He might've been killed by a no-name vampire in the end, but there's one Supernatural villain record nobody can take away from Dean Winchester. As Sam and Dean Winchester, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki spent their 15-season Supernatural run saving people and hunting things. Lots of things. Whether it be exorcisms, silver bullets through the heart, or an old-fashioned beheading, Sam and Dean would get their hands bloody on a weekly basis. Few are the Supernatural baddies who can be given a slap on the wrist and a friendly warning, but with each passing season, those baddies got bigger and harder to kill.

From as early as Supernatural season 1, it's obvious that Sam and Dean Winchester are a cut above your typical American hunters. Sometimes it feels like the brothers and their close allies (Bobby, the Wayward Sisters, etc.) are the only hunters capable of dealing with anything worse than a spider in a bathtub. As such, Sam and Dean both rack up hefty kill counts. Both heroes also claim the scalps of some big-name Supernatural villains. When the numbers are tallied and the body parts are piled, however, it's Dean Winchester who emerges with one hugely impressive Supernatural villain record.

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Dean Winchester is the only character in Supernatural to kill more than one main antagonist. Sam Winchester has one big bad credit to his name (Lilith in Supernatural season 4), but his older brother sits way out in front with four major villain deaths to boast about. Dean shoots Azazel with the Colt at the end of Supernatural season 2, throws Dick Roman a bone in Supernatural season 7, cuts Abaddon down with the First Blade in Supernatural season 9, and vanquishes Lucifer in Supernatural season 13's finale. And if you expand the parameters to include supporting antagonists, Dean's record only looks more impressive. Zachariah, Cain, Ruby, Hitler, Eve, and Death were all ended one way or another by Dean Winchester's grubby hand.

Why Dean Kills So Many More Villains Than Sam In Supernatural

Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester in Supernatural with first blade

Sam and Dean Winchester share top billing in Supernatural, and both are proven to be excellent hunters, so why does one brother get the glory of killing major villains so much more often than the other? While you could argue Dean is simply stronger, the discrepancy perhaps has more to do with brotherly characterization.

Dean's kill record fits Supernatural's overarching narrative about how the Winchesters are inherently different people. No monster who values their life would wish to tussle against either, but only Dean can be considered a dyed-in-the-wool warrior. Ruthless and relentless, hunting is all Dean has ever known, and he (most of the time) accepts that duty. Sam Winchester is less keen on following in his father's footsteps, and though he realizes hunting is a necessary evil, the younger brother kills with considerably more reluctance and readiness than his older sibling.

Dean Winchester's ceaseless drive to kill monsters at all costs explains why his kill count is so much greater, and it's perhaps telling that two of his four biggest victories come at great personal cost. Slaying Abaddon requires Dean giving himself to the First Blade at the risk of becoming a demon, while defeating Lucifer demands Dean become a vessel for the archangel Michael. Dean Winchester's compulsion to go to such extreme lengths shows exactly why he boasts the most impressive streak of main villain kills in Supernatural.