Supernatural's showrunners would love for Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) to return during season 13. It's no mystery why they want him to come back, as Bobby is one of the most widely beloved characters in series history. While the early seasons of SPN heavily focused on Sam and Dean's fractured relationship with their dad John, Bobby was in many ways more of a father figure to the Winchester brothers than John ever was.

Up until his tragic death in season 7 - an event cited by many fans as one of the saddest moments in Supernatural history - Bobby was the one person Sam and Dean could always count on to help them out when things got tough. While Bobby's demise removed his positive influence from the Winchesters' daily lives, his role as close friend and confidant to Sam and Dean has since been taken over by Jody Mills. Fittingly, Jody was herself a frequent associate of Bobby, and feels like an appropriate successor.

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Supernatural fans are well acquainted with the fact that deaths on the series are rarely permanent, and Bobby has been no exception to that rule. Bobby has returned as a guest star for one episode each of seasons 8-12, although never under particularly happy circumstances. His most recent return came during the season 12 finale, as a version of Bobby showed up inside the apocalyptic alternate world that Lucifer and Mary later ended up trapped in. When asked whether Bobby will return during season 13, SPN showrunners Andrew Dabb and Robert Singer told EW that they would love to bring the character back, provided Beaver is available to once again reprise the role.

Jim Beaver as Bobby Singer, Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester and Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester in Supernatural

If Bobby ends up making an appearance during season 13, Dabb and Singer say that it will likely be during the back-half of the season, which will more closely explore the apocalypse world. That said, Dabb and Singer also stress that fans shouldn't expect season 13 to become fully about the goings-on in the alternate timeline, as they're "not moving away from the bunker and the Impala."

It's worth noting though that apocalypse world Bobby is not the same gruff but lovable guy that Supernatural fans know and love, so if and when he appears, one shouldn't expect him to get all emotional with Sam and Dean. As revealed during his season 12 appearance, alternate Bobby never knew the Winchester boys, due to them never being born in that timeline. That aside, SPN fans will likely be happy to get any Bobby appearances that they can, regardless of the circumstances.

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Supernatural season 13 airs Thursdays at 8pm on The CW.

Source: EW