Raphael

"If anyone is going to be the new God, it's me."

- Raphael to Castiel.

Raphael was one of four archangels created by God. He was the older brother of Gabriel, but still younger than Michael and Lucifer.

The third born archangel, Raphael lived in Heaven with God and his brothers. When God created humans and asked all angels to bow down before them, Raphael was among those that did so but when Lucifer rebeled against God and while Gabriel skipped out of Heaven and on to Earth, Raphael chose to side with God and Michael.

He protected the prophet Chuck Shurley and supported the plan to bring on the Apocalypse so that Michael could defeat Lucifer, and killed Castiel when the angel tried to prevent the breaking of the last seal.

With Michael gone, Raphael was at war with Castiel to gain control over Heaven and restart the Apocalypse, but was killed by Castiel, when the latter took all souls from Purgatory.

Personality
Raphael is a stern, serious, traditionally minded angel who has lost faith in God and is weary of his duties. He believes that God is dead and that they are living in a God-less universe. He supports Michael's plan to bring about paradise on Earth. He has little patience with humans through the Apocalypse, and virtually no respect or consideration for human life, as evidenced by the fact that he callously left his first vessel Donnie Finnerman in a broken state. Raphael also has little tolerance for disobedience among his fellow angels and will not hesitate to slaughter anyone or anything that challenges him. Raphael is also incredibly arrogant, and appointed himself as the distributer of Gods will, when asked how he knew that was what God wanted he replied "because thats what I want."

Despite this, Raphael was not entirely without forgiveness or mercy, at least when dealing with his own kind. Upon their first meeting since Castiel's resurrection, although hostile, Raphael was willing to forgive Castiel. Similarly upon their first meeting after the Apocalypse, Raphael was again willing to offer him another chance, even after promising to destroy him on their next encounter, at the end of their last meeting.

Castiel has also once called Raphael is a traditionalist, as he said to the Winchesters.

Powers and Abilities
As an Archangel, Raphael was one of the most powerful beings in existence, more powerful than any lower angel, demon or nearly anything else for that matter. Only the older archangels, Death and God were known to be more powerful than him. Merely trying to summon and trap him is, according to Castiel, harder than capturing a hurricane in a butterfly net.


 * Nigh-Omnipotence - As an archangel, Raphael held a vast supply of incredible supernatural power, being able to do anything out of thin air. With a whim, he caused a blackout of an entire room in an old house and over the entire American eastern sea board. He could also casually overpower and beat Castiel, (who as a Seraph, was only one rank below him, and as well as empowered by 50,000 Hell-bound souls at the time) like a rag doll, beating him nearly to a bloody pulp.
 * Immortality - Raphael had an indefinitely long lifespan, and was unaffected by diseases and toxins. He never tired and did not require food, sleep, water, or oxygen to survive.
 * Angelic Possession - Raphael required the use of a vessel while on earth. Despite needing the vessel's permission, his presence was so powerful that it permanently damages his vessel. Though the bloodline requirements, if any, were unknown for Raphael's vessels, it can be assumed that the two he uses are somehow related.
 * Electrokinesis - Raphael could generate and manipulate electricity as he did when manifesting before Dean and Castiel.
 * Invulnerability - Raphael could not be killed with conventional weapons, however certain weapons (such as an Archangel Blade, Death's Scythe, and possibly certain weapons of Heaven) could kill him. More powerful beings, such as Lucifer, Michael, God, Death, and Castiel (while empowered by millions of souls) were able to kill him.
 * Superior Strength - Being an archangel, Raphael endowed his vessels with tremendous physical strength, as he could exert immense amounts of physical force. He was able to casually overpower younger angels, seraphs, demons, monsters, spirits, pagan deities, and humans with relative ease. He easily overpowered Castiel during a fight, beating the seraph to a bloody pulp.
 * Superhuman Reflexes - Raphael had incredibly reflexes, as seen when Dean threw an Angel Blade at Raphael, the latter caught it in his grasp before it could hit him. He also did so without even turning around.
 * Regeneration - Raphael's nonlethal wounds healed nearly instantly.
 * Teleportation - Raphael could travel from one place to another, instantly, without occupying the space in between. He could also teleport objects or people with or without him accompanying them.
 * Telekinesis - Raphael could impart kinetic energy on objects with his mind.
 * Terrakinesis - Raphael could manipulate the earth itself, causing tremors and earthquakes.
 * Weather Manipulation - Raphael possessed total control over the weather, able to summon colassal storms easily.
 * Power Granting - Raphael was able to grant Crowley immunity from the Seraph Castiel's killing touch.
 * Cosmic Awareness - Raphael possessed an immense amount of knowledge of the Universe. He knew of a (still unknown) method of releasing Michael and Lucifer from the Cage.
 * Resurrection - Raphael could bring humans back to life, with great ease.
 * Killing Touch - Raphael could kill another being by touching them.
 * White Light - Raphael could generate immense amounts of energy, capable of killing humans, demons, monsters and angels, or simply creating large-scale destruction. He had complete control of the intensity of the blast, being able to obliterate or damage any target.
 * Torturing - Raphael described the nature of his torture as being beyond Zachariah's "imagination".

Season 2
Raphael is referenced when Sam and Dean investigate a case where people claim angels ordered them to kill. Father Reynolds, while administering Last Rites to Father Gregory's spirit, says "I call upon the archangel Raphael, master of the air, to make open the way. Let the fire of the Holy Spirit now descend, that this being might be awakened to the world beyond." ("Houses of the Holy")

Season 4
Raphael prepares to attack when Lilith is in Chuck Shurley's presence, shaking the room until Lilith flees. ("The Monster at the End of This Book")

Raphael obliterates Castiel and his vessel after he rebels against Heaven by banishing Zachariah and sending Dean to stop Sam from killing Lilith. ("Lucifer Rising")

Season 5


Raphael possessed his vessel, Donnie Finnerman, during a demon induced riot at a Pump 'n Go gas station in Maine. The damage caused by Raphael was attributed to an explosion, and the incident was witnessed by Deputy Framingham. Raphael abandoned Donnie, who was left in a catatonic state, and returned to Heaven.

Raphael returns to Earth and his vessel to confront Castiel and Dean, who attempted to summon him. He manifests in the abandoned building they are hiding in, shorting out the electricity and the entire Eastern Seaboard. He threatens to take Dean to Michael, and to torture him, but Dean and Castiel trick him into a circle of holy oil, trapping him.



They interrogate him to learn God's location. Raphael tells Dean and Castiel that God is dead, and that the heavenly hosts are tired of waiting with duties to fulfill and no guidelines. They want to bring forth paradise on Earth. Raphael brings about a storm that shatters the windows of the house. Castiel does not believe Raphael's assertion about God, and demands to know how he was resurrected, if not by God. Raphael suggests that it was Lucifer, because he needs all the rebellious angels that he can find. Castiel and Dean then leave Raphael, who warns the other angel not to leave him there, because he will catch up with him one day. Castiel replies, "Maybe one day. But today, you're my little bitch!" ("Free to Be You and Me")

In between
At some point Raphael somehow escapes the Holy Fire Dean and Castiel left him trapped in. Castiel meets with Raphael after the Apocalypse was averted. Raphael is ensconced in a palatial house, apparently part of the Heaven of disgraced Enron executive Ken Lay. Raphael informs Castiel he will call an assembly of The Host of Heaven, at which he will ask Castiel to pledge his allegiance to Raphael. He announces that he will proceed to free Michael and Lucifer from the Cage and resume their apocalyptic battle. When Castiel refuses, Raphael beats him up and threatens to destroy him unless he bows down.

After Castiel makes his deal with Crowley, he returns to Heaven, and with the power of an extra 50,000 souls obtained from Hell is able to make his first stand against Raphael.

Season 6
In The Third Man, Sam and Dean investigate the deaths of three cops which mirror Egyptian plagues. Dean summons Castiel, and they discover that a boy has been using part of the Staff of Moses. Castiel later tells Sam and Dean that Heaven has been thrown into chaos without Michael, with angels going rogue, celestial killings, and the theft of their weapons. He also warns them that Raphael is back and trying to gain all of Heaven's weapons so that he can win the civil war against Castiel, then release Lucifer and Michael, putting the apocalypse back on track. When asked why, Castiel simply calls Raphael a "traditionalist" who wants "to end the story the way it was written." A soldier of Raphael attacks Castiel, then returns to his leader.



Raphael and his soldiers track down Balthazar, the angel who stole the weapons and sold part of the Staff of Moses, looking for the other weapons. Sam and Dean banish one of Raphael's soldiers with the Angel Banishing Sigil and Castiel kills one with an Angel Blade. Raphael then appears behind Castiel and attacks him mercilessly. Just as Raphael is about to kill Castiel, Balthazar appears and turns Raphael's vessel into a pillar of salt using Lot's Salt, forcing Raphael to look for a new vessel.

In The French Mistake, Sam and Dean are given a key by Balthazar that supposedly opens the repository containing Heaven's weapons and are transported to an alternate reality to protect them from Raphael, who has started to hunt them down. Raphael sends Virgil after them. When the Winchesters are transported back to their universe, they are greeted by Raphael in a new female vessel. Balthazar then appears and tells Raphael that the key given to Sam and Dean was a decoy. Castiel, now in possession of Heaven's weapons, also appears and threatens Raphael, who disappears.

In The Man Who Knew Too Much, Raphael forms an alliance with Crowley after Castiel betrays Crowley in their search for purgatory. Castiel, who is outnumbered, is forced to give them the blood of a creature from purgatory which is required to obtain all the souls from it. When the spell fails, Castiel returns revealing the blood was fake and that he has the souls and their power. Crowley beats a hasty retreat, but Raphael is unable to leave.



Terrified, he asks Castiel why he would let a demon live but not one of his own brother. Castiel replies that he has plans for Crowley, but not for Raphael, who he obliterates with a snap of his fingers.

Relationships

 * God (Father and creator)
 * Michael, Lucifer, Gabriel (Archangel brethren)
 * Other Angels (Brothers and sisters)
 * Chuck Shurley (Prophet under his protection)
 * Donnie Finnerman (Former vessel)
 * Castiel (Younger brother and Archenemy)

Appearances

 * Season 2
 * Houses of the Holy (Mentioned only)


 * Season 4
 * The Monster at the End of This Book (Not seen)
 * Lucifer Rising (Not seen)


 * Season 5
 * Free To Be You and Me


 * Season 6
 * The Third Man
 * The French Mistake
 * The Man Who Would Be King
 * The Man Who Knew Too Much


 * Season 7
 * Meet The New Boss (Mentioned only)


 * Season 8
 * The Great Escapist (Mentioned only)

Lore
His name means "God Heals". In multiple interpretations, including the Book of Enoch, Raphael was responsible for binding Azazel to a clear, deserted landscape. He was also mentioned in the Book of Tobit, although the Book isn't found in Protestant Holy Bibles. In the Book of Tobit, Raphael healed Tobit of his blindness and delivered Tobit's daughter, Sarah, from Asmodeus.

In Islam, Raphael, under the name Israfel, is the Archangel who sounds the start of Judgment Day. To Roman Catholics, Raphael (venerated as Saint Raphael) is the patron saint of doctors, medical workers and travelers.

Trivia

 * Raphael is one of the three main antagonists of Season 6, the others being Crowley and Eve.
 * He is the only Archangel who never interacted with Lucifer while on Earth in a vessel; although, as brothers, interactions between them did take place in Heaven.
 * His name means God Heals - he is the archangel of healing and protection.
 * Dean calls Raphael a "Teenage Mutant Ninja Angel" the first time he hears his name. This is a reference to the series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in which one of the heroes is named Raphael.
 * In The Third Man, Castiel mentions that Raphael likes to "follow traditions". This explains why he wants to summon back Lucifer and Michael in order to end the Apocalypse the way the traditions says so. An in-joke could be present here as the angels who followed Michael before Raphael seized power would be known as the Pre-Raphaelites.
 * He is the only known being with the power of possession to change his vessel's attire.
 * Raphael's new vessel bears many resemblances to Semirhage, one of the Forsaken from the Wheel of Time series, particularly in his/her healing archetype and earlier dismissivness of Zachariah's skill in torture. Raphael also physically resembles this character.
 * Raphael is the only archangel to only use African-American hosts.
 * He, like his brothers Gabriel and Lucifer had been featured in three seasons.
 * In the series, Raphael has used 2 vessels, Donnie Finnerman and an unknown female vessel.