When Supernatural premiered back in 2005, the CW’s hit dark fantasy series followed a fairly simple “monster of the week” style of storytelling that even the biggest fans didn’t think could possibly continue for too long. Sam and Dean Winchester just seemed like two ordinary guys who had to face off against vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and classic urban legends like the Hook Man in their search for their missing father. Now, in the show’s fourteenth season, the two hunters have saved the entire world several times, expanded their family to include an angel and a Nephilim, and taken down Lucifer, the Darkness, and countless other seemingly-unstoppable adversaries.
The writers on Supernatural have managed to keep viewers on their toes and eager to watch another episode for fourteen years, and fans have praised the past few seasons as some of the series’ best. It seems like the show could go on forever, but stars Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins recently revealed that the Winchester “family business” will be closing down following the show’s fifteenth season.
Since creator Eric Kripke originally envisioned the series would run for five seasons, the fact that it ran for three times that long has definitely been a welcome surprise. But fans are still distraught about Supernatural’s impending end, and speculating about what could possibly happen and which beloved characters from seasons past might return in the show’s final hurrah. Here are 15 Supernatural Characters We Need To Return In Its Final Season (And 10 That Can Stay Gone).
NEED TO RETURN: LUCIFER
When Lucifer showed up in Supernatural’s fourth season to try to bring about the apocalypse, the show became infinitely better. Even though he’s one of the most frightening and dangerous foes the Winchesters have ever faced, Lucifer has become a fan-favorite character and Mark Pellegrino’s flawless portrayal of the fallen angel enhances every episode he appears in.
Dean seemingly eliminated him for good last season by using an archangel blade while acting as a vessel to Michael, but fans would rejoice if he was brought back one last time in the show’s final season for another epic showdown.
NEED TO RETURN: CROWLEY
Viewers were first introduced to Crowley when Sam and Dean were searching for a way to take down Lucifer, and when they finally succeeded in that mission, the brothers discovered that the sly crossroads demon was simply helping them so he could replace Lucifer as the King of the Underworld. He briefly acted as a major villain on the series, before he started warming up to the Winchesters and became more of an ally than an enemy.
Fans grew to love the clever and comedic demon and were distraught when he took his own life to trap Lucifer in another reality. Returning next season would lessen the significance of his sacrifice, but we still hope to see him again.
CAN STAY GONE: AMARA
Supernatural has been filled with memorable and frightening “Big Bads” over the past fourteen seasons, but Amara wasn’t really one of them. As a supremely powerful primordial entity who existed before Demise itself and whom even God feared, The Darkness was meant to be the Winchesters’ most formidable adversary. Unfortunately, she just failed to captivate audiences the way Azazel, Lucifer, or even Dick Roman did, and Amara’s fairly anticlimactic exit made her even more forgettable.
It’s highly likely that Chuck, otherwise known as God, will return in the show’s final season, but we hope he doesn’t bring his bland big sister along with him.
NEED TO RETURN: JOHN WINCHESTER
Even though John Winchester has never been more than a minor character on Supernatural, his presence has been felt throughout the past fourteen seasons. John’s disappearance in the first season prompted Sam and Dean to join together in the “family business” of “saving people, hunting things” and they’ve used the hunting lessons he taught them during their childhoods ever since.
We’ve gotten to know more about John through flashbacks and time travel over the years, but the series has had far too few actual appearances by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He reunited with Mary and his kids in Supernatural’s 300th episode via the use of a magic pearl, and hopefully the series finale wikk provide another tear-wrenching reunion.
NEED TO RETURN: MICHAEL
When Dean refused to accept his role as Michael’s true vessel and face off against his brother Sam— who happened to be Lucifer’s true vessel—the angels needed to find another Winchester who could take Dean’s place. They brought John Winchester’s secret third son Adam back to life and convinced him to say yes to Michael, allowing the all-powerful archangel to finally appear on the show.
Unfortunately, Michael didn’t stick around for long. The Winchester brothers trapped him in a cage alongside Lucifer, and while Lucifer managed to get out and wreck some more havoc, Michael hasn’t been seen since.
CAN STAY GONE: ALTERNATE MICHAEL
Instead of letting Michael out of his cage, Supernatural’s writers worked the archangel back into the series in its thirteenth season by introducing us to an alternate universe version of him. In this different reality, the Winchester brothers were never born to stop the apocalypse, and Michael bested Lucifer to become the most powerful being on the planet.
Unlike the Michael from Sam and Dean’s universe, this Michael was power-hungry and incredibly violent. He became a primary antagonist for a season, but he wasn’t as entertaining as several of the show’s other Big Bads. Jack wiped him out and stole his grace, and we hope he stays gone.
NEED TO RETURN: AZAZEL
All of the Disney live-action movies, franchise sequels and reboots coming out this year prove that audiences love being nostalgic, and we think it’d be fun for Supernatural to throw back to its first few seasons by bringing Azazel back.
The yellow-eyed demon was the original ultimate villain of the series, and while later characters like Lucifer and the Darkness were more powerful than him, they didn’t frighten us in quite the same way Azazel did. It would be cool to watch him square off against the Winchesters again, even if it’s just in a nightmare or alternate reality sequence brought about by some supernatural creature.
CAN STAY GONE: JESSICA MOORE
We’ve grown to love the Winchesters so much over the past fourteen years that fans will likely revolt if Supernatural ends with anything other than a happy ending for both Sam and Dean. But wanting the brothers to find love and happiness by the series finale doesn’t necessarily mean we want Sam to get Jess back.
Angels have repeatedly proven themselves capable of bringing deceased characters back to life, so it’s totally possible the series could end with Sam being reunited with his original soulmate. We never really got to know or care about Jessica, though, so it might be better for him to find love with someone new.
NEED TO RETURN: LISA BRAEDON
Dean Winchester has sacrificed his own happiness more times than we can count over the years, and has become a demon, housed an archangel and suffered in the underworld all to protect his loved ones. We desperately want him to be able to retire from hunting and live a normal life at the end of Supernatural, and Lisa is definitely the woman who can help Dean grow old in peace.
After Sam went into the cage to ensure Lucifer would be trapped there, Dean sought out Lisa and enjoyed several months of bliss before his brother’s return. It was the happiest we’ve ever seen Dean, and we want nothing more than to see him that way again at the show’s conclusion.
NEED TO RETURN: BEN BRAEDON
We’re crossing our fingers for a Dean and Lisa reunion next season, but if that’s not possible, we at least need to see Ben return. Ben was born approximately nine months after Dean and Lisa were intimate with each other, and shares several of Dean’s most notable characteristics. Lisa never outright said whether or not Dean is Ben’s father, but it’s definitely been implied.
Regardless of whether or not Ben really is Dean’s father, Dean always treated him as a son and loved spending time with him. Ben is really protective of his mother and knows all about monsters now, so he’d be willing to learn some tricks from Dean and help protect his family.
CAN STAY GONE: LILITH
Most of Supernatural’s biggest villains have aspired to conquer Heaven, The Darkness, or Earth, but Lilith’s sole focus was on breaking the 66 Seals and freeing Lucifer from the underworld. She repeatedly bested the Winchesters on her mission to unleash her master on the world, often while using a seriously creepy little girl as her vessel.
Lilith was one of the series’ most powerful beings and was quite the formidable adversary, but since she already completed her primary objective, there’s no reason for her to come back. She was one of the few villains to succeed in getting exactly what she wanted, and she was more than happy to sacrifice herself to break the final seal.
NEED TO RETURN: ELLEN HARVELLE
When Sam and Dean started hunting, they were in desperate need of guidance from other experienced hunters. Bobby Singer provided them with as much knowledge and help as he could and often acted as the boys’ second father, and retired hunter Ellen Harvelle became another mom to them.
The Winchesters went to Harvelle’s Roadhouse any time they needed Ellen’s help or hospitality, and she always made sure they felt at home at her bar. She joined the brothers in their war against Lucifer, and sacrificed herself in a failed attempt to stop him. Since people come back to life all the time on Supernatural, it’d be nice for an angel to return her to Sam and Dean’s lives next season.
CAN STAY GONE: ARTHUR KETCH
Arthur Ketch was initially introduced as a recurring adversary for the Winchester brothers as a member of the British Men of Letters, but after Mary ended his life and he was brought back by Rowena’s Resurrection Seal, he switched sides and started working with the good guys.
Ketch seemed to be working with Asmodeus in the demon’s search for Jack, but in an attempt to gain redemption for his past, he became a mole in Asmodeus’ organization for the Winchesters, rescued the archangel Gabriel, and joined Dean in trying to rescue Mary and Jack from the apocalyptic alternate universe. His appearances since then have been few and far between, but since he was never particularly likable, he hasn’t been missed.
NEED TO RETURN: GABRIEL
Gabriel is one of the most beloved and entertaining characters in Supernatural history, and every time we think he’s gone for good, he manages to pop back into the show for an encore appearance. Fans initially thought he was a mere trickster, before later being convinced he was Loki and then discovering he was actually an archangel.
Gabriel has an amazing sense of humor, and has a hard time staying serious even when facing off against the series’ most dangerous villains. He recently fought alternate Michael so the Winchesters could have a chance to escape the apocalypse world, and while he seemingly perished in that battle, we hope Gabriel had one more trick up his sleeve and will come back.
NEED TO RETURN: KELLY KLINE
When Lucifer briefly took residence inside of President Jefferson Rooney, he found himself enjoying the company of Rooney’s secretary and secret girlfriend Kelly Kline. He conceived a Nephilim with her, and planned on using his son’s power to help him take over the world.
Kelly refused to let Lucifer anywhere near her son, and trusted Castiel and the Winchesters to raise Jack right. When she passed away following her son’s birth, Kelly’s soul ascended to Heaven. A trip up there allowed Jack to finally meet his mother this past season, but their reunion was tragically brief. Kelly deserves to be able to spend more time with Jack, so it seems right for her to return in Supernatural’s final season.
CAN STAY GONE: CAIN
Even though Cain was the first human to take another’s life and became one of the most imposing demons to walk the face of the Earth, he wasn’t necessarily evil. His journey into darkness began when he offered Lucifer his soul in an attempt to protect his brother, and he only eliminated Abel to ensure his brother would go to Heaven.
The mark which Lucifer gave Cain is what truly corrupted him, and when Dean received the same mark, he found himself on a similarly dark path (and briefly became a demon because of it). Fans enjoyed seeing another major biblical character on the show, but Cain’s story has been played out and he doesn’t need to return.
NEED TO RETURN: JO HARVELLE
We’ll never stop shipping Dean with Lisa Braedon because we already got to see how happy he was when he had the chance to live a monster-free life with her and Ben, but before Lisa was in the picture, Dean had an absolutely adorable relationship with Ellen Harvelle’s daughter Jo. Dean and Jo were never really dating, but they couldn’t stop flirting with each other, and right before Jo passed away, she shared a very memorable kiss with the eldest Winchester brother.
Jo’s passing was way too brief and tragic, so it’d be nice for an angel to bring her back to life to be with Dean and help him in whatever final battle he and Sam will inevitably fight in Supernatural’s final season.
CAN STAY GONE: ZACHARIAH
When Supernatural started working angels and demons into the series, fans assumed demons would always be the villains while God’s soldiers would be beings of pure goodness and light. This, of course, wasn’t quite what we actually got. Several angels over the years have been just as twisted and power-hungry as their black-eyed rivals, and Zachariah may have actually been more evil than a majority of the show’s primary antagonists.
Zachariah always seemed to act according to his own interests, instead of doing what he thought God would want of him. He brought a lot of complexity to the show, but there are simply more interesting villains to bring back.
NEED TO RETURN: CLAIRE NOVAK
Supernatural rejoiced when we first found out about the planned spin-off series, Wayward Sisters, because we loved the idea of popular characters like Sheriff Jody Mills and Claire Novak saving people and hunting things just like the Winchesters. Unfortunately, the CW decided not to move forward with the spin-off, so we’ve seen far too little of these inspirational and independent female hunters over the past few seasons.
The final season has to up the stakes and present Sam and Dean with their biggest threat yet, so they could use Claire’s help. And who knows, maybe if she does a good enough job, the spin-off will get picked up after all.
CAN STAY GONE: RUFUS TURNER
Sam and Dean may have an angel and an incredibly powerful Nephilim by their sides, but the villain of Supernatural’s final season is probably going to require them to further bolster their ranks. We anticipate several hunters from seasons past to team up with the brothers, but we won’t be disappointed if Rufus isn’t brought back to help in this battle.
Rufus was a recurring character in the show’s middle few seasons, but he was written off after Bobby tragically ended his life while possessed by the Khan worm. While it was a bummer to lose a good hunter, he never really had great chemistry with the Winchesters and few viewers really missed his constant bickering with Bobby.
