It’s been 20 years since Sam and Dean Winchester’s dad went on a hunting trip and didn’t come back. But that hasn’t stopped Supernatural still being one of the most beloved long-standing TV franchises.With so many great stories across 15 years of storytelling, it would take a Chuck-level miracle for us all to be able to agree on which are the best episodes. But, luck favors the brave, and so we’ve pulled together 20 hours that we think represent the very best of Supernatural for both its characters as well as its ability to laugh at itself.
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These have been compiled from the episodes that fans still talk about, rewatch, and quote to this day. From heartbreaking farewells to fan-favorite funnies.
20) “Black” (Season 10, Episode 1)
After Crowley resurrected Dean as a demon at the end of season 9, the two spend a wonderful summer together terrorizing America. Season 10’s premiere, “Black”, sets the stage for one of the most fascinating arcs in the show’s history. Deanmon — as fans affectionately dubbed him — is both terrifying and tragic, testing Sam’s loyalty and Crowley’s patience. It’s also a chance for us to see more of Crowley’s layers. After seeing how he changed in Season 8’s finale, yelling out “I just want to be loved!” in a very human way, there was always something more empathetic about him afterwards, and his “Boys of Summer” moment gives us a telling moment of Crowley’s loneliness and hope for friendship.
Critics have praised Jensen Ackles’ layered performance that gave viewers a glimpse at what Dean might be without his humanity. And although some fans note that it seems not that far removed from regular Dean, it’s certainly not something we’d want to encounter.
19) “Clap Your Hands If You Believe” (Season 6, Episode 9)
From Demon Dean to Soulless Sam. Sam and Dean investigate mysterious abductions in a small town, only for Dean to fall victim to the mystery himself. The episode works because it never takes itself too seriously by blending X-Files-style parody with fairytale, and Dean becoming the butt (quite literally) of the joke.
But the funnies are only half of the reason we enjoy this episode. With Sam having no soul — and therefore no moral compass — it’s up to Dean to become his ethical guide. Not something Dean is majorly well known for. It’s amusing to see Dean taking on more of a Sam role, and Sam being so blasé about his brother’s disappearance.
18) “It’s a Terrible Life” (Season 4, Episode 17)
Episodes where Sam and Dean aren’t themselves are always fun. “It’s a Terrible Life” is a fan-favorite which drops the brothers into alternate lives with different last names still gun related — (Dean) Smith and (Sam) Wesson.
In a mash up of Office Space and the slightest hint of American Psycho, the two are suddenly working as white-collar corporate drones who are complete strangers to one another. The satirical take on cubicle culture and the capitalist American Dream quickly unravels into a ghost hunt, pulling the Winchesters back together. They both revel in their adventures, excited that they somehow have some badass fighting skills. It also has a nice nod to Ghostfacers and the Winchester’s earnest use of their advice.
17) “Red Meat” (Season 11, Episode 17)
But not every episode brought lightheartedness. “Red Meat” starts out with Sam and Dean rescuing two werewolf victims, and the four of them high-tailing it through Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Grangeville, Idaho. But the episode is very different to your standard Supernatural story, when Sam seems to have passed away in the opening act. It’s not a long, drawn-out scene, there’s no emotional brotherly farewell monologue, or crossroads demon deal. It’s just done, forcing Dean to fight through grief and desperation in order to get the werewolf victims to safety, leaving his brother behind.
Of course, Sam is made of stronger stuff (he is a moose after all) and survives — unbeknownst to Dean. Dean’s decision to end his own life to contact Billie the reaper, alongside the survival-horror pacing had fans on edge.
16) “Dark Side of the Moon” (Season 5, Episode 16)
After being gunned down, Sam and Dean find themselves in Heaven, discovering it’s made up of their personal happy memories. The emotional episode explores memory, regret, and what paradise really means for the hunters. Dean’s memories consist of a Fourth-of-July fireworks moment with young Sam, celebrating the family he longed for and tried so hard to protect. By contrast, Sam’s centers on being away from the Winchester world, stepping into normalcy at a friend’s Thanksgiving. This memory is full of comfort and opportunities for escape. It speaks volumes about Sam’s yearning for a life like anyone else’s.
The episode is a very poignant look at the brothers’ relationship. Dean’s heartbreak over Sam choosing some stranger’s home is because his brother’s happiest memories don’t include him, amplify Dean’s fears of abandonment and lack of self-worth.
15) “Bad Day at Black Rock” (Season 3, Episode 3)
This episode holds what is possibly Sam Fans’ most quoted moments. When Sam and Dean discover a cursed rabbit’s foot, it kicks off one of the funniest streaks in the show’s early run. Dean’s glee when he realizes Sam’s sudden luck — winning $45,000 on scratch cards, finding a gold Rolex etc. and then the desperation and frustration when Sam losses the rabbit’s foot and faces multiple misfortunes (“I lost my shoe”) remains iconic. The episode’s balance of slapstick comedy and genuine tension cemented it as a standout in Season 3 and fully showcased Ackles and Padalecki’s chemistry.
14) “Don’t Call Me Shurley” (Season 11, Episode 20)
For years, fans speculated that Chuck Shurley, the quirky prophet and author of the Supernatural books, was more than he appeared. This episode confirmed that Chuck was indeed God. What makes “Don’t Call Me Shurley” so powerful is how it manages to combine cosmic revelation with deeply personal storytelling. Rather than presenting the reveal with spectacle, the writers grounded it in an intimate character study. Chuck’s conversations with Metatron strip away the divine mystique, revealing a flawed, weary creator grappling with disappointment and apathy.
13) “Lebanon” (Season 14, Episode 13)
Supernatural always did a good job of the centenary episodes, and “Lebanon” is no exception. The 300th episode brought on the nostalgia and a chance at happy families by bringing Jeffrey Dean Morgan back as John Winchester.
Fans had waited a decade for closure between John and his sons, and “Lebanon” gave them an emotional reunion that balanced heart with humor. It was a true milestone for the series, and provided the boys with closure, and John with the opportunity for some redemption.
12) “Death’s Door” (Season 7, Episode 10)
From one lost father to another. When Bobby Singer is shot in the head, viewers spend an entire episode with him, traversing his memories as he fights to hold on to life. Jim Beaver is incredible throughout the heartbreaking hour, and he truly deserved the spotlight Bobby got in this episode. It gave fans one of the show’s most devastating goodbyes. And even though he returned in ghost-form (and later from Apocalypse World), it never felt the same again.
11) “The Real Ghostbusters” (Season 5, Episode 9)
Everyone loves the Supernatural meta episodes, and “The Real Ghostbusters” take it a little further, by bringing in the fans. The episode puts Sam and Dean slap-bang into the middle of a Supernatural fan convention — the first ever, in fact. The guys have to wade through cosplayers, Supernatural LARPers, and obsessive fan Becky (who tricked them with an SOS text to get them there).
“The Real Ghostbusters” is both a love letter to the fandom, capturing the unique relationship between creators and fans. It also serves as a clever monster-of-the-week episode, where the Winchester brothers are actually needed.
10) “Carry On” (Season 15, Episode 20)
Yes, we’ve put the series finale at the mid-point because we know how divisive it is amongst fans. But let’s be honest, it had the impossible task of saying goodbye after 15 years in a way that honored the show, the leads, and the fans.
“Carry On” brought the story back to its roots. It was a simple monster-of-the-week style episode with the brothers side-by-side, facing one last hunt together. It’s understandable that fans do get a little frustrated with how Dean goes. He’s battled literal gods, but it’s a piece of rebar that gets him in the end. Even Jensen Ackles had reservations about it initially, but has since come out and supported the end, stating that Dean goes doing what he loves.
9) “What Is and What Should Never Be” (Season 2, Episode 20)
As we’re talking about getting back to the show’s roots, let’s take a look at the early seasons. “What Is and What Should Never Be” is an interesting concept, whereby Dean has been captured by a Djinn, and is living out an alternate reality where his mother never died, Sam is engaged to Jessica, and Dean is in a long term, loving relationship. Though there is the good side of this normal life, not everything is great. Sam and Dean are estranged to some extent, and Dean is haunted by ghostly visions of all the people he has previously helped. Dean learns that all those people have died in this world.
The heart wrenching situation where he must decide whether to stay in this new, safe “apple pie” life or if he should sacrifice it for those he saved, makes this one of the most emotional episodes in the series.
8) “Changing Channels” (Season 5, Episode 8)
Episodes controlled by the Trickster always come with some slapstick comedy, and when he traps Sam and Dean inside a series of TV parodies, in “Changing Channels”, we get an abundance of it. From sitcoms to medical dramas, this episode is fun-focused for the first 2 acts, and gives Ackles and Padalecki a chance to stretch their comedy legs.
7) “All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2” (Season 2, Episode 22)
Picking up after Sam’s shocking death in Part 1, the episode throws Dean into his most desperate moment yet. His decision to sell his soul to bring Sam back sets the foundation for years of storytelling to come, reshaping both brothers’ destinies. What makes the episode shine is how it weaves together personal sacrifice with cosmic stakes. The episode pays off two seasons of buildup with the John returning to help stop Azazel’s permanent opening of the Devil’s Gate, unleashing countless demons into the world.
“All Hell Breaks Loose: Part 2” cemented Supernatural as a show that wasn’t afraid to break its heroes, raise the stakes, and change the game entirely. Fans and critics alike consider it one of the most defining finales in the series.
6) “Fan Fiction” (Season 10, Episode 5)
Another centenary episode, another meta success. The 200th episode has Sam and Dean investigating a girls only high school, whose students are suddenly disappearing. Wrapped up in their FBI suits, they end up stumbling into the drama students’ musical based on the Supernatural books by Carver Edlund. For the guys, it becomes a fever dream of past memories acted out — and sung — on stage. There’s even a Dean moment where he heavily objects to the uncomfortable close scene between the fictional Sam and Dean. This harks back to the initial Carver episode where the brothers discover the disturbing “slash” fan fics.
Packed with in-jokes, songs, and fan references, it was both a parody and a perfect celebration of the fandom that kept the series alive for so long.
5) “No Rest for the Wicked” (Season 3, Episode 16)
The third season finale remains one of the most shocking and emotionally raw episodes of the series. What makes the episode so powerful is the way it centers Sam and Dean’s relationship. Throughout the hour, we see Dean hide his fear behind bravado and gallows humor, while Sam grows increasingly desperate and clinging to any chance of saving his brother.
In the final moments of the episode, watching Sam cradling Dean’s lifeless body, covered in blood, after hellhounds drag him to Hell, is an image that shattered fans until Season 4. At its heart, “No Rest for the Wicked” embodies everything that makes Supernatural so good.
4) “Scoobynatural” (Season 13, Episode 16)
Another iconic episode, and one that brought us the crossover we never knew we needed, but now could never live without. When the Winchesters get sucked into an episode of Scooby-Doo, we get to witness Dean’s true geekiness and major crush on Daphne. The episode balances cartoon hijinks and humor. It seamlessly blends the standard tropes of Supernatural (real ghosts, someone has a crush on one of the brothers i.e. Velma on Sam, Castiel is bemused by the entire situation), as well as respecting the Scooby Gang’s IP. It’s a brilliant mix of nostalgia and creativity, proving Supernatural could still surprise fans 13 seasons in.
3) “Baby” (Season 11, Episode 4)
A personal favorite. A wonderful one-room play style episode where the story is told entirely from the point of view of Baby (Dean’s Impala). It’s both experimental and deeply personal, with dash-mounted cameras and a day-in-the-life perspective. From quiet brotherly conversations to joyrides and brutal fights, the unique way of telling this particular story made it an instant classic. The car has always been treated as a character in its own right, and this episode finally gave it the spotlight.
2) “The French Mistake” (Season 6, Episode 15)
There’s no way this wasn’t going to be in the top 5. Arguably the funniest episode in the entire run, “The French Mistake” throws Sam and Dean into an alternate reality where they are actors named Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. This was one of the few episodes where the actors were consulted on the story, and their request to make sure they were still playing Sam and Dean, makes the episode perfect.
Its absurd humor and fourth-wall-breaking brilliance shows Supernatural at its most self-aware, and does a great job of proving that the cast never take themselves that seriously. From Misha Collins’ nerdy attempts to “get in with the cool kids,” to Sam and Dean’s atrocious acting, it’s a great all-rounder that we never get tired of watching.
1) “Swan Song” (Season 5, Episode 22)
As Sam and Dean face Lucifer and the apocalypse, the episode delivers emotional payoff, epic stakes, and a heartfelt narration from Chuck. The battle inside Sam’s mind, and Dean’s refusal to abandon his brother, even when facing certain death, are both equally powerful. When Sam regains control with the help of Dean’s unwavering presence, it’s a moment that encapsulates the emotional core of the entire series. It pays off five seasons of storytelling with an ending that feels both epic and deeply personal, cementing it as the best episode of Supernatural.
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