It's safe to say that Supernatural became the hit that it did largely because of Sam and Dean Winchester. If they hadn't been cast right, the show just wouldn't have worked. Yet even though Sam and Dean are always entertaining to watch, the show has also provided the gamut of other interesting characters (most of whom are later killed).
The earlier seasons had the roadhouse crew, and later seasons had everything from prophets to friendly monsters. Occasionally, the side characters even get their own episodes. Here are some of the more memorable episodes where Sam and Dean take a backseat.
Don't You Forget About Me
This season 11 episode takes place in the familiar locale of Sioux Falls, where Jody Mills is both sheriff and hunter. It focuses on the little family she's formed with Alex, the girl who spent half her childhood as a blood-slave for vampires, and Claire Novak, who lost her father when he became Castiel's vessel (and her mother when she went to search for her husband).
Claire's been trying to hunt, but for once, she stumbles into a real case involving someone turned into a vampire by Alex's old "family." After a messy fight, the girls grow a little closer and bond with Jody.
Hibbing 911
This Jody-focused episode had a fantastic team-up with Donna Hanscum, a character Sam and Dean ran into on another hunt. There's a mysterious death at a sheriff's retreat, and Jody tries to help investigate when she suspects it's a monster. But it's Donna who helps her with the crucial bits of getting into the morgue and figuring out who's a vampire.
While Sam and Dean do get called in for backup, Jody rules the roost in this season 10 episode. Her team-up with Donna is one that would definitely be worth another episode.
What's Up, Tiger Mommy?
Poor Kevin Tran has a rough life as a prophet. In season 8, he starts out with the fallout of being captured by Crowley with no Winchesters to help him. So when Sam and Dean find him again, they take him to check on his mom, who's surrounded by demons. The Winchesters then try to reconnect Kevin with the demon tablet, but have to get it from an auction.
Kevin's mom ends up selling her soul to try to get Kevin back from the auctioneer who steals him, but the deal doesn't go through, and she almost gets killed. Fans learn a few things about Mama Tran, too, like she has a tattoo.
Southern Comfort
Garth didn't seem like a great hunter when he and Dean first met. But after Bobby's death, Garth took his place as the coordinator of the hunter community. In this season 8 episode, the boys assist Garth in hunting down a specter connected to an old penny taken out of a Civil War grave.
Dean is fussy about Garth taking Bobby's place, but in the end, Garth pulls through for them. He proves that he's a good fit for the role, including the occasional job duty of telling Dean to pull his head out of his butt when he's being self-centered.
Blood Brother
This season 8 episode focused on a pretty new character, Dean's vampire friend Benny. Dean goes to help him hunt down his maker for revenge. Viewers learn that Benny's maker killed him when he disobeyed and started a relationship with a human. But Benny is surprised to find that his vindictive maker actually turned his girlfriend instead of just killing her.
While Benny does get his revenge, it's soured by the death of his ex-girlfriend, and a supremely uncomfortable introduction to Sam, whom Dean has kept in the dark about his monster friend.
There's No Place Like Home
When fan-favorite Charlie Bradbury returned from Oz, it wasn't all peaches and cream. This season 10 episode focuses on Charlie's dark side, which has been physically split from her using the magic key to Oz. Dark Charlie is caught on camera murdering someone, which catches the boys' attention.
Making the situation trickier is the fact they can't hurt Dark Charlie without hurting Good Charlie. Still, Charlie rejoins her dark side and tries to deal with what she's done. One of many Charlie-focused episodes, this one hits home because it's one of her last before she was killed.
The Man Who Would Be King
Castiel has been a main character since season 4. He's one of the longest-lasting characters on the show, which is saying something. But this season 6 episode is the rare one really told in the voice of a side character, as Castiel explains in prayer how he's suddenly become the Big Bad of the series.
He explains his plans and how he tried to prevent Raphael from restarting the apocalypse. More importantly, it shows his internal conflict as he lied to the Winchesters for what he was sure were good reasons. It's more impactful knowing that his plans do go awry in the end, and he has to die and be resurrected.
Wayward Sisters
This long-awaited season 13 episode was meant to be a backdoor pilot for a spinoff. The stars are the girls meant to become the sisters: Claire and Alex, who were already living with Jody; Patience, who has psychic visions; and Kaia, the new girl with the super bad dreams.
In an unusual twist, it's the boys who have gone missing and need to be found for once, with the perfect callback to the line that started Sam and Dean's adventure in the first episode of the series. They're stuck in another world until the girls team up to find the rift and pull Sam and Dean back through. Though the spinoff didn't happen, it's still a cool episode with the focus on the girls' team.
Death's Door
One of the most heartbreaking episodes for fans, this season 7 episode was the prolonged death of Bobby Singer. Bobby is reliving his memories when he realizes that he's dying and has to give Sam and Dean some important information about the leviathans before he goes.
With the memory of Rufus Turner, he goes through his harshest memories to get back to the boys. Some hard truths about Bobby's life are revealed in this episode, including when he had to shoot his own father to save his mother. He valiantly gets the info to his idjits just in time before he dies.
Weekend At Bobby's
This hilarious season 6 episode follows a day in the life of Bobby Singer. It's well-known at this point in the series that Bobby is the coordinator of the hunter community, but seeing what that actually entails is fascinating. Killing monsters, burying bodies, and answering the phone as a government agency's director while cooking are all in a day's work for Bobby.
The awkward attempts at flirting with his neighbor while a demon-possessed woman screams in the basement hit a weird note between funny and disturbing. But this episode really demonstrates everything that Bobby does for the team.