
Tribe colors are interestingly patterned after the Ethiopian variant of the Pan-African colors.

04: Marquesas (Spring 2002)

Location: Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
Number of castaways: 16
Starting tribes: Rotu and Maraamu, Marquesan words for "wind" and "rain", respectively
- Merged tribe: Soliantu, a word made up by two castaways to mean "sacred allegiance to the sun"
Winner: Vecepia Towery of Portland, Oregon
The tribes were deliberately given camps with different advantages, with Maraamu having abundant fruit trees but little water and Rotu having a waterfall but not much food.
First season where an Individual Immunity winner could transfer their Immunity to another player. It also debuted an infamous "purple rock" tiebreaker where, in the event of a deadlock in Tribal Council votes, all players except those voted for (and those with Immunity) would be at risk of being eliminated by a random draw — in this case, Paschal English.
The original season of Rob Mariano, aka "Boston Rob".

05: Thailand (Fall 2002)

Location: Ko Tarutao, Satun Province, Thailand
Number of castaways: 16
Starting tribes: Chuay Gahn and Sook Jai, Thai words for "helping one another" and "happy heart", respectively
- Merged tribe: Chuay Jai, a portmanteau of the starting tribes
Winner: Brian Heidik of Quartz Hill, California
As in Marquesas, the tribes were given different resources; Chuay Gahn had a cave for shelter but its water source was on another island, while Sook Jai had a convenient water hole but they had to build their own shelter.
The season was the first to offer castaways a chance to "mutiny" and switch tribes voluntarily (though nobody did so), and a merger fake-out through cohabitation. However, the host, Jeff Probst, also called it his least-liked season, having to deal with lots of Jerkasses throughout its run.

06: The Amazon (Winter 2003)

Location: Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil
Number of castaways: 16, initially split by gender
Starting tribes: Tambaqui (men) and Jaburu (women), named after local wildlife (a fish and a stork, respectively)
- Merged tribe: Jacaré, a Portuguese word for "alligator"
Winner: Jenna Morasca of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania
The first season to specifically arrange the starting tribes by specific categories, which lasted until a tribe swap on Day 13.
Home season of Rob Cesternino, who eventually went on to host a long-running podcast about Survivor and other Reality TV.

07: Pearl Islands (Summer 2003)

Location: Pearl Islands, Panamá Province, Panama
Number of castaways: 16
Starting tribes: Drake and Morgan, named after British privateers Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan
- Extra tribe: The Outcasts, which lasted for one episode and was composed of the first six eliminated players
- Merged tribe: Balboa, after a snake that Rupert Boneham found and briefly adopted as a pet
Winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine of Fort Lewis, Washington
In tune to this season's theme of piracy (being set on a historic pirate den, and whose tribes' namesakes were branded by the Spanish as pirates), the season had several special mechanics:
- Challenge winners can pillage the losing team's camp and, on one challenge, "kidnap" someone until the next challenge.
- In addition to regular challenge rewards, tribes could also win clues leading them to buried treasure of supplies.
- Based on the idea of pirates surviving marooning, the first six expelled players formed a third pre-merger tribe - the Outcasts - which defeated Drake and Morgan in a challenge, forcing them both to expel one of their own while the Outcasts voted two back into the game.
The jury also played in one challenge and won, depriving Balboa individual immunity.
First season to have a player quit, as Osten Taylor gave up and decided to leave on Day 19.
This was also the original season of three of the show's most memorable players: Sandra Diaz-Twine, Rupert Boneham, and Jon Dalton aka "Jonny Fairplay." Jon in particular gained infamy for pretending to learn that his grandmother had died when the players' loved ones visited, and milked the lie for sympathy for the rest of the season.

08: All-Stars (Winter 2004)

Location: Pearl Islands, Panamá Province, Panama
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Chapera, Mogo Mogo, and Saboga; named after isles in the area
- Merged tribe: Chaboga Mogo, a portmanteau of the starting tribes
Winner: Amber Brkich (from Australian Outback) of Beaver, Pennsylvania
The first Reunion Show composed of returning contestants. First season to have three tribes, with Immunity being granted to two in each Challenge; and one (Saboga) was dissolved after losing a Challenge and absorbed into the other two. The season also reused last season's "kidnapping" system, as well as another fake merge through tribe mix-up.
The main storyline this season was the budding romance between Amber Brkich and "Boston" Rob Mariano (from Australia and Marquesas, respectively), culminating in them being the game's winner and runner-up, and becoming engaged in the finale.

09: Vanuatu - Islands of Fire (Fall 2004)

Location: Efate, Sheva Province, Vanuatu
Number of castaways: 18, initially split by gender
Starting tribes: Lopevi (men) and Yasur (women), named after volcanoes
- Merged tribe: Alinta, an indigenous word^note for "people of fire"
Winner: Chris Daugherty of South Vienna, Ohio
For the first time, an individual immunity challenge was held before the merge, resulting in a double Tribal Council with both tribes voting one member out in that episode.

10: Palau (Winter 2005)

Location: Koror, Palau
Number of castaways: 20
Starting tribes: Ulong and Koror, named after a dive site and the national capital, respectively
- Merged tribe: None; Ulong was wiped out so its sole remaining player was simply absorbed into Koror
Winner: Tom Westman of Sayville, New York
While technically starting with 20 players for the first time, tribes weren't picked until Day 2 and the last two unpicked players were eliminated immediately, making it an 18-player game in practice.
Last season's double tribal council system was also imposed.
One challenge penalized the first to quit with being marooned on a lonely beach, a prototype of "Exile Island" that would be used two seasons later.
Palau is the only season so far where there was no tribe merger. Thanks to the Epic Fail of Ulong, by the time a merge would have happened there was only one Ulong left so she was just moved into Koror, starting the series' individual elimination stage.

11: Guatemala - The Mayan Empire (Fall 2005)

Location: Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park, Petén, Guatemala
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Yaxhá and Nakúm; named for archaeological sites in the area, with the former being Mesoamerican for "blue-green water" and the latter being "house of the pot"
- Merged tribe: Xhakúm, a portmanteau of the starting tribes
Winner: Danni Boatwright of Tonganoxie, Kansas
Bobby Jon Drinkard and Stephenie LaGrossa, the two longest-lasting members from the ill-fated Ulong tribe of last season, return for this season.
As with Vanuatu and Palau, this season features a double Tribal Council.
This season also first saw the Hidden Immunity Idol, first played post-merger, which gives the person who finds it individual immunity (to be played before voting, like immunities won in challenges).

12: Panama - Exile Island (Winter 2006)

Location: Pearl Islands, Panamá Province, Panama
Number of castaways: 16, initially split by age and gender
Starting tribes: Casaya (older women), La Mina (older men), Bayoneta (younger women) and Viveros (younger men); all named after isles in the area
- Merged tribe: Gitanos, Spanish for "gypsies"
Winner: Aras Baskauskas of Santa Monica, California
After being used as a one-time challenge punishment in Palau, "Exile Island" is officially introduced as a season-long game mechanic where winners of reward challenges may choose to expel one member of the losing tribe to a lonely island, where he/she receives a consolation in the form of a clue pointing to a Hidden Immunity Idol. The Hidden Idol itself had its use changed to nullify cast votes after the fact.
This is one of only two seasons to feature four tribes, though Viveros and Bayoneta were dissolved during a tribe shuffle on Day 4 (after just one elimination) and the rest of the tribe phase featured Casaya and La Mina (with the original demographic separation abandoned).

13: Cook Islands (Fall 2006)

Location: Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Number of castaways: 20, initially split by ethnicity (a Ratings Stunt that naturally caused some controversy)
Starting tribes: Aitutaki (Latinos), Manihiki (Africans), Puka Puka (Asians) and Rarotonga (Caucasians); all named after isles in the area
- Merged tribe: Aitutonga, a portmanteau of starting tribes Aitutaki and Rarotonga (the other two tribes had been dissolved prior to the merge)
Winner: Yul Kwon of San Mateo, California
The second and final season to start with four tribes, though like in Panama they quickly abandoned the sorted-by-ethnicity gimmick and were reshuffled into two tribes on Day 7 (after two eliminations). The season also reuses the Exile Island system, a challenge with "kidnapping" as part of the reward, and a double Tribal Council.
This was one of the few seasons where Jeff offered the castaways a chance to mutiny from their tribes, and the only season where two of them (Jonathan Penner and Candice Woodcock) took the offer and defected from Aitutaki to Rarutonga.
As of this season, the final Tribal Council changed from from involving the Final Two players to the Final Three.

14: Fiji (Winter 2007)

Location: Macuata Province, Fiji
Number of castaways: 19 (the only odd-number starting lineup in the series, due to one player dropping out at the last minute)
Starting tribes: Moto and Ravu, Fijian for "spear" and "kill", respectively
- Merged tribe: Bula Bula, Fijian for "hello hello"
Winner: Earl Cole of Santa Monica, California
The first challenge alone rewarded Moto with a camp filled with many luxury items, while all Ravu had was a pot and a machete — a disparity Probst himself would later admit to have been detrimental to Ravu's later outings. Exile Island also returns.
The first season where players' loved ones did not visit, due to political tensions from a coup taking place in Fiji at the time.
The Hidden Immunity Idol rules would also change once more into their final version, requiring that they be played after voting but before votes are read (as the ability to play them only when necessary was deemed overpowered).

15: China (Fall 2007)

Location: Zhelin Reservoir, Jiangxi, China
Number of castaways: 16
Starting tribes: Fei Long and Zhan Hu, Mandarin for "flying dragon" and "fighting tiger"
- Merged tribe: Hae Da Fung, Mandarin for "black fighting wind"
Winner: Todd Herzog of Salt Lake City, Utah
The series was the first US show ever to be filmed within China.
Like Pearl Islands, the season had a specific theme, this time being the famous Chinese text The Art of War. "Kidnapping" also returns, now as a permanent part of challenge rewards; plus the "kidnapped" member of a losing tribe would also be forced to give a message in a bottle to someone from the winning tribe cluing him/her in to the Hidden Immunity Idol.
The only season in the mid-teens stretch to not include Exile Island.
Best known for James Clement not only being the first person to be voted out with an unused Hidden Immunity Idol, but claiming two Hidden Idols and not using either one in what is considered to be one of the series' worst gameplay moves.

16: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites (Winter 2008)

Location: Koror, Palau
Number of castaways: 20, initially split between Ascended Fans and returning players
Starting tribes: Airai (Fans) and Malakal (Favorites), named after locations in the area
- Merged tribe: Dabu, a made-up word
Winner: Parvati Shallow (from Cook Islands) of Vero Beach, Florida
The series featured day-one individual Immunity Idols for each tribe which ensured the winner's immunity during his/her tribe's first Tribal Council. The Exile Island system is played again, except this time one player from each tribe would be sent there and compete for a Hidden Immunity Idol. The season is also notable for an even-numbered jury (eight) and the return of the two-person finals.
Jonathan Penner (returning from Cook Islands) had to be evacuated due to a knee injury that turned into an infection.
Probst would call it his second-favorite season, after Borneo.

17: Gabon - Earth's Last Eden (Fall 2008)

Location: Wonga-Wongue Presidential Reserve, Estuaire Province, Gabon
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Fang and Kota, named after actual tribes living in the area
- Merged tribe: Nobag, "Gabon" reversed
Winner: Robert "Bob" Crowley of Augusta, Maine
The first season to air on HD.
The season retains last season's one-shot Immunity Idols, Exile Island (with the exile having to choose between luxury throughout his/her stay and immunity upon return), Hidden Immunity Idols for each tribe, and a double Tribal Council. Another notable twist is that there were two tribe swaps (with the second being a Bait-and-Switch initially presented as the merge).

18: Tocantins - The Brazilian Highlands (Winter 2009)

Location: Jalapão, Tocantins, Brazil
Number of castaways: 16
Starting tribes: Jalapao and Timbira, named after locations in the area
- Merged tribe: Forza, a corruption of "força", the Portuguese word for "strength"
Winner: James "J.T." Thomas, Jr. of Samson, Alabama
A first-impression vote by castaways "eliminated" two who would be a liability and thus "cannot make it into the journey", only to realize that by "journey" Probst meant a four-hour trek, and those two "liabilities" were airlifted directly to their camps.
The one-time Immunity Idols also make a return, as well as Exile Island, except this time the member of a losing tribe chosen by the winners can also bring one of the winning players as well. However, this would be the last time that Exile Island would appear for several years, until San Juan Del Sur.
First season to not have a tribe swap or other disruption in any form since the idea was introduced in Africa; this and the next few seasons would prefer an early merge instead.
This is generally the season where the show started embracing the Creator's Pet, this time being Ben "Coach" Wade.

19: Samoa (Fall 2009)

Location: Upolu, Samoa
Number of castaways: 20
Starting tribes: Foa Foa and Galu, Samoan words for "trumpet shell" and "ocean wave", respectively
- Merged tribe: Aiga, Samoan for "extended family"
Winner: Natalie White of Van Buren, Arkansas
Both tribes featured a leader who would make decisions (either sitting people out or picking people to come with them for missions) for them.
After some reward challenges, a member of the winning tribe will be an "observer" and go to the losing tribe's camp, where he/she will tip one of them to a Hidden Immunity Idol.
There was no visit from the players' families, as the budget was instead directed to the larger 20-player roster. One challenge was also held with the players themselves overseeing it, without Jeff Probst present (which would be called a "do-it-yourself" challenge in One World)
In one of the most harrowing scenes in the series, Russell Swan nearly died in the middle of a challenge from dehydration and had to be evacuated.
The game was dominated, gameplay-wise and screentime-wise, by Russell Hantz.
Starting with Samoa, Survivor would have a filming schedule where they film two seasons back-to-back in the same location.

20: Heroes vs. Villains (Winter 2010)

Location: Upolu, Samoa
Number of castaways: 20, initially split by previous strategies
Starting tribes: Heroes and Villains
- Merged tribe: Yin Yang
Winner: Sandra Diaz-Twine (Villain from Pearl Islands), becoming the first two-time winner of the series
Celebrating the series' 10th anniversary, the castaways are split, based on their previous strategies, between Heroes (players known for their integrity, courage and honor) and Villains (players known for their manipulation, deceptions and duplicity).
Hidden Immunity Idols were also secreted onto each tribe's camps, and there was a double Tribal Council.
Continuing from Samoa, most of the camera time continued to be focused on Russell Hantz.

21: Nicaragua (Fall 2010)

Location: San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua
Number of castaways: 20, initially split by age
Starting tribes: Espada (40 and older) and La Flor (30 and younger), Spanish for "sword" and "flower", respectively
- Merged tribe: Libertad, Spanish for "freedom"
Winner: Jud "Fabio" Birza of Saint Louis, Missouri
Besides Hidden Immunity Idols, teamwork-based challenges are more apparent due to the age disparity. Also, a tribe swap and a double Tribal Council were featured in this season (this would the last double Council for several years).
This season is the only one with the Medallion of Power, a one-shot item which gives winners advantages in challenges, then passed on to the opposing tribe. This lasted until the tribe swap.
This season is infamous for both NaOnka Mixon and "Purple" Kelly Shinn in one night, resulting in the rules changed for anyone who quits during the jury phase.

22: Redemption Island (Winter 2011)

Location: San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Ometepe and Zapatera, named after islands in Lake Nicaragua
- Merged tribe: Murlonio, named for a stuffed toy of one of the castaways
Winner: "Boston" Rob Mariano (from Marquesas, All-Stars, and Heroes vs. Villains) of Pensacola, Florida^note
The series introduces the eponymous "Redemption Island", where a recently-evicted castaway is left to fend for himself/herself in a lonely island. When another castaway is voted out, both would compete in a "duel" where the loser leaves the game for good, while the winner would stay on until some point when he/she is called back.
- As a side effect, duels largely replace Reward Challenges; with rewards instead being combined with Immunity Challenges or absent entirely.
The season was played up as a rivalry between returning castaways "Boston" Rob Mariano (Marquesas, All-Stars, and Heroes vs. Villains) and Russell Hantz (Samoa and Heroes vs. Villains), but Russell's tribe ditched him at the earliest opportunity and Rob basically went unopposed for the rest of the season, taking the win without much of a fight.

23: South Pacific (Fall 2011)

Location: Upolu, Samoa
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Upolu and Savaii, named after islands
- Merged tribe: Te Tuna, after a Samoan legend about the birth of the coconut tree
Winner: Sophie Clarke of Willsboro, New York
Like the previous season, the two tribes were "led" by two returning players, Ozzy Lusth from Cook Islands and Micronesia, and Coach Wade from Tocantins and Heroes vs. Villains.
Redemption Island was also in play, as well as two Hidden Immunity Idols.
This was the last season to include a Recap Episode in its run.

24: One World (Winter 2012)

Location: Upolu, Samoa
Number of castaways: 18, initially split by gender
Starting tribes: Manono (men) and Salani (women), named after islands in the area
- Merged tribe: Tikiano, Samoan for "year of the god"
Winner: Kim Spradlin of San Antonio, Texas
In an unusual twist, both tribes shared a single camp for the majority of the season, hence the titular One World. But after the tribe swap, Manono would get their own camp for the rest of the tribal phase.
The season also saw two "do-it-yourself" competitions without Jeff Probst officiating, as well as Hidden Immunity Idols.
The tribe swap would return as a show staple after a hiatus (appearing in only one of the prior six seasons, Nicaragua), now permanently as a random draw as opposed to the various ways of picking new tribes used before.

25: Philippines (Fall 2012)

Location: Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Kalabaw, Tandang, and Matsing; Tagalog words for "water buffalo", "rooster", and "monkey" respectively
- Merged tribe: Dangrayne, because there was a lot of rain in the Philippines
Winner: Denise Stapley of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
The three tribes were "led" by three returning castaways evacuated from their last outings due to injury or stress: Jonathan Penner (Cook Islands and Micronesia), Michael Skupin (Australia), and Russell Swan (Samoa), respectively.
The season is particularly known for the Epic Fail of the Matsing tribe, which lost all four Immunity Challenges it competed in and the remaining two players were just absorbed into Kalabaw and Tandang instead of a tribe swap.

26: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites (Winter 2013)

Location: Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Number of castaways: 20, initially split between Ascended Fans and returning players
Starting tribes: Bikal (Fans) and Gota (Favorites), named after a barangay (village) and a resort in the municipality itself, respectively
- Merged tribe: Enil Edam, suggested by Malcom Freberg in honor of his mother, Madeline
Winner: John Cochran (from South Pacific) of Washington D.C.
This is the last season to feature a retrospective segment in its finale, where the finalists reflect on the eliminated players and their time in the game.
Caramoan unfortunately hosted one of the series' more infamous moments, where Brandon Hantz (from South Pacific and nephew of Russell) had a tense emotional breakdown that just barely avoided turning violent.

27: Blood vs. Water (Fall 2013)

Location: Palaui Island, Santa Ana, Cagayan, Philippines
Number of castaways: 20, arranged in pairs of one returning castaway and one of their family members
Starting tribes: Galang (returnees) and Tadhana (their family), Filipino for "respect" and "destiny", respectively
- Merged tribe: Kasama, Filipino for "together" or "as one"
Winner: Tyson Apostol (from Tocantins and Heroes vs. Villains) of Provo, Utah
In addition to the new family-pairs mechanic, Redemption Island also returns, with the new twist that a loved one can choose to take their partner's place on Redemption Island.
Before the game started, each pair of relatives was sent off to spend the night together individually, suggesting that they would be playing together. They would be split into different tribes the next morning. Once formed, the tribes were also told to immediately vote someone out, with them (or their loved ones, if they choose to swap places) becoming the first inhabitants of Redemption Island.

28: Cagayan (Spring 2014)

Location: Palaui Island, Santa Ana, Cagayan, Philippines
Number of castaways: 18, initially split by their principal attributes
Starting tribes: Aparri (Brawn), Luzon (Brains), and Solana (Beauty); named after a town at the mouth of the mighty Cagayan River, the largest island in the Philippines (on which both Manila, the capital, and Cagayan province are located), and a town at the southern end of Cagayan province, respectively
- Merged tribe: Solarrion, a portmanteau of the starting tribes
Winner: Tony Vlachos of Jersey City, New Jersey
This season saw the introduction of a super-secret idol that could be played after votes were read. There was also another "First Impression" vote where the tribes had to vote on their weakest members immediately after forming; though like "Tocantins" the selected players weren't evicted but ended up being ferried to the camps in a helicopter instead of having to hike.

29: San Juan del Sur - Blood vs. Water (Fall 2014)

Location: San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua
Number of castaways: 18, arranged into pairs of family members
Starting tribes: Coyopa and Hunahpu, named after the Mayan god of thunder and one of the Hero Twins of Mayan Mythology, respectively
- Merged tribe: Huyopa, a portmanteau of the starting tribes
Winner: veteran The Amazing Race contestant Natalie Anderson of Edgewater, New Jersey after her identical twin sister Nadiya was voted out first
While the individual pairs were sent off with one another pre-game as they were in the last Blood vs. Water season, San Juan del Sur dropped Redemption Island and instead brought back the Exile Island twist after a five-year absence.

30: Worlds Apart (Spring 2015)

Location: San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua
Number of castaways: 18, initially split by socioeconomic status
Starting tribes: Escameca (Blue Collar), Masaya (White Collar), and Nagarote ("No Collar"); named after cities in Nicaragua
- Merged tribe: Merica, based on "America" and partially playing on the previous tribes' colors: the No Collars wore red, the White Collars (even though they wore yellow), and the Blue Collars
Winner: Mike Holloway of North Richland Hills, Texas
An "extra vote" advantage was introduced which allowed whoever was in possession of it the ability to vote twice for one Tribal Council.
This was the last season to include an auction "challenge" for several years, before returning in Survivor 45.

31: Cambodia - Second Chance (Fall 2015)

Location: Kaôh Rōng, Sihanoukville Province, Cambodia
Number of castaways: 20
Starting tribes: Ta Keo and Bayon, after temples of Angkor Wat
- Post-shuffle tribe: Angkor, named after Angkor Wat itself
- Merged tribe: Orkun, Khmer for "thank you"
Winner: Jeremy Collins (from San Juan del Sur) of Foxboro, Massachusetts
For the first time, the cast was decided by a fan vote, with the results announced at the Worlds Apart finale and the selected castaways sent off to play that same night.
The season also featured the first time that the number of tribes was increased during a tribe shuffle, with Angkor created as a third auxiliary tribe against the pre-established Ta Keo and Bayon. However, that also meant the third tribe had to start from scratch when it came to building shelter.
Another new twist is that Hidden Immunity Idols are now hidden in places where there's a much higher chance of being caught, such as during challenges or even underneath the tribe shelter.
A "vote steal" advantage was introduced, allowing the owner to deny another player their vote in a Tribal Council and use it themselves, in addition to their own vote.

32: Kaôh Rōng (Spring 2016)

Location: Kaôh Rōng, Sihanoukville Province, Cambodia
Number of castaways: 18, initially split by their principal attributes
Starting tribes: Chan Loh (Brains), To Tang (Brawn), and Gondol (Beauty), all named after islands in the area
- Merged tribe: Dara, Khmer for "star"
Winner: Michele Fitzgerald of Freehold, New Jersey
A second "Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty" season after Cagayan.
For the first time, two Hidden Immunity Idols could be merged into a special "Super Idol" that could be used after the votes had been read, and it saw the first time a jury member was voted off the jury by a surviving contestant (a concept the producers had been considering for a few years prior).
For unknown reasons, family members did not come to visit the players this season, but sent letters instead.
The season set a record for contestants medically evacuated, with three having to be pulled from the game.
Kaôh Rōng was the final season where Survivor would travel to different countries for the settings, as the following season would set the game at a permanent place for the rest of the franchise.

33: Millennials vs. Gen X (Fall 2016)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 20, initially split by age
Starting tribes: Vanua (Millennials) and Takali (Generation X), Fijian for "homeland" and "open ocean" respectively
- Post-shuffle tribe: Ikabula, Fijian for "turtle"
- Merged tribe: Vinaka, Fijian for "thank you", also a tribute to Earl Cole, who suggested the same merged tribe name in Fiji.
Winner: Adam Klein of San Francisco, California
While Panama and Nicaragua also had age-based tribes, this is the first time that The Generation Gap became the theme of the season.
This is the first season where production, including both tribes, were forced to evacuate for a night due to a cyclone/hurricane, which could have killed someone.
The first season set in Fiji's Mamanuca Islands, which would become the show's permanent filming location from then on.

34: Game Changers - Mamanuca Islands (Spring 2017)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 20
Starting tribes: Mana and Nuku, Fijian for "power" and "sand" respectively
- Post-shuffle tribe: Tavua, a town in Ba Province on the largest island of Fiji
- Merged tribe: Maku Maku, a portmanteau of the starting tribes
Winner: Sarah Lacina (from Cagayan) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
A reunion season of 20 returning castaways, all renowned specifically for strategic gameplay.
For the first time, two tribes went together at a tribal council to vote someone off together.
This season also set a record of the most immunities at a tribal council, with five people immune at a six person tribal, resulting in an elimination without any votes.
Unfortunately, the season also hosted another infamous moment that was memorable for all the wrong reasons, as Jeff Varner (from Australian Outback and Cambodia) tried to paint Zeke Smith (from Millennials vs Gen X) as untrustworthy by publicly outing him as Transgender, earning an immediate What the Hell, Hero? reaction from the tribe and leading to Varner leaving the game while saying "My God, What Have I Done?"

35: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers (Fall 2017)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 18, initially split by profession
Starting tribes: Levu (Heroes, composed of military and Emergency Services workers), Soko (Healers, people in various medical professions), and Yawa ("Hustlers", those in assorted other jobs requiring an intense work ethic); the names being Fijian for "big" or "great", "beam" and "to sail", and "distant" or "far" respectively
- Merged tribe: Solewa, a portmanteau of the starting tribes
Winner: Ben Driebergen, of Boise, Idaho
The season was loaded with secrets — secret idols, secret advantages, etc. — though as Jeff pointed out in the finale, almost none of the castaways were able to keep those secrets.
It also debuted a new system to choose the Final Three, where the final Immunity winner could choose one other player to go forward and the remaining two players would compete in a fire-making challenge to be the third finalist.

36: Ghost Island (Spring 2018)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 20
Starting tribes: Malolo and Naviti, named after volcanic islands in Fiji.
- Post-shuffle tribe: Yanuya, named after an island in Fiji
- Merged tribe: Lavita, a portmanteau of Navita and Malolo.
Winner: Wendell Holland of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ghost Island is themed after the series' infamous Epic Fail moments, with many misused idols and other advantage items making a return and the new castaways are challenged to use them correctly this time.
Ghost Island itself is the Exile Island system from previous seasons under a new name.
It also had the first time that the final vote resulted in a tie (resolved by the third finalist casting the tiebreaker).

37: David vs. Goliath (Fall 2018)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 20, initially split by their histories
Starting tribes: David (people who have had to overcome adversity), and Goliath (who had natural advantages growing up). As of the tribe shuffle, they were renamed Vuku and Jabeni after the Fijian words for "ability" and "champion".
- Post-shuffle tribe: Tiva, Fijian for "to divert or stray"
- Merged tribe: Kalokalo, Fijian for "stars"
Winner: Nick Wilson of Williamsburg, Kentucky
This season introduced an "idol nullifier" advantage to the game which can nullify the powers of a Hidden Immunity Idol if the holder is able to correctly guess if and who the idol would be played for at that Tribal Council.

38: Edge of Extinction (Spring 2019)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Kama and Manu, Fijian for "to burn" and "bird" respectively
- Post-shuffle tribe: Lesu, Fijian for "return"
- Extra tribe: Edge of Extinction, composed of eliminated players
- Merged tribe: Vata, Fijian for "altogether"
Winner: Chris Underwood of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The first season since Blood vs. Water to mix returning players with new players, with four returnees being involved.
Another "Island" twist is introduced, called "the Edge of Extinction": evicted castaways are presented with the option of staying in, and if they take it then (like Redemption Island) they are sent to a desolate beach with no supplies to wait until they're given a chance to return. Unlike Redemption Island, multiple players are allowed to stay at once and participation is optional, but all information is given on a need-to-know basis — most players didn't learn the Edge of Extinction existed until it was time for someone to come back. The jury is also changed to include all players facing Extinction, even pre-merge evictees.

39: Island of the Idols (Fall 2019)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 20
Starting tribes: Lairo and Vokai, Fijian for "land crab" and "forest gecko" or "iguana" respectively
- Merged tribe: Lumuwaku, from an expression used in the family of first jury member Jack Nichting; it's an acronym for "Love U Miss U really WAnna Kiss U".
Winner: Tommy Sheehan of Long Beach, New York
The first season where Canadian citizens were eligible to compete. Two previous winners (Sandra Diaz-Twine and Boston Rob) return to serve as non-competing mentors for the season's castaways on an Exile Island-style twist.
Sadly, this season was marred when Dan Spilo sexually harassed his female tribemates by continually touching them inappropriately; which then snowballed into a disaster when two women successfully manipulated the situation in order to vote out his main victim.
- As a direct result of this, this was the first season where a contestant was flat-out ejected from the game,^note and the first where the post-game reunion show was not aired live (instead being pre-recorded a few hours earlier).

40: Winners at War (Spring 2020)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 20
Starting tribes: Dakal and Sele, Fijian for "gun" and "to cut" respectively
- Post-shuffle tribe: Yara, Fijian for "harrow"
- Merged tribe: Koru, Māori for "loop" or "coil" (also a Māori symbol for creation)
Winner: Tony Vlachos of Jersey City, New Jersey (from Cagayan)
A Milestone Celebration for the series' 20th year and 40th season, featuring winning players from previous seasons and double the usual grand prize. Edge of Extinction also returns, though with less secrecy this time. The season also introduces a "Fire Token" currency, which the players can earn and spend on items from food to game advantages.
The double Tribal Council would be used for the first time since Nicaragua.
Due to the year's COVID-19 Pandemic quarantines, this is the first season since Borneo to not have a reunion show. Instead, the final episode was expanded to fill the extra hour and the reading of the votes was done remotely with Jeff and the players at their homes.

The "New Era"

After Winners at War, the show was forced to take a year off due to being unable to film during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Production took this time to Retool the show with the philosophy of "earn everything":

Season titles have been simplified, abandoning subtitles in favor of just the season number.
The game length is shortened by two weeks, from 39 days to 26. This was initially to accommodate a COVID quarantine period, but has been kept even after it was no longer necessary.
So far, all seasons have featured 18 players split among three tribes, on the grounds that smaller tribes provide "nowhere to hide". Before, it was more common to have two tribes, and there could be up to 20 players.
Basic supplies are reduced (most notably, no longer including food rations) and have to be earned in Reward Challenges.
- Right at the start of the game, the tribes are thrown into a Reward Challenge where only the winners get their supplies. Losers get a second chance in a "Sweat or Savvy" challenge, providing a choice of a grueling physical task or a complicated puzzle. Losing the second challenge means no supplies are provided at all until the tribe wins a future challenge.
- Tribes that lose Immunity Challenges, in addition to facing Tribal Council, now have their flint confiscated until the next Immunity Challenge as well.
A "Survivor Sanctuary" is established as a recurring location for challenge rewards (though it isn't seen more than once in a season until 43).
Other new mechanics are added that involve players gambling with their votes:
- Hidden Idols are replaced by "Beware Advantages" that can penalize the players until their advantage is activated.
- "Journeys": In most rounds during the tribal phase, one player from each tribe is sent off to mingle with one another and then compete in a Prisoner's Dilemma or similar task, where winners can gain an advantage and losers lose their vote.
- The "Shot in the Dark", where a player in danger can exchange their vote for a slim chance at last-minute immunity.
Due to COVID restrictions, family members of players do not visit but send video or written messages instead.
In another move based on COVID distancing, the traditional end-of-season reunion show, gathering players together months after filming for a live reveal of the winner, was dropped and replaced. The winners are instead announced on-site immediately after voting, and the usual "reunion" discussions with castaways are held right afterward on the Tribal Council set during the beginning of production's wrap party.
The era also incorporates new pro-diversity practices: Anti-sexual harassment rules now come into effect after the incident in Island of the Idols; and in the wake of 2020's Black Lives Matter protests and pressure from Black former contestants, CBS had committed to updating casting so that Survivor and their other reality shows have 50% or more people of color. Jeff also checked with the contestants in 41 on whether he should continue referring to them collectively as "guys", and decided to drop it in the interest of being gender-neutral.

Survivor 41 (Fall 2021)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Luvu, Ua, and Yase; Fijian for "flood", "wave", and "lightning" respectively
- Merged tribe: Viakana, Fijian for "hunger"
Winner: Erika Casupanan of Toronto, Ontario
The first season of the New Era.
In addition to the permanent New Era changes, other one-time twists include "change history", where a tribe member is sent to Exile Island at the merge but is given the opportunity to reverse Immunity Challenge results; and "Do Or Die", where coming in last in an Individual Immunity Challenge means facing a Monty Hall Problem that will result in either Immunity or immediate elimination.
A rebus puzzle is also hidden in each episode, as part of a Game Within the Game for kids intended to help train future Survivor players along with further word scrambles and strategy discussions online.

Survivor 42 (Spring 2022)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Ika, Taku, and Vati; Fijian for "fish", "turtle", and "crab" respectively
- Merged tribe: Kula Kula, Fijian for "collared lory", the national bird of Fiji
Winner: Maryanne Oketch of Ajax, Ontario
Changing history and Do or Die return from 41, but the "Game Within the Game" does not. A new advantage called the "Advantage Amulet" was introduced. This is a three-way shared advantage that grows in power when one of the holders is voted out (three amulets together create an Extra Vote, two creates a Vote Steal, and the last remaining amulet gives it the power of a hidden immunity idol).

Survivor 43 (Fall 2022)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Vesi, Baka, and Coco; Fijian names for native tree species
- Merged tribe: Gaia; after Cassidy Clark's cat
Winner: Mike Gabler of Meridian, Idaho
The changing history and Do or Die twists have been retired.

Survivor 44 (Spring 2023)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Ratu, Fijian title meaning "chief"; Soka, a shortened version of sokalou, Fijian for "worship"; and Tika, Maori for "righteousness"
- Merged tribe: Va Va, Fijian for "four four" in reference to the season number
Winner: Yamil "Yam Yam" Arocho of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Idols are not bound to Beware Advantages like they are elsewhere in the New Era. Instead, the Tribal Idols are locked in bird cages out in the open and the castaways must find a key to open it. These idols were also accompanied by pre-made fake idols that castaways could use to deceive the others (castaways had been making fake idols at least as far back as Fiji, but this is the first time production provided some).

Survivor 45 (Fall 2023)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Reba, Belo, and Lulu; Fijian names for native birds (goshawk, reef heron, and barn owl, respectively)
- Merged tribe: Dakuwaqa, a mythological Fijian shark god
Winner: Dee Valladares of Miami, Florida
Episode length is expanded from 60 to 90 minutes, as a result of needing to fill holes in the schedule from the 2023 writers' strike.
Bruce Perreault, a day-one medical evacuee from 44, was invited to return as a do-over.
First season of the New Era to include a tribe swap, and the first since Worlds Apart to include an auction "challenge". The Beware Advantages returned after a season off, along with the Advantage Amulet from Survivor 42.
First season where the Shot in the Dark was successful, with Kaleb Gebrewold nullifying a unanimous vote against him and forcing a revote.
Following Claire of the previous season sitting out in the first three Immunity Challenges, the rules have been adjusted to now enforce players to not sit out in back-to-back challenges even after Tribal Council.

Survivor 46 (Spring 2024)

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Number of castaways: 18
Starting tribes: Nami, Japanese for "wave"; Siga, Fijian for "day"; and Yanu, from "yanuyanu" the Fijian word for "island"
- Merged tribe: Nuinui, derived from "inuinui", Fijian for "hope"

Recap / Survivor

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