’Survivor’ Season 48 Finale Spoilers & Predictions

Five castaways remain on “Survivor” Season 48, but who will take home the title of Sole Survivor and the grand prize of $1,000,000? Here’s everything you need to know before tuning in to the finale of “Survivor 48” on Wednesday, May 21. 

Everything to Know About the ‘Survivor’ Season 48 Finale

The 48th season of “Survivor” debuted on CBS on February 26, 2025, and has since seen 13 castaways voted off by their tribemates, leaving just Eva Erickson, Joe Hunter, Kamilla Karthigesu, Kyle Fraser, and Mitch Guerra vying for the grand prize. 

The final five castaways will compete in the season’s three-hour finale, titled “Only One of Youse Can Win,” on Wednesday, May 21. Over the course of the finale, the remaining contestants will compete in two immunity challenges. The first immunity challenge of the night will secure one castaway a spot in the Final Four. An intense Tribal Council will follow, where the remaining contestants will vote out one of their own. 

The final immunity challenge of Season 48 will follow, pitting the Final Four castaways against one another for a chance to plead their case to the Jury. Whoever wins the final immunity challenge will similarly have the power to select one of their remaining tribemates to join them in the Final Three. The two castaways who remain will face off in the iconic “Survivor” fire-making challenge to secure the finale spot in the top three. 

Once the final three castaways have been determined, they will be given the chance to plead their case to the Jury, which is composed of the eight most recently eliminated “Survivor 48” contestants, including Cedrek McFadden, Chrissy Sarnowsky, David Kinne, Star Toomey, Mary Zheng, and Shauhin Davari. The two castaways eliminated in the finale will also join the jury of eight in determining which of the top three deserve the million-dollar prize and the title of “Sole Survivor.”

Which Castaway is Most Likely to Win the Million Dollar Prize?

While it’s difficult to predict which of the final five contestants will ultimately win over the jury, that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating online all season long. However, as “Survivor 48” approaches its finale, fans have seemingly reached a consensus: the most likely winner of “Survivor” Season 48 is 45-year-old fire captain Joe Hunter. 

Robert Voets/CBS

Joe has been a force to be reckoned with from the start of the competition, winning three consecutive reward and immunity challenges with his original Lagi Tribe before getting swapped to the Vula Tribe on Day 8. After the swap, Joe was separated from his closest ally, fellow finalist, Eva. The pair formed an immediate bond upon arriving in Fiji as Eva revealed to Joe that she had autism. Joe subsequently learned how to help if she became ungrounded or overwhelmed during a challenge.

In Episode 4, despite being on different tribes, the duo made their mark when Joe rushed to Eva’s aid when she broke down after struggling in that week’s immunity challenge. The emotional scene, which showed Joe embracing and soothing his distraught ally, even brought host Jeff Probst to tears, something that has never happened in the history of “Survivor.”

The tender moment may pull some weight with the jury if Joe manages to secure a spot in the final three, but that’s not the only factor leading fans to believe Joe will be this season’s sole survivor. Joe’s performance in the individual portion of the competition has also been impressive, with the castaway winning a total of four individual immunity challenges. Comparatively, Eva, Kyle and Kamilla have each won one individual immunity challenge, making Joe the clear front-runner. 

Additionally, Joe has been killing the social aspect of “Survivor” by maintaining a strong alliance with Eva, Kamilla and Kyle. As a result, Joe has only had his name written down during Tribal Council once this season. 

This hasn’t kept other competitors from seeing him as a threat, however, having previously been targeted by Shauhin and Mary. Mary, who was eliminated in Episode 11, openly warned Kyle that he had no chance of winning the game if both Joe and Eva made it to the finals. Shauhin, who was eliminated in last week’s penultimate episode, similarly warned the castaways that “no one can sit at the end next to Joe.”

Fans also see Joe as the most likely winner of “Survivor 48,” with entertainment betting sites naming him the odds-on favorite to win. “At -200 odds, Joe has a 66.7% implied probability to be the sole survivor this season,” reported The Sports Geek following Episode 11. 
Ultimately, fans won’t find out who becomes the Sole Survivor of Season 48 until the finale airs on Wednesday, May 21 at 8pm ET. If tradition holds, the finale will similarly reveal the first teaser for “Survivor” Season 49, which is set to air this fall on CBS.