Death in Supernatural has never been permanent, at least not for long. Over 15 seasons of ghost hunting, demon-slaying, and angelic warfare, fans have watched beloved characters bite the dust, only to pop back up weeks, months, or even seasons later. While some returns make sense, others leave viewers scratching their heads and wondering, “Why did they come back?”
From the Winchesters themselves to fan-favorite angels, demons, and hunters, there are characters whose final moments were so iconic and gut-wrenching that bringing them back feels like cheating the story and the audience.
Here’s a list of 10 Supernatural deaths that should’ve stayed permanent, because sometimes, letting a character rest is the only way to honor them.
10. Mary Winchester
Mary Winchester, the matriarch of the Winchester clan, isn’t just a mom; she’s a skilled hunter whose death in the pilot set the entire Supernatural saga in motion. Her tragic demise at the hands of the demon Azazel haunted Sam and Dean for years, shaping their lives and fueling their relentless fight against darkness.
Fans were thrilled but conflicted when she was resurrected in later seasons; her return softened the emotional punch of her original sacrifice. Mary’s story is a mix of heartbreak, courage, and complicated family dynamics, making her one of the series’s most iconic yet bittersweet characters. She’s the perfect example of a death that maybe should’ve stayed permanent.
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9. Jack Kline
Jack Kline, Lucifer’s nephilim son, is Supernatural’s ultimate mix of chaos and heart, innocent, unpredictable, and more powerful than anyone could handle. Fans thought he was gone for good in Season 14, when he sacrificed himself to take down God (Chuck) and restore balance to the universe.
That moment hit like a gut punch: a young, bright life giving everything for the greater good. But, of course, Jack wasn’t done. He returns in the series finale, now a benevolent God-like figure, reshaping Heaven and even hanging with the Winchesters in the afterlife.
While fans loved seeing him again, his resurrection softened the impact of that epic sacrifice, making the stakes feel a little less permanent. Jack’s journey proves one thing: some characters are unforgettable, but too many comebacks can turn heart-wrenching heroics into feel-good déjà vu
8. Lucifer
Lucifer’s death in Supernatural was supposed to be the ultimate mic drop—a moment of triumph, closure, and stakes at their absolute peak. When Sam and Dean lock him in the Cage during Season 5’s Swan Song, it’s the payoff for years of chaos and the culmination of their sacrifices.
Fans cheered, thinking the nightmare was finally over… but, of course, it wasn’t. Lucifer swaggered back in Season 11, possessing a vessel to wreak havoc, and popped up again in Season 13 during the cosmic showdown. Each return diluted that original punch, turning what should’ve been an unforgettable endgame into a recurring villain cameo.
Some characters are just too big to kill permanently, yet there’s power in a death that actually sticks. Lucifer’s final exit should’ve stayed permanent, letting his terror linger in fans’ minds as a haunting memory, not a revolving-door nuisance.
7. Rowena MacLeod
Rowena MacLeod is Supernatural chaos wrapped in a trench coat of sass, a witch so powerful she could make angels sweat. From being Crowley’s ruthless mother to a reluctant ally of the Winchesters, Rowena kept fans on their toes with her cunning, wit, and unpredictable magic.
But beyond the laughs and drama, her true power was in her sacrifices. She first dies in Season 12, locking away demons and souls for good, a true “wow” moment proving she’s not just clever, she’s heroic. Her resurrection in Season 13 was thrilling, but it watered down the punch of that original sacrifice, making her heroism feel less permanent.
Some characters are meant to go out with a bang, leaving a legacy that sticks. Rowena’s death should’ve stayed permanent, letting her final act hit hard and cementing her as one of the smartest, fiercest, and most unforgettable witches in the Supernatural universe.
6. Kevin Tran
Kevin Tran went from your average high school kid to the Prophet of the Lord, suddenly juggling homework, humanity’s fate, and literal demons on his tail. He first met tragedy in Season 9 (Do You Believe in Miracles?) when Gadreel, possessing Sam, brutally killed him, a moment that punched the heart of every Supernatural fan.
Kevin briefly returns as a ghost in Season 10, trying to find closure with his loved ones, and finally finds peace when God releases his soul to Heaven in Season 11. While these returns were emotional, each resurrection softened the gut-wrenching weight of his original death.
Kevin’s story was never about flashy powers; it was about courage, brains, and heart under impossible pressure. His death in Season 9 should’ve stayed permanent, leaving a mark that truly honors the cost of prophecy and the danger of the world he was thrust into.
5. Gabriel
Gabriel, the Trickster-turned-archangel, was Supernatural’s ultimate wildcard who was sassy, clever, and always one step ahead. Fans thought his story ended in Season 5 when Lucifer brutally killed him in Hammer of the Gods, delivering one of the series’ most shocking angelic deaths. But, of course, the Trickster couldn’t stay gone.
Gabriel swaggered back in Season 13, first appearing in Devil’s Bargain, having been held captive by Asmodeus, ready to stir chaos and help the Winchesters against cosmic threats. His return was exciting, but each resurrection chipped away at the weight of his original sacrifice, making his death feel less permanent and the stakes a bit softer.
Even his final exit in the Season 13 finale, Exodus, at the hands of an alternate Michael, couldn’t fully reclaim that early impact. Gabriel’s journey proves one thing: some characters are unforgettable, but repeated resurrections risk turning epic moments into revolving-door cameos fans cheer for—but don’t fully fear.
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4. Bobby Singer
Bobby Singer is Supernatural’s ultimate dad figure, gruff, sarcastic, and endlessly loyal, with a soft spot for the Winchesters. Fans thought they lost him for good in Season 7, Episode 10, when Dick Roman brutally shot him. The “idjits” that escape his lips as he dies hit hard, cementing Bobby as the heart of the series.
But death couldn’t keep him away. His spirit sticks around as a ghost, guiding Sam and Dean, manipulating objects, and dropping wisdom like only Bobby can. While fans loved seeing him again, these post-death appearances slightly softened the emotional punch of his sacrifice, making his heroic finality feel a bit… less final.
Bobby’s death should’ve stayed permanent, letting that gut-punch moment resonate and honoring the man who was the backbone of the Winchesters’ fight. Even as a ghost, he reminded viewers why some sacrifices are meant to stick.
3. Castiel
Castiel (played by Misha Collins) isn’t your typical angel. He’s the brooding, trenchcoat-wearing celestial who became the heart and conscience of the Winchester family. First appearing in Season 4, he shook up the game, rescuing Dean from death and introducing a whole new layer of supernatural chaos.
Over the series, Cas has died more times than most characters can count, each death hitting like a gut punch: from facing off against Raphael, Lucifer, and Leviathans to sacrificing himself to save Dean. Every resurrection, while thrilling, chips away at the weight of his sacrifices and the series’ stakes.
Castiel’s journey isn’t just about angelic power; it’s about loyalty, love, and discovering humanity in the most unexpected ways. His deaths should’ve stayed permanent, because letting him rest would have amplified the emotional impact of his arc. Cas proves that even an immortal being can teach us the value of mortality.
2. Sam Winchester
Sam Winchester is the heart and soul of Supernatural, and his multiple deaths hit fans like emotional gut punches. It all started in Season 2, when Jake Talley fatally stabs Sam, Dean makes a desperate deal with a crossroads demon to bring him back, sacrificing his own soul.
In Season 4, Lilith kills Sam, only for Castiel to resurrect him, pulling the brothers deeper into the angelic chaos. He sacrifices himself to trap Lucifer in Season 5’s Swan Song, yet the stakes never quite stick, as he comes back again in Season 8 during the trials to close Hell’s gates, and once more in Season 13, killed by Lucifer and quickly revived.
While fans love seeing him survive, these repeated comebacks soften the emotional weight of his sacrifices. By the series finale in Season 15, Sam finally gets his peaceful send-off, resting in Heaven—a bittersweet reminder that sometimes, death should stay permanent to land truly.
1. Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester (played by Jensen Ackles), the fearless, wisecracking heart of Supernatural, has had a rollercoaster relationship with death that kept fans on the edge of their seats. It begins in Season 2, when he sells his soul to a crossroads demon to bring Sam back, setting a path of sacrifice and consequence.
In Season 3, hellhounds drag him to Hell, only for Castiel to resurrect him. In Season 4, the brothers are pulled into angelic chaos. Dean’s selflessness peaks in Season 5’s Swan Song, sacrificing himself to trap Lucifer in the Cage, yet the stakes never fully stick.
He dies and returns again in Season 9, killed by Metatron and resurrected as a demon via the Mark of Cain. Even near-death experiences in Season 11 test him, but he survives.
Dean’s repeated brushes with death became both thrilling and… predictable. His story finally wraps in Season 15, leaving him in Heaven, still the same smart-aleck warrior, just with a well-deserved cosmic time-out.
Supernatural showed us that death in its universe is never simple—heroes and villains alike kept bouncing back, making some epic moments feel a little less permanent. While repeated resurrections thrilled fans, they also softened the stakes, proving that sometimes a sacrifice should truly stick.
Whether it’s Dean, Sam, or Lucifer, these “should’ve stayed dead” moments remind us why high-stakes storytelling works best when finality actually matters.
Which Supernatural deaths hit you hardest, and which comebacks annoyed or excited you the most? Let us know in the comments below!
