10 scariest episodes from Supernatural

A long-running fantasy series, Supernatural traces the adventures of the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean, who are believed to be played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively. The show starts with the brothers searching for their missing father, only to discover the mysterious death of their mother; thus running into the classic tragic themes featuring ghosts, demons, and every other kind of supernatural hazard along the way.

Supernatural is an amalgamation of horror, mystery, suspense, and a few really neat episodic tales with secondary characters like Misha Collins as Castiel and Jim Beaver as Bobby Singer. The story spans 15 seasons, exploring family ties, moral choices, and occultly defined, ever-present dangers, offering very differently angled and highly memorable episodes in between.

The series features several notably terrifying episodes. Standouts such as Provenance, No Exit, Asylum, and more present some of the most chilling cases, making them essential viewing for fans seeking the scariest moments the show has to offer.

Disclaimer: This list is not ranked in any particular order and contains major SPOILERS from Supernatural!

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These Supernatural episodes are too scary to revisit

10) Asylum

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In Supernatural Season 1, episode 10, Asylum, the police are called to investigate reported disturbances at an abandoned asylum, which has a bloody history. Sam and Dean Winchester arrive to investigate the cause of the recent disappearances and violent behavior.

Finally, they come to learn that former patients who were abused by Dr. Ellicott, the chief of staff, during a patient revolt haunt the asylum. The ghost of Dr. Ellicott is currently manipulating those inside, furthering their rage and turning them against each other, even against the Winchesters.

As the brothers search the building, they encounter the spirits of both patients and the vindictive doctor, finally uncovering Dr. Ellicott as a primary foe. The episode handles themes of betrayal and the damage caused by a ruthless authority traced in a grand setting of an eerie abandoned hospital.

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9) Playthings

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Episode 11 of Supernatural season 2 is titled Playthings. This sees Sam and Dean Winchester investigating some strange deaths in a Connecticut inn run by a single mother. At first, considering hoodoo, the brothers soon learn that the real threat is a child's spirit named Maggie, who was once a family member and was drowned in that inn decades ago.

Maggie's spirit attaches itself to the inn owner's young daughter, Tyler, intending to keep her as a companion in the afterlife. Rose intervenes as Maggie tries to harm Tyler by sacrificing herself to become Maggie's playmate and save Tyler. Protective spirits versus the dangers of unresolved trauma within families and children are two avenues this episode explores.

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8) Provenance

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In season 1, episode 19, Provenance, Sam and Dean investigate a series of deaths linked to an old painting of the Merchant family from 1910. The brothers dig up the Merchant family history and at first think the father, Isaiah Merchant, is the culprit behind these murders, leading them to burn his remains.

However, the case takes an unexpected turn when it emerges that Merchant's adopted daughter, Melanie, is the unliving agent behind the killings.

Further research reveals that Melanie killed her own birth family and then moved on to her adoptive one. Her ghost clings to the painting and threatens anyone until Sam and Dean break her tie to the object. The episode stood as an example of spirits entangled in traumatic family histories, with Melanie's ghost as the central antagonist.

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7) Time Is On My Side

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In Supernatural, season 3, episode 15, titled Time Is On My Side, Dean must face the expiration of a deal with a crossroads demon that threatens his very life. Sam and Dean investigate organ thefts and find Doc Benton, a 19th-century doctor who has kept himself alive by going through the surgical removal of organs from many victims.

Sam looks for Benton's method of staying alive to find a way for Dean to outlive the deal. There are encounters with the dark experiments of Benton, including one occasion where Benton nearly harmed Sam. Thereby, the storyline focuses on immortality, sacrifice, and the detrimental consequences of extending life through unethical means as the brothers fight to stop Benton's deadly obsession with living.

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6) The Benders

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In Supernatural season 1, episode 15, The Benders, several people are going missing in Hibbing, Minnesota. Sam and Dean particularly track the case after interviewing a little boy who saw his father vanish. An entire family known as the Benders kidnapped Sam somewhere in the woods. Meanwhile, Dean teams up with Deputy Hudak, whose brother has also vanished.

The Benders turn out to be a family of human serial killers who capture and hunt their victims for sport. Dean is tied down by the Benders but escapes and tries to save Sam and Kathleen. The episode is presented as a warning for threats unrelated to the supernatural, with a focus on human threats.

The storyline delves into themes of family, violence, and survival as Sam and Dean face the savage reality. Kathleen finally plays an integral role in getting the Benders behind bars.

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5) Family Remains

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In Supernatural season 4, episode 11, Family Remains, Sam and Dean investigate a house newly occupied by a family, which has been subject to anomalous phenomena. They come across this young woman, Rebecca, who was held captive and abused by her father, conceiving several children.

The antagonists are the children of Rebecca, living inside the walls of the house. As the brothers probe deeper into the matter, they understand the bleak past of the family better from the diary. The episode then poses the dilemma of the siblings having been raised under violent conditions and what they mean for the family now that they are in the house.

In essence, the story intends to combine haunting with psychological trauma as Sam and Dean deal with this threat.

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4) No Exit

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In Supernatural season 2, episode 6, No Exit, Sam and Dean are investigating the missing young women from an apartment complex in Philadelphia. Jo Harvelle appears with the brothers, having disobeyed her mother to trail after them. The case reveals the involvement of a supernatural being, the ghost of H.H. Holmes, a serial murderer from the 19th century who lured victims into hidden rooms in his building.

Women are kidnapped by Holmes' ghost and trapped underground. While Jo is captured during the investigation, she is eventually rescued by Sam and Dean. They use salt to trap Holmes' spirit and encase the area in cement to block further damage.

Tensions between Jo and her mother, Ellen, who does not approve of her hunting practice and worries about her safety, are exposed throughout the episode.

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3) Wendigo

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Wendigo is the episode after the pilot. Despite this, it is still one of the least recognized Monster-of-the-Week episodes, which is often overlooked when the best filler episodes of the series are being discussed. In this plot, Sam and Dean, while collecting one of their father's cases, go over the missing person cases and find out that the cases have been occurring in Colorado.

They figure out that the source of trouble is a wendigo, which is a beast that had its origin as a human but changed due to consuming human flesh. Some of the viewers may not like Wendigo because it gives a false impression of the Native American culture, related legends; however, it is also one of the scariest episodes of the show.

The production of this early 2000s episode might have been somewhat cheesy, but the frightening of the humanoid monster was quite effective. The origin of the monster, that it was once a person who committed cannibalism, frightens some fans to the point that they skip this episode.

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2) American Nightmare

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In episode 4 of season 12, American Nightmare, Sam and Dean investigate the deaths of people who were whipped by an invisible force. During their investigation, they came across a religious family that lived off the grid and had a secret about their daughter, Magda. Magda is alive, but due to her parents' viewing her psychic abilities as demonic, she is kept in the basement.

These powers, which she uses to get help, are not to be harmful unintentionally. The boys find out that the mother is the one who is poisoning the family to free herself from the situation. After Magda is saved, she is sent to stay with her aunt. The episode deals with the issues of religious fanaticism, family control, and psychic phenomena in a rural area.

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1) The Kids are Alright

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In season 3, episode 2, The Kids Are Alright, Dean persuades Sam to visit Lisa Braeden, an old romantic interest, in Cicero, Indiana. Dean becomes involved with Lisa’s eight-year-old son, Ben, who resembles him, leading him to wonder if Ben might be his child. During the visit, the brothers discover that changelings are replacing children in the neighborhood.

These changelings kidnap children and feed on their parents. Sam and Dean find several children held captive in a vacant house, including Ben. The mother changeling responsible confronts the brothers but is ultimately defeated.

The real children are returned to their families. Lisa confirms that Ben is not Dean’s son but expresses gratitude towards Dean for his help. The episode also addresses Dean’s personal connections alongside the supernatural investigation.

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Supernatural is currently streaming on Netflix.

Edited by Sriparna Barui