All 10 Seasons of Alone, Ranked

One of the best unscripted survival series out there, Alone takes audiences to the edge of their seats from the comfort of their couches. A History original series, 10 survivalists are dropped in the remote wilderness with only 10 self-packed items, limited medical supplies, and camera equipment to self-document their survival. The goal is to be the last contestant standing and win $500,000. Besides scheduled medical check-ins and a radio to use when they are ready to tap out, contestants are completely alone and must build a shelter, find a sustainable water resource, and hunt and gather for food. The popularity of the series garnered a spin-off, Alone: Frozen in which six contestants are dropped in the middle of winter with a goal to last 50 days.

With 10 winners so far, each season features unparalleled ingenuity and psychological strength to make it to the finish line. For these humble reality stars, winning money is a luxury to support their family or dreams of living off-grid, but the real prize is strengthening their bond with and respect for nature while nourishing their self-reliance in the highest form of self-love. From building fishing boats to taking down a fully grown moose, it’s a tight race for which is truly the best season of Alone.

Watch on History

This list contains spoilers for the series, including the winners and their survival time.

10 Season 1 (2015)

Winner: Alan Kay

The inaugural season was a complete shot in the dark that landed for History, sparking a rather unexplored genre of reality TV only arguably well-executed by survival expert by Les Stroud with Survivorman. Alone‘s first season doesn’t age quite well with its barring of women contestants. The series premiere season is unique in that contestants had no guidebook or examples set for how to navigate remote survival, causing over half to tap out before the 30-day mark with fear as the motivating factor.

In every season, including the first, there are rugged, rogue-minded characters who claim to conquer nature and its creatures, and they almost always tap first. Doing a complete 180 degrees, the first-ever winner, Alan Kay, was a protagonist audiences could root for. During his documentation, he delivered heartfelt, thought-provoking inner monologues while also reciting Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.”

9 Season 10 (2023)

Winner: Alan Trenta

While there are no bad or rotten seasons of Alone, there are certainly some that are more lackluster than others. Season 10 featured a batch of contestants who were more hobby survivalists compared to past seasons, including the winner, Alan Trenta, a school teacher from Canada. Another unexpected contestant was Melanie Sawyer, a former model turned wilderness educator, who fastened a sewing needle out of her bra underwire to sew up her damaged sleeping bag.

As with every season, there are injuries, early tap-outs, and clashes between humans and predators. Season 10 is no different, just less intense than other seasons. Over the course of 66 days, contestants battled the elements, including relentless, damaging winds, until Trenta, 52 at the time, became the last man standing.

8 Season 9 (2023)

Winner: Juan Pablo Quiñonez

In a slow-burn season, the contestants of Labrador didn’t encounter the foreboding polar bears as dramatically as advertised in the season’s teaser trailer. The winner, Juan Pablo Quiñonez, outlasted his fellow competitors by sheer willpower and strategic planning. While documenting his journey, Quiñonez revealed that to prepare for his survival stint, he consumed a spoonful of olive oil daily to increase his fat stores, putting on weight before arriving. He made it clear he would not tap and, in a show of unbreakable psychological and physical feat, Quiñonez survived starvation and became the last one standing.

Season 9 featured both mistakes easily predicted by fans at home, like waiting too long to make a permanent shelter and ones that showed the breakdown in critical thinking and reaction time due to starvation and isolation that caused accidents and injuries. And as always, the gut-wrenching goodbyes as contestants willingly (and sometimes unwillingly) tap out.

7 Season 5 (2018)

Winner: Sam Larson

The first of Alone‘s all-star installments, season five took 10 previous contestants and dropped them in the remote recesses of Mongolia. The shift in location and contestant pool marked another shake-up in the series formula that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but perhaps too soon in the legacy to draw out its all-stars. This season featured emotional devastation for many of the returning veterans, but none more heartbreaking than Carleigh Fairchild. After participating in season three, Fairchild seemed like a front-runner to be the first woman to win the series until her fishing luck ran out early into her survival when she caught a hook to the hand, embedded so deep, that she had to medically tap out.

Fans would also see the return of Dave Nessia, also from season three, known for his goofy, smiley demeanor, who showed a complete change in attitude this time around with a calm, grounded persona. The winner was ultimately father and family man, Sam Larson. He became the youngest winner of the series to date.

6 Season 2 (2016)

Winner: David McIntyre

Alone returned for season two in full swing to the remote edges of Vancouver Island. It was the season of personalities, with polarizing fan favorites like “Sweary Larry” providing full transparency about just how frustrating bushcraft is when nothing goes right. Larry Roberts would return for the all-star season in Mongolia.

Much like the first season, fear was a primary factor for many of the tap out as contestants like Tracy Wilson came literally face-to-face with a bear. Starvation and mental strength were the other motivating factors for people to call it quits. Lasting ten more days than the previous season’s winner, 50-year-old post-apocalyptic fiction writer, David McIntyre, was the last person standing.

5 Season 8 (2021)

Winner: Clay Hayes

The looming presence of this season was Chilko Lake’s abundant population of grizzly bears. While the “action” was lackluster for audiences, this installment focused on the mental toll isolation takes and how one moment can turn the tide physically and psychologically. That moment is for the season’s winner, Clay Hayes, an educator on primitive and traditional archery. His passion for the craft would come in handy when a full-grown buck crossed his path. After shooting it, Hayes tracked it for some time, wondering if he’d ever find it. After dragging it back and processing it, a rainbow appeared after his first meal, signaling hope for Hayes that would push him through to the end.

Participants also showed their strength in ingenuity with Colter Barnes building a small boat to fish with, while also keeping audiences (and themselves) entertained with personality casting like musician and laborer, Biko Wright, who became a fan favorite. The location also provided challenges for food with local restrictions on fishing, hunting, and trapping methods.

4 Season 3 (2016)

Winner: Zachary Fowler

This season was a major shake-up for audiences and contestants as the series traveled far south from Canada to South America and into the depths of Patagonia. Starvation took a more prominent role in elimination this season, with the critical thinking aspect taking a toll on Dave Nessia, who rationed his intake too much when he had a stockpile of fish and was medically tapped. However, perhaps the most heartbreaking medical removal of the franchise was for Carleigh Fairchild, whose evacuation solidified the win for Zachary Fowler. Had she not been pulled, it’s possible she would’ve outlasted Fowler and taken home the win.

Fowler’s win held the record for the longest survival for four seasons, until season seven’s 100-day challenge; however, for a non-challenge season, he still holds the record. Fowler was one of the many creative craftsmen of the Patagonia cast, but his emotional journey was the most rewarding the moment he moved camp up the hill and felt the first rays of sunshine, inspiring him to continue.

3 Season 4 (2017)

Winner: Ted & Jim Baird

After shaking up the location in season three, Alone returned to shake up the casting style. Season four was team-style, featuring seven pairs of contestants ranging from husband and wife, brothers, father and son, and more. One half of the pair was dropped at the final campsite while the other was dropped miles apart, required to navigate the terrain solo to reach their other half. In one instance, brothers Shannon and Jesse Bosdell never reunited in the challenge after Shannon fell and suffered a spinal injury, forcing a medical evacuation. The team style was a creative twist that has yet to be repeated.

The season was won by Canadian brothers Jim and Ted Baird. The pair were the first contestants to build a canoe-style boat which they used to paddle around their camp’s lakefront to catch fish. Tensions and attitudes were frayed in the final stretch of days as their food dwindled, and they were stuck eating limpets; however, their bond remained strong enough to carry them across the finish line toward $500,000.

2 Season 6 (2019)

Winner: Jordan Jonas

This marked the first time participants would travel to the Arctic for their challenge. The harshness of the bitter elements amplified the stakes for starvation, illness, and the obvious freezing to death. The latter became a real possibility for Nathan Donnelly after his shelter caught fire in the middle of the night, forcing him to tap out; however, his challenge continued as he had to survive the night with no shelter before his evacuation could arrive. Another memorable contestant was Woniya Thibeault, a finalist, who lost this season but won the first season of Alone: Frozen, becoming the first woman to win in the franchise’s history.

Jordan Jonas is one of the most memorable Alone cast members and winners of all time. His sense of humor matched his endurance, never wavering. The most iconic thing about Jonas is his take-down of a full-grown moose and the wolverine who kept stealing from his meat stash. His impressive skills matched with wit and humor made him an enjoyable contestant to watch, but also a winner to love.

1 Season 7 (2020)

Winner: Roland Welker

The return to the Arctic was bigger and badder this time: 100 days minimum for $1,000,000. The mentality of this season was to settle in for the long haul, and this season did deliver. Season seven is the best of the franchise (so far) for multiple reasons, but the biggest is its winner, Roland Welker, and his famous Rock House. And there’s no forgetting his impressive musk ox kill. It was clear from the get-go that Welker was going to be resilient, and his no-nonsense survivalist demeanor backed it up. He lasted the full 100 days, a record no one has beaten yet, despite it being a requirement for the season.

Besides Welker’s win, other memorable moments of season seven included a terrifying stand-off between a pack of wolves and Amós Rodriguez outside his shelter. Callie Russell provided a sweetness to the challenge with her positive, self-reliant attitude. She provided audiences with a pit in their stomach with the porcupine and whether it was safe to eat, sending audiences to the edge as they asked themselves, “What would you do if you’re starving?” Her survival skills earned her another chance at redemption on Alone: Frozen.

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