The new season of The Challenge begins this week, and to get ready I think it’s important to assess the cast. Like I did last season, I’m going to give a comprehensive breakdown of the cast so you can hedge your bets on the winners.
Aneesa
Number of Previous Appearances: 9, with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Her argument with Robin on The Duel, which ending with Aneesa eliminating Robin.
Elimination Round Record: 13 (8 wins, 5 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: The Gauntlet 2, The Duel 2
Biggest Strength: Aneesa is known to give it her all every time she sees an elimination round.
Biggest Weakness: Endurance running isn’t her thing, which will hurt her in a final.
Brandon
Number of Previous Appearances: 4, with Battle of the Seasons being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Taking on multiple Gulags on Cutthroat and winning 4.
Elimination Round Record: 6 (3 wins, 3 losses; excluding his Exile on Fresh Meat 2)
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: He can definitely hold his own in elimination rounds.
Biggest Weakness: His partners, but for Free Agents his biggest weakness is probably swimming.
Camila
Number of Previous Appearances: 5 with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Her epic freakout on Battle of the Exes partner Johnny Bananas where she threatened to murder him.
Elimination Round Record: 9 (6 wins, 3 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: Battle of the Exes*, Rivals 2
Biggest Strength: Camila is good a most things on The Challenge, and can go into any challenge without fear.
Biggest Weakness: Poorly timed meltdowns and lack of knowledge of the English language.
*bold=victory
Cara Maria
Number of Previous Appearances: 6, with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Winning the friendship of Laurel and coming in second on Rivals.
Elimination Round Record: 9 (6 wins, 3 losses; excluding the Jungle on Rivals 2 where no one was eliminated).
Appearances in the Finals: Cutthroat, Rivals, Rivals 2
Biggest Strength: Having competed 3 finals, there’s little that Cara Maria isn’t capable of doing.
Biggest Weakness: Aside from Abram, nobody gets her. NOBODY.
Chet
Number of Previous Appearances: 3, with the most recent being Battle of the Seasons
Most Memorable Moment: Alongside fellow Brooklyner Sarah, masterminding a way to take Team Brooklyn to the finals on Battle of the Seasons.
Elimination Round Record: 3 (2 wins, 1 loss)
Appearances in the Finals: Battle of the Seasons
Biggest Strength: Don’t let his size fool you, Chet is capable of flexing both his muscles and his mental.
Biggest Weakness: Chet has a lot going for him, but I doubt he could out-muscle someone like Zach or CT in a one-on-one elimination rounds.
Cohutta
Number of Previous Appearances: 2, with The Ruins being his most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Being the first person to eliminate Wes.
Elimination Round Record: 3 (2 wins, 1 loss)
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: Cohutta is nimble and has a knack for getting himself out of sticky situations
Biggest Weakness: Certainly not the biggest guy, size may be a disadvantage
CT
Number of Previous Appearances: 9, with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: There’s a lot. I’ll be nice and go with his victory on Rivals 2
Elimination Round Record: 5 (3 wins, 2 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: The Inferno, The Inferno 2, The Gauntlet 3, Battle of the Exes, Rivals 2
Biggest Strength: The brute force CT has displayed, particularly in elimination rounds, is enough to move a mountain.
Biggest Weakness: His not-so-cool temper, cigarettes, and mumbling.
Devyn
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Battle of the Seasons
Most Memorable Moment: Falling in love with Big Easy, then eliminating him.
Elimination Round Record: 1 (1 win)
Appearances in the Finals: Battle of the Seasons
Biggest Strength: What won’t she do for some nice shoes or lip gloss?
Biggest Weakness: Running, or embracing her competitive side.
Dustin
Number of Previous Appearances: 2, with Battle of the Seasons being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Having his secret past revealed on The Real World
Elimination Round Record: 2 (2 wins)
Appearances in the Finals: Battle of the Seasons
Biggest Strength: Dustin is fast, clever, and can certainly hold his own against the top dogs.
Biggest Weakness: He prides himself on being a southern gentleman, but in the right situation you can see him get street.
Emilee
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Cutthroat
Most Memorable Moment: Provoking an argument with Real World roomie Bronne where she was compared to Mussolini.
Elimination Round Record: 1 (1 loss)
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: She’s good looking and could easily be underestimated.
Biggest Weakness: After being the first person eliminated on Cutthroat, she could easily be perceived as a weak link.
Frank
Number of Previous Appearances: 2, with his most recent being Rivals 2
Most Memorable Moment: Winning his first ever Challenge and starting the rookie revolution
Elimination Round Record: 1 (1 win)
Appearances in the Finals: Battle of the Seasons, Rivals 2
Biggest Strength: With a love for Crossfit, Frank is in great shape and isn’t afraid of physical challenges.
Biggest Weakness: Give him one beer and one insult and you’ve got Hurricane Frank.
Isaac
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, The Duel 2
Most Memorable Moment: Taking Landon into a Duel because he cut his toenail
Elimination Round Record: 1 (1 loss)
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: Isaac’s social game allowed him to cruise to the middle of The Duel 2 and surpass most rookies.
Biggest Weakness: He hasn’t shown a lot in terms of physical strength or mental abilities…yet
Jasmine
Number of Previous Appearances: 4, with the most recent being Rivals 2
Most Memorable Moment: Being a powerful rookie on Rivals and eliminating puzzle-master Sarah in a puzzle
Elimination Round Record: 5 (1 win, 4 losses; excluding the Jungle where no one was eliminated)
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: Small but feisty, Jasmine isn’t going to let anything or anyone stand in her way.
Biggest Weakness: Small but feisty, her size and temper have both proven to be a problem.
Jemmye
Number of Previous Appearances: 2, with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Working with Camila to make it to the final Challenge of Rivals 2 and winning the final elimination of the season
Elimination Round Record: 3 (2 wins, 1 loss)
Appearances in the Finals: Rivals 2
Biggest Strength: A former college athlete, Jemmye knows how to stay focused on the prize
Biggest Weakness: Ketchup
Jessica
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Rivals 2
Most Memorable Moment: Falling for a Portland native nicknamed “Paul Bunyan,” only to get dumped via e-mail
Elimination Round Record: 1 (1 loss)
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: The later half of 2013 has been good to Jessica. She has lost weight and packed on muscle.
Biggest Weakness: Her intimidation factor is low, having lost in the first elimination on Rivals 2.
Johnny Bananas
Number of Previous Appearances: 9, with Rivals 2 being most recent
Most Memorable Moment: He has a lot of memorable moments, but becoming CT’s Johnny Bananas Backpack may be the most memorable.
Elimination Round Record: 6 (3 wins, 3 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: The Inferno 3, The Island, The Ruins, Rivals, Battle of the Exes, Rivals 2
Biggest Strength: He can make it to a final in his sleep, and he and win challenges like no other.
Biggest Weakness: He’s getting older, and I’m not so sure he’s getting better with age.
Johnny R.
Number of Previous Appearances: 0
Most Memorable Moment: The time he got into a massive fight with Nia.
Elimination Round Record: None
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: Surviving a zombie apocalypse
Biggest Weakness: It’s hard to say because he has little experience, but hopefully he doesn’t let partying or romance get in his way of rookie domination.
Jonna
Number of Previous Appearances: 3, with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: The time she used homelessness as an excuse to avoid elimination on Battle of the Seasons, ultimately leading to the demise of team Cancun.
Elimination Round Record: 4 (1 win, 3 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: She’s blatantly honest and accepts no bullshit
Biggest Weakness: Chasing after men instead of the big check
Jordan
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Rivals 2
Most Memorable Moment: Making it the finals on Rivals 2 as a newbie.
Elimination Round Record: 2 (2 wins)
Appearances in the Finals: Rivals 2
Biggest Strength: His love for extreme sports and Crossfit has turned him into a fearless and strong competitor.
Biggest Weakness: His argumentative nature might earn him a few enemies.
LaToya
Number of Previous Appearances: None
Most Memorable Moment: The time she pushed Swift onto a sea urchin, sending him to the hospital
Elimination Round Record: None
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: She’s strong minded, getting the last laugh
Biggest Weakness: With no previous Challenge experience, it’s hard to say whether or not she can compete with the big dogs.
Laurel
Number of Previous Appearances: 3, with Rivals being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: That time she manhandled Wes then unleashed an insult-spree on Paula.
Elimination Round Record: 4 (4 wins)
Appearances in the Finals: Fresh Meat 2, Cutthroat, Rivals
Biggest Strength: When it comes to competitions, Laurel has the strength, endurance, and mental ability to win anything.
Biggest Weakness: Her outspoken nature might earn her a few enemies along the way
Leroy
Number of Previous Appearances: 3, with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Making it to the final of Rivals on his first Challenge
Elimination Round Record: 4 (2 wins, 2 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: Rivals
Biggest Strength: Leroy has muscles the size of bowling balls, he’s a force to be reckoned with.
Biggest Weakness: Puzzles aren’t his thing
Nany
Number of Previous Appearances: 2, with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Becoming the victim of Diem’s rap debut
Elimination Round Record: 3 (1 win, 2 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: She’s a bigger strategist than most people give her credit for
Biggest Weakness: Men… and women. Sexy people in general.
Nia
Number of Previous Appearances: None
Most Memorable Moment: The time she tried to murder Johnny and Averey over some dog shit
Elimination Round Record: None
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: Dubbed “Hurricane Nia” she has a strong mind and two strong fists
Biggest Weakness: She has an easier time making enemies than friends. Even as a newbie she might have a few enemies coming into this season.
Preston
Number of Previous Appearances: 2, with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: His laughable encounter with the New Orleans police
Elimination Round Record: 3 (1 win, 2 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: Underestimated by most, he has proven himself many times. Plus, he claims he’s a runner which will help him in the final.
Biggest Weakness: Well, I’ve never seen a bodybuilder with a frame like his…
Swift
Number of Previous Appearances: None
Most Memorable Moment: Fight with LaToya over their potential hook up.
Elimination Round Record: None
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: Pulling practical jokes
Biggest Weakness: I’m not sure he has a single ally coming into this game
Theresa
Number of Previous Appearances: 4, with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Pretending she was going to quit Rivals as a strategy with in The Jungle, then losing anyway.
Elimination Round Record: 4 (4 loses; excluding the Jungle from Rivals 2 where no one was eliminated)
Appearances in the Finals: None
Biggest Strength: She has proven herself to have strength and speed
Biggest Weakness: Relying on half-baked strategies to get through the game.
Zach
Number of Previous Appearances: 2, with Rivals 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Winning Battle of the Seasons as a rookie
Elimination Round Record: 3 (2 wins, 1 loss)
Appearances in the Finals: Battle of the Seasons
Biggest Strength: Tall, buff, and confident. Zach is probably the biggest guy in the house.
Biggest Weakness: Keeping his composure under stress
Stop Being Polite 
I don’t think aneesa was in the finals of the duel.
Svets and Jodi?
Aneesa wasn’t in the duel final.
My bad, you guy are absolutely right. I edited it… thanks for the heads up!
LMAO it’s funny how much you hate on Jonna on all your posts? Biased much?#Pathetic
On top of that she was the that outsmart Sarah not Jasmine on rivals 1, Jasmine have even said it herself she sucks at puzzles and that Jonna was the brain on her team on Rivals 1 and Seasons 2.
Jonna was definitely the brains of her team on Rivals, because she wasn’t busy chasing after a guy.
On Seasons, Cancun should have done much better. Their demise was losing the Hall Brawl Arena in overtime to Zach and Sam. I really think that Jonna would have defeated Sam in and Cancun would have won.
Maybe my description for Jonna isn’t 100% positive, but did I lie?
Did I miss something?
“Being a powerful rookie on Rivals and eliminating puzzle-master Sarah in a puzzle”
Jasmine didn’t won that, it was Jonna by her self. Haters are going to hate.
Really Jemmye not weakness how about sucking at puzzles and cara can barley swim
Oops. I had a weakness for Jemmye, but I must have lost it with some of the formatting issues I had. I edited it back in. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Also, Cara might not be good at puzzles, but the fact that a lot of people seem to dislike her has proven to be a bigger weakness.
Brandon only won 3 gulags not 4 on Cutthroat and Laurel only won 4 eliminations (1 Freshmeat 2, 1 Cutthroat, and 2 Rivals)
Thank you for the corrections! I did a lot of this purely by memory, so I guess there are some errors. For some reason, I always forget that Brandon won one less Gulag than Camila.
Also, I understand what you’re saying for the Beth/Aneesa elimination, but Aneesa at least showed willingness to compete which is what allowed her to stay in the game. Brandon was send home for some made up rule when we all know that it wasn’t safe for Katelynn to compete.
I would even count Brandon losing the Freshmeat 2 exile if you are counting Aneesa vs Beth on Gauntlet 2 because they didn’t face each other in the gauntlet.