The very first episode of The CW's hit series, Supernatural aired on September 13, 2005, and the season finale aired on November 20, 2020, marking the end of the 15 year-long television show. It was a bittersweet moment for both avid fans and cast members alike.
Supernatural's dark, action-packed episodes, enthralling storyline, and impeccable casting stole the attention of audiences everywhere for over a decade. From demonic possessions and sinister spirits to Lucier himself, Sam and Dean fought it all.
Fighting a plethora of supernatural beings and demonic forces for the last 15 years would age anyone, including the main cast of Supernatural. Here is a look into the ages of each main cast member from the very first episode they appeared in, to today.
Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) - Then: 27 Now: 42
Jenson Ackles plays Dean Winchester who starts out the series as a perpetual ladies man simply out for revenge on the demon that killed his mother when he was a child (along with the other supernatural things that lurk in the darkness).
As Supernatural continues, Dean ages like fine wine and grows into a more caring and likable character. He goes from a young 27-year-old with only one thing on his mind into a skilled and even empathetic hunter. Ackles appeared as Dean in all 320 episodes giving fans a first-row seat to his blatantly evident character development throughout the series.
Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester): Then: 23 Now: 38
Always just the sensitive younger brother, Jared Padalecki's character Sam is more innocent from the beginning. Being four years younger than Dean, Sam is regarded as someone who needs constant protection from the world around him. This is exhausting for Dean as well as for Sam while he tries to break out of his shell and fight next to his big brother instead of behind him.
Fans watch as Sam grows into his late twenties, early thirties and ends the series at 38 while understanding some demons he must face alone. Quite literally in his case.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan (John Winchester): Then: 39 Now: 54
Similar to Mary, John is seen through many lenses and different points in time. A younger man in love, a father, and eventually, a ruthless demon hunter. In his younger years in the series, John is seen as a mostly absent father. Chasing after demons, looking for answers, and putting the pressures of adulthood on his young sons.
It's not until the In My Time of Dying episode that John's growth is really seen when he admits to Dean just how much pressure he put on him to take care of the family, including himself. This scene alone shows fans just how much John has grown and how much he's reflected on his life and what he had left behind.
Samantha Smith (Mary Winchester): Then: 35 Now: 51
Samantha Smith's character Mary Winchester has an interesting character arc as she ages and evolves throughout the series. Mary's age jumps around through flashbacks during the show giving fans a look into her past, who she was with Sam and Dean, and who she has become when she is resurrected by The Darkness.
The most confusing time for both audiences and Mary herself is coming back to earth 33 years after her murder and trying to navigate a world she has never seen as a much older adult. This makes her character do a few questionable things in the final seasons.
Misha Collins (Castiel): Then: 34 Now: 46
Misha Collin's character Castiel begins Supernatural a young, optimistic, naive Angel, truly believing in the good of his father - God as well as his fellow Angel brothers and sisters. Castiel tries to do everything by the book but he quickly discovers the corruption that not only pollutes Hell but Heaven and the Angels in it.
With the world, he thought he knew crumbling around him, Cass becomes more cynical and pessimistic while his character and real-life counterpart age. By the end of the series, Cass is run down, ragged, and exhausted.
Mark Sheppard (Crowley): Then: 45 Now: 56
Crowley's lust for power is evident throughout Supernatural, but his more ruthless nature is more clear in his younger episodes. Mark Sheppard's character Crowley stayed on the show for nine years and fans watched as he skirted the line between barbaric and torturous former King of the Crossroads demon and self-appointed King of Hell to actually helpful and sympathetic.
Crowley's character evolution was more in-depth than greying hair and a flowering beard and his heartbreaking death shows just how much fans enjoyed the demon he had become.
Ruth Connell (Rowena MacLeod): Then: 35 Now: 41
Fans aren't introduced to Rowena until season 10 but once she makes an appearance, it's hard for audiences to imagine the show without her. In the first few seasons she's in, Rowena is a younger witch, making her more careless, thoughtless, and much more selfish. Her gluttonous hunger for power even gets her killed by Lucifer. Twice.
Rowena may have only been in Supernatural for six years, but her character showed some massive growth. Especially once she begins to understand and acknowledge the repercussions of her actions when it comes to her son and Lucifer.
Jim Beaver (Bobby Singer): Then: 55 Now: 70
In the beginning, Bobby is mostly stoic, focused, and a little rough around the edges with some extra hilarious one-liners tossed in. Having to murder his own possessed wife made him understandably angry and resentful towards all demons and other supernatural beings. Bobby faces many challenges throughout the series, including declining mental health and being in a wheelchair. This adds to his character development and age throughout the show.
Jim Beaver who plays Bobby mirrors his character in age on the show and in real life, both being born in 1950.
Mark Pellegrino (Lucifer): Then: 44 Now: 55
Although it's unclear exactly how many years Lucifer had spent in the cage inside Hell, it was enough to cement himself as a barbaric, soulless, monster in the Supernatural universe. Unlike the other characters on this list, Lucifer experiences a negative character arc as he ages. Going from God's favorite to his most hated while becoming more and more villainous and angry.
Lucifer is also an immortal being that does not age like the humans on this list and unlike his human counterpart, making his character even more complex and multifaceted while also giving audiences some extra sassy quotes.
Rob Benedict (Chuck Shurley): Then: 39 Now: 50
Similar to Lucifer, Chuck Shurley (God), is an immortal being who doesn't age like the other human characters on this list but that doesn't mean he doesn't experience growth and an interesting character arc. Going from a struggling writer to God is a big leap, one that Chuck doesn't take easily.
When Rob Benedict takes the screen, fans are introduced to him as Chuck Shurley, an anxious, confused, struggling author that has no knowledge of unholy beings of any kind. As the seasons progress and the veil is lifted, Chuck realizes he's actually God. This makes him undergo a massive transformation mentally as he discovers just how much power he actually holds in his world.