Stretching back through the show's run, the Supernatural mythos has come far from the Winchesters just expelling demons. In the first season, the existence of angels was only hinted at. Flash forward a few years and Sam and Dean encounter their first descendant of Heaven, Castiel, whose true form is said to be as large as the Chrysler Building. Since season 4, angels have become routine fare for the Winchesters, although the celestial entities often far exceed the duo's typical foes in pure strength.

At the top of the heap are the archangels, the first four supreme creations of God, brought into existence briefly after the beginning of existence itself. After that, various tiers of power divide the guardians of Heaven, categorizing them into such classes as Seraphim, Cherubs, Grigori, and the dreaded Nephilim. Sometime after the creation of mankind, God asked his angels to become the protective watchers of Earth, forever causing a rift between the angels jealous of God's beloved, flawed creations and the angels who remained devoted to their father's wishes. While the angels of Supernatural have at times exhibited remarkably selfish or power hungry characteristics, others have proven to be much classier, aiding in humanity's fight to maintain free will.

UPDATE: 2022/12/04 21:10 EST BY SHAWN S. LEALOS

Supernatural ended its run after an amazing 15 seasons on the air. However, that was not the end of the road for the franchise. While Sam and Dean Winchester are no longer driving the roads of America, saving humanity from demons, ghouls, devils, and angels alike, The Winchesters brings fans the story of their parents. Premiering in October 2022, the new series tells the story of how John Winchester met Mary and the two embarked on a war to battle the same demons and angels that their sons would tackle many years later. With that in mind, angels have been around since the dawn of time, so there is a good chance more will appear to challenge Supernatural's batch of Heavenly beings' status as the most powerful in all existence.

Strongest Supernatural Angels

Bartholomew

A former intelligence angel and protégé of Naomi, Bartholomew was a faction leader who led a group of fallen angels after Metatron's spell cast them from Heaven. Recruiting various religious followers of the Reverend Buddy Boyle, his faction used podcasts to attract human vessels, amassing an army to overthrow Metatron.

Attracting the attention of other angels, Bartholomew soon developed a rival in Malachi, a separate faction leader and low-level angel who hoped to unify with Bartholomew. After futilely attempting to recruit Castiel to his cause, Bartholomew tried to pick a fight with him. After refusing to act violently, Castiel was forced to defend himself, prompting him to fatally stab Bartholomew with an angel blade.

Balthazar

Sarcastic, impetuous and self-serving, Balthazar was a personal friend of Castiel who was presumed to have lost his life in battle sometime during the Apocalypse. Later, however, when Castiel and the Winchesters infiltrated his residence, they discovered that he had faked his demise and stolen many powerful artifacts from Heaven.

Despite his joking personality and rebellious nature, Balthazar exhibited incredible powers. When Raphael attacked the Winchesters, he used an alternate reality spell to send Sam and Dean to a universe in which they were the stars of a TV show called Supernatural in one of the best meta episodes. Similarly, he mentioned altering history to prevent the Titanic from sinking so that the James Cameron movie would never be made.

Ephraim

Falling under a special category of angel known as the Rit Zien, Ephraim functioned as a medic and merciful executioner on the battlefields of Heaven. After falling to Earth, he took the vessel of a devoted religious man. Having little knowledge of the understanding of human emotions, he began smiting everyone in pain, whether their condition was particularly severe or not.

Drawing the attention of Dean and Castiel, Ephraim continued to end the lives of people devastated by pain, including a girl in turmoil over a bad break-up with her boyfriend. Although he would attempt to smite Castiel, he was caught off-guard by an angel blade, putting an end to his life.

Hannah

Among the many angels who fell to Earth following Metatron's spell, Hannah served as second-in-command in Castiel's faction, created to prevent Metatron and Gadreel from forming a new Heaven. Although she first attacked Castiel upon meeting him, she ultimately became an ally.

Growing protective of Castiel, Hannah grew close to him, which inevitably had an effect on them both. After spending much time on Earth, she also became more susceptible to human emotions. After encountering her vessel Caroline's husband, Joe, she returned to Heaven to give Caroline her life back. She proved to be a great leader of the angels in Heaven, but Hannah eventually met her end at the hands of the angel Efram.

Uriel

At one time a loyal servant of God, Uriel was a former combatant who served alongside Castiel and Anna Milton. Although Uriel initially stood with God following the banishment of Lucifer, he also admired Lucifer's courageousness, ultimately leading to his secret alliance with the fallen angel.

Often ruthless, Uriel was depicted as having a strong disdain for humans. After revealing his status as a double agent working to free Lucifer, he warned Castiel of God's disinterest in the angels, believing humans were their father's new favorites. Described as a "specialist" by Castiel, Uriel was also revealed to be taking out former members of his garrison, leading Anna to end his life.

Anna Milton

Once regarded as the superior of Castiel and Uriel, Anna Milton was a higher tier angel of whom Castiel spoke positively. An observer of humanity, she became so enamored with human emotions that she voluntarily removed her grace so she could be reborn a human.

Reborn in 1985, Anna wasn't discovered by the Winchesters until after Castiel resurrected Dean from Hell. As she gained extensive knowledge of the oncoming Apocalypse, demons began seeking her out, prompting the Winchesters to protect her. After attempting to end the lives of John and Mary Winchester to retroactively erase Sam and Dean from existence and prevent the apocalypse, Anna met her end at the hands of the archangel Michael.

Ishim

The commander of a flight of angels which included Castiel, Benjamin, and Mirabel, Ishim was responsible for ending the life of the angel Akobel as well as his step-daughter May. Summoned sometime in the eighteenth century by Lily Sunder, the garrison captain fell in love with the human woman, prompting him to order the end of Akobel's life, as well as her daughter.

Many years later, Lily's knowledge of Enochian magic granted her immortality, which she used to track down Ishim. Despite Ishim's own telekinetic abilities, Lily managed to get the best of her opponent, holding him in place with her magic long enough for Castiel to stab him with an angel blade.

Joshua

After the Winchesters met their demise at the hands of two ski-masked hunters in season 5, they were prematurely sent to Heaven where they spoke to the Gardener, Joshua. Known as the angel who speaks to God, Joshua stated that God told him to talk with the two brothers.

Although hardly an overpowered angel, Joshua exhibited enough trustfulness that God continued to speak to him after his disappearance from Heaven. While the angel admitted that he never talked to God directly, he could still take orders. Likewise, as the sole protector of Heaven's Garden, Joshua possessed unique gifts such as the power of resurrection and the ability to erase people's memories.

Tamiel

The only angel here to belong to the elite class of Grigori, Tamiel was originally sent to Earth to protect humanity. After turning evil, many of the Grigori were believed to be extinct. However, some survived to harvest on the souls of humans, some of Supernatural's most powerful creatures.

Disguised as a faith healer, Tamiel used the name Peter Holloway for 50 years, feasting on people who wouldn't be missed. After capturing Amelia Novak, Tamiel caught Castiel's attention, who was using Amelia's husband Jimmy as his vessel. Aided by Jimmy's daughter Claire, Castiel tracked down Tamiel. The human girl Claire made the fatal strike which ultimately ended Tamiel's life.

Akobel

A Seraph sent to Earth to observe humanity, Akobel was the husband of Lily Sunder, a professor of apocalyptic lore with an infatuation for angels. Protecting Lily from the obsessive angel Ishim, Akobel helped to raise her daughter May. When Ishim falsely accused Akobel of having a child with Lily, he confronted him for his crime.

Visiting his home in Maine, Ishim openly criticized Akobel for his love of humanity. Akobel was fatally stabbed with an angel blade by the angel Mirabel, resulting in his demise. Although he was outnumbered, Akobel was one of the few known Seraphs apart from Castiel, making him a capable fighter, despite his demise.

Naomi

A leader of Heaven's Intelligence Division, Naomi was a manipulative, brainwashing angel who worked directly underneath the archangels. Frequently reporting to her throughout season 8, Castiel worked undercover with Naomi to prevent the angel tablet from falling into Metatron's hands.

Although her positive intentions to keep Heaven in working condition remained her primary driving force, Naomi's ruthless pursuit of the tablet and complete disregard for human casualties made her a particularly dangerous villain for Castiel and the Winchesters. Following her supposed demise at the hands of Metatron, she later returned, having faked her early exit. After this, she tried to keep Heaven running until she fell when Duma arrived and conquered Heaven.

Zachariah

Zachariah implanted false memories into Sam and Dean's heads, making the duo believe they were working as employees in the corporate world. Posing as their boss, he later revealed himself as Castiel's superior, serving underneath Michael and Raphael ever since Lucifer was cast into Hell.

Supporting the release of Lucifer from his cage, Zachariah attempted to persuade Dean to serve as Michael's vessel, believing it would restore power to Heaven in God's absence. Although he would display top-tier powers throughout the show by doing such things as giving Dean cancer, he ultimately met his end after Dean stabbed him with an angel blade.

Gadreel

Responsible for the corruption of humanity and the war between Heaven and Hell, Gadreel was the former guardian of the Garden of Eden. After Lucifer manipulated his way into the Garden, a series of events inevitably led to the creation of Hell and Lucifer's fall from Heaven.

Following his mistake, Gadreel was imprisoned in Heaven's dungeon for thousands of years, only escaping after posing as the angel Ezekiel. In an attempt to restore his legacy, he sacrificed himself so that Castiel could prevent Metatron from attaining Godlike power. Although he helped defeat Metatron, his reason was entirely selfish as he only wanted to redeem himself from being the angel who allowed Lucifer into the Garden.

Castiel

Castirl's first appearance remains one of the best Supernatural episodes of all time. Tasked with the job of preventing the Apocalypse, Castiel was the angel responsible for raising Dean from perdition and breaking him out of Hell. Allying himself with the Winchesters, he would meet his demise at the hands of Lucifer, only to be resurrected as a Seraph.

At his strongest, Castiel possessed all the souls of Purgatory, giving him nearly unlimited power which allowed him to defeat the archangel Raphael. At his lowest strength, he was without his grace, reducing him to a human with no supernatural abilities. Having met his end on five occasions, Castiel has been through as much as the Winchesters, although his faith gives him a competitive edge few angels possess.

Gabriel

The youngest of the archangels, Gabriel was first introduced to the Winchesters in season 2 under the guise of the Trickster Loki. Attempting to flee from his Heavenly duties, he retreated to Earth as an escape where he carelessly used his mind-altering abilities to teach Sam and Dean a few life lessons.

Although his powers are inferior to his archangel siblings, Gabriel wields tremendous abilities, which he uses to create mind-altering illusions. On separate occasions, he has made the Winchesters live out their lives on various television shows and made Sam relive the same day in an infinite time loop. Ultimately, however, he is the most compassionate archangel, despite his mischievous actions. Sadly, Gabriel fell in Apocalypse World when his brother Michael killed him with an archangel blade.

Raphael

The third oldest of the archangels, Raphael worked alongside Michael following Lucifer's banishment. Making his first appearance in season 3, he came to Earth after Sam and Dean knowingly put the Prophet Chuck in harm's way, prompting the archangel to respond.

Following the prevention of the Apocalypse, Raphael resurfaced as a lead antagonist intent on restarting the end of the world. Dealing with Crowley, Castiel obtained the souls of Purgatory in order to fight off Raphael. Although Castiel admitted that Raphael was much more powerful than many of the angels, he later defeated him after merging himself with the souls of Purgatory. Castiel destroyed the archangel with a snap of his fingers.

Metatron

Personally selected as the Scribe of God, Metatron was responsible for the Word of God prior to his abrupt disappearance. Afraid that the archangels would use him to read God's words, he fled to Earth where he hid God's information for centuries.

Infatuated with God's creations and jealous of the free will of humans, Metatron perceived himself as the hero of his own story, which inevitably led to his own Godlike arrogance. After using the angel tablet to cast the angels from Heaven, Metatron became increasingly lonesome, prompting him to rebuild Heaven with only the angels he deemed worthy. He would later meet his demise after being imploded by Amara in season 11.

Lucifer

Formerly God's most beloved celestial, Lucifer's downward spiral began with the creation of humanity, which he became increasingly jealous of after perceiving humankind as his father's favorite creation. Waging war against God, he was banished to Hell. In retaliation, he took the mantle of the first Ruler of Hell.

In season 5, the fallen archangel would be released from Hell's cage and quickly became one of Supernatural's best characters. With Sam serving as his vessel, the interference of the Winchesters would ultimately prevent him from beginning the Apocalypse and cleansing the Earth of humanity. He met his demise in season 13 after Dean stabbed him with an angel blade while under the control of the archangel Michael. However, God brought him back only for Michael to kill him once again at the end of the series.

Michael

The oldest archangel, Michael is the first angel in existence. During the War in Heaven, he banished his younger brother Lucifer from Heaven upon God's command, restricting him to a cage for centuries. Unlike Lucifer, Michael remained an obedient follower of God's orders.

After battling his brother, Sam Winchester sacrificed himself to lock the two inside Lucifer's cage, ultimately taking a toll on Michael's psyche. As the antagonist of season 13, an alternate reality version of Michael exists which defeated Lucifer and continued ravaging the planet. This created a post-apocalyptic world in what some fans consider one of Supernatural's most cringeworthy parts. In the final season, Michael proved his superiority over his brother when he finally killed Lucifer, although God killed Michael after this.

Jack

When Lucifer possessed the body of U.S. President Jefferson Rooney, he fathered a child with Rooney's girlfriend Kelly Kline. Considered by many to be an abomination, Jack was taken in by the Winchesters, who taught him to control his powers. In time, he would leave for the Apocalypse World where he teamed with Mary Winchester in a resistance against the archangel Michael.

Believed to have an unlimited source of power, Jack was mistaken for God by the prophet Donatello after sensing his presence. Despite leaving with his father for most of season 13, he would ultimately prove to be good in nature, giving Lucifer the opportunity to steal his grace. However, in the end, Jack proved to be the strongest angel of them all when he stripped God of all his powers, leaving the creator as a mere mortal man. Jack had one of the best character arcs in Supernatural.

Worthless Supernatural Angels

Malachi

A rival of the angel Bartholomew, Malachi was a faction leader who amassed an army of followers to take Heaven back from the Godlike Metatron. Wanting to unite all of Heaven's angels, he attempted to attract the attention of Bartholomew's followers by destroying many of his soldiers. When Bartholomew ignored him, he declared a war between the two armies.

Bitter about his low ranking among angels, Malachi's dangerous nature made him an awful leader. After capturing and hurting Castiel, he scoffed at Castiel's unwillingness to harm other angels, believing any actions were necessary to win back Heaven. After escaping, Castiel later mentioned that Malachi had met his end at the hands of Gadreel.

Cupid

Cherubs, or cupids as they're more commonly called, are among the lowest-ranking angels, primarily known for their matchmaking abilities. First encountered by the Winchesters in season 5, an unnamed cupid drew unwanted attention after interacting with a couple who ate each other alive due to the effects of Famine, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Upset by the accusation that he was responsible for the cannibalistic couple, the cupid of season 5 was emotionally sensitive, although other cherubs have seemed less dramatic. Although the cupids of the series have unnatural strength, there's little indication that their abilities stretch beyond a normal angel's talents, suggesting their biggest power is their love-pairing.

Duma

One of the few angels left in existence, Duma is a servant of Heaven on a mission to restore her home to its former prominence. After the birth of the Nephilim Jack, she reluctantly agreed to meet Castiel at the Heavenly Portal to discuss Jack's whereabouts. After informing Castiel of the angels' nearly extinct status, she suggested Jack may be powerful enough to aid in the angels' repopulation.

Some time after her meeting with Castiel, a weakened Lucifer approached Duma with an offer to create more angels for Heaven in exchange for her services. Afraid of his wrath, she caved to his wretched ways. Duma ended up sealing her own fate when she told Castiel she would destroy John and Mary Winchester's shared heaven causing him to kill her instantly with an angel blade.

Anael

Previously employed as a soul counter of Heaven, Anael was a low-ranking angel whose ideas were rejected by her brethren. After the Fall of the Angels, her life was renewed. She possessed the vessel of Sister Jo and became a famous faith healer.

Approached by Lucifer, Anael struck a deal to act as the archangel's second-in-command. After Lucifer took his place as Ruler of Heaven, Anael took the mantle as Heaven's First Lady, but left when the archangel couldn't repopulate Heaven as he promised. Later, she ran into the alternate reality version of Michael who called her out on her desire to be accepted, calling it her biggest weakness.

Samandriel

Nicknamed "Heaven's Most Adorable Angel," Samandriel was given the short end of the stick. Inhabiting the vessel of a Wiener Hut employee named Alfie, he first manifested on Earth when a Word of God tablet appeared at an auction. Bidding against Crowley, he was unable to secure the stone.

Soon afterward, Crowley captured Samandriel and began tormenting him for information regarding Heaven's prophets. Inflicting damage with an angel blade, Crowley cut off his communication with other angels by strategically placing two screws in his head. Unfortunately, the screws triggered Samandriel's "operating system," prompting him to spill Heavenly secrets he didn't know he knew. This accident led to Naomi labeling him a traitor, resulting in Castiel ending his life.

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