One of the many reasons Supernatural has become a legendary show is that it wasn’t afraid to kill off beloved characters. To celebrate 20 years of Supernatural, here is our list of the top 20 deaths in the series.
20) Metatron — “All in the Family” (S11E21)
He dies stalling Amara so Sam and Dean can save Lucifer and Chuck—a former Big Bad going out in a selfless blaze.
19) Eileen Leahy — “There’s Something About Mary” (S12E20/21)
The British Men of Letters sic a hellhound on Eileen; the call from Jody confirming her death is a dagger—made right only much later.
18) Sam Winchester — “Carry On” (S15E20)
Years later, Sam dies peacefully, surrounded by family, and meets Dean on the bridge. After 327 episodes of loss, the Winchesters finally get their sunrise.
17) Rufus Turner — “…And Then There Were None” (S6E16)
Possessed by the Khan worm, Bobby accidentally stabs his old partner. A grizzled friendship ends on a cruel note.
16) Lucifer — “Let the Good Times Roll” (S13E23)
Dean says yes to (AU) Michael, becomes the sword, and kills Lucifer with the archangel blade. Victory with a terrible price tag.
15) Ruby — “Lucifer Rising” (S4E22)
Sam kills Lilith—breaking the final seal—and then he and Dean kill Ruby when her double-cross is revealed. A perfect “we were played” climax.
14) Gabriel — “Hammer of the Gods” (S5E19)
The Trickster unmasks as an archangel and dies trying to stop Lucifer—irreverent to the end, and unexpectedly noble.
13) Sam Winchester — “All Hell Breaks Loose: Part One” (S2E21)
Jake stabs Sam, setting off Dean’s fateful deal and the bloody endgame with Azazel. It’s the brothers’ first “we can’t beat death” moment.
12) Dean Winchester — “No Rest for the Wicked” (S3E16)
Midnight strikes, hellhounds burst in, and Dean’s dragged to Hell as Sam screams. The image seared itself into the series’ DNA.
11) Mary Winchester — “Absence” (S14E18)
Jack accidentally kills Mary, then can’t face it. The show’s original loss returns—only to shatter the family again.
10) Rowena MacLeod — “The Rupture” (S15E3)
Rowena fulfills prophecy and chooses the end—asking Sam to kill her so she can drag Hell’s escaped souls back down. A villain turned MVP.
9) Death (the Horseman) — “Brother’s Keeper” (S10E23)
Dean swings the scythe meant for Sam and kills capital-D Death, rewriting the cosmos and unleashing the Darkness. Metal.
8) Kevin Tran — “Holy Terror” (S9E9)
Gadreel (in Sam) kills the Prophet in the bunker—a shocking breach of the boys’ safest space that haunts them for seasons.
7) John Winchester — “In My Time of Dying” (S2E1)
John bargains his life (and the Colt) to save Dean, then whispers a final, terrible charge. A death that defines the Winchesters’ ethos of sacrifice.
6) Charlie Bradbury — “Dark Dynasty” (S10E21)
Felicia Day’s beloved hacker is murdered off-screen by the Stynes; the aftermath—hunter’s funeral, Dean’s rampage—shook the fandom.
5) Crowley — “All Along the Watchtower” (S12E23)
The King of Hell trades snark for self-sacrifice, using his own life to seal Lucifer away. A messy monarch exits with purpose.
4) Castiel — “Despair” (S15E18)
Cas confesses his love, triggers true happiness, and lets the Empty take him to save Dean. It’s both a declaration and a sacrifice; he’s gone in a blink. (He’d earlier died by Lucifer in S12E23.)
3) Ellen & Jo Harvelle — “Abandon All Hope…” (S5E10)
A mother-daughter last stand against hellhounds, capped by Ellen choosing to die with Jo. It’s the Kripke-era at its most tragic and heroic.
2) Bobby Singer — “Death’s Door” (S7E10)
An hour inside Bobby’s mind lets him say what matters (“Idjits”) before flatlining; few exits hit harder or reframe a character’s whole life so beautifully.
1) Dean Winchester — “Carry On” (S15E20)
The show’s final gut-punch: a routine vampire hunt turns fatal when Dean’s impaled on rebar, giving us a quiet, grateful goodbye in Sam’s arms—and a reunion on that familiar bridge in Heaven.
