The Winner of 'Survivor 49' Is Revealed Mike BloomDecember 18, 2025 at 4:53 AM 0 Jeff Probst opened tonight's threehour finale of Survivor 49 by talking about the two very different forms loyalty took in the season. The game started out with buff colors essentially tattooed on the players, voting primarily by dedication to their original groups. The postmerge, however, was completely the opposite, with evershifting dynamics and targets changing by the episode. The exception was one motley trio who battled from being down 73 to making up the advantage at the Final Five.
- - The Winner of 'Survivor 49' Is Revealed
Mike BloomDecember 18, 2025 at 4:53 AM
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Jeff Probst opened tonight's three-hour finale of Survivor 49 by talking about the two very different forms loyalty took in the season. The game started out with buff colors essentially tattooed on the players, voting primarily by dedication to their original groups. The postmerge, however, was completely the opposite, with ever-shifting dynamics and targets changing by the episode. The exception was one motley trio who battled from being down 7-3 to making up the advantage at the Final Five. But even they were not immune to disloyalty bug, as competing interests led to a fight for the first-place finish.Check out our spoiler-filled recap for more information about the results from tonight's finale episode below, including who won.
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Who won Survivor 49?
'Survivor 49' contestant Savannah LouieRobert Voets/CBSSavannah Louie
Nate Moore described Savannah best as a "little dynamo." The former reporter was getting the scoop from the jump, becoming one of the key decision-makers in every premerge vote she attended. When the merge hit, however, she was suddenly left blindsided and on the outs, feeling as used and abused as her personal belongings by her competition. But it's in that moment that Savannah accessed a different gear that even she may not realize she had. The smallest person this season was the biggest threat in challenges, tying an all-time record for women. And even when she wasn't safe, she still enjoyed safety, able to work alongside her core trio to consistently swing the game in her favor. Every single time Savannah was not immune, she received votes, even getting thrown into Final Four firemaking. Yet every time, she persisted. And while her overall social game may not have been top-notch, as she put it, the relationships she worked on were the key ones. And they were the ones to get her the Page 1 headline, winning Survivor 49.
Who was voted off on Survivor 49 tonight?
'Survivor 49' contestant Sophi BalerdiRobert Voets/CBSSophi Balerdi
Any plans Sophi Balerdi had going into the game were thrown out the minute she looked at the other five people around her. A part of this season's "disaster tribe," she played quickly and played hard, locking in with tight allies early on to keep her safe. One of only two Kele tribe members remaining, she got her saving grace in the swap, as well as her two most important connections in the game: Savannah and Rizo. She was adopted as essentially a new member of Uli, while also being able to separate herself enough to maintain relationships outside of the red tribe.That came immensely in handy when the trio suddenly wound up at the bottom in the postmerge. Sophi was able to weaponize her social game, however, making the others believe that she was with them to allow her and her allies to skate by unscathed week after week. Despite their success, Sophi was dreading the idea of sitting next to the other two on Day 26, considering the flashy games they both played. And so, in a postmerge full of blindsides and betrayals, she made the final one. After an incredible come-from-behind win in the final Immunity Challenge, she used her power to put Rizo and Savannah in fire against each other. Unfortunately, Sophi's fears of sitting in the end with Savannah came to fruition. And despite putting up an admirable fight in the Final Three, the smallest person in the cast came up short.
'Survivor 49' contestant Sage Ahrens-NicholsRobert Voets/CBSSage Ahrens-Nichols
It only makes sense that ten-year Army veteran Sage Ahrens-Nichols play Survivor 49 as a covert operation. Many thought the clinical social worker was just an oddball obsessed with bodily functions. But in actuality, those farts were just a smokescreen, obscuring the skills from her degree in Intelligence Operations Studies. And she struck when the iron was hot the minute she entered the fires of Tribal Council, getting her first victim in frenemy Shannon Fairweather.As topsy-turvy as the postmerge was, it was remarkably consistent for Sage. Nearly every epsiode, she knew where the votes were going, and was able to purposely guide the outcome based on what she wanted. But she was flexible as well. When Sophie Segreti helped take out her closest ally Jawan Pitts, she immediately turned on her the next round. Despite a longstanding feud with Savannah, the two became friendly in the finale, agreeing to go to the end together. On Day 26, Sage took the instructions from the jury to own up to the number of people she had backstabbed, hoping to impress by showing her secret strategic side. But, just as Sage was open the entire game about her feelings, the way she made the jury feel with her betrayals ultimately landed her in third place.
'Survivor 49' contestant Rizo VelovicRobert Voets/CBSRizo Velovic
Rizo Velovic came into Survivor 49 looking to play a game that lives up to his grandiose persona: "The man, the myth, the legend, R-I-Z-G-O-D, RizGod, baby!" The result: One of the gutsiest games in the new era. Rizo was not afraid to use whatever he had in his arsenal to get ahead, whether it be his salesman skills or his opponent's puzzle. His biggest asset, however, was a hidden immunity idol which, despite being incredibly public, he was able to hold onto for an astounding 12 rounds. It was the first round he was not safe, however, that proved to be his undoing. Despite Rizo's strategic skills, he would be the first to acknowledge two of his biggest Achilles heels: Challenges and fire. And that one-two punch hit him hard in the Final Four, as he became the last jury member in an outcome that was far from "fire."
'Survivor 49' contestant Kristina MillsRobert Voets/CBSKristina Mills
Kristina came into the second half of the game on cloud nine. She had never attended a Tribal Council in the premerge, and was quickly brought into a solid 8-person cross-tribal alliance. But things quickly fell apart for Kristina, and so did she. Feeling a strategic low transitioned to an emotional low, coming to a head before a Reward Challenge, where she had an emotional outburst over the tragic loss of her mother. As she showed immediately, however, Kristina has a remarkable resilience to get knocked over, but pull herself back up every time. Unfortunately, that tenacity made her a scary competitor to face in the endgame. And so her chances of making firemaking were extinguished, as she became the last person voted out of the game.
Will Survivor return for Season 50?
Yes!Survivor 50 will premiere on Wednesday, Feb. 26 with a special three-hour episode. And while fans wait for the highly-anticipated returnee season, they can participate in a nationwide idol hunt in the "Survivor 50 Challenge" or head down to Miami for the new version of the "Survivor Ultimate Fan Café." Not to mention the month of February will let us take a walk down memory lane, with a series of "encore episodes" highlighting different members of the historic 24-person cast!
Related: 'Survivor 49's Steven Ramm Talks That Tribal Council Chaos — And Who Hurt Him the Most (Exclusive)
This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: December 18, 2025 at 02:36AM on Source: OPERA MAG
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