Through the entire run of Supernatural, the theme of family has been central to the plot. Coming from a broken home, where their mother was killed by a demon, Sam and Dean lacked the full love of their father, who was obsessed with hunting monsters.
However, Bobby Singer was the one person the boys did look up to, with him having been in the brothers’ lives ever since they were kids. Most of Bobby’s time on the show had him fill the spot that John had vacated, although most of the fanbase agrees that he was their true father. That said, here are ten reasons why that claim is most definitely true.
Bobby Forgave The Boys Instantly
John was well known for having many rifts with his son, most of which weren’t easily forgiven, such as when Sam left for Stanford and never reconciled with John. On the other hand, Bobby also had a few conflicts with the boys, only to always forgive them.
He was quick to accept Dean’s apology when the latter name-called him in the heat of the moment and was the only one who didn’t hold it against Sam for opening Lucifer’s cage. Even after Soulless Sam tried to kill Bobby, he had no ill will when Sam was returned to normal.
The Brothers Were Bobby's Heaven And Hell
John’s torture in Hell had him be brutalized by Alastair. While this was an awful fate, Crowley recognized that this wouldn’t break Bobby, and instead had his Hell be one where he saw Sam and Dean become demons.
As for Heaven, John’s spirit seems to be content where he is, with no indication that he wants to return. Bobby, though, was shown to feel incomplete even in Heaven, as he sent a letter to Sam revealing that meeting him again was the happiest he’d felt. Heaven itself wasn’t enough to make Bobby feel complete, not without his boys.
Sam And Dean Considered Bobby A Better Parent
Before John’s return in Season 14, most of the references made toward him comprised of the boys agreeing that he was a “deadbeat dad.” Meanwhile, the two actively considered Bobby to be their father figure and agreed that he was pretty much their parent.
Following Bobby’s demise, there’s never been a moment where Sam and Dean remember him negatively, instead mainly recalling how they’d lost another father when Bobby had died. The reason why Soulless Sam had gone after Bobby had been due to the latter qualifying for patricide since he was Sam’s father in spirit.
Bobby's Relationship With The Boys Wasn't Based On Hunting
Although he was their father, John didn’t have much to talk about with his sons other than their hunting life. After his death, Sam and Dean would bring up memories of him almost solely related to hunts.
Bobby’s final memory before his death confirmed his normal relationship with the brothers, where they were seen having a meal together while joking around. They had more than enough memories of Bobby from their youth that weren’t connected to monsters and such, and Bobby didn’t encourage them to be on hunt mode either.
The Brothers Confided In Bobby About Their Issues
There was a time during seasons four and five where Sam and Dean were estranged, which was when it was Bobby who served as their confidant. The brothers are known for keeping secrets from one another, but Bobby was the person who would know.
John most definitely didn’t have this sort of relationship with either of his sons, with Sam especially never sharing anything personal with his father. Bobby was a safe space, though, as Dean and Sam would unload their troubles to him without worry.
Bobby's House Was The Closest Place To A Home The Brothers Had
The boys didn’t have any place to call home in their youth, and even as adults, they remained nomadic until they found the Men of Letters' headquarter. However, the one place they were seen most frequently at was Bobby’s house.
This served as their safehouse of sorts, with both brothers feeling at ease since Bobby would be around. For this reason, it can be considered the closest thing they had to a home growing up, something the motels John took them to didn’t provide.
Bobby Knew The Real Dean
There’s more to Dean than the man who hunts down monsters and kills bad guys, but he remained like a machine to John. Whatever his father said, Dean took it as the law, not stopping to show his vulnerable side.
It was Bobby who knew who Dean really was, having taken him under his wing at an early age. Flashbacks had shown how Bobby would ease Dean out by playing catch with him or talking about his likes and dislikes. As a grownup, too, Bobby knew of Dean’s happenings, giving him advice over his “apple pie” life with Lisa and Ben, along with straightening him out when Dean got too emotional.
Sam And Dean Knew More About Bobby Than John
If one were to take John’s journal away from the boys, then there’s basically nothing they know about their father. They didn’t even know that John had another son until the boy was an adult! With Bobby, there was complete honesty, for the most part.
The brothers knew of the demise of Bobby’s wife, and were knowledgeable of humorous pet peeves and guilty pleasures too. In fact, Sam used Bobby being a fan of Tori Spelling and his free pedicures as proof to Bobby in Hell that he wasn’t a figment of the latter’s imagination.
Bobby's Responsible For Sam Giving Dean The Amulet
The amulet given by Sam to his brother that Dean cherished for most of his life was actually handed to the former by Bobby. Originally, Sam had gotten the amulet to present to John as a gift, but when his father no-showed, Sam gave it to Dean.
What’s touching about this is how Bobby was considerate enough to go gift shopping for Sam, who was just a child at the time. It would’ve seemed like a ridiculous request to anybody else, but Bobby knew how much it meant to Sam and made sure to get the amulet. Years later, this gift ended up bringing God right to Sam and Dean.
Bobby Supported The Boys' Decisions
Whether it was Dean wanting to do anything other than looking after Sam, or the latter wanting a life away from hunting, John was pretty much opposed to any kind of independent decisions his sons made. The boys never learned what it was like to be accepted by their father until Season 14.
Bobby was the source of support for the brothers before this point, as he was always okay with whatever decision the Winchesters made. For instance, he was content in keeping Dean in his “apple pie” life because it was a promise to Sam, even after Sam had come back from Hell. Bobby’s encouragement toward the boys making their own decisions allowed them to mature, and he was more than glad to be there when they needed advice.