Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test is not for the faint of heart. The Fox competition series puts a group of notable public figures through a series of quasi-military training tactics. Unlike most reality competition shows, there is no grand cash prize or cushy awards for passing missions. The goal is to better oneself mentally and physically against adversity.
Now in season 4, viewers can see celebrities embark on a series of training activities and duplicate missions done by the United States Special Forces. Without a cash prize, the series is unlike most reality TV shows. However, there are other competitive reality TV shows that showcase the same strength and determination of contestants through military-like training or physical tests.
Physical 100
In 2023, Netflix released the South Korean competition series Physical 100. The series shows 100 incredibly fit people who are known for their strong physiques as they compete in quests against each other.
Participants of each round are eliminated, and the last man standing goes home with a cash reward. Like Special Forces, the cast includes notable figures, from influencers to professional athletes.
Quests vary to push participants to the test mentally and physically. Teamwork, tenacity, and strength are what create winners. Some quests involved hanging over water, moving gear to an extraction point, and physical strength tests, which can all be comparable to Special Forces.
Season 3 of Physical 100 was renewed in 2024 and will be altered to Physical: Asia to include different demographics.
Outlast
Another competitive Netflix series is Outlast. Like Special Forces, the series takes place in a tough terrain (Alaska), and the contestants have to push themselves mentally to survive. The biggest difference is that the series doesn’t have drill sergeants. They’re designated into teams, sent into the Alaskan wilderness, and expected to survive.
The survivalists have few supplies and can only leave if they drop out or are medically unfit.
The series is great for those who enjoy survival-of-the-fittest mentalities. The last remaining team goes home with $1 million.
American Grit
In 2016, Fox joined forces with former WWE wrestler John Cena for a reality competition series with a military spin, Just like Special Forces.
Each team on American Grit is led by a former military leader to compete in a series of missions. Unlike Special Forces, however, there’s an elimination round. Teams that win missions are safe from elimination, and the winner of the series takes home $250,000.
Unfortunately, the series was canceled after its second season due to low ratings, but you can still stream American Grit on Prime Video.
Alone
History’s Alone is still going strong with 13 seasons. Like Outlast, the series is a survival-of-the-fittest game. However, instead of cameras following the group of 10 contestants around for military-style excursions, the individuals self-document their journey in the wild.
Every season is in a different rigorous location. The series has been filmed in the wildernesses of Patagonia, British Columbia, and Mongolia, to name a few.
The contestant who lasts the longest in the wilderness alone gets between $500,000 and $1 million (depending on the season). While roughing the wilderness and facing wild animals is hard enough, the hardest aspect appears to be the mental toll of being alone for so long.
Mental toughness is something that Special Forces fans can appreciate. Catch up on different seasons of Alone on Disney+.
Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls
Adventurist Bear Grylls leads contestants through a series of obstacles on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls. The series takes place on a remote island with few resources and limited water. A large portion of the series is for those competing to find their own food.
Most of the missions revolve around foraging for food, building a safe camp, and managing conflict around a tired group of strangers. Similar to Special Forces, Celebrity Island had professional athletes, internet personalities, musicians, and beyond. Actor Eric Roberts is one of the more notable celebrities who competed.
The series first started as a special spinoff of The Island with Bear Grylls, with the earnings being donated to a cancer foundation. The competition did so well that it went on for three seasons. Now, it can be watched on Prime Video or Tubi.
Survivor
CBS’s Survivor is still going strong after 25 years on the air. Contestants compete in daily challenges to eventually become the lone survivor. Unlike Special Forces, there’s a cash prize, and the castaways use sharp survival skills to outsmart and outplay the others. While teamwork is an aspect of some challenges, it’s not a focal point.
The combination of survival skills and alliances is what makes the strongest survive. Survivor winners get between $1 million and $2 million, depending on the season.
The series has been so successful that it has spread into numerous global adaptations and spinoffs. Other reality TV shows like Peacock’s The Traitors and The Amazing Race have all mimicked Survivor’s blueprint.
You can catch up on Survivor on Hulu.
SAS: Who Dares Wins
SAS: Who Dares Wins is the original series that Special Forces spiraled from. If viewers love watching Special Forces on Fox, they’d appreciate SAS: Who Dares Wins on Prime Video or Fubo.
Just like Special Forces, viewers are going to see quasi-military training missions for a group of civilians and notable stars. Drill sergeants are tough and spare no prisoners as contestants push themselves in harsh environments.
The competition series has seven seasons (with the first six focusing on regular people, while the seventh season focuses on celebrities) and similar rules to Special Forces.
Recruits must have mental fortitude, or they won’t last long. The only way to leave the series is by voluntary withdrawal, medical exemption, or if the sergeants deem a person unfit.
SAS: Who Dares Wins is raw, cutting, and inspiring.
Beyond The Edge
CBS’s Beyond the Edge only lasted one season, but it’s another example of when celebrities get outside their comfort zones. The reality show showcases celebrities going head-to-head in tiring challenges in brutal conditions.
The celebrities spent 14 days in a Panamanian jungle to raise money for different charitable organizations. Whoever raised the most money by the end of the series is victorious, but participants can also opt out of challenges and go home if it’s too much for them.
Along with grueling challenges, the contestants had to live in sparse conditions and partake in climbing, swimming, and rappelling excursions.
Former NFL player Colton Underwood won season 1after raising over $200,000 for charity. Unfortunately, since the show aired right after Survivor, it suffered in the long run, as it was too similar to what viewers had already watched.
You can watch the series on Prime Video.
The Selection: Special Operations Experiment
In 2016, History released The Selection: Special Operations Experiment. The series was shot in a documentary format and showed civilians partaking in intense military training exercises. The recruits had no prior military experience and were thrown into the series to push their limits, both physically and mentally.
The series is led by real-life military instructors from the US Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and Green Berets. It imitates true challenges in harsh weather conditions.
Following in Special Forces’ footsteps, there is no official prize for completing the series. The prize is pride for completing some of the most brutal forms of military training.
You can now watch The Selection: Special Operations Experiment on Hulu.
Surviving The Cut
Another documentary-style series that’s similar to Special Forces is the Discovery Channel’s Surviving the Cut. The show lasted for two seasons and followed real-life recruits as they entered different training programs for various US military branches.
The series is raw and shows how much those in the Special Forces units go through to complete their training and partake in various military missions.
Each episode follows a new group of recruits training under a different umbrella of the US military (the Rangers, Air Force, Sniper School, etc.). Although the series only lasted for two seasons, it was a raw look at US military practices, which are rarely shown.
There are no celebrities in Surviving the Cut, but the series is fascinating to watch because it shows how mentally and physically tough the US Special Forces are.
You can watch seasons 1 and 2 on HBO Max.