Characters of Supernatural

Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester (left) and Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester (right)

Supernatural is an American television drama/thriller series created by writer and producer Eric Kripke, and was initially broadcast by The WB. After its first season, The WB and UPN merged to form The CW, which is the current broadcaster for the show in the United States.

The show features two main characters, Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, brothers who travel across the country in a black 1967 Chevrolet Impala to hunt demons, supernatural creatures, and other paranormal entities, many of them based on folklore, myths, and American urban legends. In addition, Supernatural chronicles the relationship between the brothers and their father, John Winchester, as they seek to avenge and understand the murder of their mother at the hands of the demon, Azazel.

Supernatural has featured many other recurring guests that take part in story arcs that span a portion of a season. Occasionally, the recurring guest storylines will span multiple seasons. After the death of their father in the second season, the hunter Bobby Singer becomes a father figure to Sam and Dean. As the series progresses, recurring guests appear at various times to help move the overall storyline of the show such as the demon Ruby, or the angel Castiel portrayed by ((Misha Collins)). The series also features recurring appearances from other demons, angels, and hunters.

Hunters

Hunters are men and women who spend their lives hunting supernatural creatures, generally to kill them. Most appear to have had some kind of negative encounter with the supernatural, which prompts them to become hunters.

Dean Winchester

Main article: Dean Winchester

Sam Winchester

Main article: Sam Winchester

Bobby Singer

Main article: Bobby Singer

John Winchester

Main article: John Winchester (Supernatural)

Ellen Harvelle

Main article: Ellen Harvelle

Joanna Beth "Jo" Harvelle

Main article: Jo Harvelle

Mary Winchester

Mary Winchester, regularly portrayed by Samantha Smith but depicted by Amy Gumenick in the time-travel episodes "In the Beginning" and "The Song Remains the Same", is the wife of John Winchester and mother of Sam and Dean. Her parents, Samuel and Deanna Campbell, were hunters, and she was raised into a life of hunting. Dean, sent back in time by the angel Castiel, unknowingly brings Mary to Azazel's attention through his actions. Azazel kills her parents and then-boyfriend John Winchester (a non-hunter unaware of Mary's hunter lifestyle), after which he bargains with Mary for John's life, offering to resurrect John if she allows him to enter her house ten years later. Not knowing Azazel's intentions, she agrees. Eventually marrying John and leaving the life of a hunter, she gives birth to Dean and Sam.

In the pilot episode, it is revealed, six months after Sam's birth, Mary was awakened by sounds of him crying in his crib. She discovered Azazel there - later revealed to have been feeding Sam his demonic blood - and confronted him, but was pinned to the ceiling by him and slashed across her abdomen, eventually bursting into flames. According to series creator Eric Kripke, her relation to Azazel was supposed to be addressed in the third season, but was pushed back to the fourth season due to the 2007-08 writer's strike.^[1]

In the episode "Home", her sons return to their childhood home in Lawrence, Kansas to investigate a recurring dream Sam experiences. Mary's spirit seems to haunt the house, and a poltergeist is in the house with her. After the poltergeist pins Sam to the wall, Mary appears before Sam as a fiery figure and tells him she is sorry. Her spirit then fights with and neutralizes the poltergeist, forcing both spirits out of the home.

In "The Kids are Alright", it is revealed all of Mary's friends and acquaintances have been killed off in the years since her death, although the reasons for this are never explained.

Ash

Ash, portrayed by Chad Lindberg, is a mullet-wearing computer genius, who works and lives at Harvelle's Roadhouse with Jo and Ellen Harvelle. He attended MIT, but was kicked out for "fighting". He owns a homemade laptop, which he uses to track the paranormal, particularly Azazel, with the information John Winchester and his sons, Sam and Dean, have gathered. In the episode "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1", he calls Dean to tell him he has discovered something important, but by the time Dean arrives at the Roadhouse to talk, the Roadhouse has been burned to the ground, and Dean finds the corpse of someone wearing the same distinctive watch as Ash.

Series creator Eric Kripke stated Ash's apparent death "had to do with how much I hated the actual Roadhouse itself rather than anyone in it." As for the character's return, Kripke replied, "Ash is a possibility."^[2] This comes to fruition in the fifth season episode "Dark Side of the Moon", in which Sam and Dean meet Ash in Heaven. Enjoying the afterlife more than his actual life, Ash helps the brothers hide from Zachariah.

Gordon Walker

Gordon Walker, portrayed by Sterling K. Brown, is a vampire hunter whose methods often put him at odds with the Winchester brothers. When he was 18 years old, a vampire broke into his house and abducted his sister. Gordon ran away from home, learned how to fight, hunt, and kill vampires, and tracked down the vampire who had taken his sister. He killed it, and his sister, who had been turned, marking the beginning of his hatred for the undead. At some point during his career as a hunter, Gordon met John Winchester and Ellen Harvelle.

He is introduced in the episode "Bloodlust", meeting up with Dean and Sam Winchester while hunting a particular nest of vampires. At first Dean bonds with Gordon, but Gordon proves himself to be bloodthirsty and sadistic as he tortures one of the vampires he has captured, even though he knows these particular vampires feed off cattle blood and do not kill humans. Dean ends up beating Gordon in a fight, leaving him tied to a chair while the vampires escape.

Later, while performing an exorcism, Gordon learns about the coming demonic war, Azazel's special children, and Sam's powers. In "Hunted", he kills Scott Carey, and then tracks Sam down and tries to kill him. However, Dean intervenes. After a scuffle, Gordon knocks Dean out, ties him up, and uses him as bait to catch Sam in his booby trap: grenades set with trip wires. Sam manages to evade the trap and knocks Gordon out. As the brothers leave the damaged house, Gordon regains consciousness and chases them, firing two pistols in their direction. The police arrive to subdue Gordon, and then find the cache of weapons in his car.

In "Bad Day at Black Rock," Gordon is shown to be in prison, where he convinces a visiting fellow hunter to go after Sam Winchester. Gordon eventually escapes from prison, and once again pursues the Winchester brothers in "Fresh Blood." However, he is captured and subsequently turned by a vampire. Gordon, however, turns on his sire, kills two other vampires, and then sets up a trap for the Winchester brothers, still convinced it is his duty as a hunter to rid the world of Sam Winchester. A fight ensues in a warehouse where Gordon holds a girl he has kidnapped—and turned—to use as bait, ending with Sam decapitating him with a garotte improvised out of razor wire.

According to series creator Eric Kripke, Gordon was originally going to learn about the hunter Sam killed while possessed and use it to convince more hunters to turn against Sam. This was intended to be a story arc stretching over multiple episodes. However, Sterling K. Brown was contracted for the Lifetime Television series Army Wives, and Lifetime would only allow him to return to Supernatural for two more episodes.^[2]

Samuel Campbell

Samuel Campbell, portrayed by Mitch Pileggi, is the maternal grandfather of Sam and Dean Winchester. He and his wife Deanna are revealed to be hunters in the fourth season episode "In the Beginning", where Dean is transported back in time. Dean discovers that Samuel is being possessed by Azazel, and he dies when Azazel leaves his body.

In the sixth season premiere, it is revealed that Samuel was brought down from Heaven at the same time Sam was resurrected from Hell. While he claims to have no idea why he was brought back, he, Sam and the other surviving members of the Campbell family are shown to be capturing dangerous supernatural creatures behind Dean's back, instead of killing them.

Samuel returns personally during a string of vampire attacks in Limestone, Illinois, after Dean has been turned into a vampire. While knowing the cure to vampirism, he knows that Sam knew about it as well. He concludes that Sam wanted him inside the nest to locate the Alpha Vampire, though Sam denies it.

It is later revealed that Samuel was resurrected by Crowley, and is attempting to find the location of Purgatory—the afterlife for monsters—for the demon in exchange for his daughter's resurrection. After betraying the Winchesters, Dean vows to kill his grandfather the next time they meet.

A case he worked during his year spent hunting with Sam is seen in "Unforgiven".

In "...And Then There Were None", Samuel and Gwen encounter Sam, Dean, Rufus and Bobby as they all investigate the same case. Sam prevents Dean from killing Samuel as he may be of some use yet. Gwen reveals that she was unaware of Samuel's betrayal but is killed by Dean, who is possessed by the Khan worm. Samuel is unapologetic when confronted by the brothers. It is subsequently revealed that he has been possessed and is shot by Sam. However, he resurrects under the power of the worm and is finally killed by Bobby.

Rufus Turner

Rufus Turner, portrayed by Steven Williams, is semi-retired hunter who helped Bobby Singer when his wife is possessed by a demon. Rufus exorcises the demon and helps cover up Karen Singer's death. It is Rufus who introduces Bobby to the world of the supernatural, and they hunt together for many years until a hunt goes wrong in Omaha, and someone important to Rufus dies. They become estranged after this. Fifteen years later, Rufus responds to Bobby's request for information on Bela and helps Dean locate her in "Time Is On My Side." He returns to active hunting after Lucifer rises and the Apocalypse begins.

He is introduced in the third season episode "Time Is On My Side", when Bobby, who has not heard from Rufus in about 15 years, receives a phone call in which Rufus alerts him to the whereabouts of Bela Talbot. Dean goes to see Rufus Turner, even though Sam opposes the idea of hunting for Bela, as they have only a couple of weeks until Dean's deal runs out. Rufus presents Dean with a manilla folder on Bela, which gives Dean new and interesting detail into her past.

Rufus appears off-screen in "When the Levee Breaks", when he calls Bobby with news of more of the 66 Seals being broken.

In "Good God Y'All", Rufus heads to a town he thinks is under attack from demons, based on omens of a polluted river and a falling star. He calls Ellen and Jo and Bobby for help. When Sam and Dean arrive he and Jo have been separated from Ellen. Jo and Rufus capture Sam, thinking he is possessed. Later, Ellen and Dean are able to help break the spell War has over them.

Bobby talks on the phone to Rufus about omens that may indicate Death, in "The Devil You Know".

In "Weekend at Bobby's", Rufus arrives at Singer Salvage Yard to dispose of the body of an apparently dead Okami. Bobby assists him with this and also helps him evade capture by the FBI. However, the Okami is revealed to still be alive and is subsequently dispatched by Bobby. Afterwards, Rufus uses his contacts to uncover information on Crowley's life as a human and later steals a signet ring from a museum which once belonged to Crowley's son as part of Bobby's attempt to regain his soul from the demon.

Rufus investigates the same case as the Winchesters and Bobby, in "...And Then There Were None". The group later encounter Samuel and Gwen, and discover that the monster is a new breed created by Eve, the "Khan Worm." After Gwen and Samuel are killed, Rufus is stabbed by a possessed Bobby. As cremation is not undertaken in the Jewish tradition, Rufus is buried, in a Jewish cemetery, rather than given a Hunter's funeral pyre. Bobby pours some of Rufus' favourite drink - Johnnie Walker Blue Label - on the grave before taking a drink himself.

Gwen Campbell

Gwen Campbell, portrayed by Jessica Heafey, is a hunter, and a third cousin related to Sam and Dean's mother's side of the family. When Sam re-enters Dean's life in "Exile on Main Street", he reveals that he has been back for a year and hunting with the Campbells, including Gwen. She and the others assist the brothers in defeating the Djinn. Gwen is present at the compound in "Two and a Half Men", when the brothers arrive with the baby Shapeshifter and is overpowered with the others when the Alpha arrives. When hunting the Alpha Vampire in "Family Matters", she is ordered to stay behind and flush out any stragglers with Dean. They fight well together and she covers for him when Dean disobeys orders. However, she sides with Samuel at the end of the episode when she holds the Winchesters at gunpoint and follows him even when it is revealed that he has been working for Crowley. She is next seen in "...And Then There Were None", when hunting with Samuel. While investigating the murders, they encounter Bobby, Rufus, Sam and Dean. Gwen tells Dean that she did not know that Samuel had betrayed Sam and Dean to Crowley. The creature responsible for the deaths - dubbed the "Khan Worm" - infects Dean who kills Gwen.

Christian Campbell

Christian Campbell, portrayed by Corin Nemec, is a hunter, and a third cousin related to Sam and Dean's mother's side of the family. He is introduced to Dean along with the other Campbells in "Exile on Main Street" and helps Samuel trap the female Djinn. He is present in the compound in "Two and a Half Men", and it is agreed that he and his wife will raise the baby Shapeshifter despite Dean's objections. However, the Alpha Shapeshifter arrives, overpowers the hunters and takes back the baby. In "Family Matters", Christian discovers Dean investigating Samuel and the two exchange threats. Later, his neck is snapped by the Alpha Vampire. It is then revealed that he has been possessed by a demon for some time and he and others overpower and remove the Alpha. The Demon Christian is working at Crowley's prison in "Caged Heat" and tortures the Lucifer loyalist Meg for information. However, she refuses to divulge and Christian is killed by Dean using Ruby's Knife.

Samuel Colt

Samuel Colt is a hunter who lived in the 19th century and the creator of the Colt - a gun that can kill almost any supernatural being. Lucifer has revealed that he is one of five supernatural beings immune to its power. He also designed the locked door to keep the portal to Hell known as the Devil's Gate from opening. The Devil's Gate and the Colt gun are linked together - the gun serves as the key to the gate, allowing it to be opened by inserting the Colt's muzzle into the key hole. He built a railroad of iron in the shape of a pentagram, with a church at each of the points, around the devil's gate to further ensure that it was demon-proof. Colt was portrayed by Sam Hennings in the season six episode "Frontierland". Sam and Dean, when looking for a method of destroying Eve, come across Colt's journal, which reveals that the hunter had killed a Phoenix in 1861. As the ashes of a Phoenix are need to kill Eve, Castiel sends the Winchesters back in time to retrieve them. Although Samuel is initially reluctant to assist Sam, he eventually gives him the Colt. When Sam and Dean are pulled back to the present day without the ashes, it is revealed that Colt send a courier package 150 years ago containing the ashes, which arrives at Bobby's door.

Angels

The following characters are angels of God, making them extremely powerful beings. Merely perceiving their form - even psychically - typically results in blindness, as the appearance of their natural "visage" is overwhelming; it is capable of burning an individual's eyes from their sockets, although certain "special people" are able to withstand their true appearances and voices. Angels are apparently immortal, but they can be harmed by more powerful beings (e.g. Castiel was harmed by the demon Alastair). However, they can be killed by archangels and the sword of an angel, which can be used by anyone, can also kill them. Upon an angel's death, an enormous release of energy ensues which seemingly burns the mark of the angel's wings into the ground.

Enochian sigils and symbols written in blood can be used to repel or banish them from a place temporarily. Enochian magic can also be used to render humans invisible to angelic senses requiring them to use only their vessel's senses to locate their target. There is also at least one incantation which can banish an angel back to Heaven.

Because their true appearances cannot be safely perceived by humans, they often take on humans as vessels, though only with the hosts' consent. Angels require a particular vessel to reach their full potential, people being "chosen" to be their hosts. Vessels run in blood lines, and although only one person can be a "true" vessel, others in a particular bloodline have potential to be temporary vessels. With archangels, the vessel suffers debilitating consequences for holding such a powerful being, leaving them brain dead or worse. The only exception to this is Michael, who in "The Song Remains the Same" tells Dean his father John will be "better than new" when he leaves his body and that Dean would receive no damage when he was done "wearing" him.

While in possession of human hosts, angels have shown a wide range of powers. In addition to telekinesis, they possess the ability to kill or exorcise most demons simply by touching their palm to the forehead of the hosts, and can cause instant unconsciousness in humans through a similar action. In addition to being able to seemingly vanish and materialize from thin air, they can also bend time and teleport themselves and others through time. However, although they can change events of time, said changed events will have the same results as the original timeline, as they cannot change destiny. More powerful angels have been shown to even be able to manipulate reality and create solid things out of thin air. Angels who are cut off from Heaven gradually lose most of their abilities, exceptions to this being archangels like Gabriel and Lucifer.

Angels can become human, but doing so is the most serious crime of Heaven. By removing his or her Grace, which is a very painful process, the angel falls to Earth from Heaven and is then born to human parents. All abilities and memories of his or her angelic life are suppressed, although small amounts can be recalled instinctively in times of need, with full memory recovery requiring methods such as hypnosis. When the Grace is first removed, it also falls to Earth. In Anna Milton's case, her Grace caused the formation of a giant oak tree. If the fallen angel retrieves his or her Grace, he or she will be restored to angelic form.

Most angels are portrayed as emotionless, authoritarian beings with a complete disdain for humanity. However, they consider themselves family, each being brothers and sisters and refer to God as their Father. However, most angels have not actually met God. The angels do not act with God's permission, as He is said to have disappeared and left the angels to protect humanity in His place. Indeed, only four angels have seen God; the keeper of 'The Garden' Joshua speaks with God but has never seen Him. Joshua claims God is on Earth, hiding from others and is indifferent to the actions of His angels or the Apocalypse.

Creator Eric Kripke originally did not want angels to be featured in the series, believing God worked through hunters rather than angels.^[3] However, with so many demonic villains, he and the writers changed their minds when they realized that the show needed angels to create a "cosmic battle". As Kripke put it, "We had the empire, but we didn't really have the rebellion."^[4] They had always wanted to have a storyline with a few central characters but having massive battles in the background, comparable to Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and the addition of angels allowed for this.^[5] Kripke has found that it has opened up many new storylines.^[4]

Castiel

Main article: Castiel (Supernatural)

Lucifer

Lucifer, portrayed by Mark Pellegrino and Jared Padalecki, is the first fallen angel, and the main antagonist of the fifth season. From his prison, he orchestrated events not only seen in seasons one through four, but decades prior, to eventually lead to his release by breaking the 66 seals. In the episode Sin City, he was described as the god of the demons, the one who gave them their form and purpose. Azazel reinforced this by referring to him as "My Father" while possessing a priest before slaughtering a convent of nuns. However, in "Abandon All Hope...", it is shown he views demons only as his cannon fodder and will destroy them once he has eliminated humanity.

In the episode "The End", he states his fall was the result of refusing God's decree to love humans more than Him. As a result, God had Michael cast him into Hell. Ruby also reveals in "When the Levee Breaks" as a punishment to God, he turned Lilith into the first demon. Gabriel has compared Lucifer's hatred of humans to "one big temper tantrum!" because God favored humans over him, his most beloved angel. Lucifer does not like how humans have changed the planet from its original state, and hopes to purify it. Creator Eric Kripke has jokingly compared him to a "raging psychotic" version of environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr., with "unlimited power".^[5]

Due to his angelic nature, Lucifer needs a human vessel in order to interact directly with the world. Lucifer seeks out a man named Nick, whose wife and baby had recently been murdered. Tormenting Nick about the tragedy, he casts illusions such as a baby crying and blood pouring from the crib, eventually appearing to Nick in the form of his late wife Sarah. Openly admitting his identity to Nick, he tries to gain sympathy by telling Nick he was punished for loving God too much. He then convinces Nick to be his vessel by promising to get vengeance against God for allowing his family to be murdered.^[6] However, Lucifer later reveals to Sam that he is the true intended vessel.^[7] By "Abandon All Hope..." it is shown Nick's body, being a temporary vessel, is incapable of withstanding Lucifer's power and is beginning to wear down; revealed in "Two Minutes to Midnight" he has to consume gallons of demon blood to keep his vessel from combusting. He forms a ritual to summon Death and when the Winchesters, Harvelles and Castiel arrive, he traps Castiel in holy oil, and sends Meg after the others. After being ambushed by the brothers he is shot with the Colt but survives; he then reveals his status as one of five things immune to the Colt; while the brothers escape with Castiel's help, he manages to summon Death.

During a convention of pagan gods in "Hammer of the Gods", Lucifer is made aware of the brother's location by Mercury, who betrays the rest of them. Slaughtering all the gods, he approaches the brothers and is stalled by Kali until Gabriel arrives. Gabriel provides safe passage for Kali and the brothers, and confronts Lucifer about his ultimate reason for rebellion. Lucifer questions Gabriel's loyalties, who states through his experiences with humans, despite their flaws, strive to do their best. Ultimately, Lucifer kills Gabriel with his own sword, but he is clearly saddened.

Having acquired all four rings of the horseman (which can trap him back in his prison), Sam and Dean enter Lucifer's hideout, planning to trap him when Sam agrees to be his vessel; this completely fails, as Lucifer is too powerful to fight. Lucifer brings forward four demons, who had been part of Azazel's surveillance of Sam since his youth and kills them all in a way of "letting off steam" and acquiring Sam's trust. Following that, he confronts Michael in a graveyard, attempting to convince him not to fight, reasoning there was no real purpose; Michael refuses. Dean interrupts, while Castiel dissipates Michael, an act Lucifer took unkindly to, and kills him. He starts to pummel Dean and when Bobby attempts to use the Colt to stop him he is killed as well. However, Sam then sees an army man in an ashtray of the Impala; a remnant from his youth, and regains control. Sam reopens the hole, and jumps in, taking Michael with him.

Lucifer returns in season 7 as part of Sam's hallucinations, caused by the memories of his time in the cage. Lucifer tells Sam that the world he has been in for the last year is not real and Sam is still in the cage, a new form of torture which Lucifer prides himself on as being his best yet. Sam confronts Lucifer and asks him why he doesn't end this dream world to which Lucifer responds by saying that he will only end it when Sam can't take it anymore. Lucifer later changes into Dean and tricks Sam into leaving Bobby's house. Once at the destination, he reveals himself to prove he can control Sam's "dream", although Lucifer is proven to be a halluciation when Dean tells Sam how to figure out what is real. Despite being proven to be a hallucination, he informs Sam that he's not going anywhere.

A homage to John Milton's Paradise Lost, Lucifer will be portrayed as "gentle, almost sympathetic".^[8] Kripke reasoned, "He was essentially betrayed, so in some ways he can be viewed sympathetically ... if we can make the angels dicks, Lucifer can be sympathetic."^[9] Kripke further characterized him as a "Devil who has doubt" and "a lot of affection for God and the angels", and who "speaks really tenderly and gently and...doesn't lie".^[8]

Pellegrino was the second choice to play the angel Castiel, losing the role to Misha Collins, which Kripke found as "nearly poetic".^[10]

Michael

Michael is the most powerful archangel, featured in the fifth season of Supernatural. In the premiere of the fifth season Zachariah reveals the angels' plan is for Michael to use Dean as his vessel and kill Lucifer once and for all. However, Dean needs to give his consent to be the vessel. Michael refers to Lucifer as his younger brother and when Lucifer refused God's command to bow before humanity, he turned to Michael for support, but was refused. On God's command, Michael cast Lucifer into Hell. Gabriel draws a clear parallel between Sam and Dean's destiny and Lucifer and Michael's relationship, as quoted, "Michael, the big brother, loyal to an absent father, and Lucifer, the little brother, rebellious of Daddy's plan."

Michael first appears when Sam, Dean and Castiel have traveled back to 1978 to stop Anna from killing John and Mary in order to prevent Sam's birth, and thus his use as Lucifer's vessel. Michael takes John Winchester as his vessel temporarily – John consents when Michael says he can stop Anna killing Mary. Michael sends Uriel back to Heaven, and kills Anna. He then explains to Dean that he does not want to kill Lucifer any more than Dean wants to kill Sam, as he loves his brother, but will do so because it is right and it is God's will. He also tells Dean that free will is not real, and that Dean will say yes. Afterwards he sends Sam and Dean back to their own time, and erases John and Mary's memories of the event.

When the angels develop a new plan to lure Dean into consenting in "Point of No Return", the angels bring back Adam, John Winchester's third son, under the pretense that he can be Michael's new vessel, but this is merely a ruse to get Dean to say yes. Zachariah tortures Sam and Adam until Dean consents. Zachariah then summons Michael from Heaven, but Dean changes his mind, kills Zachariah and attempts to escape. Adam is inadvertently locked inside while Michael descends, and the room and Adam disappear. In "Two Minutes to Midnight", Castiel confirmed that now Michael is taking Adam as his vessel.

During the episode "Swan Song", Michael appears with Adam as his vessel in order to fight Lucifer, but gets interrupted by Dean, Bobby and Castiel, who delay him by sending him away with holy fire. In a couple of minutes he returns to see Sam, who has taken control over Lucifer, ready to jump in the pit, and tries to stop him, claiming his destiny is to fight his brother. As Sam denies, Michael makes a final desperate effort to hold him, but is swept along by Sam and they fall into the abyss together.

Gabriel

Gabriel, also referred to as The Trickster, Loki is an archangel portrayed by Richard Speight, Jr. Having grown tired of watching his brothers fight each other in Heaven, he fled to Earth thousands of years prior to the series, assuming the role of a Pagan trickster. For his first appearance in the second season episode "Tall Tales", the writers decided not to put their own spin on trickster lore—as is usually done with other villains—keeping the "deadly sense of humor" and decision to go after the "high and mighty to bring them down a notch",^[11] with Gabriel causing several violent urban legends to come to life on a college campus and punish those residing there. Sam and Dean Winchester investigate and eventually figure out his identity, though the Trickster is waiting for them and offers a peaceful resolution so long as they let him leave to terrorize another town. The Winchesters refuse and attack him with the help of fellow hunter Bobby Singer, and the Trickster fakes his own death.

He later reappears in "Mystery Spot", trapping Sam in a seemingly infinite time loop, where Dean continually dies in increasingly strange ways. After a countless number of repeats, Sam eventually realizes a trickster must be at work, and manages to locate the culprit. He threatens their tormentor with a blood covered stake, causing the Trickster to reveal himself and agree to break the loop. When Sam considers killing him regardless, the Trickster starts sending him and Dean to the next day. Dean once again dies however, and there is no loop to revive him this time. Throughout the next several months, Sam becomes a far colder and more calculated person as he attempts to track down the Trickster, killing whatever threat he can along the way. Eventually, it is the Trickster who calls the younger Winchester to him, where he tries to drive in a point: the two brothers continually sacrificing themselves for one another would bring no good, and when people die, they just have to learn to accept it and live with it. However the Trickster gives Sam what he wants, lamenting the whole situation had become boring months ago for him anyway.

In the episode "Changing Channels", Dean and Sam become trapped in a TV world, where they are a part of variations of real TV shows. Eventually, Dean, with help of Castiel, realizes the Trickster is in fact a much more powerful creature than they thought, and they trap him in a burning circle of holy oil. The Trickster applauds them, and tells them the reason he trapped them is because he wanted both of them to say yes to becoming Michael and Lucifer's vessel so the Apocalypse can finally end, as he cannot handle seeing the fighting between his brothers anymore. Gabriel tells them they were always meant to fight each other because the lives of the brothers mirrors the lives of Michael and Lucifer. Dean and Sam still refuse, but before they leave, Dean frees Gabriel from his trap and accuses him of giving up because he's simply too afraid to stand up to his own family. Gabriel is left behind, wondering what to do next.

Gabriel returns in "Hammer of the Gods", attending the summit of pagan gods under the guise of Loki; however, he intends to rescue the brothers as their plan to lure Lucifer would easily fail, and Lucifer would slaughter them all. As he intends to prevent Kali, an old flame, from suffering a bloody fate, he tries to get them out; but he tells them he cannot rescue the pagan's hostages as it would be too difficult. However, later he is forced to comply; the rescue attempt results in the brothers' capture once again. Kali (who is keeping the brothers from leaving as their spilled blood binds them to her) reveals she, along with the other gods, knew of his identity for a while. Kali takes his sword and stabs him with it apparently killing him, but Gabriel appears to Dean and reveals the sword was a fake and suggests Dean should seduce Kali so they can escape. Mercury betrays the other gods to Lucifer who slaughters them all. Gabriel is then forced to step in, allowing Kali and the brothers to leave. Gabriel confronts his brother about loyalties and their past, but ultimately fails and is killed by his own blade. He later reveals, through a modified porn movie, Lucifer can be recaptured in his previous prison, with the four rings of the Horsemen.

Zachariah

Zachariah, portrayed by Kurt Fuller, is Castiel's superior. After Dean tells Castiel saving the world is too much for him, Zachariah teaches Dean a lesson by giving him and his brother new, separate lives with no memories of their previous one. Despite this, the brothers find one another and team up to deal with a haunting. This experience proves to Dean he is a hunter in his heart. Realizing the chance to make a difference is something most people never get, Dean embraces his role.

In "The Monster at the End of the Book", Zachariah contacts Chuck after the latter has an unknown but dark prophecy concerning the Winchesters, warning Chuck against alerting the brothers. When Lilith nears breaking the final seal in "Lucifer Rising", Zachariah and Castiel imprison Dean in an idyllic room in order to keep him safe. After repeated questioning by Dean, Zachariah admits Heaven is allowing the demons to break the seals. Confident in their ability to defeat the forces of Hell once Lucifer is unleashed, they see this as a means of finally attaining Paradise.

When Lucifer is freed, Zachariah attempts to convince Dean to become the vessel of the Archangel Michael, going as far as torturing Sam and Dean. However, Zachariah is shocked when Castiel, who had been killed by the Archangel Raphael, appears. To Zachariah's horror, Castiel hints at his belief God has been interfering. Castiel then orders him away, and Zachariah acquiesces. In "The End", he reappears to Dean and drags him to a dark future, where Sam has become Lucifer's vessel five years into the Apocalypse. Zachariah tries to convince Dean to take his role as Michael's vessel as the Future Dean had refused in the past, but this backfires; Dean instead joins up with Sam again in order not to let his brother lose his way. In "Dark Side of the Moon", Zachariah pursues the Winchester brothers when they die and enter Heaven. He plans to torture Dean whether or not he accepts to be Michael's vessel, but the timely intervention of Joshua prevents Zachariah from doing so.

In "Point of No Return", the angels resurrect Sam and Dean's half-brother Adam (from the season 4 episode "Jump the Shark"), under the false pretense he will take Dean's place as Michael's vessel. It is later revealed Adam is an unsuspecting bait to lure Dean Winchester to Zachariah. Dean is forced to agree to being Michael's vessel when Zachariah tortures Sam and Adam and tells him to summon the archangel. Just as Michael starts to descend, Dean mentions his conditions for being the vessel, the first of which is Zachariah must die by Michael's hands. When Zachariah gets angry, Dean kills him with an angel's sword.

Anna Milton

Anna Milton, portrayed by Julie McNiven, is a fallen angel reborn on Earth. She gained the ability to hear the conversations of angels after Dean's resurrection, and because of the voices, she was involuntarily committed to a mental institution with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Demons have a great interest in her because of this, so Ruby alerts Sam and Dean Winchester, who find and rescue her. However, Castiel and Uriel appear and explain they have to kill her. The brothers try unsuccessfully to hold them off, but Anna creates a powerful magic spell sending the angels "far away". Anna claims to have no knowledge of how she knew how to do it. Under hypnosis administered by Pamela Barnes, Anna remembers she is a fallen angel, having become human because her existence as an angel was dismal due to a lack of emotions and free will. She implies when she was an angel, she was somewhat the "boss" of Castiel and Uriel. After falling, she was born to human parents, with her angelic memories suppressed. Anna attempts, with the Winchesters and Ruby, to recover her Grace so she will be safe from both sides. Unfortunately, her Grace had already been taken by Uriel. Later, she forgives Dean for his actions in Hell, and then they share an intimate night in the Impala. In the morning, Dean reveals to the angels their location, and Ruby does the same for the demons, as they hope to pit the two groups against each other. In the confusion of the fight between the angels and the demons, Anna is able to grab back her Grace from Uriel. It flows into her body, emitting a bright light, and she vanishes from the room.

She makes a return in "On the Head of a Pin" with her human form, having "called in favors" to have her human body restored in order to use it as a host. She tries to convince Castiel forcing Dean to torture Alastair is wrong, but he blows her off as he states it is "God's will". She shows up again after he calls to her for advice as he is having doubts for the first time, but then she vanishes, telling Castiel he has to learn to think for himself. She shows up to save him from Uriel, after learning of his betrayal, killing him by stabbing him through the neck. She later informs the Winchesters that Castiel was recalled to Heaven for discipline. Later when Castiel frees Sam from the Demon Panic Room, she angrily confronts him on his actions. Castiel then has two angels take her away. A year later, an enraged Anna escapes from Heaven on a self-proclaimed mission to execute John and Mary Winchester in 1978 and prevent Sam's birth. She faces the Winchester brothers and Castiel in a battle across time where she is ultimately killed by the Archangel Michael, after enlisting the help of 1978's incarnation of Uriel to murder the Winchester family.

Uriel

Uriel, portrayed by Robert Wisdom, is a coworker of Castiel. He is termed a "specialist" by Castiel, and is brought in to prevent one of the 66 seals from being broken. He is a much more aggressive angel than Castiel, and they often argue about their orders; despite this the two are shown to be close. Uriel seemingly has no patience with humans, placing no great value on human lives, and describing humans with disgust as "mud monkeys". At one point, he urges Castiel to kill an entire town in order to prevent the seals from being broken. He refers to the demon Ruby as a "stain". Uriel frequently clashes with Dean and Sam, and threatens to kill them on several occasions.

He goes with Castiel to kill Anna Milton, a fallen angel who used to be their angelic superior. It is revealed he has Anna's Grace, which would restore her to her angelic form. Much to his chagrin, she manages to get it back from him and returns to her true form before he can follow through with his mission. He is later revealed to be angry that God places humans above angels; he supports Lucifer, and has been killing angels who refused to join him in freeing Lucifer. When Castiel refuses to join him, the two battle, but Anna eventually saves Castiel by killing Uriel. When Anna goes back to kill John and Mary Winchester, thus preventing Sam's birth and Lucifer using him as a vessel, she recruits the angel Uriel (played by Matt Ward) of that time to assist her, getting his assistance by telling him it will be the Winchesters who kill him, when it was actually her.

Raphael

Raphael, portrayed by Demore Barnes and Lanette Ware, is one of four Archangels created by God. He was specifically assigned the task of protecting the Prophet Chuck Shurley.

Raphael appears to protect Chuck twice, in "The Monster at the End of the Book" when he is in the presence of Lilith and in "Lucifer Rising" where he kills Castiel as he and Dean attempt to prevent Lucifer's rise.

He appears with a vessel in "Free to be Me and You", when summoned and subsequently trapped by Dean and a resurrected Castiel. Raphael refuses to co-operate when they demand to know the location of God and he speculates that God is dead. The duo leave Raphael trapped, despite warnings that he would hunt Castiel down when he escapes.

Following the prevention of the Apocalypse, Heaven is in Civil War and Raphael and his supporters (who wish to free Michael and Lucifer once more) oppose Castiel and his followers. He appears in "The Third Man", hunting for the missing Weapons of Heaven and clashing with Castiel and the Winchesters. His vessel is destroyed by the rebellious angel Balthazar, saving Castiel and keeping Raphael off his trail as Raphael searches for a new vessel.

In "The French Mistake", Raphael sends the angel hitman Virgil after Castiel's allies, including the Winchesters. Balthazar transports the brothers to an alternate universe with a key to where the Weapons are stored and Virgil follows. This is revealed to have been a ploy by Balthazar and Castiel allowing the latter time to retrieve the Weapons and Castiel forces Raphael, with a new vessel, to flee.

In "The Man Who Would Be King", it is revealed through flashbacks how Raphael and Castiel became enemies. After the Apocalypse was prevented, Castiel returned to heaven and attempted to explain the concept of free will to the other angels, many looking to him for answers because he was resurrected by God. Raphael believed that the Apocalypse kept the angels in line and informed Castiel of his intention to release Lucifer and Michael from the cage, giving Castiel the ultimatum to submit or die. Castiel then, having forged a deal with the demon Crowley, initiated a civil war in Heaven.

In the season 6 finale, "The Man Who Know to Much", Castiel reneges on his deal with Crowley, who turns to Raphael. Crowley agrees to open Purgatory for Raphael in exchange for his safety. However their ritual fails whilst Castiel opens Purgatory for himself. Castiel appears, now more powerful than ever, and kills Raphael.

Balthazar

Balthazar, portrayed by Sebastian Roché, is an Angel of Heaven who fought alongside Castiel during the last angelic war. Believed dead, this was merely a cover as he left Heaven taking a number of the Weapons with him. Since faking his own death, he has been on Earth enjoying a rather hedonistic lifestyle.

In "The Third Man", the Winchesters discover that three corrupt cops were murdered by the young brother of one of their victims in possession of The Staff of Moses. Balthazar is revealed to have sold it to the boy in return for his soul. During a conflict with Raphael and his henchmen, Balthazar destroys the archangel's vessel with Lot's Salt. Dean then traps Balthazar in a ring of Holy Fire and forces him to give up the boy's soul. They want to get more from him, but Castiel releases him because he owes him his life.

Sam uses an Enochian ritual to summon Balthazar, in "Appointment in Samarra". Sam asks him if there is anyway to keep a soul out of its body. Balthazar informs him of a ritual that involves him defiling his vessel, his reason for helping Sam being that he would find it useful to have Sam in his debt. He tells Sam that he would need the blood of his father (that needn't come from the "father of your blood").

Balthazar transports Sam and Dean to an alternate universe, in "The French Mistake", to evade the angelic hitman Virgil and gives them a key which he claims opens where the Weapons he stole from Heaven are stored. This is revealed to have been a ploy by Balthazar and Castiel to allow the latter to retrieve the Weapons from their true location while Raphael was distracted.

A suspicious alias used by Bathazar in 1912 leads to the brothers summoning Balthazar in "My Heart Will Go On", who claims he had saved the Titanic simply because he detested the movie and subsequent eponymous song. However, upon confrontation with Fate, Atropos reveals she knows Balthazar's direct subordination to Castiel; the saving of the Titanic was to provide additional souls (described as "minting money") to fund their side in the civil war. Castiel pulls out of the plan to kill Aphosis once she threatens the Winchesters, stopping Balthazar from killing her.

When the Winchesters reveal that Castiel is in league with Crowley, in "Let It Bleed", Balthazar agrees to assist the brothers and act as a double agent. He then transports Sam and Dean to where Lisa and Ben are being held captive.

In "The Man Who Knew to Much", Balthazar begins to have second thoughts about betraying Castiel, but ultimately continues to assist the brothers. He informs Dean and Bobby of where the ritual to open the gate to Purgatory will take place. Castiel summons Balthazar and reveals that he is aware of his actions before killing him with an angel blade.

Demons

Demons in the series are generally portrayed as cruel and sadistic, often taking pleasure in causing humans pain. They are also, as series creator Eric Kripke deems them, "erudite and sophisticated".^[12] While the "tyrant" Azazel commanded the demons and served as the primary antagonist for the first two seasons,^[13] demons as a whole became the villains of the third season.^[14] At times their culture has been compared to normal humans, with the third-season episode "Sin City" introducing their religious side. They believe in their own higher power—Lucifer.^[15] Though many demons came to lose faith,^[16] they followed the fallen angel upon his release from Hell in the fifth season.

Inspirations for these types of demons have come from numerous sources, such as the devil-on-your-shoulder concept used in the episode "Sin City". The writers often try to base the demons off of actual aspects of history, as is done in "Malleus Maleficarum" by having the demon Tammi turn a group of women into witches.^[17] An encyclopedia on demons is used for research, with Binsfield's Classification of Demons inspiring "The Magnificent Seven"'s storyline of seven demons being the physical embodiment of the Seven Deadly Sins.^[17]

The writers originally intended for demons to not rely on human hosts, but rather exist "halfway between spirits and corporeal creatures".^[18] However, the demon featured in "Phantom Traveler" demonstrated the ability to possess people—this quality and its other characteristics were chosen without foresight solely to fit with the episode's storyline^[19]—and the writers opted to maintain it as an element of all demons.^[18] Kripke feels this added an interesting aspect to the storylines, as the viewers "never quite know who the bad guy is".^[18] Another source of debate for the writers stemmed from the demons' eye color, which is based on a demon's place in the hierarchy. The writers prefer to limit unique colors to only the "big, big, bad guys". Writer Sera Gamble noted, "If every time we had a demon that was powerful we gave them a different eye color, pretty soon it'd be like, 'The Chartreuse-Eyed Demon is coming for us!'"^[20] During production of the second season, Kripke viewed the horror film I Walked with a Zombie, and found one of the creatures having all-white eyes to be "really disturbing".^[20] The writers considered changing the eye color of regular demons to white, but eventually decided against it. However, Kripke later used the idea when Lilith and other high-level demons were introduced.^[20]

A demon in the first season episode "Phantom Traveler". The appearance of demons has since evolved throughout the series.

The appearance of demons' true forms have become more complex as the series has progressed. Originally depicted as small, thin streams of black smoke, they now appear as large, thick smoke clouds.^[19] When in large groups, the clouds have electricity pulsing throughout them. The visual effects department based the demons' shape off of that of a snake, giving it a "predatorial" and "intelligent" look. Visual effects supervisor Ivan Hayden finds demon smoke to be one of the hardest visual effects in the series.^[19]

As demons, the following characters come in varying forms due to their ability to enter the bodies of humans, either living or dead, and gain full control. Most often their eyes can appear black as a sign of possession, with some variations being red, yellow, or white. Demons are revealed to be human souls who have been corrupted by their time in hell. Salting and burning the bones of the human body demons had while they were human can kill a demon.

Azazel

Main article: Azazel (Supernatural)

Ruby

Main article: Ruby (Supernatural)

Lilith

One of a more powerful class of demons, her eyes appear white, not black, in a human host, and is the main antagonist of seasons three and four. Lilith is introduced in the final moments of "Jus in Bello", appearing as a little girl portrayed by Rachel Pattee, searching for the Winchesters. She then proceeds to torture everyone in the station for 45 minutes, eventually destroying the station in a massive explosion. After it is later revealed by Bela Talbot that Lilith holds Dean's contract, Sam and Dean track her down in New Harmony, Indiana, where she is on "shore leave". For fun, she has taken over the body of another little girl, portrayed by Sierra McCormick, and is holding the girl's family hostage, forcing them to act as if she is their daughter. After stealing Ruby's demon-killing knife, Sam and Dean head there and manage to get into the house. However, Lilith secretly expels Ruby, who followed Sam and Dean there, and takes over her host. Dean figures out the truth too late, and Lilith holds Sam at bay as a hellhound kills Dean. Lilith then tries to kill Sam, but finds she is powerless against him. As Sam goes to kill her with Ruby's knife, Lilith flees from the host and escapes.

It is later revealed to Dean by the angel Castiel that Lilith is trying to release Lucifer. To break one of the 66 seals to free him, she casts a powerful spell in "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester" to cause the Rising of the Witnesses, souls of those who had died violent deaths as a result of the supernatural, who then attack the hunters who could not save them. Lilith returns in "The Monster at the End Of This Book", possessing a dental hygienist's body portrayed by Katherine Boecher. Having learned she is destined to die in the Apocalypse, she tries to persuade Sam into making a deal with her to stop breaking the seals and to allow things to go back to the way they were before. Sam feigns agreement and then tries to kill her with Ruby's knife, but he fails. Dean and the prophet Chuck show up just in time, and, after being warned the Archangel protecting Chuck is coming to destroy her, Lilith flees. In "Lucifer Rising", Castiel reveals to Dean killing Lilith is the final seal. Dean attempts to stop Sam, who believes killing Lilith will prevent Lucifer's release, but Ruby and Lilith herself goad Sam into going through with it. After her death, blood pouring from Lilith's mouth forms the gateway for Lucifer.

According to series creator Eric Kripke, Lilith is "a combination of all myths concerning Lilith." Noting the mythological Lilith's two main roles appear to be "destroyer of children and seducer of men," Kripke also stated the show would explore those two roles. In addition, Kripke stated Lilith is higher in the demonic hierarchy than Azazel, and "you don't get much higher than her until you start digging into Lucifer territory."^[1] This is addressed in the fourth season episode "When the Levee Breaks", where it is revealed by Ruby that Lilith is "Lucifer's First", the first human transformed into a demon by Lucifer as a punishment to God, who apparently holds humans in a higher regard than His angels.

Meg Masters demon

See also: Meg Masters

The demon possessing Meg Masters, portrayed by Nicki Aycox, first appears in "Scarecrow", briefly meeting Sam while hitchhiking. The two meet again at a bus station, and Meg claims to be heading for California to get away from her family. She encourages Sam to be angry at Dean. After Sam leaves to help Dean, Meg kills a man in a van and "makes a call" to her father by slitting the man's throat and draining his blood into a silver bowl.

Returning in the episode "Shadow," the demon meets Sam once again—this time in a bar in Chicago, where she quickly sows dissent between Sam and Dean. They decide to meet up later. However, Sam follows her to a warehouse where he finds her talking to something in a mystical fashion, and he tells Dean what he saw. They arrive at the conclusion she was the one who summoned the Daeva (the evil of that episode) and she might have been talking with Azazel. Meg captures the brothers and reveals they have fallen for a trap designed to ensnare their father. However, the brothers manage to break free and destroy Meg's altar, thereby freeing the Daevas, which throw Meg out of a seven-story window to her apparent death. To the Winchesters' surprise, she quickly recovers and uses an amulet to regain control of the Daevas, which she sends after them. However, they manage to escape the attack.

She later resurfaces once again at a church, being immune to hallowed ground since she is beyond the "minor leagues," and kills long-time Winchester ally Pastor Jim Murphy. She later calls John, and, while on the phone, kills a friend of his. She threatens to kill more of his friends if he does not deliver the Colt to her. John agrees to the deal, but gives her and her demonic brother, Tom, a fake gun. Tom shoots Meg, which reveals the gun is a fake, so they take John hostage. Both furious and anxious to obtain the Colt, she goes to Bobby Singer's auto shop, where she confronts Dean, Sam, and Bobby. After breaking in, however, she unknowingly walks into a Key of Solomon, a magical circle trapping any demon who enters. They perform an exorcism on her, and she is sent to Hell.

However, the demon manages to escape Hell, and in "Born Under a Bad Sign" takes possession of Sam's body. Not caring any longer about the grand war, she is looking for revenge for the pain and suffering she was put through in Hell after Dean and Sam sent her there. While possessing Sam, she makes Dean think Sam has become evil, trying to goad Dean into killing Sam. She taunts Jo about her feelings for Dean, sows dissent between Jo and the Winchesters, tries to kill Bobby, and successfully kills at least one other hunter. However, the demon is once again trapped inside the Key of Solomon symbol at Bobby's house, and Bobby and Dean attempt another exorcism. However, having "picked up a few tricks" in Hell, she has locked herself inside Sam's body with a "binding mark" carved into Sam's arm. She begins chanting a spell during the exorcism, showing no signs of the pain she suffered before. The ground shakes violently, and the Key of Solomon is broken. The demon attacks Dean, but Bobby burns off the binding mark, expelling her from Sam's body. She escapes through the fireplace.

After the demon's disappearance, creator Eric Kripke repeatedly asked the writers what she was up to. Considering her "a really formidable adversary" for the Winchesters, Kripke wrote her into the fifth season premiere, "Sympathy for the Devil". In this appearance, she is played by Rachel Miner.^[21] She has one of her minions possess Bobby, who works with the brothers to try to find the sword the Archangel Michael used to banish Lucifer to Hell. After Dean believes that he has discovered the sword's location, she and her minions attack him. Sam arrives and saves Dean, forcing the demon to flee her host body.^[6] She returns in "Abandon All Hope...", and sends a pack of hellhounds after Sam, Dean, Ellen, and Jo to prevent them from stopping Lucifer from summoning Death; the attack ends in the deaths of Ellen and Jo. The demon is seen working by Lucifer's side, holding Castiel captive until he escapes by pushing her onto the burning circle and releasing him.

The demon returns once again, making her first sixth season appearance in the episode "Caged Heat," where she and the brothers decide to work together to kill Crowley due to the fact she is a Lucifer loyalist. She ends up staying loyal to the cause until the end, when after killing Crowley, she vanishes, realizing the brothers would end up killing her anyway now that the job was done.

Alastair

Alastair, portrayed by Mark Rolston in the first two appearances and by Christopher Heyerdahl in the latter three, is the white-eyed head torturer of souls which come into Hell; he is described by Ruby as "Picasso with a razor". When Dean was sent to Hell, he was tortured by Alastair every day. Alastair would then offer to take Dean off the torture rack in exchange for Dean agreeing to torture new souls. Dean refused for about three months (equivalent to thirty years in Hell), but gave in for the last month.

Alastair eventually leaves Hell, and attempts to capture Anna Milton, a fallen angel who can hear the conversations of other angels. Sam and Dean interfere and, although Alastair is shown to be highly resistant to Sam's abilities and to Ruby's demon-killing knife, the brothers escape with Anna. Alastair is later tricked into capturing Ruby, whom he then tortures to get her to "reveal" where Anna is. When he goes to collect her, he is stopped by Castiel and Uriel. Alastair and his demon minions face off against the angels, and he proves to be more powerful. However, Alastair vanishes in the flash generated by Anna being restored to her angelic true form. However, he returns in "Death Takes a Holiday" in a new body, kidnapping Reapers in order to break another seal. He is stopped by Sam and Dean, and is eventually captured by Castiel. Tortured for information by Dean on Castiel's orders in "On The Head Of A Pin" to find information about a string of angel murders, he refuses to break. Escaping from the Devil's Trap with assistance from Uriel, he attempts to kill Dean and send Castiel back to Heaven, but Sam stops him. Using his abilities, Sam tortures Alastair for the information about the angel slayings, learning the demon has no knowledge about whom is doing it, and eventually kills Alastair. In "When the Levee Breaks," Alastair appears to Sam as a hallucination caused by withdrawal from demon blood.

Crossroads Demon

Unlike most demons, whose eyes appear black in a human host, the Crossroads Demon's eyes appear red. While multiple Crossroads Demons make appearances throughout the series, the one seen most often first appears to Dean when he tries to save a condemned man's life in "Crossroad Blues". It takes on the form of a beautiful young woman, portrayed by Jeannette Sousa, and taunts him with remarks about his father's last moments, and how he too made a deal with a demon. Dean manages to trick the demon into walking into a Devil's Trap, and offers to trade the demon its freedom if it lets the man go. When the demon hesitates, Dean begins an exorcism ritual, causing the demon to yield and break the contract. It kisses Dean to seal the deal, and departs from the woman's body. The demon returns again in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2", now in possession of a woman portrayed by Ona Grauer, having been summoned by Dean to resurrect Sam. It refuses at first, but finally bargains Dean down to restoring Sam's life in exchange for collecting Dean's soul in one year. It also adds stipulations, telling Dean if he tries to do anything to get out of the deal, Sam will die instantly. It makes another appearance in "Bedtime Stories", now portrayed by Sandra McCoy. Sam calls upon it and then threatens it with the Colt, demanding it break its deal with Dean in exchange for its life. It claims it does not hold the contract, being just an employee with a boss - later revealed to be Lilith - to answer to. Out of frustration, Sam shoots and kills the demon.

Crowley

A high-ranking Crossroads demon (portrayed by Mark Sheppard), he is said to be only second to Lilith.^[22] Originally a Scotsman named Fergus MacLeod, he became a demon sometime after his death during the 17th century. He is first mentioned by Becky, who informs the brothers, Crowley, not Lilith, took the Colt from Bela. He first appears during "Abandon All Hope" sealing a deal with the executive of a failing bank to bail it out. While being tracked by Castiel, who locates his angel-protected mansion. The brothers break in with the help of Jo, but are captured by Crowley's henchmen and fail to trap him in a Devil's Trap. However, he uses the Colt and kills his two underlings, informing the brothers he too wants Lucifer dead and spreads information about the Colt for them to find it. He realizes that after Lucifer is done destroying humanity he would eradicate demons. He gives the Colt to the brothers, and disappears, knowing he would be hunted for betraying Lucifer.

Later appearing during "The Devil You Know", he comes to the brothers as the Colt failed; having been tracking them through a magical coin, he overhears their plan to trap Lucifer with the Horsemen rings. Being on the run from demons, he offers his assistance in tracking the last two Horsemen, through their handler Brady. Sending Dean to lure Brady downstairs, they capture him. Unable to initially break Brady, Crowley goes to a known demon nest and massacres them; leaving one alive to spread the word Brady had turned against Lucifer. While successful, the demons also plant a similar tracking coin and locate their position. A hell-hound is sent after Brady, and Crowley brings his own (bigger) hellhound which battles the other and allows the brothers and two demons to escape. Brady, now a fugitive, provides the position of the Horseman Pestilence. Crowley then appears to Bobby, offering him a deal; his soul (which he will return once Lucifer is imprisoned), for Death's location.

He returns after the brothers and Castiel secure Pestilence; he admits that he wanted Bobby's soul to prevent the brothers from killing him after they stop Lucifer but restores Bobby's legs as goodwill. He reveals the final game plan for Lucifer; the promised swine flu vaccine, shipping out nationwide, is in fact the Croatoan virus, intent on infecting the country. While Castiel, Sam and Bobby take out a premature exportation, Dean and Crowley attempt to locate Death, finding him in a pizzeria.

After the demise of Lucifer, Bobby calls upon Crowley to secure the return of his soul but Crowley refuses, allowing Bobby to have ten years of life before he takes his soul. Since the downfall of Lucifer, the demons now look upon Crowley as their leader becoming The King of Hell, though Crowley finds their pragmatism and self-servient ways frustrating. Bobby, after many days of research, calls upon Crowley again, but this time with a better plan; having summoned the ghost of Crowley's son, who, hating his father as his father hated him, quickly revealed the location of Crowley's burial grounds. With Crowley held in a Devil's Trap, Dean and Sam hold the bones hostage and Crowley is forced to relieve Bobby of his contract. At the climax of "Family Matters" Crowley returns with a squad of demons, including one possessing Christian Campbell, to recapture the Alpha Vampire. He reveals that he resurrected Sam and Samuel Campbell as an investment for locating Purgatory, though he left Sam's soul in the cage as a bargaining chip. His claim about Sam's resurrection is later revealed to be false, having be orchestrated by Castiel for Dean, but he was unable to restore his soul. He later returns to Sam and Dean in the next episode, raising awareness to them of a possible Alpha Werewolf. He is later believed to have be killed by Castiel after revealing he cannot retrieve Sam's soul from the pit.

At the end of "Mommy Dearest", it is revealed that Crowley is still alive and continuing to carry out his previous torture experiments in order to find Purgatory, which contains many powerful souls. Furthermore, he is seen to be working with Castiel.

In "The Man Who Would Be King", it is revealed through flashback that Crowley approached Castiel, following the Apocalypse being averted, with a proposal that they join forces to locate Purgatory, in order to plunder it for the souls there. Crowley offers that will split the souls 50/50. He seals the deal by giving Castiel 50,000 souls from Hell. In present time, Crowley is angry that Castiel did not stop the Winchester's killing Eve, who was their key to locating Purgatory. Crowley argues that Sam and Dean should be killed, but Castiel forbids it. When Sam, Dean and Bobby get a lead on a demon close to Crowley, Castiel kills him and the demons with him. Crowley sends more demons after Sam, Dean and Bobby but Castiel kills them. When Castiel's betrayal is revealed, the Winchester's trap Castiel in a ring of Holy Oil fire and demand the truth. Crowley sends a horde of demons, and the boys and Bobby are forced to flee. Crowley arrives and releases Castiel.

Crowley kidnaps Ben and Lisa in "Let It Bleed", in an attempt to make Dean stand down. He and Castiel then kidnap Elanor Visyak and torture her for information on how to access purgatory and take her blood, as she is a being from purgatory and her blood is necessary for the ritual. Castiel then reneges on his deal with Crowley, refusing to give him the souls. The demon then forms an allegiance with Raphael, agreeing to open the gates of purgatory for the angel in exchange for his safety. When their ritual fails and the Castiel arrives, more powerful than ever after accessing the souls from purgatory, Crowley is allowed to live- as Castiel has "plans for him".

Crowley is hiding away in an angel-proof trailer when Castiel finds him. As he braces for Castiel to kill him, Castiel tells Crowley that he needs the demon to go back to being the king of Hell for balance. With no other option, Crowley accepts. He is later summoned by Sam, Dean and Bobby, and they ask him about how to bind Death. He doesn't tell them due to his new boss, but secretly sends them the ritual. When the Leviathans are released into the world, Crowley attempts to strike an alliance with the leader, Dick Roman; however, Roman is dismissive and belligerent to Crowley's offer. Consequently, Crowley holds off any demons from attacking the Winchesters in an effort to have them defeat the leviathans.

Leviathans

According to Death, the Leviathans were among God's earliest, if not his first, creations. Unfortunately the beasts proved to be too powerful and destructive and God was concerned they would destroy everything around them so he sealed them away in Purgatory. Death claims that the Leviathans are "clever and poisonous". It is revealed that the Leviathans operate on a form of hierarchy, with several of them taking orders from a yet unknown leader. The Leader orders several Leviathans to hunt down those in their group who have been feeding indiscriminately and to deal with the Winchesters and their allies. Some of their abilities include having superhuman strength, being impervious to bullets and surviving strong impacts. However, in "Shut Up, Dr. Phil", at least one of them is shown to be susceptible to magical attacks such as spells, but does not kill it outright. The Leviathans take on the form of a black liquid, which can possess humans as hosts for them to function. They have also been shown to have the ability to shapeshift into anyone, using any trace of DNA, such as sweat or hair. This shapeshifting appears to allow an exact copy down to the memory banks. When they feed, their human hosts take on a horrifying appearance, with their heads pulled back revealing a single gigantic mouth with rows of sharp teeth and forked tongue. While decapitation does little more than slow them down - they are capable of reattaching themselves after an extended period - sodium borate, Borax, products appear to have a severly corrosive effect upon them.

Edgar

Played by Benito Martinez. Edgar is a Leviathan, under orders from an unknown boss, sent to reign in those feeding indiscriminately and to kill Sam, Dean and Bobby. His vessel is revealed to have been a demolitions expert.

After observing the new system for feeding developed at Sioux Falls General, he torches Bobby's house and confronts the Winchesters, breaking Dean's leg and knocking Sam unconscious. Dean crushes him with a car from Bobby's scrapyard, but he is later revealed to have been unharmed and continues to pursue to Winchesters and Bobby.

Dr. Gaines

Played by Cameron Bancroft. Gaines is a Leviathan using the doctor as a vessel. His original vessel had been a young girl but, under orders from Edgar, killed the real Dr. Gaines and took his identity, setting up a system of feeding on patients at Sioux Falls General, thereby reining in the Leviathans' indiscriminate feeding. He is later forced to eat himself alive under Richard Roman's orders, having attracted the attention of the media due to an uncontrolled experiment.

Chet

Played by Sean Owen Roberts, Chet is a Leviathan stationed at a credit card company. When a flagged alias that was registered by the Winchesters was used, Chet begins to hunt the Winchesters, tracking them to their hotel room in Prosperity, Indiana. While he easily dominated the brothers, a witch that the Winchesters helped disabled Chet and allowed them to escape. Using copious amounts of chains, the brothers took Chet to Bobby Singers' to determine his weakness.

While the brothers attempted to stop a pair of Leviathan doppelgangers, Bobby tried a series of anti-monster weaponry, most to little effect, until a Borax cleaning product dripped from the ceiling from upstairs cleaning; the chemical was significantly more painful and corrosive than anything else used, which Bobby affirmed to be the most effective countermeasure to Leviathans, in tandem with decapitation.

Richard Roman

Played by James Patrick Stuart. Richard Roman is a millionaire businessman, and is secretly the leader of the Leviathans, having murdered the real Roman shortly after they were unknowingly released by Castiel. He is shown to have a hatred of demons that succeeds even his feelings about humanity, rejecting Crowley's offer to join forces with him and telling the current leader of Hell that he might very well wipe his kind from the Earth.

Later on he visits an experimental facility run by Dr. Gaines, disappointed by the newspaper articles stemming from the drugs used, and fires him by making Gaines eat himself. With his henchmen capturing Bobby, Dick personally attends to him and attempts to stop the Winchester's rescue attempt, wounding Bobby on their escape.

Other characters

FBI Agent Victor Henricksen

Victor Henricksen, played by Charles Malik Whitfield, is an FBI agent who had been after the Winchesters since the bank 'robbery' in "Nightshifter". He believes the Winchesters are serial killers responsible for the deaths they have tried to prevent in various towns. He continues to pursue them when, in "Jus in Bello", he finally captures them and holds them in a small town jail, waiting for the FBI to send a helicopter to transport them to a prison. But, the whole small town is possessed by demons and they crash the helicopter. Finally believing in the supernatural, Henricksen agrees to the Winchesters help him, the deputy and a jail worker keep the demons outside. Dean then comes up with a plan. They let all of the demons inside the jail and keep them there. They then play a recorded exorcism of Sam over the intercoms and all the demons are sent back to Hell. Henricksen decides to let the Winchesters go, telling them he will tell the FBI they were in the helicopter when it crashed. After the brothers leave, a little girl comes into the jail, looking for Sam and Dean. After she is told they are not here and is asked her name, she responds "Lilith". Lilith, as it is later learned, tortures everyone in the jail, later blowing it up. Henricksen makes another appearance in season four's "Are You There, God? It's Me...Dean Winchester". Lilith is breaking the 66 Seals to free Lucifer, and one of them is the Rising of the Witnesses. Sam, Dean, and Bobby meet the ghosts of people they could not save, including Henricksen, who tells them what happened after they left the jail at the end of "Jus in Bello". The ghosts terrorize the trio until they are put to rest.

Meg Masters

See also: Meg Masters demon

Meg Masters, portrayed by Nicki Aycox, was born in Andover, Massachusetts, and she attended a local college. Walking alone one night, she was taken over by a demon. After it is exorcised from her, the true Meg reveals before she dies the demon had possessed her for a year and she was awake through some of it, referring to it as a nightmare. She then feels all of the pain her body went through when the demon was possessing her, including the broken bones from her seven story fall and the gunshot wound to her abdomen. Slowly dying, she reveals to Sam and Dean where their father is in a cryptic message. Her last word is "sunrise", directing the brothers to the Sunrise apartments, where their father is held captive by demons.

The ghost of the real Meg appears in "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester" as one of the Witnesses raised by Lilith's spell to attack the hunters who failed to save them. She reveals to Dean she had a younger sister who killed herself because the little sister blamed herself for her big sister, Meg's, disappearance. She denounces Sam for working with Ruby, a demon who possesses helpless victims just like Meg herself. The ghost is enraged the brothers did not figure out sooner she was a host and exorcise the demon before her body had sustained lethal damage. Her soul is eventually put to rest along with those of the other Witnesses.

Bela Talbot

Main article: Bela Talbot

Pamela Barnes

Pamela Barnes, portrayed by Traci Dinwiddie, is a friend of Bobby Singer. A skilled psychic, she is bold and aggressive. Bobby calls upon her assistance in discovering what pulled Dean Winchester out of Hell. She holds a seance and discovers it is a being named Castiel. In attempting to get a glimpse of Castiel, her eyes are burnt out and she becomes permanently blind. However, her psychic abilities appear to enable her to perceive her surroundings. The Winchesters again seek her assistance in finding out why Anna Milton is able to hear angels speak. She expresses an interest in "dicking over" angels because one caused the loss of her sight. She places Anna under hypnosis, which restores to Anna her memories of being an angel. She is called upon one more time by the Winchesters, to help them perform astral projections of themselves. While doing so, she is mortally wounded by a demon, but as her dying act, whispers a warning to Sam to stop using the demonic forces within him. In "Dark Side of the Moon", the Winchester brothers encounter Pamela in Heaven, who is happy residing in her own private paradise.

Chuck Shurley

Chuck Shurley, also known by the pseudonym Carver Edlund, and portrayed by Rob Benedict, is an author of a marginalized book series Supernatural, which recounts everything the Winchester brothers have experienced during the show's run. After confronting him about his seemingly omniscient knowledge of their escapades, it is revealed by the angel Castiel that he is a Prophet of the Lord, and his works will become new gospels. He is also protected by an archangel powerful enough to force even Lilith to flee from its presence. Between the fourth season finale "Lucifer Rising" and the fifth season premiere "Sympathy for the Devil", he witnesses the death of Castiel at the hands of the archangel Raphael. Being the author of the Supernatural series, he attends the first Supernatural convention Sam and Dean were tricked into attending; when it turns out the hotel is actually haunted, he is forced to occupy the guests and the hotel staff while the Winchesters and a pair of cosplayers destroys the ghosts. When the hotel manager leaves and breaks the salt line, he dissipates the ghost with an iron post, while unintentionally gaining the affections of Becky.

Periodically during "Swan Song", Chuck is narrating about the history of the Impala, his script having the same name as the episode. He informs Dean of the final battlefield between Michael and Lucifer, despite the angels wishing him not to know. At its conclusion, while ending the narration, Chuck smiles and disappears into thin air, leading some to question whether he is merely a prophet that is no longer needed or is actually God.^[23][24][25]

Jessica Lee Moore

Jessica Lee Moore, portrayed by Adrianne Palicki, is Sam's girlfriend for two years. Despite this, she is unaware of his family's strange occupation. Sam planned to ask her to marry him, but she is killed by a demon on Azazel's orders; it was revealed the demon that killed her was the friend who introduced her to Sam, in order to break Sam from his increasingly normal life. Her death then prompts Sam to join Dean on his quest to find their missing father and avenge her. In the days preceding her murder, Sam had received premonitions about it, which he ignored, believing them to be random nightmares. Afterwards, he feels much guilt he did nothing to prevent her murder.

Adam Milligan

Adam Milligan, portrayed by Jake Abel, is a boy in his late teens and John Winchester's youngest son. Dean and Sam were never aware they had a half-brother until Adam called them. He needed their help since his mother went missing, and so the three brothers met for the first time. After telling Adam the truth about who they were, they taught him a few things about the life of a hunter. Sam realizes too late Adam is not Adam, but actually a ghoul, a demon who eats his victims and then takes on their form. Dean finds Adam's remains in a tomb, and after defeating the ghoul, they burn his body, a traditional way of destroying a hunter's body, as Dean felt like Adam fought like one until the moment he died.

Almost a year later, Castiel witnesses the resurrection of Adam, who was brought back by Zachariah as part of Plan B; Dean refused to say yes to becoming Michael's vessel, so they took the next best thing, Adam. Although Dean and Sam try to gain Adam's trust and Castiel shields him from the other angels, Adam manages to tell Zachariah his whereabouts and he's taken away. He then discovers he was part of a trap to lure Dean to the angels so he would say yes. After Zachariah tortures Adam and Sam, Dean finally says yes and Michael is summoned by Zachariah. Dean kills Zachariah and escapes with Sam, but Adam disappears, fate unknown. Castiel later reveals Adam has been taken by Michael as his vessel. Adam returns in "Swan Song", now as Michael's vessel, to fight Lucifer. Dean, Bobby and Castiel soon interrupt Michael and Lucifer, throwing a molotov cocktail filled with holy fire at Michael, incinerating him and sending him away for the moment. When he returns to the battlefield, Sam takes back control of his body and opens the portal to Lucifer's prison, dragging Michael along as he falls in. Dean chooses to rescue Sam rather than his half brother when Death only agrees to retrieve one of their souls from Lucifer's cage.

Lisa Braeden

Lisa Braeden, portrayed by Cindy Sampson, is a woman Dean spent a weekend with circa 1999. In the third season, Dean decides to revisit Lisa while he is investigating some suspicious deaths that took place nearby. He discovers she has an eight year old son named Ben, who shares Dean's cocky attitude and love of classic rock. Dean becomes suspicious Ben might be his child, though he is later assured by Lisa he is not. After Ben is kidnapped by a changeling who committed the murders, Lisa becomes aware of Sam and Dean's work. After Sam and Dean rescue Ben, Lisa indicates she'd like Dean to stay for a while, but he regretfully declines. In season five Dean goes to Lisa and tells her, when he is preparing to become Michael's vessel, whenever he pictures himself in a normal happy life, it's with Lisa and Ben. He warns her there will be danger coming but he will make sure she and Ben are protected. Lisa urges him to reconsider doing whatever he's planning on doing, and urges him to stay and have a beer. However, Dean refuses and leaves.

After Sam and Dean decide to go and confront Lucifer, Sam tells Dean he cannot try and save him, and he should go and live a normal life with Lisa. After Sam is locked in Lucifer's cage he keeps his promise to Sam arriving at Lisa's house. Sensing something has happened, Lisa comforts Dean as he breaks down in her arms. In the closing moments of the episode, Dean is having dinner with Lisa and Ben as Sam watches from outside. In the sixth season, she is shown living with Dean and takes Ben to stay with Bobby when Dean must go hunting again. After the local threat had passed, Dean moved them again, but had to return once Sam needed help with a string of shapeshifter attacks. Lisa admits that she knows he can no longer be always there for them, and lets him go, as long as he could return now and then to see them. This does not last; when Dean was turned to a vampire, believing he was to be killed, he went to see Lisa and Ben, but could not control his vampiric hunger and fled, but not before striking Ben. Lisa was furious and took off with Ben. Later, she called him while he was under the influence of Veritas, she was forced to admit that she was jealous of Sam because he had returned and she wanted to be the most important person in Dean's life. She is next seen in "Mannequin 3: The Reckoning", after Ben tricks Dean into returning. However, they fail to reconcile their differences. Crowley kidnaps Lisa and Ben in an attempt to force Dean to stand down in his pursuit of the demon and Castiel. Lisa is possessed by a demon and fatally wounded during the rescue attempt by Sam and Dean. Castiel heals Lisa, and at Dean's request, wipes her and Ben's memories of Dean.

Ben Braeden

Ben Braeden is the son of Lisa Braeden, a woman Dean once spent a weekend with in August 1998, portrayed by Nicholas Elia. Lisa and Ben live in Cicero, Indiana. Though Dean suspects he is Ben's biological father, Lisa confirms that this is not so.

Dean drops in to visit Lisa in "The Kids Are Alright", while investigating a case. This is also Ben's 8th birthday. Dean meets Ben and is struck by his familiar rock-music loving, girl ogling ways, but Lisa assures Dean that he is not Ben's father. Later Dean helps Ben out in an encounter with some bullies. Although his advice, to "kick the kid in the nuts," does not get Lisa's approval, Ben hugs Dean in thanks. Later Ben is one of the children taken by a mother Changeling, and one of her offspring imitates Ben and starts feeding on Lisa. Dean and Sam rescue all the children and kill the head Changeling, destroying the imitation Ben. Dean is impressed by Ben's cool headed behavior during the rescue, having put Ben in charge of helping the other children out a window. When Dean returns to Lisa after the showdown in Stull Cemetery, in "Swan Song", Ben is seen at the dinner table. Dean lives with Lisa and Ben for a year, but after an attack he insists they move and is conflicted by his desire to remain with his new family, his desire to hunt and the fear that he is raising Ben as his father raised him. Eventually, Lisa lets him go in "Two and a Half Men". Dean talks to Ben on the phone in "The Third Man". After believing he is about to die after having been turned into a vampire in "Live Free or Twi-Hard", Dean returns to say goodbye. However, he struggles to control his vampiric urges and shoves Ben and flees. Ben tricks Dean into returning once more in "Mannequin 3: The Reckoning", however he fails to reconcile with Lisa and Dean explains to Ben that he fears that if he stayed around, Ben would end up like him. Ben is still upset and accuses Dean of abandoning his family. Ben and Lisa are kidnapped by the demon Crowley, in "Let It Bleed", in an attempt to force Dean to stand down. After they are rescued, Dean asks Castiel to wipe his and his mother's memories of him.

Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler

Edd Zeddmore and Harry Spangler, portrayed by A.J. Buckley and Travis Wester, are self-proclaimed 'professional' paranormal investigators. They are originally known as the Hell Hounds and run a website called HellHoundsLair.com. They later adopt the name Ghostfacers, as part of the pilot for their reality television show. The Winchesters first encounter them in "Hell House", and use the duo and their website to help them defeat the monster of the week. At the end of the episode Sam pulls a prank on them by posing as a Hollywood producer on the phone. When they next encounter the brothers it is when the team of Ghostfacers attempt to catch paranormal footage in a haunted house the Winchesters are investigating in the episode "Ghostfacers". Their footage is destroyed by Sam and Dean. When Zachariah robs the brothers of their memories in "Its a Terrible Life", they refer to an instructional video on the Ghostfacers website. They have something of an antagonistic relationship with Sam and Dean and ironically believe the brothers to be amateur investigators. Edd, Harry and the rest of the team also star in the Ghostfacers web series, a spoof advertisement for which is seen in "Hammer of the Gods".

Sheriff Jody Mills

Jody, portrayed by Kim Rhodes, is the sheriff in Bobby's hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She originally had quite a hostile relationship with "town drunk" Bobby. However, when the town's deceased, including the sheriff's son and Bobby's wife, rise in "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid", this changes her perspective on him. She attempts to prevent Sam and Dean from investigating, but when her son kills her husband she works with Sam to kill the remaining zombies. In "Weekend at Bobby's", Jody shows up with an FBI agent looking for Rufus Turner. She attempts to distract the agent and later in the episode extradites Rufus so he can escape custody and assist Bobby in retrieving his soul. Jody is recovering from an appendectomy in Sioux Falls General, in "Hello, Cruel World" when the Leviathans take control. She informs Bobby and he rescues her. Jody accidentally and unintentionally aids Bobby into discovering the one thing (Sodium Borax) that brings severe harm to the Leviathans in "Slash Fiction". She also starts developing an attraction towards Bobby.

Ronald Reznick

Ronald Reznick, portrayed by Chris Gauthier, is a bank employee who witnessed a robbery committed by a co-worker in "Nightshifter". Ronald is convinced however that it was not the real co-worker who committed the crime. Ronald researches a string of related robberies, and concludes that they are committed by Mandroids.Sam and Dean, in the guise of FBI agents, take Ronald's research, and Sam tries to convince him that nothing 'unnatural' is happening.Ronald works out where the next robbery will take place, as do Sam and Dean. Ronald takes everyone in the bank hostage, and then works with the boys to uncover the shapeshifter. Ronald is killed by a SWAT sniper. Lilith casts a spell that breaks a seal that holds Lucifer captive and releases the Witnesses - ghosts who died as a result of the supernatural, and return and kill those who let them die in "Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester". Ronald returns and confronts Dean. He is vanquished when Bobby completes his spell.

Becky Rosen

Becky, portrayed by Emily Perkins is a fan of the "Supernatural" series of books. Her online name is samlicker81, and she is the webmistress of morethanbrothers.net. She writes Wincest fanfiction. Carver Edlund aka Chuck Shirley contacts her to get a message to Sam and Dean in "Sympathy for the Devil". It is obvious from her reaction to the boys that she is a Sam Girl, and fixates upon him much to his dismay. Becky Rosen "borrows" Chuck Shurley's phone, pretending to be him, and texts Sam & Dean saying he's in a life or death situation in "The Real Ghostbusters". Sam and Dean rush over after driving all night only to find out that Becky has invited them to a Supernatural Convention for Chuck's books. When real ghosts start attacking people, Chuck has to step up and help keep everyone safe while Sam and Dean and two Supernatural fanboys, Demian and Barnes, fight the ghosts. His bravery impresses Becky who immediately abandons her pursuit of Sam for a relationship with Chuck. She also tells Sam that in the book which covers the events of "Time Is On My Side", Bela gave the Colt not to Lilith but to her right hand demon, and possibly lover, Crowley. In "Season 7: Time for a Wedding!" a Crossroads Demon gives her a love potion to make Sam marry her, then betrays the demon when (as Sam warned her) he asks for her soul in exchange for making the effect permanent.

Supernatural beings

Tessa

Tessa is the disguise of a reaper who guides the deceased to the afterlife. She is portrayed by Lindsey McKeon.

Following the car smash in the first season finale, Dean is critically wounded and his soul leaves his body. Dean attempts to save other souls and defends himself from a reaper. The reaper then returns in the form of Tessa, posing as a coma patient. Tessa attempts to convince Dean to move on but, as he considers this, Azazel intervenes as part of his deal with John Winchester and possesses Tessa to restore Dean to life.

The Winchesters encounter Tessa in the season four episode "Death Takes a Holiday", when a reaper is kidnapped and people in a small town stop dying. Tessa arrives to continue the work and assists the brothers in their investigation until she is kidnapped by Alistair, as part of a ritual to break a seal. Sam and Dean rescue her and she departs with a warning of things to come.

In "Appointment in Samarra", Dean summons Tessa during an out of body experience and asks her to call Death. Although she refuses, Death arrives on his own accord. Subsequently, Tessa guides Dean in his role as Death for 24 hours as part of a wager made with the Horseman in order to retrieve Sam's soul.

Death

Death, portrayed by Julian Richings, is also known as the Pale Horseman and is affiliated with Famine, War and Pestilence. He is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. According to him, he is the only being in existence that will persist forever. He is released by Lucifer as part of the Apocalypse. Death states that eventually he will reap God, as everything that lives must die. Prior to Season 5 Death had been secured in a magical coffin 600 feet under the Earth as his power is apparently too dangerous to allow him to roam freely.

In "Abandon All Hope", Lucifer performs a bloody ritual and Death is seen to rise.

Death arrives in Bobby's hometown Sioux Falls, in "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid", and raises many deceased locals (including Bobby's wife). Although the revived at first appear normal they soon revert to a feral state and must be killed. The events are revealed to have been an attempt to break Bobby, one of the few remaining elements keeping Sam from agreeing to be Lucifer's vessel.

In "The Devil You Know", Bobby temporarily sells his soul to the demon Crowley in order to locate Death.

Death arrives in Chicago to start a large storm which will result in the death of 3 million in "Two Minutes to Midnight". However, he decides not to as he enjoys their pizza. In a lengthy conversation Death reveals to only be working for Lucifer due to a spell binding him to Lucifer and wishes to sever the bond. He presents Dean with his ring, allowing the Winchesters to open Lucifer's Cage and reinprison Lucifer.

The Horseman appeared again in "Appointment in Samarra", when Dean attempts to convince him to retrieve Sam's soul from Lucifer's Cage. Death agrees to do so if Dean will act as Death for 24 hours. Although Dean fails the Horseman restores Sam's soul regardless as he feels the Winchesters are "useful". He also puts up a wall between Sam and his debilitating memories of his time in Lucifer's cage.

In season 7, when Castiel proclaims himself God, the Winchesters bind Death as part of a plan to stop him. Death takes an instant dislike to Castiel. He informs the angel that he is not God and that he is harboring something else within him, the Leviathans, and that they will soon break free. Castiel removes the Winchester's bind and leaves. Death creates another eclipse, giving Castiel a chance to return the souls to Purgatory before they destroy his vessel.

Eve

Eve, portrayed by Julia Maxwell, is also known was the "Mother of All". Eve was last on Earth 10,000 years ago. She is the original propogater of the majority of supernatural beings. She has been trapped in Purgatory, where the souls of the supernatural go. Eve is released from Purgatory in "Like a Virgin" by a sacrificial ritual. In "...And Then There Were None", Eve creates a being - known colloquially as the Khan Worm - that can enter a person's body through the ear and control their actions. She plants it inside a trucker, who goes on to kill his family. It then passes to one of his co-workers who kills 12 people. While investigating the murders, it infects Dean who kills his cousin Gwen, and then infects Samuel, and finally Bobby who kills Rufus while possessed. While possessing Bobby, it tells Dean and Sam that it was created by Eve, who intends for supernatural beings to take over the world. After acquiring the ashes of a Phoenix, said to be lethal to Eve, Sam, Dean, Bobby and Castiel take the fight to her in "Mommy Dearest". Eve reveals that her actions are purely a response to Crowley, still alive, and his capture and torture of her children. She speculates that he is after the souls in Purgatory, and claims that she was satisfied with the natural order of humans and monsters coexisting (with occasional bloodshed on both sides) until Crowley forced her hand. Eve dies after biting Dean, who had Phoenix ash in his blood.

Lenore

Lenore, portrayed by Amber Benson, is the leader of a group of vampires who have decided to live without feeding on humans. Instead they drink the blood of cattle. She first appears in the season 2 episode "Bloodlust", where Sam and Dean save her from the morally ambiguous hunter Gordon Walker, due to the choice not to feed on humans. In "Mommy Dearest", Sam and Dean ask Lenore to reveal the location of Eve. In exchange, Lenore requests that she is killed, as she has recently fed - with Eve free, Lenore can no longer resist the temptation. Although Sam and Dean are reluctant, Castiel eventually mercy-kills her to 'move things along'.

Elanor Visyak

Portrayed by Kim Johnston Ulrich, Elanor Visyak is a creature from Purgatory who is over 900 years old. She who was released from there on March 10, 1937 by a spell performed by H.P. Lovecraft. She possessed the body of his maid, Eleanor. She has been living as a professor of medieval studies at San Francisco University. She has a romantic past with Bobby Singer.

In "Like a Virgin", at Bobby's suggestion, Dean visits Dr Visyak to gain information about dragons and how to kill them. She has a dragon killing sword - the Sword of Brunswick (or Braunschweig) - in her basement, which is stuck in a large rock. Dean extracts it using plastic explosives, breaking the sword in the process.

While visiting Westborough, the son of Elanor, who saw his mother possessed by a creature from Purgatory in 1937, Bobby sees a photo of the woman and realizes that it is the woman he knows as Eleanor Visyak. He finds her in a cabin - one of her 'safe houses' - and tells her he knows who she really is. She confirms his suspicions, but denies that she killed H.P. Lovecraft. Bobby warns her that Castiel is looking for her. He asks for the information about how to open a door to Purgatory, but she refuses to tell him, and also rejects his offer of protection. As she leaves the cabin, Castiel appears and takes her. Bobby, Sam and Dean find Eleanor in an alley, fatally wounded. She tells them she was tortured by Crowley and then Castiel, and that she finally revealed the spell to access to Purgatory, which involves the blood of a virgin and the blood of a creature from Purgatory. Eleanor dies before she can reveal where Crowley and Castiel are.

Azazel's special children

The following characters were chosen by the demon Azazel to take part in the apocalypse. It is referenced near the end of the first and second season that there are many generations of special children, but that Azazel was focused on Sam's generation. At times, he has said it was to create an army of soldiers, and at another time, he said he only needed one to serve as leader of his demons. There is evidence that he has created cohorts of these children at least three separate times. Needing permission from their parents to transform them, he made demonic deals with the parents in exchange for allowing him to enter their house (but never telling them the reason why) ten years later. Once the ten years were up, Azazel would feed his blood to the infants on the six-month anniversary of their birth. The children would develop supernatural abilities at the age of twenty-two. Those still alive years later were all brought to an abandoned town by Azazel, who ordered that they fight to the death in order to determine who would be the leader of his army.

Andrew Gallagher

Andrew "Andy" Gallagher, portrayed by Gabriel Tigerman, was given up for adoption as a baby, and thus never learned of the existence of a fraternal twin brother, Ansem Weems. His adoptive mother died in a house fire when he was six months old, just as Sam Winchester's mother did. When he turned twenty-three, he developed the ability to control people by suggestion, using it to attain anything that he desired. However, he used it only for minor desires, never anything sinister. He is at first only able to use this ability vocally, but later is able to do so mentally. However, his ability is useless against others of Azazel's special children.

In "Simon Said", Sam and Dean learn of Andy after Sam has a vision of a doctor receiving a phone call and then killing a man, quickly followed by committing suicide. They have Ash cross-reference the town with house fires in 1983, leading them to Andy. Sam and Dean track him down, but Andy forces Dean to tell him everything. Sam tells Andy that he believes they are connected, then quickly has another vision, this time of a woman getting a phone call and then killing herself by lighting herself on fire. When it turns out that the events depicted in the vision occurred while they were talking with Andy, the brothers realize that Andy is innocent. They investigate the death, and learn that the woman is Andy's biological mother and that the dead doctor was her obstetrician. This leads them to the discovery of the existence of Ansem Weems, who has been working at the same diner that Andy works at, and has been going by the name Webber. His brother has been killing the people who separated them at birth and anyone who could interfere with their relationship. Andy's love-interest Tracy is a manager at the restaurant, and Sam has a vision of her jumping off of a dam. They try to stop Ansem from forcing her to commit suicide, and when Ansem orders Dean to kill himself, Andy shoots and kills Ansem first. Andy later returns in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1", having been summoned to Cold Oak by Azazel. By this point, his powers have grown so that he is able to project images into people's heads, and he manages to help Dean find their location. However, when Sam later has him and Ava seal themselves up in a house in the town, Ava kills him.

Ava Wilson

Ava Wilson, portrayed by Katharine Isabelle, is originally introduced as an engaged secretary. However, she is plagued with nightmares and visions, and, in one of those dreams, Ava sees Sam killed. She tracks him down and informs him of her dream in "Hunted". However, Sam tells her about his own abilities and the demon Azazel. Ava sticks with Sam and helps him out until they are shot at by Gordon Walker, a hunter pursuing Sam. She then returns home. However, when Sam and Dean later go to her house, they discover her fiancé dead with a slit throat, demonic sulfur by the windows, and Ava's bloody engagement ring on the floor by her bed.

Ava reappears in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1", when she, Sam, and three other special children find themselves in the abandoned town of Cold Oak, and are told that they must fight each other. Ava is seemingly all right, but later murders Andy. Sam realizes that she is not a recent arrival like the others, but has been in the town since her disappearance and has killed all the others like themselves. Declaring herself the winner, she summons a demon to kill Sam. However, Jake appears behind her and breaks her neck.

Jake Talley

US Army member Jake Talley, portrayed by Aldis Hodge, is plucked by Azazel from Afghanistan and placed in Cold Oak to compete with Azazel's other special children in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1". After Ava Wilson's true intentions are revealed, he kills her with his superhuman strength to protect Sam, though he later kills Sam to save himself. As the only surviving contestant, he is then congratulated by Azazel in "Part 2". The demon orders him to take the Colt to a cemetery that is inside a gigantic devil's trap—which prevents a demon from entering—in order to open the gate to Hell hidden within. Jake refuses at first, though he reluctantly gives in when Azazel threatens to kill his family.

Jake's personality then begins to become much darker as he gives in to his demonic side. This allows him to access other demonic abilities. When he is later confronted by Sam, Dean, Bobby, and Ellen, he uses mind control to force Ellen to put a gun to her head and threatens to kill her if the others do not drop their weapons. They do so, allowing Jake to unlock the gate. However, after he completes the mission, he is shot dead by Sam.

References

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2. ^ ^{a b} Bekakos, Liana (April 24, 2008). "Supernatural Creator Eric Kripke Answers Fan's Questions – Part II". Eclipse Magazine. http://eclipsemagazine.com/hollywood-insider/supernatural-creator-eric-kripke-answers-fan-questions-%E2%80%93-part-ii/5633. Retrieved May 25, 2008. 
3. ^ Williams, Don (December 3, 2007). "'Supernatural' Creator Nixes Divine Intervention". buddyTV. http://www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/supernatural-creator-nixes-div-14351.aspx. Retrieved July 17, 2010. 
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6. ^ ^{a b} "Sympathy For The Devil". Supernatural. CW. September 10, 2009. No. 1, season 5.
7. ^ "Free to Be You and Me". Supernatural. CW. September 24, 2009. No. 3, season 5.
8. ^ ^{a b} "Supernatural: Kripke, Jim Beaver and Misha Collins Speak!". The CW Source. August 14, 2009. http://blogs.trb.com/network/cwsource/2009/08/supernatural_kripke_jime_beave.html. Retrieved July 17, 2010. 
9. ^ Falconer, Robert (July 26, 2009). "Supernatural Season 5, or Why Dean Takes Cas to a Whorehouse". Cinemaspy.com. http://www.cinemaspy.com/article.php?id=2846. Retrieved July 17, 2010. 
10. ^ Kassity, Christi (July 27, 2009). "Comic-Con 2009: The Apocalypse of Supernatural Season 5". buddyTV. http://www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/comic-con-2009-the-apocalypse-30303.aspx. Retrieved July 17, 2010. 
11. ^ Knight, Nicholas, (Season 2 Companion), p.87
12. ^ Knight, Nicholas, Season 1 Companion, p.115
13. ^ "Sin City". Writers: Robert Singer & Jeremy Carver, Director: Charles Beeson. Supernatural. The CW. 2007-10-25. No. 4, season 3.
14. ^ http://www.tv.com/tv.com-qanda-supernatural-creator-eric-kripke/story/10682.html
15. ^ Supernatural Magazine, Issue 8, "Habeus Supernatural", p.49
16. ^ "Lucifer Rising". Writer: Eric Kripke, Director: Eric Kripke. Supernatural. The CW. 2009-05-14. No. 22, season 4.
17. ^ ^{a b} Knight, Nicholas, Season 3 Companion, p.104
18. ^ ^{a b c} Knight, Nicholas, Season 1 Companion, p.114
19. ^ ^{a b c} Supernatural season 3 DVD featurette "From Legends to Reality" (DVD). 
20. ^ ^{a b c} Knight, Nicholas, (Season 3 Companion), p.105
21. ^ Charles, Tina (September 10, 2009). "Supernatural Episode Recap: "Sympathy for the Devil"". TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/episode-recaps/supernatural/supernatural-season-premiere-1009581.aspx. Retrieved July 17, 2010. 
22. ^ "Two Minutes to Midnight". Supernatural. The CW Television Network. May 6, 2010. No. 21, season 5.
23. ^ Ryan, Maureen (May 14, 2010). "Finale watch: Supernatural's "Swan Song"". Chicago Tribune. http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2010/05/supernatural-swan-song.html. Retrieved July 17, 2010. 
24. ^ Kubicek, John (May 14, 2010). "Supernatural: Is Chuck Shurley God?". buddyTV. http://www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/supernatural-is-chuck-shurley-36567.aspx. Retrieved July 17, 2010. 
25. ^ Gonzalez, Sandra (May 14, 2010). "Supernatural season finale recap: Nothing ever really ends...does it?". Entertainment Weekly. http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/05/14/supernatural-season-finale-recap/. Retrieved July 17, 2010.