Ruler of the Crossroads

"Please. I've sold sin to saints for centuries. Think I can't close one little demon?"

- Crowley

The King of the Crossroads is a title the highest-ranking crossroad demon holds. The King of the Crossroads has authority over lesser crossroads demons, who are called his "employees" and who in turn call him their "boss." However, the King of the Crossroads is still beneath the King of Hell (and possibly other high-level demons) in rank. As the King of the Crossroads is a title, the age and power of a King varies depending on the demon who has the title at the time.

Characteristics
The King of the Crossroads is the overarching leader of the crossroads demons and is in fact a crossroads demon himself. As such, he shares with his subordinates the job of buying souls from humans. Due to his position, however, he has added power in terms of both supernatural abilities and the hierarchy of Hell, including the authority to overrule other crossroads demons and take or even break their contracts with humans. Crossroads demons are forbidden from betraying the name of their king to humans. Ordinary demons are also reluctant to give this information away despite not being ruled by the King of the Crossroads, as it is implied that he will punish them heavily for it.

The King of the Crossroads makes deals directly with humans he considers important enough. Similarly, he holds the contracts of souls considered too important by Hell to be entrusted to other crossroads demons. For example, Crowley personally held the contract to Dean Winchester's soul because Lilith intended for Dean to break the first of the 66 Seals in Hell. The King of the Crossroads is also the emissary for higher-ranking demons who seek to do business with humans, negotiating and altering the terms of contracts and receiving the payment for deals for the demon he was sent by.

In addition to commanding crossroads demons, the King may also have a small group of black-eyed demons to act as his personal guards and servants. He may also own his own hellhound. He has access to extremely valuable occult artifacts in Hell's possession, such as The Colt and its bullets and also Death's scythe.

Although still serving under the King of Hell, the King of the Crossroad is a high-ranking position in the hierarchy of Hell. At least one King of the Crossroads, Crowley, served as the right-hand man of Hell's then-leader. He was also able to secure the position of King of Hell once she and Lucifer were defeated, which would indicate that he held enough power and status to claim rulership of Hell without higher-ranking demons to oppose him and claim it for themselves. However, Abaddon has little respect for Crowley, whom she referred to simply as a "salesman," implying that the King of the Crossroads is outranked by, and thus likely weaker than, the Knights of Hell.

Appearance
The King of the Crossroads is assumed to share the same basic appearance that other demons have. As such, he would have a horrifying true form but manifest as a cloud of smoke on Earth without a human host. When the King of the Crossroads is possessing a vessel, the human host's appearance and voice does not change significantly from what it was before he became possessed. The most distinguishing change is that the host's eyes may suddenly become red—the eye color that signifies all crossroads demons—should the King of the Crossroads choose to reveal himself. Humans cannot usually see the King of the Crossroads's true form, even if he is in his disembodied smoke form, whereas certain other beings (e.g. other demons) can.

Powers and abilities
The King of the Crossroads is a powerful demon, though Dean once dismissed Crowley, a former King of the Crossroads, as "nothing but a punk-ass crossroad demon." The King of the Crossroads is higher-ranking than most black-eyed demons and all crossroad demons. As such, he can overpower and even kill them, as demonstrated when Crowley slaughtered all but one of a nest of demons, purposefully allowing the sole survivor to escape in order to unwittingly play a part in his plan.


 * Teleportation - The King of the Crossroads can disappear and reappear in different locations in an instant. Like other crossroad demons, he can be summoned by a human at a crossroad if said human buries a box containing graveyard dirt, his photograph, yarrow, and a black cat bone. The King of the Crossroads will then immediately appear behind his summoner.
 * Reality Warping - The King of the Crossroads has a limited ability to alter aspects of reality, as he can only do so through a deal. Crowley made a deal with Mr. Pendleton to bail out the latter's failing bank and make him "obscenely" wealthy.
 * Telekinesis - The King of the Crossroads has the ability to move or otherwise affect people and objects using only his mind. An angry Crowley destroyed a street light by pointing at it.
 * Pyrokinesis - A King of the Crossroads can create fire. Crowley pointed at an empty fireplace and a blazing fire immediately sprang up.
 * Immortality - The King of the Crossroads does not age nor have a natural end to his lifespan; he can live on indefinitely unless killed. Crowley claimed to have been making deals for centuries.
 * Possession - The King of the Crossroads depends on having a human host on Earth so that he may interact with "clients" and make deals. He does not require the permission of his host before he possesses him.
 * Healing - The King of the Crossroads has a limited ability to heal: he can restore humans to full health if they are ill or injured, but only through a deal. Crowley was able to heal Bobby's paralysis through a hidden clause in their contract when a recently-fallen Castiel could not without Heaven's power.

Vulnerabilities
Although powerful and high-ranking, the King of the Crossroads has most of the standard weaknesses ascribed to demons, if not all.


 * Angels - The King of the Crossroads is outmatched by angels (including seraphs and archangels) in terms of raw power. Knowing that he would be unable to defeat Lucifer on his own, Crowley arranged an elaborate scheme to have the Winchesters kill Lucifer for him without risking exposure of his treachery to Lucifer before Lucifer could kill him (and the other demons), and feared eternal torture at Lucifer's hands once Lucifer learned of his betrayal.
 * The Colt - The King of the Crossroads can be killed if shot in a vital area with the Colt.
 * Demon-killing knife - The King of the Crossroads can be badly hurt and even killed if stabbed with the knife.
 * Hellhounds - The King of the Crossroads is unable to defeat an attacking hellhound on his own.
 * Salt - The King of the Crossroads finds contact with salt painful and cannot cross an intact salt-line. However, Crowley may have limited immunity to salt; when Bobby shot him with rocksalt three times, he shouted in pain but quickly recovered each time.
 * Devil's trap - The King of the Crossroads cannot use his powers within a devil's trap, nor exit it on his own power once he has entered it.
 * Holy water - Likewise, the King of the Crossroads finds contact with holy water painful, even potentially incapacitating.
 * Angel blade - An angel blade is capable of killing the King of the Crossroads.

Known Kings of the Crossroads

 * Crowley

Trivia

 * The King of the Crossroads is the first of three explicit ranks in the hierarchy of Hell to be named; the other two, in chronological order, are King of Hell and Knights of Hell.
 * It is not revealed who the current King of the Crossroads is. Crowley strongly implied that he no longer has that title now that he has become King of Hell, emphasizing that he "was" the King of the Crossroads but is now the King of Hell.

Season 3

 * "Bedtime Stories" (mentioned only)
 * "Time Is On My Side" (mentioned only)

Season 5

 * "The Real Ghostbusters" (mentioned only)
 * "Abandon All Hope..."
 * "The Devil You Know"
 * "Two Minutes to Midnight"

Season 6

 * "Weekend At Bobby's" (mentioned only)