There’s little doubt that Misha Collins' Castiel is a breakout protagonist for Supernatural, having lasted for 12 seasons until the show’s conclusion. Largely credited as the best Supernatural character to debut after Season 1, Castiel’s role as a defected angel and his bond with Sam and Dean Winchester served as a highlight for the series.

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With so many seasons worth of material featuring the character, it’s easy for fans to forget certain details. Along with that, there are prospective viewers who have questions about who Castiel is before getting into the series. With both new and old fans having these queries, it’s worth checking out what the most common questions are and the details behind them.

How Many Times Did He Die?

Dean stands over Castiel's dead body in Supernatural

It’s always been interesting to note that the main characters in Supernatural die more than anyone else. Castiel was on the receiving end a number of times himself, with his final onscreen appearance also resulting in his demise. As it is, Castiel died as many as seven times during the series in different ways.

He was obliterated by Raphael and Lucifer in the fourth and fifth season finales, was destroyed by Leviathans in the Season 7 premiere, stabbed by a Reaper in Season 9, stabbed by Lucifer in the Season 12 finale, and was taken to The Empty by the ruler of its realm in the last season.

Who Were His Love His Interests?

Supernatural: Castiel looks at Meg on a hospital bed

His nature as an angel should have avoided him from being attracted to anyone, but Castiel had a number of love interests in the series. Chief among them was the demon Meg, with whom he had a bond and attraction from the sixth to eighth seasons until she died.

Castiel also had a passionate one-night stand with the Reaper April Kelly when he became human, though she later betrayed him. When he’d lost his memories, Castiel married a woman named Daphne but left her after remembering who he was. Of course, his most notable love interest might be Dean Winchester, as Castiel seemed to declare his love for him before perishing.

Who Are His Closest Allies?

Sam and Castiel about to open a door in Supernatural

Unlike Sam and Dean, Castiel didn’t interact with too many supporting characters. This meant his friend circle was limited to an extent, although he did manage to forge some relationships with characters who became friends and allies.

Overall, his best friend and ally was Dean, followed closely by Sam. Apart from the Winchesters, Castiel was also close with Bobby Singer, the angel Hannah, and had begrudging alliances with the witch Rowena and the demon Crowley.

What Kind Of Angel Is He?

Castiel debuts and flashes his angel wings to Dean in Supernatural

When he was first introduced, Castiel seemed to be the most powerful being to appear on the show. However, it was eventually revealed that he was just a regular angel, meaning he was very low on the Heaven hierarchy.

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After he was brought back by God in the fifth season finale, Castiel’s status changed and he was upgraded to the rank of a Seraph. These are the types of angels who are higher in rank than normal angels and have a better set of abilities. Overall, only Castiel and Akobel were confirmed to be Seraphs.

How Old Is He Supposed To Be?

Castiel looks concerned in Supernatural

Castiel’s time in the main chronology is a mere blip of how long he was in existence. According to Castiel himself in the penultimate episode of Season 6, he was old enough to have remembered the first living beings to appear on Earth.

Castiel was also around when the Tower of Babel was constructed and was said to be the age of a child when Lucifer rebelled against God. From all this, it can be deduced that Castiel was millions of years old and was created a little while after the Archangels and Leviathans.

Who Were His Major Kills?

Castiel snaps his fingers in Supernatural

Castiel didn’t get to dole out as many kills as Sam and Dean had, but he did bring an end to a few major villains. His greatest kill has to be that of the Season 6 Big Bad Raphael, whom Castiel snapped to oblivion after being empowered by Purgatory souls.

In addition, Castiel aided in the killing of Season 7 villain Leviathan leader Dick Roman. He was empowered by the unborn Jack to destroy the Prince of Hell Dagon and killed Billie once by his own hand and the next by summoning The Empty to take Billie to its realm alongside himself.

What Powers Does He Have?

Supernatural: Castiel holds an angel blade

Although he had too many powers to list down altogether, Castiel had a bad trait in relying too much on the angel blade to try and kill his enemies. Still, he displayed a number of powers whose effectiveness varied according to his weakened or empowered state.

These included teleportation, invulnerability, mind control, dream walking, telekinesis, smiting, time travel, super strength, and even resurrection. By the later season, however, Castiel very rarely used his powers apart from smiting and the occasional telekinesis, with this usually attributed to him losing his angel wings.

Does Castiel Exist In Lore?

Castiel using his white light powers in Supernatural

There actually is supposed to be an angel known as Castiel outside of the Supernatural universe. Castiel is the angel of Thursday, with his name translating to “Shield of God.” The reason behind the connection Thursday is related to praying to him.

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Those who pray to Castiel are meant to receive the angel’s blessings and help specifically on Thursday. Supernatural even alluded to this connection when Chuck called Castiel out to be the angel of Thursday.

What Is His Ultimate Fate?

Dean cries while Castiel watches him in Supernatural

The ending of the series left quite a few questions after the finale for Supernatural fans. One of these was the status of Castiel. This was actually mentioned by Bobby who claimed Castiel was resurrected from The Empty and helped Jack reform Heaven.

Ultimately, though, his final fate isn’t known, in that it’s not clear if Castiel was still in Heaven or not. It was implied that he wasn’t there, as Castiel never met Dean after the latter’s demise and was mentioned by Bobby to be accompanying Jack, who was confirmed to have left Heaven.

How Was The Character Conceptualized?

Castiel walks away sadly in Superatural

Castiel was introduced in the fourth season, at a time when the angels were debuting in the series. According to show creator Eric Kripke, the only reason he went with the character of Castiel was due to googling “Angel of Thursday” since Supernatural aired on that day at the time.

It was purely out of luck that Castiel turned out to fit the bill, with Kripke then going ahead with the character. According to Misha Collins in an interview for Buddy TV, he wasn’t aware he was auditioning for the role of an angel, as he was led to believe that the role was for a demon.

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