From preventing a nightmarish apocalypse on Earth to battling the Archangel Michael from a parallel universe, Sam and Dean Winchester have endured significant mental and physical pain for the sake of humanity. Although their bodies have frequently played hosts to various demons, angels and other unspeakable creatures, the Winchesters aren't the only hunters in the Supernatural mythos to build a reputation for their skills.

With weekly adventures providing the demon-slaying siblings ample opportunities to encounter a number of allies, both Sam and Dean have been fortunate enough to share the road with many memorable supporting cast members, as well as some they'd likely want us to forget. With the series now fourteen seasons deep, the duo's team-ups and collaborative efforts with some of the show's strongest (and not so strong) hunters has gone a long way in tackling some of the brothers' world-changing undertakings.

Although Supernatural fans will instantly recognize some of the recurring side characters on this list who lasted for a significant amount of time on the series, other names may not appear so readily memorable. Even for some of the lesser characters who lent a helping hand, their time spent as a sidekick to the Winchesters was enough to land them a mention for their heroics. After some seriously heavy contemplation, we've weighed the pros and cons of each of these hunters, valuating them on their tactical abilities as well as their contributing knowledge of the supernatural world. Ultimately, each one has proven their worth.

Join us as we look back at the 18 Strongest (And 5 Completely Worthless) Hunters of Supernatural.

Strongest: Gordon Walker

Gordon Walker talks to a shadowy figure in Supernatural.

Specializing in vampires, Gordon Walker became an adversary of the Winchesters in season two shorty after they saved his life. Although Dean held no ill will against him, Ellen Harvelle warned the brothers of his skills, immediately leading to Sam's suspicious attitude towards him.

Due to his reckless nature and overall lack of good judgment, Walker soon became a thorn in the Winchesters' side, hunting down vampires whether they were dangerous or not. Later, it was revealed that Walker's own sister was abducted when he was eighteen, resulting in him entering the life and eventually eliminating his own sister after she was transformed. After learning of Sam's importance in Azazel's plans for an impending war, Gordon began tailing him. Unfortunately, he's ironically captured and turned by a vampire, leaving Sam no other choice but to take care of him permanently.

Strongest: Krissy Chambers

Krissy speaks with dean in Supernatural

As an up-and-coming hunter, Krissy Chambers runs into Sam and Dean in season seven shortly after her father goes missing. Attempting to contact Bobby, she instead manages to get ahold of Sam, who tracks down the monster before going missing himself, resulting in Dean picking up the case.

Krissy once again pops up on the Winchesters' radar with a group of teen hunters, led by the extremist mentor Victor Vargas.

After her father met his demise at the hands of a vampire, Krissy joined the group in retaliation. Unbeknownst to her, however, Vargas was using her to raise a new group of aspiring hunters and was responsible for her father's untimely end. After the Winchesters help out, Krissy once again promises to hang it up, though she admits she'll do what she needs to survive.

Strongest: Martin Creaser

Martin Creaser Supernatural

First depicted in season five, Martin Creaser is a tragic example of the detrimental toll hunting can have on someone's psyche. Once a dear friend of John Winchester, Martin hung up his hat after an unspecified incident in Albuquerque which left him so severely damaged that he voluntarily checked himself into a mental institution. After an extended stay, patients began mysteriously disappearing, prompting him to contact Sam and Dean.

A couple of years after the case at the mental institution, Martin once again contacted the Winchesters when Sam asked him to keep tabs on Dean's vampire friend Benny. Soon afterwards, Martin grew suspicious of Benny's activities, believing him responsible for the disappearance of a local. Although he is advised to stop hunting, Martin later met his demise after taking Benny's great granddaughter hostage.

Worthless: Alicia and Max Banes

Daughter and son to the revered hunter Asa Fox, Alicia and Max Banes were conceived during a one-night stand between Asa and the “good witch” Tasha Banes. Although they're twins, Max was the only one to inherit any of his mother’s abilities. Shortly after their father's passing, the two called up the Winchesters to find their missing mother. When she popped up unharmed, the twins were happy to have her back. Unfortunately, the version of Tasha they saw was a clone created by an evil witch through a twigs and twine spell.

Although the Winchesters helped vanquish the witch, Tasha’s clone stabbed Alicia, prompting Max to resurrect her through his own twig doll.

While the pair have seemingly showed abilities as hunters, Max’s actions go against all rules of ethnics, calling the young duo’s hunter status into question.

Strongest: The Wayward Sisters

The Cast of Wayward Sisters

The Wayward Sisters were a ragtag team of female hunters that coalesced in season thirteen in an attempted back door pilot episode which would serve as the beginning of a new spin-off series. When Sam and Dean disappear through a rift opened by a dreamwalker, Jody Mills calls in the help of erratic teen hunter Claire Novak.

Upon returning to town, Claire meets up with Jody and the adopted runaway Annie Jones. Later, the psychic teen Patience Turner and dreamwalker Kaia Nieves would join the team along with the chipper Sheriff Donna Hanscum. Although the series would never make it to a full order, the team worked well for the episode and collectively possessed too many abilities to fail, making the would-be addition to the Supernatural mythos an excellent team that sadly never happened.

Strongest: Charlie Bradbury

Charlie in Supernatural

The easygoing hacker-turned-hunter Charlie Bradbury was first introduced to the Winchesters while she was working in I.T. for Richard Roman Enterprises, the corporation owned by Leviathan leader Richard Roman. As a fangirl of all nerd culture, she would aid the duo on occasion while also introducing the Winchesters to fun activities like live action role-playing.

Although Charlie would later take on the hunter's life herself, it wasn't a full-time job.

That is, until she discovered the land of Oz and successfully managed to help Dorothy Baum eliminate the Wicked Witch of the West. After she was invited to stay in the magical world, her greatest accomplishment would come as she fought alongside Dorothy in a war for Emerald City. Sadly, she would meet her demise in season ten at the hands of Eldon Frankenstein.

Strongest: Jo and Ellen Harvelle

Ellen Harvelle in Supernatural

An old acquaintance of John Winchester, Ellen Harvelle arrives in season two after Sam and Dean discover a voicemail she left on their father's phone. A retired hunter and owner of Harvelle's Roadhouse, she befriends them after aiding them in information on the demon Azazel. Shortly after, Dean strikes up a flirtatious relationship with Ellen's daughter Jo, a similarly strong-willed hunter who joined the life as a way of remaining close with her deceased father.

In the series' second season, the mother-daughter duo act as reliable sources of information during the Winchesters' hunts, with Jo occasionally joining one of their weekly adventures. The duo's biggest sacrifice, however, came in season five when they selflessly saved Sam and Dean from a pack of hellhounds, entrapping them in a convenience store and detonating a bomb as the Winchesters escaped.

Worthless: Garth Fitzgerald IV

Garth showing off his sock puppet to Sam and Dean in Supernatural

As an injury-prone hunter with moderate skills, at best, Garth Fitzgerald IV wasn't exactly cut from the same cloth as more well-regarded hunters such as Sam or Dean.

With his slender physique and fun-loving demeanor, he became a fan-favorite hunter, even if his execution was seriously lacking.

First depicted as an acquaintance of Bobby, he often hunted as a lone wolf, traveling the country in his Ford Ranchero. On three separate occasions, he teamed up with the Winchesters and even temporarily took over Bobby's position shortly after his demise. In season nine, he underwent drastic changes after being bitten by a werewolf. Although his skills were enhanced through his new shapeshifting abilities and near invulnerability, he remained relatively the same, though he later left the hunting life behind.

Strongest: Eliot Ness

Eliot Ness Supernatural

One of a handful of Supernatural characters based on real-life figures, Eliot Ness was an American Prohibition agent from Chicago, Illinois who famously led a team of law enforcement agents nicknamed the Untouchables against the illegal activities of notorious crime boss Al Capone. According to the Supernatural mythos, sometime during the 1940s, he learned about the existence of supernatural creatures, later becoming a hunter himself.

Although details of Ness's past hunts aren't given, it is known that he was responsible for taking out a nest of vampires near Cleveland. Later into his career, he met a time-traveling Dean, who aided him in the search for Chronos, the God of Time. Together, the two tracking him down, taking out the Pagan deity with a stake and permanently putting an end to the mummified victims he left in his wake.

Strongest: Asa Fox

Asa Fox Supernatural

Inspired to enter the life after being rescued from a werewolf by Mary Winchester in his youth, Asa Fox was a renowned hunter whose tall tales included such feats as taking down five wendigos simultaneously. He also had a reputation as a ladies' man, resulting in constant one-night stands and the birth of his children, Alicia and Max Banes, two twin hunters whom he fathered with a witch.

Sometime during his supernatural adventures, Asa and his friend Bucky Simms encountered the nefarious demon Jael before exorcising him back to Hell. When Jael returned, his rivalry with his archenemy would become even more bitter. During a search for the demon, Bucky accompanied him, becoming frightened along the way. After a brief quarrel, Bucky pushed Asa into a large pile of rocks, instantly leading to his demise.

Strongest: Mary Winchester

Born to hunters Samuel and Deanna Campbell, Mary Winchester initially hated hunting, rebelling against her parents for a chance at a normal life. After meeting John Winchester, the demon Azazel possessed her father, leading to the demise of her parents and John. Agreeing to terms with Azazel, she agreed to have John resurrected in exchange for the demon's permission to enter her home ten years later, a deal which meant her demise six months after Sam's birth. Three decades later, Mary was resurrected by The Darkness, much to Sam and Dean's surprise.

Since her return, she's aided in taking down the American Men of Letters and led a resistance against an alternate reality version of the Archangel Michael.

Although she struggled at first with her surroundings, she soon adjusted, making her a powerful hunter next to her two sons.

Worthless: Kubrick

Kubrick Supernatural

An ally and friend of Gordon Walker, Kubrick’s interest in the Winchesters began shortly after the opening of the Devil’s Gate in Wyoming. Alerting Gordon of the incident while he was imprisoned, he begins sharing in his ally’s belief that Sam may be more than human due to his link to the yellow-eyed demon Azazel. Enlisting Kubrick’s help to plan his escape, the pair set off to track down Sam and put an end to him.

Believing he was on a personal mission from God, Kubrick became obsessed with Sam.

After Gordon temporarily disappears, later returning as a vampire, Kubrick’s hunter instincts kick in, but before he can do anything, he is overpowered by Gordon, putting a permanent end to his senseless pursuit of the Winchesters.

Strongest: Samuel Campbell

Samuel Campbell Supernatural

The maternal grandfather of Sam and Dean, Samuel Campbell was a no-nonsense man whom the Winchesters first encountered when Dean was sent back in time to 1973 to investigate Azazel's involvement with his family. It was during this time that Samuel and his wife met their demise at the hands of Azazel in exchange for sparing John Winchester.

Decades later, Samuel was resurrected along with a soulless Sam in order to aid Crowley in the search for Purgatory. Although he would meet his demise once more, his knowledge of the supernatural world exceeded that of many of the characters in the series. With hundred of years of family knowledge, Crowley described him as a walking encyclopedia, having known about cures for djinn poison as well as vampirism.

Strongest: Daniel Elkins

Daniel Elkins Supernatural

A former mentor of John Winchester, Daniel Elkins was an experienced hunter who began tracking down supernatural creatures as far back as the 1960s. Sometime during this period, he eliminated a nest of vampires which proved to be the family of an elderly vampire named Luther. Years after Daniel retired from the hunter life to take on a more research-based role, he would meet his demise in his cabin after being tracked back to his home by a group of vamps.

Sometime during 1973, Daniel encountered a time-traveling Dean, who borrowed the Colt from Daniel to take down Azazel.

Although not much is known about Daniel Elkins' active years, he was presumably a well-informed and skilled hunter due to his possession of the Colt, which he owned well before the marriage of John and Mary Winchester.

Strongest: John Winchester

Supernatural - John Winchester

Originally naive about the supernatural world, John Winchester became devoted to hunting following the demise of his wife Mary. Although his time as part of the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War undoubtedly helped him tactically, the hunting life would ultimately cost him his family. During their youth, Dean and Sam were often neglected due to their father’s devotion, leading to a complicated relationship.

Despite his bad parenting, John was a capable fighter, admitting that at some point he became less of a dad and more of a drill sergeant. He also kept many journal entries detailing his hunts, suggesting ways to defeat certain creatures. Perhaps his greatest strength was his persistence, which aided him in the search for the demon Azazel and ultimately helped him discover a way to defeat Azazel through the Colt.

Worthless: The Ghostfacers

Although their status as "professional" hunters remains questionable, the Ghostfacers are technically supernatural hunters by definition. Devout believers in paranormal activity, they began their team of fearless ghost hunters after they began investigating paranormal hotspots, recording their adventures in an attempt to capture hard-hitting evidence of other-worldly sightings on video.

A constant thorn in the Winchesters' sides, Harry Spangler and Ed Zeddmore bumped into Sam and Dean for the first time at a haunted house in Texas.

Unfortunately, the duo and their team of documentary filmmakers found out that the threat was all too real when they came face to face with a Tulpa. Although the frightening ordeal only fueled their hunger for the paranormal, their skills never improved and the Ghostfacers team eventually disbanded altogether.

Strongest: Dorothy Baum

Supernatural Charlie and Dorothy

The daughter of Men of Letters member L. Frank Baum, Dorothy became entrapped in the magical world of Oz after she stowed herself away during one of her father's journeys. As he was unnable to retrieve her after his return, she remained in Oz while her father began writing a series of books based on his daughter's adventures.

Once in Oz, Dorothy became a rebellion fighter against the tyrannical Wicked Witch of the West, alongside three fellow freedom fighters, whom the witch transformed into a scarecrow, a tinman and a lion. Sometime during her battle, she returned to Earth. After failing to receive help from the Men of Letters, she used a binding spell to imprison the witch's soul with her own inside their bunker. She would later vanquish the witch with help from Charlie Bradbury, becoming the sole leader of Oz.

Strongest: Bobby Singer

Bobby Singer in Supernatural

Raised by an abusive, alcoholic father, Bobby's violent upbringing was the first in a series of bad experiences which transformed him into the veteran hunter he'd become. After his wife Karen Singer was possessed by a demon, which led to Bobby ending her life, he became a hunter, often working alongside his long-time best friend Rufus Turner.

Amassing a large collection of books over the years, Bobby became a go-to source of information regarding supernatural entities.

Although his extensive insight into supernatural creatures often came in handy, his belligerent and judgmental attitude was perhaps his greatest strength as it made him wary of almost everyone he met, including creatures which easily concealed their identities. Even since his passing in season seven, Bobby has remained a recurring character in the Winchesters' life, offering words of wisdom from the afterlife and reappearing in Apocalypse world.

Strongest: Samuel Colt

Samuel Colt Supernatural

Idolized among hunters as one of the best in existence, Samuel Colt was a nineteenth century gun-maker who was considered a mythical figure by many. In 1835, he created the Colt, a special gun with a pentagram carved into its handle, which he imbued with powers to take down most supernatural creatures. Sometime soon after, he would also create the Devil's Gate in southern Wyoming, one of the few known gateways to Hell.

In season six, the Winchesters encountered Colt for the only time when they time-traveled to the Old West to track down a Phoenix and collect its ashes. After eliminating the threat, the duo left the past but left the ashes behind. Thankfully, the remarkably knowledgeable Colt understood the importance of the ashes and packaged them for the Winchesters to receive years into the future.

Worthless: Richie

Richie Supernatural

Enticed by the hunter's lifestyle, Richie's fate was the senseless result of someone failing to see the true threat of danger that awaits a hunter at every turn. His first taste of the supernatural came years before Sam and Dean re-teamed to find their father in season one.

During a hunt for a succubus in New York, Dean reportedly saved Richie from his imminent demise, though Richie's pride wouldn't allow him to admit it.

Years after his encounter with Dean, Richie bumped into the Winchesters in Elizabethville, Ohio after the duo began investigating strange activities in the area believed to be caused by a demon. A haven for gamblers and drinkers, Richie entertained himself in Elizabethville, leading to his untimely demise when a demon lured him into a basement.