The definitive ranking of every Supernatural episode

Sam and Dean Winchester have saved the world more than once, so we figured the least we could do would be ranking every episode of Supernatural ever. From Sam and Dean's first battle against the Woman in White to the series finale, we left nothing out.

327. "Bugs" (Season 1, Episode 8)

Even the show's writers know how bad "Bugs" is—they mocked the episode in season 4's "The Monster at the End of This Book." Cliché-riddled (a Native American curse is behind the bugs) and replete with gross visuals, "Bugs" clearly indicates a show still trying to figure out its tone and style. Early episodes of Supernatural pulled from the vast wealth of horror shows and films that came before the series, but in "Bugs," they forgot to make things scary and just left fans with a disgusting hour.

326. "Wendigo" (Season 1, Episode 2)

After a relatively strong pilot, the show took a turn for the worse with its first monster (no demons or spirits this time!). Every supernatural show these days needs to include a wendigo episode it seems, but the Winchesters' battle with the monster is a rough second step for a show in its infancy. Even creator Eric Kripke admitted in a series retrospective the episode is one of their worst. With a disappointing wendigo design to top it all off, the episode was a poor indication of the much stronger work that would come.

325. "Out With the Old" (Season 7, Episode 16)

The two main plots in this episode feature Frank trying to figure out Dick Roman's plans and the Winchester brothers dealing with a handful of cursed objects, including a pair of ballet slippers that make people dance themselves to death. Dick Roman? No thanks. Cursed slippers? Again, no thanks.

324. "All Dogs Go to Heaven" (Season 6, Episode 8)

Sam and Dean have actually had several dog-related cases, but the canine-related antics are at their worst in "All Dogs Go to Heaven." The episode will make any dog lover just a bit wary of adopting a new pet, for fear that it might be a murderous skinwalker (if they believe in that sort of thing, of course). And Sam admitting he has changed—a.k.a. lost his soul—is just a sad cap to a strange episode.

323. "Mannequin 3: The Reckoning" (Season 6, Episode 14)

While Dean heads off to explain to Ben that Lisa going on a date isn't an "emergency," Sam is left to work a case involving a dead sister, a kidney transplant, and a lot of mannequins. Of all the things to haunt, mannequins just aren't scary. And neither are kidney transplants. Plus, brother separation is never ideal.

322. "Route 666" (Season 1, Episode 13)

In a not-so-memorable hour, the brothers are forced to face off with a black truck that keeps running people over/running them off the road/generally killing everyone in its path. Bringing in Dean's ex is a nice touch, but it doesn't take away from the whole haunted black truck thing. All in all, the episode lacks an edge.

321. "The Slice Girls" (Season 7, Episode 13)

Wonder Woman would definitely not want to be associated with these Amazon warriors. After going home with Dean one night, the secret Amazonian Lydia becomes pregnant and, in the blink of an eye, gives birth to a daughter. The only problem is that she's destined to kill her father. So Sam makes the difficult choice for Dean and kills the child in one of the series' most uncomfortable and unsavory moral dilemmas.

320. "The Mentalists" (Season 7, Episode 7)

More forgettable than it is truly terrible, "The Mentalists" just doesn't have much going for it. There could be a lot to play with when considering the most psychic town in America, but the sibling ghost issues at the heart of the mystery are just lousy. And the episode may mark the quickest turnaround for Sam and Dean fighting and then reconciling, which sucks all the drama out of Amy's death.

319. "Bloodlines" (Season 9, Episode 20)

The Supernatural spin-off didn't quite live up to fans' expectations, and although it probably didn't deserve all the hate it received, it doesn't quite measure up to other hours. Bottom line: It's hard to compare when the hour is severely lacking in Sam and Dean (even though that's on purpose).

318. "Unforgiven" (Season 6, Episode 13)

An episode that feels like it's spinning its wheels—or web—doesn't do much to move the overall plot forward while pitting the brothers against a boring spider-like foe.

317. "Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie" (Season 7, Episode 14)

316. "Man's Best Friend With Benefits" (Season 8, Episode 15)

The title kind of says it all.

315. "Shut Up, Dr. Phil" (Season 7, Episode 5)

Not even a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion can save this ho-hum episode about witches.

314. "Playthings" (Season 2, Episode 11)

313. "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" (Season 2, Episode 4)

Remember the college student with the zombie girlfriend? Yeah, we sort of do.

312. "Heartache" (Season 8, Episode 3)

311. "Time Is on My Side" (Season 3, Episode 15)

We might have been able to live without the creepy zombie doctor, but at least Rufus and Bela both make an appearance.

310. "Sin City" (Season 3, Episode 4)

309. "Houses of the Holy" (Season 2, Episode 13)

308. "Alex Annie Alexis Ann" (Season 9, Episode 19)

An appearance by Jody Mills saves an otherwise average vampire episode (even though we'd come to love Alex).

307. "There Will Be Blood" (Season 7, Episode 22)

306. "Dead Man's Blood" (Season 1, Episode 20)

305. "How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters" (Season 7, Episode 9)

Not only does Dick shoot Bobby, but there's that whole unfortunate turducken thing that ruined burgers of any kind for a while.

304. "Bloodlust" (Season 2, Episode 3)

303. "Caged Heat" (Season 6, Episode 10)

302. "Paint it Black" (Season 10, Episode 16)

301. "Malleus Maleficarum" (Season 3, Episode 9)

300. "Repo Man" (Season 7, Episode 15)

299. "You Can't Handle the Truth" (Season 6, Episode 6)

The goddess of truth makes an appearance that ultimately leads to Sam admitting that he hasn't felt like himself since returning from the cage. Hint: It's because he doesn't have a soul.

298. "Ladies Drink Free" (Season 12, Episode 16)

Sam and Dean work with Mick to save Claire after she's bitten by a werewolf.

297. "Family Matters" (Season 6, Episode 7)

296. "Blood Brother" (Season 8, Episode 5)

295. "Wishful Thinking" (Season 4, Episode 8)

Sam and Dean encounter a talking teddy bear.

294. "Love Hurts" (Season 11, Episode 13)

293. "Dark Dynasty" (Season 10, Episode 21)

292. "Galaxy Brain" (Season 15, Episode 12)

291. "Dead in the Water" (Season 1, Episode 3)

290. "Plush" (Season 11, Episode 7)

Sheriff Donna calls Sam and Dean when a man in a giant fuzzy mask commits murder.

289. "A Most Holy Man" (Season 13, Episode 15)

288. "Provenance" (Season 1, Episode 19)

287. "Metamorphosis" (Season 4, Episode 4)

286. "The Purge" (Season 9, Episode 13)

Sam as a yoga instructor is an image we'll never forget. The episode, however, is slightly less memorable.

285. "Paper Moon" (Season 10, Episode 4)

284. "Various & Sundry Villains" (Season 13, Episode 12)

283. "Two and a Half Men" (Season 6, Episode 2)

282. "Exile on Main St." (Season 6, Episode 1)

Coming back from the show's best finale is tough, and, try as it might, the premiere helps set the tone for an uneven season 6.

281. "Fresh Blood" (Season 3, Episode 7)

280. "Red Sky at Morning" (Season 3, Episode 6)

279. "Family Feud" (Season 12, Episode 13)

In which Supernatural asks us to remember who Crowley's time-displaced son Gavin is.

278. "Party On, Garth" (Season 7, Episode 18)

277. "The Chitters" (Season 11, Episode 19)

276. "Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes" (Season 12, Episode 20)

Sam and Dean help twin witches Max and Alicia Banes find their mother, but the result is tragedy.

275. "War of the Worlds" (Season 13, Episode 7)

274. "Funeralia" (Season 13, Episode 19)

273. "Dog Dean Afternoon" (Season 9, Episode 5)

Dean acting like a dog is funny on some levels and just a bit too far on others.

272. "Halt & Catch Fire" (Season 10, Episode 13)

271. "Good Intentions" (Season 13, Episode 14)

270. "The Gamblers" (Season 15, Episode 11)

269. "Gimme Shelter" (Season 15, Episode 15)

Sam and Dean confront Amara, while Castiel and Jack work a case involving a local community center.

268. "The Things They Carried" (Season 10, Episode 15)

The dreaded Khan worm is back, and this time it's messing with Cole.

267. "Citizen Fang" (Season 8, Episode 9)

266. "Survival of the Fittest" (Season 7, Episode 23)

265. "…And Then There Were None" (Season 6, Episode 16)

Eve's appearance makes for good drama, but we're not a huge fan of the worm-in-the-ear plot. However, Rufus' death is worth noting. R.I.P.

264. "Beyond the Mat" (Season 11, Episode 15)

263. "The British Invasion" (Season 12, Episode 17)

If you wanted to learn more about Mick and Ketch's backgrounds via flashbacks, then this is the episode for you. If you didn't really care for either one of these British Men of Letters, then…

262. "Golden Time" (Season 15, Episode 6)

261. "Slash Fiction" (Season 7, Episode 6)

The Leviathans can't help but be a nuisance, as two impersonate Sam and Dean and go off on a killing spree that lands the brothers on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

260. "I'm No Angel" (Season 9, Episode 3)

259. "The Hunter Games" (Season 10, Episode 10)

258. "Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets" (Season 12, Episode 10)

Guest-starring Alicia Witt as a mother using Enochian magic to avenge the murders of her daughter and angel husband, this episode provides more information about Castiel's pre-Winchester days.

257. "Criss Angel is a Douche Bag" (Season 4, Episode 12)

The magicians make for an entertaining hour, but not one we feel the need to re-watch.

256. "Last Holiday" (Season 15, Episode 14)

A wood nymph brings the holiday spirit to the bunker.

255. "The Bad Seed" (Season 11, Episode 3)

Rowena is recruiting for a Mega Coven and "Uncle Crowley" is trying to inspire Amara to be evil, which involves having her watch some of Hitler's speeches.

254. "Mamma Mia" (Season 12, Episode 2)

Mary Winchester rejoins the action when she teams up with Castiel and Dean to save Sam from the British Men of Letters.

253. "Sharp Teeth" (Season 9, Episode 12)

Garth is back! But this time he's a werewolf.

252. "Defending Your Life" (Season 7, Episode 4)

251. "Angel Heart" (Season 10, Episode 20)

250. "The Werther Project" (Season 10, Episode 19)

249. "Rock and a Hard Place" (Season 9, Episode 8)

The Winchesters join a chastity group to investigate a series of murders, but Dean has a little trouble paying attention to the word "chastity."

248. "American Nightmare" (Season 12, Episode 4)

247. "Remember the Titans" (Season 8, Episode 16)

Sam and Dean try to help out Prometheus by killing Zeus. Because, sure, that sounds like an easy enough goal in life.

246. "The Kids Are Alright" (Season 3, Episode 2)

Lisa and Ben's first appearance is notable for obvious reasons, but let's not forget all the creepy kids.

245. "Sex and Violence" (Season 4, Episode 14)

244. "Blade Runners" (Season 9, Episode 16)

Dean holding the First Blade makes for some very mysterious drama, but we can't quite look past the whole Snooki-is-a-crossroads-demon thing, though it is pretty hilarious.

243. "Don't Go in the Woods" (Season 14, Episode 16)

242. "Drag Me Away (From You)" (Season 15, Episode 16)

241. "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester!" (Season 4, Episode 7)

Halloween turns deadly and the angel Uriel proves not all angels are alike, as he shows a much more homicidal tendency than Castiel.

240. "The Usual Suspects" (Season 2, Episode 7)

239. "Girls, Girls, Girls" (Season 10, Episode 7)

238. "Asylum" (Season 1, Episode 10)

237. "Hibbing 911" (Season 10, Episode 8)

Jody Mills and Donna Hanscum bond at a sheriff's retreat.

236. "Thin Lizzie" (Season 11, Episode 5)

235. "The Memory Remains" (Season 12, Episode 18)

What starts as a normal hunt ends with Dean fighting Moloch, a god, in a freezer.

234. "Last Call" (Season 15, Episode 7)

Christian Kane guest-stars as an old friend of Dean's.

233. "Adventures in Babysitting" (Season 7, Episode 11)

The introduction of Krissy is a solid moment in the show's history, but not one of the most exciting.

232. "Crossroad Blues" (Season 2, Episode 8)

231. "Something Wicked" (Season 1, Episode 18)

230. "The Thing" (Season 13, Episode 17)

229. "Patience" (Season 13, Episode 3)

228. "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell" (Season 12, Episode 15)

Yet another episode about one of the Winchester brothers keeping a secret from the other. This time it involves the British Men of Letters and a hellhound on the loose.

227. "Long Distance Call" (Season 3, Episode 14)

226. "Captives" (Season 9, Episode 14)

Kevin is back and he's haunting the bunker, at least until Sam and Dean find his mom. Then, he can have the emotional farewell he always deserved. (Not that Dean's manly cry wasn't good enough, because it was.)

225. "The Bad Place" (Season 13, Episode 9)

An attempt to find the Apocalypse World and save their mother goes horribly wrong, and the boys find themselves in the monster-inhabited Bad Place. Not great, Bob!

224. "The Raid" (Season 12, Episode 14)

Mary tries to convince Sam to join the British Men of Letters with a vampire hunt that goes sideways when the alpha vampire shows up.

223. "Mother's Little Helper" (Season 9, Episode 17)

222. "Nightmare" (Season 1, Episode 14)

221. "Time After Time" (Season 7, Episode 12)

The God of Time sends Dean back to the '40s where he teams up with Eliot Ness, who just happens to be a hunter.

220. "Simon Said" (Season 2, Episode 5)

219. "There's Something About Mary" (Season 12, Episode 21)

Family drama alert! A brainwashed Mary turns on her boys and helps sociopath Ketch seal them in the bunker without oxygen—because we needed another reason to not give Mary the Mother of the Year award.

218. "The Future" (Season 12, Episode 19)

Viewers get the first glimpse of the Nephilim's powers when Castiel channels the unborn child to kill Dagon.

217. "Roadkill" (Season 2, Episode 16)

216. "Breakdown" (Season 13, Episode 11)

215. "Unity" (Season 15, Episode 17)

214. "Exodus" (Season 13, Episode 22)

213. "Nightmare Logic" (Season 14, Episode 5)

After one of the young apocalypse world hunters goes missing, Sam, Dean, Mary, and Apocalypse Bobby go looking for her, which leads to an emotional story about Bobby's deceased son and a battle with a super-powered djinn.

212. "Ouroboros" (Season 14, Episode 14)

211. "Jack in the Box" (Season 14, Episode 19)

210. "Alpha and Omega" (Season 11, Episode 23)

The season 11 finale sees the resolution of God and Amara's conflict, but introduces a new one: the British Men of Letters. Then there's the little ordeal of a resurrected Mary Winchester.

209. "Live Free or Twihard" (Season 6, Episode 5)

The show finally takes a full-on shot at Twilight, showing the massive book and film franchise exactly how vampires are supposed to act.

208. "#THINMAN" (Season 9, Episode 15)

The Thinman isn't the most intriguing villain, but the parallels between Ed and Harry's relationship and Sam and Dean's are way too good to ignore.

207. "Hell's Angel" (Season 11, Episode 18)

206. "About a Boy" (Season 10, Episode 12)

When Hansel gets his hands on Dean, the eldest Winchester brother suddenly finds himself stuck in the body of his teenage self.

205. "Like a Virgin" (Season 6, Episode 12)

204. "The Girl Next Door" (Season 7, Episode 3)

203. "The Scar" (Season 14, Episode 3)

202. "Unhuman Nature" (Season 14, Episode 7)

Rowena's brought in to help a sick Jack, while Nick discovers who killed his family.

201. "Clap Your Hands If You Believe..." (Season 6, Episode 9)

Dean is abducted by aliens that turn out to be fairies. Also, there are elves and a leprechaun.

200. "Raising Hell" (Season 15, Episode 2)

199. "Byzantium" (Season 14, Episode 8)

198. "Peace of Mind" (Season 14, Episode 15)

Need we remind you of Sam's amazing sweater?

197. "The Girl With the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo" (Season 7, Episode 20)

If only Charlie's introduction weren't so entangled with all things Dick Roman, this episode would've ranked a lot higher.

196. "Reichenbach" (Season 10, Episode 2)

195. "Torn and Frayed" (Season 8, Episode 10)

194. "Optimism" (Season 14, Episode 6)

Sam and Charlie battle a man-fly hybrid, while Dean introduces Jack to a real zombie.

193. "Of Grave Importance" (Season 7, Episode 19)

192. "Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire" (Season 11, Episode 1)

It's the official introduction of the Darkness, both as a full-grown woman and a baby.

191. "Keep Calm and Carry On" (Season 12, Episode 1)

190. "Frontierland" (Season 6, Episode 18)

189. "Swap Meat" (Season 5, Episode 12)

188. "Season Seven, Time for a Wedding!" (Season 7, Episode 8)

187. "Stranger In a Strange Land" (Season 14, Episode 1)

The season 14 premiere introduces Jensen Ackles' Michael and Sam's "chief" as he leads all of the Apocalypse World hunters.

186. "Tombstone" (Season 13, Episode 6)

185. "The Spear" (Season 14, Episode 9)

184. "Hunteri Heroici" (Season 8, Episode 8)

In a quasi-meta episode, deaths start occurring in a small town that has some strangely cartoon-like attributes. There are enough classic animation callbacks in the episode, including an actual 1-ton anvil, that you can just sense Wile E. Coyote waiting off-screen for his cue.

183. "Gods and Monsters" (Season 14, Episode 2)

182. "Bring 'Em Back Alive" (Season 13, Episode 18)

181. "A Little Slice of Kevin" (Season 8, Episode 7)

180. "The Foundry" (Season 12, Episode 3)

179. "Unfinished Business" (Season 13, Episode 20)

Gabriel gets a backstory! And it involves Loki!

178. "The Rising Son" (Season 13, Episode 2)

177. "LOTUS" (Season 12, Episode 8)

When Lucifer inhabits the body of POTUS, the Winchesters have to ask the British Men of Letters for help. Also, Lucifer impregnates a woman, so there's that!

176. "Everybody Hates Hitler" (Season 8, Episode 13)

The title is great. The premise is great. The actual excitement level of the golem isn't what it could've been.

175. "Game Night" (Season 14, Episode 17)

174. "Damaged Goods" (Season 14, Episode 11)

173. "Inside Man" (Season 10, Episode 17)

172. "The Rapture" (Season 4, Episode 20)

This hour takes a different look at the Winchesters' world when Castiel leaves his human vessel. It's not one of the show's best episodes, but it's worthy of some recognition.

171. "The Big Empty" (Season 13, Episode 4)

Castiel meets his twin…sort of.

170. "Mint Condition" (Season 14, Episode 4)

Any episode that starts in a comic book store is guaranteed to be fun, and this one doesn't disappoint. It features a murderous Thundercats action figure, a fun callback to season 2's "Hollywood Babylon," and Dean fighting someone called the Hatchet Man, the main character of a horror series.

169. "Prophet and Loss" (Season 14, Episode 12)

168. "Absence" (Season 14, Episode 18)

Sure, we've always liked Mary, but we didn't realize how much until "Absence," which uses flashbacks to give Mama Winchester a beautiful and touching farewell.

167. "Despair" (Season 15, Episode 18)

The rapture is real! But more importantly, Castiel confesses his love for Dean before sacrificing his own life to save his favorite Winchester.

166. "The Trap" (Season 15, Episode 9)

Castiel and Dean return to Purgatory, while Sam has a little chat with Chuck.

165. "After School Special" (Season 4, Episode 13)

Dean turning into an old man thanks to a witchy poker game makes for a solid comedic hour that would've ranked higher if the competition weren't so stiff.

164. "Bedtime Stories" (Season 3, Episode 5)

163. "Southern Comfort" (Season 8, Episode 6)

Garth attempts to be the new Bobby, but Sam and Dean have concerns about a guy whose ringtone is "Jump" by Kriss Kross filling that role.

162. "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (Season 3, Episode 10)

161. "Don't You Forget About Me" (Season 11, Episode 12)

160. "The Scorpion and the Frog" (Season 13, Episode 8)

159. "Scarecrow" (Season 1, Episode 11)

One of Supernatural's scariest episodes came in its first season.

158. "The Curious Case of Dean Winchester" (Season 5, Episode 7)

157. "Black" (Season 10, Episode 1)

156. "Jump the Shark" (Season 4, Episode 19)

The episode lives up to its title, revealing that Sam and Dean aren't the only Winchester brothers. But the family reunion isn't exactly a fun time.

155. "Hook Man" (Season 1, Episode 7)

A classic example of the show's early days as a mini-horror movie every week, "Hook Man" might not be the show at its best, but it helped define the show's monster roots.

154. "As Time Goes By" (Season 8, Episode 12)

153. "Bad Boys" (Season 9, Episode 7)

152. "Heaven Can't Wait" (Season 9, Episode 6)

Once again proving they know how to have fun, the Supernatural writers make Cas human and force him to work at a gas station. Also, he babysits.

151. "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" (Season 5, Episode 15)

150. "Proverbs 17:3" (Season 15, Episode 5)

What, you didn't think we'd get a final season without Lilith showing back up at some point, did you?

149. "The Third Man" (Season 6, Episode 3)

148. "Soul Survivor" (Season 10, Episode 3)

After a cat-and-mouse chase through the bunker, Sam saves his brother from being a demon.

147. "Salvation" (Season 1, Episode 21)

146. "Bitten" (Season 8, Episode 4)

In a very non-traditional hour, Sam and Dean stumble upon some video footage that shows the werewolf transition of three college students…and the one of them that survives it all.

145. "The Vessel" (Season 11, Episode 14)

144. "Bloody Mary" (Season 1, Episode 5)

Once again proving that the show's first season was its scariest, this episode tells the tale of Bloody Mary as she comes to life and makes people bleed from their eyes.

143. "Sam, Interrupted" (Season 5, Episode 11)

142. "Death Takes a Holiday" (Season 4, Episode 15)

141. "What's Up, Tiger Mommy?" (Season 8, Episode 2)

Who knew the supernatural could be so civilized as to hold an auction? Apparently, they are in this episode, which also includes another appearance by Mrs. Tran, who doesn't show up as often as her son (but is just as fun to watch).

140. "Devil May Care" (Season 9, Episode 2)

139. "Hello, Cruel World" (Season 7, Episode 2)

The Leviathan of it all hurts this episode's credibility, but the return of Lucifer (in Sam's visions) almost makes up for it.

138. "Our Little World" (Season 11, Episode 6)

137. "Ask Jeeves" (Season 10, Episode 6)

Sam and Dean work a case that oddly feels like a game of Clue.

136. "Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox" (Season 12, Episode 6)

In this episode, Sheriff Jodi Mills, Sam and Dean's surrogate mother, meets the newly resurrected Mary Winchester at the funeral of a fallen hunter.

135. "Devil's Bargain" (Season 13, Episode 13)

134. "Back and to the Future" (Season 15, Episode 1)

The season 15 premiere picks up right where season 14 left off: Jack's dead, Chuck has ended the world, and Sam, Dean, and Castiel are surrounded by zombies.

133. "Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven" (Season 15, Episode 8)

This mid-season finale marks the long-awaited return of Adam (and Michael) from the cage!

132. "Skin" (Season 1, Episode 6)

131. "Beat the Devil" (Season 13, Episode 21)

Even though Sam has died many times before, his mid-episode death here was still shocking and upsetting because of how relatively mundane it was.

130. "The Rupture" (Season 15, Episode 3)

129. "Destiny's Child" (Season 15, Episode 13)

128. "Nihilism" (Season 14, Episode 10)

Sam and Castiel enter Dean's mind—where he's the proud owner of a bar—in order to defeat Michael. The archangel is close behind, resulting in a major showdown that ends with Dean trapping Michael in his mind and declaring, "I'm the cage."

127. "Atomic Monsters" (Season 15, Episode 4)

126. "Wayward Sisters" (Season 13, Episode 10)

Not only is "Wayward Sisters" a successful backdoor pilot for a potential spin-off, but it also gives many fans what they've been waiting for for years: a great story anchored by well-drawn female characters.

125. "Slumber Party" (Season 9, Episode 4)

Any appearance by Charlie is a good one. Throw in the idea that Oz is a real place—and Dorothy is actually a kickass hero—this episode leaves fans hoping that clicking their heels will bring them back to Oz just one more time.

124. "I Believe the Children Are Our Future" (Season 5, Episode 6)

This episode will always stand out for the introduction of Jesse, or as some refer to him, the Anti-Christ.

123. "We Need to Talk About Kevin" (Season 8, Episode 1)

122. "Fallen Idols" (Season 5, Episode 5)

Sam wrestles with Gandhi before decapitating Paris Hilton. Thanks for this, Supernatural.

121. "No Exit" (Season 2, Episode 6)

120. "Everybody Loves a Clown" (Season 2, Episode 2)

While the truth of the episode's title might be dubious, this episode has a smart blend of drama in John's funeral (or the closest thing to it) and a case that forces Sam and Dean to become employees at a circus. The mix of tones shouldn't work, but, unsurprisingly, Supernatural makes it fun.

119. "Family Remains" (Season 4, Episode 11)

The ghost in the wall? It's not a ghost at all!

118. "Form and Void" (Season 11, Episode 2)

When Sam is infected by the Darkness, we're introduced to Billie, the reaper who claims she'll be the one to take the Winchesters when their time comes.

117. "Shadow" (Season 1, Episode 16)

116. "Regarding Dean" (Season 12, Episode 11)

Dean's hit with a spell that begins erasing his memory in an hour that's both funny and, at times, devastating.

115. "Book of the Damned" (Season 10, Episode 18)

114. "The Great Escapist" (Season 8, Episode 21)

Metatron's first appearance doesn't quite hint at the power grab he will soon make, and instead sees him helping the boys while Kevin tries to break free from Crowley.

113. "Hunted" (Season 2, Episode 10)

112. "Freaks and Geeks" (Season 8, Episode 18)

111. "It's a Terrible Life" (Season 4, Episode 17)

Zachariah sends Dean into a world where he's got a job in corporate America and Sam works in tech support. And yet, inevitably, their fate finds them. Like most alternate realities, it makes for an entertaining hour.

110. "The Devil You Know" (Season 5, Episode 20)

The truth behind Yellow Eyes' plans way back in season one returns to haunt Sam as the brothers search for the final two Horsemen rings.

109. "Trial and Error" (Season 8, Episode 14)

108. "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester" (Season 4, Episode 2)

Horror hits home as Bobby's home is overrun by ghosts and the brothers try to determine if Castiel is really an angel.

107. "There's No Place Like Home" (Season 10, Episode 11)

106. "A Very Supernatural Christmas" (Season 3, Episode 8)

A good, yet fairly standard episode of the show is topped off when the brothers exchange Christmas gifts and enjoy some quality family time—eggnog included.

105. "Phantom Traveler" (Season 1, Episode 4)

Robert Singer's directorial debut on the show features a very scared Dean on a plane.

104. "Hell House" (Season 1, Episode 17)

The first appearance of the Ghostfacers isn't something we'll soon forget, but it's not quite as classic as their other appearances.

103. "Weekend at Bobby's" (Season 6, Episode 4)

102. "Inherit the Earth" (Season 15, Episode 19)

In the series' penultimate hour, Sam and Dean face off against Chuck, ultimately defeating him by transferring his power to Jack.

101. "Home" (Season 1, Episode 9)

100. "Taxi Driver" (Season 8, Episode 19)

While the idea that breaking into Hell only requires a taxi-driving smuggler is a bit silly, the second trial proves to be no easy task. Meanwhile, Kevin can't seem to get Crowley's voice out of his head.

99. "Appointment in Samarra" (Season 6, Episode 11)

Death is welcome in any episode of Supernatural, but this time, he decides to hand his powers over to Dean for a day. Oh, and Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, pops up, just in case the episode wasn't good enough already.

98. "My Heart Will Go On" (Season 6, Episode 17)

What if the Titanic never sank? Well, fate still has some souls to collect. More importantly, come on, Balthazar. What kind of angel could hate Titanic?

97. "Into the Mystic" (Season 11, Episode 11)

96. "Stuck in the Middle (With You)" (Season 12, Episode 12)

Former trickster/archangel Richard Speight Jr. directs this exceedingly fun installment, which pays homage to Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs.

95. "The One You've Been Waiting For" (Season 12, Episode 5)

Although we weren't dying for the show to revisit the Nazis of the Thule Society, we're glad they did because it led to this fun episode where Dean kills Hitler, who was resurrected in a new body. (And, "Dean killed Hitler" is a sentence we'll never tired of writing.)

94. "The Heroes' Journey" (Season 15, Episode 10)

Garth's final episode finds him saving the day when Sam and Dean experience what it's like to be so very…normal.

93. "All in the Family" (Season 11, Episode 21)

92. "We Happy Few" (Season 11, Episode 22)

It's the biblical battle we've been waiting for the show to stage: Chuck, Castiel, and angels, Crowley and the demons, Rowena and the witches vs. Amara, a.k.a. The Darkness. Yes, there was a cop-out ending, but that didn't stop the episode from feeling epic.

91. "Yellow Fever" (Season 4, Episode 6)

Dean gets a virus that makes him scared of just about anything, including very small dogs. It's another example of the show balancing drama (Dean might die) and comedy (and a cat might kill him).

90. "Meet the New Boss" (Season 7, Episode 1)

89. "Meta Fiction" (Season 9, Episode 18)

Sitting at his typewriter, Metatron finally tells his side of the story in a wonderfully crafted hour.

88. "Rock Never Dies" (Season 12, Episode 7)

Castiel, Crowley, Sam, and Dean all work together to bring down Lucifer, who's currently living his best life as a rock star.

87. "Safe House" (Season 11, Episode 16)

Midway through season 11, Supernatural took a break from the Amara of it all with this episode, which features the more than welcome return of Bobby and Rufus via flashbacks that ran parallel to the present-day storyline involving The Winchesters hunting a soul eater.

86. "Lost and Found" (Season 13, Episode 1)

85. "Advanced Thanatology" (Season 13, Episode 5)

Dean comes face-to-face with Billie, who's now the new Death.

84. "Folsom Prison Blues" (Season 2, Episode 19)

The boys are thrown in jail, but that doesn't stop demons from popping up in their lives. At least Dean knows how to fit in after watching all those classic prison movies.

83. "The Born-Again Identity" (Season 7, Episode 17)

82. "Reading Is Fundamental" (Season 7, Episode 21)

Not only do we meet the Tablets of God, but a new prophet is chosen: The soon-to-be-beloved Kevin.

81. "Road Trip" (Season 9, Episode 10)

Crowley (who apparently has demons infiltrating the NSA?) has to possess Sam to save him from Gadreel.

80. "Mommy Dearest" (Season 6, Episode 19)

Eve meets her end in a diner showdown. But the fight's far from over as Castiel and Crowley meet up after all the bloodshed.

79. "Let It Bleed" (Season 6, Episode 21)

78. "Clip Show" (Season 8, Episode 22)

Any TV episode titled "Clip Show" is one to be wary of, but Supernatural doesn't phone it in, instead bringing back old characters as part of a new case.

77. "All Along the Watchtower" (Season 12, Episode 23)

"Watchtower" introduces us to an intriguing parallel universe where Sam and Dean failed to avert the apocalypse, creating many possibilities for the show moving forward.

76. "What Is and What Should Never Be" (Season 2, Episode 20)

75. "Bad Day at Black Rock" (Season 3, Episode 3)

74. "Heaven and Hell" (Season 4, Episode 10)

After a demon and angel showdown, Dean begins to open up about his time in Hell.

73. "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" (Season 9, Episode 1)

72. "The Real Ghostbusters" (Season 5, Episode 9)

In brilliant meta fashion, the Winchester brothers head to a Supernatural fan convention. Hey, Chuck!

71. "Goodbye Stranger" (Season 8, Episode 17)

70. "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (Season 4, Episode 9)

The introduction of Anna is matched with Sam finally filling Dean in on his "connection" with Ruby. Yes, there's sex.

69. "The Prisoner" (Season 10, Episode 22)

68. "Who We Are" (Season 12, Episode 22)

Sam takes out the British Men of Letters' headquarters while Dean deals with Mary's brainwashing by having a very emotional mother-son chat. Grab some tissues for this one!

67. "The Executioner's Song" (Season 10, Episode 14)

It's the big battle between Dean and Cain, and—spoiler!—Dean comes out victorious.

66. "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (Season 11, Episode 9)

65. "Let The Good Times Roll" (Season 13, Episode 23)

Dean says "yes" to Michael, allowing the archangel to possess him for a final showdown with Lucifer. Lucifer ends up dead, but he isn't Michael's only victim when the archangel makes it clear he has no intention of letting Dean go.

64. "On the Head of a Pin" (Season 4, Episode 16)

63. "In the Beginning" (Season 4, Episode 3)

62. "My Bloody Valentine" (Season 5, Episode 14)

Sam uses his demon-blood powers to pull demon souls out of Famine and kill him. Also, Cas eats raw hamburger.

61. "Stairway to Heaven" (Season 9, Episode 22)

60. "Hollywood Babylon" (Season 2, Episode 18)

In the show's first real attempt at comedy, Sam and Dean find themselves on a haunted film set. Aside: Every note the producer gives the director is something the CW told Supernatural at some point. And yes, by hour's end, they kill the producer.

59. "LARP and the Real Girl" (Season 8, Episode 11)

Not only does Charlie return, but Sam and Dean do a little LARPing.

58. "The Things We Left Behind" (Season 10, Episode 9)

57. "Brother's Keeper" (Season 10, Episode 23)

56. "Red Meat" (Season 11, Episode 17)

Not your typical hour, "Red Meat" kicks off with Sam being shot and then allows the drama to unfold at a slower-than-usual pace by putting the boys in a survivalist scenario. It's an approach the show hadn't taken before, and one that worked beautifully to build suspense.

55. "The Devil in the Details" (Season 11, Episode 10)

54. "Faith" (Season 1, Episode 12)

An important hour for the show, "Faith" marks the first real introduction of religion. Sure, it ends up being about a reaper, but with Dean's life hanging in the balance, it packs an emotional punch.

53. "First Blood" (Season 12, Episode 9)

52. "King of the Damned" (Season 9, Episode 21)

The battle for the crown of Hell is finally decided with a little help from the First Blade. Crowley shows off a little of his paternal side without losing a bit of menace, as Abaddon pulls his son out of time to create some blackmail against her nemesis. She, unfortunately, doesn't account for Dean's newfound power, though, and meets a gruesome end at his hands, while Crowley keeps his head on straight. Literally. He's allowed to.

51. "Tall Tales" (Season 2, Episode 15)

Sam and Dean make a deadly deal with Billie to escape the U.S. government.

50. "Heart" (Season 2, Episode 17)

After a lawyer's heart is ripped out, Sam and Dean travel to San Francisco looking for the werewolf responsible. And boy do they find the monster. It's a woman named Madison, whom Sam actually ends up falling for. Because of his feelings, the brothers try to cure her of lycanthropy. Unfortunately, that fails, and it falls on Sam to take Madison out, a truly heartbreaking turn, both because of the care the script puts into building Sam and Madison's relationship and because of what this means for Sam's arc when it comes to his mysterious powers.

49. "Croatoan" Season 2, Episode 9

A demonic virus has taken over a town, and when Sam gets infected, classic brother moments ensue. By episode's end, Sam is healed and Dean leaves viewers with the cliffhanger of what John said to him before he died. (Hint: If you can't save your brother, you're going to have to kill him.)

48. "Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1)

In the hour that kicks off everything, we're introduced to the Winchester family on the day that Yellow Eyes kills Mary and John begins his quest for revenge. Jump forward 22 years, and Dean is picking Sam up from college to go look for their father, who's gone missing on one of his "hunting" trips. By episode's end, the brothers have defeated a Woman in White, and Sam's girlfriend has met the same fate his mother did all those years before.

47. "Do You Believe in Miracles?" (Season 9, Episode 23)

Metatron seems unstoppable in his quest to become the new God. He has the angel tablet on hand, and it takes Gadreel sacrificing himself to save Castiel so that someone can put an end to Metatron's reign. Metatron's hubris is used in a trick that causes him to lose his angel army, leading to his imprisonment—but not before he injures Dean enough to leave him for dead. That is, of course, until he wakes up with a pair of all-black demon eyes.

46. "Moriah" (Season 14, Episode 20)

Not only does Chuck return in the season 14 finale, but when the Winchesters refuse to follow through with his "story," he puts an end to, well, the world. "Welcome to the end," he says, just as he brings back every monster Sam and Dean have ever killed. In one of the series' greatest twists, God is its final villain.

45. "Ghostfacers" (Season 3, Episode 13)

When Sam and Dean come across the Ghostfacers for the second time, they've got their own reality show. Only, things get a little tricky when one of their own actually dies while staying the night in a haunted house. Sorry, Corbett. But at least we get to see Ed and Harry again, right?

44. "Born Under a Bad Sign" (Season 2, Episode 14)

When Sam shows up covered in blood after having gone missing for more than a week, it's up to the brothers to figure out what happened. Spoiler: Sam's possessed by Meg, who's back from Hell to torture Dean. Thankfully, Bobby is able to expel Meg, but not before she's said some pretty harsh things to Dean about his dear old dad.

43. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (Season 6, Episode 22)

Sam's time without a soul finally comes back to haunt him, and the younger Winchester has to fight multiple copies of himself in his mind. The real Sam wins, but his prize is every memory of the horrible acts he committed during his soulless era. Meanwhile, Castiel, drunk on Purgatory souls, destroys Raphael but allows Crowley to escape. Feeling unstoppable, he declares himself the new God. He doesn't seem like he'll be a benevolent one, though.

42. "The Song Remains the Same" (Season 5, Episode 13)

When the angels travel back in time to kill John and Mary before Sam is born, the Winchesters tag along to stop them. The battle kills Sam—who's quickly brought back to life—and introduces us to Michael, who first appears in the body of a young John Winchester to put a stop to the madness.

41. "First Born" (Season 9, Episode 11)

With Dean and Crowley off to find the First Blade, thereby running into the ridiculously charming Cain, Sam and Cas team up to extract the rest of Gadreel's grace from Sam. Along the way, Cas gives Sam a shockingly insightful PB&J-related speech that brings the two of them closer than ever before. As for Dean? Well, he walks away with the Mark of Cain on his arm. But what does it mean?

40. "Sympathy for the Devil" (Season 5, Episode 1)

Now that Lucifer has been freed, Sam and Dean are in a bit of a rut. Cas has apparently been killed, Chuck can only tell them so much or incur the wrath of his angel overlords, and Dean has been asked to serve as the archangel Michael's vessel. Thankfully Cas returns and Dean denies Zachariah's request, but there's still one pesky little problem to deal with—Lucifer is around, and he's found a host in Mark Pellegrino.

39. "The Magnificent Seven" (Season 3, Episode 1)

''Seven'' introduces a number of interesting elements to the show, including another Biblically inclined villain in the Seven Deadly Sins. They are a thrilling foe to tackle as the show begins its third season, but the episode is also monumental for the first inclusion of a blade that can kill demons and the person who wields it. Ruby makes an impressive debut before going on to become a major player (in several different meat suits) over the course of the show.

38. "Holy Terror" (Season 9, Episode 9)

Rest in peace, Kevin. Everyone's favorite prophet dies at the hands of Gadreel who, until this episode, had been posing as Ezekiel inside Sam's body. The angel commits the murder as a sign of loyalty to Metatron, who has set out on his quest for domination of Heaven. Castiel is hoping to thwart Metatron's plans, but with the heartbreaking death of Kevin, the forces of good are beginning to dwindle.

37. "Just My Imagination" (Season 11, Episode 8)

Leave it to Richard Speight Jr., who played the notorious Trickster God/Gabriel, to direct this delightfully impish episode. In "Just My Imagination," Sully, Sam's imaginary friend from his childhood, pops up to ask the Winchester boys for their help because someone is out there killing imaginary friends. The delightfully imaginative premise allows for the show to reconnect with emotional elements from the show's early years that we haven't thought about since, which was a nice treat.

36. "Carry On" (Season 15, Episode 20)

The series finale offered a beautiful end for Sam and Dean: Dean died hunting, the way he always said he would. Sam got to enjoy a more normal life with a wife and son before joining his brother in heaven. (And not just any heaven, Jack's new-and-improved heaven, the heaven they deserve.) The finale didn't fit seamlessly with the season that came before it, but when Sam and Dean found peace, so did we.

35. "The Man Who Would Be King" (Season 6, Episode 20)

Told entirely from Castiel's perspective, ''King'' takes an intriguing alternative approach to the show's traditional storytelling. Cas is revealed to have been behind many of the season's most important events in a tragic but fascinating episode.

34. "When the Levee Breaks" (Season 4, Episode 21)

Sam spends most of the hour in demon-blood detox in Bobby's basement before finally escaping to find Ruby. However, when Dean catches up with him, he finally says the three words that will cripple Sam: ''You're a monster.'' From there, the brothers have one of their biggest brawls to date, which ends with Sam leaving Dean bloodied on the floor of a hotel room.

33. "Pac-Man Fever" (Season 8, Episode 20)

Dean's newest foe—videogame logic. Trapped in a djinn-created dream, Charlie and Dean fight off wave after wave of super-soldier vampires. But the episode's about much more than a crazy concept. It's about learning to let go, which for Charlie means coming to terms with her comatose mother's death. It's a powerful lesson, made all the more resonant by Felicia Day's performance—and it's okay to shed a few tears as she reads The Hobbit to her mother for what's presumably the last time.

32. "99 Problems" (Season 5, Episode 17)

With the apocalypse starting to set in, Dean and Sam find themselves outnumbered by demons in a small town. Luckily, they find refuge in a nearby church where townspeople have gathered believing that one of their own is a prophet who can hear angels. Eventually, though, a drunk Cas helps the guys discover that she's less of a prophet and more of a Whore of Babylon. After the guys take her down, Dean heads to Lisa's to say goodbye, having made up his mind to say yes to Michael.

31. "In My Time of Dying" (Season 2, Episode 1)

In the wake of the season 1 finale, the Winchesters are in bad shape. Surviving a car wreck, Sam and John contend with a few injuries while Dean lies dying in a coma. Winchesters do all they can to save each other, though, and John would never want to lose his sons to the line of work he introduced them to. So John sells his soul to Yellow Eyes, as well as the one thing that could kill the demon, the mystical Colt gun.

30. "Devil's Trap" (Season 1, Episode 22)

In an effort to save their father from Meg, the brothers enlist the help of Bobby Singer, a.k.a. the man who will become their surrogate father and a staple on the show. In terms of the mission, everything comes to a head when Yellow Eyes possesses John and Sam can't find it within himself to shoot his father. If that's not enough, the season ends on a massive cliffhanger when a car accident severely injures all three Winchesters.

29. "Don't Call Me Shurley" (Season 11, Episode 20)

After 10 seasons, Supernatural finally introduced the big man upstairs: God, a.k.a Chuck (Rob Benedict), the author/prophet we met in "The Monster at the End of This Book." Chuck summons Metatron to an undisclosed bar where he reveals his identity and asks the scribe's help in writing his autobiography. However, their very meta discussion leads to a twist that's even more surprising than the God reveal: the contemptuous Metatron ends up defending humanity and taking God to task for his absence, which is enough to convince God to join the fight to take down his sister.

28. "Lebanon" (Season 14, Episode 13)

The series' 300th episode brings Jeffrey Dean Morgan's John Winchester back for one of the most emotionally charged episodes ever as Sam and Dean get to have some long-awaited conversations with their dad, and, more importantly, all four members of the Winchester family get to enjoy a dinner together. John doesn't get to stay for long, but his brief visit certainly has an impact.

27. "Fan Fiction" (Season 10, Episode 5)

In what writers and cast members have called a "tribute" to the fans, the 200th episode of the series finds Sam and Dean at an all-girls school. The twist? The girls are in the middle of producing a play that's inspired by Carver Edlund's Supernatural books. So Sam and Dean are essentially watching a high school production of their life. Toss in Calliope, the goddess of epic poetry, and a number of unforgettable original songs—"A Single Man Tear" might be the best—and it's a hilarious and heartfelt hour that any diehard fan would be proud of.

26. "Free to Be You and Me" (Season 5, Episode 3)

When Sam decides he no longer trusts himself to hunt alongside Dean, he gets a job as a bartender, which leaves Dean alone to help Castiel on his search for Raphael. Episode highlights include Castiel failing to sleep with a prostitute and Lucifer visiting Sam for the first time.

25. "Hammer of the Gods" (Season 5, Episode 19)

After a storm washes out the road, Sam and Dean find themselves trapped in a hotel full of gods (Kali, Odin, and Ganesh, to name a few), who are meeting to discuss what to do about the upcoming apocalypse. To top it off, the episode ends with a showdown between Gabriel and Lucifer that unfortunately leads to Gabriel's demise. Or is he still in that old porno video?

24. "Good God, Y'all" (Season 5, Episode 2)

The Four Horsemen were a consistently strong aspect of the show, and War's appearance was no exception. Titus Welliver does an incredible job as War, setting the stage early in season 5 for just how imposing these figures could be. But really, his biggest impact is driving a wedge between Sam and Dean at a time when sticking together is key. And it never hurts to include an appearance by Ellen and Jo.

23. "All Hell Breaks Loose: Part 2" (Season 2, Episode 22)

The show's first true villain, Yellow Eyes, meets his demise in a season finale that also foreshadows darker events on the horizon. Resurrecting Sam forces Dean to pay the ultimate price—his own soul, and not even the death of Yellow Eyes can erase that decision. It's a powerful and early example of the show being willing to push the brothers to the brink without ever giving them a break. The day is saved—even though an awesome railroad devil's trap is destroyed—but trouble is only beginning to brew for Sam and Dean.

22. "Nightshifter" (Season 2, Episode 12)

Bank robberies have been around since movies and TV shows started being made, but few of these hostage scenarios are perpetrated by a shapeshifter. It's one of the show's most smartly tense scenarios, as the shapeshifter could be anyone in the bank, but it's also an important episode for putting Sam and Dean's work in context as we discover the FBI has been tailing them. Oh, and that escape scene set to "Renegade" by Styx? Sam and Dean have never been quite as badass as in this episode's final moments.

21. "Scoobynatural" (Season 13, Episode 16)

In one of the show's biggest swings, the boys are zapped into a Scooby-Doo cartoon—a dream come true for Dean—where they work with the Scooby gang to solve a mystery, all the while trying not to ruin the innocence of Scooby and his friends. The result is FUN. Not only does the episode get points for even attempting such a crossover, but it breaks into the top 20 for its stellar execution in blending the two worlds.

20. "Mystery Spot" (Season 3, Episode 11)

Thanks to the Trickster, Sam finds himself in a Groundhog Day-type situation, only every day ends with Dean dying. By the end of the hour, Dean has died more than 100 times, comedy has ensued, and tears have been shed. But after Dean is shot in the parking lot in what feels like an all-too-real scenario, Sam has had enough. He's emotionally drained and doesn't care to listen to the Trickster's lesson about Dean being his weakness. He just wants his brother back, and that's what he gets.

19. "Death's Door" (Season 7, Episode 10)

Bobby is one of the series' most lovable characters, but all good things must come to an end. Bobby's troubled past is revealed, but what really sells his farewell is the episode's final scene. In his head, Bobby relives a night he shared with Sam and Dean, his memory of them fading away. The reaper waiting with Bobby gives him an ultimatum—cross over or remain as a ghost. And while we eventually find out Bobby's fate, the episode leaves it ambiguous. The seconds ticking away on the reaper's watch as he waits for Bobby's decision induce goosebumps.

18. "Point of No Return" (Season 5, Episode 18)

In the show's 100th episode, Dean finds himself preparing to say yes to Michael, so much so that Cas gets angry and beats Dean into unconsciousness in a scene that is equal parts powerful and heart-wrenching. The upsetting interactions continue throughout the hour until, in the episode's final moments, Dean seems like he's going to say yes, but kills Zachariah at the last moment instead. The only downside? Poor Adam gets trapped into saying yes to Michael.

17. "The Benders" (Season 1, Episode 15)

After weeks of the brothers working supernatural case after supernatural case, Sam finds himself kidnapped by a bunch of homicidal humans. It's a horrifying twist that plays out over a suspenseful hour when Dean tries to rescue his caged brother before realizing that they're outnumbered by their biggest foe yet: psychopaths.

16. "Two Minutes to Midnight" (Season 5, Episode 21)

One of season 5's most interesting through-lines was seeing how the show introduced the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They all made impressive debuts, but none more so than Death. While the episode opens with another Horseman, Pestilence, it's Dean and Death's discussion in a Chicago pizza joint that steals the episode. The show's portrayal of Death is calm and collected, but Julian Richings brings such a powerful presence to the role that his introduction ranks among the all-time best on the show.

15. "All Hell Breaks Loose: Part 1" (Season 2, Episode 21)

After a season-long buildup to the "What will become of Sam?" question, Yellow Eyes sticks Sam, and all of his other ''special'' children, into a Hunger Games of sorts, which ends when Sam takes a knife in the back and dies in Dean's arms. All in all, the hour stands out as unlike any other, but, most importantly, it marks the first real death of a Winchester brother and, therefore, a moment fans will never forget.

14. "Jus in Bello" (Season 3, Episode 12)

The hunt for Bela turns into the show's coolest bottle episode. The incarcerated Winchesters fight off an onslaught of demons at a Colorado police station. The brothers pull out all the stops from demon traps to salt barriers to keep the place safe, and the demons' influx makes for one of the show's most exciting sequences ever. Their struggle ends up being for naught, though; in a brilliant twist, Lilith is introduced and takes out everyone at the station that Sam and Dean risked their own lives to save.

13. "Sacrifice" (Season 8, Episode 23)

In one of the greatest brother moments of all time, Dean begs Sam to stop the third trial because, even though it will close the gates of Hell, it will also kill Sam. Add in an almost-human Crowley talking about how much he loves Girls (and HBO in general), plus all of the angels falling from heaven, and you've got one of the show's best season finales.

12. "Dark Side of the Moon" (Season 5, Episode 16)

Sam and Dean have escaped trouble countless times before, but what would happen if they both actually die? Apparently, they are sent to heaven, where they decide to use their time in the afterlife to find some connection to God. The brothers' ideas of Heaven is itself a treat, but their reactions to what one another would find in paradise are just hilarious. ''Moon'' is a brilliant way to handle the God question without actually introducing Him, while also dropping in a small but incredible hint that this may not have been the boys' first visit to Heaven.

11. "No Rest for the Wicked" (Season 3, Episode 16)

In another fantastic season close, Dean is dragged to Hell by a pack of Lilith-as-Ruby's hellhounds. But there's much more to the season finale than that. In an effort to save Dean from his inevitable fate, the brothers and Bobby hope to take down Lilith, who's currently (and in predictably creepy fashion), possessing the body of a little girl and terrorizing her family. Dean is living on the edge of damnation, and he begins to pierce the veil between our world and the fiery afterlife that's waiting for him. Another show would have saved Dean. Not Supernatural.

10. "The End" (Season 5, Episode 4)

In an attempt to convince Dean to say yes to Michael, Zachariah sends him five years into the future after a demonic virus has taken over and Future Dean now leads a militia that includes fan-favorite Chuck and orgy-lover Castiel. The kicker? In this world, Sam said yes to Lucifer. The drama culminates when present-day Dean comes face-to-face with Lucifer-Sam, who snaps future Dean's neck with his foot. Watching Dean try to deny his future is a feat of both storytelling and acting.

9. "Monster Movie" (Season 4, Episode 5)

One of the series' most creative hours, this season 4 black-and-white episode sees Sam and Dean come across a movie-loving shapeshifter who pays tribute to iconic films with their kills (and definitely does NOT order garlic on their pizza).

8. "Lucifer Rising" (Season 4, Episode 22)

For all of season 4, Sam and Dean thought they were trying to prevent the apocalypse. In fact, some of heaven's highest-ranking angels want the end times to happen, and they want the boys to end the apocalypse after it's begun. Of course, that revelation comes a little too late, just as a demon-blood-drinking Sam accidentally breaks the final seal and unleashes Hell on Earth. And what does that exactly mean? Well, it's time for the Biggest Bad of all to rise—Lucifer is freed from his cage in one of the series' greatest season-ending cliffhangers.

7. "Abandon All Hope..." (Season 5, Episode 10)

When Cas, Bobby, Ellen, and Jo team up with Sam and Dean to take down Lucifer, things don't go as planned. In one of the show's most heartbreaking goodbyes, Jo and Ellen blow themselves up to kill a group of hellhounds before Sam and Dean finally shoot Lucifer with the Colt, only to realize that, after everything they've been through, the Colt doesn't work on the devil. Instead, one of the show's strongest dramatic hours ends as the brothers are forced to sit by while Lucifer raises the horseman of Death.

6. "Changing Channels" (Season 5, Episode 8)

Thanks to the Trickster, Sam and Dean find themselves trapped in a television world, which the show, in typical Supernatural fashion, uses to poke fun at the likes of Grey's Anatomy and Japanese game shows, and which culminates in Sam turning into KITT from Knight Rider. Comedy aside, the episode also reveals that the Trickster is really the archangel Gabriel. What's not to love?

5. "The Monster at the End of This Book" (Season 4, Episode 18)

The show once again pulls off one heck of a meta episode with style, as the Winchesters discover there's been a book series written about their exploits. The books have amassed quite the rabid online fandom, replete with readers writing their own strange and uncomfortable fan fiction. It's a funny commentary on the show's audience that never outright mocks fans, but celebrates their love of the show. This episode is also important for the show's mythology, as Chuck (who might be God), the man behind the book series, is revealed to be a prophet of Biblical nature.

4. "Lazarus Rising" (Season 4, Episode 1)

In the season 4 opener, Dean mysteriously appears back on Earth having somehow escaped Hell, and things only got better when we discover how he escaped: He was pulled out by Castiel. Not only did the hour mark the introduction of angels, but Castiel's entrance is still one of the best moments in the show's history.

3. "Baby" (Season 11, Episode 4)

If Supernatural proved anything in its time on the air, it's that it was not scared to take risks. More times than not, the show's riskiest episodes wound up being its strongest, and "Baby" is another example of why. An episode told entirely from the perspective of the Impala allowed the show to once again remind fans of what it does best: brother bonding. When you take powerful emotional moments and combine that with an unconventional style of filmmaking, the results speak for themselves.

2. "The French Mistake" (Season 6, Episode 15)

In the most meta episode of the series, Balthazar throws Sam and Dean into an alternate reality where they play actors named Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles on the set of a show called Supernatural. Things turn sour on set, as series creator Eric Kripke meets an untimely end and a Twitter-loving Misha Collins won't stop bothering Sam and Dean. (Fun fact: Misha the character writes a tweet on the show that Misha the actor actually tweeted out.) It's a concept that should be too crazy to work, but the writers and cast make it one of the all-time greats.

1. "Swan Song" (Season 5, Episode 22)

For creator Eric Kripke, the season 5 finale marked the end of the story as he'd imagined it, and that end included an epic showdown between Lucifer and Michael. With Chuck's voiceover narrating the Winchester brothers' story, Lucifer jumps into Sam's body and, after killing Cas and Bobby, beats Dean to a pulp before Sam gets a grip on the devil and jumps back into the cage. In other words, Sam goes to Hell, but for how long?

—Additional entries written by Jonathon Dornbush

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