Supernaturalis famous for killing off numerous characters. In fact, there are only a fewSupernaturalepisodes with no deathsat all.Death permeates the fantasy show from the beginning – with the death of Sam and Dean’s mother, Mary Winchester, in the pilot– but also at the start of almost every episode, when a civilian is killed by a mysterious creature, setting up the episode’s premise.
Throughout the show’s impressive 15 seasons, there have been many shocking deaths, asSupernaturalis not afraid to kill off even the best supporting characters, as well as the main characters. BothSam and Dean Winchester have died numerous times, and have subsequently been revived. However,severalSupernaturalepisodes featurea final major character death that truly shocked fans and impacted the show as a whole.
10Season 2, Episode 1, “In My Time of Dying”
John Winchester
Despite only appearing in a few episodes, John Winchester’s presence was felt throughout season 1 as Sam and Dean tried to track him down after he went missing. Therefore, when he died in season 2, episode 1, “In My Time of Dying,” John’s death was an importantmoment in the show which definedSupernatural’sfuture, as it meant that the Winchester brothers only had each other to rely on in terms of blood relations. Furthermore,the manner of John’s death would have ramifications for Dean’s personality in future seasonsand even form part of the Apocalypse arc.
Unfortunately, the Demon deal trades John’s life for his son’s, and Sam and Dean dramatically find their father lying on the floor in the hospital.
When Dean is trapped in a coma, haunting the hospital alongside Tessa the Reaper, following the shocking car crash instigated by a Demon in season 1’s finale, John cannot take seeing his firstborn in that state, knowing that the odds for his survival are low.Summoning the Yellow-Eyed Demon responsible for Mary’s death, John surprisingly makes a deal with Azazelso that Dean will live. Unfortunately, the Demon deal trades John’s life for his son’s, and Sam and Dean dramatically find their father lying on the floor in the hospital.
9Season 5, Episode 10, “Abandon All Hope”
Jo & Ellen Harvelle
After gaining the Colt from the Demon known as Crowley, the Winchesters join Castiel, Jo, Ellen, and Bobby in searching for Lucifer, hoping to end the Apocalypse once and for all. However, their plan goes awry when a Hellhound attacks Jo, leaving her injuries too severe to treat. In a truly heartbreaking turn of events,Ellen stays with her daughter until Jo passes away, and then sets off a bomb to kill the pursuing Hellhounds, buying the rest of them some time to escape.
Ellen Harvelle’s last words to the Winchesters were an ode to the catchphrase of the director and producer ofSupernatural, the late Kim Manners, making Ellen’s “Kick it in the ass” line much more meaningful.
Jo and Ellen’s deaths are easily part of themost traumatic and shocking moments inSupernatural, as viewers see just how much Ellen cares about her daughter. Jo was a somewhat sweet yet capable young woman who wanted to take up hunting to be closer to her dad, and she had a teasing relationship with Dean. So to see Jo sacrifice herself for the Winchesters was bittersweet, andEllen’s dedication to remaining with her daughter until the end, no matter what, made “Abandon All Hope” a memorableSupernaturalepisode.
8Season 7, Episode 10, “Death’s Door”
Bobby Singer
Season 7’s mid-season finale contained another one of thesaddest character deaths inSupernatural, asa dying Bobby tries to outrun a Reaper in his mind and ends up reliving some of his memories. Having been shot by the Leviathan, Dick Roman, the Winchesters take Bobby to the hospital, where they are informed that Bobby’s brain has been partially destroyed by the bullet. Just like Bobby, the Winchesters are desperate to see Bobby stay alive.
Bobby: I was a kid! Kids ain’t supposed to be grateful! They’re supposed to eat your food and break your heart, ya selfish d*ck! You died, and I was still so afraid I’d turn into you, I never even had kids of my own!
Ed Singer: Good… You break everything you touch.
Bobby: Well, as fate would have it, I adopted two boys, and they grew up great. They grew up heroes. So you can go to hell!
The emotional episode sees Bobby through his best and worst memories, from standing up to his abusive father to Sam and Dean laughing on his couch,and “Death’s Door” givesSupernaturalfans an in-depth look into Bobby’s personality. As the hunter navigates his memories, he begins to realize and accept things that have happened in the past. The most heartbreaking moment in theSupernaturalepisode is Bobby’s speech to his father, reinforcing that Sam and Dean are like sons to him, despite his final word being an affectionate “Idjits.”
7Season 9, Episode 9, “Holy Terror”
Kevin Tran
“Holy Terror” is another mid-season finale that includes the death of a majorSupernaturalcharacter, following Bobby’s death in season 7. Following Sam’s injuries as a result of the Trials,an Angel called Gadreel (pretending to be Ezekiel) possesses Sam’s body as part of Dean’s plan to heal his brother. Dean and “Ezekiel” have been conversing about Sam’s health and the Angel has outlined conditions for his occupation. One of these conditions is that no one is to know “Ezekiel” has possessed Sam, not even Sam himself.
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This deception comes to a head in “Holy Terror” when, on Metatron’s orders,Gadreel smites the Winchesters’ prophet and friend, Kevin Tran. Kevin has been living in the Bunker with the Winchesters for some time to translate the Angel Tablet, and Sam and Dean care a lot about their younger friend. Therefore, when Gadreel kills him, Dean is utterly distraught, and both brothers blame themselves for Kevin’s death. Although Kevin is one of the fewSupernaturalcharacters that return from the dead, he only appears again in ghost form, so his death continues to haunt the Winchesters quite literally.
6Season 10, Episode 21, “Dark Dynasty”
Charlie Bradbury
Charlie Bradbury is without a doubt one of themost wasted characters inSupernatural, asCharlie’s death was unnecessarily horrific and showcased the most gruesome elements ofSupernatural. Fan favorite Charlie (played by Felicia Day) was first introduced in season 7’s “The Girl With The Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo” as a brilliant hacker and upbeat nerd who Dean comes to consider as a sister-like figure. She makes multiple appearances throughout the show and her unrelenting cheerful personality brought a comedic and light-hearted component toSupernatural.
Tragically, when Charlie holes up in a hotel for some peace, the Stynes come for her notes.
While investigating a murder, Sam and Dean discover that the killer is a member of the Styne family, an ancient worldwide family of surgically enhanced individuals who are the root ofFrankenstein’slore. The Stynes are searching for the supposedly burned Book of the Damned, which Sam secretly gave Charlie, Castiel, and Rowena to decode to find how to remove Dean’s Mark of Cain. Tragically, when Charlie holes up in a hotel for some peace, the Stynes come for her notes, and“Dark Dynasty” ends with the Winchesters stumbling on the traumatic image of Charlie’s corpse in the motel’s bathtub.
5Season 12, Episode 23, “All Along the Watchtower”
Crowley
Over the seasons since his first appearance on the show,Crowley went through an extreme character arc, going from a main antagonist to an unlikely ally of the Winchesters. Out of the few non-human characters to befriend Sam and Dean inSupernatural, Crowley was certainly the most entertaining. His temperament and exasperation often led to funny moments with the character, and he became a belovedSupernaturalcharacter, making his death in season 12’s “All Along the Watchtower” more disheartening.
Crowley, Castiel, and Kelly Kline all die inSupernaturalseason 12, episode 23, “All Along the Watchtower.” Although Castiel later gets resurrected by Jack Kline.
InSupernaturalseason 12’s finale, the Winchesters discover an alternate universe ravaged by the Apocalypse. Realizing they could use the world to trap Lucifer to protect Kelly Kline and her unborn Nephilim son, Crowley helps the Winchesters set up a spell. Unfortunately, the spell requires a sacrifice, which the Demon provides whenCrowley kills himself with an Angel Blade to close the rift on Lucifer.Crowley’s Mark Sheppard has commented on his departure fromSupernatural, claiming that his character had no purpose in later seasons and appeared weaker, although he didn’t want to leave the show.
4Season 14, Episode 17, “Game Night”
Mary Winchester
One of thebiggest changes from season 1 to season 14 ofSupernaturalwas the return of Mary Winchester in her hunting glory. However, despite being part of the main cast for a few seasons since Amara resurrected the mother figure,Mary meets her end in season 14 when Jack Kline accidentally kills her off-screen.The moment Mary is killed is during a black-out moment and viewers are only subject to Jack’s voice calling out for Mary, but the final scene highlights Jack’s devastation as his desperation is haunting.
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During season 14, episode 17, “Game Night,” Jack becomes increasingly frustrated by everyone’s persistence in making sure he is okay. Yet worries about the Nephilim are justified as, when hunting down Nick (Lucifer’s vessel), Jack ruthlessly burns the man alive, showing a completely opposite character to Jack’s usually sunny disposition and highlighting Jack’s soullessness.Mary’s determination to help a distressed Jack leads to the Nephilim essentially wiping her off the face of the Earth, marking another brutal and abrupt death of a major character inSupernatural.
3Season 15, Episode 3, “The Rupture”
Rowena McLeod
Supernatural’sfinal season started off strong as God began to destroy his creations in a vendetta against the Winchesters. In a continuation of the previous episode,“The Rupture” sees Sam, Dean, Castiel, Rowena, and Belphegor trying to stop Hell from breaking looseand refortifying the magical barrier containing the ghosts. Rowena tries to strengthen the barrier, but the ghosts are too strong, leading to Belphegor explaining how Lilith’s Crook could help them draw the souls back to Hell.
After Rowena’s death in “The Rupture,” she becomes the Queen of Hell.
While Castiel and Belphegor find Lilith’s Crook in Hell, Sam helps Rowena create a hex bag spell to close the tear that God opened. However, when Dean uses the hex bag, it does not work. With Belphegor betraying Castiel, he is left with no choice but to destroy the Demon and Lilith’s Crook, returning to the surface. In an act of bravery, Rowena tries one last spell, demonstrating why she is one ofSupernatural’smost powerful characters:Rowena gets Sam to kill her (as prophesized), drawing the ghosts into her body, and then jumps into the rupture, sealing it.
2Season 15, Episode 18, “Despair”
Castiel
Directed by Richard Speight Jr., season 15, episode 18, “Despair” sees one of the saddestmoments inSupernaturalthat made all the fans cry.With Jack in Billie’s control, she regains God’s Book from the Winchesters, seeing that its ending has changed. Thinking that Billie is sending alternate universe characters back, the Winchesters gather their friends in a warded location, whileDean and Castiel return to the Bunker to kill Billie with her Scythe. However, upon their arrival, it’s revealed that Billie is not the cause, yet she wants to kill Dean anyway for hurting her with the Scythe earlier.
Trapped in the Bunker, with Billie banging on the warded door, Dean laments about the hopeless situation when Castiel suddenly recalls his deal to save Jack; the Empty (a being powerful enough to defeat Billie) will come for Castiel when he is truly happy, something he was sure would not happen. YetCastiel finally manages to achieve true happiness by telling Dean that he loves him and that Dean is the reason that he cares about the whole world. The heartbreaking admission causes the Empty to appear, taking Castiel and Billie away, as Dean cries over the death of Castiel.
1Season 15, Episode 20, “Carry On”
Sam and Dean Winchester
After 15 seasons,Supernaturalfinally concluded in 2020 with the episode “Carry On,” a reference to the show’s unofficial theme tune “Carry On My Wayward Son” by Kansas. In the episode, following Jack taking on the role of God, Sam and Dean are shown to be mourning those they lost and trying to continue with their lives. Unfortunately, this is cut short when,on a routine hunt, Dean is suddenly impaled by the same vampire that appeared in season 1 ofSupernatural.
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While Dean navigates Heaven, reuniting with Bobby, Sam continues to live his life on Earth, settling down with an unknown woman and a son that he names Dean Jr. Sam seemingly lives a long life, growing older, until he passes away due to natural causes.The closing scene has the Winchester brothers reunite in Heaven, finally at peace. Unfortunately,Supernatural’sending left many unsatisfied, with the original ending being scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the heartbreak surrounding previous deaths, thankfully, “Carry On” marks the last major character death inSupernatural, as well as the end of the show.
Supernatural
Cast
Supernatural is a television series that follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who were raised by their father to hunt and combat supernatural entities after losing their mother to a demonic force. Traversing the American landscape in their ‘67 Chevy Impala, they face numerous paranormal threats.
