With fifteen seasons and multiple spin-off attempts, Supernatural had three different endings, but one works far better than the other two. Created by Eric Kripke, Supernatural followed brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester as they traveled around the country hunting monsters. Although Kripke initially planned the story to span only three seasons, he later expanded that to include five seasons. Supernatural ended up running for 15 seasons, continuing even after Kripke departed the show after season 5.
With its unique blend of horror, humor, and heart, Supernatural developed a cult following that remains strong even today. Supernatural began as a story of two brothers searching for their father and hunting down the yellow-eyed demon that killed their mother. As the show progressed, however, it developed a complex mythology involving angels and demons, as Sam and Dean Winchester stood against both the Devil and God. Supernatural’s first major story arc came to a close at the end of its fifth season, while the show’s official series finale did not come until the end of season 15.
Supernatural’s 3 Different Endings Explained
Supernatural Season 5, Season 15, & The Winchesters Season 1 All Delivered Endings Of A Sort
After a few seasons following Sam and Dean’s monster hunts, the angel Castiel (Misha Collins) made his debut at the start of Supernatural’s fourth season and changed the trajectory of the show. Although Sam and Dean were meant to be pawns in the apocalyptic war between Heaven and Hell, they fought to save the world and hold onto their free will. This epic saga concluded in the breathtaking season 5 finale “Swan Song,” which saw Sam sacrifice himself by jumping into Hell, leaving Dean to live out some semblance of a normal life.
On a June 2025 episode of the Supernatural rewatch podcast, Supernatural Then and Now, Eric Kripke revealed that his original plans for the ending implied that Dean’s daughter, Samantha, would end up as a hunter just like her father.
While most fans will agree that “Swan Song” is one of the show’s best episodes, the Supernatural season 15 finale “Carry On” proved to be significantly more divisive. After defeating God himself in the previous episode, Sam and Dean embark on a seemingly routine vampire hunt. However, Dean is impaled on a spike during the fight and ultimately dies from his wounds, bringing a lackluster ending to a character who had sacrificed so much. In this finale, it’s Sam who gets to live out the rest of his life in relative normalcy before eventually joining his brother in Heaven.
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2 Years After Supernatural’s Finale, The Franchise Retconned Dean’s Ending And Made It Better
Dean Winchester was killed in the controversial Supernatural series finale, but the franchise gave him a more fitting epilogue two years later.
After Dean’s unfortunate ending (and Sam’s unfortunate wig) in “Carry On,” the Supernatural spin-off, The Winchesters added an epilogue of sorts to Dean’s story. The Winchesters was initially billed as a prequel detailing the story of Sam and Dean’s parents, Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly) and John Winchester (Drake Rodger). However, Dean Winchester himself popped up in The Winchesters series finale, visiting from Heaven and revealing that the events of the show actually occurred in an alternate universe. This ending added another layer to Dean’s story, proving that he’s still saving the universe even after his own death.
Supernatural’s Season 5 Finale Was The Perfect Ending For The Show
“Swan Song” Remains Supernatural’s Highest-Rated Episode On IMDb
Thanks to episodes like season 6’s “The French Mistake” and season 11’s “Baby,” among others, I’m ultimately glad Supernatural continued beyond season 5. Still, “Swan Song” would have been Supernatural‘s perfect ending. Sam and Dean both ended the episode as heroes, having saved the world and prevented the apocalypse. They successfully stood up against some of the biggest forces in the universe, refusing to be used as pawns, and won.
It would have been tragic to end with Sam suffering in Hell, but perhaps the ending of “Swan Song” could have been altered to show him being raised to Heaven in light of his sacrifice.
If Supernatural had ended here, it would have been a fitting finale for the Winchester saga. It’s tragic and emotional, but also represents a victory for humanity against the forces of evil. After Sam’s sacrificial death in “Swan Song,” Dean would have eventually learned to let go of his brother and finally find a life beyond hunting. “Swan Song” truly is a brilliant episode of television and a satisfying ending to Supernatural’s first chapter.
The Winchesters Is Now A Really Weird Epilogue To Supernatural
Dean’s Appearance In The Winchesters Doesn’t Feel Like A True Ending
Most of The Winchesters’ story focused on Mary, John, and their friends, and the show ultimately lacked the spark that made Supernatural such a success. Dean Winchester’s return in The Winchesters made his Supernatural death a little less tragic, but it’s an odd place to end the Winchester saga. While it’s nice to imagine Dean traveling the multiverse, still saving people and hunting things, his appearance in The Winchesters didn’t feel like an ending.
In The Winchesters finale, Dean revealed that he had been searching for a universe in which his family got a happy ending, when he discovered the Akrida and their threat to the multiverse. With some help from Jack (Alexander Calvert) and Bobby (Jim Beaver), Dean helped save the day yet again, setting this version of his parents up for success. Still, it remains unknown what Dean did next or how exactly his detour fits in with Supernatural’s finale. Thankfully, the door remains open for more Supernatural, and I hope Dean Winchester’s story, in particular, eventually gets another chapter or two.
Supernatural
8/10
- Release Date
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2005 – 2020
- Showrunner
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Eric Kripke
- Directors
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Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Kim Manners, Thomas J. Wright, Charles Beeson, Guy Norman Bee, Richard Speight Jr., Mike Rohl, John Badham, Steve Boyum, Amyn Kaderali, Jensen Ackles, Tim Andrew, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeannot Szwarc, P.J. Pesce, Nina Lopez-Corrado, James L. Conway, amanda tapping, J. Miller Tobin, Stefan Pleszczynski, John MacCarthy, Jerry Wanek, Ben Edlund
- Writers
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Meredith Glynn, Davy Perez, Raelle Tucker, Cathryn Humphris, Brett Matthews, Nancy Won, John Bring, Ben Acker, Daniel Knauf, David Ehrman, James Krieg, Trey Callaway
