Survivor Season 43 Cast: Complete Guide to the Contestants and Their Journey
Survivor Season 43 brought together 18 new castaways from different backgrounds, professions, and parts of the United States. The season premiered on September 21, 2022, with the contestants survivor season 43 cast competing for the title of Sole Survivor and a $1 million prize. Hosted by Jeff Probst, the season continued the show’s new-era format of fast-paced challenges, limited resources, strategic advantages, and survivor season 43 cast unpredictable voting decisions.
The Survivor Season 43 cast was divided into three starting tribes: Vesi, Baka, and Coco. The group included a Paralympic athlete, pharmacist, clinical psychologist, UX designer, political science Ph.D. student, heart valve specialist, teacher, and several other professionals.
Who Was in the Survivor Season 43 Cast?
The Season 43 cast consisted of 18 contestants. Each player survivor season 43 cast entered Fiji with a different background and approach to the game. CBS announced the survivor season 43 cast cast before the September 2022 premiere, identifying their hometowns, occupations, and starting tribes.
The complete Survivor 43 cast was:
- Cassidy Clark
- Cody Assenmacher
- Dwight Moore
- Elie Scott
- Geo Bustamante
- James Jones
- Jeanine Zheng
- Jesse Lopez
- Justine Brennan
- Karla Cruz Godoy
- Lindsay Carmine
- Mike “Gabler” Gabler
- Morriah Young
- Nneka Ejere
- Noelle Lambert
- Owen Knight
- Ryan Medrano
- Sami Layadi
Together, these contestants created one of the season’s most varied groups, with significant differences in age, career experience, personality, and life experience.
Vesi Tribe: The Red Tribe
The Vesi tribe began the game with six castaways: Cody Assenmacher, Jesse Lopez, Dwight Moore, Nneka Ejere, Justine Brennan, and Noelle Lambert.
Cody Assenmacher
Cody Assenmacher was a 35-year-old survivor season 43 cast elevator sales professional from Hawaii. He quickly became one of the most recognizable personalities of Season 43 because of his energetic personality and willingness to make aggressive strategic moves.
Cody developed a close partnership with Jesse Lopez, and the two became an important strategic pair as the game progressed.
Jesse Lopez
Jesse Lopez entered the game as a 30-year-old political science Ph.D. from Durham, North Carolina. His academic background complemented a strategic approach to Survivor.
Jesse became one of the season’s major strategic players and formed an important alliance with Cody. His game continued deep into the season before he was eliminated shortly survivor season 43 cast before the Final Three.
Dwight Moore
Dwight Moore was a graduate student who entered the game at age 22. He represented one of the younger members of the Survivor 43 cast.
Although Dwight survived the early Vesi Tribal Councils, his game ended after the tribes came together during the middle portion of the season.
Nneka Ejere
Nneka Ejere was a pharmacist from Weatherford, Texas. She competed on Vesi during the opening days of the game.
Nneka was the third contestant eliminated from Survivor 43, leaving the game after the tribe struggled with its early dynamics.
Justine Brennan
Justine Brennan was a 29-year-old cybersecurity sales professional. She started on Vesi and became the second contestant voted out of the season.
Her early elimination demonstrated how quickly alliances could change during the opening stage of Survivor 43.
Noelle Lambert
Noelle Lambert was one of the most distinctive members of the cast. She was a U.S. Paralympian and competed as a sprinter. CBS listed her as a 25-year-old from Manchester, New Hampshire, at the time of casting.
Noelle advanced well beyond the early game and became an important competitor after the tribes came together.
Baka Tribe: The Yellow Tribe
Baka consisted of Mike “Gabler” Gabler, Owen Knight, Sami Layadi, Elie Scott, Morriah Young, and Jeanine Zheng.
Mike “Gabler” Gabler
Mike “Gabler” Gabler was a 52-year-old heart valve specialist when the cast was announced. He brought considerable professional experience and a highly energetic personality to the island.
Gabler ultimately made it to the Final Three and won the season, becoming the Sole Survivor of Season 43.
Owen Knight
Owen Knight was a college admissions director who was 30 when the season began. He became one of the most prominent contestants from the Baka tribe.
Owen reached the Final Three and finished as the survivor season 43 cast second runner-up. His journey included several difficult strategic situations as alliances repeatedly shifted.
Sami Layadi
Sami Layadi was 19 years old and worked as a pet cremator in Las Vegas. He was the youngest contestant in the Survivor Season 43 cast.
Sami survived the early Baka votes and reached the jury phase before being eliminated.
Elie Scott
Elie Scott was a clinical psychologist who was 31 at the time of casting. She became an important early Baka player and was involved in several strategic conversations.
Her Survivor journey ended after the tribes came together, making her the sixth contestant eliminated.
Morriah Young
Morriah Young was a 28-year-old teacher from Philadelphia. She became the first contestant voted out of Survivor 43.
Her elimination established how quickly social and strategic relationships could affect the game.
Jeanine Zheng
Jeanine Zheng was a UX designer from San Francisco. She was 24 when she entered the competition.
Jeanine made it through the pre-merge portion of the season and became the first member of the jury after her elimination.
Coco Tribe: The Blue Tribe
The Coco tribe featured James Jones, Ryan Medrano, Geo Bustamante, Lindsay Carmine, Karla Cruz Godoy, and Cassidy Clark.
James Jones
James Jones was a 37-year-old event planner from Philadelphia. He became a central member of the Coco group during the early game.
James advanced into the individual phase but was eventually eliminated as the ninth contestant.
Ryan Medrano
Ryan Medrano was a 25-year-old warehouse associate from El Paso, Texas. He was known as one of the physically capable members of the Coco tribe.
Ryan survived several early votes and reached the jury before being eliminated.
Geo Bustamante
Geo Bustamante was a project manager who was 36 when Season 43 began. He started on the Coco tribe.
Geo’s time in the game lasted through the first several rounds, but he became the fifth contestant eliminated.
Lindsay Carmine
Lindsay Carmine was a pediatric nurse from survivor season 43 cast Downingtown, Pennsylvania. CBS listed her age as 42 when the cast was announced.
She was the fourth contestant voted out of Survivor 43.
Karla Cruz Godoy
Karla Cruz Godoy was an educational project manager. She entered the season at age 28 and started on Coco.
Karla became one of the season’s most significant strategic players and survived deep into the individual game. She ultimately finished as the seventh member of the jury.
Cassidy Clark
Cassidy Clark was a designer from Austin, Texas, who was 26 at the start of the season. She was one of the most important Coco players throughout Survivor 43.
Cassidy reached the Final Three alongside Gabler and Owen and ultimately finished as the runner-up.
Survivor Season 43 Cast: Final Results
The season eventually narrowed the original 18 contestants down to three finalists: Mike Gabler, Cassidy Clark, and Owen Knight.
The final results were:
- Mike “Gabler” Gabler — Sole Survivor
- Cassidy Clark — Runner-up
- Owen Knight — Second runner-up
Jesse Lopez finished immediately before the Final Three, while Karla Cruz Godoy was eliminated shortly before him. The season’s final stretch featured major strategic moves involving Jesse, Cody, Karla, Cassidy, Owen, and Gabler.
What Made the Survivor 43 Cast Interesting?
One of the defining characteristics of the Survivor Season 43 cast was the variety of professional and personal backgrounds represented.
The cast included people working in healthcare, education, technology, sales, psychology, project management, athletics, and other fields. No single professional background defined the group.
The season also featured Noelle Lambert, a Paralympic athlete, making survivor season 43 cast her presence particularly notable in the history of the show. The combination of younger contestants such as Sami Layadi and more experienced contestants such as Gabler created different perspectives on social relationships, challenges, and strategy.
Survivor 43 Tribes and the Merge
At the beginning of the season, the 18 players were divided evenly among Vesi, Baka, and Coco. Each tribe had six members.
As contestants were eliminated, the game eventually moved into its individual phase. The merged tribe was named Gaia, bringing remaining members of the three original tribes together.
From that point, individual immunity challenges, alliances, advantages, hidden immunity idols, and Tribal Council decisions became increasingly important. The final stage eventually produced the three-person Final Tribal Council featuring Gabler, Cassidy, and Owen.
Frequently Asked Questions About Survivor Season 43 Cast
How many contestants were in Survivor Season 43?
There were 18 castaways in Survivor Season 43. They were divided into survivor season 43 cast three starting tribes of six: Vesi, Baka, and Coco.
Who won Survivor Season 43?
Mike “Gabler” Gabler won Survivor Season 43 and was named the Sole Survivor. Cassidy Clark finished second, while Owen Knight finished third.
Who was the youngest Survivor 43 contestant?
Sami Layadi was the youngest contestant in the Season 43 cast. He was 19 years old when the season began.
Who was the oldest Survivor 43 contestant?
Mike “Gabler” Gabler was the oldest contestant in the original cast, listed at 52 years old when CBS announced the cast.
Who was on the Vesi tribe?
The original Vesi tribe consisted of Cody Assenmacher, Jesse Lopez, Dwight Moore, Nneka Ejere, Justine Brennan, and Noelle Lambert.
Who was on the Baka tribe?
The Baka tribe consisted of Mike “Gabler” Gabler, Owen Knight, Sami Layadi, Elie Scott, Morriah Young, and Jeanine Zheng.
Who was on the Coco tribe?
The original Coco tribe consisted of James Jones, Ryan Medrano, Geo Bustamante, Lindsay Carmine, Karla Cruz Godoy, and Cassidy Clark.
Who was the runner-up on Survivor Season 43?
Cassidy Clark was the runner-up. She reached the Final Three with Mike Gabler and Owen Knight before Gabler was ultimately named Sole Survivor.
Conclusion
The Survivor Season 43 cast brought together 18 contestants with remarkably different careers, ages, personalities, and life experiences. From Cody Assenmacher and Jesse Lopez’s strategic partnership to Noelle Lambert’s athletic background and Mike Gabler’s eventual victory, the season offered a wide range of approaches to the game.
The original Vesi, Baka, and Coco tribes survivor season 43 cast eventually gave way to the merged Gaia tribe, where individual strategy became increasingly important. By the finale, Mike Gabler, Cassidy Clark, and Owen Knight remained, with Gabler ultimately claiming the title of Sole Survivor.
For fans looking back at the season, the Survivor 43 cast remains an important part of the show’s new era, combining traditional Survivor elements with a faster and more survivor season 43 cast unpredictable style of gameplay.
