Since 2005, Supernatural's brotherly duo have traversed the countryside armed with mystical knives, ancient spells and gallons full of holy water, picking up a respectable fan base along the way. In a world filled with angels, demons, mythological creatures, and impending world-shattering threats, the Winchesters have braved some treacherous foes, but as the hits keeping coming, the end of the road just seems to grow more distant.
After thirteen years on the air, Supernatural remains one of the CW's crowning achievements, thanks largely in part to the relationship between the show's stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. With no end in sight and no signs of slowing down, the journey ahead continues to look promising for the duo.
As the younger of the two siblings, Sam has built his reputation on the series as the more empathetic and intelligent of the two brothers. Although he remains as heartfelt as ever when it comes to family, his selflessness and stubbornness have often been his downfall. Having found himself resurrected from the afterlife on multiple occasions over the years, his willingness to sacrifice himself is one of his most endearing qualities.
Criticized for his overly serious demeanor, Sam hasn't always fit the prototypical standard of a hero, nor has everything about his story always come together to make perfect sense. Whether it's his questionable actions or odd personality traits, Supernatural hasn't always gotten everything about Sam just right.
Join us as we take a look back at 25 Things About Sam Winchester That Make No Sense.
His Fear of Clowns
In the season two episode "Everybody Loves a Clown", Sam and Dean investigate a series of grisly incidents where suspects were reportedly seeing clowns. After further digging, the duo link the supernatural sightings to a shape-shifting rakshasa, but not before the paranormal accidents give further insight into one of Sam's oddest personality traits.
Teased by Dean for his irrational fear of clowns, Sam is told he still cries "whenever he sees Ronald McDonald on the television."
Although the fear would be explained as originating from Dean leaving Sam at a chain of clown-themed restaurants as a child, it still doesn't add up that Sam would have such a phobia, given his profession.
His Driver's License
As constant travelers who use fake aliases, Sam and Dean have gotten creative with their fake names. Using pop culture-inspired IDs, they've borrowed popular names such as Ford and Hamill of Star Wars fame as well as Stark and Banner from Marvel, but if their aliases have taught us anything, it's that the duo aren't always cautious.
One of the many IDs created was Sam Winchester's fake California driver's license, which confusingly lists him as female.
The existence of the ID has left many wondering why he would use his real name for a fake card, but more so why he would list himself as the opposite gender.
His College Years
When Sam is introduced in season one, he's a Stanford student preparing to be interviewed by a prestigious law school. Although his college days have been a hot topic for multiple Supernatural fan fiction stories, a large discrepancy remains pertaining to just how long Sam was in school.
According to him, he would have had to be in school for at least four years if he were, in fact, on the verge of receiving his bachelor's degree. However, Dean later acknowledges in the same season that Sam was away for two years at Stanford.
Unless, he's some kind of hyper-intelligent genius, there's little reason to believe he completed law school in just two years.
His Marriage to Becky
Winchester-obsessed Becky Rosen used a love potion to trick Sam into falling madly in love with her in season seven. In time, Becky had a change of heart and was able to subdue the crossroads demon who gifted her with the potion with the help of both Sam and Dean.
Although Becky's wildly inappropriate antics are brushed off as another wacky misadventure, many have suggested that Sam may have been victimized by her.
The episode has been criticized for its relaxed perspective on assault, leading many viewers to ask why Sam would be so alright with being forced into such a serious situation.
His Hatred for Benny
At the beginning of season eight, Dean escaped from the depths of Purgatory after he befriended Benny Lafitte, a vampire who protected Dean in exchange for a way into the real world. Upon their return to Earth, Sam expressed jealousy over Benny, questioning Dean's trust in him.
As multiple viewers have pointed out, Sam's stance on Benny is hypocritical.
Prior to season eight, it was Sam who was quick to believe monsters could live normal lives. Among the notable monstrous characters he considered giving a second chance were Madison, a werewolf with whom he shared a close connection, and Amy, a kitsune attempting to raise her young son.
That Time He Returned from Hell Unscathed
In season six, a soulless Sam returned to Earth after spending a year inside a cage with Lucifer, having endured extreme physical and psychological agony. In time, Castiel would return Sam's soul and break down the wall he had built inside his head, restoring his nightmarish memories.
Sam's memories in the cage alone were enough to drive him crazy, but perhaps the greatest mystery from Sam's first trip to the underworld was how Castiel was able to salvage Sam's body in the first place.
While Sam's body may have entered Hell, nothing should've remained after such high intensity torment, so just how did he make it back to Earth without a scratch on him?
His Disappearing Character Arcs
Comparing Sam to his older brother can lead to some heated debates. As the more charming of the two, Dean can appear seemingly less complicated than Sam, who has been criticized for being overly serious.
Given Dean's popularity, it's logical to believe fans will want to see him at the center of Supernatural's most crucial storylines.
Over the show's most recent years, it appears Dean's top dog status has been at the expense of Sam's character arcs.
While the two stars, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, are perfectly fine with the show's portrayals, there's little doubt Sam is not on equal footing with Dean as he's often depicted reacting to his brother's woes.
His Commitment As A Hunter
While Dean has often battled his own indecisiveness when it comes to being a hunter, Sam's dedication to hunting has always been up in the air, with many fans suspecting he may resent Dean for dragging him back into a life he never wanted.
Shortly after Dean's first trip to Hell, Sam appeared unfazed by Dean's demise, giving up on a way to revive him after four months.
While many may suggest he was simply out of options, it became more evident that Sam may not have cared when he began a relationship with Amelia in season eight during Dean's time in Purgatory, once again giving up all hope of ever seeing his brother again.
Why Doesn't He Use the Men of Letters Library More Often?
Prior to Bobby's passing in season seven, the Winchesters had someone to search for ancient rituals to vanquish monsters while they got their hands dirty. After Bobby's passing, Sam took over the mantle, becoming the duo's sole bookworm.
Countless hours of reading ancient texts is undoubtedly stressful, but with the Men of Letters headquarters, the duo ran into a hunter's paradise with all the answers to the world's supernatural problems. Why do they still find themselves battling threats without knowing how to defeat them?
They're shown inside the bunker frequently, so Sam should have plenty of time to read up.
For whatever reason, he has yet to take full advantage of his resources.
What Happened to Evil Sam?
In the season two finale "All Hell Breaks Loose," Sam is transported to the ghost town of Cold Oak after he is abruptly kidnapped by Azazel. It's there that he is fatally stabbed, causing Dean to make a deal with a crossroads demon to resurrect Sam and end their story with Azazel for good.
Taunted for his foolish one year pact to resurrect Sammy, the yellow-eyed demon playfully warns Dean that the Sam who came back may not be "one hundred percent pure Sam," suggesting an evil version may have returned from the afterlife.
Although an interesting premise, the idea is never explored in season four, nor is it explained further.
His Troubled Love Life
In thirteen seasons, Sam has made his mark on Supernatural as the kind-hearted, more sensitive of the two Winchesters, but much like his ladies man brother, he too has had his fair share of problematic relationships.
Among Sam's many past love interests are his girlfriend Jessica, who met her end at the behest of Azazel, and the demon Ruby, who tricked him into opening Hell's gate.
While those two are enough to earn him a reputation, he's also been connected to a werewolf, a kitsune and a UFO follower, none of which turned out well.
What Happened to His College Friends?
Sam has always been the more independent-minded and fundamentally straight-laced of the Winchesters. Objecting to the hunter's life, he sought an alternative path, earning a scholarship to Stanford. Although he admitted to rarely participating in frat parties, it's been established that he did have a life at Stanford.
Besides his girlfriend Jessica, we've met Sam's friend Brady who was later possessed by a demon and ordered to eliminate Jessica by Azazel's orders.
Apart from Jessica and Brady, little else is known about Sam's Stanford days, including where all his classmates disappeared to.
His Always Flawless Hair
A staple of Sam Winchester's signature look, his hair has been an object of fascination from the start. Worshipped by Supernatural's fans, viewers have meticulously tracked the hair growth and changing styles of the character with many fans trying to identify each season of the series based on Sam's hair alone.
Although the flawless state of Sam's hair can be attributed to a bit of Hollywood glamour, the beautifully flowing locks have still irked some viewers.
How have both Sam and Dean stayed so beautiful after encountering some of Hell's worst demons?
He forgot about his brother
Despite his constant life-saving gestures, Sam's most heroic moment remains his dive into Hell's gate in season five. While Sam has since endured great psychological turmoil over his days spent in Hell, it's Sam's half-brother Adam who really got the short end of the stick.
Shortly after his resurrection, Sam experiences flashbacks of his days in the cage and later has visions of Lucifer still trapped inside, yet never is there much mention of Adam, who was possessed by the archangel Michael.
If Michael took the same trip down as Adam, then what's happened to him since the day of his imprisonment?
The Meaning Behind the "Samulet"
Added to the series as one of Dean's agreed upon accoutrements, the amulet worn around his neck was originally given to him as a gift by Sam in "A Very Supernatural Christmas" and was even called the "Samulet" by fans who believe the Egyptian symbol may signify the close brotherly bond between the two.
Although the necklace first originated from Bobby, the artifact's exact origins aren't known, nor have they been explained.
Later, it's revealed that the amulet glows while in the presence of God and even detects him in season ten before God permanently shuts off its abilities. For such a seemingly important piece of Supernatural's mythology, much about the artifact still remains unknown.
Why Did He Stay with Ruby?
In the season three finale "No Rest for the Wicked", Sam witnesses Dean being brutally mauled by hellhounds. Soon afterwards, he attempts to retaliate against Lilith but is unable to respond quickly enough.
In the following episode, Dean can be seen being resurrected from the ground. Unaware of how his return came to be, he immediately begins his search for Sam, surprised to find him still with the demon Ruby, who is training him to use his telekinetic powers.
For a show which consistently puts family first, Sam's choice to remain with Ruby is a particularly odd one, given he recently witnessed his brother's demise at the hands of a demon.
That Time He Thought Metatron Was a Transformer
As the former Stanford law student and computer wiz, one of Sam's many upsides is he's rarely the butt of the joke, especially given Dean's willingness to play the jokester. Still, even Sam can look stupid, when the show gave him a Transformers reference that seemingly should have gone to Dean.
In the season seven episode "Reading is Fundamental," Sam and Dean visit Castiel to translate a tablet written by Metatron.
When Castiel informs them of who wrote the tablet, Sam mistakes Metatron for Megatron, the leaders of the Decepticons.
The moment is a rare bit of ignorance which is uncharacteristic for someone who prides himself on his intelligence.
His Telepathic Powers
As the crazy demon blood addict in season four, Sam was a man possessed. Prepped by Ruby to open the gate to Hell and unleash Lucifer, Sam was consumed with his newfound telekinetic powers, leading to the inevitable beginning of the Apocalypse.
His untapped potential would eventually shed light on his true abilities as he became strong enough to banish a demon to Hell solely using his mind.
Although Sam would later admit to being purified of his powers in season eight, Ruby once stated that Sam's abilities came from within.
The question remains if the powers are simply lying dormant or have actually disappeared for good.
How Does He Always Have a Wi-Fi Signal?
The life of a hunter presents a lot of hardships. While on the road, Sam and Dean have picked up their share of knowledge about various mystical beings, but it's usually Sam who's left operating as the brains of the duo as he sits down with his laptop for some sleep-inducing research.
In every episode, Sam can be spotted on his computer reading off something to Dean. While his research often comes in handy, it's left many fans wondering how he always has such a strong wi-fi signal.
Given the different rural areas visited in the series, it makes little sense that he would always have internet everywhere he goes.
That Time He Rescued Bobby from Hell
The season three finale of Supernatural marked one of the series' cornerstone moments by sending one of its leading characters to Hell for the first time, leaving Dean trapped for four months in a daze.
As Sam references in season four's opening episode, he tried everything to rescue Dean, but as the season eight episode "Taxi Driver" would later reveal, Sam didn't truly try hard enough.
On a mission to rescue Bobby's soul from eternal damnation, Sam travels to Purgatory where he finds a portal into Hell, which he uses to rescue Bobby. In a matter of a few hours, Sam is easily able to achieve what he couldn't in Dean's four-month absence.