Template:Gameplay Returning Players in Survivor Fan Characters offers the opportunity for former contestants to play the game again.
History
This concept was first utilized in Survivor Fan Characters 6: All-Stars, where twenty previous castaways were brought back for another chance at winning the game. Of the twenty castaways, none of them were winners, but were considered to be among the most remarkable of their respective seasons.
The concept was then used again four seasons later in Survivor Fan Characters 10: Battle of the Tribes, bringing back twenty previous contestants for another chance at winning the game. In addition, the season also brought back one tribe from the three most recent seasons, and divided each returning player to their respective previous tribe, with the exception of one new tribe that was made up of five players who had competed in one (or two) of the first six seasons.
Survivor Fan Characters 16: Blood vs. Water brought back ten returning castaways, who would compete against their loved ones. However, each castaway would compete individually, so a castaway would still be in the game even after their partner was voted out.
While not intentional, Survivor Fan Characters 17: Alola also accidentally ended up using this format due to production overlooking that one of the contestants they had cast had already competed on the show before. However, this wasn't figured out until after the season had begun.
Success in the Game
Not all returning players are known to be as successful on their second time playing the game.
Returning Players by Season
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Trivia
- Minerva Mink is the first player to return multiple times, thus making her the first castaway to play three times.
- She was followed by Bonnie Quinn and Vinnie Reid in Blood vs. Water.
- Slash the Hedgehog is the only returning player to be the sole returnee of his season, incidentally he is also the only returning player whose comeback was unintentional on production's part.
- Bitsy Mitzi and Jackie are the only returning players to win a future season.
- Baxter, Bonnie Quinn, and Kris are the only finalists who have made the merge in their second season.
- Brains vs. Brawns has generated the most returning players with six.
- It is also the only season to be represented with every instance of this format.
- The Cursed Islands is known for having some of the worst statistics for returning players, as all of the season's returnees have failed to finish in the upper half of their second season.
- So far, every returning player who had initially failed to reach the Jury phase of the game in their original season has reached this phase in their second season.
- In spite of this, Emilee Vega is the only returning player whose failed to reach the Merge two consecutive times.
- So far, no winners have ever returned to compete in a future season.
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