Supernatural first aired in 2005 and instantly became a hit among audiences, as well as a good old-fashioned brother-buddy pairing. IGN states that there are too many episodes to start the series from the very beginning, so they compiled a list of the best episodes from each season, in order to save you some time. If you're not familiar with the show, it centers around Sam and Dean, who are two brothers that are essentially Ghostbusters, traveling all over the country to fight demons, spirits, and even the devil himself.
Update August 22, 2023: This list has been updated by Gargi Chatterjee to include even more great episodes from the popular series, Supernatural.
They're a dynamic duo that goes through several traumatic experiences, such as dying, over and over again. With more than 300 episodes and with a stunning 15 seasons, Supernatural is one of the best fantasy and horror shows there is. Even after ending three years ago, the series fan base is still going strong. Here's a list of the best episodes, ranked.
12 Changing Channels (Season 5, Episode 8)
In this hilarious episode, Sam and Dean find themselves mixed up with the Trickster and their entire day is turned upside down once they realize what's going on. The Trickster (a.k.a the Archangel Gabriel) takes no mercy on the brothers and sends them off to 'TV Land', transporting them to a soap opera show located in a hospital. It's a jab at Grey's Anatomy; Dr. Sexy makes an appearance, and Dean is starstruck, even though it's really just an illusion. For a Supernatural episode, it's quite meta, going through different shows when they're literally on a show.
11 Scoobynatural (Season 13, Episode 16)
Supernatural is a show that is known for its funny and weird episodes. Honestly, it is a much-needed relief from the constant blood and gore in the show. One of these off-beat episodes that brought a lot of fans back to the show after thirteen long seasons is "Scoobynatural", where Sam, Dean, and Castiel end up in a Scooby-Doo episode and solve a mystery with Scooby and the gang.
It was a breath of fresh air after watching the show get progressively grimmer, as it allowed for some brevitiy for Supernatural while also allowing to embrace what happens when dark serious subject matter invades the Scooby Doo world. Fans of both properties loved the episode.
10 Yellow Fever (Season 4, Episode 6)
Not all episodes of Supernatural are scary; this one is quite funny as well, since the tables are turned on Dean, and he's infected with "ghost sickness". What starts off as some slight paranoia and well-timed screams from jump scares, becomes serious as Dean is at risk of a heart attack. While Dean tries not to be scared to death and ultimately be sent back to Hell, Bobby and Sam desperately try and find a cure to his sickness. Lilith makes an appearance before Sam can fix Dean, leading the latter to believe that he truly belongs back in Hell.
9 Fan Fiction (Season 10, Episode 5)
One of the most hilarious episodes of the show begins with a normal investigation into a supernatural missing person's case which turns into Sam and Dean find out a theater group in an all-girls' school is putting on a musical of... you guessed it, Supernatural. It is hysterical to see Dean scoff at things the actors are doing on stage while Sam just wants to get the job done.
One of the funniest moments of the episode have to be when Dean sees the actors playing Dean and Castiel hug and find out that not only the girls are a couple, but the play also delves into Dean and Castiel's ship- Destiel, which makes Sam tease Dean about it. The episode was filled with meta jokes and a love letter to the Supernatural fanbase.
8 The French Mistake (Season 6, Episode 15)
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ScreenRant states that this episode is one of the most beloved from the series because of how it breaks the fourth wall, and how well they're able to pull it off. Raphael, the archangel, is after the brothers, and sends his hitman, Balthazar, to do his dirty work. Balthazar sends Dean and Sam to an alternate reality, where they come to learn that they're now Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. Their confusion is high as they try and navigate through the real world, meeting their real-life wives and discovering that they're on a show called, you guessed it, Supernatural.
7 All Along the Watchtower (Season 12, Episode 22)
Season 12 was a struggle for our favorite trio as they were fighting Lucifer himself and also trying to understand the situation with his unborn son. By the end of the season, we see that Castiel is hell-bent on saving the child as he has a vision that the kid is going to save the world. In the final episode of the season, we see the two brothers and Cas get into an all-out battle with Lucifer who wants to take control of his child. The fight is also joined by Crowley and Sam and Dean's mother Mary Winchester. The episode is heartfelt and one of the best episodes of the show.
6 Weekend at Bobby's (Season 6, Episode 4)
Everyone loves Bobby. He's the closest thing the brothers have to a father figure and is often seen helping them out whenever they need it. In this episode, we get to see what Bobby does when the brothers aren't in need of his physical presence, although Dean makes several calls to him throughout the weekend. Bobby is on the hunt for Crowley after learning that the king of Hell isn't going to return his soul, so viewers follow along as he tortures and kills demons in search for more information about Crowley. This episode makes it clear that Bobby is one of the best hunters that is featured on the show.
5 Abandon All Hope (Season 5, Episode 10)
Season 5 of Supernatural was probably the favorite of the fans. The mid-season finale which brought with it some absolutely devastating and heartbreaking moments was one of the highest points of the show. This is the episode where the boys go into their first all-out battle against Lucifer himself. We witnessed the tragic loss of Ellen and Jo, a mother-daughter duo who were friends of Sam and Dean.
4 Mystery Spot (Season 3, Episode 11)
The theme song for this episode is Asia's "Heat of the Moment", and to this day, fans of Supernatural either love or hate this song. When Dean gets shot and killed on a stranger's property, Sam is devastated at the loss of his big brother. However, when he wakes up the next morning, he's stunned as Dean appears in the bed next to his, alive as ever.
Later on in the day, Dean dies again, this time hit by a speeding car. Sam is stuck in a time loop and has to watch his brother die over and over again from different things, such as choking on sausage, being crushed by a desk, being electrocuted, poisonous tacos, and even falling in the shower. By the end of the episode, we're made aware that it's all thanks to the Trickster, who found joy in killing Dean every single day.
3 Swan Song (Season 5, Episode 22)
As you already know, season 5 of the show was a fan-favorite and one of the reasons for that was a lot of fans thinking that the last episode of that season, "Swan Song", was the perfect ending for the show. In their all-out battle against Lucifer, the boys suffer some irrevocable losses in this season, and it all comes to a head in this episode. With Micheal possessing Adam and Lucifer possessing Sam, they both enter the cage in Hell and get locked in. The episode is raw and devastating, but also one of the greatest of all time and a fan-favorite.
2 Lazarus Rising (Season 4, Episode 1)
This episode starts with Dean being resurrected from Hell, a relief for fans as he digs himself up from his grave and manages to make it to the surface. Dean discovers that he has a burn mark of a hand on his shoulder and desperately goes and finds Bobby, who doesn't believe it's the real Dean at first.
They have a tearful reunion, then Dean and Sam start to figure out who brought Dean back to life, and wonder how worried they should be. Castiel, the angel of the Lord, makes his first appearance in this episode, and his entrance is epic; standing there in his trench coat with his wings shadowed behind him. It's the start of the complicated relationship between Dean and Castiel, that leads all the way to the series finale.
1 Don't Call Me Shurley (Season 11, Episode 12)
One of the best reveals in the entire show is when we come to learn that Chuck is God. This episode follows Chuck and Metatron as they go throughout their day. Metatron is in absolute shock as Chuck's real identity is revealed to him. Before this reveal, fans had inklings that Chuck was the big G-O-D, as he refers to himself, but the satisfaction of being right makes this the best episode in the series.