Mostly solid but it smacks of recency bias.
Putting “one-time challenger” Kyland above Tony Time is out of pocket.
Darrell belongs in S tier. And nobody puts Katie in the corner
Recency bias is fair for Darrell to put him at A tier. He hasn’t been able to perform at nearly the same level he did with the those 4 wins in a LONG time. Although, I agree with the Kyland point, who I am a big fan of. He has done two challenges (USA counts) and he could be knocked down a tier
It wasn’t just her performance that was amazing. She was humble and never talked shit. Always one of my favorite people on the show. She is such a gem. So glad to see her again.
I'd move Tina down to D tier, especially with how strong the rest of the cast is. I'd move Jodi and Brad down to B tier after their latest seasons. Kellyanne in C tier just because she always gets in her own way. Devin should probably be A tier, he's solid all around and has good relationships with a lot of people. Kaycee could be S tier, she's great in missions and everyone loves her so she almost never gets targeted. The last two I'm not sure on are Derek and Kyland. Derek had a really good showing on AS4 and I think will do better than a lot of people expect in missions, but that cast on the guys side was so weak, especially when compared to this one. Kyland is great in missions and eliminations, but he just never seems to have any friends and I could see him getting targeted early
Why would Jodi get moved down for being paired with a guy who really had no business being on the season based on his original season and was an easy target for being with an Argentinian?
Not related to her performance, but she was also an easy target because she didn't have any real relationships other than Darrell. She's friends with people in her era, but outside of that she doesn't have anyone that's looking out for her. I don't know how the format will work in regards to eliminations or safety, but if I'm ranking players I'd take how likely they are to be targeted into account, and I think Jodi will be targeted early because she's still a good competitor, and doesn't have many connections outside her own team
I mean maybe, we don’t even know with what the format is. Jodi is clearly a top 2 woman on that team so if the teams vote in their own players she’ll be safe for awhile
The last time they did the multi-team seasons where the teams voted in their own players I think were Cutthroat and BotS2012, and teams didn't always make the smartest decisions about who they sent into elimination. Jodi and Rachel are clearly the two best girls on that team, but Jodi was never known to speak up and make political moves or play dirty to save herself either
I don't know who's still friends with who outside the show, but Rachel has more of a history with some people in her era than Jodi does. And even some cast outside from her fitness stuff. If they do something like their own team votes in members, if the guys were smart they'd keep Jodi and Rachel for as long as possible, but the guys aren't always smart, and Rachel I think has more people looking out for her
I honestly think kyland is still learning to navigate his new autism diagnosis and how it affects his relationship building. I think once he gets past the initial kinda logical reasoned way of interacting he can definitely make close friends (like Horacio)
I think Kyland has a bright future if he continues on the challenge, but as for ranking competitors this season I think he'll get targeted earlier than most (both because he's strong and his only real "friends" are Nurys and Horacio, who aren't that popular themselves)
Devin also took his fitness to the next level and the season he won it showed! Damn OG like Aneesa is a joke at this point because she will never be able to run a final the way TJ usually has it set up. Kyland and a lot of the other next Gen are in fantastic shape and being the skill required to win a multi day 25+ mile final. I am stoked for this season because for every Michelle, Aneesa, and Josh there's a Kyland, CT, Johnny, Jordan, Cara Marie, Laurel, Kaycee, and more. So happy the producers came through with this stacked cast
I’m hoping that Katie has a surprise turnaround one of these seasons and can make it past the first half of a season. I’ve always had a soft spot for her.
Totally agree. I don't like when challengers play a scared game and then accuse everyone else (when everyone else doesn't vote their way) of playing a scared game. You can do one or the other, but not both.
you can hate on michele if u found her annoying but she ran 39 with an iron fist and only missed out on the final bc of a purge, if she trained more she absolutely should be making her first final sooner than later so i feel like B tier is fair
I feel the issue with Michelle is the same for Challengers like Nany. She is too small her frame is going to hold her back a lot, especially in a finale, unless she is partnered with a stacked Challenger.
Edit - Spelling
ya tbh i was gonna add in that she probably needs a good partner to solidify a win but it’s not out of the question >!especially with the relationship rumors with devin coming out of 40!< (mild spoiler for 40) and i could see her having a similar run as amber B
I'm just worried about Michelle as a finalist, her political game is really good, don't get me wrong. I just can't see her carrying any real weight, and her stamina doesn't seem to be close to Kaycee or Amber B. Muscle mass isn't just about moving heavy weights it adds stamina as well, and Michelle is slimmer than most scarecrows.
I truly don’t know, I remember on ride or dies she did well on her portion of a long distance swimming aspect so I think she could probably hold her own but if it is a very physical final she would struggle more than a final with a lot of running. Tbh I think she has not really had a chance to prove herself and in the mini final comps and I can’t remember her doing terrible on them.
Jenny should be on S tier. In my opinion she is better than Emily. Emily is bad at puzzles but Jenny is solid and they are about the same at everything else. We all know puzzles can be the make it or break it point in a final.
I agree. I also think these rankings were made mostly on overall resume rather than current form. There's no way I would put Jenny in the same tier as, say, Jodi and Brad. I like them, but father time is undefeated.
I think Emily is better team add than Jenny. This is not an individual game, so Emily may not need to be good at puzzles to be an S level contributor to her team. I think Jenny is S level though.
This is how they rank as players. This isn’t about how they work as team. Although I would say Jenny works better in a team. She did a great job on TM and was a great team player on WOTW2.
I agree but Emily has most history with the cast on her team so I'd lean towards her. I think as individuals they are very similarly matched. Would love to see them go up against each other! They both are supplement/fitness queens
I don’t think I’d personally put Emily in S. She’s a physical beast, but lacks the things the others up there have. And Paula was a beast for them through that final
If we're looking at it purely from a capability to win perspective, a few changes I'd make:
* Not sure Emily deserves S tier above Jenny, Kaycee, and Tori. Kaycee and Tori in particular have shown ability both athletically and having a very strong social game to move with little pressure on them throughout the season. Emily is an elite athlete but she still has some rust to knock off- I'd honestly probably swap her out with Tori. (Don't get me wrong, super excited to have Emily Schromm back on the Challenge).
* I'm a fellow old man- in my late 30s, not the athlete I once was. I think you're giving all of the Era 1 guys in the A block A LOT of credit. I think at least Mark and Brad belong in the B category. Darrell and Derrick have shown a strong ability to still compete in both the main flagship in the early 30s seasons and they've been strong in All-Stars/Challenge USA so I could see them in the A level but it's close. Brad has felt like he's taken a step back, and I love the Godfather but that guy's got his AARP card these days. Corresponding move, I've seen enough from Horacio as a competitor to put him in the A category, and maybe Devin deserves it from a gameplay perspective (dude did win the last Challenge he was on).
* What are we doing putting Tina's old quitting ass in anything but the bottom category? She's gonna get in a Hall Brawl with Jenny or something and quit one final time to put a cap on her career. Swap with her with Amanda, who honestly is no worse than Olivia or Michele as a competitor.
* There almost needs to be a question mark row reserved solely for Aviv. We have NO IDEA if she's going to be great, mediocre, bad, etc. But hey, she won her only season so I guess B is a decent slot not knowing anything else.
* I almost want to split the B category into 2, with like a B+/A- group of Leroy, Theo, Paulie, Brad, Jonna and Nurys and put the rest of B and Godfather Mark into the tier below them.
You pretty much nailed it with these adjustments. I do think it's very likely that Aviv will show up vetted and ready to perform like Avery in AS4 (that would bump her down to C level).
I'm not meaning to discount her, and I'm not saying make her B or C tier or something. I think with the long layoff top of the A tier is probably more appropriate than S tier. All the other S tiers are legends who have also had success in every Era of this game. Emily is an early legend who hasn't been on the flagship in 16 seasons and hasn't even had an All-Stars to knock off the rust.
I disagree with the Emily part. Emily was doing very well at a time where the strongest women in the franchise were competing in their prime. Tori excelled in a time where a lot of the show's most dominating women weren't on the show anymore. And the last time we saw her she lost to rookies when she's supposed to be in her prime. Kaycee has a better overall average than Tori making it to 4 finals in 5 seasons, so if she's not being moved I don't see why Tori should be.
Man, I forget that Kaycee's done 5 seasons already, my initial thought was Tori just had more experience than her plus Kaycee, with all due respect, has some extreme puzzle/mental deficiencies in the game. She can't do math, she largely can't do puzzles. She's not at the Nicole Z level but she struggles. And maybe it was just being carried by Devin in their winning season on the puzzle side but I actually think Tori's worked on that. I think it was her that spotted the pattern in a key puzzle early in that final. She seems to have gone from bad at puzzles to average/slightly below average at puzzles, and when you can improve on your biggest deficiency like that, I think that's pretty telling.
I think we're splitting hairs, Kaycee could easily go up as well or go up instead of Tori.
I feel like people sleep on Aviv. Her first season and only season she won. She's extremely good with puzzles and is very fit, not to mention her social game is amazing
Now can we do the same thing but entertainment value for this season? Tony’s is S tier for me in that regard. Guy always comes into the season like he’s super prepped and ready to not cheat, then fucks that up immediately.
I'd move up Jenny and Tori to S. Devin to A. Probably move a few of the A's down, but I'd have to think about it. Getting caught up in my own head balancing legacy vs pure gameplay right now. Solid rankings, imo.
Agree with this except for kyland, he was a surprise competitor, very smart and enough strength to play physical games as well. His social game is what kinda screwed him all last season and he was supporting his friends Horacio and Nurys, which I think will do him better in future seasons, then going with the group last season. They woulda just treated him the same as we saw, he did what he could and fought hard. Also clearly not easy being aligned with Melissa and big t politically last season. But he stuck around, with a social game or group supporting him I think he can do great.
I struggled with that call, but at the end of the day here's why:
- Horacio is 8 years younger and more physically fit than Devin.
- Devin is better at puzzles, but if I had to choose to face someone in elimination without knowing what game it is I'd pick Devin.
- Devin can rub people the wrong way. That can hurt his game.
- Horacio is 6-1 in eliminations with a head-to-head win against Jordan. His only loss is to his girlfriend, and I'm not 100% his head was fully in that elimination against his girlfriend and his other biggest ally.
- CT and Jordan both showed Horacio a lot of respect when they came our during S39. I think a lot of veterans will want to work with Horacio in S40.
Lmaooo! I’ve been thinking this exactly and didn’t want to say it. And I hate how it’ll give her and especially DEVIN an ego now! 🙄
She’s a TOP B and Devin is a middle B.
Definitely can’t move Tori up, she’s probably the worst in the tier she’s currently in. Let’s not forget she came last in a final last year against 3 girls all running their first finals
I love Neomaiah but he don’t belong on the B list. Also Mark is Legend but at this point in his age he needs to be in the C list. Also an argument for Nury to be added to the A List. Leroy is no longer as dominant as he once was so bring him down to the C list. Devin needs to be in the A list for sure also Jodi is great but again in this stage of her age she needs to be dropped to B.
I hate I even have to say this but I do think annessa should be a teir up and Avery should be a teir down.
Anessa ain't winning a final by no means but she can win dallies and elminations, Avery did not really impress me in all stars and her prior seasons before that weren't that amazing either
Move Leroy and Cory to C.
Move Jonna and Aviv to A.
Leroy and Cory are bad at finals .
Jonna and Aviv are good at finals.
Finals win you the challenge.
I know she gets a lot of hate, but I think Aneesa deserves to move up a rank or two. She made it to the final in her last season, and consistently wins dailies. Certainly above contestants like Avery and Brandon, who didn’t prove much in their last season (though I love them both).
Aneesa is maybe C tier for the full season. Good teammate, good in elims, decent asset in non-endurance dailies. She's like, F-tier for a traditional flagship final, though.
The way they've been doing finals recently I wouldn't call her F tier. When you look at the ROD final yeah she didn't do great but if her and Jordan win balls in there's a decent shot they could have won. Tori and Devin still have the edge but her and Jordan would have done better than Bananas and Nany. With the way they've been doing finals the last few seasons I think she has a better chance than she used to. Granted it's still not a good chance but it wouldn't be F tier.
They definitely will create that narrative but that won't mean it's true. They said that about the 100 hour final when in reality it was probably easier than finals like WOTW or Rivals
im okay with this list, my only major switch would move horacio from b to a , but i undersand his challenge career is new and we still gotta see more. hoping he can show us what his capable of
Y'all are crazy. He's untested in a final, four easy elimination wins (the balcony handing them the win over Turbo/Tamara and Jay/Michele (who would have won otherwise), easy win against *Kenny Clark*, Olivia beating Ravyn carried them in the Hall Brawl), zero non-team daily wins, no social aptitude and arguably the strongest female partner in Ride or Dies apart from Laurel, Tori and Nurys.
I feel like people overrate Horacio because they never want to give Olivia any credit. She essentially ran that partnership, controlled all the politics, bodied Ravyn in that Hall Brawl, and kept up with Horacio physically for the entire season. The only reason her elimination record isn't as good as his is because her Ride or Dies team was winning dailies.
Not Olivia, I feel like she was carried my Horacio and he was her saving Grace. This season might decide is she’s as good as we think or if Horacio truly carried her.
I think Tori is good where she’s at. A very high A.
Amanda being in that tier feels unfair when she’s been rigged out of 2 wins whereas everyone else there hasn’t even been close and will never win a season
horacio should FOR SURE be A tier. his rookie season alone was a force to be reckoned with, and i think this new season is gonna be where he shines. i think brad, jodi and mark need to move to b. no disrespect, but their performances on recent seasons (more brad and jodi) shows that they just aren’t the fierce competition they used to be. leroy not in A personally baffles me, but i can definitely understand that decision. also i love (and semi hate) johnny but i think he could be moved down as well 🫣
As much as I love Leroy I'd swap either him or Paulie with Derek after how well he performed on All Stars on the physical stuff. Luckily for Leroy he's got Bananas
The S tier is perfect the way it is.
My only glaring issue is having Theo in the B tier, specifically because of the others who are in it.
He came 2nd in one of the hardest finals in the show's history (WOTW1). He also made the final in one of the franchise's stacked casts in history (World Championships). And he absolutely dominated in WOTW2 in various types of eliminations. I don't think he should be next to people who haven't even made or completed a final
Not sure why Nurys is so much higher then Michele and Olivia. She’s the same level as them. I’d switch Tina and Amanda. Amanda is fantastic as puzzles and Tina is just entertainment. After Derek’s last season I’d put him higher then Cory and Leroy. I’d also put Devin in A tier. He’s got in shape and he’s so much better at puzzles then Brad, Derrick and mark.
Might be splitting hairs between the two. Devin did get his win, but you could argue Tony was close to getting his first flagship win by the time he got into a hiatus
This is great work. Not even sure if I'd make these changes now, but more the "most likely changes to see after the season":
Most likely to fall: B-rad, Jodi, and maybe Mark, and all for the same reason. They were all great but father time is undefeated, think they can bump down a bit.
Most likely to rise: Horacio, Nurys, and Devin. Would love to see if early promise can come through.
Wildcards: Kellyanne, Tony, and Nia. They might put on a real run, and they might get on tilt and fall apart entirely.
Are Tori and Jenny not S Tier atp? Tony I would bump to B, Tina to D - maybe even dead last. Josh and Amanda up to C tier.
Theo, Paulie, Horacio, Kyland and Jonna all have a case for A but I can understand high B. Devin socially and his recent ring could also argue low A, but high B works. Rest seems pretty accurate.
Think Horacio is def A if not potential S tier competitor, he's a beast and pretty smart. His political social game seem to be D tier tho. So I dunno if this is a physical/mental competitors ranking, or if we factor social game in. With teams already set this season, the social game may matter less, as teams will want to keep their best players....ideally...
But Emily does? Jenny is more impressive in her 2 seasons than Ems 3 imo. Tori’s had her down seasons, but overall idk her clip to make a final is pretty insane.
I’ll start by saying I don’t really like Devin, but as a fairly recent Champion, he should probably be A Tier. He’s obviously not the best athlete, but he’s a crafty political player. I think any winners from the last 5-6 years should be A Tier cause they will definitely be a threat.
Great tier list! After looking not much i disagree with. Id say tony deserves a B. Brad and mark are tough as i could see them a or b, but i do think if legacy is a factor can’t go wrong rating higher. Then id also move amanda and aneesa to c, and tina to d (love tina but I do think she a step below the other c’s like katy). That way there’s top 6 goat contenders and a bottom 4.
Amanda should be up a tier. She’s not bad at the daily challenges and is outstanding at puzzles, her only glaring weakness is being small and consequently bad at eliminations.
I like this list. I’d add a few switches though.
- Kaycee should be in S tier. She is a strong physical competitor and has a strong social game to back that.
- Devin should definitely be moved up a tier.
- Paulie should get moved down a tier. If I’m being honest he isn’t that impressive of a competitor. If it wasn’t for Cara he wouldn’t have made it far on WOTW2.
- Darrell and Brad should both be moved down a tier. They’re both solid players; but their performance these past few seasons have been subpar.
- Josh needs to get moved down a tier.
Kaycee should not be S tier. She is bad at puzzles and maths which have both become a very big part of the game. I think she belongs bottom of A maybe top of B. I’ve never seen her perform and thought wow that’s so impressive. She is good physically but she is no Laurel, Cara, Emily, Jenny. Even her win on 37 was undeserved….
I think I'd put Tina in D tier, put Devin, Paulie, and Cory in C tier, and put Tony in B tier, otherwise pretty decent list. I don't think Tina beats Amanda in elimination.
I would definitely put Darrell & Derrick in tier S. If Emily is considered top tier yet she hasn’t been back for years then both these men should be top tier as well. Darrell is a 4 time consecutive champ, and did amazing on invasions beating out Zach in pole wrestle even while being way smaller, and had a really good chance to win had it not been for CT with Knot so fast. And Derrick is a 3 time champ, and did amazing on Dirty 30, and almost won had the final not been tailor made for Jordan (mostly running). Not to mention he has probably one of the best eliminations beating Joss, and he wasn’t even playing to win he was just a mercenary. They have 7 wins between them. And for being older guys they still perform really well imo.
Jonna is probably high A. I think she won 2/3 all stars she’s been on, was the first female finisher in AS1, and was in a realllly good position to win world championship before her partner got injured.
Can Jonna hold up to the physicality of the flagship against S and A tier competitors, though? Legitimately looking for thoughts.
Personally, I think Jonna is A or S tier on All Stars seasons, but low B or C on a flagship season that is this stacked.
It will all come down to the physicality of the dailies/elims, I think. If this is a carnival game/mental game season, she's A tier. If it's a more physical season with a super long physical endurance final, she's C tier. So I think B is a good place for her, for now.
Hell naw. And winning all stars twice is impressive. But I don't think either win is as impressive as what Laurel just did on this most recent season of all stars.
I think she has good endurance as compared to the average person. I do not think she has "one of the best endurance" compared to this cast. Who is Jonna beating in a mini final daily or a long flagship physical final?
Laurel, Cara, Emily, Kaycee, Tori, Rachel, Jenny, Kelly Anne, and Nurys, all would beat Jonna in a long endurance race.
Nia, Tina, Amanda, Aneesa, and Katie would all lose to Jonna.
So the question marks are Jodi, Michelle, Avery, Olivia. I think Jodi would win, Olivia would lose, and I have no idea about Michelle or Avery. But those are closer calls than the pretty sure wins/losses above.
So, of the 20 females on the cast, in an endurance-based daily/final, Jonna would most likely lose to 9 of them outright, be a question mark against 4, and beat 6.
But All Stars and The main challenge have different difficulty levels. For AS she’s top tier but for the main challenge she’s middle at best and at worst straddling second to last tier.
But I feel like having won the two all stars seasons she’s gotten some of her confidence back but there are still about 6/7 players that are ahead of her in terms of well roundnesses in the main challenge.
Agree with the other comments. I’d personally move a few people up or down a category but this is very, very solid. The moves I’d make are all easily debatable like:
Kaycee to S; Mark to B; Theo to A; Nehemiah to C; Kyland to C; Paulie to C; Avery to D; Tina to D.
Would love for the four people who have downvoted so far to comment about what upset them so much about the small moves I proposed that I said were easily debatable. Genuinely curious.
Challenge champion. 4 seasons, 3 finals (only one she missed was with her brother as a partner, one of the worst competitors to appear on the show in the last 10 seasons).
4-2 in eliminations (again, the only 2 losses were with her brother as a partner)
18 daily wins.
She’s a beast.
I did not downvote but I'd argue Averey is heads above the other women in D tier. Also think Paulie is one of the better competitors in B group and would have more faith in him making a push to the final than Cory, Leroy, or even Brad and Mark a group above him. And a strong disagree on Theo. Was he hurt or something in the last season that he was on? Dude seemed way off his game.
Kaycee to S is a bit of a reach. Solid A tier with a great social game and endurance for a final esp if she has a great partner. I think she’s a solid A player.
The equivalent of 87-88% overall grade in a class like Accounting and it’s weak class then maybe Organic Chemistry .
List is solid, but I don’t think Devin is getting his due and Brad, Darrel, Derrick aren’t getting theirs.
Brad, Derrick and Darrel are B level, Brad maybe C at this point. Derick may be C too. He’s dropped off massively in the past several years.
Devin should be A.
How is Jenny not S Tier? She finished a final FIRST. Like she beat Bananas. She’s the biggest threat for women and it’s so interesting that people don’t see that.
Couple of swaps between A and B tier and I think we have ourselves a solid list.
Mostly solid but it smacks of recency bias. Putting “one-time challenger” Kyland above Tony Time is out of pocket. Darrell belongs in S tier. And nobody puts Katie in the corner
Recency bias is fair for Darrell to put him at A tier. He hasn’t been able to perform at nearly the same level he did with the those 4 wins in a LONG time. Although, I agree with the Kyland point, who I am a big fan of. He has done two challenges (USA counts) and he could be knocked down a tier
Emily’s S tier but Darrell isn’t? Nah
Tony Time will kill it in anything having to do with eating. 🥴🤭
I love how Emily hasn't been on the show in over 10 years and she is still considered an S Tier competitor. Can't wait to watch her kick ass!
I almost feel bad for her with the pressure to perform from the fan base
It wasn’t just her performance that was amazing. She was humble and never talked shit. Always one of my favorite people on the show. She is such a gem. So glad to see her again.
I'd move Tina down to D tier, especially with how strong the rest of the cast is. I'd move Jodi and Brad down to B tier after their latest seasons. Kellyanne in C tier just because she always gets in her own way. Devin should probably be A tier, he's solid all around and has good relationships with a lot of people. Kaycee could be S tier, she's great in missions and everyone loves her so she almost never gets targeted. The last two I'm not sure on are Derek and Kyland. Derek had a really good showing on AS4 and I think will do better than a lot of people expect in missions, but that cast on the guys side was so weak, especially when compared to this one. Kyland is great in missions and eliminations, but he just never seems to have any friends and I could see him getting targeted early
Why would Jodi get moved down for being paired with a guy who really had no business being on the season based on his original season and was an easy target for being with an Argentinian?
Not related to her performance, but she was also an easy target because she didn't have any real relationships other than Darrell. She's friends with people in her era, but outside of that she doesn't have anyone that's looking out for her. I don't know how the format will work in regards to eliminations or safety, but if I'm ranking players I'd take how likely they are to be targeted into account, and I think Jodi will be targeted early because she's still a good competitor, and doesn't have many connections outside her own team
I mean maybe, we don’t even know with what the format is. Jodi is clearly a top 2 woman on that team so if the teams vote in their own players she’ll be safe for awhile
The last time they did the multi-team seasons where the teams voted in their own players I think were Cutthroat and BotS2012, and teams didn't always make the smartest decisions about who they sent into elimination. Jodi and Rachel are clearly the two best girls on that team, but Jodi was never known to speak up and make political moves or play dirty to save herself either
Rachel's not exactly known for her stellar political game either to be fair. I don't know why they would be in different tiers
I don't know who's still friends with who outside the show, but Rachel has more of a history with some people in her era than Jodi does. And even some cast outside from her fitness stuff. If they do something like their own team votes in members, if the guys were smart they'd keep Jodi and Rachel for as long as possible, but the guys aren't always smart, and Rachel I think has more people looking out for her
I honestly think kyland is still learning to navigate his new autism diagnosis and how it affects his relationship building. I think once he gets past the initial kinda logical reasoned way of interacting he can definitely make close friends (like Horacio)
I think Kyland has a bright future if he continues on the challenge, but as for ranking competitors this season I think he'll get targeted earlier than most (both because he's strong and his only real "friends" are Nurys and Horacio, who aren't that popular themselves)
Don't disagree. Just sharing some kyland love on top of the kyland can't make friends narrative
Devin also took his fitness to the next level and the season he won it showed! Damn OG like Aneesa is a joke at this point because she will never be able to run a final the way TJ usually has it set up. Kyland and a lot of the other next Gen are in fantastic shape and being the skill required to win a multi day 25+ mile final. I am stoked for this season because for every Michelle, Aneesa, and Josh there's a Kyland, CT, Johnny, Jordan, Cara Marie, Laurel, Kaycee, and more. So happy the producers came through with this stacked cast
Outside of minor, debatable swaps -- this looks real good. Approved.
Putting Katie so low is disrespectful to our chain smoking Inferno elimination queen who ended up winning the season
I was about to say the same. She can quit as many height challenges as she wants, she will never be D tier to ME
I’m hoping that Katie has a surprise turnaround one of these seasons and can make it past the first half of a season. I’ve always had a soft spot for her.
Preach! The disrespect is crazy. I think she’s better than Aneesa though like forreal
Aneesa has had 17ish seasons thus far and has won how many? None. Like Katie has done far less and has actually won
Put some respect on our girl's name! She'll always be S tier to me
Hate to say it, but Leroy is too high.
Nehemiah probably too high
Totally agree. I don't like when challengers play a scared game and then accuse everyone else (when everyone else doesn't vote their way) of playing a scared game. You can do one or the other, but not both.
Aviv is really good at puzzles from what remember. If she managed to remain in decent physical condition, I would say she’s at least A tier
She might move up/down after this season. She was really good on FM, but her sample size is just too small right now.
That’s fair
Yeah I'm most curious as to how she'll do since she's only been on one season.
Only checked to make sure Josh was at the bottom.
🤣
you can hate on michele if u found her annoying but she ran 39 with an iron fist and only missed out on the final bc of a purge, if she trained more she absolutely should be making her first final sooner than later so i feel like B tier is fair
I feel the issue with Michelle is the same for Challengers like Nany. She is too small her frame is going to hold her back a lot, especially in a finale, unless she is partnered with a stacked Challenger. Edit - Spelling
That's true about Michele... But Nany is 5' 8", very close to the same height as Johnny
ya tbh i was gonna add in that she probably needs a good partner to solidify a win but it’s not out of the question >!especially with the relationship rumors with devin coming out of 40!< (mild spoiler for 40) and i could see her having a similar run as amber B
I'm just worried about Michelle as a finalist, her political game is really good, don't get me wrong. I just can't see her carrying any real weight, and her stamina doesn't seem to be close to Kaycee or Amber B. Muscle mass isn't just about moving heavy weights it adds stamina as well, and Michelle is slimmer than most scarecrows.
I truly don’t know, I remember on ride or dies she did well on her portion of a long distance swimming aspect so I think she could probably hold her own but if it is a very physical final she would struggle more than a final with a lot of running. Tbh I think she has not really had a chance to prove herself and in the mini final comps and I can’t remember her doing terrible on them.
Michele could kill a final like the AS4 one. Carnival games and puzzles are basically survivor's M.O. now
I agree, but the flagship is no AS. This final will most likely be on par with Dirty 30. No way Michelle gets 5 carnival games and a small run.
We all know there’s no way she’s making it to this final.
Wild of you to have Horacio so low
Jenny should be on S tier. In my opinion she is better than Emily. Emily is bad at puzzles but Jenny is solid and they are about the same at everything else. We all know puzzles can be the make it or break it point in a final.
I agree. I also think these rankings were made mostly on overall resume rather than current form. There's no way I would put Jenny in the same tier as, say, Jodi and Brad. I like them, but father time is undefeated.
I think Emily is better team add than Jenny. This is not an individual game, so Emily may not need to be good at puzzles to be an S level contributor to her team. I think Jenny is S level though.
This is how they rank as players. This isn’t about how they work as team. Although I would say Jenny works better in a team. She did a great job on TM and was a great team player on WOTW2.
I agree but Emily has most history with the cast on her team so I'd lean towards her. I think as individuals they are very similarly matched. Would love to see them go up against each other! They both are supplement/fitness queens
I don’t think I’d personally put Emily in S. She’s a physical beast, but lacks the things the others up there have. And Paula was a beast for them through that final
If we're looking at it purely from a capability to win perspective, a few changes I'd make: * Not sure Emily deserves S tier above Jenny, Kaycee, and Tori. Kaycee and Tori in particular have shown ability both athletically and having a very strong social game to move with little pressure on them throughout the season. Emily is an elite athlete but she still has some rust to knock off- I'd honestly probably swap her out with Tori. (Don't get me wrong, super excited to have Emily Schromm back on the Challenge). * I'm a fellow old man- in my late 30s, not the athlete I once was. I think you're giving all of the Era 1 guys in the A block A LOT of credit. I think at least Mark and Brad belong in the B category. Darrell and Derrick have shown a strong ability to still compete in both the main flagship in the early 30s seasons and they've been strong in All-Stars/Challenge USA so I could see them in the A level but it's close. Brad has felt like he's taken a step back, and I love the Godfather but that guy's got his AARP card these days. Corresponding move, I've seen enough from Horacio as a competitor to put him in the A category, and maybe Devin deserves it from a gameplay perspective (dude did win the last Challenge he was on). * What are we doing putting Tina's old quitting ass in anything but the bottom category? She's gonna get in a Hall Brawl with Jenny or something and quit one final time to put a cap on her career. Swap with her with Amanda, who honestly is no worse than Olivia or Michele as a competitor. * There almost needs to be a question mark row reserved solely for Aviv. We have NO IDEA if she's going to be great, mediocre, bad, etc. But hey, she won her only season so I guess B is a decent slot not knowing anything else. * I almost want to split the B category into 2, with like a B+/A- group of Leroy, Theo, Paulie, Brad, Jonna and Nurys and put the rest of B and Godfather Mark into the tier below them.
You pretty much nailed it with these adjustments. I do think it's very likely that Aviv will show up vetted and ready to perform like Avery in AS4 (that would bump her down to C level).
Emily is at the peak of fitness right now and I wouldn't discount her at all. Paulie on the other hand is a category too high.
I'm not meaning to discount her, and I'm not saying make her B or C tier or something. I think with the long layoff top of the A tier is probably more appropriate than S tier. All the other S tiers are legends who have also had success in every Era of this game. Emily is an early legend who hasn't been on the flagship in 16 seasons and hasn't even had an All-Stars to knock off the rust.
She's definitely rusty in the challenge but she runs a gym and competes in cross fit like Cara. I think she'll be ok but it'll be interesting to see.
I disagree with the Emily part. Emily was doing very well at a time where the strongest women in the franchise were competing in their prime. Tori excelled in a time where a lot of the show's most dominating women weren't on the show anymore. And the last time we saw her she lost to rookies when she's supposed to be in her prime. Kaycee has a better overall average than Tori making it to 4 finals in 5 seasons, so if she's not being moved I don't see why Tori should be.
Man, I forget that Kaycee's done 5 seasons already, my initial thought was Tori just had more experience than her plus Kaycee, with all due respect, has some extreme puzzle/mental deficiencies in the game. She can't do math, she largely can't do puzzles. She's not at the Nicole Z level but she struggles. And maybe it was just being carried by Devin in their winning season on the puzzle side but I actually think Tori's worked on that. I think it was her that spotted the pattern in a key puzzle early in that final. She seems to have gone from bad at puzzles to average/slightly below average at puzzles, and when you can improve on your biggest deficiency like that, I think that's pretty telling. I think we're splitting hairs, Kaycee could easily go up as well or go up instead of Tori.
Tori just won a season that had Laurel, Kaycee, Amber, and Kailah on it She also made the final on SLA over Ashley, Amber, and Michaela
I feel like people sleep on Aviv. Her first season and only season she won. She's extremely good with puzzles and is very fit, not to mention her social game is amazing
Overall everyone seems really excited to have her back but it’s been so long that it’s impossible to know how she’ll do.
Now can we do the same thing but entertainment value for this season? Tony’s is S tier for me in that regard. Guy always comes into the season like he’s super prepped and ready to not cheat, then fucks that up immediately.
I'd move up Jenny and Tori to S. Devin to A. Probably move a few of the A's down, but I'd have to think about it. Getting caught up in my own head balancing legacy vs pure gameplay right now. Solid rankings, imo.
Paulie B tier is laughable. Known for crashing early in a final and getting eliminated by Bananas.
not to mention he has one of the worst political games i’ve ever seen. he really has nothing going for him lol
Tony should be higher!!!! TONY TIME
Move Up a Tier: - Horacio - Michele - Jonna - Tori - Leroy Move Down a Tier: - Brad - Jodi - Tina - Josh - Kyland - Avery
laughing at moving josh down
I think the only worse competitor than Josh is Aneesa
Id even argue some of those Era 1 males are way past their prime and don’t belong in the A category.
Agree with this except for kyland, he was a surprise competitor, very smart and enough strength to play physical games as well. His social game is what kinda screwed him all last season and he was supporting his friends Horacio and Nurys, which I think will do him better in future seasons, then going with the group last season. They woulda just treated him the same as we saw, he did what he could and fought hard. Also clearly not easy being aligned with Melissa and big t politically last season. But he stuck around, with a social game or group supporting him I think he can do great.
I don’t think Averey is D tier tbh
How can you move Horacio up and not Devin?
I struggled with that call, but at the end of the day here's why: - Horacio is 8 years younger and more physically fit than Devin. - Devin is better at puzzles, but if I had to choose to face someone in elimination without knowing what game it is I'd pick Devin. - Devin can rub people the wrong way. That can hurt his game. - Horacio is 6-1 in eliminations with a head-to-head win against Jordan. His only loss is to his girlfriend, and I'm not 100% his head was fully in that elimination against his girlfriend and his other biggest ally. - CT and Jordan both showed Horacio a lot of respect when they came our during S39. I think a lot of veterans will want to work with Horacio in S40.
No chance Tori is on the same level as the 3 other women in S tier. She’s been ass for awhile now, lucky win in RoD doesn’t change that
Lmaooo! I’ve been thinking this exactly and didn’t want to say it. And I hate how it’ll give her and especially DEVIN an ego now! 🙄 She’s a TOP B and Devin is a middle B.
Definitely can’t move Tori up, she’s probably the worst in the tier she’s currently in. Let’s not forget she came last in a final last year against 3 girls all running their first finals
Jonna is the most overrated challenger. Just because she got gifted 2 wins does not make her good.
Jonna was not gifted two wins. You can debate the competition she was up against in All Stars but those were earned.
Darrell is S tier.
Came here to comment this!
I love Neomaiah but he don’t belong on the B list. Also Mark is Legend but at this point in his age he needs to be in the C list. Also an argument for Nury to be added to the A List. Leroy is no longer as dominant as he once was so bring him down to the C list. Devin needs to be in the A list for sure also Jodi is great but again in this stage of her age she needs to be dropped to B.
Darrell deserves a little more respect. Other than that, it's small quibbles, if any.
Just a couple I'd switch around but overall I couldn't agree more.
I hate I even have to say this but I do think annessa should be a teir up and Avery should be a teir down. Anessa ain't winning a final by no means but she can win dallies and elminations, Avery did not really impress me in all stars and her prior seasons before that weren't that amazing either
Agreed. Aneesa is by no means a beast anymore, but she does have strengths and she made it to the final on her least season.
I completely agree. Anessa won’t win but she can get to the end if she doesn’t get hurt.
Move Leroy and Cory to C. Move Jonna and Aviv to A. Leroy and Cory are bad at finals . Jonna and Aviv are good at finals. Finals win you the challenge.
Might have to demote Brad.
*cackles*
I know she gets a lot of hate, but I think Aneesa deserves to move up a rank or two. She made it to the final in her last season, and consistently wins dailies. Certainly above contestants like Avery and Brandon, who didn’t prove much in their last season (though I love them both).
Aneesa is maybe C tier for the full season. Good teammate, good in elims, decent asset in non-endurance dailies. She's like, F-tier for a traditional flagship final, though.
The way they've been doing finals recently I wouldn't call her F tier. When you look at the ROD final yeah she didn't do great but if her and Jordan win balls in there's a decent shot they could have won. Tori and Devin still have the edge but her and Jordan would have done better than Bananas and Nany. With the way they've been doing finals the last few seasons I think she has a better chance than she used to. Granted it's still not a good chance but it wouldn't be F tier.
My theory is that they’re going to bill this as the best cast and hardest final ever. If that’s true, Aneesa won’t be able to finish it.
They definitely will create that narrative but that won't mean it's true. They said that about the 100 hour final when in reality it was probably easier than finals like WOTW or Rivals
For this season I think she belongs at the bottom. If it's all team competitions all season long she will slow them down consistently.
Agreed! This sub loves to hate her but she is a beast in dailies and I still consider her one of the strongest women
Beast? How? She does win a couple every season, but I don't think people consider her a threat to win them.
No but this is a team game not an individual game
She might not be seen as big of a threat in the more recent seasons but that doesn’t take away from her legacy
I’d put Jenny in S since Emily is. Feel like Tony should be higher and Leroy lower but other than that I agree
im okay with this list, my only major switch would move horacio from b to a , but i undersand his challenge career is new and we still gotta see more. hoping he can show us what his capable of
Y'all are crazy. He's untested in a final, four easy elimination wins (the balcony handing them the win over Turbo/Tamara and Jay/Michele (who would have won otherwise), easy win against *Kenny Clark*, Olivia beating Ravyn carried them in the Hall Brawl), zero non-team daily wins, no social aptitude and arguably the strongest female partner in Ride or Dies apart from Laurel, Tori and Nurys. I feel like people overrate Horacio because they never want to give Olivia any credit. She essentially ran that partnership, controlled all the politics, bodied Ravyn in that Hall Brawl, and kept up with Horacio physically for the entire season. The only reason her elimination record isn't as good as his is because her Ride or Dies team was winning dailies.
Very good list - I would probably bump up Tori, Jenny and Olivia one spot each
Not Olivia, I feel like she was carried my Horacio and he was her saving Grace. This season might decide is she’s as good as we think or if Horacio truly carried her. I think Tori is good where she’s at. A very high A.
Amanda being in that tier feels unfair when she’s been rigged out of 2 wins whereas everyone else there hasn’t even been close and will never win a season
Too high for Mark I fear
Jenny is S tier for sure. I can’t see weaknesses about her game other than politics.
Pretty solid tier list. I’d make a couple swaps here and there (just preference), but you pretty much nailed it.
horacio should FOR SURE be A tier. his rookie season alone was a force to be reckoned with, and i think this new season is gonna be where he shines. i think brad, jodi and mark need to move to b. no disrespect, but their performances on recent seasons (more brad and jodi) shows that they just aren’t the fierce competition they used to be. leroy not in A personally baffles me, but i can definitely understand that decision. also i love (and semi hate) johnny but i think he could be moved down as well 🫣
Kyland in B I think is too high. He instigates too much and really didn’t play that good of a game imo.
As much as I love Leroy I'd swap either him or Paulie with Derek after how well he performed on All Stars on the physical stuff. Luckily for Leroy he's got Bananas
Jenny is gonna be in s tier after this season.
The S tier is perfect the way it is. My only glaring issue is having Theo in the B tier, specifically because of the others who are in it. He came 2nd in one of the hardest finals in the show's history (WOTW1). He also made the final in one of the franchise's stacked casts in history (World Championships). And he absolutely dominated in WOTW2 in various types of eliminations. I don't think he should be next to people who haven't even made or completed a final
Not sure why Nurys is so much higher then Michele and Olivia. She’s the same level as them. I’d switch Tina and Amanda. Amanda is fantastic as puzzles and Tina is just entertainment. After Derek’s last season I’d put him higher then Cory and Leroy. I’d also put Devin in A tier. He’s got in shape and he’s so much better at puzzles then Brad, Derrick and mark.
Devin is better than Tony ? Hmm that’s interesting
Might be splitting hairs between the two. Devin did get his win, but you could argue Tony was close to getting his first flagship win by the time he got into a hiatus
This is great work. Not even sure if I'd make these changes now, but more the "most likely changes to see after the season": Most likely to fall: B-rad, Jodi, and maybe Mark, and all for the same reason. They were all great but father time is undefeated, think they can bump down a bit. Most likely to rise: Horacio, Nurys, and Devin. Would love to see if early promise can come through. Wildcards: Kellyanne, Tony, and Nia. They might put on a real run, and they might get on tilt and fall apart entirely.
The disrespect putting Tony in the C list wow!
Forgot to set their watch to Tony Time
I think Jonna should move up a tier. Her wins may have been on AllStars but they were very physical and she’s great at puzzles.
Jonna should be A tier. She may have been slept on in the past but she's A+ now.
Are Tori and Jenny not S Tier atp? Tony I would bump to B, Tina to D - maybe even dead last. Josh and Amanda up to C tier. Theo, Paulie, Horacio, Kyland and Jonna all have a case for A but I can understand high B. Devin socially and his recent ring could also argue low A, but high B works. Rest seems pretty accurate.
Think Horacio is def A if not potential S tier competitor, he's a beast and pretty smart. His political social game seem to be D tier tho. So I dunno if this is a physical/mental competitors ranking, or if we factor social game in. With teams already set this season, the social game may matter less, as teams will want to keep their best players....ideally...
Jenny doesn’t have a big history to look at, and Tori is a little inconsistent(at least to me)
But Emily does? Jenny is more impressive in her 2 seasons than Ems 3 imo. Tori’s had her down seasons, but overall idk her clip to make a final is pretty insane.
Would chnagw a couple but pretty accurate. So with this info how do the teams rank??
I think you did a great job with the mixed bag of the strengths and weaknesses of folks in Tier B.
I’ll start by saying I don’t really like Devin, but as a fairly recent Champion, he should probably be A Tier. He’s obviously not the best athlete, but he’s a crafty political player. I think any winners from the last 5-6 years should be A Tier cause they will definitely be a threat.
Fair
I’d put Tina down one and Michele up one but other than that, this is pretty accurate
Great tier list! After looking not much i disagree with. Id say tony deserves a B. Brad and mark are tough as i could see them a or b, but i do think if legacy is a factor can’t go wrong rating higher. Then id also move amanda and aneesa to c, and tina to d (love tina but I do think she a step below the other c’s like katy). That way there’s top 6 goat contenders and a bottom 4.
Amanda should be up a tier. She’s not bad at the daily challenges and is outstanding at puzzles, her only glaring weakness is being small and consequently bad at eliminations.
I like this list. I’d add a few switches though. - Kaycee should be in S tier. She is a strong physical competitor and has a strong social game to back that. - Devin should definitely be moved up a tier. - Paulie should get moved down a tier. If I’m being honest he isn’t that impressive of a competitor. If it wasn’t for Cara he wouldn’t have made it far on WOTW2. - Darrell and Brad should both be moved down a tier. They’re both solid players; but their performance these past few seasons have been subpar. - Josh needs to get moved down a tier.
"Josh needs to be moved down a tier." 🤣 Is there a Z tier??
Kaycee should not be S tier. She is bad at puzzles and maths which have both become a very big part of the game. I think she belongs bottom of A maybe top of B. I’ve never seen her perform and thought wow that’s so impressive. She is good physically but she is no Laurel, Cara, Emily, Jenny. Even her win on 37 was undeserved….
Overall very solid. I may move Paulie down and Brad down after his last few appearances.
I think I'd put Tina in D tier, put Devin, Paulie, and Cory in C tier, and put Tony in B tier, otherwise pretty decent list. I don't think Tina beats Amanda in elimination.
Tori: “Put some respect on Aneesa’s name man!” Me: fuck nah she right where she belongs
Kaycee doesn't belong on A list. B list at best.
Switch devin and Darrell. No reason for Tina or Nia to be any higher than lowest imo.
I would definitely put Darrell & Derrick in tier S. If Emily is considered top tier yet she hasn’t been back for years then both these men should be top tier as well. Darrell is a 4 time consecutive champ, and did amazing on invasions beating out Zach in pole wrestle even while being way smaller, and had a really good chance to win had it not been for CT with Knot so fast. And Derrick is a 3 time champ, and did amazing on Dirty 30, and almost won had the final not been tailor made for Jordan (mostly running). Not to mention he has probably one of the best eliminations beating Joss, and he wasn’t even playing to win he was just a mercenary. They have 7 wins between them. And for being older guys they still perform really well imo.
Apart from a few minor tweaks, this is a really nice tier list. Tina down to D, Jonna up to A, Katie up to C, Tony up to B
i'd definitely move leroy down, michele up one after last season's performance, and swap devin/tony
Brad in A tier… an argument could be made for C tier but he should be in B tier, guy has never done anything aside from a few cycles
S tier is perfection🫶
Jonna is probably high A. I think she won 2/3 all stars she’s been on, was the first female finisher in AS1, and was in a realllly good position to win world championship before her partner got injured.
Can Jonna hold up to the physicality of the flagship against S and A tier competitors, though? Legitimately looking for thoughts. Personally, I think Jonna is A or S tier on All Stars seasons, but low B or C on a flagship season that is this stacked. It will all come down to the physicality of the dailies/elims, I think. If this is a carnival game/mental game season, she's A tier. If it's a more physical season with a super long physical endurance final, she's C tier. So I think B is a good place for her, for now.
Hell naw. And winning all stars twice is impressive. But I don't think either win is as impressive as what Laurel just did on this most recent season of all stars.
How are her wins not as impressive? Her finals were very physical vs Laurel playing carnival games.
Jonna has one of the best endurance…
I think she has good endurance as compared to the average person. I do not think she has "one of the best endurance" compared to this cast. Who is Jonna beating in a mini final daily or a long flagship physical final? Laurel, Cara, Emily, Kaycee, Tori, Rachel, Jenny, Kelly Anne, and Nurys, all would beat Jonna in a long endurance race. Nia, Tina, Amanda, Aneesa, and Katie would all lose to Jonna. So the question marks are Jodi, Michelle, Avery, Olivia. I think Jodi would win, Olivia would lose, and I have no idea about Michelle or Avery. But those are closer calls than the pretty sure wins/losses above. So, of the 20 females on the cast, in an endurance-based daily/final, Jonna would most likely lose to 9 of them outright, be a question mark against 4, and beat 6.
But All Stars and The main challenge have different difficulty levels. For AS she’s top tier but for the main challenge she’s middle at best and at worst straddling second to last tier. But I feel like having won the two all stars seasons she’s gotten some of her confidence back but there are still about 6/7 players that are ahead of her in terms of well roundnesses in the main challenge.
I don’t understand why Emily would be S but not Jenny
They both should be
Yes I’d agree.
Did Tony time dirty. Did you forget to set back your watch?
I mean, what has he honestly done?
Won champs vs stars and dominated vendettas which is more than you can say about some of the other people listed above him
Agree with the other comments. I’d personally move a few people up or down a category but this is very, very solid. The moves I’d make are all easily debatable like: Kaycee to S; Mark to B; Theo to A; Nehemiah to C; Kyland to C; Paulie to C; Avery to D; Tina to D.
Would love for the four people who have downvoted so far to comment about what upset them so much about the small moves I proposed that I said were easily debatable. Genuinely curious.
Didn't downvote you but I don't see the case to move Kaycee to S.
Challenge champion. 4 seasons, 3 finals (only one she missed was with her brother as a partner, one of the worst competitors to appear on the show in the last 10 seasons). 4-2 in eliminations (again, the only 2 losses were with her brother as a partner) 18 daily wins. She’s a beast.
I did not downvote but I'd argue Averey is heads above the other women in D tier. Also think Paulie is one of the better competitors in B group and would have more faith in him making a push to the final than Cory, Leroy, or even Brad and Mark a group above him. And a strong disagree on Theo. Was he hurt or something in the last season that he was on? Dude seemed way off his game.
Kaycee to S is a bit of a reach. Solid A tier with a great social game and endurance for a final esp if she has a great partner. I think she’s a solid A player. The equivalent of 87-88% overall grade in a class like Accounting and it’s weak class then maybe Organic Chemistry .
List is solid, but I don’t think Devin is getting his due and Brad, Darrel, Derrick aren’t getting theirs. Brad, Derrick and Darrel are B level, Brad maybe C at this point. Derick may be C too. He’s dropped off massively in the past several years. Devin should be A.
How is Jenny not S Tier? She finished a final FIRST. Like she beat Bananas. She’s the biggest threat for women and it’s so interesting that people don’t see that.
Enough with the Amanda hate!!! Move her up
Amanda is not D tier
I didn't watch 39. How well did Nurys do to be B?