The winner of Survivor: Winners at War has just been crowned! Cagayan winner Tony Vlachos ended up taking home the title of Sole Survivor and the $2 million prize. At first, Tony was seen as unlikely winner, as his first season of Survivor included high-paced gameplay that often veered closely to chaos. He constructed spy shacks, blindsided his own allies, and even swore on his badgeand then lied. When Tony returned for Game Changers, it was clear that his castaways didn't trust his aggressive gameplay, and he was the second person voted out of the season.
However, Winners at War saw Tony refine his gameplay, and he kept a low profile during the first half of the game. He again teamed up with his Cops 'R Us partner Sarah, and his tribe saw him as more of comic relief (remember that funny tree ladder) than a threat. At the merge, Tony began playing harder, and he devised a plan to keep bigger threats around to keep his alliance safe. And while he did go against Sarah and his alliance for one vote (resulting in Sophie's elimination), he managed to keep the tribe's goodwill, and amazingly, he was the only castaway on Winners at War to not receive a vote against him. He also won four immunity challenges, and at the final four he won the fire making challenge against Sarah. During the final tribal council, Tony was funny and level-headed, and he ended up getting 12 votes out of 16 to win the season.
Fans on social media are happy with Tony's win, with many of them referring to the New Jersey native as the new king to Sandra's queen.
Tony Vlachos No votes against him Four immunity wins Fire challenge comeback Spy nests The KING of Survivor #survivor #survivorfinale pic.twitter.com/DkIR3BsN4w Cory Miller (@c_mill781)
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a King!!! #Survivor40 #SurvivorFinale pic.twitter.com/JjLLXHPm2h Alberto (@AlbyMorgante)
when i tell you i SCREAMED #Survivor #SurvivorFinale pic.twitter.com/qwmfLwdRsi Drew Boehmker (@IfUSeekDrew)
This season of Survivor also included a rare focus on gender bias , and while fans are happy that Tony won, his victory marks the sixth win in a row for a man on the show. Tony deserves his win, but the way we talk about and view women on Survivor needs to change .
Additionally, viewers are unhappy that Michele got no votes at the final tribal council, and Tony himself spoke up about the lack of respect for Michele's gameplay, especially since she is now the "only winner to play multiple times and make it to Final Tribal Council each time without getting voted out or leaving the game," as one Twitter user pointed out .
Tony giving Winchele the respect she deserves #Survivor pic.twitter.com/zWyUIm3exq taylorallen133 (@TaylorAllen133)
raise your hand if you think Michele deserved to be more than a 3rd place finisher with zero votes. #survivor #survivorfinale pic.twitter.com/sQrF6zVSzW mikey | #StupidLove (@resilienceisme)
she was a but they couldnt poem read #survivor pic.twitter.com/IBO1VERLon molIy (@perfectsveIvet)
However, one sore spot for fans this season is still the Edge of Extinction twist. When the twist was first introduced for season 38,
viewers didn't like it
, and it seems like this second go-around has also intensified their feelings. Natalie is a respected player, and the work she put in on the edge was amazing, but it does seem unfair that the person that was first voted out of the game came back just days before the finale and got second place.
#Survivor should stop with Edge of Extinction though. It is a broken mechanic that really catapults the last returning player deep into the game with a massive massive advantage. Donne Maniago (@donnemaniago)
The season finale showed why Edge of Extinction is such a bad, terrible, horrible twist. Nothing against Natalie, who played the cards she was dealt with, but it's absolutely ridiculous that the 1st boot got 2nd place. #Survivor Daniel (@thedan41)
Now that #Survivor #WinnersAtWar is over, can we bury Edge of Extinction forever? The fire tokens can keep, nice to see more scheming for these. Jason (@J_ppoh)
All in all, Winners at War was an amazing season, and while the current coronavirus pandemic has put a halt on season 41, host Jeff Probst is already calling for people to submit their applications for season 43.