“ | It's you, Dean. It's always been you. Death-defying. Rule-breaking. You are everything I lived to set right. To put down. To tame. You are human disorder incarnate. | ” |
Billie was a reaper encountered by Sam Winchester for the first time during the Rabid outbreak. After making a deal with the Winchesters in their escape of Site 94, she was stabbed in the back by Castiel, breaking the deal. After her death, she was reincarnated and promoted as the new Death, taking his place, with a new ring and scythe. It's later revealed that she is orchestrating the destruction of God and the Darkness so that she can take over herself. Billie subsequently meets her permanent demise when Castiel sacrifices himself to summon the Shadow to Earth where it absorbs Billie and drags her to the Empty. She was briefly replaced as Death by the Reaper Betty.
Biography
Season 11
In Form and Void, Sam Winchester heard her singing "O' Death" in Nuckolls County Medical Center while she was reaping the souls of the dead caused by the release of the Darkness. She told him that despite being disappointed over him and Dean killing her boss, Death, people were still dying and would have to be reaped. She also told Sam that him and Dean would no longer be able to continue dying and coming back, because while the old Death found it funny, she said that what lives will die. She claimed that when Sam or Dean die, whatever reaper got the privilege to reap them would not send them to Heaven or Hell or even Purgatory, but send them to the Empty, where there would be no coming back. She also told him that he was dying, and was "unclean in the biblical sense" and hoped to be able to reap Sam herself. She soon left after giving him her name as she ignored his previous question about it.
Her words ended up giving Sam a clue to a cure for the rabid infection and he looks up purifications from the Bible. This led him to try Holy Fire as a cure, and it worked.
Billie appeared again in The Devil in the Details, guarding an entrance to Hell. Dean went to see her in order to get into Hell and save Sam from Lucifer. After Dean sung the password, Billie gave him a witchcatcher for Crowley, and sent him on his way. She would later be visited by Castiel, transported to her location by Amara.
When Dean believes Sam to have died from a gunshot wound in Red Meat, he also "dies" in order to speak with Billie. Billie takes her time savoring the moment, pleased to have the chance to reap Dean, but Dean offers his life in exchange for Sam's, knowing him to be the one to defeat the Darkness. Dean fails to provide Billie an answer as to how Sam is able to do this. Billie does not fulfill Dean's wish, stating that the answer will always be "no", and reveals that Sam is alive. Dean is, shortly after, revived, at which Billie is forced to leave.
In Alpha and Omega, Billie witnesses the Winchesters suck up the thousands of ghosts in the Waverly Hills Sanatorium and travels to the Bunker to find out what they were doing. While there, she shares a flirty look with Crowley. After hearing their plan to use souls to destroy the Darkness, Billie offers her help stating she was about an hour from reaping the weakened God. Billie raids the Veil and gets the Winchesters a couple of hundred thousand souls for their weapon before leaving, telling them that when they need souls, they should call a Reaper.
Season 12
In Celebrating The Life Of Asa Fox, Billie appears outside of the house of dead hunter Asa Fox and tells Dean that something is killing hunters inside and she had already reaped a soul within. Billie is amused by Dean's efforts to get in and agrees to get him inside in exchange for him owing her one. Billie is able to throw Dean through the warded door and into the house. The next morning, Billie appears and tells Dean he owes her one: Mary Winchester. Billie tells them she was a believer in that what was dead should stay dead and states that she can tell that Mary does not want to be alive and offers her mercy by taking her to Heaven. After Billie confirms that she can not kill Mary due to the rules, Mary declines and Billie tells the Winchesters that if any of them ever change their mind, to call her. Billie then disappears.
In First Blood, a desperate Dean calls Billie for help for escaping from Site 94. Billie makes a deal bound in blood with the Winchesters where she will kill them for a time and then bring them back to give them a chance to escape. In return, one Winchester must die for good at midnight. At midnight, Billie appears in the road, stops Mary's car, explains the deal and demands the Winchesters keep up their end of the deal. Mary offers herself up in her sons' place and goes to take her own life, but before she can, Castiel kills Billie from behind with an angel blade, stating that the world can not afford to lose any of the Winchesters.
Season 13
In Advanced Thanatology, it is revealed that Billie was reincarnated following her death at Castiel's hands. Billie appears before Dean surprising him as she reveals she has become the new Death and tells him the cycle of how the old Death died and she replaced him after her own death because when Death is killed, as her predecessor was by Dean, the next Reaper to die takes his place. She halts Dean's resurrection by stopping time after being annoyed by Sam's pleas to Dean's body. Billie brings Dean to her domain, where she questions him over the recent Rift between dimensions as she knows of his involvement.
Dean promises to tell her if she will allow the ghosts of the Meadows' House to finally pass on as she is shocked at his request since it is not for himself. Billie sends the Reaper Jessica who guides the ghosts to their rightful places and has Dean tell her about the rift after confirming Jessica's success. Dean explains that the rift is due to Lucifer's son Jack who inadvertently opened it when he was born. Billie then explains the importance of the cosmic and quantic fabric of order.
Billie soon notes on Dean's change in demeanor as she brings up his selfless act as he mentions that he knew he would lose with Billie as Death. She brings up his previous attitude and how he never gave up but realizes that he actually wants to die permanently. Dean confirms this by explaining that he has lost and failed so much and that while Sam keeps trying, he is just tired and done with everything. He ends his rant by telling her she can reap his soul if she wants.
Amused by this attitude, she refuses and explains that while she would be satisfied at the thought of taking him, her eyes have been opened by her new position. She goes over his list of possible deaths but states he is not meant to die now as he is surprised. Billie tells Dean she has seen the importance of him and his family, stating he has work to do as she resurrects him as he tries to ask about his mother. Afterwards, Dean reveals Billie's promotion to Sam who was shocked that she was alive and why she let Dean come back. Billie later goes over her work in her domain.
During Funeralia, she has Jessica monitor the Winchesters as the tells the brothers that someone is killing reapers who is later revealed to be Rowena MacLeod. Billie herself appears before Rowena who had taken Sam Winchester hostage. Rowena recognized her and Billie brings up their last meeting when she was merely a reaper. Billie tells her to stop but Rowena threatens to kill Sam unless Billie brings back Crowley, but Billie is unfazed as Rowena attacks her. She tells a crying Rowena that there is natural order to things and though it may hurt they all have to accept it, showing sympathy for Rowena's position, but not willing to help her further. Billie reminds Rowena that her fate shows that she will ultimately be killed by Sam. Billie then sees Dean and Jessica enter, she greets Dean before stating she'll see him again shortly before disappearing.
Season 14
In Nihilism, in a desperate attempt to escape Michael's monsters, Sam calls upon the Reaper Jessica who Billie had following the Winchesters around. However, the Reaper Violet appears instead and reveals that Billie now has her Reapers following them around in shifts. Sam attempts to convince Violet to teleport the group to safety, but she refuses due to Billie's rules. Despite this, Sam, Castiel, Jack and Michael are suddenly teleported to the Men of Letters bunker.
Later, as Dean recuperates in his room, Billie appears to him. She notes on Michael's attempts to get free in Dean's mind, as Dean states the latter is trapped but she is unsure. Having heard the story of the others' inexplicable escape, Dean realizes that it was in fact Billie who was responsible despite it being against the rules. Billie admits to rescuing Sam and the others, stating that she "took a calculated risk" and asks Dean not to tell anyone. Billie chides Dean for ignoring her warnings about crossing universes which Dean feels was worth it to rescue Jack and their mother.
Billie reminds Dean of his visit to Death's Reading Room and all of the notebooks showing the various ways he could die. Billie warns Dean that all of those notebooks have now changed: all but one fate has Michael escaping his prison in Dean's mind and using Dean's body to destroy the world. Billie hands Dean the notebook containing the one fate where Michael loses, shocking Dean at what it reveals must be done. Billie tells Dean that its up to him what he will do with the information and departs, leaving Dean with the notebook.
In Moriah, when God returns, he comments that he preferred the old Death over Billie who God states sticks her scythe in where it doesn't belong. After Jack is killed by God, Billie appears in the Empty with Jack and the the Shadow. After Jack asks what's happening, Billie tells him that they should talk about that.
Season 15
In The Rupture, Rowena demands that Sam kill her so that Rowena can sacrifice herself to send all of the souls and demons back to Hell. Rowena reminds Sam of Billie's prophecy that he would be the one to kill her and Sam reluctantly fulfills the prophecy by stabbing Rowena to complete the spell.
In Golden Time, the Witch Mother tells Sam that Rowena's resurrection spell will only work once because Billie will notice the loophole and then close it so that it can't work again.
In The Trap, as Jack looks around the Empty, Billie appears behind him to announce that "it's time."
In The Gamblers, a resurrected Jack explains that Billie hid him in the Empty until God was gone from the Earth at which point she resurrected Jack as it was safe for him to return. Jack states that as long as he follows Billie's plan, part of which includes eating angel hearts, he will become strong enough to kill God. Its also shown that Billie is helping Jack pick his targets, revealing to him the despicable actions of each Grigori he has been killing.
In Galaxy Brain, its revealed that Billie brought Jack back still soulless and is keeping him on a need-to-know basis about her plan. Though Sam and Castiel express doubts about Billie's trustworthiness, Dean is more trusting given Billie's adherence to the rules. At the same time, Billie sends the reaper Merle to respond to Jack's silent prayer to her as Billie is busy. Jack becomes concerned as Billie was also too busy to respond to his prayer for help with Kabaiel. Merle suggests that Billie knew Jack could handle himself and reminds Jack of the rules for his return. When Jack prepares to open a rift to the Bad Place to rescue Kaia Nieves, Merle threatens to go to Billie, but Jack calls her bluff and instead gets Merle to help them avoid detection from God.
After the Winchesters return with Kaia, Billie unexpectedly appears and kills Merle with her scythe. Billie chides Jack for bending the rules already and dismisses Jack pointing out that he'd tried to call her by stating that she was busy. Billie states that she's disappointed and killed Merle because she had one job: keep Jack in line which she failed at. Billie insists that they are playing a big game and are only as strong as their weakest players and so Merle had to go. Billie tells the group that the difference between them is that she sees the big picture and understands that one life means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Billie reveals that the Bad Place is not the only world that's dying but instead that all of the worlds are dying except for theirs. Castiel realizes that God is behind it which Billie confirms, stating that God has been busy extinguishing galaxies and wiping the slate clean "for the end."
Sam questions Billie on her own endgame, pointing out that they don't really know what she's up to besides that Jack will supposedly kill God. Sam asks what her plan is exactly and Billie responds that as a reaper, she believed in the rules until Castiel killed her. When Billie became Death, she inherited Death's knowledge and library containing books with the ultimate fates of everyone, including God. Billie states that everything dies in the end and the books write themselves rather than be written by God. To keep the world going, God had no choice but to build himself into the framework of it which is God's only weakness. Billie reassures them that not even God can read what's in his book unless she lets him. Billie reveals that Jack, Sam and Dean are all in God's book and their destiny is to be the messengers of God's destruction.
In Destiny's Child, Billie appears in the bunker after the Winchesters encounter alternate versions of themselves. Billie explains that the alternate Winchesters were fleeing the destruction of their world and that God is "almost done" destroying worlds and will soon turn his attention back to their world. Billie states that she has a second quest for Jack and that the first was to strengthen his body while the second is of a more spiritual nature. Billie instructs Jack to find the Occultum, though she refuses to explain what it will do and doesn't know where it is. Billie pointedly warns the group to be careful and not reckless as they can't risk anything at this point.
In order to find the Occultum, Castiel travels to the Empty where its revealed that Billie was able to resurrect Jack as she formed a deal with the Shadow: in exchange for its help, Billie claims that she can send the entity back to sleep as it wants, surprising Castiel that Billie can do that. After Castiel learns the location from Ruby, the Shadow tortures him and comments that Billie never stated that she needed Castiel. The quest Billie sends Jack on for the Occultum results in Jack being transported to the Garden of Eden and the restoration of his soul, something that Billie lacked the power to do when she resurrected Jack.
In Last Holiday, its stated that Billie has confirmed that Team Free Will must also kill Amara along with Chuck.
In Gimme Shelter, Dean tells Castiel that someone needs to remain with Jack in case Billie shows up. Jack later reveals that Billie's spells have been turning Jack into some kind of bomb that will cause Chuck and Amara to cease to exist when he goes off. However, Jack won't survive it. As a result, Castiel decides to try to find another way.
In Drag Me Away (From You), as Dean gets some food, Billie appears next to him. Billie demands to know why Dean is working a case now and explains that she just came from one of Chuck's worlds where she watched an entire planet burn alive. As Dean questions Billie's point, she reveals that that was the last world aside from the Main Universe. As a result, Chuck will be back soon and they won't have a moment to waste when he comes. Dean has Amara on the hook and Billie has visited Jack and given him his final orders, the last step in Jack's transformation. Dean questions how Billie convinced Jack to turn himself into a bomb and she states that she told him the truth: Jack killed Mary Winchester and all he wants is Dean's forgiveness. Billie had surmised that the only way he would get that is by ending God and freeing Dean from the "hamster wheel." Billie questions if she was wrong in this assumption.
Billie tells Dean that this will be the last time he will see her until the end. According to Chuck's book, Billie is not in this part of the story and so won't be around. As a result, her plan is all on Dean now. Billie questions if they have a problem and Dean states that they don't as he needs Chuck dead even if Dean doesn't like every part of the plan. Billie realizes that Dean has been hiding the truth from Sam and warns that she doesn't like loose ends or disorder so he needs to "clean this up" and she needs to know that Dean has his house in order.
Dean later tells Sam about Billie's visit, her message about the other worlds all being gone and their need to act fast when Chuck arrives soon. Dean also tells Sam the truth about Jack's impending death.
In Unity, after Amara reveals that Chuck has returned, Jack and Dean depart for Santa Fe, New Mexico to enact the last part of Billie's plan. There, they meet the First Man Adam who reveals that he has been planning how to kill God for 300,000 years and it has actually been his plan that she's been following. After Jack passes his test, Adam gives Jack one of his ribs, explaining that the sheer power contained within it will merge Jack's grace and soul and turn him into a black hole that will suck in Amara and Chuck.
At the same time, an unconvinced Sam locates the Key to Death with the help of Castiel in order to talk to Billie directly. Entering Death's Reading Room, Sam finds the Shadow, in the form of Meg, torturing and killing Reapers in an effort to draw Billie out. The Shadow explains that Castiel's visit to the Empty in search of Ruby shook its faith in Billie's trustworthiness. To Sam's shock and horror, the Shadow reveals that once Chuck and Amara are dead, Billie intends to take power as the new God which has been her goal all along. Billie will put things back how she wants them to be, with everyone that's supposed to be dead dead once again, the angels and demons back in Heaven and Hell respectively, the Shadow back to sleep and everyone from the alternate realities back to where they belong. Sam realizes that Billie is still on Earth and tricks the Shadow into thinking that Billie sent him to get Chuck's Death Book which the Shadow has found, but only Billie can read.
Returning to the bunker, Sam warns Dean, Castiel and Jack of Billie's true plan which means that everyone they have ever saved will die again and the people from Apocalypse World will be returned there which would mean the end for them. Dean is so consumed with rage and revenge that he doesn't care if Billie succeeds or not as long as it means the end of Chuck while Chuck explains to Amara that he'd actually used his power over time and space to manipulate events to this end which had included goading Billie. However, Sam is able to talk Dean down and Chuck departs in a rage, no longer caring what happens. As Chuck leaves, Jack begins to collapse from the effects of being turned into a bomb.
In Despair, Billie suddenly appears and angrily tells the group, as they try to think up ways to save Jack, that they've done enough - that they were so close but failed in the end. Dean points out that Chuck saw the whole thing coming with Sam stating that it was doomed. Billie insists that it was doomed because of them. Castiel states that Billie led Jack through his trials and knows what it is happening to him and so can stop it. However, Billie states that can't stop it but she can do something else: grasping Jack by the chin, she causes him to vanish.
Billie explains to the Winchesters and Castiel that she sent Jack to the Empty because it was "the only player on the board that could possibly absorb that impact", with Chuck and Amara gone. Billie confirms that it's all done now and that Jack might be dead. Dean reminds Billie that she told them that it was a suicide mission, but Billie clarifies that she had only said that taking out Chuck and Amara would be fatal, which Castiel realizes is because it would cause a chain reaction. However, the Shadow is different, not as strong as Chuck or Amara, but vast and if both it and Jack survive, it will be pissed with her, especially after what she just did. Dean is unsympathetic and Billie reminds them that the Shadow can't come to Earth, which Sam confirms, stating that it can't come without being summoned.
Dean and Castiel demand that Billie bring Jack back if he did in fact survive, but Billie refuses until she gets what she came for. She demands God's death book back from Sam, but Sam confronts Billie about the fact that she had always intended to betray them once they defeated God in order to take power herself and how "everyone who got a free pass or a second chance, everyone who was resurrected or came from another world, you were gonna kill them all -- Dean and me too." Sam accuses that of being the order she wants restored and her true endgame. Billie doesn't deny it and Castiel points how Billie lied to everyone, including the Shadow. Sam questions what would stop Billie from stabbing them in the back if he does give her the book, but Billie says that Sam has no choice as Jack won't last long even if he is still alive and if they want him back, Sam will give her the book now.
Sam reluctantly brings in the book, but drops it on the table instead of handing it to Billie directly. Billie opens the book to end, revealing that since they ruined the last one, the book has a new ending. Dean impatiently demands that she bring Jack back now, but she shushes Dean and just continues reading. Visibly pleased by what the book says, Billie comments that its interesting before bringing Jack back from the Empty. However, Billie states that Jack is hers as Jack is still useful.
As Billie prepares to take Jack and leave, Dean grabs Death's Scythe and swings it at Billie. Although Billie avoids a killing blow, Dean slashes her shoulder, causing it glow and Billie to drop Chuck's book. Flinging Dean away with telekinesis, Billie grasps her wounded shoulder and teleports away without Jack, the book or her scythe.
Billie walks through her reading room where a Reaper states that he has put up the warding that she asked for which should stop the Shadow from getting back inside. Billie confirms that the plan has in fact changed. Subsequently, when people start vanishing from existence, the Winchesters suspect that Billie has begun to strike. After discovering that Eileen is gone too, Sam decides to get everyone somewhere safe for as long as he can while Dean decides to kill Billie using her scythe in order to stop Billie for good.
Later, Dean enters Death's Reading Room using the Key to Death armed with the scythe. Dean finds Billie standing at her table and she quips about it being the part where she greets him with "hello, boys" before doing so as Castiel emerges as well, armed with an angel blade. Billie mockingly asks if Dean intends to kill her with her own weapon, commenting that he'd better improve his aim. Dean states that he wasn't trying to kill her before, but now she's killing all of his friends. Calling it interesting, Billie flings Dean with telekinesis and begins choking Castiel before lifting him off of the ground. Billie reminds Castiel of when he stabbed her in the back because she does.
Dean attacks Billie again with the scythe, pinning her to the wall and cutting her hand. As Billie struggles to keep the scythe away from her throat, Dean states that it's over and demands that Billie call it all off and stop killing his people. To Dean's shock, Billie reveals that she is not responsible for hurting Dean's friends and he is in the wrong place. Billie reveals that if people are disappearing, it's most likely Chuck who is responsible and thus Dean is just wasting time by coming after her.
Billie then reveals that Dean had mortally wounded her earlier and shows Dean and Castiel her festering shoulder wound. As a result, while Billie doesn't care about Dean's friends and family, she now wants him dead and is pleased to have the chance to do so. Disarming Dean, Billie strikes him across the face and swings her scythe at Dean and Castiel who avoid the strike. Billie flings them with telekinesis and the two flee through the door back to the bunker with Billie chasing after them.
As Dean tries to figure out what to do, Billie appears on the bunker's balcony, her wounded right hand now wilted and shaking and causes pain in Dean's heart. Chasing them, Billie calls Dean rule breaking and death defying and everything that she lives to set right, to put down and to tame. Dragging her scythe against the wall, Billie continues taunting Dean while casually strolling through the bunker after Dean and Castiel. Billie chases the two to the dungeon where Castiel puts up a ward in blood that blocks Billie's grip on Dean.
Undaunted, Billie begins pounding on the door causing the sigil to start flashing as Billie slowly breaks through it. Castiel suggests that they can wait Billie out since she is already dying from her wound and if they can't, they fight. Dean knows that they'll lose and that he just led them into another trap because Dean couldn't he couldn't hurt Chuck and so needed something to kill instead due to his anger. In order to fulfil his deal with the Shadow, the one being capable of stopping Billie, Castiel expresses his love for Dean and experiences a moment of true happiness. As Billie finally breaks through the door, a portal to the Empty opens and Billie slowly approaches, watching as Castiel shoves Dean to the ground to protect him. The Shadow sends two dark tendrils through the portal, one of which absorbs Billie and drags her to the Empty while the other does the same with an unresisting Castiel.
In Inherit the Earth, Dean informs Sam and Jack that Billie wasn't responsible for the disappearances of the alternate world refugees and about her and Castiel's deaths. Later, the Winchesters try to get Michael to open Chuck's Death Book now that Billie is dead without success.
Shortly thereafter, a resurrected Lucifer arrives, claiming that the Shadow sent him to get the book and use it to kill God and that the Shadow is now being a bitch ever since it killed Billie. In order to open the book, Lucifer kills Betty and as the first Reaper to die since Billie's demise, she becomes the new Death. However, once Betty opens the book, Lucifer kills her again, having in fact been brought back by Chuck in order to get the book.
Personality
“ | You've met, Billie, right? She's got rules. Clean hands. No interference. Well, no direct interference anyway. | ” |
Billie, like most reapers loyal to Death, is adamant about maintaining the The Natural Order and following the rules regardless of circumstances. She is dedicated to her job and like her late boss, she finds the idea of reaping the Winchesters to be quite an honor. Although she was initially often at odds with the Winchesters, she would later develop a complex relationship with them.
Due to the demise of Death, she has chosen to work with Crowley and assist him during times of need. They were implied to be in a romantic relationship, which shows that Billie is willing to bend the rules at times, though she refers to this alliance as a result of "desperate times".
Billie is a rather straightforward individual and if not for the rules, she would have been demanding and relentless in her goals, such as reaping Sam, Dean and Mary without their required consent. She clearly holds some sort of grudge against them, but refuses to act upon it and agrees to help them when they really need it. However, this grudge may have lessened over time as her pitch to Mary about coming with her was more sympathetic than demanding and she kindly offered the same peace to the other Winchesters in a non-threatening manner as she has done before. However, when Mary tried to sacrifice herself in her sons' place, Billie had an obviously eager look on her face since she was a Winchester. Billie was shown smiling the entire time but by doing this she had dropped her guard which allowed Castiel to kill her.
Billie may have a sense of humor, which is rare in many angels and reapers, such as when Castiel popped into her quarters and she merely greeted him with a half-amused expression. She also made a comment on God's condition and remarked she was nearly an hour from claiming him, in spite of the destruction that would follow.
Following her ascension to Death, Billie is shown to be more or less the same but her humor has become even darker as she remarked on how it easy it would be to reap Dean now that she is a higher power, though she was disappointed that Dean, in his state of depression, would not mind it whereas before he tried to avoid it.
She does not seem to hold much anger about her death since it allowed her to gain a new position. While she still holds a considerable amount of disdain for the Winchesters, she gave up her chance to exact revenge and reap Dean because she has now been enlightened to the bigger picture and knows of the necessity of the Winchesters to the universe. Dean's change in attitude to a depressed and bitter man was shown to genuinely surprise Billie who brought up his past actions and how it seemed like he was a different person. It appears this played a part of why she had a new perspective on him, as Billie even implored Dean to continue living which shows the stark contrast to their previous encounters. However, Billie did show annoyance when bringing up her death to Castiel and reminding him of his role.
According to Jessica, Billie is big on the rules as the new Death and maintains a hands-off policy for her Reapers even when assigning Jessica to watch over the Winchesters. When her orders are not followed, Billie will punish those who do not obey as seen when she killed one of her servants without hesitation for aiding the Winchesters. She also scolded Jack for not listening to her instructions on not using his powers.
During her encounter with Rowena MacLeod, Billie refuses to negotiate with Rowena or to bring Crowley back for her. Instead, Billie displays genuine sympathy for Rowena's situation and takes the time to explain the Natural Order of things and why she can't help Rowena. In doing so, Billie displays a level of patience and kindness that was previously unseen from her. According to the Witch Mother, anytime Billie becomes aware of a resurrection spell being used, she immediately acts to close the loophole that allowed the resurrection to happen, preventing the spell from ever working again.
With the threat of annihilation by Michael, Billie has been shown to be willing to break the rules somewhat, intervening to teleport Sam, Castiel, Jack and Michael to the Men of Letters bunker. When visiting Dean later, Billie admitted that she "took a calculated risk" by helping and asked Dean not to tell anyone. When chiding Dean for his actions, Billie kept a calm and patient tone while revealing the consequences of his choices and she did have the decency to just teleport in rather than knock the door to Dean's room as she felt Michael repeatedly banging on the door in Dean's head was enough noise. Billie was also willing to offer Dean the information on how to potentially stop Michael by giving him her notebook revealing that particular fate to him and did not pressure Dean into using the information, only calmly saying that it was up to him decide what to do with it. However, God implies that Billie is more hands-on than he would like, commenting that she is always sticking her scythe in where it doesn't belong.
Despite her rules, the threat of God ending the Winchesters' world appears to have driven Billie to more direct action and intervention. She took care to protect Jack in the Empty until such time as God left the Earth and it was safe for him once again. Billie then personally resurrected Jack despite her stated rule that what's dead will remain dead. Billie is shown to have gone so far as to guide Jack with a plan to become powerful enough to kill God and even provides him information on the despicable acts of each Grigori he targets. The situation also appears to cause Billie to become more strict and cold, as even though Merle took to using a warding along with Castiel to fool God for Jack to use his powers to save Kaia, Billy ruthlessly killed her for disobeying her orders of keeping Jack in line and when talking to Team Free Will, her tone was outright reprimanding towards Jack for bending the rules and she even openly voiced disappointment. She attributes this to her sight of the bigger picture, stating that one life means nothing and in the war with God, they have to lay low until they're ready to strike even if it means sacrifices.
However, it was revealed by The Shadow that Billie's goal all along has been to take over as the new God once Chuck and Amara have been killed by Jack. This goal has shown Billie to be even more ruthless than initially seen, as she allowed several Reapers to be killed by the Shadow instead of appearing when they prayed to her, as well as the fact that she is planning to return everything to the way she believes things should be: those that have been resurrected would be returned to death and those that are from Alternate Universes will be returned to those universes, which will cause their deaths due to Chuck's destruction of the multiverse. This has also shown Billie to be, ironically, quite similar to Chuck as she lied to the Winchesters, Jack and Castiel that her plans would free them from Chuck, as well as the fact she is incapable of changing from her original obsessive nature with the rules.
“ | Sam: You were always gonna betray us. Once you defeated God, you were gonna take power. And that means everyone who got a free pass or a second chance, everyone who was resurrected or came from another world, you were gonna kill them all. Dean and me too. That's the order you want restored, that's always been your endgame! Billie: You got me. |
” |
— Billie is confronted with the truth about her lies.
in Despair |
After being confronted with the truth, Billie didn't deny it, simply stating that "you got me" with a roll of her eyes and confirming that she really had been lying to and manipulating everyone for her own ends. However, Billie was sure that she had the upper hand in the situation as only she could rescue Jack from the Empty and the Shadow couldn't come to Earth unless it was directly summoned. She also dropped any pretense she had up before about her true personality, having previously shown sympathy and kindness towards Jack while preparing to send him after the Occultum but upon his return, roughly trying to take him as he could still be useful to her, showing that Billie only saw Jack as a tool in her grand plans and that she was using and manipulating him. Billie also showed her arrogance during this confrontation, as she claimed that Chuck only knew of the plan because of the Winchesters and Castiel and pinned the blame of it failing on them as well, ignoring the fact that Chuck was only aware of the plan due to him having set events in motion to try and get his desired ending.
As Billie got used to her position as Death, she became overconfident and careless. This is demonstrated by the form she came to meet her end - namely, leaving her scythe within Dean Winchester's reach, despite the double fact that she knew that this was how the original Death had been eliminated and that she had avoided committing that mistake years ago, when she was still new to her position.[1]
After suffering a mortal wound, Billie attempted to get revenge against Dean and Castiel with her last act, so determined to make sure that they died before her that she broke her own rule of not killing anyone, something that she had told the Winchesters about when she was still a Reaper which had limited Billie to only reaping them after they died on their own in some fashion. Billie called Dean everything that she had lived to set right, put down and tame and took what appeared to be a sadistic glee in taunting Dean as she casually chased him and Castiel throughout the Men of Letters bunker and after getting into the dungeon, slowly approached him and took her time rather than trying to kill him fast.
Ultimately, Billie's arrogance, lies, manipulations and sense of superiority proved to be her own undoing. After rescuing Jack, Dean took the chance to attack Billie with her own scythe, mortally wounding her, although this was inadvertent as Dean wasn't intending to kill her at the time. Ironically, Billie had stated when they first met after Billie had become Death that she was going to make sure to keep the weapon out of Dean's reach, but she had foolishly put it down against a table several feet away from her in order to read the new ending to Chuck's Death Book rather than ensuring that it was out of her enemy's reach as she should've done. She was also sure that she was safe from the Shadow who knew had a serious grudge against her due to Billie lying and manipulating it as the Shadow couldn't come to Earth unless someone summoned it. However, Castiel sacrificed himself to summon the Shadow by finally fulfilling their deal. When the Shadow came to take Castiel, it also took Billie because, as she had rightly suspected, Billie's lies and manipulations angered it.
Physical Appearance
Billie takes the form of a black woman. As a Reaper, Billie wears a red leather jacket and long hair. As Death, she exchanges those looks for a long black leather jacket and has a different, shorter hair that only touches her shoulders.
Powers and Abilities
Reaper Abilities
Billie was a powerful Reaper, displaying many abilities.
- Biokinesis - Billie was able to stop Sam and Dean's hearts.
- Chronokinesis - Billie was able to freeze and speed up time when she was about to reap Dean.
- Electrokinesis - Billie was able to make Mary's car lose power and stop.
- Immortality - As a Reaper, Billie wasn't subjected to age, diseases, and hunger.
- Intangibility - Billie, as a Reaper could become intangible at will.
- Extending Intangibility - Billie was able to get Dean into a warded house by throwing him through a door.
- Invisibility - Billie could become invisible and visible at will.
- Localization - Billie has shown to be able to track down Dean and Sam's whereabouts.
- Resurrection - As per her deal with the Winchesters, Billie resurrected them hours after killing them.
- Soul Control - Billie was able to pull hundreds of thousands of ghosts out of the Veil and into a crystal to act as a weapon against the Darkness.
- Telekinesis - With a wave of her hand, Billie flung Sam and Dean to the ground.
- Teleportation - Billie was able to appear and disappear at will.
Death Abilities
“ | Since I got this... new job, I stand witness to a much larger picture. | ” |
As the new Death, Billie gained much greater powers. In her new incarnation, she no doubt was among the most potent entities in the universe, along with Chuck, Amara, and the Shadow, and shared some unique abilities with all three.
- Nigh-Invulnerability - Billie was able to withstand Rowena's attack at full force like it was nothing. The only things that could kill Billie were her own scythe and higher beings such as the Shadow. Like Amara, she has also displayed a degree of invulnerability to warding, being capable of getting inside the Men of Letters bunker at will, including after being mortally wounded by her own scythe, despite the fact that the place is heavily warded and can bar even archangels from getting inside when the door is closed.
- Nigh-Omniscience - After her promotion as the new Death, her awareness of the cosmic order became much more elevated and she learned, among other things, of the actual necessity of the Winchesters to the universe. This was notable considering the disdain she previously nurtured for them and her firm belief that everything that dies should stay dead. Many times she manifested knowledge of facts that she never witnessed. She was able to note on the screaming of Alternate Michael in Dean's subconscious. She could detect Jack's death after he was killed by God and she sensed when God later left this world, so she could send Jack back to Earth. Billie taught Jack of the need to consume the hearts of Grigori to build his strength, and provided him with full knowledge of each Grigori's despicable actions and their location, despite the fact that Grigori had been concealing themselves from Heaven for millennia. Billie's knowledge of the universe encompassed events that took place in alternate realities. She sensed, for example, that God had began to destroy the alternate worlds and could tell that Kaia had been saved while her alternate counterpart died along with her world. She was also aware that Dean had managed to convince Amara to join their side, even quoting to Dean something he told Amara, although Billie was in an alternate dimension during their meeting. Billie affirmed that she gained all of Death's knowledge when she took his position as well as Death's library. Having access to the library granted her supreme knowledge of how living beings die, even God, who was himself totally ignorant about how he would meet his own demise. Billie used her knowledge to provide Jack with the spells and rituals needed to become a bomb capable of killing God and the Darkness. Her knowledge, however, had some limitations. She was, for example, unaware that a Nephilim was the cause of a dimensional rift opening upon his birth or that Castiel had already been resurrected by The Shadow in her talk with Dean. She was also unaware of the location of the Occultum, though she knew it was capable of restoring the Nephilim's human soul.
- Chronokinesis - With a wave of her hand, Billie was able to stop time.
- Resurrection - Billie resurrected Dean Winchester after his suicide. Billie was later able to resurrect Jack Kline from the Empty with his Nephilim powers intact. However, she could not restore Jack's soul, since he had died without it.
- Control over Resurrection - Billie was noted by the Witch Mother to prevent certain resurrection spells from working twice.
- Telepathy - Billie was able to telepathically order the Reaper Jessica to save the ghosts of Avery Meadows' victims and then receive a report that they were free. Violet also received orders from Billie about the situation with Michael. Like God and his angels, she could hear and respond to prayers, sending another Reaper to respond to Jack's silent prayer to her. After invading Death's library, the Shadow also forced the reapers it found to pray to Billie for her to come back, which indicates that this is how reapers typically reached out to Billie when they were prevented to come to her in person.
- Teleportation - She teleported inside the bunker and left, despite the fact that the place was heavily warded against supernatural beings. Notably, Billie was capable of entering the Empty to speak with Jack.
- Apporting - Without even being in the same area, Billie was able to transport Sam, Castiel, Jack, Michael and Violet from Kansas City, Missouri to the Men of Letters bunker. In Despair, she sends Jack to the Empty and later teleports him back again against the Shadow's will, proving that her ability to bring people back from the Empty didn't depend on the Shadow's consent.
- Interdimensional travel - Billie traveled to one of the alternate universes that Chuck created and witnessed its destruction.
- Biokinesis - With a wave of her hand, Billie caused great pain to both Castiel and Dean. Her power over Dean was broken by Castiel when he put up a blood ward to block Billie from entering a room where they hid from her.
- Telekinesis - Billie was able to fling Dean and Castiel around with just waves of her hand.
- Super Strength - Billie was able to effortlessly choke Castiel and lift the weakened Seraphim off of his feet once she got her hands on him despite being in a weakened state herself.
Weaknesses
“ | The Empty is strong. It's got beef with me, especially after what I just did. ... Good thing it can't reach me here. | ” |
— Billie expresses concern after sending Jack to the Empty to blow up right in the Shadow's face
in Despair |
Despite having been a powerful reaper, Billie was killed by Castiel using an angel blade, a weapon that had been shown to be effective against other reapers before her. She returned as Death and, while Billie ranked among the most powerful beings in the universe in that form, it has been demonstrated she was more vulnerable than the other three cosmic entities, namely, Chuck, Amara, and the Shadow. In addition, she inherited from the original Death his one known weakness: Death's own scythe.
- Angel Blades (formerly) - As a Reaper, she could be killed by an angel blade.
- Death's Scythe - Like the original Death, Billie could be killed by her own scythe. Just being slashed in the shoulder with it by Dean left her mortally wounded and caused her to die slowly. Being cut in the hand with her scythe caused Billie's hand to quickly become withered.
- Higher Beings - Although Billie had some power over The Shadow's domain, the latter has proven that it could absorb Billie and kill her. Previously, Billie also avoided facing the Shadow when it raided her library and started killing her reapers. To protect herself from the Shadow after they fell out, Billie temporarily settled on Earth, counting on the fact that God was shielding the planet from the Empty's ruler, thereby implicitly recognizing she couldn't prevail against it on her own. God and Amara must have been more powerful than Billie, since Billie herself said they were stronger than the Shadow.
- Magic - At least in her weakened state, after being cut more than once with her own scythe, some blood warding could temporarily stop Billie from entering places and harming her targets at a distance.
Equipment
- Death's ring (formerly) - The new ring she received upon becoming Death.
- Death's Scythe (formerly) - The new scythe she received upon becoming Death.
Appearances
- Season 11
- Season 12
- Celebrating The Life Of Asa Fox
- First Blood
- Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets (mentioned only)
- Season 13
- Season 14
- Byzantium (mentioned only)
- Nihilism
- Damaged Goods (mentioned only)
- Prophet and Loss (mentioned only)
- Ouroboros (mentioned only)
- Absence (mentioned only)
- Moriah
- Season 15
- The Rupture (mentioned only)
- Golden Time (mentioned only)
- Last Call (mentioned only)
- The Trap
- The Gamblers (mentioned only)
- Galaxy Brain
- Destiny's Child
- Last Holiday (mentioned only)
- Gimme Shelter (mentioned only)
- Drag Me Away (From You)
- Unity (mentioned only)
- Despair
- Inherit the Earth (mentioned only)
Trivia
- Billie singing O Death in her first appearance will prefigure her future status as the new Death.
- Billie is one of three reapers to have a recurring role; the others are Tessa and Jessica. However, she is the most recurring reaper on the series.
- When Dean killed the Reaper possessing April Kelly, the angel blade was covered up with blood. However, when Castiel killed Billie, it was clean.
- However, the Reaper possessing April used her as a vessel, while Billie doesn't use a vessel.
- Like her predecessor, she has met God, meeting him in Alpha and Omega.
- Billie's ultimate fate is in many ways ironic: in her first appearance, she promised to trap the Winchesters forever in the Empty. Billie met her demise when she was absorbed into the Empty by the Shadow.
- Billie being dead and not just trapped in the Empty is confirmed by the fact that killing Betty in Inherit the Earth turned her into the new Death just as killing Billie after the original Death's demise had turned Billie into the new Death.
- Billie's role as one of the Big Bads of Season 15 is hidden for most of the season with her appearing to be an ally until close to the end.
- After Despair aired, Lisa Berry shared a behind the scenes set of pictures on her twitter, revealing that she was visibly pregnant during the filming of Despair with "a little baby reaper on the way."