Summary

• Bobby Singer's tragic death in Supernatural season 7 had a significant emotional impact on the characters and the audience.
• The writers killed off Bobby to shift the show's direction and challenge Sam and Dean with a devastating emotional burden.
• Despite Bobby's death, he appeared multiple times as a ghost or alternate version of himself, highlighting his irreplaceable role in Sam and Dean's lives.

Bobby Singer died in Supernatural season 7, episode 10, “Death’s Door.” Bobby had one of the most tragic deaths in the show. After seven years of being a reliable ally in the battle against evil and a stalwart father figure to Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) died after being shot by the Leviathan, Dick Roman (James Patrick Stewart). Bobby Singer had survived encounters with ghosts, vampires, demons, and even multiple vessels of Lucifer himself. So why did the writers of Supernatural kill Bobby off in season 7?

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Bobby Singer was first introduced to the world of supernatural entities when a demon possessed his wife, and in response, Bobby accidentally killed her. From that day, Bobby learned all he could about the world of ghosts and monsters and aided fellow hunters, including John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). For seven seasons, Bobby was an ally to Sam and Dean Winchester. He would pose as their FBI supervisor, research demons for them, and provide emotional support and shelter when they needed it. Bobby wasn't originally a main character of Supernatural, but he was one of the best recurring characters.

Bobby Singer's Death On Supernatural

In Supernatural season 7, episode 10, “Death’s Door,” Bobby Singer was shot as Sam and Dean fled from the Leviathans. The rest of the episode took place inside Bobby’s mind, as the Reaper tried to take his soul to the afterlife. Bobby relived his most important memories throughout the episode as he struggled to communicate with Sam and Dean. Bobby confronted his greatest fears and managed to relay information to Sam and Dean that helped them defeat the Leviathans before he died.

The Supernatural writers killed Bobby in the episode "Death’s Door" to shift the show's direction in a way that would most dramatically impact the characters. In the Supernatural season 5 finale, Sam and Dean Winchester stopped the apocalypse, so the writers needed a way to up the stakes. When Bobby Singer died in season 7 of Supernatural, the writers challenged the characters to deal with a devastating emotional burden the likes of which they'd never faced before.

Although John Winchester was Sam and Dean’s literal father, Bobby served as their parental figure throughout the show, and nothing would be the same for the two after Bobby’s death. Bobby's death made Sam and Dean, as well as the audience, understand how important Bobby was and how to move forward without him.

The Reason Bobby Was Killed Off

Although Bobby’s actor Jim Beaver was sad to see Bobby die, he agreed it was for the best. As Jim Beaver said in an interview (via TV Guide), “Drama is about conflict, and it’s about putting obstacles in the path of people who you care about. Although I’ll miss it, I can’t argue the dramatics of it.”

Bobby was Supernatural's longest-running supporting character up until that point, so his loss generated the most emotional impact on the characters and the audience. Bobby's death also worked out for Jim Beaver because he had been offered the role of Sheriff Shelby Parlow on the FX show Justified around the time of Bobby's death.

"I was really, really impressed with the script and the variety of things we got to do. It was very complex, and a lot of fun to shoot. I was really happy to get to work with Carrie Anne Fleming, who played Bobby's wife, again. The only real downside was that most of my active stuff wasn't with Jared and Jensen."

Bobby Returned A Few Times On Supernatural

At the time, Beaver said he didn't know if he would appear again. Luckily for fans, Bobby Singer appeared several more times in the show after his death. He was a ghost or an alternate multiverse version of himself, and the human Bobby never again appeared on Supernatural as he did before his death.

No one on Supernatural could take Bobby’s place after he died, which is why he returned to the finale of Supernatural, “Carry On,” when he reunited with Dean in Heaven. Still, Bobby Singer's death perfectly encapsulated why he was so beloved and important to Sam and Dean on Supernatural.