For 15 years, the Winchesters never backed down from a fight. They stopped the apocalypse, faced off against the likes of Lucifer, Leviathans, the Darkness, and even God himself. Dean and Sam Winchester were more than brothers. They were best friends and partners who defeated all manor of vampires, werewolves, monsters, and sometimes discovered that the worst creatures were humans.
Supernatural made viewers believe anything was possible as long as family was by your side. In honor of all the amazing characters that graced the screen for 327 episodes, here are the best characters.
10. Azazel
This list has to start where it all began—with the Winchesters hunting the yellow-eyed demon who killed their mother. As one of Lucifer’s four Princes of Hell, Azazel was pure evil. He fed his demon blood to Sam as a baby, preparing the infant to be Lucifer’s vessel, before killing Mary Winchester and setting the story into motion.
Old Yellow Eyes is also responsible for John Winchester’s death in the season two opener. He finally met his demise at the hands of Dean in the season two finale, which remains one of the most epic deaths of the entire series.
9. Death
The Angel of Death was cool and calm, with an insatiable hunger—for good food.
From the moment viewers first saw him to his final scene, Death always seemed like he knew more than anyone else, even God. A cross between funny and terrifying, he gave one of the standout supporting character performances of the series.
8. Charlie Bradbury
Sassy, spunky and witty, Charlie Bradbury arrived in the Supernatural universe in season seven as a computer hacker who was rightly suspicious of her boss. Portrayed by the “Queen of the Nerds” Felicia Day, Charlie became like a little sister to the Winchesters.
While heartbreaking, Charlie’s death in season 10’s “Dark Dynasty” served as a catalyst for Dean fully embracing the Mark of Cain and massacring the entire Styne family.
7. Jody Mills
Good old Sheriff Jody Mills was possibly the perfect female character—strong, caring, beautiful and badass. Jody loved the Winchester brothers like they were her own kids. She took them in when they were in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and fought side-by-side with them for 11 seasons.
Jody served as the lone female recurring character for most of the show’s run and outlived everyone.
6. Jack Kline
The son of Lucifer, Jack joined the well-established team at the end of season 12. Almost as if watching Jack through Dean’s eyes, the viewers didn’t know if they could trust the young man. As the eldest Winchester opened his heart up to the young man, so did the fans.
Some of the most heartwarming moments in the final few seasons of the series are of Jack learning basic life skills. When Dean taught him how to drive behind the wheel of his precious Chevy Impala—something Sam rarely did—Jack declared it the “best day” of his life. When he proclaimed, “I am a Winchester,” during a face-off with the archangel Michael, the fandom was finally ready to accept him as Dean and Sam’s little brother.
5. Bobby Singer
Bobby was a skilled hunter who was brought into the life after his wife was possessed by a demon and he was forced to kill her. To help avenge her death, he honed his skills and became a mentor to many others.
A talented hunter and jack-of-all-trades, Bobby was old friends of John Winchester and was shown to sometimes take care of the boys when they were little. Unlike John, who was an alcoholic, destructive parent, Bobby tried to let the boys be boys. He would take them outside to play ball and considered them his adoptive sons.
4. Sam Winchester
Destined to be Lucifer’s “perfect vessel,” Sam was fed demon blood as an infant to prepare his body. Protected as much as possible by Dean when he was a child, Sam walked away from the life of a hunter, went to college, fell in love and started a new life. He was thrown back into the mix after John went missing and his girlfriend was killed by Azazel, the same demon who killed his mother.
Seduced by a demon, Sam began willingly drinking demon blood and became extremely powerful. He unwittingly released Lucifer from Hell, starting the Apocalypse, eventually becoming Lucifer’s vessel. Despite his mistakes, the character of Sam was heroic and cared for others above his own safety. He was willing to die to seal the gates of Hell.
Sam usually acted as the voice of reason in the series, talking Dean down from going in guns-blazing and trying to keep the peace when people were arguing. As much as Sam looked up to his big brother, in the series finale, Dean confessed that he also looked up to Sam.
3. Crowley
No other character in the series was quite as “devilishly” good as the King of Hell. Mark Sheppard’s Crowley was equal parts evil and charming—a very dangerous combination. Throughout the character’s eight-season arc, anytime fans heard the words, “Hello boys,” they knew they were in for a treat. As obsessed as he was to bring down the Winchesters, Crowley’s ultimate demise was heart-wrenching when he sacrificed himself to save “Squirrel and Moose.”
2. Castiel
Since that moment the gruff-sounding angel with a heart of gold waltzed into the barn in the season four premiere, “Lazarus Rising,” sparks flew literally and figuratively, as the Supernatural world opened its already expansive lore to include angels. Through his friendship with the Winchesters, but especially Dean, Castiel learned what it meant to be human. Due to his naivety, Castiel was funny and charming, bringing some light to the Winchesters dark world.
1. Dean Winchester
Is it any surprise that Dean Winchester—the man, the myth, the legend himself—is number one?
Four-year-old Dean carried his baby brother from their burning house in the opening scene of the series and never stopped protecting him, acting as both mother and father to Sammy. Throughout the series, Dean consistently showed how selfless he was, always protecting everyone around him.
Dean was a broken man who played the role of his dad’s good little soldier his entire life—the perfect killer, as several characters say throughout the series. Instead of being a one-dimensional character who could only kill or be killed, he cared about the world more than anyone.
“Everything you have ever done—the good and the bad—you have done for love. You raised your little brother for love. You fought for this whole world for love. That is who you are,” Castiel told Dean in season 15. “You’re the most caring man on Earth. You’re the most selfless, loving human being I will ever know.”
Dean, who was brilliantly portrayed by Jensen Ackles, had viewers laughing one minute and crying the next, becoming famous for his genuine, heartbreaking tears. He had the burden of the world’s problems on his shoulders, and the viewers responded by opening their hearts to him. This flawed character who never thought he deserved to be loved was feared by demons, revered by angels, and loved by every single person who watched during the show’s 15-year run.