Every Supernatural Season Ranked Worst To Best

After 327 episodes, 15 seasons, two networks, and one pandemic, the longest-running sci-fi/fantasy series in America came to an end in November 2020. "Supernatural" premiered in September of 2005 on what was then known as The WB. Creator Eric Kripke originally pitched the show as a horror series angled around a reporter, but that quickly changed to two brothers "cruising the country, chasing down these urban legends." The idea morphed into a spooky yet touching family drama with a heavy dose of humor. Due in large part to perfect casting and the infectious chemistry between its two leads, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, who play brothers Dean and Sam Winchester, respectively, the show quickly spun out richly woven mythology that saw the brothers, along with a motley crew of friends and foes, square off against, ghosts, werewolves, vampires, witches, angels, demons, Lucifer, and even God himself.

"Supernatural" has seen its share of changes, most notably in several different showrunners after Kripke passed the mantle after Season 5, and The WB's transformation into The CW. But through it all, the heart of the show remained: the brotherly bond between Sam and Dean, and later the angel Castiel (Misha Collins), who joined the show in Season 4. For 15 years, the Winchesters made us laugh, cry, and even scream in terror, but they rarely left us bored. Despite some low moments, a divisive series finale, and the constantly evolving style of Padalecki's hair, "Supernatural" remained remarkably consistent over the years thanks to whip-smart writing and a refusal to take itself too seriously. With the Winchester brothers finally at peace and a prequel series on the way, let's take a moment to look in the rearview mirror and rank each season from worst to best.

The seventh season of "Supernatural," and the second in Sera Gamble's term as showrunner, has an exciting premise that somehow manages to feel like an icky drag. The Leviathans, also known as The Old Ones, are an ancient race of monstrous creatures freed from Purgatory and determined to subjugate the human race. Led by Dick Roman, they hatch a plan to use poisoned food to control humans but end up turning some unfortunate diners into mindless cannibals. Constantly transforming (or exploding) into inky black goo, their faces open into gaping, toothy mouths with which they use to fulfill their primary motivation: eating. On the bright side, these messy monsters lead to the introduction of spunky hacker Charlie Bradbury, who helps the Winchesters infiltrate their headquarters.

These disgusting beasts also cause the demise of one of the show's most beloved characters. Bobby Singer dies a prolonged death after being shot by the smarmy Roman. Adding insult to injury, we're forced to say goodbye again when Bobby becomes a vengeful spirit after rejecting Heaven to stay and help the Winchester brothers. In order to release him, Sam and Dean burn the haunted flask linking his spirit to this world, setting up yet another tearful goodbye. Castiel is also gone for long stretches of time, just when we were beginning to see him as a core cast member. Combine this with his bizarre turn as the new God and antagonist, and you've got a recipe for a rotten season.

The highly anticipated conclusion of the longest-running show in CW history finally premiered in November of 2020 after the pandemic shut down production just two episodes shy of filming the series finale. While this put a halt on momentum and caused a few changes to the final episode, Jensen Ackles told Cinema Blend that the pause may have actually worked in the cast and crew's favor, giving everyone involved a chance to rest and reflect. After 14 seasons of battling every creature imaginable, Sam and Dean end up squaring off against God himself, a momentous final chapter perfectly befitting a show that's never been afraid to push creative boundaries. It's a bold choice, but turning Chuck into a villain did make us slightly nostalgic for the sweet author cowed by his girlfriend Becky and promising not to write any more "Supernatural" books.

The final season saw additional controversy by acknowledging the long-time fan theory known as Destiel. In "Despair," Castiel finally reveals unrequited romantic feelings for Dean only to die minutes later, an egregious example of the "bury your gays" trope. Many fans were outraged and criticism exploded online. Also controversial was the divisive finale. Many fans loved the episode that sees Dean's tragic death (with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles destroying fans with excellent and emotional performances), Sam resuming a normal life in his brother's memory, and the boys reunited decades later in Heaven, starting where the story began: with the brothers. But just as many hated it and lamented Castiel's absence. Though filled with poignant moments, COVID protocols kept other cast members from participating, leading to an episode that feels arguably empty. The abundance of controversies bumps this entry down at least one place in the rankings.

This season bridges the gap between two of the show's most memorable season finales, but what lies between is a bit of a mixed bag. Picking up immediately after the jaw-dropping final moment of Season 8 in which all the angels in Heaven fall to earth, Season 9 begins with a drawn-out mission to save Sam. Without his knowledge, he's healed through possession by the angel Ezekiel, which of course turns out to have larger problems of its own. This season features memorable moments like the return of fan-favorite Charlie who does her share of sleuthing and even gets to take a prolonged trip to the Land of Oz. But this is nothing compared to the joy in watching a now human and grace-less Castiel delighted to work in a gas station.

However, Season 9 also weathers some lows like the devastating death of Kevin Tran, an egregious cameo by Snooki, and "Bloodlines," the backdoor pilot for the show's first failed spin-off. The introduction of the Mark of Cain, an ancient symbol used to lock away The Darkness, is a thrilling concept that doesn't really pick up steam until Season 10. While it's fun to watch Sam and Dean team up with snarky demon Crowley, the brothers are separated for much of the season, depriving audiences of their sparkling banter. The season finale manages to top its predecessor with the resurrection and birth of Demon Dean. All in all, Season 9 is a rocky road on the way to the show's back half.

The season that started it all is a remarkably solid beginning to such a long-running series. Though it took a while for "Supernatural" to flesh out its larger mythology, the key ingredients — urban legends, humor, and the brotherly bond between its two leads — were present from the beginning. 22 years after the tragic death of Mary Winchester, older son Dean tracks down younger brother Sam to enlist his help in locating their father John who's gone missing on a hunting trip. Sam, preparing for a career in law, is less than thrilled to be thrust back into the family monster-hunting business. When his girlfriend Jessica is murdered by the same Yellow-Eyed Demon that killed his mother, though, Sam agrees to join Dean to track down the mysterious entity responsible for the destruction of their family.

Watching these early episodes nearly two decades later, the time it takes for Sam to embrace his destiny as a hunter feels a bit prolonged. Fortunately, we get some truly spooky monsters of the week along the way, not to mention Sam's burgeoning psychic visions that tease a larger supernatural world. Standout creatures include Bloody Mary, the Hook Man, a vengeful water spirit, a cursed painting, and a Scarecrow haunting the grounds of a deadly apple orchard. Series creator Eric Kripke's urban legend concept is fun, but the bond that forms between the Winchester brothers provides the emotional hook that would carry the show for another 14 years.

Featuring one of the best arcs of the show's later seasons, Season 11 is all about The Darkness. The primordial being released with the Mark of Cain in Season 10 turns out to be God's sister Amara, whose long ago imprisonment allowed God to create the Earth. Now free thanks to Rowena's spell, she's determined to make her brother pay for locking her away. The ethereal siblings spend most of the season in an epic battle over the fate of humanity as Amara seeks to make her brother watch while she destroys everything he's created. Though ostensibly the hero, Amara is incredibly sympathetic as a woman who just wants the same chance to live that her brother has. It's an arc that also lays the groundwork for what is arguably the show's biggest risk: the villainous God we see in Season 15.

After 10 years, "Don't Call Me Shurley" finally confirms the long-standing fan theory that Chuck Shurley is in fact God. He and Metatron sit in a Heavenly diner writing an episode of "Supernatural" as Sam and Dean live out the action on Earth below. The episode concludes as Chuck reveals his true identity to the brothers in an emotional rendition of "Fare Thee Well." However, it's another creative episode that is the season's most memorable, as "Baby" became an instant fan favorite. The episode is told entirely from the perspective of Dean's beloved Impala and sees the brothers doing what they love best, riding America's back roads while hunting monsters and turning the classic rock up.

Season 10 retreads much of the ground we've seen in prior seasons, but does so with such flair that it warrants higher placement on this list than any other from the later era. Following the jaw-dropping Season 9 cliffhanger in which Dean is resurrected with the tell-tale black eyes of a demon, Season 10 begins with a fun string of episodes that follow Dean and Crowley indulging in the debauchery of the wicked. Though never exactly angelic, it's a treat to see Jensen Ackles play a devious variation of the character we've watched for nine years. This bad boy arc subtly shifts throughout the season as Dean bears the Mark of Cain causing him to experience insatiable rage and bloodlust. Though Season 10 sees the egregious death of Charlie (we're still not over it) it does give us the powerful and delightfully snarky witch Rowena and the now teenage daughter of Castiel's vessel, Claire, played by burgeoning scream queen Kathryn Newton.

This season also boasts the truly fantastic 200th episode, an amazing achievement in its own right. "Fan Fiction" sees Sam and Dean battle a thespian monster at an all-girls high school mounting a staged musical production of the "Supernatural" saga. It's a delightfully touching episode that honors the show's diverse fandom while poking fun at itself with songs like "A Single Man Tear" and Castiel's lament "I'll Just Wait Here." We dare you to watch the girls on stage in their "Supernatural" costumes singing the show's unofficial theme song "Carry on Wayward Son" without shedding tears of your own.

Season 4 sees Eric Kripke's creative juices really flowing with some of the show's most inspired episodes. Confirming that God is real in the "Supernatural" world, this season revolves around angels and an epic battle between Heaven and Hell. After dying in the final moments of Season 3, Dean is resurrected from Hell by Castiel, a trench coat-wearing angel who would go on to become a surrogate brother to the Winchesters. The overarching story involves preventing Lilith from freeing Lucifer from his cage in Hell, but it also introduces themes and characters who would leave an indelible mark on the show as a whole. In addition to Castiel, this season also marks the debut of Chuck, a prophet of the Lord who writes a fictionalized version of the Winchester's life called "Supernatural" under the name of Carver Edlund. Firmly entering meta territory, this opens up a whole new world for the show and allows it to lovingly lampoon itself in creative ways.

Adding to the fun is one of the show's funniest episodes, "Yellow Fever," in which Dean is infected with a mysterious disease that causes him to become increasingly terrified by innocuous things like tiny dogs and stairs. Jensen Ackles stretches his comedic wings throughout, but the highlight is an extended outtake in which he lip syncs to "Eye of the Tiger" on the roof of the Impala. Jared Padalecki and other members of the cast and crew can be heard laughing in the background, signaling to the audience that we are all now part of the "Supernatural" family.