Fifteen years is a long time for a show to be on the air. Fifteen years' worth of seasons being on the air, fifteen seasons of action, emotional beats, and character development, all culminating in a final, epic sendoff. Yet, among all the other greats, something else stands out.
During the fifteen years, the dark fantasy series Supernatural was on the air; it amassed a number of the most important thing in any show: quotes. From emotional lines that cut deep to hilarious lines and even random quotes that have become iconic, Supernatural has them and so much more.
Updated on July 11th, 2022, by Shawn S. Lealos: Supernatural lasted longer than almost any other fantasy television series in history. While it finally went off the air in 2019, after 15 seasons, fans still talk about it to this day and the world of the series still rolls on to this day. There is a prequel series coming that will focus on Sam and Dean's mom and dad meeting and becoming a demon-hunting duo. There are also rumors that Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki might reunite for a continuation of their story in one way or another. One reason it has stood the test of time is because of the characters and the best Supernatural quotes that they threw at each other, some funny and others poignant, that fans still recite to this very day.
Dean Makes A Stand
"What if we win?"
For most of their lives, Sam and Dean Winchester have been fighting a battle to save lives and kill demons. While Bobby was in the hospital, he explained that they need to do the best they can, but no matter who wins between Heaven and Hell, they are "boned." However, Dean then asked the one question that led the boys to the finale.
"What if we win?" Dean asked in a very poignant Supernatural quote. He said they should just forget about the angels and demons and that if they fight a war they can do it somewhere else. His goal is to kill everyone, including Michael, angels, and demons. "What I do have is a GED and a give 'em hell attitude," he exclaimed, which seemed to slightly sway Bobby. In the end, it was that attitude that won the day over even God himself.
Castiel Lays It All Out There
"My people skills are rusty"
If there is one person who had great Supernatural quotes because of his lack of experience around humans, it is Castiel. One of his lines became so famous that it ended up on t-shirts. In the third episode of season six, Castiel was talking to Dean and he said, using finger quotes, "My 'people skills' are 'rusty.'"
He goes on to explain that it is worse than usual because he "spent the last year as a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent." The Supernatural quote has an even bigger impression on viewers because it describes a lot of people and made Castiel more relatable than ever on the show.
Bobby Let's Dean Know How It Is
"Well Boo Hoo"
Dean Winchester often had trouble seeing the forest for the trees. He was always ready to rush off into battle and was more than ready to do it by himself. However, he was lucky that he had Bobby Singer as a surrogate father to put him in his place and tell him how it is. In the season four episode "Lucifer Rising," Bobby had one of those moments. Bobby was telling Dean he needed to save Sam, but Dean felt that all he did was hurt him when he tried.
"Well, boo hoo!" Bobby yelled. "I am so sorry your feelings are hurt, princess! Are you under the impression that family's supposed to make you feel good, make you an apple pie, maybe? They're supposed to make you miserable! That's why they're family!" Bobby then told Dean that he was being a coward and eventually convinced him to do the right thing.
Dean's Rules To Live By
"Be Afraid of the dark"
For a long time, people were told not to be afraid of the dark. It was often a sign of weakness, but in the world of Supernatural, not being afraid of the dark was almost like signing a death warrant. Sam and Dean were talking about their childhood and Sam lamented that when he told his dad he thought something was in the closet, he gave Sam a gun. Sam just wanted to hear him say, "don't be afraid of the dark."
That blew Dean's mind. Knowing what they know about the world, that would have been the worst advice. "Don't be afraid of the dark? What are you, kidding me? Of course, you should be afraid of the dark. You know what's out there!" For the rest of their career, they were hunting what was in the dark.
How Legends Become More Dangerous
"Disney Flicks And Bedtime Stories"
In the season three episode "Bedtime Stories," a small town is experiencing murders that resemble classic fairy tales. These included tales like Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and Little Red Riding Hood. When Dean mentioned that fairy tales ended with everyone living happily ever after, Sam corrected him.
In the classic tales, people rarely had happy endings. Sam then gave a lesson on fairy tale retellings that helped make these monsters even more dangerous. "See the Grimm Brothers' stuff was kinda the folklore of its day, full of sex, violence, cannibalism. Now, it got sanitized over the years, turned into Disney flicks and bedtime stories."
Crowley On Dean's Demonic Possession
"...Let's Go Take A Howl At That Moon."
Demon Dean, or Deanmon as the fandom so affectionately named him, was a relatively short-lived storyline, but one that provided such amazing moments.
Arguably none better than the birth of Deanmon. After dying at the hands of Metatron, while laying dead on his bed in the bunker, Crowley comes to Dean and using some great Supernatural quotes, tells him a story of how Cain wanted free, but the mark would not let him go. In the end, he tells Dean, "Listen to me, Dean Winchester, what you're feeling right now... it's not death. It's life... a new kind of life. Open your eyes, Dean. See what I see. Feel what I feel. Let's go take a howl at that moon." a speech well remembered by fans.
Castiel Introduced Himself
"I'm The One Who Gripped You Tight & Raised You From Perdition."
Long before Dean was a demon, long before he could even comprehend the existence of a being like Cain from the bible, Dean had to accept the existence of angels when Castiel introduced himself in "Lazarus Rising."
Castiel, one of the show's most adored characters, will forever have his first Supernatural quotes in the show remembered by fans. After walking through an onslaught from Bobby and Dean, Dean simply asks, "Who are you?" to which Cas, in his typical angel-like tone, states, "I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition. Oh, how far Destiel has come from that moment.
It's Dean's Car; Dean's Rules
"Driver picks the music; shotgun shuts his cakehole."
If there's something about Supernatural that's become more iconic than the Winchesters, monsters, and some fantastic supporting characters among a couple of hated ones, it's the Impala that the boys treat like one of their own. The Impala's been through it all, from monster hunts to being torn apart, and yet, there's still some form of rules to be followed with Baby.
The very first season set the rules, with music always being a must and the driver, Dean, being the one to choose a soundtrack. The shotgun, Sam, shuts his cakehole, one of the Supernatural quotes all fans follow.
Castiel Vs. Michael
"Hey, A**butt!"
From the moment fans met the wayward angel Castiel, they fell in love with him. From his misunderstandings of sarcasm and pop culture, Castiel has become one of the most likable angels on the show and, as such, has had a number of memorable Supernatural quotes of the years that have captivated and amused audiences for years.
Everyone, however, recalls the moment Castiel faced the archangel, Michael. Instead of busting out angelic power, Castiel simply yelled "Hey, a**butt" and burnt Michael to a crisp with a holy Molotov, making for both a phenomenal scene and quote.
Crowley Is Back
"Hello, boys."
In other shows, villains can be as simple as villains. They can have evil intentions and an overall goal of ending or taking over the world. However, villains from Supernatural, some fans hated and others they loved, villains like Crowley, can be far more interesting.
There are too many reasons to count as to why Crowley is such an interesting antagonist, although his sass and quotes are a large attributor. Every time he pops up on the screen and snarkily greets the Winchesters with "Hello, boys", immediately it becomes iconic.
Dean Achieved a Life Goal
"I killed Hitler."
Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, and the likes of Sam and Dean have faced all kinds of beasts over the years, even becoming romantically involved with a few. Of course, how the hero brothers handle said monsters is always a joy to watch, especially when it comes to the likes of Hitler.
Following an attempt to return from the dead in a new body, the long-dead dictator is killed again by Dean, who, in absolute joy, states that he killed Hitler, an achievement he totes around and continuously says whenever he gets the chance along with a number of other fantastically sassy quotes.
Bobby's Best Insult
"Idjit."
Sometimes, long-winded Supernatural quotes aren't needed to craft a memorable quote. Every now and then, a single word can be all that's needed to create the perfect quote, one that can stick with fans for years to come and join the ranks of iconic lines.
Leave it to Bobby Singer, the Winchesters' surrogate father, to have that kind of influence, with his ever irritated and memorable "Idjit" punctuating just about every line of dialogue and scene, even being put on the likes of t-shirts, mugs, and posters.
Crowley Talks A Big Game
"No one in the history of torture’s been tortured with torture like the torture you’ll be tortured with."
There are Supernatural quotes that are smooth, that roll off the tongue in the best way possible, usually coming in the form of one-liners. Then there's the other kind of quotes, the tongue twisters, the ones that are so quotable and so amazing yet so difficult to say.
"No one in the history of torture's been tortured with torture like the torture you'll be tortured with" is such an amazing line, and yet, trying to say the king of the demon's famous quote will leave anyone, even the best speakers, tongue-tied.
Dean And Castiel Are The Best Together
"Cass, get out of my a**!"
Out-of-context quotes are, without a doubt, the best kind of quote. Anyone whose been keeping up with the show will understand the quote, but if someone walks in and hears random Supernatural quotes, then chances are they're going to be very confused in the best way possible.
At some point during its run, it's highly likely that a family member walked in on someone else while they were watching SPN and heard, "Cass, get out of my a**!" and was very confused by the amazing yet strange quote.
Sometimes It's The Little Things
"I lost my shoe."
Every fan has their favorite character, and SPN is not without some likable and enjoyable characters. From the badass Dean to the sometimes heroic, sometimes not heroic demon king Crowley to everyone's favorite surrogate father Bobby, the list can go on forever.
For the ones who have a passion for Sam, the reasoning can be traced back to a moment in one of the series' best and funniest episodes, "Bad Day At Black Rock," when Sam, in the best voice and reaction, lamented the loss of his shoe.
Sam On Why They Keep Fighting
"People don’t just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them."
Who would have thought that a series as intense and insane as Supernatural would have some honest-to-God emotional moments? Sure, in every episode, there's plenty of blood, gore, and jokes to be had, and yet, the show manages a master juggling act of craziness and emotional beats.
Of course, there are plenty of small moments between Sam and Dean, little talks that strengthen their relationship and the overall story. The line about people is honestly one of the more real lines to come out of the series.
The End Of The Road
"Hey, Sammy." "Dean."
Whether or not this pair of quotes would have been as well remembered if it were not for the finale is unknown, but there is definitely weight in the fact these are the brother's first words to each other.
Not only is this the exact exchange Sam and Dean have in Sam's dorm after their fight in the pilot, but it is the same exchange that closes out Supernatural forever when Sam arrives in heaven and is reunited with Dean. It remains one of the best Supernatural quotes of the entire series.
Family Values
"Family Don't End In Blood, Boy."
Undoubtedly Bobby Singer's most iconic Supernatural quote that is not just one of his awesome catchphrases is this line which is so incredibly relevant to the themes and narratives thread throughout Supernatural.
Bobby, Castiel, Charlie, Jack, Crowley, Rowena, Ellen, Jo, Meg, Gabriel, Jody, Benny, Donna, and more, none of these people are blood-related to Sam and Dean, but they are most definitely family. Supernatural is built on the idea of family and its importance, and this quote by Bobby is one of the many that help defines that theme in the show.
Dean On What John Wants For Them
"I Think He Wants Us To Pick Up Where He Left Off, You Know, Saving People, Hunting Things, The Family Business."
Throughout Supernatural, a quote that really became ingrained in the minds of fans early on in the show is Dean's plea to Sam about hunting, about how John wanted them to be out there "saving people, hunting things, the family business."
Fans never have and will never forget this line from Dean. Not only is it another brilliant family-based Supernatural quote that has more meaning considering the other characters who join Sam and Dean's family, but it is one that for so many sums up the first five seasons of the show as it was initially intended. Unforgettable and beloved by fans.
Sam And Dean Get Started
"We’ve got work to do."
Lines can define a show. Done right, the perfect line can set a show on the right path. For the likes of SPN, that path was a 15-year journey following two brothers on a mission to protect the world from the things that go bump in the night.
By the time the first episode ended, soon-to-be fans knew the ride that they were getting into, and the now-iconic Supernatural quote, "We've got work to do" serves as a moment that would define both of them, as well as a generation of fans.