Board 8 > darkx ranks the 35 casting archetypes of Survivor contestants

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Underleveled
05/18/19 8:18:36 PM
#1:


I read the following topic on another Survivor board and was immediately intrigued:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/unspoilededgicersunite/the-35-basic-casting-archetypes-of-survivor-illust-t120.html#p36623

I've always noticed many of these archetypes but never thought to categorize it as neatly as this person did (including giving everyone a subtype). While there are bits and pieces here and there that I disagree with, for the most part I think this is pretty spot-on which is very impressive given the nearly 600 people he/she had to analyze and distribute.

So I figured why not give a ranking a go? After all, I have some fairly divergent opinions in the Survivor topics (to a degree; I actually finished dead center on the outlier list in the rankdown, essentially meaning I have the most even blend of uniqueness and conformity). Knowing which character archetypes I am typically attracted to may help answer some of the "how can you like/not like this season/character" questions once and for all.

Note that this is NOT a comprehensive ranking. Meaning, just because I like/dislike an archetype doesn't mean I like/dislike every single person in that archetype. There is not a single archetype on this list that does not have at least one person that I actively enjoy, nor a single one from which I actively enjoy every single member (there are a couple that don't have anybody that I actively dislike but do have a few people that I am apathetic to). Furthermore I think that certain subtypes can bring out the best in an archetype that I generally dislike, or the worst in an archetype that I generally like. And I think it speaks volumes when I like a character that belongs to an archetype that I generally dislike, or vice-versa.

And finally, this is where I CURRENTLY stand on each archetype. There are some archetypes that I used to enjoy but began to dislike as my opinions changed, and vice versa. There are also some archetypes that I think were utilized well in early seasons but not so much in modern seasons, and vice versa. And I'll go ahead and say this - picking a bottom two was very easy, and picking a top 4 was very easy. Beyond those two extremes, there is a LOT of room for moving around that may differ with time.
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darkx
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CoolCly
05/18/19 8:21:44 PM
#2:


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is this the same thing as that podcast Rob does with Angie Chaunce on character types?
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Underleveled
05/18/19 8:23:39 PM
#3:


CoolCly posted...
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is this the same thing as that podcast Rob does with Angie Chaunce on character types?

Maybe? I'm not too familiar with it.

Ah well. I was going to be sure to C&P the definitions of each archetype and list all members alongside my write-ups anyway since this isn't something that's like, a definite part of the show list a list of seasons; it's fanmade.
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darkx
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Mega Mana
05/18/19 10:20:05 PM
#4:


Tag
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banananor
05/18/19 10:24:02 PM
#5:


i haven't looked at the list (requires registration), but do you think the archetypes are determined after the fact by the editors or do they pick people that essentially 'volunteer' for them
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Underleveled
05/19/19 11:04:36 AM
#6:


For the most part this is on the casting department but there are definitely certain "traps" that the editors fall into with many archetypes, as well as many archetypes that some people seem to feel obligated to fulfill.
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darkx
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Underleveled
05/19/19 11:34:48 AM
#7:


35. The Mentalist

The Mentalist archetype is an intellectual man that can range widely in age. If he is a superfan, he is generally a bit older in age than the Know-It-All. If he is younger in age, he is still a braniac but less of a fan of the show. Much of the time, men from this archetype have an Ivy League education and have a lot of book smarts. Very cerebral, they are always thinking of and anticipating scenarios.


Members:
Alex Angarita, David Murphy, Greg Buis, Gregg Carey, Jaison Robinson, James Lim, Ken Hoang, Max Dawson, Neal Gottlieb, Nick Brown, Yul Kwon

As a subtype:
Anthony Robinson, Bradley Kleihege, Brian Corridan, Bobby Mason, Christian Hubicki, Dave Ball, Earl Cole, Jeremy Crawford, John Cochran, Josh Canfield, Malcolm Freberg, Peter Baggenstos, Rafe Judkins, Sean Rector, Spencer Bledsoe, Stephen Fishbach, Tyler Fredrickson, Wendell Holland, Yau-Man Chan


Ive got one word for this archetype. You all know what Im about to say, lets all sing it together in unison - GAMEBOT. More so than any other archetype, this one is the most susceptible to producing a pure unadulterated gamebot. This is the type of guy who has never seen the show but thinks he knows how to play the perfect game. This guy is usually a great example of my complaints about a character/episode/season being devoid of personality and filled only with strategy talk. Sorry, but rational, diplomatic gameplay does not entertain me on this or any similar show. They usually bring a certain cockiness with them thats neither over-the-top or ironic enough to be hilarious, nor deserved enough to feel satisfying when they get the better of their opponents. Now its not ALL bad - the Mentalist/Snarky Sneak or Mentalist/Trickster combinations can be pretty amusing, and its often hilarious when someone who boasts about their high level education or intellectual career turns out to be completely inept at the strategic game. But as a rule, this archetype defines your calm, chess-playing strategist that is pretty much the backbone of what I hate about many modern seasons.
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darkx
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Mewtwo59
05/19/19 11:48:56 AM
#8:


How did Boston Rob avoid being classified as this when it's literally the nickname Phillip gave him?
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Underleveled
05/19/19 11:50:02 AM
#9:


Mewtwo59 posted...
How did Boston Rob avoid being classified as this when it's literally the nickname Phillip gave him?

Because he fits another archetype really, really well to the point where he himself practically coined it.
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darkx
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Underleveled
05/19/19 12:08:12 PM
#10:


34. The Mafioso

The Mafioso archetype is the man cast on a season to play the godfather role on a tribe. He uses intimidation as a strategic tactic, frightening his tribemates into doing his bidding. You're either with him or against him, and if you're against him, know that your days in the game are numbered.


Members:
Boston Rob Mariano, Dan Wardog DaSilva, Domenick Abbate, James Rocky Reid, Joe Mena, Kyle Jason, Rodney Lavoie Jr., Russell Hantz, Tony Vlachos

As a subtype:
Chris Daugherty, Scot Pollard


I debated for a long time whether to have this one really low or just kinda low. I ultimately settled for really low because, while I recognize that this archetype is good at producing big characters and absolutely has its place on the show, these characters can easily ruin a season and their increased presence in recent seasons is becoming irksome from all angles to a point that I cannot ignore. I mean, I cant say in good conscience that this archetype has, for better or worse, ever produced a casting dud. I cant look at any of these guys and ask myself what on earth did casting see in them? and thats not something I can say for many of these archetypes, even the smaller ones. But that leads to one of the biggest problems of this archetype - the editors become too reliant on them to carry a season. These guys can so easily dominate a season not just strategically, but in the edit to the point where the confessional count is uncomfortably off-balance, robbing us of potentially good characters in some of the underrated archetypes. Furthermore, this archetype is highly susceptible to imitation - Id actually consider some of the more recent members of this archetype, particularly Jason and Wardog, to be wannabes of this archetype rather than the archetype itself (which generally leads to them coming off more as just plain bullies rather than Godfather-like strategists). Theyre also becoming really easy to identify. If you see a guy in his 30s who is bald/shaven, broad-shouldered, and has a thick northeastern accent, hes probably been cast to fill this archetype, and he knows it. But the worst thing about this archetype is that they, their fans, and even many of the producers, think that this is the right way to play Survivor, and that anyone who can get to the end using this strategy ought to be automatically rewarded with the money, regardless of their faults and failures, or the merits of the other finalists, leading to frequent cries of _____ got screwed that last long after their season is a distant memory. This is one of the two archetypes that has been actively made worse for me by the fanbase, hindering my enjoyment of what can produce some pretty funny characters when paired with a subtype that allows it, like the Wacky Wildcard or the Freelancer.
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darkx
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mcflubbin
05/19/19 12:12:44 PM
#11:


Tag.
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Peridiam
05/19/19 12:21:22 PM
#12:


Yeah, just from reading the topic title and I knew it was maddog's list. He's all over Unspoiled Edgic and his archetype analysis may be his best stuff.
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Inviso
05/21/19 8:28:19 PM
#13:


Why the hell was Victoria under the "femme fatale" archetype?
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Inviso
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Peridiam
05/21/19 8:30:51 PM
#14:


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Inviso
05/21/19 8:34:06 PM
#15:


Social Butterfly or Perceptive Perfectionist
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Inviso
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PrinceKaro
05/21/19 8:49:43 PM
#16:


So when is the 'Dumb Bimbo Model That Does Literally Nothing' archetype gonna drop?
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