Throughout reality TV history, there have been many great competition shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, Top Chef, and The Traitors. Between those shows and others, there have been many famous reality show stars, including Survivor winners and reality stars who’ve become GOATS in 2024.
Still, some reality stars who’ve competed in popular shows have truly gone down in history. While some of those reality stars have become legendary, there is one of them who stands above the rest. With that in mind, it is fascinating to look at what makes Survivor’s “Boston” Rob Mariano the most iconic reality show competitor ever.
What Makes “Boston” Rob Mariano The Most Iconic Survivor Player Ever?
Throughout the lengthy history of Survivor, there have been several players who’ve become legends of the game. For example, every Survivor fan knows who Parvati Shallow, Tony Vlachos, Sandra Diaz-Twine, and Rupert Boneham are.
Since all those players are considered legends, it could be argued that any of them are the most iconic Survivor players. On top of that, several other players would be in the running, including Cirie Fields and Richard Hatch.
Given that arguments could be made for each of those players, that begs an obvious question. What makes Rob Mariano Survivor’s most iconic player ever? While that obviously is up for debate, the fact is that there are several reasons to call Rob Survivor’s most iconic player.
The first piece of evidence that paints Rob as Survivor’s most iconic player is how many times he has played the game. In May 2021, Screen Rant published an article about which Survivors have played during the most seasons. That article revealed that Rob has played in the most seasons since he competed 5 times.
How successful was Rob Mariano during Survivor?
Season: | Placement: |
|---|---|
Survivor: Marquesas | 7th Voted Out |
Survivor: All-Stars | Runner-Up |
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains | 8th Voted Out |
Survivor: Redemption Island | Sole Survivor |
Survivor: Winners at War | 6th Voted Out/16th Place |
It also is worth noting that Rob was a major part of season 6 since he played a memorable role in Survivor: Island of the Idols. Rob’s role during that season is further proof of what makes Rob Survivor’s most iconic player.
As Survivor’s host, producer, and showrunner, Jeff Probst spends a lot of time figuring out how to maximize the show’s ratings. With that in mind, it speaks volumes about how iconic Rob and Sandra are that Jeff went to great lengths to have them on the show again.
For anyone who doesn’t know, Rob and Sandra appeared during Survivor: Island of the Idols to give the season’s players advice. Most Survivor fans agree that the Island of the Idols concept was a flop. That makes sense when Jeff spoke to Entertainment Weekly in September 2019, he explained that the Island of the Idols concept was only an excuse to have Rob and Sandra back on the show.
“The germ of the idea came simply from how do you make them say yes?”
Not only has Jeff repeatedly chosen to involve Rob in Survivor as much as possible, the show’s fans have also made their love for him obvious. For example, fans made their devotion to “Boston” Rob obvious after the creation of the Survivor Hall of Fame.
Originally created in 2010, the Survivor Hall of Fame had annual inductions until 2016. Over that time, 20
Survivor
players and three memorable tribal council sessions were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Created by Xfinity TV, a subsidiary of Comcast, the Survivor Hall of Fame was voted on by fans of the show. The first year the vote took place, fans could vote by commenting on a post with the names of any players they believed should be inducted. That first year, 5 players were inducted based on those fan votes and Rob was one of them.
The fact that Survivorfans named Rob as one of the first players who needed to be inducted into the Hall of Fame says a lot.
On top of all that, it is also worth noting that Rob has almost always been named as one of Survivor’s best players ever. For example, a Ranker list formulated by fan votes names Rob as the 2nd best Survivor player ever. The only player who beat Rob in that ranking is Tony Vlachos, one of only 2 players ever to win Survivor twice.
Between how many times Rob has played, Jeff wanting him back, his Hall of Fame status, and fans naming him as one of the best ever, he is Survivor’s most iconic player.
What Makes “Boston” Rob Mariano The Most Iconic Reality Show Competitor Ever?
While stating that Rob Mariano is the most iconic Survivor player is a big deal, that pales in comparison to this claim. After all, calling Rob the most iconic reality show competitor ever requires strong evidence.
The first thing that needs to be considered is how iconic Survivor is as a reality show. After all, if Survivor is the most iconic reality show ever, that is strong evidence that its most iconic player is the most iconic reality show competitor ever. That begs an obvious question, is Survivor the most iconic reality competition show ever?
The first reason to believe that Survivor is the most iconic reality competition show is that it popularized reality shows in general. While reality shows like The Real World aired first, they didn’t inspire the other networks to produce similar shows. However, in December 2009, CBS News reported that the finale of Survivor’s first season was the second most-watched television episode of the 2000s. After Survivor: Borneo’s finale was watched by 51.7 million people, it seemed like every network rushed reality shows into production.
On top of that, when Ranker published an article giving fans to vote on what the best reality competition show ever is, Survivor took the top spot. That is further proof that Survivor is the most iconic reality competition show ever, which is an argument for Rob being the most iconic reality show competitor ever.
The final piece of evidence that Rob is the most iconic reality TV competitor ever is that he is famous for more than just Survivor. While Survivor is Rob’s biggest claim to fame, other TV show producers have seen his appeal and cast him as a part of their competition shows.
In the past, Rob has competed on Deal or No Deal Island as well as multiple seasons of The Amazing Race. According to a June 2024 Variety article, Rob will also be a part of The Traitors US season 3 when it airs.
Of course, it is impossible to definitively state that Rob is the most iconic reality show competitor ever. However, it seems very likely that is the case, since there is so much evidence that indicates that is the case.
