Every year, American Ninja Warrior returns to its beloved reality/competition-based position on NBC. However, every year brings something new for the series. Sometimes, that comes in the form of rule changes or new obstacles that uncover challenges for the contestants. Other times, it comes in the form of retired fan favorites who will no longer compete.
For every rope-swinging ANW legend who retires, though, there are always plenty of exciting new talents just waiting to enter the fray. That being said, there will always be a slate of beloved American Ninja Warrior contestants. Fans just can’t get enough of them.
Daniel Gil
Daniel Gil is someone who has made it to the national finals of American Ninja Warrior five times during his career. But it’s not just the consistency that has made fans adore his presence on the courses.
What Gil brings to the table is speed. Watch any of Gil’s runs on the course and be amazed at how he blasts through the course, as if there is no danger of slipping at any moment. It’s a nerve-wracking trajectory navigated by Gil, but it’s astonishingly impressive all the same.
Kacy Catanzaro
On American Ninja Warrior, the Warped Wall is practically synonymous with the show. Perhaps no contestant was defter at scaling the wall, though, than Kacy Catanzaro.
She’s just five feet tall, but her athleticism knows no limitations. She became the first woman to advance to the national finals on the show, all because she conquered that famed wall. While her attention is now on WWE, she’ll always be beloved in the ANW territories.
Kevin Bull
Kevin Bull is not just a beloved competitor on ANW who has made a name for himself across multiple obstacle course series and as a representative for Ninja Warrior teams. He’s also a frequent winner of ANW episodes.
While national titles serve as the grand finale of the season, there’s still plenty of installments along the way. And Kevin Bull has been dominant, earning a fervent fan following thanks to his unique style of conquering the course. He is a highly influential ANW legend.
Jessie Graff
Sesame Street has no partnership with American Ninja Warrior, so it’s not Big Bird who’s running the course. That would be Jessie Graff, who first rose to prominence on the show thanks to a bird costume she wore on her qualifying run.
Since that splashy entrance into the show, though, Graff has buckled down and become more serious about competing with each passing season. She was the first woman to represent the U.S. on the national tournament stage and was the first to complete Stage 2 in Las Vegas. These achievements coupled with a fun-loving personality make Graff an undeniable standout.
Isaac Caldiero
It’s hard not to attach sentiments of fan favoritism onto those contestants who have conquered the course in ways no one has before or will since. The most prominent example of this is Isaac Caldiero, the first champion in the traditional format of the NBC series.
Caldiero has never quite reached this peak again, but he will always be treasured for his trailblazing tenure on the show. Just like Kelly Clarkson winning the first season of American Idol, Caldiero will always be a prominent show representative, even in retirement.
Tyrone Poole
American Ninja Warrior is not just a wacky obstacle-based testament to strength that helps create celebrities. It has also boasted its fair share of famous people who want to take a crack at the course. This has resulted in stars like Usher, Allison Janney, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar attempting miniature versions from Ellen DeGeneres.
However, it’s also resulted in real stars taking on the real course. One example is Tyrone Poole, a thirteen year veteran of NFL defenses. Poole won two championships with the New England Patriots and was instantly embraced by the ANW crowd, as well.
Hélio Castroneves
Similar to Poole, Castroneves was famous long before he stepped foot onto the American Ninja Warrior course. He won the Indianapolis 500 three times and is one of the greatest auto-racers of all-time.
He competed on American Ninja Warrior in 2016, among other national game shows, and immediately lit up the course with his cross-sport charisma. Personalities like Castroneves’ go a long way and he has definitely endeared himself to fans of all sports.
Tamika Catchings
One last celebrity athlete who took to the course (though, there have been many more, especially among professional wrestlers) is Tamika Catchings. Catchings is one of the greatest WNBA players of all-time, winning a title in 2012 and an MVP trophy in 2011.
Catchings also competed on ANW just a year ago. While she didn’t last very long, she was still quickly welcomed into the ANW community. Fans would love to see her compete again because there’s no denying that Catchings has some long runs in her if she can put together the dexterity required to pass qualifying.
James McGrath
When Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila are calling the runs of ANW, they always manage to come up with some pretty killer nicknames for the contestants who make names for themselves on the course.
One example of a classic ANW nickname is James McGrath’s “The Beast.” With a million dollar smile and nine appearances on the show, McGrath is like the Tom Brady of ANW. Reliable, handsome, and a born competitor, he’s definitely a fan classic.
Joe Moravsky
Could anyone else occupy the top position of American Ninja Warrior contestants who are adored by the fans? Joe Moravsky is practically what the series is all about wrapped into one athletic juggernaut.
When he first competed, Moravsky was best known for being a weatherman. Since then, he’s competed seven times on the show and claimed the title of “Last Ninja Standing” twice. Moravsky is an undeniable star from the show and there’s no doubt that fans will embrace him forever.
