The True “Rite of Passage” — ‘Survivor’ Castaways Who Have Passed After Playing

In 2000, the world of reality television changed forever when Survivor made it to the air. The first season created some icons, such as Richard Hatch and Sue Hawk, and the pattern followed. But in its 46 seasons, 24 years, and 697 different contestants, several (not seven) have sadly died since appearing on the show.

Luckily, there have never been any in-game deaths (although a few players have come close!) but we still want to remember those who have passed on. In earlier seasons of Survivor, the Final Two or Three would remember the castaways whose torches were snuffed in the Rites of Passage. So here’s our “Rite of Passage” dedicated to all of the CBS show’s deaths.

Rudy was a fan-favorite from the very beginning of Survivor, which is why he was called back to play on All-Stars. To this day, he still holds the record for the oldest person to ever play Survivor, playing his first season at 72 years old and his second season at 75 years old. That's pretty impressive — many 75-year-olds can barely walk let alone play Survivor! And Rudy lived another impressive 19 years. He passed away at 91 years old in 2019 from Alzheimer's complications.

B.B. played in Season 1, Borneo, like Rudy but was voted out at his tribe's first tribal council. Many of his tribe members were younger, and they didn't appreciate his "abrasive" attitude. And B.B. even said he didn't mind going home, so in a near-unanimous vote, he was sent home. But he's still part of the Survivor legacy! He died at 77 years old in 2013 from brain cancer.

Season 5 aka Thailand isn't considered one of the show's greatest seasons, but Clay was instrumental in the outcome. He aligned with Brian Heidik, who then brought him to the Final Two, but in a 5-4 final vote, Clay was the season's runner-up. At just 66 years old, Clay passed away in 2022 after a short illness. Just months earlier, Clay's wife died of COVID-19 complications.

In Season 6, The Amazon, tribes were divided by gender. Roger was the oldest member of the boys' tribe but was voted out at the merge. One of the most memorable voting confessionals came with podcaster Rob Cesternino when he voted out Roger, fed up with Roger's "mean old man" behavior singing Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." But in October 2022, Roger passed away from Lewy Body Dementia at 76 years old.

While the others who have passed away were in their later years, Jenn died of breast cancer at just 37 years old in January 2010. She competed only a few years earlier in Survivor: Palau, where she placed fourth. Because of a tied vote, Jenn became the first player to lose a Final Four fire-making challenge. But that's not the only memorable thing about her game. Her showmance with Gregg Carey was the talk of the season. She was sadly the first Survivor player to pass away, and several castaways have since spoken highly of her.

In addition to Jenn's premature death, fellow Palau player Angie Jakusz also passed away from cancer. Tatted and pierced, fellow castaways judged Angie from the outset and picked her last in the schoolyard tribe pick. However, she was able to come back and jive with several players, but she was voted out in a double tribal council on Day 12. At 40 years old, Angie died of a rare form of squamous cell colorectal cancer in January 2021.

Despite her early exit from Survivor: China, Ashley was a memorable player who came into the game with years of fighting training under her belt. A professional WWE fighter, she also appeared in a Playboy issue and later became a radio DJ for 94.3 The Shark. During her Survivor appearance, Ashley fell ill and was the second contestant sent home when she felt too ill to continue the game. Ashley died in May 2019 at 39 years old, allegedly by suicide although that was never fully confirmed.

Dan played on Survivor: Gabon, but not for long. He ended up on Exile Island early in the game, and when he was swapped to the Kota tribe, they decided to vote him out just in case he found an idol (he didn't). He died of "unspecified circumstances" on New Year's Eve at 40 years old in his home in 2016. Fans have speculated that he died of suicide, an overdose, or a heart attack, but his cause of death has never been revealed.

Dan Lembo was one of the older players to play Survivor, partaking in Survivor: Nicaragua, in the "older" tribe. He brought his New Yorker energy to the beach and found a way to vibe with his fellow players, making it all the way to the Final Five. His Survivor performance was memorable and full of emotion. He died at 75 years old of progressive supranuclear palsy in September 2022.

Quite the character, Ralph was a big part of the downfall of Russell Hantz in Survivor: Redemption Island after he found the hidden immunity idol. He often spelled contestants' names wrong when voting them out and was voted out in 9th place after the merge and losing the Redemption Island duel. He died in April 2022 of a heart attack at 56 years old.

Caleb Bankston joined the cast of Survivor: Blood vs. Water to play alongside his fiancé, Colton Cumbie, who's one of the most hated Survivor players of all time. Colton left the season early, but Caleb went into 9th place and served on the jury thanks to his other alliances. Sadly, Caleb died at just 27 years old in June 2014 because of a work-related accident in which he fell when a train derailment occurred. He and Colton were set to marry in October 2014.

Cliff came into Survivor: Cagayan with 18 years in the NBA under his belt. On the Brawn tribe, Cliff was considered a major threat in the game, so after a tribe swap gave some players the opportunity, they voted him out in a blindside. He died at 53 years old in August 2020 after a journey with lymphoma.

One of Survivor's most memorable players from the "New School" era, Keith's death had a huge impact on the Survivor community. He first played on Survivor: San Juan Del Sur with his son Wes, but people gravitated towards Keith thanks to his authenticity and charisma, helping him finish in fourth place. The fans voted for him to play again on Second Chance, where he placed fifth. He died in April 2023 at 62 years old, three months after his family learned he had cancer.

Sunday took on a motherly role in Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X, and was able to use those relationships to get to seventh place, but her social strategy was too much of a threat. On the show, she discussed her journey with surviving breast cancer. But sadly, cancer returned in 2020 in the form of esophageal and ovarian cancer. She died a year later in April 2021 at just 50 years old.

May all former Survivor contestants who have died rest in power as our condolences stay with their friends and families.

New episodes of Survivor air every Wednesday on CBS at 8 p.m. EST.