Supernatural’s 10 Best Supporting Characters Who Stole The Show

For 15 seasons, Supernatural followed the Winchester brothers as they fought back against the evils of heaven and hell, yet the show would not have been nearly as successful without its amazing supporting characters. In recent TV history, Supernatural is a series that sticks out for reasons both good and bad. For one thing, Supernatural’s 15 seasons make it an outlier among other shows, which rarely get that much screentime. Furthermore, Supernatural received both love and hate for its paranormal stories, which were often repetitive and confusing. Fortunately, Supernatural’s supporting cast helped the show more than it hurt it.

When discussing the supporting characters of Supernatural, this can refer to basically any character that is not Sam or Dean Winchester. Although certain cast members remained on the series for several seasons, these figures still can be considered protagonists in the technical sense. In this way, some of Supernatural’s best cast members defined the show, and were even more lovable than the Winchesters at times. Thus, the following characters are those who left a significant impact on Supernatural that rivaled even the Winchesters.

10 Jo Harvelle

An Oldie But A Goodie

One of the earliest supporting characters in Supernatural to prove their worth was Jo Harvelle. Jo is a hunter who works alongside her mother Ellen and her brother Ash. Jo is not nearly as experienced as the Winchesters, but she proves herself to be incredibly tough and ambitious. Although the Winchesters are initially hesitant about forming a relationship with Jo and her family, they eventually become close and work on cases together. Of course, that is until Jo and her family are killed by the end of season 2.

What makes Jo stand out among Supernatural’s many supporting characters is that she was one of the first hunters, aside from Sam and Dean, that audiences got to know. On top of that, she was a woman hunter. In this way, Jo defies expectations, and though it would be easy to doubt her, she never comes across as purposefully weak. Jo’s impact can be showcased by the fact that she returns to Supernatural in seasons 5 and 7. Overall, she is an unforgettable friend of the Winchesters.

9 Bela Talbot

An Equal To The Winchesters

Another strong female character that came early on in Supernatural was Bela Talbot. Unlike Jo, Bela is not a hunter but a con artist who often gets in the way of the Winchesters during season 3. Though their motives are unaligned, Bela and the Winchesters eventually begin working together. Bela may not be skilled with ghosts and demons, but she shows her own talents in thievery and manipulation. In this way, Bela almost matches the Winchesters in their abilities, even though she comes from an entirely different world.

Arguably, there is no shortage of sassy and powerful women in Supernatural, but Bela stands out among the rest. Perhaps it is because she appeared solely in season 3, which was a particularly memorable season due to Dean’s impending death. Maybe it had to do with Bela’s flirtatious relationship with Dean, which felt impactful so early on in the series. Either way, Bela’s playful personality and unique position as a criminal made her especially entertaining to watch.

8 Meg Masters

Demon-Turned-Friend

One more female supporting character that deserves some credit is Meg Masters. First introduced in Supernatural season 1, Meg is a demon who begins harassing the Winchesters during their hunt for Azazel. She returns in season 2 to possess Sam, and in later seasons, becomes an ally to the Winchesters. Although the Winchesters had many distinct relationships with demons over the years (for example, Ruby), Meg may be one of the best demonic supporting characters. She is stubborn, opinionated, and is a great early representative of the evils of the world.

Meg acts as an impressive device throughout Supernatural because she proves that the Winchesters have bigger fish to fry. During season 1, audiences are fearful of Meg and the powers she possesses. However, as time goes on, it becomes clear that Meg is a tiny threat compared to the great powers of the world. This fact becomes even more important when Meg turns on her dark instincts to help the Winchesters. All in all, she is a likable villain-turned-ally.

7 Lucifer

The Scary Yet Silly Devil

In the early seasons of Supernatural, one of the biggest threats of all was Lucifer. Yet, the devil himself proved to be a more lovable character than one might expect. Played by Mark Pelligrino, Lucifer haunts Sam throughout season 5 and even beyond that, due to Sam being Lucifer’s perfect vessel. Their relationship is one of the most interesting throughout the series, as Sam constantly fights back against this dark entity. However, by the end of Supernatural, Lucifer becomes something of a hero in the face of more devastating villains.

The best thing about Lucifer is his goofy personality. Despite his glowing eyes and his incredible powers, Lucifer is more playful than anything. He is sarcastic, creative, and a smooth talker. Although audiences want to see Sam defeat Lucifer, it is hard not to enjoy every moment he has on-screen. Generally, this makes Lucifer one of the best Supernatural villains, as he is undoubtedly bad but hard not to love.

6 Garth

“One That Grows On You”

No list of amazing Supernatural supporting characters would be complete without Garth. First introduced in Supernatural season 7, Garth is a hunter who teams up with the Winchesters over the seasons, and at times, act as their source of information. Garth is not a stern and serious person like the Winchesters, but instead, is sort of odd. When he finishes a hunt, he uses his catchphrase, “You’ve been Garthed.” The Winchesters initially doubt Garth’s abilities, but eventually learn to love and appreciate him.

Garth offers some much-needed comedic relief in
Supernatural.

Garth offers some much-needed comedic relief in Supernatural. At times, the bickering and impending doom of the Winchesters can be overwhelming, and having side characters with more playful personalities is necessary. Garth definitely fills this role throughout the later half of the show. In fact, Garth even proves that hunting doesn’t have to last forever. After becoming a werewolf, Garth leaves hunting and becomes a dentist. In this way, he shows a more peaceful ending for Sam and Dean.

5 Jody Mills

The Mom Friend

One particularly intriguing supporting character in Supernatural is Jody Mills. Jody starts out as a cop who is tracking the Winchesters for their strange behavior. However, once Jody discovers that monsters are real, she becomes an ally to the brothers, helping them solve mysteries. Over the seasons, Jody faces just as much loss as the Winchesters, yet she never gives up in the face of tragedy. In fact, she survives the end of the series stronger than ever before.

One of the best parts of Jody as a character is that she never dies. In a series where countless characters are killed off or written out, Jody remains a constant until the end of Supernatural. Honestly, she deserves it. Jody is not just a friend to the Winchesters, but almost acts as a surrogate mother. She shows them grace and love when they have no one else in their lives. For this, Jody deserves all the praise.

4 Charlie Bradbury

A Fan-Favorite

Over the years, Supernatural allowed itself to be a bit more goofy, and a result of this was the beloved character, Charlie Bradbury. Charlie is a hacker who is hired by the Leviathan, Dick Roman, but eventually becomes an ally of the Winchesters. Despite the fact that Charlie starts out as a simple computer geek with no physical prowess, she eventually learns from the Winchesters and becomes an honorary hunter. Arguably, Charlie is like a sister to the Winchesters, which makes it all the more painful when she is killed in season 10.

Charlie stands out among Supernatural’s cast because she is pure fun. In a show about demons and monsters, it is easy for the ambiance to become quite dark and gruesome. However, characters like Charlie offer more color and light to the series, keeping it interesting. In a similar vein, Charlie is sweet in a way the Winchesters never could be. She brings in a more realistic human opinion to matters, and as a result, brings the brothers back down to earth. She was most definitely a bright spot in the series.

3 Crowley

The Best Demon Of All

Among the Winchesters’ many paranormal friends, Crowley is one of the very best. Once again, Crowley first came on the scene in season 5 as a villain to the Winchsters, but later, became an unlikely friend. Over the seasons, audiences learned more about Crowley’s past, and began to understand that the demonic world was much bigger than the King of Hell himself. Rather than being a solely powerful character, Supernatural proved that even demons can be vulnerable, and arguably, human.

Crowley’s character development is probably what makes him so enjoyable to watch. He is far from being one-dimensional, and this is pivotal for a series that ran for as long as Supernatural did. Rather than discarding Crowley as yet another defeated villain, the show managed to hold onto him and show a different side to demons that was never really explored before. Mark Sheppard’s portrayal of Crowley is definitely something to appreciate.

2 Bobby Singer

The Winchesters’ Surrogate Father

By far, one of the most lovable supporting characters in Supernatural is Bobby Singer. Bobby first appeared in the final episode of Supernatural season 1 as a fellow hunter who could help the Winchesters with their quest to stop Azazel. For many seasons after, Bobby remained not only as a resource to the brothers, but as a surrogate family member. With no father or mother, the Winchesters only had each other and Bobby. Despite his gruff exterior, Bobby is characterized as a loving and caring individual.

In some ways, it is hard to explain what made Bobby such a great character. Arguably, it is because he was thoroughly good. He never acted as a villain against the Winchesters, and always seemed to have their best interests at heart, even if they were somewhat misguided. Furthermore, Bobby was human. Where other Supernatural characters could show off magical powers, Bobby was simply himself. This made it easy to root for him as much as the Winchesters.

1 Castiel

The Character Who Stayed

Finally, the best supporting character in Supernatural has to be Castiel. Introduced in season 4 as the angel who pulled Dean out of hell, Castiel is a somewhat odd character. He lacks social skills and withholds information. Yet, over the seasons, Castiel successfully becomes a part of the team. He learns to be human, and starts to question his beliefs. In some ways, it is a hard journey, but it is one that is worth it. Castiel was only supposed to appear in a couple episodes, yet remained until the end of the show.

However, it is the way Castiel is humanized that makes him the best.

Castiel’s greatness comes from his unique perspective. After solely focusing on the Winchesters, the show benefited from getting a more heavenly look at things. Castiel offered the Winchesters power they never had before, and a peek into the mysterious world of God and angels. However, it is the way Castiel is humanized that makes him the best. His relationship with Dean and his connection to his human self proves that, even in a world of monsters, Supernatural is all about what it means to be human.