For the last 13 years, any Supernatural fan can’t help but break out into song any time they hear “Carry On Wayward Son.” The show first aired in 2005 and is currently going strong in its 13th season. Our beloved stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki have seen it all on the show and plan to keep going for as long as we’ll have them. The two play brothers on Supernatural and are IRL brothers now after all of these years.
Supernatural has virtually had every big scary creature they could think of on the show — vampires, werewolves, leviathans, you name it. Over the course of the last 13 seasons, these are the 20 best episodes of Supernatural.
21.”Mystery Spot”
Season 3, Episode 11
Admit it, you’ve found yourself quoting this episode on a Tuesday. Your friends might not get it if they don’t watch Supernatural, but it makes you laugh. At the time of viewing, this episode was tough to swallow. Sam watching Dean die over and over again is heartbreaking. Sam has to live with the fact that he will watch his brother die every day and he cannot save him, even though he knows the death is coming. This is all at the hands of the trickster archangel Gabriel (also known as Loki, duh). No one loves Gabriel at this point, but we learn to love him later on, many thanks to the fact that Dean stops dying. Gabriel was trying to show Sam that Dean will always be his weakness, as he is too concerned with his brother’s safety to think rationally at times, but if thirteen seasons have proven anything, it is that while Sam and Dean are each other’s weaknesses, they are also each other’s strengths.
20. “Home”
Season 1, Episode 9
In this episode, Sam and Dean are forced to face their childhood home. As all Supernatural fans know, this house has the few good memories the boys have of their parents, but also the worst memory of their entire lives. In that house, Mary Winchester died trapped in the ceiling of Sam’s nursery. But Sam begs Dean to go back to the house when he realizes there is a different woman trapped in the house. In going back to their hometown, Dean and Sam meet a physic that knows their father and they try to get information from the physic to see if Missouri Moseley has any idea where he may be. The most gripping part of the episode is when Missouri says goodbye to Dean and Sam, then turns to John Winchester in her sitting room. She drops the bombshell that Sam has powers and she is surprised that he didn’t sense his own father in the house.
19. “Good God Y’all”
Season 5, Episode 1
On Supernatural, it is always nice to see hunters teaming up to fight evil. The hunters in America aren’t very uniform, as we learned the hard way in season 12. But back in season 5, if a hunter felt like they were in danger, they called for backup. When everyone in one town seems to go crazy, Rufus calls for help. Bobby then tells the Winchester boys, which is where they meet up with Ellen and Jo, but things aren’t friendly because both parties think the other is possessed.
As it turns out, everyone in town thinks everyone else is possessed by a demon. But no one is actually possessed. The reality is that the work of one of the Four Horsemen is making everyone lose it. They need to cut the ring off of War’s finger to get the madness to stop.
18. “The French Mistake”
Season 6, Episode 15
The French Mistake is regarded as one of the best episodes of Supernatural. This meta episode lets stars Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins poke fun at their characters. When Raphael launches an attack on Castiel and the other angels, Balthazar sends Sam and Dean to an alternate universe to protect them. In that alternate universe, Sam and Dean are actors who play Dean and Sam on a TV show. They are freaked out to learn that Sam’s actor doppelganger is married to Ruby (the evil demon who tricked Sam seasons earlier). The real winner of this episode is Misha Collins playing Castiel playing Misha (we did say the episode was very meta).
17. “Weekend at Bobby’s”
Season 6, Episode 4
On Supernatural, the characters often deal with issues surrounding their souls. Poor Bobby was without a soul (but not nearly as sinister as Sam was when he was soulless). When Bobby realizes that Crowley has no intention of getting Bobby’s soul back for him, he takes matters into his own hands. In order to get the upper hand on Crowley, Bobby digs up the dirt on the King of Hell and his dirt truly delivers. It was in this episode we learned that Crowley was once a human (named Fergus) and he’d even had a son during that time. Using Crowley’s son Gavin (as a ghost), Bobby learns where Crowley’s body is buried and Bobby threatens to have Sam and Dean burn Crowley’s bones. Crowley obviously agrees to give Bobby his soul back and the use of his legs.
16. “As Time Goes By”
Season 8, Episode 12
As far as the Winchester brothers had previously known, their grandfather on their dad’s side as a total deadbeat. John Winchester said that Henry Winchester had skipped town when he was a kid. But in this episode, we learned that Henry was actually a devoted father and part of the Men of Letters. Henry traveled into the future to try and stop Abaddon with the help of his son, John. The boys’ grandfather is devastated to learn that his son never became a part of the Men of Letters and had died years earlier. The family quickly realizes the reason they didn’t know that Henry was a good dad is because Henry doesn’t ever go back in time to be with his family. Instead, he heartbreakingly dies helping Dean and Sam take down Abaddon.
15. “The Man Who Would Be King”
Season 6, Episode 20
So much of Supernatural relies on Dean and Sam. Both characters have been in more episodes than everyone else combined basically. But this season six episode gave us a taste of the Castiel show, where the episode is predominately about Cass. In the beginning, Cass sits on a park bench and speaks to God (the conversation is very one-sided). Cass recalls everything he remembers about creation, taking a vessel on Earth, meeting Sam and Dean, and Lucifer breaking free from his cage. Castiel is trying to find Crowley and tells Dean, Sam, and Bobby. But what the hunters don’t know is Castiel and Crowley are on the same side at the moment as they both need to find purgatory.
14. “The End”
Season 5, Episode 4
Season five is easily one of the best seasons of Supernatural because it’s the culmination of what the show had spent years building up to. First, we had demons, then finally we met the angels, and now the angels were preparing for the big fight. Sam was Lucifer’s true vessel and Dean was Michael’s true vessel. All Lucifer and Michael needed to exist was the Winchester brothers saying yes! To show Dean what would happen if he said no, Zachariah sent Dean five years into the future where Lucifer was ruling the Earth (after Sam had finally agreed). Lucifer’s endgame plan was a virus that turned humans into demonic zombies. Dean meets with Future Dean and Future Cass and learns that Cass loses his grace as a result of all the trouble. Despite everything, Dean says no again to being Michael’s vessel in the great angel war and we know how that turns out…
Season 7, Episode 10
Not only is this one of the best episodes of the show, it is also one of the saddest. Dean and Sam have been through a lot on Supernatural. They lost both of their parents, grew up in a lifestyle neither of them really wanted, and danger is constantly following them. You’d think these brothers would catch a break every once in a while, but nope! The episode begins with Sam and Dean realizing Bobby has been hit by a bullet. The episode flashes between Bobby in the hospital and in his mind, where Bobby sees his wife again, along with his abusive father. He is able to confront his father and say he didn’t mess Bobby up as much as he’d hoped. Bobby gets to tell his dad that he went on to have two great boys (and there is never a dry eye when Bobby gives this speech). At the end of the episode, Bobby dies right when it seems he’s got a chance. WHY?!
13. “Devil’s Trap”
Season five is easily one of the best seasons of Supernatural because it’s the culmination of what the show had spent years building up to. First, we had demons, then finally we met the angels, and now the angels were preparing for the big fight. Sam was Lucifer’s true vessel and Dean was Michael’s true vessel. All Lucifer and Michael needed to exist was the Winchester brothers saying yes! To show Dean what would happen if he said no, Zachariah sent Dean five years into the future where Lucifer was ruling the Earth (after Sam had finally agreed). Lucifer’s endgame plan was a virus that turned humans into demonic zombies. Dean meets with Future Dean and Future Cass and learns that Cass loses his grace as a result of all the trouble. Despite everything, Dean says no again to being Michael’s vessel in the great angel war and we know how that turns out…
12. “Death’s Door”
Season 1, Episode 22
Can John Winchester come back from the dead already? We sure do miss him. Don’t get us wrong, season one basically proved just how flawed of a father John was but we just can’t seem to get enough of that complex character. In fact, in season 13, we still see the repercussions of his decisions.( Which is why he needs to come back and make things right with his boys!) This ep finally leads the boys and John to the demon who ruined their lives, the yellow-eyed demon Azazel. The demon injures Dean gravely in the fight that ensues, which leads to John, Sam, and Dean fleeing in the Impala with Sam behind the wheel. Even with Dean dying in the car, John can’t hold back his anger with Sam for not killing Azazel when he had the chance. In the end, it seems like Dean might not make it, but in the beginning of the next season, John makes a deal to save his son. Hey, parenthood ain’t easy!
11. “Swan Song”
Season 5, Episode 22
Supernatural has had many hectic season finales, but they’ve yet to top this season fice one, even all of these years later. The entire season led to the ultimate showdown between good and evil. They hit a few bumps in the road with their fight against the Devil, as Lucifer quickly overpowered Sam once inside of his head. One of the most memorable moments of the episode – and the series as a whole – is when Cass throws a Molotov cocktail at Lucifer and Michael and yells “Hey Assbutt!” In the end, they lock Lucifer in the cage, though Sam, Michael, and Adam (Sam and Dean’s little half-brother) all must go with him.
10. “Regarding Dean”
Season 12, Episode 11
Jensen Ackles has had many opportunities over the series to show off his acting chops and he NEVER disappoints. When he wakes up in the woods, with no memories of how he got there and limited memories from the day before, the boys realize there is something wrong with Dean. He was hit by the spell of a powerful witch and his memories are rapidly erasing. While many episodes in season 12 dealt with grit and action, this episode was a surprising and refreshing take on Dean’s life. He starts to forget what makes him who he is and it terrifies him. In the end, Dean is still able to be the hero and save his brother and Rowena and is then able to get his memories back. THE FEELZ.
9. “Heart”
Season 2, Episode 17
This episode was an early example of why Sam and Dean are pretty much the best of the best in the world of Supernatural. Unlike the British Men of Letters (who come many, many, many episodes after this one), Dean and Sam are able to separate the monster from the person. At least, back in season two, Sam was able to do this right away. It takes Dean some growing but he gets it too. When they meet a woman while investigating a case, Sam and Dean think she is going to the next victim of a werewolf. But when it turns out she already is a werewolf, Sam is distraught as he’d quickly developed feelings for her while protecting her. Dean finds the werewolf who turned her and kills him, but there is no cure for her. In the end, Dean winds up killing her but only after she begs.
8. “In The Beginning”
Season 4, Episode 3
Up until this season four episode, fans had always assumed that John Winchester was the one who grew up in the family business. When Dean is transported back in time, he is surprised to find himself in Lawrence, Kansas and is even more surprised to meet his parents right after they’ve fallen in love. We get to meet past John and Mary Winchester and Dean even talks John into buying the 1967 Chevy Impala, better known now as Baby.
But while in the past, Dean learns it is was his mother and her family that were hunters. When his grandfather gets possessed by a demon and then killed (along with John), he learns his mother is willing to sell her soul to protect her future husband, thus leading up to the events that cause her death and thrust John and the boys into the hunting business.
7. “Fan Fiction”
Season 10, Episode 5
This is another one of those meta episodes, but on top of being meta, it’s a huge shout out to “the road so far,” which is how every Supernatural season opener begins. Dean and Sam head to an all-female high school to investigate a missing teacher and discover the students there are putting on a musical based on the Supernatural books. So, there is a little Dean and Sam and Castiel in the group. Dean and Cass even seem to be dating in the show, which totally throws off Dean as they’re investigating the case. The episode ends with the high schoolers singing “Carry On Wayward Son,” while the real Sam and Dean watch them from afar wistfully. This show is super daring and doesn’t mind getting a little ~quirky~ with their episodes. Clearly, it pays off!
6. “What Is and What Should Never Be”
Season 2, Episode 20
When it comes to Supernatural, there are paranormal activities and parallel universes. In season two while hunting a Djinn, Dean is shown another world where his mom is still alive (but John is still dead) and Sam is not a hunter but still in law school. In that world, Sam is engaged to Jessica and Dean is in a healthy, normal relationship.
But while both Winchester boys appear to be happy and healthy, they deeply dislike each other. In this new life, Dean realizes all the people he’s saved while being a hunter have died, which means he has to decide between a life where his mother is alive and Sam is happy, or a life where he and Sam get along, deal with a lot of BS and save people. Obviously, we all know what Dean chose.
5. “The Big Empty”
Season 13, Episode 4
Don’t worry, things aren’t slowing down yet after 13 seasons. Sam and Dean are still learning how to work with Jack (A.K.A. Lucifer’s son they tried so hard to prevent from being born). The three of them take on a case, where they are investigating why the patients of a grief counselor turn up dead. In the process of investigating the case, Dean, Sam, and Jack all are forced to deal with grief. Sam has been told for weeks that his mother had to be dead after getting trapped with Lucifer and he finally just explodes. He expresses the fear and pain he has over needing to get to know more about his mother, this coming after years of thinking he didn’t really need to. Misha Collins also proves he can do great double duty while playing Castiel and the Cosmic Entity.
4. “Pilot”
Season 1, Episode 1
“Dad went on a hunting trip… and he hasn’t been home in a few days.” That is the quote that got us all hooked. The early seasons of Supernatural could have felt like a “catching the monster of the week show” but this episode proved it was more than that. There are many factors from this episode that are still relevant to this day (RE: Jessica’s death, Mary Winchester’s death). It is crazy to think that there was ever a time in Sam and Dean Winchester’s lives that they were so different, they felt they had nothing in common. But when Dean showed up at Sam’s college apartment, this was exactly how the brothers were portrayed. And yet, Dean compelled his little brother to get back into the family business to find out what happened to their father. Then fans had to wait the entire season to really find out what TF was going on!
3. “The Monster at the End of this Book”
Season 4, Episode 18
Can you imagine finding out there is an entire book series dedicated to you? Well, that happened to Sam and Dean! The Supernatural book series, written by Carver Edlund A.K.A. Chuck Shurley, very accurately depicted the lives of Sam and Dean Winchester up until that point. The brothers find Chuck and learn he is a prophet and he sees visions of their lives, which he then turned into comics. Chuck tells them that he sees these visions and he tells them about something that hasn’t even happened yet, which leads to Sam and Dean trying to change the future. As we all now know, there was a lot more to Chuck than just being a prophet. In fact, was he ever a prophet at all, or was it a long-term ruse that God had planned to throw everyone off of his scent? Only God (Chuck) can really explain that one. We’re still waiting for the answer.
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2. “Lazarus Rising”
Season 4, Episode 1
“I am the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition.” Name a more memorable quote from Castiel in season four. You just can’t! Long before he was the Cass who could barely understand pop culture, he was Castiel the angel. After Dean dies (not for the first time, either) he wakes up four months later in a pine box. Dean even has a mark on his body in the shape of a hand. Dean and Sam have their tearful reunion, where Sam asked what hell was like for Dean. Which, seriously Sam? Too soon. After the joyous reunion, Dean, Sam, and Bobby try to figure out who exactly pulled Dean out of hell. Sure enough, it was Castiel and Supernatural fans have been *literally* obsessed with him ever since that day all the way back in 2008. This was an episode that truly changed Supernatural history.
1. “Do You Believe In Miracles”
Season 9, Episode 23
This episode also showed the progress of Castiel’s character… as he can *finall*y understand pop culture references. In order to sneak into heaven with Gadreel, he says “Wookie” as a reference to Star Wars, when Han Solo pretends Chewbacca is his prisoner to save Princess Leia. Progress.
This season finale episode saw the demise of Metatron after he spent the season trying to become the new God and killed Kevin Tran in the process. Obviously, that didn’t go over too well with Dean, Sam, and Cass, and they spent the entire season trying to find a way to stop the Big Bad. In the end, Dean took the Mark of Cain to do it. The episode ended with Crowley telling Dean that he could come join him and in the last moments, Dean opens his eyes to reveal they are black, thus coining the term Deanmon. ~Iconic.~