The 15 Best Supernatural Episodes, Ranked

"Supernatural" loves a good self-aware reference, from the in-universe book series of the same name to the musical episode inspired by the show's thriving fanfiction community, but Season 6's "The French Mistake" takes things to another level. When Balthazar (Sebastian Roché) gets Sam and Dean pulled into shenanigans involving the archangel Raphael, he emergency teleports them to an alternate universe where the two men are actors. On a TV show. Called "Supernatural." Can you see where this is going? 

Stranded in a world without angels, demons, or apocalypses, Sam and Dean have to pull off the roles of their lifetimes and pretend to be Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, all while trying to find a way to get back home to the messed-up world they know. The standout of the episode is the duo's attempt at acting, as Dean struggles to remember a single line and Sam is unable to stop looking right down the barrel of the camera. Though the meta in-jokes of this episode can be a bit of a hat on a hat at times (pushing it to the bottom of the best episodes), its sheer commitment to the bit is relentlessly charming enough to win over fans and Jared Padalecki himself alike. 

"Supernatural" season finales don't pull any punches. You never know what big bad will make an appearance, how many times they'll tug at your heartstrings, which beloved characters will show up for a cameo, and which will suffer horribly. The show hits the ground running with its first-ever season finale in season one's "Devil's Trap." 

After Sam and Dean spend all season searching for their father and the yellow-eyed demon who killed their mother and irreparably changed their lives, all the demonic chickens come home to roost. The boys face off against recurring antagonist Meg in their bid to get their father out of danger and find that they need some help to do so. They turn to an old family friend for help, a hunter by the name of Bobby Singer. Bobby's appearance alone makes this episode notable, establishing a character that would go on to serve as a surrogate father figure for Sam and Dean, and a fan favorite for audiences. Throw in the high-octane confrontation with a demon-possessed John, and the episode's shocking cliffhanger, and "Devil's Trap" perfectly sets up some of the best story arcs to come in the next seasons. 

Even when they get knocked all the way down into Hell, the Winchester boys don't stay buried for long. Season 4, Episode 1 begins with Dean waking up in a coffin six feet under, and digging his way out of his own grave. Somehow, Dean is back from the dead. But who could have done this? Only one of the most beloved characters in the series, making his first appearance. First, he's nothing but unintelligible, deafening sounds from a television and radio, but finally, Castiel shows up in all of his flesh and blood glory. 

Every "Supernatural" fan remembers at least two lines from this Season 4 premiere episode: "I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition," and the follow-up explanation, "I'm an Angel of the Lord." The first three seasons of the show made the existence of demons crystal clear (insert Ruby pun here), but the introduction of Castiel made the existence of their winged counterparts canon to the "Supernatural" universe. Castiel brought Dean back from the depths of Hell and added another layer to the mythology of the show. 

Lovable curmudgeon Bobby Singer is the heart and soul of "Supernatural," so it was pretty distressing to watch him sell that soul to the demon Crowley (Mark Sheppard), even if it was to help save the world. Thankfully, in Season 6, Episode 4, we get to see him (along with Sam and Dean) working to get it back. This episode is a standout, providing the audience with an intimate look at the ins and outs of Bobby's everyday life for the first time. It's Bobby as he is when the Winchesters aren't looking: helping out other hunters with their investigations and putting out metaphorical fires left and right. 

We also get a sense of how thankless the life of a long-time hunter can truly be, with Bobby never getting a moment to himself to just relax and eat some peach cobbler (brought over by an attractive neighbor whose crush is dampened by the aforementioned monster hunting). "Weekend At Bobby's" shines the spotlight on a beloved character, gets him his soul back, and firmly establishes his signature song. It's "The Gambler," by Kenny Rogers, because of course it is. 

"Be careful what you wish for" stories are classic. Take the tale of "The Monkey's Paw," for instance, where a cursed artifact grants a series of wishes at a hefty, unexpected cost. This Season 2 episode is the show's take on that narrative, featuring a "Supernatural" interpretation of the wish-granting figure of the Djinn, with a dark "It's a Wonderful Life" sort of twist. The Djinn at the center of the episode has the ability to grant a person's deepest wish by throwing them into a vivid, lifelike dream state as they slowly siphon on the victim's life force. 

When an attempt to hunt the Djinn goes work, Dean finds himself trapped in one of these dreams, experiencing a version of his life that he can never have. In it, Sam is in law school, their mother never died, and Dean has found love and safety. The normalcy and stability come at a cost, though. If Sam and Dean never became hunters, then all of the people they helped would have perished. Dean is eventually saved and wakes up in reality with Sam insisting that their pain and loss have been worth it for all the good that they've done. But, in a moment of vulnerability, Dean makes it clear that he is not so sure. 

When the Trickster shows up, you know you're in for a good time, just as surely as Sam and Dean are in for a very bad, but probably hilarious, time. This Season 5 episode begins with a completely inexplicable '80s sitcom-style opening credits sequence and opening scene, complete with an obvious soundstage and a laugh track. Cut to two days earlier, as Sam and Dean investigate the death of a man whose wife claims he was killed by television's "The Incredible Hulk." This is particularly ironic, given the deceased's well-documented history of anger issues. Death with an ironic twist naturally points the brothers in the direction of the Trickster, who stymies their investigation by trapping them in TV Land, where they are forced to play along with their given roles in order to survive. 

Standout moments in the episode include Dean geeking out at the sight of his favorite TV physician, Dr. Sexy M.D., a Japanese gameshow with a particularly painful twist, and a battle of the crime scene puns on a "CSI" knockoff. To top it all off, the Winchesters arrive at a shocking revelation about the Trickster's identity, one that puts him a lot closer to the central conflict of the season than anyone expected. 

Hear me out: an episode where Sam watches Dean die over and over again, but it's also one of the funniest episodes in the entire series. Season 3, Episode 11 gives us "Mystery Spot," the "Supernatural" answer to the time loop romantic comedy classic "Groundhog Day." When Sam and Dean attempt to investigate the disappearance of a man who went missing at a mysterious local tourist attraction, Dean is shot and killed during an altercation. Oh no! But then, Sam wakes up, and the same day replays all over again. Sam relives over a hundred Tuesdays, listening to the same Asia song every morning and slowly losing his mind as Dean continues to die in a variety of increasingly ridiculous ways. Only when he finds out the root cause of the anomaly and keeps Dean alive, will he finally get to see Wednesday. 

There are some truly laugh-out-loud moments in "Mystery Spot," all related to Dean's repeated demise. Standout causes of death include having a desk dropped on him and splatting, Looney Tunes style, being electrocuted by his razor, petting an unfriendly dog, and asking the ominous question, "Do these tacos taste funny to you?" Don't get too comfortable though, the episode still manages to stick a knife through the audience's heart and twist it for good measure, as Sam is forced to reckon with what the loss of his brother might do to his life. 

There is a reason that "Swan Song" is considered by many fans to be the true ending of the show, rather than the show's actual ending 10 seasons later. Originally intended to serve as the show's finale, this episode is the perfect culmination of the first five seasons of storytelling, wrapping it up with an almost perfect bow. It's brother against brother in this sweeping conclusion to the Lucifer vs. Michael story arc as the two finally come face to face for an epic battle, with Sam and Dean caught in the crossfire. "Swan Song" leaves it all on the floor: the tragedy, the heart, the humor, and the brotherly love strong enough to defeat the devil himself. 

From the episode's opening narration about the brothers' childhood growing up in the same Impala they've driven from mystery to mystery, to Chuck's pensive final words about the nature of endings and how difficult it can be to close the book on a story once and for all, to Castiel's iconic battle cry of "Hey, Assbutt!" this episode holds a special place in the show's history, encapsulating everything it sets out to do and is capable of being when everything falls into place. This is "Supernatural" at its very best.