In a game of strategy and social bonds, challenge strength remains an important component in “Survivor” 20 years later. Opinion is split on how much value there is in Immunity Challenge wins, but more often than not, they have helped players beast their way to the end and even with the $1 million prize. Examples include Tom Westman (“Palau”), Rob Mariano (“Redemption Island”), Kim Spradlin (“One World”) and Mike Holloway (“Worlds Apart”).
Other challenge beasts are able to win a bunch of challenges but just come up short in the end. Colby Donaldson is one of the original cases of this, and we have seen players like Ozzy Lusth, Terry Deitz, Spencer Bledsoe and Brad Culpepper do the same, without claiming the title of Sole Survivor. Then there are players like Joe Anglim, who are just so good at challenges that they must be voted out the minute they lose an Immunity Challenge.
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The following is a list of the Top 10 individual Immunity Challenge winners of all time, most of which have the benefit of playing multiple seasons to rack up their victories. (Also see our list of the most idols found.)
Colby Donaldson – 5 wins
Colby became the benchmark for individual Immunity Challenge wins in “Survivor: The Australian Outback,” winning five in a row at the end of the game. He did not make the merge when he returned in “Survivor: All Stars,” and while he made it all the way to the Final 5 in “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains,” let’s just say he failed to repeat his Outback success.
Kim Spradlin – 5 wins
Part of Kim’s domination in “Survivor: One World” involved her physical prowess, winning four of the last five Immunity Challenges. She won another challenge in her “Survivor: Winners at War” appearance, making her the all-time leader for female castaways.
Brad Culpepper – 5 wins
Brad is one of the more unique cases on this list in that he didn’t even make the merge in his original season, “Survivor: Blood vs. Water,” but totally excelled in his second, “Survivor: Game Changers.” In the latter season, he won five of the final six Immunity Challenges.
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Mike Holloway – 5 wins
Mike is the only contestant in this top 10 to have only played in one season, “Survivor: Worlds Apart.” Like the aforementioned players, most of his victories came at the end of the game, winning five of the last six Immunities.
Terry Deitz – 5 wins
Terry was completely safe from being voted out in “Survivor: Panama – Exile Island” starting with the first vote of the merge all the way through the Final 5, winning five Immunities in a row. He returned for “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance” but left the game before the merge due to a family emergency.
Tom Westman – 5 wins
Tom was only eligible to be voted out three times in the entirety of “Survivor: Palau,” only going to Tribal Council once before the merge and winning five individual Immunities post-merge. His stint on “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” was too short to see if he could win any more, as he was voted out before the merge.
Spencer Bledsoe – 6 wins
Spencer’s Immunity wins were spread out evenly between his two seasons. The young lad won three in “Survivor: Cagayan” and another three in “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance.”
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Joe Anglim – 6 wins
Joe saw history repeat in his first two seasons, winning two Immunities at the beginning of the “Survivor: Worlds Apart” merge before being voted out and winning the first four in “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance,” surviving one Tribal Council before getting the boot. When he didn’t win the first individual Immunity Challenge of “Survivor: Edge of Extinction,” his tribe promptly voted him out.
Ozzy Lusth – 7 wins
Ozzy was completely safe through most of the post-merge in “Survivor: Cook Islands,” winning five of the six individual Immunity Challenges. He didn’t win any Immunities in “Survivor: Micronesia” or his fourth season, “Survivor: Game Changers,” but he did win two in “Survivor: South Pacific.”
Rob Mariano – 9 wins
Despite playing five times, Boston Rob didn’t even make the merge in two seasons: “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” and “Survivor: Winners at War.” His nine Immunity wins come from two seasons: four in “Survivor: All Stars” and five in his winning game, “Survivor: Redemption Island.”
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