Summary

• Great seasons of Supernatural have a cohesive long-running story arc, monsters of the week, character growth, and compelling villains.
• Later seasons took more risks and had creative elements, but the earliest seasons are considered the best.
• Season 14 wasn't very loved due to retreading storylines, season 15 had an anticlimactic ending, while season 12 provided answers and new storylines.

When running for 15 years, any television show has its ups and downs, and when it comes to the Supernatural seasons ranked, it's evident that certain seasons are better than others. In 2005, a story about two brothers searching for their father while they went up against ghosts, demons, and all manners of creatures that go bump in the night premiered on and went on to run more for than a decade. It had its ups and downs but remains iconic regardless.

What makes for a great season of Supernatural boils down to a cohesive long-running story arc combined with monsters of the week. Character growth and compelling villains are also a must. The longer the series ran, some of the stories became repetitive, but the writers were able to take bigger risks with some arcs. As a result, the later seasons of the series might not be the greatest, but they certainly have some of the most creative elements of the show. The best Supernatural seasons, however, remain the earliest ones.

15 Season 14 (2018–2019)

20 Episodes

The idea of Sam and Dean being the vessels for archangels Michael and Lucifer begins early in the show and the storyline nearly never ends. It's retread in season 14 to an extent, which explains the lack of love for the penultimate season.

Lucifer's former vessel, Nick, spends the bulk of the season trying to avenge the murder of his family - and get Lucifer back. Dean, having been Michael's vessel, also finds himself going through a lot of changes as the ramifications of getting rid of Michael hit him. While the season still features appearances from fan favorites, like Jody Mills and Bobby Singer, fans weren't loving it.

14 Season 15 (2019–2020)

20 Episodes

The final season of Supernatural was uneven. While the writers did their best to satisfy the audience by closing out old stories and bringing back a huge number of characters from the Winchesters' past, the Supernatural finale didn't bring the closure fans wanted - despite being the only season of the series to not end with a cliffhanger.

The main antagonist for the final season, after years of going between numerous demons and angels, is God himself. It makes perfect sense that the show ends that way, though fans are going to be angry about certain character deaths for a very long time. The way those character deaths happen is part of what angers fans as well. With the Supernatural seasons ranked, season 15 felt like an anticlimactic ending for the show and the characters that were so beloved.

13 Season 12 (2016–2017)

23 Episodes

Even though this season worked to answer a lot of long-standing questions and tie up plenty of loose ends - while still opening the door to new storylines - it just didn't sit well with fans. Season 12 tried to open a few too many doors while fans were waiting for other answers. The season features the Winchesters on the trail of Lucifer, as usual, but also reintroduces his yellow-eyed demons, confirming them as his Princes of Hell, and the first demons created after Lilith.

It also features a bit of a double-cross from Crowley, the introduction of part-human-part-angel Jack, and the idea that alternate universes exist. Supernatural still manages to expand on its mythology and give the audience answers after 12 years of content, though, which is why when the Supernatural seasons are ranked, this season is better than seasons 14 and 15.

12 Season 13 (2017–2018)

23 Episodes

Season 13 of Supernatural brought back a lot of characters previously seen killed off on the series. Of course, the bulk of those dead characters weren't themselves, but those from an Apocalypse World. It allowed the writers to have some creative fun with those characters, but it also means fans aren't happy about favorites like Kevin (albeit, the Apocalypse version of him) being killed off.

Fans are also still upset about the backdoor pilot featured in the season. Season 13 brings Jody Mills and a handful of teenage girls who know about the supernatural together as they help the Winchesters. Their series would have been Wayward Sisters, but it never came to fruition, and it's one of the biggest losses for the show.

11 Season 9 (2013–2014)

23 Episodes

Another season that focuses on the conflict among angels, this one sees two separate factions going after Castiel. With Castiel having previously lost his grace, he has no angelic power, forcing him to live as a human and making him vulnerable. While Castiel's story is compelling, season 9 of Supernatural features too much back and forth with the angels and the Winchester brothers.

Sam and Dean differ on how to handle multiple situations, causing them to go their separate ways. Their separation causes them to take desperate courses of action. Dean decides to get the Mark Of Cain to give himself the power to wield the First Blade against an enemy, but it has serious consequences - including Dean being turned into a demon at the end of the season.

10 Season 7 (2011–2012)

23 Episodes

With Castiel declaring himself the new God after absorbing every soul in Purgatory, this season of Supernatural started to take the show in a slightly new direction with its angel and demon mythology. The only beings whose souls Castiel doesn't end up returning after his journey is over are those of the Leviathans. Leviathans also happen to be the oldest and most powerful, as the first monsters created by God. It introduces a whole new - and very strong - entity for the Winchesters to battle.

While the previous journeys of the brothers always saw them quickly finding answers to their supernatural problems, nothing they've already learned works against the Leviathans, making for a very tense and entertaining season. It's also one of the most divisive seasons when every season of Supernatural is ranked. Fans love the idea of the incredibly difficult-to-fight Leviathans, but the CGI for the season is pretty terrible, and the story begins to drag after a while.

9 Season 8 (2012–2013)

23 Episodes

One of the most fascinating parts of Supernatural is just how it tackles its mythology when it comes to angels. Their story gets significantly expanded in season 8 as Dean Winchester returns to Earth from Purgatory, and Castiel finds himself resurrected and used by another angel to achieve her ends.

This season also sees Sam and Dean cross paths with their grandfather as the man uses a time travel spell to get to the future, expanding on the story of the Men Of Letters, which becomes a big story point for the show moving forward. Season 8 of Supernatural provides a lot of new information while still being more entertaining than season 7.

8 Season 6 (2010–2011)

22 Episodes

Season 5 marked the end of original showrunner Eric Kripke's plan for the series. With season 6 of Supernatural, the story picked up a year later, revealing Dean attempting to live a normal life, but unable to when Sam returns from Hell. Throughout 22 episodes, Dean discovers that, though his brother has returned to him, his soul hasn't come with him, and he formulates a plan to get it back.

Castiel also becomes a surprising antagonist as he works in the background with Crowley to release all the souls from Purgatory so that he can absorb them and take over the role of God himself. It provides the right balance of mythology-based episodes and a focus on the relationship between the two brothers, making it a very popular season that hits the rest button for the show.

7 Season 10 (2014–2015)

23 Episodes

Dean begins Supernatural's 10th season as a demon working for Crowley so Castiel and Sam must find a way to make him human again. The Mark of Cain, however, proves to make things difficult for Dean throughout the season as he gives in to his darkness repeatedly. While Dean's struggle is the big story of the season, it's also known for introducing a fan-favorite villain: Rowena.

The witch turns out to be Crowley's mother, and it's Rowena who rids Dean of the Mark of Cain, releasing the villain that comes into play the next season. Season 10 also features one of the most fun meta-entries in the show: the Supernatural musical. The show being able to make fun of itself while still acknowledging the love the fans had for it is part of what made it so popular.

6 Season 1 (2005–2006)

22 Episodes

For a lot of long-running television series, season 1 is not as good as later seasons because shows are still finding their footing. The first complete story arc, however, is looked upon extremely fondly by fans and is considered one of the best seasons of Supernatural. Originally, Supernatural kicks off with monster-of-the-week episodes as Sam and Dean search for their missing father.

Raised by a dad who hunted supernatural creatures and tracked down urban legends, Sam wants no part of the hunt, while Dean is following in his father's footsteps. It causes a lot of tension between the two, but they bond throughout the season, setting up their deep bond for the rest of the series.

5 Season 11 (2015–2016)

23 Episodes

Season 11 of Supernatural is all about The Darkness, also known as Amara. Expanding on the show's mythology surrounding God, Amara is revealed to be God's sister, and she wants revenge for being banished. The season-long struggle sees the Winchesters turn to Lucifer for help, who uses Castiel as a host.

Angels and demons even unite in the struggle against Amara, though she eventually reconciles with her brother - and even grants one of Dean's biggest wishes. The season ends with Amara resurrecting Sam and Dean's mother, moving the show into some new territory for the following seasons. Season 11 is a breath of fresh air in the last five seasons of the show, not retreading old stories like the later seasons.

4 Season 2 (2006–2007)

22 Episodes

If the first season of Supernatural introduces the audience to the Winchester brothers, it's season 2 that sets the foundation for the show. In it, the brothers track the demon Azazel, who is the primary antagonist in the early episodes - and clearly, some of the best Supernatural seasons.

The season also expands the world of the hunters, introducing several allies for Sam and Dean. Season 2 brings the Harvelles, Ash, and Bobby to the fray who become huge parts of the show moving forward. It's season 2 that begins to show the enormity of the challenge that hunters face and just how small their network is as everyone knows everyone else.

3 Season 3 (2007–2008)

16 Episodes

Kicking off the best three seasons of Supernatural is also the shortest season of Supernatural. With just 16 episodes, season 3 was shortened from the original 22 as a result of the 2007 writer's strike. That shortened format seems to work in the fans' favor as storylines were condensed and there were fewer standalone episodes for the season.

In season 2, Dean makes a deal that will send his soul to Hell a year later. Much of season 3 is spent trying to make sure that Dean doesn't wind up in Hell. This brings about the introduction of Ruby, who claims to be able to find a way out of Dean's contract. It also introduces the idea of Lilith - because she holds the contract on Dean's soul. The season even features an homage to fairy tales in "Bedtime Stories" which remains a fan-favorite episode full of Easter eggs.

2 Season 4 (2008–2009)

22 Episodes

The big arc of Supernatural's fourth outing is Lilith attempting to break the 66 seals that will allow Lucifer to walk the Earth. Castiel is also introduced as he rescues Dean from Hell and tries to help the Winchesters prevent Lilith from succeeding. Lillith's breaking of the seals put a countdown clock on the episodes because it felt inevitable that the story would get to that final seal. It made the season tense and the conflict between Sam and Dean drove the bulk of the stories.

Sam and Dean, as par for the course, find themselves on opposite sides of a big issue - even though their goal is the same. Dean is worried about Sam embracing his darker side, and Sam thinks he can control his darker side, that it's a risk he needs to take to stop Lilith. Lilith does eventually succeed in her plan, having used Ruby to manipulate Sam right into her path. The end of the season brings Lucifer to the series in the flesh for the first time.

1 Season 5 (2009–2010)

22 Episodes

Originally, many fans believed the season 5 of Supernatural would be the last of the show. It is Eric Kripke's final season as the showrunner and the last season of the original story plan for the series which is largely what makes it so great. With Lucifer released from his cage at the end of season 4, this one sees the Winchesters try to stop him on Earth. Sam is meant to become Lucifer's vessel, while Dean is meant to become the angel Michael's.

Both brothers try to avoid their fate as much as possible, but nothing works out the way they want it to. Their half-brother ends up as Michael's vessel, while Sam gives his own body to Lucifer, using his own body to trap Lucifer in his cage all over again. Season 5 tied up storylines, left a few open-ended questions and acted as a culmination of everything that came before it. It was the strongest and best season of Supernatural.

• 

  Supernatural

  Release Date:

  2005-09-13

  Cast:

  Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, Jim Beaver, Jared Padalecki, Katie Cassidy, Lauren Cohan, Mark A. Sheppard, Mark Pellegrino, Alexander Calvert

  Seasons:

  15

  Genres:

  Action, Adventure, Mystery

  Writers:

  Eric Kripke, Andrew Dabb, Robert Berens

  Network:

  The WB, The CW

  Franchise(s):

  Supernatural

  Directors:

  Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Robert Singer

  Showrunner:

  Eric Kripke

  Story By:

  Eric Kripke