Durham’s Jesse Lopez sought ‘Survivor’ win after strategic season. Find out who won.

A Durham resident and poli-sci Ph.D candidate at Duke University waged an emotional battle to win the $1 million grand prize on the “Survivor” season finale Wednesday night.

Jesse Lopez, 30, was one of five finalists in the running for the title of “Sole Survivor” on the venerable CBS reality competition’s 43rd season.

(Caution: Spoilers ahead, so stop reading now if you haven’t watched.)

Lopez got this far by engineering a cutthroat blindside of his closest ally last week that divided fans and even seemed to leave Lopez himself unsure of whether he’s a masterful player or another in a long line of “Survivor” villains. Maybe both.

“At this point, someone needs to write a dissertation on whether or not I’m a villain,” Lopez tweeted last week.

Here’s what to know about Lopez and how he fared. And scroll down to read who won and what the winner plans to do with their prize.

Who is Jesse Lopez?

Lopez is originally from Venice, California, and is married with two young kids, with whom he plays chess and dances. At Duke, he is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.

On the show, he talked often about his journey from growing up as a gang member to becoming a devoted family man.

His strategy

Before the season began airing, Lopez, 30, told Entertainment Weekly that he has researched voting behavior on “Survivor” for years, and he believes he has the strategic side of the game figured out.

But that’s not all.

“I’m also not an academic by nature and have gone from being a gang member to dealing with Harvard-level researchers on a daily basis — so I can adapt to any environment and build relationships with anyone,” he told EW.

His big move (and the fallout)

All season, Lopez was a likable contestant who was BFFs with fellow tribe member Cody Assenmacher. Where Assenmacher was more showy (and cocky) with his game play, Lopez was quieter and in the background.

Lopez decided he needed a signature “big move” to stand out if he made it to the final vote. That involved his elaborate plan last week to convince Assenmacher he was safe from being voted out, then blindsiding him at the last minute at the show’s Tribal Council. Assenmacher was completely caught off guard.

Though Lopez’s move was brilliant and won praise from many “Survivor” fans, some others were quick to label him a heel. Some of the vitriol seemed confusing to Lopez and fans. (It is a GAME, people!)

“Weirdest part of this experience is being described as smug, arrogant, overconfident, etc.,” Lopez tweeted. “Is that even possible when I’ve spent my entire adult life in a state of self doubt wrestling with imposter syndrome??”

Who won the fire-making challenge?

In the first hour of Wednesday’s finale, finalist Karla Cruz Godoy, 28, a project manager from Newark, Delaware, was eliminated. Then came the last Immunity Challenge of the season, in which Cassidy Clark, 26, a designer from Austin, Texas, prevailed.

That meant Clark got to pick who would go with her to the Final 3. She chose Owen Knight, 30, a college admissions director from New Orleans.

So Lopez and the other finalist — Mike “Gabler” Gabler, 52, a heart valve specialist from Meridian, Idaho — had to compete in a fire-making challenge to earn the third spot in the Final 3.

And that’s when Lopez — who didn’t win an individual challenge all season — lost to Gabler. Lopez said he had practiced his fire making skills all day and was prepared. But Gabler jumped out to a big lead, and Lopez could never catch up.

His loss was emotional not only for him but for nearly every other contestant. Tears abounded as Lopez talked about wanting to win to make his kids proud and to provide a monetary “safety net” for his family back home. Other contestants consoled Lopez and talked about what a great game he had played all season.

Would Jesse have won if he made the Final 3?

The Final 3 contestants have to make the case why they’ve earned the $1 million to a group of ousted players, known as the “jury.”

Though it’s not a certainty that most jurors would have picked Lopez, it seems pretty likely. Everyone talked about what a threat he was to win, especially after his blindside move of Assmacher.

As Lopez said earlier, “only one thing is standing in my way.”

But that one thing was the fire-making challenge. Alas.

Who won Survivor Season 43?

In the end, Gabler got the most votes — 7 of 8 votes — and won the $1 million. Which most would not have predicted a week ago.

Cassidy got one vote. Owen got none.

Gabler said he will give his entire prize — after taxes, of course — to the Veterans in Need Foundation in his honor of his father.

At 52, he’s the second oldest winner in “Survivor” history.

Other former ‘Survivor’ players with Duke ties

Duke pre-med student (and Fayetteville native) Keith Sowell competed on “Survivor” Season 38 in 2019, and Duke law student Molly Byman was on Season 39 later in the year. Sowell was voted out on Day 17 and Byman, a Boston native, was voted out on Day 6.

NC’s biggest ‘Survivor’ winner

Sandra Diaz-Twine of Fayetteville. Diaz-Twine has made five appearances on “Survivor” (four times as a contestant, once as a mentor) and has won twice. She is considered one of the greatest “Survivor” players of all time.