Joanna Beth "Jo" Harvelle is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural portrayed by Alona Tal. She was introduced in the second season in order to explore a mother-daughter relationship in the hunting world. Series creator Eric Kripke described her as an "innocent girl who wanted to be a hunter". Jo Harvelle was originally intended to serve as a love interest for lead character Dean Winchester, but instead turned into a sister-like figure for him. She was ultimately removed from the series by the end of the second season—Kripke admitted the conception of the character was flawed from the beginning—but returned in the fifth season. While critical reaction to Jo Harvelle was mixed, many fans disliked the character.

Plot[link]

Jo Harvelle first meets Sam and Dean Winchester in the second season episode "Everybody Loves a Clown".^[1] The brothers look for her mother Ellen at Harvelle's Roadhouse—a saloon frequented by hunters—after she leaves a voice mail message on the phone of their deceased father, John Winchester.^[2] Throughout the second season, Jo appears to have romantic feelings for Dean, and, though he states that he also has feelings for her, he will not act on them.^[1] Against her mother's wishes, Jo later slips away from the Roadhouse to help the brothers on a hunt, though she ends up becoming endangered by a vengeful spirit and the brothers have to save her. Her mother, angry with the Winchester brothers, reveals to Jo that John's recklessness was responsible for the death of her father,^[3] which strains Jo's friendship with Sam and Dean.^[4] She later leaves the Roadhouse to live the life of a hunter.^[5] A demon possessing Sam later sows more dissent by claiming that John actually killed her father "to put him out of his misery" after he incurred fatal wounds, despite her father's pleas to see his wife and daughter one more time.^[6] Dean rescues Jo from the demon, and she then attempts to follow Dean in the search for Sam. However, Dean refuses to allow her to come. Dean tells Jo he will call her, but as he leaves, Jo quietly whispers, "No, you won't".^[6]

In the fifth season episode "Good God, Y'All!", Jo reappears with her mother Ellen in a small Colorado town called River Pass. They plan to help Rufus, a demon hunter and one of Bobby's friends, kill the demons that have laid siege to the town. However, Jo and Ellen are separated in the chaos. Jo later finds and joins up with Rufus and other townspeople. Eventually, they attack Sam and Ellen, both of them appearing to be possessed by demons. Jo joins in with Rufus to torture the supposed "demon" out of a captured Sam with holy water and salt, but becomes doubtful when no demonic effects are present on Sam. Dean and Ellen arrive and, after a brief struggle, convince Jo and Rufus that War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, is responsible for making all the townspeople turn against each other by thinking that both sides are demons.^[7]

Jo and Ellen once again team up with the Winchesters in "Abandon All Hope...", where they help the brothers reacquire the Colt — a mystical gun rumored to be capable of killing anything — in order to kill Lucifer. Upon tracking his location to an abandoned town, they are confronted by the demonic Meg, who sends hellhounds after them. The hunters seek refuge in a supplies store, but Jo is mauled by a hellhound in the process. Dying, she suggests that they build bombs of salt and iron nails; using herself as bait, she can kill the creatures, allowing the rest of them to escape from the roof. Reluctantly, the Winchesters and her mother agree. Once the bombs are set in place, Dean says his farewells, and kisses her on her forehead and lips. Ellen, unable to leave her daughter's side, stays behind to unbar the doors knowing Jo would not be able to. However, Jo dies before the hellhounds enter, so Ellen detonates the bombs for her, destroying the store and killing the hellhounds.^[8]

Jo is mentioned in the reality-warped episode "My Heart Will Go On" though not seen on screen. Somehow Balthazar's saving of the Titanic leads to neither Ellen or Jo dying in the hunt for Lucifer. She reports in periodically leading a group of hunters investigating the killings of Fate. Once the timeline is restored she is removed from the current reality.

Jo reappears in "Defending Your Life" as a spiritual witness called by the Egyptian god Osiris to see whether Dean is guilty or not. Eventually Osiris declares that Dean is guilty and orders Jo to kill him in the exact same manner that Jo herself died. But before Jo can do anything, she disappears as a result of Sam killing Osiris.

Characterization[link]

With her father dying on a hunt when she was just a child, Jo treasures his pure iron knife engraved with his initials, and carries it around with her. Her desire to be a hunter stems from the longing to feel connected to him.^[4] She attended college at one point, but eventually dropped out because she was considered just "a freak with a knife collection".^[4] Series creator Eric Kripke initially described Jo as an "innocent girl who wanted to be a hunter" and who tends to look before she leaps; she is also "enthusiastic" and very "girl-next-door in her approach" to hunting the supernatural.^[9] However, Jo grows throughout the season as she rebels against her mother by running away to be a hunter, which Kripke felt made her harder and tougher.^[9] Regarding her character's capture by a vengeful spirit in "No Exit", actress Alona Tal felt that Jo was a "badass" who handled the situation well. Tal commented, "She fought and risked her life and stayed there as bait. It took a lot of guts."^[10]

The actress noted that Jo matures during her hiatus. Having found out the hard way that "banter doesn't always work", she becomes quieter and "not as mouthy".^[11] The character "called the shots" in her final appearance, and was the "bigger person" by forcing everyone to accept the reality of the situation. After years of hunting together, the relationship between Jo and Ellen also develops; Tal came to view them more as equals rather than daughter and mother. Although Jo's feelings for Dean remain the same, Tal liked the fact that she does not easily give in to Dean's advances in "Abandon All Hope...". She believed that Jo resists her urge to "go crazy [with him]" due to the dire circumstances, which "gave it a little more meaning".^[12]

Development[link]

Due to the father-son dynamics of the hunting world depicted in the series' first season with the Winchesters, the writers decided to explore a mother-daughter relationship. This resulted in the introduction of the character Alex Harvelle and her mother Ellen,^[9][13] though the Alex character was eventually renamed Jo.^[13] Tal had been a fan of the show, and decided to audition for the role. Since the character was not fully explored during her first few appearances on the show, Tal did not know what her personality would be.^[13] Because of the way Jo is introduced—threatening Dean with a shotgun—Tal was under the impression that the character was an experienced hunter.^[14] With this in mind, she decided to portray her as "somewhat confident and cool" by making use of her experience in the Israeli army,^[10] where she served for two years.^[13] Tal commented, "When I was in the army I was holding my gun and feeling all dangerous and badass. It's an attitude, it's a different kind of walk, and the way you hold yourself, the way you look at things. I tried to put that in there because she didn't say much."^[10]

The writers originally intended Jo to serve as a love interest for Dean Winchester, but this was eventually dropped from the plan when the character came across as more of a "girl-next-door", in Kripke's opinion, than the stronger type of character Dean would be attracted to, like Sydney Bristow of Alias.^[9] Tal also noted the tension between Jo and Dean, which made the characters "snappy" towards one another, resulting in the appearance of a brother-sister relationship.^[10] Kripke admits that, even before Jo's debut, he had doubts about the way the character was conceived.^[15] Because of these factors, the character was eventually phased out of the second season altogether.^[9]

During the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International, Kripke announced that Jo would return in the series' fifth season.^[16] The opportunity to return surprised Tal due to the character's negative fan reaction and the large time span since her previous appearance.^[11] She was later alerted about Jo's demise in "Abandon All Hope..." by director Phil Sgriccia. Though unhappy, Tal was "all for it" because she felt it benefited the show, and found it "grand" that Jo "went out in a blaze of glory".^[12]

In 2011, at Comic-Con it was revealed that Jo will be returning during season 7.^[17]

Reception[link]

Critical reception to Jo has been mixed. Diana Steenbergen of IGN favored Jo from the beginning, deeming her "tough and direct, and also female, something the boys don't have a lot of in their lives right now". She also believed that Jo and Dean had a "natural chemistry" between them,^[18][19] which continues even with her reappearance in the fifth season.^[20] However, Steenbergen was confused by Jo's anger at Sam and Dean over John Winchester's involvement in her father's death, feeling that the show's producers may have added it to the story as an excuse for Jo's removal from the series.^[21] While Tina Charles of TV Guide was at first unsure about the character, she felt that by the episode "No Exit", "Tal did step things up and kinda won me over". She believed that while Jo did not make a good love interest for Dean, she was good in a "sisterly or friendly fellow-ghostbuster way", deeming her as "someone they can count on in a pinch". Overall, Charles felt that Jo "fit into that world, whether she was a little overzealous or not".^[22] Commenting on the character's final appearance and her dying farewells, Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune noted that Tal "brought [her] A-game to 'Abandon All Hope…'". Ryan added that "[Tal fits] perfectly into the 'Supernatural' world because [she understands] that on this show, restraint is everything. It's not necessarily just about what the characters say or do, it's about what they don't say—what they can't find the words for".^[23] However, Sean Elliott of IFMagazine disliked the "Scrappy-Doo qualities of the character", and compared Jo to Dawn Summers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, feeling that she "is always trying to help and always gets in the way".^[24]

Fan reaction to the character was generally negative.^[9][15][25] Jensen Ackles, who portrays Dean, summed up the response as, "No, no, we just want this to be about the boys."^[25] Though Kripke found Tal to be a "terrific actress" that "did valiantly and beautifully with the part [they] gave her",^[15] he feels that the mistake was introducing her as a love interest, and came to believe that women should only be introduced into the series as antagonists.^[26]

References[link]

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Dean Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists of The CW Television Network's Supernatural. He is portrayed by Jensen Ackles. Dean hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.

Background[link]

Dean Winchester was born on January 24, 1979 to John and Mary Winchester in Lawrence, Kansas. He is the couple's first child, four years older than his younger brother Sam. He is named after his maternal grandmother, Deanna Campbell. When he was only four years old on November 2, 1983, his mother Mary was killed in Sam's nursery by the demon Azazel. Infant Sam is saved by the ensuing fire when his father takes him out of his crib and gives him to Dean, who then carries him outside while their father unsuccessfully tries to rescue their mother. After that night Dean felt responsible for Sam, and was always given the job to take care of him while they were growing up. Dean's father John raised him and Sam as hunters of the supernatural. During Dean's childhood John would be away "hunting" a week or two at a time. Growing up Dean's "job" was to look after/ protect Sam. John basically told him that his little brother's life was in his hands. So the term "Watch out for Sammy" became his life.

Season 1[link]

As the season begins, Dean, at the age of 26, is a hunter; he hunts and kills supernatural monsters. Usually, he is with his father John, but sometimes goes by himself. When his father goes missing, Dean asks for Sam's help to find him. They go in search of their father, saving people from the supernatural along the way, but at the end of the first episode, Sam's girlfriend Jessica Moore dies the same way as their mother did.

In the episode "Skin," Dean and Sam battle a shapeshifter responsible for a string of brutal murders in St. Louis, Missouri. During the course of the episode, the shapeshifter assumes Dean's form, causing police to believe that Dean is responsible for the murders. However, Dean kills the shapeshifter while it is still in his form; the authorities officially declare him dead and pin the murders on him.

John finally contacts the boys, revealing that he has been away from them because he is tracking the demon that killed their mother. His affection for his sons could be used against him, so he wants them away from him. However, the family unites as they come into possession of the Colt, a special revolver which John says can kill anything, including demons. The season finale concludes with Sam, Dean, and John escaping from their clash with Azazel, the yellow-eyed demon. While Sam is driving an injured Dean and John to a hospital, a demon-possessed driver drives his semi truck into the Impala, causing massive damage to the car and the Winchesters inside.

Season 2[link]

All three of the Winchesters survive the wreck, although Dean is more severely injured than his father or brother. In the season premiere "In My Time of Dying," Dean is in a coma. A reaper named Tessa tries to convince him to move on and accept his death as it is his time to die and warns him that, if he refuses, he will most likely become one of the vengeful spirits he and his family have so often fought. In order to save him, John makes a deal with Azazel, trading his life for Dean's. When Dean wakes from his coma, he has no memory of his time with Tessa; he does, however, comment later that, when he woke up, it felt wrong. When John asks Sam to get him quote "a cup of caffeine" he whispers something in Dean's ear which the audience cannot hear, then hands the gun to Azazel. His father dies immediately afterward, and is later revealed to be in in hell.

Throughout the first half of the second season, Dean struggles with the death of his father. He is also haunted by his father's last words to him. At the midpoint of the season, it is revealed that John told Dean that Azazel intends to turn Sam evil and, if Dean cannot save Sam, Dean must kill his brother.

During an investigation in Baltimore, Maryland in "The Usual Suspects," Dean is arrested in connection with another series of murders. It is revealed that Dean has a police record, with charges over the years including credit card fraud, breaking and entering, and grave desecration. Although Sam and Dean are able to prove that the murders were actually committed by one of the detectives on the case, whose partner lets the brothers escape. Since the authorities now know that Dean is not dead, he is again wanted for the murders committed by the shapeshifter. In "Nightshifter," a team of FBI agents, led by Special Agent Victor Henricksen, catches up with Dean and Sam in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where an attempted bank robbery and several more murders are added to Dean's list of supposed crimes, thanks to another shapeshifter.

At the end of "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1," Sam is stabbed by Jake Talley, another of Azazel's "special children," and dies in Dean's arms. Crushed by Sam's death, Dean summons a Crossroads demon and trades his soul for Sam's life. The conditions Dean's deal are that Dean gets one year of life, at the end of which he dies and goes to Hell. If he tries to break the deal in any way, Sam dies. Dean wants to keep the knowledge of his deal from Sam, but Sam quickly figures it out and vows to get Dean out of the deal, no matter what. As the second season ends, Dean kills Azazel with the Colt, but not before Azazel has a gate to Hell opened, allowing hundreds of demons to escape from Hell as well as their father, with whom they share an emotional moment before he disappears in a glow of light.

Season 3[link]

In the third season premiere "The Magnificent Seven," Dean decides to make the best of his final year, indulging in many pleasures and refusing to even think about saving himself, while Sam tries desperately to find a loophole in the Crossroads demon's deal. While searching for escaped demons to send back to Hell, Sam encounters Ruby, a mysterious blonde who assists him but who also informs him that, for some reason, demons are killing all of his mother's old acquaintances. Sam learns that Ruby is a demon, and she promises him help in freeing Dean from his contract. She fixes the Colt so that it can again kill anything and also shows them a knife in her possession that can kill demons. Later, Dean and Sam learn from Ruby that all demons used to be human, but had their humanity is eventually burned away during their time in hell.

During the course of the season, the brothers meet another woman, Bela Talbot. Bela acquires magical objects and sells them for a large profit, and is unscrupulous. In "Dream a Little Dream of Me," when Bobby falls into a coma, Sam and Dean investigate the murder of a scientist. In the course of viewing Dean's dreams, it becomes clear that Dean believes that Sam was their father's favorite, but only thought of Dean as a tool. Dean encounters a demonic version of himself in a nightmare, which shocks him into trying to break his deal. After waking up, Dean admits to Sam that he doesn't want to die. Meanwhile, Bela steals the Colt.

In "Mystery Spot," Sam is forced to relive the same day, repeatedly. On each new day, Dean dies a different way despite Sam's efforts to save him. Sam realizes that the culprit is the Trickster, a villain from Season 2. They finally escape the day, but Dean dies and doesn't come back. Sam spends months trying to hunt down the Trickster, who reveals that he has been trying to get Sam to understand that he and Dean can't keep making sacrifices for each other, and that Dean is going to die no matter what Sam does. The Trickster allows Sam to escape the alternate reality he has trapped him in. He is warned by Ruby that he might not make it back from hell.

In "Jus In Bello," the FBI and Agent Henricksen capture Sam and Dean, thanks to a tip from Bela. While Sam and Dean are in jail, a host of demons come to kill them. Ruby comes to help them, but is furious to learn that they have lost the Colt. She says that she knows of a spell that will destroy all the demons nearby, including herself. However, they will need the heart of a virgin. Sam and the virgin, Nancy, agree to the plan, but Dean refuses to let her die. Dean's plan to exorcise the demons works, but one demon manages to escape and tells Lilith who, taking the form of a little girl, blows the police station up, killing everyone inside. Lilith, it turns out, wants to kill Sam, as she sees him as a rival. According to Azazel's plan, Sam was supposed to lead the demon army, but now Lilith is the leader of the demons.

Shortly before Dean's contract comes due, he learns from Bela that Lilith holds his contract; Bela had also made a deal with a demon, and she reveals this information before her contract expired. As the brothers search for Lilith with Bobby's help, Dean begins suffering nightmares and hallucinations of his hellish fate. When Lilith is located, the three head to New Harmony, Indiana, and Dean discovers that he now has the ability to see the faces of demons underneath their human hosts.

As Dean and Sam confront Lilith, Ruby appears and the three are chased into a room by a hellhound that has come for Dean. Dean quickly recognizes that Ruby's human host is now possessed by Lilith, not Ruby, but it is too late. A hell hound kills Dean and Lilith tries to kill Sam, only to discover that her demonic power has no effect on Sam. Lilith flees, leaving Sam alone with Dean's mutilated corpse. In the last scene of the season, Dean is shown in Hell, suspended in a void by seemingly chains and hooks through his flesh, crying out for help and for Sam.

Season 4[link]

The fourth season premiere, "Lazarus Rising," begins four months after the third season finale. Dean awakes to find himself buried and manages to dig himself out. Dean calls Sam, but finds his number disconnected. He calls Bobby, who hangs up on him, so he hot-wires a parked car and goes to Bobby's house. Dean and Bobby track down Sam in a town right near where Dean was buried in a hotel, but he claims he did nothing to bring Dean back and is in town because he is searching for a demon. Dean tells Sam he remembers nothing from Hell.

The Winchesters track down whatever force ripped Dean from Hell. It is revealed that an angel named Castiel pulled Dean from Hell on God's command; Castiel tells Dean that God has work for him. In the episode "Wishful Thinking," Dean confesses that he does remember every second of Hell.

In the "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester," in the course of fighting off ghosts, Dean is told by Castiel of Lilith's plan to break the 66 seals and free Lucifer.

In "In the Beginning," Dean is transported back in time to Lawrence, Kansas in 1973. There, he meets younger versions of his father and mother, as well as his maternal grandfather Samuel and maternal grandmother Deanna (for whom he is named), and learns of a connection between Azazel and Mary. A causal loop is revealed in that the time-traveling Dean, by trying to stop Azazel in the past and change his future, actually made the demon aware of his family in the first place, setting in motion the events leading to the death of his parents, the corruption of his brother, and the life he tried to change, therefore setting up a predestination paradox. (However, it is implied by Castiel that the events would have happened anyway without him being there as they were already destined.) Upon returning to the present, Dean is informed by Castiel that Sam is "going down a very dark road" and that, if Dean doesn't stop him, the angels will.

Dean follows Castiel's directions and witnesses Sam using his powers to exorcise a demon, also learning of Ruby's return. He conveys the warning of the angels to Sam. After he and Sam stop a rugaru in Missouri, Sam decides to stop using his powers.

In "Heaven and Hell," Dean reveals to Sam what happened to him in Hell: Time flows differently there, so four months on Earth was forty years in Hell. During that time, he was put on the rack and "cut, carved, and torn" apart until there was nothing left of him, only to be made whole again just so the demons could start over on him. Dean reveals that, at the end of every day, the demon Alastair would offer to take him off the rack if Dean would put souls on it and torture them. Dean resisted for thirty years, but eventually gave in and spent a ten years torturing people in Hell to escape being tortured himself. In "Family Remains", Dean confesses to Sam that he enjoyed torturing souls, as he finally had the chance to dish out the same pain that he'd endured for the past thirty years.

The episode "After School Special" showed flashbacks of a teenage Dean and a pre-teen Sam while they are going to a high school. Dean was as promiscuous as ever when he was younger and the girl he was then dating told him that he acted cool when, in reality, he was a little boy who played with people's feelings to make himself feel better. Dean, clearly stung, from then on hated the school.

In the episode "On the Head of a Pin," Dean is pressed into service by Castiel and Uriel, who need him to torture Alastair for information on who is killing angels, since Dean was his "student" in Hell. Dean refuses at first, but eventually agrees. However, he only succeeds in getting Alastair to reveal that Dean himself was the first seal to break, by virtue of giving in and torturing souls in Hell. ("The first seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in Hell. As he breaks, so shall it break.") The distraction is enough for Alastair to free himself, the Devil's Trap set up by Castiel having been eroded by a leaking pipe. Alastair nearly kills Dean and then comes close to sending Castiel back to Heaven, but Sam arrives and kills Alastair shortly after. Later, as Dean recovers in the hospital, Castiel informs him about Uriel's betrayal; Uriel had been killing angels who did not join his cause to free Lucifer from Hell. Castiel also confirms Alastair's claim that Dean was the first seal, but adds that, because of this, Dean is the only man capable of averting the Apocalypse. However, Dean does not believe he is up to such a task and tells Castiel to find someone else as tears run down his face.

To put Dean back on the right path, Zachariah, Castiel's superior, re-writes Dean and Sam's memories to remove their knowledge of supernatural creatures, making them believe they are average people working regular jobs, and drops them in a haunted building. After the brothers proceed to defeat the ghost behind the hauntings, Zachariah restores Dean's memories to show him that hunting is in his blood. This renews Dean's resolve.

In "The Rapture," Dean witnesses Sam drink the blood of a demon he is about to kill. Later, Sam gets a request from Bobby to head to his house. Once there, Dean and Bobby trick Sam and lock him in the demon-proof panic room for his own safety as he detoxes from the demon blood.

While Sam is going through painful withdrawal symptoms from the demon blood, Dean asks Castiel for help. He takes an oath to serve God and the angels if it would mean that Sam wouldn't have to kill Lilith, to which Castiel says "If that gives you comfort." Sam escapes the panic room after Castiel releases him, and Dean tracks him down to a hotel, despite Sam's efforts to shake him. They argue over whether or not Ruby is corrupting Sam, if Dean is supposed to stop the Apocalypse, and if Sam is turning into a monster. Dean yells at Sam by saying, "If you walk out that door, don't you ever come back" -- the same ultimatum John gave Sam when he left for college years before, resulting in Sam's four-year estrangement from his father—after which Sam leaves the room.

In the fourth season finale "Lucifer Rising," the angels take Dean to a "safe" room, and Zachariah explains that they are preparing for the Apocalypse and will allow the final seal to be broken. They want Sam to kill Lilith as her death will break the final seal holding Lucifer, after which Dean will kill Lucifer and bring Paradise to Earth. Dean, shocked and horrified that the angels would allow the Apocalypse, asks Castiel for help; together they escape and meet the prophet Chuck Shirley to see where the final seal will be broken. As Castiel holds back the Archangels that start to descend, he sends Dean to Ilchester, Maryland to stop Sam from killing Lilith. Ruby prevents Dean from interfering and, after the final seal is broken, reveals that she has been working to free Lucifer the entire time. Dean manages to get to the two and then stabs Ruby to death with Sam's help. The season ends with a portal opening for Lucifer while Dean and Sam can only watch.

Season 5[link]

The fifth season begins right where Season 4 ends with the portal for Lucifer opening. As Lucifer escapes, the brothers are teleported into an airplane by an unknown force (later revealed to be God). Later, Dean is told by Zachariah that he is "Michael's Sword," meaning the Archangel Michael will use his body as a vessel to lead the forces of Heaven against Lucifer, but Dean must consent to this. Dean refuses and Castiel saves him when Zachariah tries to force Dean to agree by harming him and Sam.

In "Good God, Y'All!," Dean and Sam fight War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, in a town where the people think that their neighbors are demons. Once the brothers cut the ring finger off of War, restoring the town to normal, Dean worries that Sam cannot control his urge to drink demon blood, and the brothers agree to go their separate ways because Sam is a liability with his demon bloodlust.

In "The End," Dean is transported forward in time by Zachariah, who wants Dean to see what the future will be like if continues to refuse giving his consent to Michael. He finds himself in the year 2014, eventually meeting up with his future self, as well as the survivors and victims of the Croatoan virus from Season 2. Dean finds out that Sam let Lucifer into his body, and this was the reason the world was in such disarray. Later, the future Dean is killed by Lucifer in Sam's body. After being told by his future self to accept Michael into his body, Dean is transported back to his own time, where he comes face-to-face with Zachariah; he again refuses to become Michael's vessel. In the end of the episode, the brothers meet back up again and decide that they should stay together, to "keep each other human."

In the episode "Changing Channels," it is revealed to Dean and Sam by The Trickster (who reveals that he is the Archangel Gabriel) that their relationship (Dean the older brother loyal to an absent father and Sam the younger brother who is rebellious of the father's plan) mirrors the relationship between Michael and Lucifer, and has been told to the angels since the beginning to bring about Judgment Day.

In "Abandon All Hope," Sam and Dean plan to find Lucifer and kill him, with help from Castiel, Jo, Ellen and Bobby. They find out that the Colt is in the possession of a demon named Crowley, who gives the Winchesters the gun to kill Lucifer and end the Apocalypse. The Winchesters then find out that Lucifer is one of five things in the universe that the Colt cannot kill when Dean tries shooting Lucifer in the head with no effect. Having lost another plan, Dean becomes more disillusioned and hopeless, and in "Dark Side of the Moon" where, after spending time in Heaven and finding out God doesn't see the battle with Lucifer to be his problem, begins to see little reason to deny his destiny as Michael's vessel, deciding to take on the role at the end of the next episode "99 Problems". Before doing so, though, he visits former girlfriend Lisa Braeden (Season 3 "The Kids Are Alright"), confessing that when he dreams of being happy its with her and her son Ben, and promising to get them protection for what's to come.

During the series' 100th episode "Point of No Return," Dean was preparing for his possession by Michael before being discovered by Sam and Castiel, who take him to Bobby's house. They convince him to allow them some more time in order to research another method of stopping Lucifer; however, the unexpected resurrection of their half-brother Adam, planned to be Michael's vessel, forces Sam, Bobby and Castiel to keep Adam and Dean from Zachariah. When Dean escapes and tries to lure the angels, both Castiel and Sam leave to find him, allowing Adam to be taken by angels. Despite Bobby and Castiel's insistence in keeping Dean from Zachariah, Sam allows him to try to rescue Adam. With Castiel removed, along with angel guards, the brothers attempt to rescue Adam, but Sam's ambush on Zachariah fails and Zachariah causes internal damage to both Adam and Sam to coerce Dean to consent to Michael. Ultimately, he relents, but after Zachariah summons Michael, Dean taunts him into sacrificing himself in order to allow Michael in. Zachariah angrily refuses, and Dean kills him and rushes out, unfortunately leaving Adam locked in the room with the approaching Michael. As they leave, Dean admits that he would have accepted Michael, but because of Sam's faith, he decides that he will "take the fight to them."

After being trapped in "Hammer of the Gods" by a group of gods bent on using them as bargaining chips in the upcoming Apocalypse, Dean and Sam learn from Gabriel that the cage Lucifer was sprung from was still open and, if they could get all four Horsemen's rings, they could put him back in and trap him again. He also claims that Lucifer has no knowledge that he can be trapped again. In "The Devil You Know", the demon Crowley returns and leads Dean to a confrontation with Brady, one of Sam's college friends who in fact was a demon "Handler" for Pestilence. Despite being beaten badly, Dean and Crowley trap Brady and are eventually able to get the location of Pestilence.

In "Two Minutes to Midnight" the brothers go after Pestilence and, with help of a nearly-human Castiel, take his ring. During the trip, Sam tells Dean that he believes the only way to trap Lucifer is to say yes and allow him to be possessed, believing that he can overcome Lucifer long enough to throw himself into the trap. Crowley then takes Dean to Chicago where they have located the final Horseman. In the midst of a massive storm, Dean confronts Death in a pizza parlor. Revealing that Lucifer controls him due to a spell, Death agrees to give Dean his ring with the explicit condition that Sam say yes so he can lure Lucifer into the trap, and that Dean allow his brother to jump into the pit. Dean reluctantly agrees and gets the ring and instructions from Death on how to use the four rings. Upon returning, Dean claims he lied to Death, but upon talking to Bobby it becomes clear that their last best chance may be to let Sam say yes, with Bobby asking Dean if he was more afraid to lose, or to lose his brother.

In "Swan Song" Dean relents and agrees to let Sam say yes. As Sam prepares to drink demon blood to become strong enough to take in Lucifer, he makes Dean promise that he won't attempt to come after him once he has jumped into the pit. Dean objects, but Sam insists, begging that he instead go to Lisa and try to live a normal, happy life. Dean promises he will do so, and after drinking the demon blood, the brothers go to confront Lucifer in Detroit. Despite Lucifer revealing that he did indeed know about the brothers' plan to trap him again, Sam says yes believing he can overcome him nonetheless. After taking over and briefly knocking Sam unconscious, Dean opens the portal to Lucifer's prison, and Sam wakes up and prepares to jump in. At the last moment, though, Lucifer reveals himself, claiming that "Sammy is long gone". After closing the trap, taking the rings, and briefly taunting Dean, Lucifer disappears.

As omens begin to signal the final battle, Dean calls Chuck to try to pin down the location of the final battle, which will occur in Stull Cemetery back in the brothers' hometown of Lawrence. While Castiel and Bobby seem despondent, believing the battle to be lost and further confrontation pointless, Dean vows to go to the fight between Lucifer and Michael (now possessing his half-brother Adam), claiming at the very least he "won't let his brother die alone". As Lucifer and Michael prepare to fight, Dean interrupts and drives the Impala into the graveyard. He attempts to reach out to both Sam and Adam, asking for five minutes with Sam, but is dismissed by both. Bobby and Castiel suddenly appear, and Castiel throws a molotov cocktail with holy fire at Michael, burning him out and buying Dean five minutes. It comes at a high price: an enraged Lucifer snaps his fingers, making Castiel explode for interrupting the fight. Lucifer and Dean begin to fight, with Dean taking a beating. He continues beating Dean and, with Dean backed against the door of the Impala, prepares for a kill shot. However, at that moment, he catches a glimpse of a toy soldier that a young Sam had stuck in the Impala's ashtray, and the memories of his brotherhood with Dean help Sam to overpower Lucifer and take control of his body. Sam reopens the pit, and though Michael returns and attempts to stop him, Dean watches as Sam pulls Michael into the pit, which closes as they both fall in, trapping both in Hell.

A fully restored Castiel suddenly appears, claiming to have been resurrected by God. He heals Dean and plans on returning to Heaven and bringing new order now that Michael is gone. Dean claims that he will go after God next, but Castiel claims, before disappearing, that Dean only got what he wanted in the end: no Paradise, no Hell, more of the same-freedom over peace. After an emotional goodbye with Bobby (it is said in Chuck's epilogue that the two will not see each other for some time), Dean returns to Lisa Braeden as Sam had suggested. Dean is last seen sitting down to dinner with Lisa and her son Ben. Unknown to Dean, a streetlight just outside the home goes out, and Sam is inexplicably standing beneath, watching the home with a blank look on his face.

Season 6[link]

The sixth season picks up a year later. Keeping the promise he made to Sam, Dean gives up the life of hunting and now lives with Lisa and her son Ben. After Dean became poisoned by a Djinn, begins hallucinating his worst fears. Sam saves Dean by injecting him with an antidote and later wakes up seeing Sam alive and well. Sam reluctantly tells Dean that he has been back for nearly a year while hunting with their grandfather, Samuel. After helping kill the Djinns, Dean declines returning to the life of hunting and decides to continue living with Lisa and Ben in order to keep them safe. Lisa tells Dean to return to the life of hunting and she and Ben will be there when he gets back.

In "Live Free or Twi-Hard" Sam and Dean investigate cases of missing girls that are obsessed with vampires. They stake out a bar that eventually leads them to the cause. Dean later crosses paths with a vampire that turns him into one. Expecting to have to be "put down", he goes to visit Lisa, but almost loses control while talking to her and flees. After being cured, he realises that Sam may possibly have let him be turned; but to an unknown end.

In "You Cant Handle the Truth" Dean and Sam investigate a town in Illinois, where everyone who wishes for truth, not only receive their wish, but to the extent that everyone who has done so has become insane, and commits suicide. While initially believing that the Horn of Truth, an angelic weapon, is the culprit, Sam discovers the summoning ritual to Veritas, the pagan goddess of Truth. However, Dean unknowningly invokes her and is forced to deal with harsh truths from everybody; including Lisa, who calls about the events of last episode and ends up telling him not to ever come back. Questioning Sam, he believes he gets the truth from him about why he didn't help him from being turned, but when Veritas captures them on their raid of her property, she declares that Sam is inhuman, as no human is immune to her aura of truth. The brothers manage to dispatch her, but Dean holds Sam at knifepoint, demanding the truth. Sam admits his lack of emotion and fear, but Dean doesn't accept it and beats him unconscious. Dean learns from Castiel that Sam has no soul, also that Crowley was the one who brought Sam back from Hell. Crowley also says that the only way to get Sam's soul back is to help him find Purgatory. Dean and Sam attempt to capture Crowley to force him to give back Sam's soul. Crowley tells them that not only can't he get Sam's soul but also that Sam's soul has been tortured endlessly by Lucifer and giving Sam back his soul would leave him useless. Once learning this Castiel kills Crowley, so Dean goes to see Death to have him bring back Sam's soul. Death agrees but only if Dean can becomes Death for one day and never take off his ring. Dean fails, but Death still agrees to return Sam's soul since Dean learned about messing with the natural order.

Abilities and skills[link]

Dean is well-versed with multiple types of firearms; he prefers his Colt 1911 and sawed-off shotgun, but is proficient with most other weapons he might acquire. An expert marksman, he seldom misses his intended target and can efficiently put down anything vulnerable to bullets. As shown in the episode "Frontierland" where he shoots down a phoenix with one shot.

Dean is adept with martial arts and knife fighting as well; he has subdued several human assailants with ease in multiple episodes and bested physically more powerful creatures, often unarmed or equipped with only a blade. In "Nightshifter", he killed a shapeshifter armed with a simple silver letter opener. In "Fresh Blood," he managed to subdue a vampire long enough to inject her with a shot of "dead man's blood." In "The Magnificent Seven," he fought and held off several demons by himself, armed only with a flask of holy water.

Highly resourceful, he frequently utilizes improvised weapons and explosive devices; in "Croatoan," he demonstrated knowledge in chemistry constructing Molotov cocktails and improvised explosive devices, and in "Phantom Traveler," he revealed knowledge of electronics and reverse engineering, having built an electromagnetic field detector from an old Walkman radio.

Dean also possesses extensive knowledge of the supernatural and mythology. He is versed with how police, fire departments and various government agencies (FBI, CDC) typically operate and conduct investigations, and knows how to both impersonate and evade them effectively. An accomplished mechanic, he maintains his Impala in tip-top condition and has maintained an intimate knowledge of automobiles and engines since childhood.

Dean is a virtuoso of escape, evasion and silent movement, when the situation requires subtlety and stealth. Lastly, he is skillful in: lock picking, breaking into security systems (not so much computers, which often falls to Sam), carjacking and gaining an 'advantageous purchase' comes naturally to him.

Due to his time spent in Hell as Alistair's "student," Dean has an in-depth knowledge of torture.

During Season 4 Dean gains magic effective against angels, he learns a banishing spell that sends angels back to Heaven from Castiel. He is also untraceable to angels after the season 5 because he has Enochian symbols carved into his ribs by Castiel to hide him and Sam from all angels in existence.

Weaponry[link]

Throughout the series, Dean is shown to possess a large amount of weaponry. He tends to use a Colt 1911. In addition to which, he also uses a sawed-off shotgun on occasions where greater firepower is required. He has also been seen with an MSG3 sniper rifle in "Simon Said."

Dean is shown to possess a large machete in "Dead Man's Blood," and has used a knife in several episodes. He is shown to possess a Desert Eagle loaded with wrought iron in the episode "Something Wicked" and tasers which he and Sam used in the start of "Faith". Throughout Season 5, he uses a Model 1887 shotgun against hellhounds and zombies. When weapons are scarce and Dean is in a dangerous situation, he uses hand-to-hand combat or whatever is available as a weapon.

During the fourth season episode "On the Head of a Pin," Dean is shown with a number of torture implements, including syringes of holy water.

The trunk of the Impala contains numerous weapons which are implied as having been needed in the past, notable examples include sheath knives and, perhaps the most alarming, an DefTech 37mm grenade launcher.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Supernatural Wiki

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since June 2010. It describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style that may require cleanup. Tagged since October 2011. Its tone or style may not reflect the formal tone used on Wikipedia. Tagged since June 2008.

Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists of The CW Television Network's Supernatural along with his older brother Dean. He is portrayed by Jared Padalecki.

Background[link]

Sam was born on May 2, 1983 to John and Mary Winchester in Lawrence, Kansas. He is one of two focal characters of the series. He is the couple's second child, four years younger than his older brother Dean.^[1] He is named after his maternal grandfather, Samuel Campbell.^[2]

When Sam was only six months old on November 2, 1983, his mother Mary was killed in his nursery by the demon Azazel, whom his mother walked in on while he was standing by Sam's crib, feeding him demon blood. Infant Sam is saved from the ensuing fire when his father takes him out of his crib and gives him to a four year old Dean, who then carries him outside while their father unsuccessfully tries to rescue their mother.^[1] Since that moment, Dean felt responsible for Sam and became Sam's protector, partially due to pressure from their father to keep his brother safe.

Sam and Dean spent their childhood moving from town to town every few weeks while their father hunted supernatural beings and their mother's killer. Until the age 8, Sam believed that his mother had died in a car accident and his father was a traveling salesman, until Dean revealed to him the existence of the paranormal.^[3] Sam apparently started hunting alongside his brother and father around the age of twelve,^[4] however, he began wanting a normal life without monsters, and later in his life a teacher of his encouraged him to carve his own life instead of following the "family business" after reading Sam's story about him and his family killing a werewolf.^[5] After a heated argument with his father, Sam eventually went to Stanford University, thus leaving his family and their hunting crusade behind him.^[1]

Season 1[link]

At the start of the series, Sam is seen as a senior at Stanford, applying for law school. Sam also has a girlfriend, Jessica, whom he lives with and secretly plans to propose to. One night, Dean comes to Sam's apartment seeking his help after their father John goes missing. Although reluctant at first, Sam eventually accompanies his brother. After defeating a woman in white and discovering a trail to lead them to their father, Sam returns to Stanford where he witnesses Jessica's death at the hands of a demon - exactly the same way his mother was killed. This incites him to go with Dean to find their father and to kill the demon in order to avenge the deaths of his mother and his lover.^[1] In the consequent episodes, the brothers deal with dangerous mythical creatures and urban legends such as the wendigo,^[6] Bloody Mary,^[7] and shapeshifters.^[8] During this time, Sam begins experiencing episodes of precognitive dreams^[7] and once displays telekinesis.^[9]

As the search continues, Sam argues with Dean constantly - mostly about the way Dean obeys his father's orders without question, while Sam questions them and resents his father's treatment of them as "loyal little soldiers". The brothers eventually split up, with Dean going to investigate a mystery his father has assigned him while Sam decides to search for their father elsewhere. The two are eventually reunited.^[10]

Later in the season, John is captured by demons, and the brothers manage to rescue him. However, they soon learn that the demon Azazel - the one that killed their mother and Jessica - is in possession of their father's body. They manage to subdue him, but killing Azazel would also mean killing their father. Though John begs Sam to kill him, he can't bring himself to do it, and the demon escapes. As Sam drives his father and a badly wounded Dean to a hospital, a truck driven by a demon-possessed man crashes into them, totaling Dean's Impala and gravely injuring the Winchesters.^[11]

Season 2[link]

At the beginning of the second season, the Winchesters are at the Nashville hospital, with Sam and John escaping with minor injuries, while Dean is on the brink of death. In a deal with Azazel, John sacrifices his soul in exchange for Dean's life.^[12] While the boys mourn for their father's death, Sam expresses much guilt about never having a chance to reconcile with John, leading him to believe that his father died knowing his own son hated him.^[13]

As the boys start taking a more active role in hunting, Sam begins to search for psychic children like him to find out Azazel's plan of which they are a part.^[14] Eventually Sam learns from Dean that before their father's death, John told Dean that Azazel is planning to turn Sam evil, and that Dean must save him but if he cannot Dean must kill him.^[15] Although angered at his father and brother upon learning this revelation, Sam concludes to save as many people as possible so that he can change his destiny.^[16]

In the season finale, Sam is transported to an abandoned town along with Azazel's other chosen children. There he learns Azazel's plans: he and the other children will kill one another and the last one surviving will lead a demon army (as the Antichrist). Sam also discovers the reasons behind both Jessica and his mother's deaths; Jessica was killed because her death would lead Sam back into hunting. As for Sam's mother, it is revealed Mary interrupted Azazel during the process of feeding Sam demon blood, and thus was killed. It is also revealed that Mary somehow knew Azazel. Although Sam tries to protect the other children, various fights ensue, and the children are killed off one by one. Eventually, only Jake Talley and Sam are left, at which point Sam is stabbed by Jake.^[17] Sam dies in Dean's arms.

In the aftermath, a desperate and depressed Dean sells his soul to the Crossroads Demon for Sam's resurrection. With the help of fellow hunters Bobby Singer and Ellen Harvelle, Sam and Dean track down Jake, but are unable to stop him from opening a gateway to Hell on Azazel's orders. However, Sam subdues Jake and kills him in cold blood. Eventually Bobby and Ellen manage to close the gateway while Sam and Dean battle Azazel. With the help of John's spirit, Dean finally kills Azazel and John shares an emotional moment with his sons before finally moving on. Afterwards, Sam learns that he was dead and Dean sold his soul to bring him back. He then promises Dean that he will save him no matter what it takes.^[18]

Season 3[link]

Sam continues to do whatever he can to save Dean from going to Hell; he begins to become more ruthless and is willing to kill anything demonic even if his prey is part human (i.e., demoniacally possessed humans),^[19][20] human witches,^[21] and even Gordon Walker who became a vampire.^[22] Sam later reveals that he's trying to become more like Dean who is more willing to kill human enemies; this reasoning is Sam's view that if he fails to save Dean's soul he must be ready to face a world full of demons on his own.^[21]

Sam also meets a female demon called Ruby^[23] who has been trying to gain Sam's trust by helping the brothers such as fixing the The Colt,^[19] saving them numerous times, and lastly telling Sam she can save Dean from Hell,^[23] even though in reality she can't.^[21] Ruby also reveals that because Sam refuses to lead the demon army, another demon, named Lilith, has fixed the power vacuum and is leading the army while carrying intentions to kill Sam;^[24] she is also revealed to hold Dean's contract to his soul.^[25]

In the season finale, Sam and Dean, armed with Ruby's Knife, confront Lilith in a last-ditch effort to save Dean's soul. Lilith, having stolen Ruby's human host, ultimately incapacitates Sam and has her Hellhounds attack Dean, forcing Sam to watch, as his brother is torn apart. She then tries to kill Sam, however, her powers have no effect on him and she flees, leaving a crying Sam with Dean's mutilated corpse.^[26]

Season 4[link]

Four months after Dean's death, he has returned from Hell. He and Bobby meet up with Sam at a motel, where an overwhelmed Sam joyously reunites with Dean. While trying to figure out how Dean returned from Hell, Dean and Bobby confront the being who revived him, Castiel, an angel who was ordered by the Archangel Michael to resurrect Dean.^[27] They discover that this came to be because the angels need Dean and Sam's help to stop Lilith, who is breaking the 66 Seals, and once they are all broken, Lucifer the first fallen angel will be freed from Hell, bringing the Apocalypse upon the Earth.^[28]

It is revealed that in the months without Dean, Sam - depressed, drinking heavily, and carrying a death wish - tries to bargain with the Crossroads' Demons in order to exchange his soul for Dean's. None of them accept the offer. Realizing he can't save Dean, Sam plans to kill Lilith in revenge. He makes contact with Ruby, who teaches him how to use his powers to exorcise demons. In time, he and Ruby become lovers and he appears to be moving on from Dean's death - to an extent, at least.^[29] When Dean finds out about Sam's powers and all the secrets Sam has been keeping from him, Sam responds by saying that he does this because Dean looks and treats him like a freak.^[30] Sam then promises Dean that he won't use his powers anymore but breaks the promise when it becomes apparent that his powers may be needed to prevent the Apocalypse.^[31]

Sam's powers become an important part of the fourth season as they are shown to fluctuate - at times so weak that he can barely exorcise a demon,^[32] whereas at other times they are strong enough to kill a demon.^[33] It is revealed that by drinking demon blood makes Sam's powers grow stronger,^[33] but apparently making him "cold" and "arrogant". Sam eventually becomes addicted to demon blood, a fact that Dean soon discovers. With Bobby's help they lock Sam in a proctected panic room^[32] so that he can detox, but the withdrawal symptoms are painful and he begins experiencing hallucinations. Just as the process becomes easier for Sam, Castiel appears and frees Sam without him knowing. He meets up with Ruby and learns that he will need to drink more demon blood than he has ever done in order to have the strength to kill Lilith. Dean finds and confronts them and tries to kill Ruby, but Sam intervenes. He and Dean argue about how to stop the Apocalypse, whereupon Dean tells Sam he's changing into a monster, leading to a vicious fight between the brothers. Sam is the victor and as he leaves, Dean tells him not to return - just as their father John, years ago, told Sam not to return when he left for college.^[34]

As Sam begins to feel the guilt over abandoning his brother, he and Ruby capture a demon that knows Lilith's location. Using his powers to torture the demon, she gives the location but as Sam is about drink her blood the demon gives control back to the human host, inciting immense guilt in Sam. A message from Dean, altered by the angel Zachariah, manipulates Sam, pushing him to continue his original mission to kill Lilith; he then drains the woman of her blood anyway. Ruby and Sam go to St. Mary's Convent in Ilchester, Maryland, where they find Lilith. As Sam attempts to kill Lilith, Ruby holds the doors shut to keep Dean, who has just arrived, from interfering. Sam hesitates when he hears his brother yelling for him, but when Lilith mocks him for his inability to do the job - even after becoming a monster to do so - he finishes her off, fulfilling his true destiny as the "special child." Lilith's death breaks the final seal and begins forming a portal for Lucifer. At this point, Ruby reveals that she was leading Sam along the entire time so he would break the seal. Dean finally enters the room and kills Ruby with her own knife, while Sam holds her in place. Sam apologizes to his brother as a white light shows a portal beginning to open.^[35]

Season 5[link]

As the portal for Lucifer opens, Sam and Dean are teleported onto an airplane by an unknown force. Sam loses his demon powers, claiming that the force that transported him and Dean onto the plane cleaned him up. Later, when he is attacked by Meg, she makes fun of him for having to fight her without them. Sam feels tremendous guilt for starting Armageddon and is told by Dean that he doesn't think he can trust Sam anymore due to Sam choosing a demon over his own brother.^[36] Over time, Sam realizes that he is too dangerous to be involved in hunting, resulting in he and Dean going their separate ways.^[37] During this time Sam tries to start living a normal life once more, but is approached by Lucifer in his dreams in the form of Jessica and tells him that Sam is his true vessel in conjunction with Dean who is the vessel for Michael.^[36][38] Sam decides to start hunting again with Dean as he is tired of demons controlling his life and seeks redemption for starting the Judgment Day; although Dean refuses at first, after he is sent to a nightmarish future and upon seeing how awful things got with him and Sam not being together, he decides to join up with Sam once more.^[39]

On their search to find a way to defeat Lucifer, the boys attempt to use the Colt and look for God, but it is revealed that the Colt cannot kill Lucifer and God does not care about the Apocalypse.^[40][41] This actions make Dean decide to give in and become Michael's vessel even if the end result is the deaths of millions of people,^[36] however, Sam's faith in Dean pulls him back on finding another solution.^[42] After learning from the Archangel Gabriel, the brothers discover newfound way to defeat Lucifer: by using the rings from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, they can reopen and trap Lucifer back into Hell.^[43] As Dean and Sam already have War and Famine's rings, they search for Pestilence and Death's location, leading Sam to meet his old college friend Brady - the guy who introduced Sam to Jessica. It is revealed that Azazel ordered Brady to kill Jessica. Although tempted to kill Brady immediately, Sam realizes that Brady is needed to find Pestilence's location and with the help of the demon Crowley they discover the horseman's location - after which Dean allows Sam to kill Brady.^[44]

After Castiel captures Pestilence's ring and Death hands his ring to Dean,^[4] both Bobby and Dean reluctantly decide to go with Sam's plan - that is, for Sam to agree to being Lucifer's vessel, then jump into the cage trapping them both in Hell.^[44] Upon arriving in Detroit, Sam begs Dean to go live a normal life with his old flame Lisa Braeden and says his goodbyes to Bobby and Castiel. He then proceeds to confront Lucifer, who reveals that he knows about their plan. Seeing no other options left, Sam says yes anyway. A bright light shines and Dean looks upon an unconscious Sam as he opens the portal to Lucifer's prison. Although "Sam" says that he has Lucifer under control, it is shown that Lucifer was just taunting Dean. Lucifer closes the portal and takes the rings before disappearing. At an unknown location, Sam continues to fight Lucifer internally for control over his body. While talking through a mirror, Lucifer tries to persuade Sam to embrace their union, even going so far as to slaughter demons that were watching Sam throughout his entire life for Sam's pleasure.^[45]

During Lucifer's confrontation at Stull Cemetery with Michael (using Adam as his vessel), he beats Dean, slamming him against the door of the Impala. As Lucifer is about to deliver a fatal blow, he catches a glimpse of a toy soldier stuck in the car's ash tray that a much younger Sam left there as a boy. It begins to trigger Sam's memories and his bond of brotherhood with Dean, allowing Sam to overpower Lucifer and regain control of his body. Sam takes out the rings and reopens the portal to the pit. Michael returns and attempts to stop him, but Sam jumps in, pulling Michael with him - trapping both Lucifer and Michael in Hell. The ground closes up with a stunned, devastated Dean watching. Later, it is shown that Dean fulfils his promise to Sam and has gone back to find Lisa. As he sits down with her and Ben for dinner, a street light outside goes out, and underneath it inexplicably is Sam, secretly watching the three with a blank look on his face.^[45]

Season 6[link]

Almost a year has passed since Sam went to Hell, and he reappears to Dean after saving him from Djinn poisoning. Upon their reunion, Sam reveals that he has been back this whole time searching for whatever force brought him back and hunting with his mother's side of the family, the Campbells, led by their grandfather Samuel who was also resurrected.^[46] While hunting with Sam again, Dean quickly notices how different he acts as his decisions while on the job that are cold and ruthless choices that Sam wouldn't usually act upon. These include using a baby as bait, allowing a child to go through a torturous treatment to gain information, and allowing Dean to become a vampire.^[47][48][49] After facing the goddess Veritas, Dean and Castiel question Sam's behavior. Castiel then reveals that Sam's soul is not with him and is still trapped in Lucifer's Cage.^[50][51] It is revealed that Crowley brought back Sam and Samuel so that they could help him find Purgatory, the afterlife of monsters, and that Samuel has been working for him. Crowley then states that if Sam and Dean help him he will return Sam's soul but if they do not help him he will send Sam back to Hell, which Sam states he didn't enjoy.^[51][52] Sam's attitude without his soul is quite different, as while he still has his same memories ,likes, dislikes, and is capable of making rational decisions, he is completely without emotion and while it does make him a better hunter it makes him almost inhuman which troubles Dean; Sam then states while there are some benefits with no soul he would like it back.^[50][52]

Death retrieves Sam's soul from the Cage and returns it to him at the end of the sixth season's mid-season finale "Appointment in Samarra". He gives Sam's mind a "protective wall" to prevent any negative effects it might have on him otherwise, but Death also warns him not to scratch at the wall he has built, or his memories from Hell will destroy him.^[53] However, Castiel, in an attempt to distract Dean and Bobby while he attempts to enter Purgatory, brings down the wall, ultimately causing Sam to remember his time in Hell. In the final episode, Sam spends much of the time attempting to recoup his shattered soul, including the memories of his souless self and tortured self. Once complete, he reawakens, though still struggling with the visions of the Cage that his soul endured.

Season 7[link]

After Castiel's actions result in the release of the Leviathans - God's first creations, Sam is left struggling with the restoration of his memories of his time in Hell, even if he remains dedicated to helping Dean and others stop the Leviathans. During this time, he has a reunion with his old Kitsune friend, Amy Pond, who has become a mortician feeding on the dead to sustain her, although Dean nevertheless kills her when he discovers that she has been killing to help her sick son. As Sam experiences hallucinations of Lucifer taunting him with the idea that he is still in Hell, he ends up in an asylum after running from Lucifer and being hit by a car, although the restored Castiel sacrifices himself to help Sam and undo the damage caused by taking Sam's mental damage onto himself. Sam is shown to possess great guilt about this and rejects hope that Bobby's ghost may be helping them out after an attempt to communicate with him fails. Sam is initally happy when its shown that Bobby's ghost is there helping them, but changes his mind after Bobby shows more and more signs of becoming a vengeful spirit. During the final battle at Sucrocorp, Sam rescues Kevin Tran and is horrified to hear of Dick Roman's plan to kill all the skinny people in the world through poison in their coffee creamers. He and Kevin head to blow up the lab where he finds Dick Roman being killed by Dean and Castiel. After Dick explodes, Dean and Castiel disappear and Crowley appears and takes Kevin, leaving Sam completely on his own, not knowing Dean and Castiel are now trapped in Purgatory.

Abilities[link]

Sam exhibits signs of precognition throughout the series. His precognitive abilities started manifesting at first as dreams of others' deaths but he later started having them while he was awake.^[7][9] Sam has also shown signs of sensing spirits, once displayed telekinesis, and immunity to certain demonic powers.^{[9][12][26][54]} Sam states that his abilities are connected to Azazel and anything related to his actions, such as the other special children.^[55] This argument could be further proven after Azazel's death where Sam stopped having visions of both the demon and the other psychics,^[23] however, according to Ruby his powers were simply dormant.^[26] After training with Ruby, Sam develops new abilities, such as exorcising demons with his mind, and his telekinesis becomes more potent.^[27] By drinking demon blood Sam's power become stronger, to the point where he can outright kill demons and even torture them while in their human hosts; by drinking at least three gallons of demon blood, he can kill demons just by closing his eyes.^[35][45] However, after realizing how differently he acts while under the influence of the demon blood, Sam decides not to use those powers anymore, though after being affected by the Horseman Famine he uses them to defeat him.

In addition, with the training given to him by his father, Sam is a skilled fighter, proficient with firearms, shotguns and melee weapons. Like his brother Dean, he possesses many abilities that are frowned upon by law, including but not limited to: lock picking, computer hacking, disguised conning, and car jacking. Throughout the series Sam has shown to be highly intelligent as he can read and recall Latin incantations, which can be used to summon, exorcise, and vanquish demons.^[24] He also learned from Ruby how to make hex bags to cloak themselves from demons and angels.^[36] He also displays the ability to read one's "poker face" and find his way out of many complicated situations. He also has a great sense of direction and time, at one point being able to find a vampire's nest while blindfolded by keeping track of the time and the turns of the car.^[56]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Supernatural Wiki