13 Challengers Who Would Make Perfect ‘Traitors’

Peacock is filming the second season of its show The Traitors, and three Challenge alumni are joining the reality star-studded cast: Johnny Bananas, CT, and Trishelle.

We’re in for an exciting season, but there’s no shortage of Challenge players who embody the spirit of a Traitor. These are the people who can make malicious, strategic moves to benefit their own game, then return to the group and smile as if nothing happened. Beyond the three people on The Traitors 2, these 13 Challengers would make great additions to future seasons.

If you don’t know the rules, this show puts a group of contestants together, and a small number of people have been named “Traitors” and the remainder of the cast has been named the “Faithful.” Each night, these Traitors “murder” a member of the Faithful. Then, the Faithful “banishes” one person, hoping to get rid of the Traitors, but if the Traitors assimilate into the group, they can survive the competition and make it to the end. Basically, this show is the party game Mafia.

13. Amanda Garcia

Amanda has proven time and time again that she’s very loyal, yet for some reason, people push the narrative to never trust her. This is because she protects a select group, and if you’re not a part of it, you’re a threat to her game. This will make it easy for her to betray people, and as we all know, she’ll have no issue confronting drama.

12. Devin Walker

If you just watched Spies, Lies and Allies and Ride or Dies, you might not know Devin for being overly malicious, but he definitely made shady moves during earlier seasons. Specifically, this was seen on Rivals 3 and Vendettas when he targeted Bananas or Double Agents when he partnered with Tori with the intent of sabotaging her. And on The Traitors, sabotage is the name of the game.

11. Michele Fitzgerald

After her time on Survivor, Michele feared she was considered a “boring” player. On The Challenge, her sneakier side shines through. This was seen on Spies, Lies and Allies when she started making rookie alliances, then it was abundantly clear on Ride or Dies when she was targeting veterans — specifically Laurel — and angered a lot of the people in the game, but it also made her a mainstay on the franchise. Now, on USA 2, she’s riding the middle of the alliances and reached a point where she needs to betray her Survivor allies.

10. Laurel Stucky

You may know Laurel has a competitor who thrives in physical competitions, but don’t underestimate her sneakiness. On War of the Worlds 2, she obtained information to blindside Wes while she was fake-sleeping, which resulted in his departure. She’s also no stranger to confrontation, and when her back is against the wall, there’s no telling how she’ll try to survive.

9. Cory Wharton

Apparently, Cory was nearly on The Traitors season 1, and for good reason. Since he came onto The Challenge, he hasn’t been afraid to make big moves. He staged an elimination where Bananas faced Cara Maria on Bloodlines, then worked with Bananas toward the end of Rivals 3. Since then, he’s remained faithful to his core allies, but he’s not afraid to be a double agent. On USA 2, he acts like he’s loyal to the Challenge veterans, but in reality, he’s also helping the Survivor girls.

8. Tony Raines

Throughout his time on The Challenge Tony has become a beloved fan favorite. He’s prone to get involved in some messy drama, and he tends to be very headstrong when he has his mind made up. On the Traitors, he’d be a great faithful, but not because he has great intuition. Rather, he’ll follow his gut feeling, even if it leads him to banishment or murder.

7. Kam Williams

During Vendettas, Kam had to fight her way to the end of the game after being voted into multiple eliminations. This forced her to separate game moves from personal attacks, and in a game like The Traitors, that’s the key to success. Plus, she’s known for making super strategic moves, which was most evident when she won a challenge on Final Reckoning.

6. Shane Landrum

If anyone knows how to handle the mental pressure of a reality show, it’s probably Shane. He thrives in tense situations, and he’s not afraid to make unconventional plays to survive — like the time he threw Don’t Push Me Around to prevent Bananas from getting power. This was very polarizing on The Challenge, but on a sabotage-based game, it’s the mentality you need to survive.

5. Beth Stolarczyk

Rumor had it, Beth was going to be on The Traitors 2, but she never made the final cast. Regardless of why this happened, Beth would have been a great addition to the show for her headstrong gameplay and willingness to confront drama head-on. Truth be told, she’s pretty loyal when she gives you her word — just ask her longtime friend and ally Syrus. But, she’s not afraid to go against the grain, and that type of strategy would have people scratching their heads on The Traitors.

4. Ashley Mitchell

If you know Ashley, you’ll have no problem naming her key allies — and she’s quite loyal to them. Beyond this group, she’s comfortable making big moves and working with different people. On War of the Worlds 2 she found herself with new allies, then she was known as a snake on Total Madness. Of course, Ashley’s reputation is heavily defined by her million-dollar decision on Final Reckoning, which is the costliest act of betrayal ever seen on The Challenge.

3. Jemmye Carroll

It’s no secret that Jemmye relies on unconventional practices to excel on The Challenge, and she’s one of the first people who will use power to make big moves. This was apparent on Dirty Thirty when she betrayed Jenna, looked her dead in the eyes, and sent her into The Presido against Kailah. Since then, Jemmye has become more strategic, and that was apparent on All Stars 1. Unfortunately, that was kind of wasted on a season that was more sentimental than strategic.

2. Veronica Portillo

The original challenge-throwing queen, Veronica has built a reputation on sneaky gameplay. After The Inferno 2, she took a break from the show but returned to The Ruins where she used a split vote to get safety (at the expense of Ibis). Then, she took another break and returned eight years later on Dirty Thirty where she used burn votes to get Leroy sent into elimination. It wasn’t a necessary game move, but Veronica refuses to allow herself to be powerless in the game.

1. Theresa Jones (Gonzalez)

As soon as she debuted on Fresh Meat 2, Theresa called herself a “double agent.” Whether it was flirting with Kenny then Wes or pretending she was going to quit the game, she never underestimated the role of mental warfare on The Challenge. On Free Agents, she orchestrated a vote to send Laurel to elimination, but she burned her vote on someone else. The next season, Exes 2, she betrayed her friend Nany, a rivalry that was reignited on Double Agents. But, on that season Ashley and Kam were the main victims of Theresa’s sneaky game moves.