We’ve followed Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester’s (Jensen Ackles) hellish journey on Supernatural over the course of 15 seasons as they’ve hunted demons, saved lives, and endured more than their fair share of grief. For a show that lived on the bubble for several years in the early days, no one could have predicted Supernatural‘s remarkable longevity and legacy as The CW’s longest-running series — or the dedicated fanbase that propelled the series to cult status in the years since it debuted.
Created by Eric Kripke, Supernatural debuted Sept. 13, 2005, on The WB before moving to The CW beginning in Season 2. At the start of the series, viewers were introduced to the Winchester brothers from Lawrence, Kansas, who took up the family business of hunting demons when their father, John (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), went missing. The show’s early seasons were defined by classic horror myths and urban legends, delivering scary episodes that saw Sam and Dean take on ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and more.
However, everything changed in Season 4 when the show expanded its mythology to include angels, God, and biblical lore as the Winchesters faced a new enemy: Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino). This was a complete game-changer for the series, which not only opened up its world to bigger storytelling, but also introduced the trench coat-wearing angel Castiel (Misha Collins), a guest star who eventually became the show’s third lead. Supernatural has given us several other beloved characters over the years, too, including the Winchesters’ surrogate father, Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver), witchy enemy-turned-friend Rowena (Ruth Connell), demonic overlord Crowley (Mark Sheppard), and even God himself, Chuck Shurley (Rob Benedict). And in Season 13, the series saw the Winchesters take on a new role — parents — when they took charge of Lucifer and Kelly Kline’s (Courtney Ford) nephilim son, Jack (Alexander Calvert). But even as the show expanded to include more and more new faces, Sam and Dean always remained at the heart of Supernatural.
Over the years, as Supernatural survived near cancellations, amassed a loyal audience, and fostered a unique community known as the SPN Family, it felt like the show would go on forever. However, on March 22, 2019, stars Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins announced in an emotional video that Supernatural would be coming to an end after 15 seasons. With the series set to bow out on Thursday, Nov. 19, TV Guide presents a celebration of the little show that could and its incredible characters who taught us that family don’t end with blood.
The cast of the long-running drama — including Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, and Alexander Calvert — reflect on Supernatural‘s journey from underdog to cult phenomenon. Tracing the show’s legacy from 2005 through today, the stars share memories from their first days on set, thoughts on what makes the SPN Family such a special community, and tease what the future may hold for the Winchesters’ world beyond the series finale.
Keep reading for the stars’ full tributes to Supernatural…
Though the core cast of Supernatural has always remained small, the series is known for its sprawling and beloved ensemble of supporting players. TV Guide assembled a few fan favorites — Kim Rhodes (Jody), Felicia Day (Charlie), Ruth Connell (Rowena), Osric Chau (Kevin), Katie Cassidy (Ruby), Sebastian Roché (Balthazar), and Colin Ford (Young Sam) — to reflect on their time on The CW series, including their favorite behind-the-scenes secrets and what they love most about being a part of the SPN Family.
Keep reading for the guest stars’ sweet messages to the fandom…
This list has been limited to three episodes per season, which proved to be difficult, as the early seasons had far too many great episodes, while some of the latter had too few. But we feel confident that each episode chosen represents some of the show’s very best work, whether it’s a creative adventure that reveals the show’s ability to think outside the box, a standalone hour that delivers the laughs, or a mythology-heavy episode that pushes the story forward.
Keep reading to see if your favorite episode made the cut…
The most enduring element of Supernatural, and the one that certainly draws this crazy, beautiful, dysfunctional fandom together, has to be the epic love story of Sam and Dean. Theirs is the bromance that has been at the core of Supernatural‘s soul from the very beginning. While a few friends endured season upon season, eventually claiming their own place in the family that don’t end with blood, it will be Sam and Dean in the end, just like it was in the beginning.
Keep reading about why Sam and Dean’s brotherhood has always been the best part of the show…
After stopping multiple apocalypses, defeating some of the universe’s most formidable foes, and facing down their personal demons (both metaphorical and literal), our Supernatural favorites have been through so much over these 15 years. So in honor of Supernatural‘s upcoming series finale, we decided to look back at how far the stars have come, from their first appearances to now.
Keep reading to see how everyone changed over time…
The CW has become famous for its love of spin-offs, having launched several successful sister series for hit shows like Arrow and The Vampire Diaries. It almost makes you wonder why its longest-running series, Supernatural, doesn’t have a spin-off or two at this point. The short answer is that it’s not for lack of trying. While fans caused an uproar when The CW announced it wasn’t moving forward with the female-led spin-off Wayward Sisters in 2018, it wasn’t actually the first time The CW had passed on a promising sister show for Supernatural.
Keep reading about why Bloodlines was such a missed opportunity…
As the fan-favorite series nears the end of its long and winding journey, it’s only natural that we reflect on all the familiar faces who popped up on the series at some point in time. So, as you prepare to say goodbye to Sam and Dean, check out our comprehensive rundown of notable Supernatural guest stars, and see how many you remember. Some of the names may surprise you, others may impress you, and yet even more will probably just confuse you.
Keep reading to see how many guest stars you remember…
Not all heroes wear capes… or are even human. Some are just there, silently carrying the weight of the world on four wheels and a 550-horsepower engine. The Winchester brothers’ perseverance while protecting the world day in and day out certainly makes them heroic. But over the course of Supernatural‘s impressive run, another character has stood out even more in the all-important fight for Earth’s survival: Baby.
Keep reading about why Baby is the unsung hero of the show…
The greatness of Supernatural goes well beyond the fictional characters on-screen — it’s also about the actors who play them. That’s why we’re also celebrating our favorite moments with the Supernatural cast with this compilation of the best moments and outtakes from TV Guide’s interviews with the stars. From the actors goofing off on the set in Vancouver to playfully roasting each other on red carpets, we gathered all of our most beloved memories with the Supernatural cast into one video, so that when the nostalgia hits extra hard we have somewhere to turn.
Keep reading to see all the best moments with the cast…
In its early years, Supernatural leaned into its horror elements hard, and every episode was packed with pee-your-pants terror as Sam and Dean faced off with a new monster of the week. When the show started focusing on overarching storylines and the larger mythology of each season rather than the standalone nature of the earlier storytelling style, some of that horror went away. But those early seasons under creator Eric Kripke gave us a handful of episodes we can look back on and dub truly terrifying. Even over a decade later, these episodes are still able to scare the bejesus out of us.
Keep reading to see the scariest episodes ever…
The influence of The X-Files is all over Supernatural, and it’s something the long-running CW drama has never tried to hide. The two shows not only explore a lot of similar topics but also share a lot of talent behind the scenes and on screen. Though Supernatural no longer weaves in X-Files Easter eggs with the frequency it once did, we still love how much the series has paid tribute to the definitive paranormal procedural.
Keep reading to discover 13 things Supernatural and The X-Files have in common…
For those of us who live and breathe Supernatural, it sometimes seems unthinkable that there are actually people out there who have never watched the show. While we can’t rectify this oversight for everyone, we did do our part by introducing a coworker to Supernatural in a socially distanced watch party. The episode we chose to be this newbie’s first foray into the Winchesters’ world wasn’t the pilot, like you might have assumed. We actually picked Season 1’s “Bloody Mary” in honor of the series’ horror roots — and yeah, because we wanted to scare the crap out of him.
Keep reading to see how the watch party went…
Sam and Dean have seen their fair share of strange situations over the course of Supernatural‘s run, from vampires targeting Twilight fans to a pagan god masquerading as an heiress. As we approach the end of the Winchesters’ decade-and-a-half journey, we’re taking a look back at all of the Supernatural episodes that made you scratch your head and wonder “What the heck did I just watch?”
Keep reading for the full ranking of the show’s most bizarre episodes…
While Supernatural isn’t the longest-running series on TV (that honor goes to The Simpsons, which has aired 31 seasons and counting), a lot has changed in the 15 years it’s been on the air. In fact, we bet you’ll actually be surprised by how many everyday things were invented, launched, or gained mainstream notoriety during Supernatural‘s run!
Keep reading for 13 things that are younger than Supernatural...
When you’ve got 15 seasons under your belt, it’s hard to keep track of all the twists and turns that happen over the years, which is why we decided to put the cast to the test. We presented them with some of our favorite lines from the series while on the red carpet and asked them to match those quotes to the character who said them. Needless to say, the results were… interesting.
Keep reading to find out how each of the stars fared…
Unsurprisingly, the final season of Supernatural has been an epic affair, as the Winchesters, along with Jack and Castiel, have faced a biblical fight for humanity against Chuck (Rob Benedict), aka God. In honor of what promises to be a spectacular ending, we’re looking back at the road traveled thus far with this ranking of every Supernatural season ever.
Keep reading for the full ranking of Supernatural seasons…
Sam’s hair has become something of a running gag on the series. It’s just so luscious and beautiful! But has the cast really been paying attention to the many ‘dos Sam has rocked over the years? We decided to put them to the test. TV Guide challenged the cast to match Sam’s hairstyle to the corresponding season. Considering the varying lengths of Padalecki’s hair over the years, it should have been easy, right? Wrong.
Keep reading to find out who aced the quiz and who struggled…
One of our favorite things about the Winchesters is that even though it’s been 15 years, the stars of Supernatural have yet to take a bad photo! Whether its promotional portraits for the show, posters publicizing the newest season, or even TV Guide original photoshoots, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, and Alexander Calvert seriously know how to deliver a smolder. Because it would be selfish not to share all of our favorite photos with you, we compiled the best of the best pics for a Supernatural Digital Museum.
Keep reading to see all the best photos of the cast over the years…
Edited by Sadie Gennis, Kaitlin Thomas, Kelly Connolly, and Noelene Clark
Video produced by Semhar Debessai, Sadie Gennis, Keisha Hatchett, Tony Maccio, Aliza Sessler, Ndumiso Mafu, and Lindsay Macdonald
Creative by Anthony Roman