Sam Winchester/Abilities and Weaknesses

Powers and Abilities
Due to his training as a hunter by his father, Sam is skilled with firearms and melee weapons. Like Dean, he is skilled in criminal acts, such as lock picking, computer hacking, and car jacking. Both Winchester brothers are excellent shots, and are very skilled at both armed and unarmed combat. It is revealed that John started training the boys when they were quite young, as Sam, at 14 years old, manages to beat a boy twice his size to the ground without much effort. In the first two seasons he is often hesitant about using these skills because of his desire to be a 'normal' citizen, however this lessens over time. On two separate occasions, Dean has warned the powerful vampire Benny not to underestimate Sam, as he could and would kill him given the chance. He is proficient in hand-to-hand combat and possesses remarkable physical strength for a human, being able to hold his own and even overpower certain supernatural creatures such as certain types of monsters and lower-level demons. The most recent example being him overpowering a Hellhound and killing it single-handedly. His strength has limits, as he was also overpowered and badly beaten by a teenaged Djinn, however at that time he was weakened from the trials and not at full strength. He is also well-versed in weapons use, from blades to firearms and can kill any creature that is affected by this type of weaponry..

Sam has vast knowledge of the supernatural and is considered an "encyclopedia of weirdness" by Dean. Both of them have some knowledge of pop culture, as they frequently make references - such as Dean calling Sam "Dumbledork". He is skilled in reading, speaking and memorizes text and spells in foreign languages (usually Latin) and is often stuck with doing the research for their latest hunt. Having learned how to make hex bags from Ruby, Sam also possesses the ability to hide from demons. In season 5, Castiel carved sigils into Sam and Dean's ribcages, which hides them from angels. Sam is also quick to think on his feet; succeeding in preventing a demon from escaping his vessel by reciting an exorcism chant backwards. He is also shown to have an adequate knowledge of Spanish. Sam is perceptive to body language and can easily pick up on unconscious gestures to read their "poker face" - he is very good at poker. He is an expert tactician, able to fight or diplomatically steer his way out of many complicated situations, and generally prefers to use words instead of brute strength. He also has a great sense of direction and time, at one point being able to find a vampire's nest while blindfolded by keeping track of the time, the number of turns the car took and the sounds he heard during the journey. Also, soulless Sam was able to simply maneuver himself out of a knotted rope.

Sam has an in-depth knowledge on the workings of various law organizations (FBI, CDC, Police, etc.) enough to pose as one if the situation requires it. Sam is also the technology expert of the duo, as he's the one doing research and technology-based jobs.

Sam has also demonstrated that he possesses great willpower. Upon seeing something from his past in the Impala, he was able to use his memories to briefly overpower Lucifer's possession of him and regain control of his body. Even Death himself believed Sam was the only one who could overcome Lucifer, and even thought of it as an honor when he was going to reap him, and all this is saying something. He later replicated this feat with the less powerful Gadreel, though in that scenario he seemed to use his anger as well as his will.

One of his greatest traits is his physical and mental endurance. After his revival and having his soul restored, Sam managed to cope with the mental hallucinations caused by being tortured by Lucifer for several months - at one point staying awake for about four days straight - while remaining a functional hunter, before ultimately starting to cave in. The next year, when undertaking the trials to close the gates of Hell, despite the extreme physical damage and resulting weakness it caused him, Sam still managed to perform some respectable feats, such as knocking Dean unconscious with two punches. While being tortured by Ms. Watt, an expert torturer, Sam didn't break, stating that after being tortured by Lucifer, there's nothing they can do to break him. Ms. Watt was impressed and shocked by this, stating that no one could take the amount of pain Sam did and not break. He was also tortured mentally by Lady Toni Bevell and was not only able to see through it, but fake his reaction to it to trick her and attempt an escape.

Sam also expelled Gadreel from his body, but that is a skill all humans possess, as angels need a human's consent before occupying their bodies.

During Dream a Little Dream of Me, Sam temporarily gained the ability of Dream Walking through African Dream Root which allowed him to enter Dean's dreams and battle Jeremy Frost. Sam was able to shape the dream similar to Jeremy's ability to distract and kill him. Bobby suggested that his psychic abilities may have had something to do with this, but Sam didn't think so.

During the first half of Season 9, he had Superhuman Strength, Angelic Photokinesis and Accelerated Healing Abilities, due to the presence of Gadreel inside his body. However, Gadreel had to take control in order to use his Angelic powers. This was seen when the Shaman cut Sam's throat, Gadreel instantly took control & regenerated the damaged tissue within a few seconds, before handing Sam back his bodily control. Even without Gadreel in control, Sam's extensively damaged physiology was able to operate at peak efficiency. Vesta managed to scan Sam's body and pointed out that his body cannot possibly be alive, as it is nothing but "ducktape and safety pins inside". This was due to Gadreel's presence inside him, slowly healing the damage done to his body as well as healing himself.

When the shapeshifter was fighting Sam in "Skin," it was luminously obvious that he was trying when fighting him, even though he had super strength. After taking a semi rough beating from Jake in "All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 1," Sam was able to kick him around with just one foot, and also later into the fight, with just one arm. When two ghouls tore into him in "Jump the Shark," Sam lost a ton of blood but he was able to retain consciousness and it didn't do any permanent damage. Sam was able to outwit a nine-hundred year old witch in poker in "The Curious Case of Dean Winchester," when Dean and even Bobby couldn't. In "...And Then There Were None," Sam spotted a tripwire when Rufus, Bobby and Dean didn't see it.

Abilities granted by spells
Sam has displayed the following powerful abilities through magic:
 * Dream Walking - Through the use of African Dream Root, Sam gains the ability to enter the dreams of others. He is able to manipulate the dreamscape he is within which Bobby Singer suggests may be due to his own psychic abilities, but not necessarily as Jeremy Frost showed an even greater level of control without being psychic.
 * Astral Projection - With the help of a spell cast by psychic Pamela Barnes, Sam was able to astral project. He later astral projected with the help of witch James Frampton.
 * Invisibility - While astral projecting, Sam was invisible to those around him though high-level demons such as Alastair could see him.
 * Super Strength - While astral projecting for the first time and having been turned into a ghost as a result, Sam had greater than normal strength after learning how to use his ghostly powers.
 * Telekinesis - As a ghost through astral projection, Sam was telekinetic but required Dean's aid to muster the strength to drop a chandelier from the celling.
 * Teleportation - While a ghost through astral projection, Sam could teleport.
 * Summoning and Banishing - Through various rituals, Sam has been able to summon demons, angels and pagan gods. He is also moderately proficient at banishing, occasionally banishing angels and once banishing malevolent fairies. He is not as proficient as Dean at banishing however.
 * Hex Bag Creation - Sam is able to create hex bags after learning the skill from the demon Ruby.
 * Supernatural Concealment - Sam is able to conceal himself and his brother from demonic detection through hex bags he creates.
 * Warding - Over time, Sam has become proficient at warding locations from threats such as demons and angels.
 * Molecular Combustion - Through the witch-killing spell, Sam can cause witches to combust as Spencer Wallis did when Sam and Dean used the spell upon him.
 * Soul Absorption - Using a ritual, Sam has been able to store a soul in his arm.
 * Soul Deliverance - Using a spell, Sam was able to send a soul he rescued from Hell to Heaven.
 * Resurrection - Sam intended to use a ritual to resurrect Benny Lafitte but was prevented when Benny stayed behind in Purgatory.
 * Hell Gates Closing - By completing the Trials of God, Sam would've been able to close the Gates of Hell had he not stopped at the last minute.
 * Demon Curing - Using the Demon Curing Ritual, Sam has been able to cure one demon and nearly another one before he stopped.
 * Unplottable Place Accessing - Using a spell from the Men of Letters files, Sam was able to access Cuthbert Sinclair's magically hidden mansion.
 * Ground Consecration - Sam is able to use a ritual to consecrate ground.
 * Ward Breaking (attempted) - Using the Cabirian Invocation, Sam attempted to break the deadly wards protecting the Werther Box. However, due to Suzie's interruption, the spell fizzled out and Sam's attempt failed.
 * Demon Killing - Using a spell provided to him by Rowena, Sam was capable of killing lower-level demons, but couldn't kill Crowley who was the spell's intended target and was able to overcome it.
 * Sigil Magic - Sam has proven proficient at using sigil magic to his advantage, such as killing a Soul Eater and severely weakening Lucifer.
 * Spell Adaptation - Sam has shown the ability to adapt spells to his benefit such as when he adapted the witch-killing spell into bullets which are also highly effective on witches.
 * Monster Curing - Sam has shown slight talent in curing monsters that can be reverted to humans. Using the cure developed by the Campbell Family, Sam has been able to cure vampires who have not yet fully turned. He was also able to create a cure for the Rabid infection.
 * Chronokinesis - Using the Blood Sigil as modified by Rowena MacLeod, Sam was able to return Gavin MacLeod to 1723.
 * Colt Bullet Creation - Using a ritual taught to him by Bobby Singer, Sam can create bullets for the legendary Colt which is capable of killing all but five beings in existence.
 * Blood Purification - Using a ritual, Sam was able to purify his, Dean and Lady Toni Bevell's blood to the point that it was essentially "revirginized."
 * Rift Sealing - Working with Crowley, Sam was able to perform a ritual that sealed rift in space and time leading to an alternate reality.

Special Child Abilities
Former Powers As a result of being fed demon blood as a baby by Azazel and thus being branded as one of the Special Children, Sam has exhibited over the course of the series various supernatural powers and an immunity to demon powers and diseases. Initially his powers were weak and fluctuating due his inexperience and later hesitation of using said powers. At the start of the fourth season, Sam has begun drinking demon blood under Ruby's tutelage in order to become stronger, eventually manifesting the ability to exorcise demons with his mind. By consuming ever greater amounts of demon blood (which became an addiction to him), his powers continued to grow to the point where he could exorcise and destroy white-eyed demons such as Alastair and ultimately Lilith. In Lucifer Rising, it is revealed that Sam only needed to drink Demon Blood as a child, therefore his body naturally has these abilities. The reason Sam was fed and compelled to feed on demon blood, was to strengthen his physiology and prepare him as the perfect vessel for Lucifer. However, even though he naturally has supernatural powers, the demon blood does give them a temporary increase in his power's potency. When having consumed several gallons of demon blood, Sam destroyed Lucifer's demon bodyguards with a minor thought. Sam would lose his powers and craving for the blood on two occasions: first when Lucifer was released and God took him and Dean away from Lucifer and cleared Sam from the blood, the second, when he was resurrected and released from Lucifer's Cage. Sam's powers included:
 * Precognition - Sam possessed the power to see into the future and even have visions of people in danger.
 * Clairsentience - Initially, Sam's powers manifested solely as a form of heightened senses allowing him to sense the presence of supernatural. Sam is able to sense supernatural presences in the old Winchester family home and was able to sense Dean's spirit during a time of great stress.
 * Telekinesis - When under extreme situations, Sam displayed minor feats of telekinesis. His power grew considerably the more demon blood he consumed to the point where he could throw around and restrain top-level demons such as Alastair and Lilith by using his mind with the wave of a hand.
 * Super strength - The demon blood also increased Sam's physical strength, allowing him to overpower low-level demons and humans, including his brother Dean.
 * Immunity - Sam was completely immune to a variety of demonic powers and of those of other Special Children. Even before he started to consume demon blood, he was unaffected by Andrew Gallagher and Ansem Weems' Mind Control powers, the Croatoan Virus, and Lilith and Samhain's White Light. Although Lilith was initially able to use telekinesis to incapacitate Sam, he became immune to her powers (including her telekinesis) after she tried to kill him with White Light. As he continued to drink demon blood, he even became immune to other demons' powers, such as Alastair's telekinesis. However, after he stopped drinking demon blood, he lost his immunity to other demons' powers.
 * Exorcism - Under Ruby's tutelage, Sam learned how to use his powers to exorcise demons with his mind. Initially he had extreme difficulty with controlling and maintaining this power due to his initial hesitation of drinking demon blood. Though he was able to exorcise Samhain with a minimal consumption of demon blood, he was unable to do more than make Alastair choke and later on had no effect whatsoever on Lilith. However once he committed himself to drink the blood and destroy Lilith, his powers grew to the point where he could exorcise virtually any demon.
 * Demon Detection - Under severe craving for demon blood due to Famine's power, Sam could detect demons within a short proximity.
 * Demon Torture - Sam also was able to cause demons extreme levels of pain which he used to torture them for information. He was so skilled at this ability that Alastair (who had a very strong will and withstood hours of torture from Dean and the angels) broke within seconds and another demon begged for death.
 * Demon Destruction - After drinking more blood than usual from Ruby and having been honing his powers for months, Sam was able to kill a demon as powerful as Alastair. By drinking an even larger amount of blood from both Ruby and another demon, Sam managed to kill the firstborn demon, Lilith, though it still required extreme concentration and difficulty and left him greatly drained of his stamina. When preparing to say "yes" to Lucifer, Sam drank several gallons of demon blood, which allowed him to kill Lucifer's demon bodyguards with minimal mental effort and without moving.

Equipment
In Season 1, Sam owns a laptop, which he uses to gather information for hunts. In Season 2, he finds it in the wrecked Impala, busted. Sam soon replaces it but in Season 7 this other laptop is smashed by Frank Deveraux on the basis that it is not safe and the Leviathans may be tracking it, forcing Sam to once more replace it. For the first three episodes of Season 6 Sam owns a black Dodge Charger with the license plates I4Z 0892 which Sam has customized for hunting. It is destroyed in Castiel's fight with another angel in "The Third Man", something that Dean was pleased to see. In terms of laptops in Season 1, he owns what appears to be a Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop, which he uses to gather information for hunts. The first time Sam uses the laptop is in the second episode "Wendigo", where he plays a video message. In terms of cellphones in Season 1, Sam uses a Palm Treo cellphone. By season 2, Sam appears to own a Verizon-branded Motorola Q which has on at least one occasion (in "Hollywood Babylon") been used to visually track unseen ghosts. This phone however was destroyed in the third season episode "Fresh Blood." In the fourth season, namely "Sex and Violence", Sam is seen using the BlackBerry 8800. Sam has used the Blackberry Bold 9000, as first seen in the season 4 finale, "Lucifer Rising". Sam is seen using the HTC One in season 10.

Weaponry
It is a common misconception that Sam uses a chromed Beretta 92FS loaded with silver rounds. However, it has been officially stated by Christopher Cooper that it is a Taurus Model 99 (though it appears in most shots to be a Model 92, which is a bit thicker around the trigger guard than the Beretta) with mother-of-pearl grips. It is a standard 9mm with a 10-round magazine. When he was soulless, Sam utilized a Heckler & Koch Mark 23 Model 0. The boys do own a blue steel Beretta 92, but it is predominantly used by Dean in the series. Sam also uses a pistol grip 4-shelled 12 gauge shotgun loaded with rock salt. Sam often uses close range weapons while Dean seems to prefer the longer range weapons. Sam also uses Ruby's demon-killing knife, after taking it from her. During the latter seasons, both he and Dean start to employ angel blades, taken from dead angels when they turn against the Host of Heaven.