Entertainment
The Best Quote of Every ‘Supernatural’ Season
For an impressive fifteen seasons, Supernatural dominated television as the most prolific genre series in modern day. Blending horror, fantasy, and action together in a road trip style almost befitting of a Western, the Eric Kripke-created series became an international phenomenon that has spawned an entire franchise worth of material. Whether you love everything Supernatural or prefer the original Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) adventures, there are more than 300 episodes to pull from and enjoy.
It’s hard to perfectly capture a line that embodies an entire season, but we’ve done our best to collect the quotes that represent each season of Supernatural. Some are imperfect, we’ll admit to that, but each of them says something about their respective season or the series as a whole, especially when examined after the fact. So, without further ado, start your engines and grab some rock salt, because here are the quotes that define each season of Supernatural.
1
“Saving people, hunting things, the family business.”
Season 1, Episode 2 “Wendigo”
An oldie but a goodie, there is no single quote that so perfectly defines not just the first season but all Supernatural. Spoken first by Dean in the second episode, “Wendigo,” the “saving people, hunting things” line has become so synonymous with the program that it could just as easily be a logline for the show. We certainly couldn’t argue with that. In some ways, the line perfectly embodies everything that Supernatural was originally about.
Each episode sent the brothers to a new town, a new place, as they hunted down evil and saved those tormented by it. As time went on, the Winchesters strayed a bit from the “family business,” especially the “saving people” part, but back in Season 1, that was all it was about. Sure, they were still looking for their missing father, but that was almost an afterthought to all the urban legends and ghostly horrors they dealt with first.
2
“You always have a choice. You can either roll over and die or you can keep fighting, no matter what.”
Season 2, Episode 1 “In My Time of Dying”
Coming from the first episode of the second season, “In My Time of Dying,” Dean’s epic reminder is arguably his greatest line on the show. But in the context of Season 2, it speaks to the endless cycle of self-sacrifice and resurrections that would begin here — and follow the program through its end. Sure, Dean was (unknowingly) speaking to a reaper here, but it speaks to the show’s unwavering boldness in the face of network change-ups between seasons.
The “always keep fighting” mantra would become a major driving force of the Supernatural fandom in the years to come, but it could easily be traced back here. As Sam and Dean continue to fight against the Yellow-Eyed Demon that haunted them from childhood, the Winchesters must continue to choose the life they’ve decided to lead. Unsurprisingly, they do.
3
“Family don’t end with blood, boy.”
Season 3, Episode 16 “No Rest for the Wicked”
Another line that’s become so popular that it could easily describe the series as a whole, this Season 3 quote came from Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) in the climactic finale “No Rest for the Wicked.” Like any good surrogate father, Bobby chooses to stick with the boys through everything that’s coming, even if it means facing Lilith (Sierra McCormick) and a pack of hellhounds. Considering his increased role in the third season, it reminds us that the series was still finding its sea legs even after all these years.
Of course, another quote that may do even more justice to this season comes from Lauren Cohan’s Bela Talbot. As she remarks in “Bad Day at Black Rock”: “We’re all going to Hell, Dean. Might as well enjoy the ride.” Given Dean’s “one year to live” throughout the third season, it’s another quote that really rings true to the overall theme of these 16 episodes.
4
“I’m the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition.”
Season 4, Episode 1 “Lazarus Rising”
Season 4 was a year of many firsts for Supernatural as the series moved further from its horror roots and turned into a fantasy adventure that dealt with cosmic scales and world-ending implications. Spoken by Castiel (Misha Collins) in the premiere, “Lazarus Rising,” this quote is a harrowing symbol of what is to come, as Dean is resurrected not of his own accord nor his brothers, but seemingly by the will of Heaven itself. Talk about a massive rebrand!
Tonally, this line reminds us that the stakes are higher now than they ever have been, and if Dean has been brought back from Hell for a purpose, that purpose must also be severe. It’s one heck of a season opener, too. Additionally, the line speaks to the bond that would be formed between Dean and Castiel over the course of this season, and eventually the greater series.
5
“It’s okay, Dean… I’ve got him.”
Season 5, Episode 22 “Swan Song”
Concluding the arc first established in Season 4 (and the overall myth arc that Kripke set out to tell), Season 5 is a killer finale if you want to watch an abridged version of the program. Sam’s line to his brother here in “Swan Song” shows the younger Winchester’s strength in his battle against the Devil (one he’s been fighting all season) and that his love for his brother is what gave him the power to overcome Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) in the first place. It’s simple, but profoundly effective.
It also precedes Sam jumping into Hell himself, leading to Dean being left alone to start a new life. While the remaining ten seasons would put an axe on that, this was an era of Supernatural that knew how to tell a story that felt finite and contained. It turns out that love truly is all you need to conquer the forces of evil. Well, love and sacrifice.
6
“Empathy, Sam! Empathy!”
Season 6, Episode 9 “Clap Your Hands If You Believe…”
After Kripke left and Sera Gamble took over, fans weren’t quite sure of the new direction that Supernatural was taking. With a souless Sam who was unable to feel any of those previously expressed ideas and a Dean struggling with a work-life balance, it didn’t feel like the same show. So when Dean said these words in “Clap Your Hands If You Believe…,” it almost felt like the audience trying to get the attention of the writers.
While the sixth season would eventually course correct (with Kripke even returning to pen the season finale), it just couldn’t recreate the show that we were used to. Sure, Season 6 still has plenty of gems like “The French Mistake” and “Weekend at Bobby’s,” but those are the exception to the otherwise strange norm that the show created in its uneven Season 5 follow-up. Still, we’re glad that the show got over this slight hump.
7
“Make yourself smile because you’re alive and that’s your job. Then do it again the next week.”
Season 7, Episode 11 “Adventures in Babysitting”
Remember that brief moment when Bobby was killed, and he hadn’t been confirmed to be sticking around as a ghost just yet? Yeah, that’s where Frank Devereaux (Kevin R. McNally) came in, and he was nothing like the old grouchy mechanic who used to pal around with Sam and Dean. But he did offer one piece of sage wisdom that spoke to the general atmosphere of Season 7: suck it up and keep going.
Still in the Gamble era, Season 7 was overly reliant on jokes about Dick Roman’s (James Patrick Stuart) name and noncommittal in which cast members the show wanted to kill or revive. Either way, though they’re meant to be an encouragement to Dean, Frank’s words speak quite clearly to the state of the program. We’re not sure if that’s a good thing or not, but at least the show was eventually able to move past this strange era.
8
“Don’t you dare think that there is anything, past or present, that I would put in front of you!”
Season 8, Episode 23 “Sacrifice”
When Jeremy Carver took over Supernatural in Season 8, it felt as if anything were once again possible. Sending Sam and Dean back on the road, reestablishing the status quo, and putting them on the path to closing the gates of Hell forever seemed like the best way forward after two monster-heavy seasons. So, when Dean reminded Sam of this in the season finale, “Sacrifice,” it’s a powerful reminder to the audience that Supernatural is back.
Of course, in-universe, it also very clearly addresses Dean’s constant pull toward supernatural creatures. First Castiel, then Benny the vampire (Ty Olsson), and later Crowley (Mark A. Sheppard). But even in all that, Dean reminds Sam that what makes Supernatural work is that the two of them are always there to fight evil, side by side, and he’ll ultimately choose his brother over anyone else. It may not be healthy, but it makes the show work.
9
“No one in the history of torture’s been tortured with torture like the torture you’ll be tortured with.”
Season 9, Episode 21 “King of the Damned”
Even if Crowley wasn’t talking to anyone specific in “King of the Damned,” these words would ring true for Season 9. After the excitement that was Season 8, the ninth season is a bit of a letdown. In some stretches, the Metatron (Curtis Armstrong) plotline does feel like torture, as does the never-ending battle to figure out what Castiel’s role on the show is post-Apocalypse. The show had again lost its direction.
Additionally, Sam is tortured in the sense that he’s possessed by an angel (who kills one of their closest allies), Dean is tortured in that he receives the Mark of Cain and ends the season as a demon, and Crowley is tortured in that he’s significantly less effective this season than he was the last. After a stellar eighth season, the follow-up is subpar. At least it sets up some interesting stuff.
10
“Family cares about you, not what you can do for them.”
Season 10, Episode 17 “Inside Man”
For Supernatural‘s tenth season, the show went back to its roots by focusing largely on Sam and Dean, which didn’t give some of the supporting cast a ton to do. Still, Dean’s remark to Crowley here in “Inside Man” reminds us that even though Castiel and Crowley weren’t exactly the standouts of Season 10, the audience was still invested in them. Perhaps that even goes for Sam and Dean as well.
Put aside the weird friendship between Dean and Crowley, and this whole scene just speaks to the existence of the entire show. After all, Dean also quotes Bobby’s Season 3 line here about family not ending in blood. It’s a full-circle moment that perfectly embodies the themes of the season, which extends also to Crowley’s mother…