Dean Winchester

Dean Winchester is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles.

Background
Dean Winchester was born on January 24, 1979 to John Winchester and Mary Winchester. Dean was the couple's first-born child and oldest son, four years older than his younger brother, Samuel Winchester. He drives a black four-door 1967 Chevrolet Impala (which was given to him by his father, but when Dean went back to the past he convinced his father to buy it) and is a fan of classic rock music. The brass amulet necklace that Dean is always seen wearing on a black string around his neck was given to him by Sam for a Christmas present when Dean was 12 and Sam was 8, it was originally meant for John but since John wasn't there that Christmas, Sam gave it to Dean, Sam got the necklace from Bobby. Dean is sometimes seen wearing different watches and wristbands. He also always wears a silver ring. Dean is named after his Grandmother, Deanna Campbell and possibly himself. Dean has a deceased half-brother, Adam Milligan. Dean is Heaven's only chance at stopping Lucifer and is also the vessel for Michael, also known as "Michael's Sword."

From an early age, he was trained by his father John Winchester to hunt down and kill things of the supernatural, but unlike his brother he shows no resentment toward his father for being "raised like a warrior", feeling that after his mother's violent death, his father raised him and his younger brother the only way that he knew how at the time. He seems to prefer "the hunt" to the possibility of a normal life. Due to his father's training, he has several notable advantages for a human: he is an exceptional shot, has knowledge beyond the norm regarding the supernatural, is a skilled fighter, and appears to have some proficiency with melee weapons. He is also the only one allowed to call his brother "Sammy". When giving false names, he frequently gives the names of rock musicians. He also appears to be a fan of Jack Nicholson and possibly watches Oprah. He tends to make light of some of his and Sam's adventures and is known to use crude humour, make sexual innuendos and indulge in pornography. He has only been in love once and avoids any emotional intimacy preferring to just keep women as sexual partners. The handful of women who become his friends usually give him a hard time and keep him in line. He is devoted to the memory of his mother and his younger brother Sam. He is also a passionate defender of humanity. He is terrified of flying and claims that it is the reason why he drives everywhere. Dean values his family's safety over anything else, even going so far as to kill a demon and its human host in order to save Sam's life, as well as sacrificing his very soul and suffering in hell to resuscitate his brother.

Season 1
When Dean was four years old, his mother Mary was killed in his younger brother Sam's bedroom. Twenty-two years later, The Demon responsible for their mother's death kills Sam's girlfriend, Jessica Moore. Together, Dean and Sam go on a road trip to fend off supernatural creatures and search for their father, John, who occasionally leaves new missions for them to complete.

Early in the season ("Skin"), Dean and Sam battle a shape-shifter responsible for a string of brutal murders in the St. Louis, MO area. During the course of the episode, the shapeshifter assumes Dean's form, causing police to believe that Dean is responsible for the murders. However, Dean kills the shapeshifter while it is still in his form, and the authorities officially declare him dead.

In the last episode of this season "The Yellow-Eyed Demon" possessed Dean's father in an attempt to get The Colt for his own. After Dean realizes this, The Yellow-Eyed Demon pins him and Sam to a wall and reveals that John favors Sam over Dean. The demon also tells Dean that he was responsible for sending his children back to hell, after Dean makes a sarcastic remark about the situation, the demon tortures him, Dean pleads for his father's help before losing consciousness. Sam manages to get free and shoots the demon/John in the leg, releasing the demon from John's body.

The season finale concluded with Sam, Dean, and John escaping from a clash with The Yellow-Eyed Demon in Salvation, Iowa. While Sam was driving to a hospital after Dean and John were injured, a demonically possessed driver drove his truck into the Impala, causing massive damage to the car and the Winchesters inside.

Season 2
All three of the Winchesters survive the wreck, although Dean is more severely injured than his father or brother. In the first episode of Season 2 ("In My Time of Dying"), Dean is in a coma and a reaper, Tessa, tries to convince him to die. In order to save him, John makes a deal with The Yellow-Eyed Demon, trading his life for Dean's. Before he dies, John whispers something in Dean's ear which the audience cannot hear.

Throughout the first half of the second season, Dean struggles with the death of his father, as well as with the knowledge that he was the one who was supposed to have died. Furthermore, he is haunted by his father's last words to him, and at the midpoint of the season, it is revealed that John told Dean that The Demon intends to turn Sam evil, and if Dean can not save Sam, Dean must kill his brother.

During an investigation in Baltimore, MD ("The Usual Suspects"), Dean is arrested in connection with another series of murders. It is revealed that Dean has a rather impressive police record, with charges over the years including credit card fraud, breaking and entering, and grave desecration. Although Sam and Dean are able to prove that the murders were actually committed by one of the detectives on the case, it is unclear whether or not the charges against Dean were ever officially dropped. However, the problem still remains that the authorities have realized that Dean is not dead, as they had previously believed. A team of FBI agents, led by Special Agent Victor Henricksen catches up with Dean and Sam in Milwaukee, WI ("Nightshifter"), where attempted bank robbery and several more murders are added to Dean's list of supposed crimes.

At the end of All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 1, just as he arrives to rescue his younger brother, Sam is stabbed and collapses into Dean's arms. Amidst his brother's pleas to stay with him, Sam dies, leaving Dean alone as the last living Winchester. Dean, believing he failed Sam, is too upset to deal with the crushing blow delivered when Sam died, and in a last ditch effort travels to a crossroads to make a deal with the "crossroads demon" for Sam's life in exchange for his soul. In the end Dean is allowed one year to live and Sam is then resurrected. At first, Bobby Singer is the only one to know of what Dean did, because Sam can't remember anything past when Jake Talley stabbed him and Dean makes up a lie about Bobby patching him up. Bobby yells at him for what he did and Dean pleads with him not to tell Sam what he did, as he knows it will destroy Sam knowing Dean sold his soul.

However, the The Yellow-Eyed Demon questions Dean if he is sure what he brought back in Sam is "pure" after Sam unhesitatingly kills Jake, unloading several bullets into his head without any sign of remorse. Sam figures out what Dean did by the end, and Dean tells him not to be mad, that he couldn't let Sam die, not like that. Sam vows to get him out of this, no matter what. At the end of the second season Dean kills The Yellow-Eyed Demon with the Colt freeing his father's soul but during the battle hundreds of other demons escaped their prison and now Dean and Sam must kill all of them, as well as find a way to save Dean from dying in a year's time.

Season 3
In the season premier of season three "The Magnificent Seven", Dean makes the best of his last year, not worrying about his safety, while Sam tries desperately to find a loophole in the crossroad demons deal. After continuous arguments with Sam, Dean tells Sam if they try to wiggle out of the deal, Sam immediately dies. The brothers also meet Ruby, a demon who supposedly knows how to free Dean.

Next, the boys unluckily runs into Bela Talbot, a thief who knows her way around. After a few brawls and quick confrontations, Bela out-smarts the brothers and steals the Colt.

Towards the end of the season, Dean discovers that the demon, Lilith holds his contract. What intrigues the brothers even more is that the demon holds Bela's deal too. Bela desperately tries to free herself by killing Dean and Sam but fails.

Sam, determined, desperately finds a way to break Dean out. He stumbles upon Alchemy after a hunt leads him to an immortal Doctor. After finding out the resources needed, Sam gives up on the idea.

Dean, with 30 hours left, stills desperately tries to free himself. He uses his last resource, Ruby, and takes her demon-killing knife. With help from Bobby, he discovers Lilith is in Indiana. While the trio head to Indiana, Dean discovers he can see who is possessed and can see demons, such as Hellhounds. After a quick struggle with Ruby, the four manage to escape a mob of demons using Holy Water. Now inside the house where Lilith hiding, the three quickly manage to locate her. However, Dean discovers that Lilith has switched bodies as Sam is about to kill the little girl. As the clock strikes midnight, Dean smiles and tells Sam to be brave and to continue what hes doing. The brothers and Ruby run from the hellhounds and placed a salt barrier to protect themselves. However, Dean realizes Lilith is in Ruby. Too late, the Demon uses her powers to subdue the two, opening the door for the hellhounds. Sam watches as his brother is mauled to death by the hellhounds, pleading Lilith to stop. As Lilith leaves an unconscious Ruby, Sam holds the dying Dean in his hands, frantically yelling out to him. Now in "Hell", Dean is desperately yelling for help, calling out for Sam.

Season 4
In the season premiere "Lazarus Rising", Dean escapes Hell and reunites with Bobby and Sam. At first, he doesn't know who or what brought him back. With help from Pamela Barnes, a psychic, he finds out a supernatural being called Castiel has surfaced him. Not knowing what he's up against, Bobby and Dean summon him and prepare every known weapon that will kill supernatural beings including Ruby's Magic Dagger. They discover that the being isn't a demon, but an angel from Heavan. Castiel states that he needs Dean's help to stop the Apocalypse.

In "Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester", Dean is haunted by the spirits of Meg Masters, Henricksen and Ronald Reznick, wanting to kill Dean for not saving them. Dean, with guidance from Bobby, ultimately puts their souls to rest. Later, as Dean is asleep, Castiel, the angel that rescued Dean, re-appears and tells him that they must stop Lilith from opening all 66 Seals. If they fail, Lucifer will bring the end to the world. Dean believes that Lucifer is a fairy tail told in "Demon Sunday School". But Castiel objects and tells him that Lucifer is all too real.

"In The Beginning", takes us to 1973 where Dean learns about the Winchester history. Although tempted to stop Azazel from killing his mother, he realizes that he and Sam will no longer be hunters and all the people they saved will die. Dean learns that his mother was a hunter. Teaming up with his future mother and grandfather, they plan to take out Azazel with a borrowed Colt. Azazel, however, is one step ahead, and possesses Samuel, Dean's Grandfather. Dean fails to stop him and the possessed elder finds John about to propose to Mary. Samuel kills John. A tempted, heartbroken Mary confirms a deal with Azazel, allowing him "permission" in 10 years. Dean arrives shortly and realizes he can't change destiny.

Dean learns about Sam's new powers in "Metamorphosis" and learns that Ruby is back. He freaks out and tells Sam that he's not human and that if he wasn't his brother, he would kill him.

After the two reconcile, they tackle a shapeshifter in Monster Movie, a ghost in Yellow Fever, an old and powerful demon in It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester, and the after-effects of a cursed coin in Wishing Well before they encounter Ruby again. She drops them a tip about Anna Milton, a girl who can apparently hear the true voices of Angels. Dean, throughout the I Know What You Did Last Summer learns what happened to Dean in the four months that he was in Hell.

Dean, along with Sam and Ruby, defend Anna Milton from Castiel, Uriel and Alastair as both Heaven and Hell want Anna for their own personal gain. Anna takes her grace from Uriel and, for the moment, vanquishes the angels and Alastair, who at that time, was supposedly dead.

Both Dean and Sam overcome new obstacles such as fighting an abandoned girl in Family Remains, defeating a tricky Magician in "Criss Angel is a Douche Bag", facing his past in "After School Special" and killing a seductive Siren in "Sex and Violence"

Dean realizes that everyone is cheating death in a small town and finds out that the demons are kidnapping Reapers to open another seal. Dean and Sam ask Pamela for help and she brings them into the Spirit World, where they find Alastair as the mastermind of the plan. Dean also teams-up with Tessa and learns how ghosts interact with the living world.

In "On the Head of a Pin", Dean is brought in to interrogate Alastiar, who the angels think is killing other angels. After refusing, Castiel begs Dean to do it. Eventually doing it, Dean discovers that it's not Alastair who is killing them, but Uriel who is. Uriel explains that an angel is the only one who can kill an angel and, after a fight with Castiel, is killed by Anna, who briefly returns. Dean, however, is fatally injured, after Alastair breaks free and attacks Dean. Dean awakens from a hospital bed and tells Castiel that he doesn't want to stop Lucifer anymore. He also discovers he is the one the who opened the first seal. Castiel tells him, "The Righteous Man who starts it, will be the one who finishes it."

Dean deals with many other obstacles including the superior, stubborn angel Zachariah and the prophet Chuck Shurley.

Towards the end of the season, Dean and Sam have a strong confrontation which leads into a seperation. Dean telling him never to return. He swears his alliance to serve Christ and is then held captured as Zachariah prevents him from stopping the Apocalypse. After being freed by Castiel, he finds Sam, only to realize he's too late. Before killing a back-stabbing Ruby, Sam kills Lilith, and in doing so, brought on the Apocalypse.

Season 5
The fifth season begins right where season 4 ends with the portal opening. As Lucifer escapes, the brothers are teleported into an airplane by an unknown force (Later revealed to be God). Dean is told by Zachariah that he is the "Sword of Michael", which means the Archangel Michael will use his body as a vessel to lead the forces of heaven, but Dean must consent to this. Dean refuses and Castiel saves him when Zachariah tries to force Dean to agree by harming him and Sam. Bobby gets possessed by a demon and instead of killing Dean he kills the demon inside himself, using Rubys knife, in turn paralyzing himself from the waist down.

Dean and Sam fight the Horseman War in a town where the people think that their neighbors are demons. In this town is Ellen, Jo, and Rufus all trying to hunt the demons, who turn out to be just people that War has made eyes seem black. Once the brothers cut the ring finger off of war sending the town back to normal, Dean worries that Sam cannot control his urge to drink demon blood, and the brothers agree to go their separate ways because Sam is a liability with his demon blood lust. Castiel finds Dean and they capture the Archangel Raphael to ask the location of God.

In the fourth episode of the season, Dean is transported forward in time, this time by Zachariah to see what the future will be like. He finds himself in 2014, eventually meeting up with his future self, as well as the survivors and victims of the Croatoan virus from season 2. Dean finds out that Sam let Lucifer into his body, and this was the reason the world was in such disarray. Later, the future Dean is killed by Lucifer, while in Sam's body. After being told by his future self to accept Michael into his body, Dean is transported back to his own time, where he comes face to face with Zachariah. He refuses to become Michael's vessel. In the end of the episode, the brothers meet back up again, and decide that they should stay together, to "Keep each other human." In the episode Changing Channels, it is revealed to Dean and Sam by the Trickster (who reveals that he is the Archangel Gabriel) that their relationship (Dean, the older brother loyal to an absent father, and Sam the younger brother, rebellious to the father's plan) mirrors the relationship between Lucifer and Michael, and has been told to the angels since the beginning to bring about Judgment Day.

The tenth episode of the season shows Sam and Deans plans to find Lucifer and kill him, with help from Castiel, Jo, Ellen, and Bobby. They find out that the Colt is in the possession of a demon named "Crowley," who gives the Winchesters the gun to kill Lucifer and end the Apocalypse. While looking for Lucifer in Carthage Missouri, Castiel sees reapers all over the town and is later captured by Lucifer while investigating. The hunters run into Meg, who sicks a pack of hellhounds on the group. Jo is severely injured by one of the hellounds during their escape. The group finds shelter in a hardware store where they make bombs out of rock salt and iron nails to kill the hellhounds. Jo plans on setting off the bomb since she is going to die anyways, in turn Ellen stays with Jo and both die in the blast. The Winchesters then find out that Lucifer is one of the five things in the universe that the colt cannot kill by using it on him, with no effect. Having lost another plan, Dean becomes more disillusioned and hopeless, and with his experience in Heaven during "Dark Side of the Moon" where after spending time in heaven and finding out God doesn't see the battle with Lucifer to be his problem, he begins to see little reason to deny his destiny as Michael's vessel, deciding to take on the role at the end of the next episode.

During "Point of No Return" he was preparing for his possession by Michael before being discovered by Sam and Castiel, who return him to Bobby's house. They convince him to allow them some more time in order to research another method of stopping Lucifer; however the unexpected resurrection of their brother Adam Milligan, planned to be a vessel, forces Sam, Bobby and Castiel to keep Adam and Dean from Zachariah. When Dean escapes and tries to lure the angels, both Castiel and Sam leave to find him, allowing Adam to be removed by Angels. Despite Bobby and Castiel's insistance in keeping Dean from Zachariah, Sam allows him to try to rescue Adam. With Castiel removed, along with the angelic guards, the brothers attempt to rescue Adam, but Sam's ambush on Zachariah fails and Zachariah causes internal damage to both Adam and Sam to coerce Dean to consent to Michael. Ultimately, he relents, but after Zachariah summons Michael, Dean taunts him into sacrificing himself in order to allow Michael in. Zachariah angrily refuses, and Dean stabs him and rushes out, unfortunately leaving Adam locked in the room with the approaching Michael. As they leave, Dean admits that he would have accepted Michael, but because of Sam's faith he decides that he will "take the fight to them".

Death
Through the course of the series, Dean has died many times. He died in the season 2 premiere "In My Time of Dying" in a fatal car accident. His father, John Winchester, paid the price by offering his soul and the Colt.

In the Season 2 season finale, "All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 2", Dean is given 1 year to live after he traded his soul to resurrect his fallen brother, Sam.

In the episode, "Mystery Spot", Dean has died over a hundred times. All in a completely different way which includes being shot, hit by a car, poisoned, choking, vicious dogs and a lot more. However, whenever Dean dies, the day starts over again. They find Trickster is behind this game and forces him to stop. Trickster tells Sam that this is how it's going to be like after Dean dies and it he can't do anything to protect Dean.

In the Season 3 finale "No Rest for the Wicked", Dean has almost spent his year. Desperately trying to find a way out, he goes after Lilith, the demon holding his deal. The attempt fails and Dean is viciously mauled by Hell Hounds. Now deceased, a heart-broken Sam decides to continue his job as a hunter, wondering if there's a way to help his brother escape Hell.

Season 4 opens with Dean waking up in his coffin four months later. We soon find out the Dean was raised by a self-proclaimed angel.

In Season 5 he dies again, killed by hunters in search of Sam (who is also killed)

Weapons and Abilities
Dean has been seen using a variety of weapons over the course of the series, and is very inventive while improvising weapons from his surroundings, but there are some particular armaments he seems to prefer. Dean tends to use a chromed Browning 1911 with ivory grips, which John is seen using in a flashback, and also uses a sawed-off double barrel shotgun when he needs extra firepower. He has also been seen with an Dragunov sniper rifle in "Simon Said". Dean is shown to possess a large machete in "Dead Man's Blood", and has used a knife in several episodes. He is shown to possess a Desert Eagle loaded with wrought iron in the episode "Something Wicked" and tasers which he and Sam used in the start of "Faith", when he electrocuted himself. When weapons are scarce and Dean is in a dangerous situation, he uses hand-to-hand combat or whatever is available as a weapon. During "On the Head of a Pin", Dean is shown with a number of torture implements, including syringes of holy water. The trunk of the Chevy Impala contains numerous weapons which are implied as having been needed in the past, notable examples sheath knives and an MGL-140 40mm grenade launcher.

Otherwise, Dean possesses excellent combat and hunting prowess; comprehensively trained by his father from early childhood as a paranormal investigator and hunter of the supernatural, he is established throughout the series as an extremely dangerous individual, and he is more than capable of taking a stand against even the most formidable of opponents, such as demons and vampires.

Dean is well-versed with multiple types of firearms; he prefers his Colt 1911 and sawed-off shotgun, but is proficient with most other weapons he might acquire. An expert marksman, he seldom misses his intended target and can efficiently put down anything vulnerable to bullets.

Dean is adept with martial arts and knife fighting as well; he has subdued several human assailants with ease in multiple episodes and bested physically more powerful creatures, often unarmed or equipped with only a blade. In "Nightshifter", he killed a shapeshifter armed with a simple silver letter opener. In "Fresh Blood," he managed to subdue a vampire long enough to inject her with a shot of 'dead man's blood.' In "The Magnificent Seven", he fought and held off several demons by himself, armed only with a flask of holy water.

Dean is also a proficient tracker and possesses prudent tactical skills and an instinctive ability to 'read' behavioral characteristics and manipulate people. Highly resourceful, he frequently utilizes improvised weapons and explosive devices; in "Croatoan," he demonstrated knowledge in chemistry constructing Molotov cocktails and improvised explosive devices, and in "Phantom Traveler", he revealed knowledge of electronics and reverse engineering, having built an electromagnetic field detector from an old Walkman radio.

Dean also possesses extensive knowledge of the supernatural and mythology. He is versed with how police, fire departments and various government agencies (FBI, CDC) typically operate and conduct investigations, and knows how to both impersonate and evade them effectively. An accomplished mechanic, he maintains his Impala in tip top condition and has maintained an intimate knowledge of automobiles and engines since childhood.

Dean is a virtuoso of escape, evasion and silent movement, when the situation requires subtlety and stealth. Lastly, he is also alarmingly skillful in many areas frowned upon by the law: lock picking, breaking into security systems (not so much computers, which often falls to Sam), car jacking and gaining an 'advantageous purchase' comes naturally to him.

Due to his time spent in Hell as Alistair's "student", Dean has an in-depth knowledge of torture, able to inflict the maximum amount of pain and agony on a victim while keeping them alive as long as possible. In the season 5 premiere, Dean revealed he had learned the banishing spell from Castiel that sends angels back to heaven.

Season 1

 * "Pilot"
 * "Wendigo"
 * "Phantom Traveler"
 * "Bloody Mary"
 * "Skin"
 * "Bugs"
 * "Asylum"
 * "Scarecrow"
 * "Faith"
 * "Route 666"
 * "Hell House"
 * "Devil's Trap"

Season 2

 * "In My Time of Dying"
 * "The Usual Suspects"
 * "What Is And What Should Never Be"
 * "All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 1"
 * "All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 2"

Season 3

 * "The Magnificent Seven"
 * "The Kids Are Alright"
 * "Mystery Spot"
 * "Long-Distance Call"
 * "Time Is on My Side"
 * "No Rest for the Wicked"

Season 4

 * "Lazarus Rising"
 * "Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester"
 * "In The Beginning"
 * "Yellow Fever"
 * "On the Head of a Pin"

Season 5

 * "Free to Be You and Me"
 * "The End"
 * "The Curious Case of Dean Winchester"
 * "Dark Side of the Moon"
 * "Point of No Return"
 * "Swan Song"