Three years on from the apparent end of the Winchester story, fans are now patiently and excitedly awaiting The Winchesters, the aptly titled Supernatural prequel that will focus not just on the well-known central figures of John and Mary Winchester, but other than characters too. Supernatural was always a show that had a slew of incredible side characters, with Reddit giving their opinions on some of the best.
Even excluding the likes of Dean, Sam, Cas, Crowley, and Jack, there is a tonne of fantastic Supernatural characters who make the show what it is, providing hilarity, emotional depth, and interesting stories to the series.
Ash
Ash may have had a short-lived run in Supernatural, but every one of his five appearances was memorable, whether that be down to his eccentric genius personality type or the way he brilliantly describes his hair.
Many Redditors list Ash as a standout character, including Viewtiful_Joe, who replied to another Redditor who named Ash one of the best side characters by saying "Lol, Ash was on another level, he reminded me of a cool Joe Dirt." Ash did not have the long-lasting impact of the more central-to-the-story Ellen and Jo, but he was still a great part of the entire Roadhouse era of Supernatural.
Frank Devereaux
Frank Devereaux was kind of like the second coming of Ash, just more paranoid, older, grouchier, and less about the party lifestyle. He just overtook the long-vacated role of eccentric genius to aid the boys. Like Ash, many feel Frank left the show too soon.
Many named him a standout minor character including AdAlone3213 who went as far as to say that they "preferred him [Frank] to Charlie as “the” nerd." Frank had a great dynamic with Dean and his unhinged humor was one of the highlights of what is seen as a very weak seventh season of the show
Benny Lafitte
Benny Lafitte, the vampire, remains one of the most popular allies to Sam and Dean, and arguably one of the most mistreated by the boys. Rather than cheaply turning him into a bad guy, Benny remained good until the end despite his struggles and it was great to watch.
The combination of his character story as well as his relationship with Dean led many, including Redditor alexedgelord to name him as a standout favorite side character, saying he is "a good, likable character and one of Dean's few true friends down the road." That description is the perfect summation of why so many love him.
Garth Fitzgerald IV
Garth is not everybody's cup of tea, to begin with. Even Sam and Dean had a bit of a negative first opinion of him. But that is Garth, he grows on everyone and it is near impossible to hate him.
Many, many Redditors have him as one of the show's best side characters including BeautifulReal who accurately states "Garth was incredible; his character had so much personality it was awesome." Funny, sweet, strong, and unique, Garth was always a joy to watch interact with the Winchester brothers even with his out-of-left-field Werewolf fate.
Balthazar
There are a great many angels who pass through Supernatural, most of whom are described rather accurately by Dean, but there are some gems including not just Cas, but the adored Balthazar who many fans wish had stuck around.
With his humor, charisma, and the fact he gave fans one of the show's best episodes 'The French Mistake,' Balthazar became beloved by a lot of fans such as biscuitscoconuts who echo the sentiment of many fans both on and off of Reddit have by simply saying "Balthazar is my favorite side character."
Rufus Turner
The partner in crime to Bobby and one of Supernatural's funniest recurring characters, Rufus Turner was a standout aspect of every episode he appeared in both because of his personality and his dynamic with the equally as grouchy Bobby.
Excluding phone calls, Rufus only appeared seven times in the series, and that includes a couple of flashbacks. It is a testament to the quality of character that people like Redditor Duckadoe say that "Rufus is definitely one of the best [side characters]" despite having relatively few appearances.
Charlie Bradbury
Supernatural fans will likely never get over the mistreatment of Charlie Bradbury's character in her frustrating, albeit heartbreaking, death, but that does not take away from how great she is to that point and how loved she is by a great many fans.
At points, Charlie does push the envelope of what could be considered a side character, but Redditors like WraithNexus say that "Charlie will always be my favorite [side character], and I will forever be frustrated by their decision to kill off Felicia Day's character." From her nerdiness to her emotional backstory to her dynamic with Dean, Charlie is just overall a terrific character.
Jody Mills
When Jody Mills is first introduced in season 5 as the Sherrif of Sioux Falls nobody could have predicted her longevity and impact as a recurring character on the show. She grew into one of the series' longest-surviving and best characters.
Popping up in most seasons after her debut, growing into a key ally to the boys and the matriarch of the wayward sisters, Mills carved out one of the show's best character arcs. This is backed up by those like Redditor Manux005 who states that Jody is her favorite side character in part because "She's alway's trying her best to help. The prime example for that is her fostering Alex and Claire." Her makeshift, loving family and how she holds them together is a big reason for the love she gets from fans.
Death
Death, as in the Horseman, specifically the original Death as played expertly by Julian Richings, is one of the most iconic Supernatural characters in general and established himself as such with his epic introduction to the show in season 5.
Even without the rest of his brilliant and oftentimes hilarious and important appearances in the show Death would be considered one of the show's best recurring characters. Many Redditors name him as a favorite character, including theExitz who says OG Death is a favorite "because even Dean, Sam and Bobby gave respect to him, he is one of the best actors and characters in the show."
Gabriel
Gabriel is one of the only people in Supernatural outside of the main characters who get to play multiple characters, starting as the Trickster, one of the show's best villains, before revealing himself as the Archangel Gabriel, one of the show's best angels.
There are a ton of fans on Reddit who name him when asked about favorite characters and side characters including SeymourZ who, in response to the question of favorite side characters, asked "How has no one said Gabriel?" a comment that got many up-votes from agreeing fans. As the Trickster, Gabriel is the reason for some of Supernatural's best episodes and as Gabriel, he is arguably the show's most likable angel outside of Castiel. He also helps provide commentary on family, the state of heaven, and the abandonment of everybody by God, giving him the earned reputation of one of the show's best characters.