Abel wasn't talking to God. He was talking to Lucifer. Lucifer was gonna make my brother into his pet. I couldn't bear to watch him be corrupted, so I offered a deal — Abel's soul in Heaven for my soul in Hell. Lucifer accepted...as long as I was the one who sent Abel to Heaven. So, I killed him. Became a soldier of Hell — a knight.
Cain was the brother of Abel and is a retired demon known as the Father of Murder who used to train the Knights of Hell, as he is the first Knight of Hell. He and his brother are also the direct ancestors to Sam and Dean.
Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first human born, and the older brother of Abel. Although it was originally and commonly thought that Cain was jealous of his brother Abel, and killed him out of rage and contempt, Cain later revealed that Abel was in fact talking to Lucifer, not God as formerly thought. In an effort to protect his brother from corruption, Cain offered Lucifer a deal. Cain offered himself to Lucifer so that Abel would go to Heaven instead. Lucifer agreed, on the condition that Cain himself would send his brother to Heaven. Thus, Abel was struck down by Cain using the First Blade, which he created from the jawbone of an animal. This act of killing between brothers would set the precedent of their descendants being the vessels of Michael and Lucifer, and thus, again require a brother killing a brother during the Apocalypse.
After Abel's death, Lucifer branded Cain's right arm with the Mark of Cain, binding him to the First Blade both of which turned him into a raging bloodthirsty killer. Soon afterwards, Cain grew tired of killing and hated what he was becoming, so he turned the First Blade on himself. Only, the Mark didn't let go and he rose as a demon. The First Knight of Hell. After his rebirth, Cain descended into Hell and became a high-ranking demonic soldier of Hell. He was the founder and mentor of the Knights of Hell, and created the entire order with his bare hands. Cain was considered to be the most terrible demon to ever walk the Earth before suddenly vanishing.[1]
Cain hunting demons in 1863.
In the 19th century, in Jasper Springs, Mississippi, Cain fell in love with a human woman named Colette. She forgave him for all of his past sins, if he would only promise to lay down the First Blade and never kill again. Cain agreed, and they eventually married. But once the rest of the Knights of Hell found out about Colette, they captured her, forcing Cain to pick the First Blade back up and slaughter all but one. Abaddon, the last remaining Knight, possessed Cain's wife in an attempt to coerce Cain to return to his work, reminding him of the affair they had previously shared. Cain declined and tried to kill Abaddon, but she fled Colette's body, and Cain succeeded only in stabbing his wife. It was then that Cain made a promise to a dying Colette that he would retire from his work as a Knight.[2]
During Cain's disappearance, all other demons thought, or at least hoped, he was dead. Crowley described him to be "the best at being the worst."
Cain lived the rest of his life alone, as a bee collector in Missouri. He met Dean and Crowley when they came looking for the First Blade to kill Abaddon. Cain was initially unwilling to help and sent them away, warning them to never return. However, still searching for the blade, they broke back into his home, and were caught when Cain returned. Meanwhile, a veritable horde of demons arrived. Intrigued by Dean, Cain tested him to see if he could live up to his reputation. Cain realized that the hunter was similar to himself. Going back to his wife's grave just as the demon forces were advancing, Cain agreed to transfer the Mark of Cain to Dean when Dean promised to eventually return and kill him with the First Blade. He then teleported Dean and Crowley to safety and engaged the entire army of demons single-handedly and massacred them.[3]
After Dean was killed by Metatron, Crowley visited his body and told him the story of Cain's own demonic transformation from the mark's power and Dean moments later went through the same process.
Personality
Unlike most demons, Cain still possessed a good deal of his humanity and was one of the few demons to show love (most likely from turning into a demon from the effects of the mark, rather than centuries of brutal torture in Hell). He dearly loved his brother Abel, willingly becoming Lucifer's soldier to save Abel, and personally murdering him so that Abel would get into Heaven. He spent thousands of years doing terrible and brutal things with the Knights. However, he fell in love with a woman named Colette, who loved him even after she found out what he was. Following his love dying because of Abaddon, Cain gave up his life of violence in a promise to her, and buried his head declaring himself retired.
By the time Dean came to him looking for the First Blade, Cain was living an isolated life like a normal man and showed a passion for bees. Initially seeming apathetic and uncaring towards Dean, Cain refused to help, but once Dean proved his strength, Cain agreed to return partially to old ways. However, he was tired of life and what he was going to do, he asked Dean to kill him once Abaddon was dead, showing a death wish.
Cain also had an interest in Dean Winchester, having, despite being retired, heard a lot about him. He considered Dean to be a lot like him and was impressed to see Dean lived up to his reputation. He eventually agreed he was worthy of taking the Mark of Cain, making him the one to kill Cain.
Cain also showed an affinity for bees, taking up beekeeping after retiring, he considered them noble creatures.
Powers and Abilities
As one of the oldest and most powerful demons to appear and the first Knight of Hell, Cain is an extremely powerful demon. His reputation alone made Crowley reluctant to go anywhere near him, opting that he and Dean go "a world away" from Cain as possible. He could kill other demons with a mere touch. He could even prevent Crowley, theKing of Hell and a powerful demon himself, from escaping and speaking just by a simple gesture. His strength was also shown when he killed an army of demons single-handedly.
Immortality - Being one of the original humans as well as one of the original demons, Cain is about 180,000 years old. He hasn't aged since he killed Abel.
Demonic Possession - He possesses humans to exist on Earth. He had been in the same vessel for thousands of years. However since Cain became a demon through the mark's effects rather than hell torture it is possible that the body he is possessing is in fact his own original body.
Super Strength - Being the original Knight of Hell, Cain is considerably stronger than humans, monsters, spirits, and lesser black-eyed demons, casually overpowering and lifting one off his feet with one hand and snapping his neck with very little effort. He later massacred a whole pack of demons with his bare hands.
Telekinesis - He could move objects by snapping his fingers.
Teleportation - He teleported from across a field to beside Dean and Crowley and then to Collette's grave and back.
Terrakinesis - Cain's arrival could create local tremors.
Invulnerability - Cain is invulnerable to normal and mortal harm.
Apportation - Cain was able to teleport Dean and Crowley outside with a touch.
Biokinesis - Cain was able to strip Crowley of his ability to speak with a simple gesture.
Power Negation- Cain was able to strip Crowley of his ability to teleport.
Spell Casting - Cain was able to non-verbally enchant his house so Dean and Crowley couldn't leave, or the other demons couldn't teleport in. He could undo and recast this spell with a snap of his fingers.
Leviathans - Since Cain's power come from a celestial being, and Leviathans can kill celestial beings, it is highly implied that Leviathan can kill Cain.
Eve - Since Cain's power come from a celestial being, and Eve is stronger than celestial beings, it is highly implied that Eve can kill Cain.
Archangels - The first blade can kill Cain, and the source of its power is from an archangel. This shows that archangels can kill Cain.
Trivia
The set for Cain's home is the same as Bobby's.
Cain is the first and only demon to display the ability to smite.
As a result of Lilith's death, Cain is the oldest and most powerful living demon in Supernatural.
Cain is similar to Dean in many ways. Both of them wanted to keep their younger brothers from being corrupted. They also took extreme measures to make sure their brothers were saved, regardless of the rest of the consequences. Cain also remarked that Dean's bravery was very much like his. They both had gone to Hell for a deal they made to protect their brothers. They both carried the same bloodline that could host the archangels. Finally, both of them were humans who became demons due to the Mark of Cain, and they both wanted to die so that the mark would not make them something they were not. The only noticeable difference is that Cain saved his brother from corruption by killing his brother whereas Dean refused to kill his brother regardless of what happened.
Cain showed a considerable amount more humanity than any other demon, this is possible because he made the agreement to become a demon out of love towards his brother. It could also be because Colette loved him unconditionally. Most likely this is because Cain became a demon due to the First Blade rather than being tortured in Hell until his humanity burned away.
As the result of Abaddon's death and Dean being cured, Cain is the last Knight of Hell.
As shown when Dean killed Abaddon, the First Blade creates an effect similar to Cain's smiting ability when killing a Knight of Hell.
Cain was portrayed by Timothy Omundson, also appeared together with Zachariah's portrayed Kurt Fuller in Psych.
As Dean returned using his human body as his vessel when the Mark of Cain resurrected him, its possible that Cain isn't actually possessing anyone at all but is using his original human body.
