| “ | Key of Solomon? It's the real deal, all right.[...] You get a demon in one, they're trapped. They're powerless. Like a satanic roach motel. | ” |
Devil's Traps are sigil based traps created by mostly hunters in order to capture a demon. While they are effective at holding demons at bay, only Ramiel showed the ability to exit one with ease. When a demon is stuck inside, it cannot use their powers nor can they leave their vessel unless the circle is broken.
Usage[]
Crowley trapped inside a devil's trap
The traps can be made from chalk, spray paint, markers and blood.[1] Even if a trap is covered by an object such as a rug, it can still be effective in working as intended. It was once noted by Cain that they are not as effective on someone like him. Although its original purpose is to trap demons, a trap can also be used to protect objects such as the Colt.
Meg in the devil's trap
When Sam and Dean Winchester met up with Bobby Singer, he explained to them that a demon could be exorcised without killing the host and showed them the trap he had on the ceiling that kept the demon Meg in place under it[2].
In order to protect the Devil's Gate, one was created by Samuel Colt which was made out of pure iron railroad traps so that it could remain closed without demons being able to open it.[3]
Seeing no other way to keep Abaddon from getting to him, Henry Winchester carved a trap into a bullet turning it into a Devil's Trap bullet before shooting it into the head of the Knight of Hell causing her movements to be limited and making her unable to leave Josie Sands' body[4] until Abaddon repairs herself and takes the bullet out of herself.[5] Seeing how successful the attempt had been on her, Abaddon then used the same method to restrain Crowley to stop her from fighting Sam and Dean[6], the bullets were then later used by Sam's hunter network during Michael's time possessing Dean.[7]
A Devil's Trap carved into a bullet
Although a trap is most commonly drawn onto a flat surface, they can also be carved and painted on items such as handcuffs and can be just as effective as the larger versions.[8]
Abraxas's demon stuck gets stuck within the confines of the devil's trap
When Nick wanted answers on what killed his wife and son, he had Abraxas released from an Enochian Puzzle Box that Mary Winchester used to lock the demon away though once freed, Abraxas possessed Jeff as he needed a host with the trap keeping him stuck inside.[9]
Types[]
Variations[]
They can be weaponized in various manners, such as:
- Devil's Trap Bags
- Devil's Trap Bullets
- Supernatural Handcuffs
Weaknesses[]
If the trap is damaged in any way shape or form, it becomes ineffective and the demon stuck inside can leave.
A devil trap's drawings being altered
Although the trap stops demons from using their powers, they are still able to cast spells such as when Meg used a terrakinesis spell to shake the house where the trap was causing damage to the trap which allowed her to walk free.[10] Casey, another demon, attempted to use a spell when she was trapped though failed to break the trap which was instead broken by her lover.[11]
Abbadon was able to control her severed hands into removing the bullet lodged in her head which meant she was able to use her powers again after the bullet had been disposed of.
If a demon is cured, they become more human and thus the trap does not recognize the being inside as being a demon any longer causing the person to walk out with ease such as when Dean walked out of his trap when Sam attempted to use the Demon Curing Ritual on him. [12]
Beings such as Cain were still able to use his superhuman strength and telekinesis even when stood in a trap.
Lilith showed the ability to the Winchesters that she was capable of removing the devil's trap bullet from her head.[13]
Ramiel showed Sam, Dean, Mary and Castiel that he was capable of taking multiple devil trap bullets to his body and then proved himself further when he walked over a normal devil's trap that had been painted on the floor of his house.[14]
Although trapped by one, Ruby had also been stuck inside one by Dean though she escaped without admitting how.[15]
Appearances[]
Supernatural[]
- Season 1
- Devil's Trap - Used by Sam, Dean and Bobby to trap Meg.
- Season 2
- Crossroad Blues - Used to trap Dean's Crossroad Demon.
- Born Under a Bad Sign - Used to trap Sam when he was possessed by Meg.
- All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 2 - Created by Samuel to protect the Devil's gate.
- Season 3
- The Magnificent Seven - Used to capture Envy and Sloth of the Seven Deadly Sins.
- Sin City - Used to trap Casey.
- Jus In Bello - Used for protection and to trap Ruby
- Long-Distance Call - Used by Dean to trap the demon with his contract though ineffective as the man inside was human.
- Time Is On My Side - Used to trap a demon interrogated by Sam and Dean.
- No Rest for the Wicked - Used to trap Ruby.
- Season 4
- Lazarus Rising - Attempted usage on Castiel.
- Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester - Inside Bobby's Panic Room.
- Metamorphosis - Used to trap a demon.
- I Know What You Did Last Summer - Used to trap a demon (flashback)
- The Monster at the End of This Book - Attempted usage on Lilith.
- Lucifer Rising - Used to trap Cindy McKellan's demon.
- Season 5
- Sympathy for the Devil - Used as protection inside John Winchester's container.
- Good God, Y'all - Used for protection and to trap Sam when Jo Harvelle and Rufus Turner believed him to be possessed.
- Abandon All Hope... - Attempted usage on Crowley.
- The Devil You Know - Used to contain Brady.
- Swan Song - Used to get the blood of two demons.
- Season 6
- Exile on Main Street - Used for protection.
- Weekend at Bobby's - Used to trap Crowley and a Crossroads Demon.
- Caged Heat - Used to trap Crowley and two of his minions.
- The Man Who Would Be King - Used to hold a captured demon.
- Let It Bleed - Used by Dean to torture two demons.
- Season 7
- Meet the New Boss - Used to trap Crowley.
- Season Seven, Time for a Wedding! - Used to trap Guy.
- Repo Man - Used for protection in Nora's house and to trap a demon twice.
- Reading Is Fundamental - Used to trap Meg.
- There Will Be Blood/Survival of the Fittest - Used by Dick Roman to trap Crowley.
- Season 8
- We Need To Talk About Kevin - Used by Kevin Tran as protection.
- A Little Slice of Kevin - Used by Linda Tran to trap a demon in her trunk.
- As Time Goes By - Used by Henry in the form of bullets to trap Abaddon inside her vessel.
- Goodbye Stranger - Used by Castiel to trap a demon.
- Taxi Driver - Used to trap a Crossroads Demon.
- The Great Escapist - Used to trap two demons and used on the illusion of Garth Fitzgerald IV's boat.
- Clip Show - In the Men of Letters bunker dungeon, and the bullet used to bind Abaddon.
- Sacrifice - Used to trap Crowley.
- Season 9
- Devil May Care - Carved onto handcuffs, inside the Impala's trunk and inside the Men of Letters bunker. Used to trap Crowley.
- Slumber Party - Used to trap the Wicked Witch of the West.
- Heaven Can't Wait/Road Trip - Used to trap Crowley.
- First Born - Used as protection in John's lock-up and in Tara's shop to trap Crowley.
- Captives - Used to trap a demon.
- Blade Runners - Used to trap "Snooki".
- Meta Fiction - Used as protection in the Impala's trunk.
- King of the Damned - Used by Abaddon to trap Crowley.
- Season 10
- Black - Used as handcuffs to trap Dar.
- Reichenbach - Used as handcuffs to trap Dean while Sam returned him to the bunker to be cured.
- Soul Survivor - Used to trap Dean.
- Girls, Girls, Girls - Used to trap a Pimp Demon.
- The Executioner's Song - Used on Cain.
- The Prisoner - Used as a bullet on Crowley.
- Season 11
- Our Little World - Used on Marco.
- Season 12
- Celebrating The Life Of Asa Fox - Attempted usage on Jael.
- Stuck in the Middle (With You) - Attempted usage on Ramiel.
- All Along the Watchtower - Used as part of the Rift Sealing Ritual.
- Season 13
- The Scorpion and The Frog - Used to trap Asmodeus' Messanger by Luther Shrike.
- Good Intentions - Used on Donatello Redfield.
- Season 14
- Damaged Goods - Used to trap Abraxas and his friend.
- Supernatural: Devil's Gate (non-canon) - Used as protection and as targets.
The Winchesters[]
Trivia[]
- After the events of All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 2, more Devil's Traps were used.
- As of Sacrifice, Devil's Traps have appeared the most amount of times in Season 9 and at least once per season.
- Season 8 is the first time a trap is used in the form of a bullet.
- Sam and Dean were both once restrained by a devil's trap with due to Sam being possessed by Meg and Dean having been a demon until he was cured.
- When needing a Crossroad Demon, Sam and Dean painted the trap directly in the centre of the crossroad to ensure the demon was trapped once it appeared.
- Nick learned how to make a devil's trap from being around the Winchesters.
- Damaged Goods is the final time once is used to capture a demon.
- Its appearance in Supernatural: Devil's Gate is for players to shoot as many as they can in a limited amount of time.