As Survivor superfans know, the hit competition show is filled with dozens of twists and turns, with advantages like the “Shot In The Dark,” “Knowledge Is Power,” “Beware Advantage,” and more being introduced within the New Era of Survivor. Because there are so many Hidden Immunity Idols and advantages in circulation as of late, the chances of being sent home without putting them into play are higher than ever for castaways, ultimately adding another layer of complexity to the series we know and love.
For those who are sent home before using their Hidden Immunity Idols or advantages, likely as the result of a blindside, castaways tend to joke about going home with “an Idol in their pocket,” but is that actually the case? Keep scrolling to find out whether or not castaways are able to bring their unused Hidden Immunity Idols and advantages home after being eliminated on Survivor.
To the surprise of Survivor superfans from coast to coast, ousted castaways used to be able to keep their Hidden Immunity Idols and advantages if they were voted off without putting them into play, however, this was abolished in more recent years. While we were unable to find a specific season in which this rule was implemented, it was likely before Survivor: Ghost Island filmed in 2017.
As one can assume, this one-of-a-kind season introduced Ghost Island, “a secluded location similar to Exile Island, where castaways were banished for short periods. The island was decorated with mementos and props from previous seasons of Survivor, including torch snuffers and Hidden Immunity Idols.”
The relics features within Survivor: Ghost Island were as follows:
- Sarah Lacina‘s “Steal a Vote Advantage” from Survivor: Game Changers
- Sierra Dawn Thomas’s “Legacy Advantage” from Survivor: Game Changers
- J.T. Thomas’ unplayed Hidden Immunity Idol from Survivor: Game Changers
- Andrea Boehlke’s unplayed Hidden Immunity Idol from Survivor: Caramoan
- James Clement’s unplayed Hidden Immunity Idol from Survivor: China
- David Wright‘s fake Hidden Immunity Idol from Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X
- Ozzy Lusth’s fake Hidden Immunity Idol from Survivor: Micronesia
- Erik Reichenbach’s Immunity Necklace from Survivor: Micronesia
- Scot Pollard’s and Tai Trang’s “Super Idol” from Survivor: Kaôh Rōng
- Malcolm Freberg’s advantage for the Final Immunity Challenge from Survivor Philippines
In order to obtain these relics, assumed that they are the real deal and not replicas, the Survivor producers either had to call the former contestants and ask for their Hidden Immunity Idols and advantages back, or simply start confiscating them upon their elimination. In fact, longtime host Jeff Probst admitted that they now take back any Hidden Immunity Idols and advantages before a contestant leaves Fiji once and for all, just in case they want to repurpose them someday.
He shared in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, “Several years ago, we realized that we might want to use those idols again in the future for one of our creative ideas, so now we take them back and keep them… I know it sounds so harsh, but ideas are everything on Survivor, and we like as many options as possible.”
Because of this, could there be a second season of Survivor: Ghost Island in the future? Only time will tell…
Survivor superfans can stream all 45 seasons of the beloved competition series, including Survivor: Ghost Island, on Paramount Plus now.