The world of Supernatural, filled with monsters and things that go bump in the night, is no stranger to death. In fact, one of the show's most memorable characters was Death who, ironically, also dies in the show. Apart from the death of Death, the show had its fair share of sad endings that left the audience in tears and shocking ones that fans never got over.
While those were often heartbreaking, especially when it was Sam and Dean dying, death never stuck when it came to the Winchester boys. Some of the best scenes of the show were of the boys' return from the land of the dead. Especially how and what they came back as in some cases because, in the land of the supernatural, anything is possible.
Death: When Special Children Don't Play Nice
At the end of season 2, Jake stabbed Sam during Azazeal's twisted games to find the best human with demonic abilities from his chosen group of special children. After an intense fight and sparing Jake's life, Sam heard Dean calling out for him. Just as Sam was walking towards his brother, Jake got up and stabbed Sam in the back.
The saddest thing about this death was that Dean and Bobby had finally found Sam after a long search, only to watch him get killed. Although it wasn't the first death of a key character of the show, it was quite sad to see Sam die so soon after his father, leaving a heartbroken Dean holding his dying brother.
Ressurection: Sam, Interrupted
Sam's first resurrection after his first death was shocking mostly because it was the first time they'd done anything like that. Through a deal with a crossroads demon, Dean brought his brother back from the dead in exchange for his soul to be collected a year later.
Of course, the audience was just as thrilled as Dean to have Sam back, but after he repeatedly shot Jake in a cold and brutal way, everyone began to worry that the Sam who'd returned wasn't really Sam anymore.
Death: A Thousand Ways To Die On A Tuesday
In season 3, episode 11, "Mystery Spot," Gabriel, posing as a trickster at the time, decided to play a joke on Sam by killing Dean over and over again. Dean died over 100 times in that episode in every way imaginable. Every time he died, the day would reset and it would be Tuesday again—the trickster's cruel way of showing Sam he couldn't save his brother from his impending death, no matter what he did.
When Sam eventually caught up to the trickster's prank and got him to stop, Dean made it to Wednesday alive and they prepared to hit the road, convinced the issue was behind them. But then, Dean was shot by a mugger and for a while, it seemed like that was the final nail in the coffin.
Ressurection: Saved By An Archangel
Supernatural delved into time travel for the second time in season 5, episode 13, "The Song Remains The Same." This time, Sam and Dean went back to the past to save their parents from Anna, an angel who wanted to kill Mary so Sam wouldn't be born or have to fulfill his destiny of becoming Lucifer's vessel.
Anna stabbed and killed Sam, but before she could kill Mary, the archangel, Michael, showed up, possessed John, and killed Anna. After a conversation with Dean about his and Sam's role in the apocalypse, he brought Sam back to life. The most shocking thing about this resurrection was having Michael step in and set things straight, even though it was mostly to save his own interests.
Death: When Hell Let The Dogs Out
When the year Dean had bought himself to get Sam back from the dead ran out, hellhounds came for him in a scene that was not only sad but truly horrifying. The invisible hounds of hell ripped his flesh apart while he screamed until he was dead and the next time he woke up he was screaming for help in hell.
The time leading up to his death was the worst, as Sam and Dean tried everything they could to find a loophole out of the deal to no avail. As far as Supernatural deaths go, it was one of the bloodiest.
Ressurection: Raised From Perdition
When the hellhounds dragged Dean to hell, kicking and screaming, it seemed like that was finally it. There was no way he could come back from that. To the viewers' surprise, the first episode of season 4 began with Dean's hand clawing out of his grave.
After pouring holy water on him and a bunch of other tests to check that he wasn't some kind of monster, Sam happily embraced his brother. When the happiness had passed, they both asked the question burning on everyone's minds; how was this possible? The mark of a hand, seemingly burnt into Dean's arm was the only clue, and then Castiel, an angel, revealed that he had raised Dean up from hell on God's instructions.
Death: An Angel Of Death
From the time angels were introduced to the series, Sam and Dean went up against a lot of them. For the most part, they managed to survive those battles, thanks to some tips and tricks taught by everyone's favorite angel, Castiel. Still, they didn't always come out of an Angel Battle unscathed.
During the season 9 finale, Dean went up against Metatron—an angel and scribe of God, and also one of the worst villains on Supernatural. He stabbed Dean to death with an Angel blade during their fight, leaving him to die in Sam's arms after some heartwrenching last words.
Ressurection: Demon Dean
Beaten and bruised in season 9, episode 23, "Do You Believe in Miracles?" the final blow for one of Dean's most heartbreaking deaths was a stab in the chest by Metatron. To make matters worse, Sam arrived at the very moment it happened.
After some tear-jerking words from Dean, before he died, Sam took him back to the bunker and tried to summon Crowley to bring him back because, of course, a Winchester can never stay dead. Crowley was already in the bunker, narrating a chilling story to Dean's lifeless body. And when he put the First Dagger in Dean's hand, his eyes sprung open, black as coal before the scene cut to credits.
Death: A Wayward Metal Pipe
Death finally beat the Winchesters in the series finale, "Carry On," starting with Dean. While he was on a hunt with Sam, they encountered a group of vampires and a fight broke out. During the fight, a vampire pushed Dean back onto a wooden beam with a metal pipe sticking out of it, thus impaling him.
This death made fans of the show more mad than sad because it felt unfair for Dean to have survived demons, leviathans, rogue angels, and Death himself only to be killed by a rusty metal pipe. Alas, that was the end of the line for the gallant hunter.
Ressurection: The Devil Has A Heart After All
While on a mission to save Mary and Jack from Apocalypse World in season 13's "Beat the Devil," Sam, Dean, and the others were attacked by vampires. The vampires overpowered Sam and Dean had to watch his brother's throat being ripped out before they dragged him away. In addition, everyone else urged Dean to leave Sam behind as it was too late for him.
As Sam lay lifelessly on the ground, he suddenly sat up, breathing heavily. To his surprise (and the audience's), Lucifer had brought him back to life after following them into the Apocalypse world so he could see Jack. Any fan of Supernatural knows generosity doesn't come easily to the devil - or at all, in fact. So, the fact that he did this was even more shocking than Sam surviving a ripped-out throat. Unsurprisingly, Lucifer admitted he saved Sam so he could win some points with Jack.