Have you ever wondered how many times Sam and Dean Winchester, played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, actually died on Supernatural?
Long-time fans of the show remember that there are some episodes where they die more than once and others that reveal they’ve died so many times it’s hard to keep track. If you want to know how often these brothers kick the bucket, you’re in the right place.
The Winchesters’ Frequent Deaths on ‘Supernatural’
Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) cry as Dean dies in the series finale of Supernatural. Image via The CW.
The truth is, despite being skilled hunters, the Winchesters get killed a lot. As early as Season 1’s “Faith,” Dean is almost killed by a rawhead before a reaper, under a spell, saves him. In Season 2’s “In My Time of Dying,” he nearly dies again if his father, John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), hadn’t made a demon deal to save him.
The first time either brother dies on screen is at the end of Season 2’s “All Hell Breaks Loose.” Here, Sam is killed by one of the Yellow-Eyed Demon’s Special Children, stabbed in the back before Dean can get to him. This moment starts their story of endless self-sacrifice, with Dean making a demon deal to save Sam.
Season 3 revolves around Dean’s fate of being killed by hellhounds and dragged to hell. This happens in the season finale, “No Rest for the Wicked,” but not before the episode “Mystery Spot,” where Sam watches as the Trickster (Richard Speight, Jr.) kills Dean repeatedly in a time loop.
After this, the brothers don’t die significantly for a while. Sam is briefly killed in Season 4’s “Wishful Thinking” after being struck by lightning, and again in Season 5’s “The Song Remains the Same” when Anna (Julie McNiven) stabs him.
Both brothers are killed by hunters in “Dark Side of the Moon,” where they go to heaven and learn they’ve been killed several times, though they don’t remember it. The season ends with “Swan Song,” where Sam sacrifices himself to defeat Lucifer.
Dean dies briefly in Season 6’s “Appointment in Samaria” when his heart stops so he can talk to Death (Julian Richings), but he’s not officially killed again until Season 9’s “Do You Believe in Miracles?” where Metatron (Curtis Armstrong) delivers the killing blow.
He is resurrected but later stops his heart again in Season 11’s “Red Meat” to talk with the reaper Billie (Lisa Berry). He and Sam use the same trick again in Season 12’s “Fresh Blood” to escape the U.S. Secret Service.
Dean’s heart stops again in Season 13’s “Advanced Thanatology,” a tough moment that hints at his suicidal thoughts that season. A few episodes later, in “Beat the Devil,” Sam is killed on Apocalypse World and resurrected by Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino).
The worst day for the Winchesters is in Season 15’s “Carry On,” where Dean dies his final on-screen death. After a routine vampire hunt, Dean is killed but shares heartfelt final moments with his brother. He finally finds peace in heaven when an elderly Sam meets him there, having lived a full life of his own.
The Count of Their Deaths
So how many times did the Winchesters die? By our count, Dean has officially died eight times, not including his many deaths in “Mystery Spot,” while Sam has also died eight times, including his final death in the series finale.
This count does not include the unknown deaths revealed in “Dark Side of the Moon,” future Dean’s death in Season 5’s “The End,” potential future vampire Sam’s death in Season 15’s “The Trap,” or all the alternate Sams and Deans who killed each other in Season 15’s “Atomic Monsters” and “Proverbs 17:3.”
We also don’t count their “deaths” in Season 4’s “Death Takes a Holiday,” where they became ghosts, or their transportation to Purgatory in Season 7’s “Survival of the Fittest.” In both cases, the Winchesters are still alive.
In short, the Winchesters die a lot on Supernatural, but they always come back stronger. Even in death, Dean helped save the world on The Winchesters while waiting for Sam in the afterlife.
Despite all their on-screen deaths and resurrections, the Winchesters remind us that although Supernatural has ended, they could always return to fight more evil.
In Supernatural, Sam and Dean Winchester, played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, experience numerous deaths throughout the series. The first significant on-screen death occurs in Season 2, where Sam is killed by one of the Yellow-Eyed Demon’s Special Children.
Dean’s fate is central to Season 3, as he is killed by hellhounds and dragged to hell, but his story includes many more deaths, including numerous times in the episode “Mystery Spot.” Sam also dies multiple times, including his final death in the series finale.
Both brothers have official death counts of eight, though many other deaths are revealed in various episodes and alternate realities.
Despite their numerous deaths, the Winchesters always return, showing their strength and determination. Their journey through life and death ends with Dean’s final on-screen death in Season 15, where he finds peace in heaven with an elderly Sam.
Supernatural is available for streaming on Netflix.
