Millions of people know the lyrics to Kansas’s “Wayward Son,” and it’s all thanks to Supernatural and its 15-year run. The Winchesters have been killing demons ever since most of us were kids. For a long time, there was doubt that the show would ever end because it didn’t matter how many end-of-world scenarios they stopped, there was always another evil to face. But it did end in 2020 when they faced off against none other than God himself, who was revealed to have been their ally, Chuck, all along.
It was a long journey for the Winchesters, and it wasn’t without its casualties. Many of these said casualties were their own. They each have died numerous times across the series, whether they were caught off guard or they did it themselves to accomplish a goal. Fans would be hard-pressed to find a series where its protagonists died so much. However, heroes don’t always go down together, and the Winchesters have each faced their own demise for one reason or another. Let’s take a look at every time Sam died in order.
Nothing Is Stronger Than Brotherhood
Season 2, Episode 21 – “All Hell Breaks Loose – Part I”
It’s been a hell of a ride by this point in the series, and the Winchester boys have already been through so much. After two seasons, Sam and Dean finally have a chance to avenge their mother. In “All Hell Breaks Loose,” the first of Supernatural’s two-part season finale, Azazel, the prince of Hell, pits the hunters against a horde of his disciples and manages to back Sam into a corner. These disciples aren’t the black-eyed demons that the boys had become used to, but human children that were fed Azazel’s blood in their infancy. It was a long game, but they grew eviler with demonic power as they grew into adulthood, becoming Azazel’s personal army of killers.
One of these “children” was Jake Talley, a former Afghanistan vet and factory worker who manages to complete Azazel’s plan of opening the gates to hell, but only after stabbing Sam with his own knife. Sam would bounce back long enough to kill his killer and Give Dean the opening he needed to kill Azazel, but the damage was already done.
This first death for the character was by far the most potent in the series as it was the first time that either of the Winchesters had died, but the price to bring him back was far graver, condemning Dean’s soul to hell. This, in itself, would result in Dean’s first death, but that’s a list for another time.
Count Your Blessings
Season 4, Episode 8 – “Wishful Thinking”
Season four of Supernatural propelled the series beyond hunters vs demons into a realm where anything was possible. In a way, the first three seasons were their own beast, while from this point on, it would become the version of the show that fans would come to recognize most until its eventual end in 2020. Having spent four months in hell following his first demise in season three, Dean finds himself returned to life with the help of an unexpected force, Angels.
For the first time in thousands of years, they have come to Earth to stop the demons from freeing Lucifer from hell. Failure would mean the destruction of all things. However, this mission proves to be more difficult than expected when Dean reunites with Sam and finds he’s in the throes of dark influences, one of which is the returned demon ally, Ruby.
On the way to stopping all-out Apocalypse, the Winchesters stop in a rural town to solve another strange case, this one seeing numerous wishes coming true due to the powers of a magic coin. These wishes are okay at first, making this episode into one of the series most hilarious and weirdest. Things soon take a turn when the wishes begin backfiring.
The only way to stop the slowly building chaos is to remove the coin from a well, which proves much harder than anticipated. The brothers ultimately succeed, but not before Hope Lynn Casey, a woman hypnotized by the coin’s influence, causes Sam to be struck by lightning. He’s revived by the end of the episode, of course, but dead is dead.
Kill Your Darlings
Season 5, Episode 13 – “The Song Remains the Same”
Season five of Supernatural picked up right where the last left off, with Lucifer being set free. It’s not the end of the world, though. Just close to it. Lucifer is after Sam to get him to agree to let him be his vessel while his brother Michael searches for Dean so that he can be his. If both angels succeed, they will fight in a climactic battle that will decide the fate of the world.
The Winchesters do everything they can to destroy the two, but their pursuit sees them slowly divide. But even together, they struggle to find a solution, and they start to see things from the angel’s perspective. All heaven and hell are working against them in this battle to save the world, and it’ll take a miracle if they hope to pull it off.
As the Winchesters look to beat Lucifer and Michael, the angels of heaven look to do the same in their own way. Anna Milton, one of Deans’ former lovers and an angel who gave up her grace to be human, regains her powers but soon after decides on a new course of action to stop Lucifer, by going back in time to stop his vessel from being born. Fortunately, she isn’t doing so to kill baby Sam.
She instead intends to kill his parents. She ultimately fails, but current Sam suffers his third death via a stab wound. The good news is that he has an angel on his side, Michael, but only because both brothers are required for Michael and Lucifer’s battle. But hey, at least Sam didn’t stay dead.
A Heavenly Adventure
Season 5, Episode 16 – “Dark Side of the Moon”
Both brothers die a lot throughout Supernatural, but most of Sam’s occurs in season five. He’s just very killable. Anyway, their continued pursuit to stop Michael and Lucifer takes a lot of twists and turns, which makes sense, because the answers to killing the sons of God wouldn’t be easy to find.
Given that they are both marked as keys to the end of the world, it also makes sense that they become targets for everyone hoping to die old. It’s not just angels and demons looking to harm, but the Winchesters’ fellow hunters who have dedicated their lives to stopping any and everything that seeks to harm humanity, even if it’s their own.
Just three episodes removed from the last time he died, Sam meets his doom once again when he and Dean receive a rude awakening at their hotel from hunters Walt and Roy. The two aren’t too happy with the Winchesters for their part in starting the Apocalypse, and brutally killing the two in retaliation. They then wake in Heaven.
While there, they have the chance to reconnect with friends who have died before eventually being brought back to life by the angel Joshua, but not before telling them that they will receive no assistance from God. This episode was quite an adventure, but it ends on a sour note, with Dean abandoning any faith he had.
End Times
Season 5, Episode 22 – “Swan Song”
Sam dies three times in season five, making this one his last, for now at least. The two had been through the wringer all season and did everything they could to avoid their angel adversaries before finally finding a solution. The only problem is that it requires Sam to permit Lucifer to take him as a vessel. Where there is a will, there’s a way, though, and the boys have a plan. It’s risky, but if they can pull it off, they’ll be able to throw both Lucifer and Michael into a cage that will finally end the Apocalypse.
Fans can argue amongst themselves whether this is an actual death, but considering Sam was never supposed to be seen again, it seems pretty valid. With Lucifer in full control of his body, he makes quick work of Sam and Deans’s allies as they make one last desperate attempt to save the world. Lucifer has Dean in his hands and beats him to a bloody pulp, but Sam remembers some childhood memories and takes control for just a few seconds.
Fortunately, it’s enough time to grab Michael and throw him and himself into their hellish cage. This was supposed to be the official end to the series, and it even wraps up in a nice little bow. However, we all know this doesn’t shake out.
Leveling Up Fast and Furious Style
Season 12, Episode 9 – “First Blood”
By this point in Supernatural’s run, it was pretty believable that the show would never end. And once the Winchesters had already stopped the Apocalypse, otherworldly invaders, and nearly every angel in the Bible, it made sense that they would soon traverse uncharted and even more unexpected territory. In season 12, the brothers were once again fighting Lucifer, as well as the British Men of Letters, which is an article in itself. This time around, even the Devil was traversing uncharted territory, the White House.
In this episode, Sam and Dean find themselves in captivity by the Secret Service when they believe them to have plotted to kill the President who, at the time, was possessed by Lucifer. Locked away in a secret location in the Rocky Mountains, they are held for two months before they are both discovered dead in their cells, only for them to shockingly spring back to life and escape.
It turns out they were forced to make a fatal bargain with Billie, the new Death, to facilitate an escape, with the price being the claiming of a Winchester soul for keeps after it was all said and done. The two have been in tricky situations before, but this one was particularly sticky if they were forced into such an insane pact. Fortunately for them, Castiel was never going to let them be taken.
Can’t Go Through Hell Without Getting Scratched
Season 13, Episode 21 – “Beat the Devil”
Season thirteen of Supernatural was crazy, and that’s saying something. The Winchesters do their best to protect their Jack from all manner of threats, including the returned Michael, who looks to use him for his own nefarious purposes. At the same time, he’s struggling to control his powers. Meanwhile, Sam and Dean deal with the aftermath of the Nephilim’s birth as it disrupts the balance of power.
They also seek to rescue their mother trapped in the Apocalypse world. And all while they are doing this, they once again face the threat of a looming Apocalypse. It’s like seasons three and four all over again, except this time, more fun.
Sam and Dean manage to take the Devil himself captive and use him to open a door into the Apocalypse World to rescue their mother and Jack. All seems to be according to plan, mostly, but this is Supernatural, and things can only work out for so long. Lucifer, learning that his son is just through the portal, breaks free of his restraints and goes through to find him.
While this is happening, Sam dies for the seventh time, getting his throat ripped out by a vampire. By this point, you can’t even feel that bad because you know he’s going to come back. You can feel a little bad, though, because Dean was being so protective over him and didn’t want him to die again. It’s a good thing Lucifer showed up (for once) because he brings Sam back to life just so he can help him bond with his son.
All’s Well That Ends Well
Season 15, Episode 20 – “Carry On”
The final season of Supernatural was the culmination of fifteen years of storytelling and sent the Winchesters off with an ending fitting of the longtime heroes. When all other threats of Heaven and hell have been dealt with, there is only one possible enemy left, God himself. Having been revealed to have been the author of their misery all along, God throws out the script as Sam and Dean refuse to play his game any longer.
All bets are off as they face their most insurmountable foe yet, in a fitting conclusion that pays homage to their journey. Of course, not everyone was happy with this ending, but you can’t satisfy everyone. And, of course, what’s the final season of Supernatural without the Winchester’s dying?
Once God is dealt with, the brothers are free to make their own choices and live as they see fit. There’s still evil in the world, and they ultimately choose to do what they do best. To the shock and disappointment of many, Dean is killed fighting vampires due to an unfortunately placed piece of rebar and asks that Sam not try and resurrect him. Sam honors his wish and leaves hunting behind, choosing to grow old and have a family before dying an old man surrounded by loved ones. We all know that death isn’t the end. Sam sees Dean again in Heaven. Because where else were they supposed to end up?
Jack is the new God, and the world is right, it’s only fitting that Sam and Dean get to be with the ones they love again after everything they’ve sacrificed. Oddly enough, this isn’t even the end for anyone. Dean and Jack continue their story (somewhat) in the spinoff/sequel The Winchesters. It was canceled, of course, but actor Jensen Ackles is hoping to revive Supernatural. So, we could see the Winchesters riding again sometime in the future.
Source: movieweb.com