"We've got work to do."
Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character in The CW Television Network's Supernatural played by Jared Padalecki.
Background
Sam Winchester as a Baby.
Sam Winchester was born on May 2, 1983 to John and Mary Winchester. Sam was the couple's second-born child and younger son, four years younger than his older brother, Dean Winchester. Sam is different from his older brother, Dean, in that he is rational, sensitive, and seemingly more concerned with living a "normal life" than his brother; in spite of this, it is apparent that he would do anything for Dean. He also rebelled against his father's attempts to raise him as a hunter and enrolled in Stanford University. When Dean came to ask Sam for his help in the first episode, the viewers are introduced to Jessica, Sam's girlfriend. It is apparent that Sam was somewhat popular, despite no one knowing what it is his family really does. His brother, Dean, is the only one allowed to call him by his nickname, Sammy. Sam has also had more love interests than Dean, although Dean has had a few flings on the show. Sam is named after his Grandfather, Samuel Campbell. Sam has a half-brother, Adam Milligan.
Season 1
Sam in the "Pilot" episode, seeing Jessica die.
Sam Winchester was born on May 2, 1983. When he was only six months old (November 2, 1983), his mother Mary was killed in his nursery by Azazel. Infant Sam was saved when his older brother, Dean, ran outside with him while their father John went back to attempt to rescue Mary, who was stuck on the ceiling and consumed by the flames that later engulfed the entire house.
Twenty two years later to the day, the same demon killed Sam's girlfriend Jessica Moore, which spurs Sam to embark on a journey to find their missing father and get vengeance on the demon. While John Winchester is missing, he occasionally contacts the boys to leave them new missions to complete. The boys fend off mystical creatures and urban legends such as the Woman in White, the wendigo, folklore's Bloody Mary, and shape-shifters. Through these missions, Sam begins experiencing episodes of precognition and once displays telekinesis.
The season finale concludes with Sam, Dean, and their father John escaping from a horrific crash with The Demon in Salvation, Iowa. While Sam is driving the Winchesters to a hospital after Dean and John were hurt, a truck crashes into them, causing massive damage to Dean's Impala with the Winchesters inside, and leaving their fate uncertain at best...
Season 2
In the beginning of the second season, Sam takes a more active role in the hunting. He tells Dean that this is what their dad would have wanted him to do. The Demon's plans for Sam are still unknown. Dean and Sam meet with three people that John once knew: Ellen Harvelle, her daughter Jo, and their computer genius associate Ash. They assist the brothers in their hunting. In the episode "Simon Said", Sam displays immunity to Andy Gallagher's power of mind control, as opposed to Dean who gave him his beloved Impala. He is also immune to the demonic sulfur virus in the episode "Croatoan".
Sam engaged in the Alternate Realty.
Since "Hunted", Sam has learned what his father told Dean moments before his death: that if he (Dean) could not save Sam, he would have to kill him. Sam is convinced that he must save as many people as he can in order to change his destiny, as he drunkenly states in "Playthings".
Sam Possesed by Meg.
In the episode "Born Under a Bad Sign", Sam is possessed by the same demon responsible for Meg's possession in Season 1 (see Meg Masters). It is also hinted at that this is also the same demon that lead to the death Ellen's husband. It becomes clear that if the time comes for Dean to shoot his brother, Dean would not be able to do so. In this episode Sam (while still possessed) also kills another hunter.
In the episode "What Is and What Should Never Be", Sam and Dean aren't close in the alternate reality created by a djinn. Neither Sam nor Dean had ever hunted, and Jessica is Sam's fiancee. As in reverse to reality, their mother is alive, but their father is dead.
The first episode of the season finale of season two, All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1, Sam is trapped in a haunted abandoned town in South Dakota with "Others" of his kind. It was revealed that there is demon blood in Sam and his mother Mary Winchester knew who the demon was, much to Sam's surprise. He is stabbed by a soldier named Jake and collapses in his older brother's arms just as he and fellow hunter Bobby arrive to the rescue. He dies within the minute, amongst his brother's pleas for him to stay with him. In the second episode of the season finale, Dean made a deal with a "Crossroads Demon" to deliver himself to Hell in one year, in exchange for Sam's life. Sam doesn't know of what happened while he was dead, and is in fact unaware he was ever dead in the first place. In the following battle to prevent Jake and Azazel (YED) from unleashing a demonic army, Sam shoots and kills Jake, unloading seven bullets into his body - 4 in the back and 3 in Jake's face. This is the first time Sam kills a man, or someone that isn't a demon, and seems to show no remorse, this could be because of the fact that Jake killed him prior.. Azazel questions Dean if he is sure that what he brought back in Sam is 100% pure. Sam figures out that he was dead, and tells Dean he'll get him out of the deal he made, no matter what.
Season 3
Season 3 focuses on Sam taking a much darker tone than he had had previously, while he desperately tries to find a loophole in Dean's deal. He picks up the broken Colt and with help from Bobby and the mysterious Ruby, fixes it.
Sam summons the Cross Roads Demon
In the episode, "Sin City", Dean is trapped with a lustful demon, causing Sam to come to his rescue. As a race unfolds, the demon calls forth help. Sam is well aware of this too. As the seductive demon breaks free due to help, Sam is forced to kill one of them with the refurbished Colt. As Sam is about to pull the trigger on the seductive demon, Dean pleads him to stop. Too late, Sam fires, killing her.
Now, more determined to free Dean, Sam summons the Crossroad Demon and forces it to let Dean out of his deal. The Demon tells Sam that shes just a "sales women" and that she has a boss. At point-blank range, he kills the demon with the Colt.
Deeper into the season, Sam is pitted against Gordon Walker. A rapid confrontation turns into the death of Gordan after he's turned into a vampire. Cutting his head off, Sam feels no remorse for killing him.
Again he shows his dark side in the episode "Jus In Bello" when Ruby said she's needed a heart of a virgin to kill demons and get them out of the building and Dean didn't want to do that Sam actually wanted to help Ruby.
Sam killing Vampire-Turned Gordon.
In the Season Finale, Dean is down to 30 hours and Sam suggests they summon Ruby. Not trusting her, they take her knife and head for Indiana where they find out Lilith is located. After many attempts to try to kill Lilith, the brothers fail. Dean discovers Lilith is possessing Ruby's previous body and sends Hell Hounds after him. A crying Sam pleads Lilith to stop. After Dean is dead, Lilith shoots a "burning white light" at Sam but he is left unharmed as he is immune. After that, Lilith is scared that her powers do not work on him and leaves after Sam attempts to stab her with Ruby's knife. He picks up the body of his mauled brother and cries out to him.
Season 4
Dean and Sam re-unite after Dean escapes Hell.
After Dean's death, Sam has lost all contact with Bobby. Even still, he tries several methods on trying to bring Dean back including making a deal with the cross-road demon. Still wanting to never give up hope, he lodges in Illinois, close to where his brother is buried. After Bobby learned of Dean's escape, the two go to visit Sam. They find him enjoying his "wild side." A confused Sam tries to attack Dean, but Bobby stops him and tells him that it's the real Dean. Now trying to find information on who saved Dean, their search leads them to a diner where they meet demons who claim they know who broke Dean out. Dean, obviously knowing it's a bluff, slaps a demon twice in the face, gets up and nonchalantly leaves. Sam, however, tells Dean that they're demons and they need to die or other people will. Dean protests against this. Later, Sam returns to the diner to confront the demons. As he enters, he's attacked but realizes that the demons have had their eyes burned out. He calls forth Ruby to see if she has found anything. As the two discuss, Sam shows that his powers have developed and he's able to exorcise demons using his powers.
Sam helps Dean defeat the spirits of Agent Henricksen and Meg Masters in "Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester".
Sam's powers rapidly develop, with guidance from Ruby in "Metamorphosis" and in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester", as he's strong enough to exorcise Samhain. In "I Know What You Did Last Summer", Dean finally gets an explanation of what happened to Sam and Ruby in the four months he was gone. Shortly after Dean's death, Sam had gone to the Crossroad Demon, hoping to switch places with Dean, but was rebuffed. Ruby returned shortly after and, betraying Lilith, saved Sam. The pair had sex at least once, and Ruby began helping Sam develop his powers.
Sam, along with Dean and Ruby protected Anna Milton, when Castiel and Uriel arrived and demanded the girl be turned over to them to be killed.
It is revealed in "On the Head of a Pin" it is revealed that Sam drinks demon blood to fuel his powers.
As the series progresses, he begins to become more cold and cruel than he ever was. It is revealed in "The Rapture" that he's addicted to the demon blood.
During "Lucifer Rising" it was revealed that Sam had been used by Ruby the entire time. In a plot to kill Lilith, thus breaking the final seal releasing Lucifer. Sam succeeded in destroying Lililth, but as a result, Lucifer was released from his prison.
Season 5
Sam/ Lucifer and Adam/ Michael fall into the cage
As the season starts we see Sam's powers are gone, along with his addiction to demon blood. Both brothers are alive, likely thanks to God putting him and Dean on an airplane to save them from Lucifer's rising (his mere presence being released destroyed the entire convent). However, in "My Bloody Valentine" he falls under the effect of Famine and drinks (and supposedly kills) two demons dry, which Famine sent as a "snack" for him. Afterwards, he exorcises four demons at once (without sending them to hell), which Famine devours, but soon after he exorcises them from his body, making him weak enough so that the brothers could take his ring (the source of most of his power) away.
In "Swan Song", part of their plan to get Lucifer back into the cage involved Sam drinking more demon blood than he's ever drunk before so he wouldn't explode when Lucifer took control of his body. To show Lucifer that he's serious about saying yes, he demonstrates his powers by killing two demons simply by closing his eyes and focusing for a couple of seconds. After saying yes once more, Lucifer goes inside Sam and takes full control as Sam is helplessly trapped inside his own body. After being taunted by Lucifer, Sam tries to take back control to no avail as Lucifer goes confront his older brother, Michael, who is occupying Adam's body as his vessel. Dean arrives and interrupts the destined fight between them to try to get through Sam. Soon afterwards, Castiel and Bobby arrive, then take out Michael for a few minutes. Lucifer is furious at Castiel for harming his brother and kills him, then Bobby afterwards. After that, he began to beat Dean into a bloody pulp until Sam is able to take control of his body and open the cage, planning to jump in, taking Michael with him when he tries to stop him. Later, Sam is mysteriously out of the cage and watching Dean eat dinner with Lisa and Ben. The streetlight under him flickers out, suggesting that he could possibly be a demon or Lucifer
Season 6
Sam watches as Dean reunites with their Grandfather
Sam wakes up mysteriously out of the cage and tries to get answers from Castiel with no results and searches for weeks, even going to Bobby for help. He eventually gives up on finding out and goes back to hunting, choosing not to contact Dean as he has the normal life he always wanted and didn't want to ruin that for him. Sometime along the way, he encounters a group of hunters from his mother's side of the family, including Samuel Campbell, who was thought to have been dead for years by Azazel. Soon, Sam goes hunting for dijinns and discovers that they're going after Dean next and nearly kill him.
This allows him to reunite him with his brother who is forced to tell him that he's been back the entire time and that he chose not to tell him because he would leave his normal life behind if he did. This made Dean angry at Sam and later at Bobby as he knew of Sam's return as well. Then Sam introduced Dean to their third cousins and Grandfather, from their mom's side.
Then Sam and Dean take Lisa and Ben to safety at Bobby's until they take care of the dijinns. The dijinns attacked the brothers and infect Dean, leaving Sam alone to fend these creatures off. He is nearly killed until Samuel and the rest of the family show up, leaving Sam to help Dean. Later, Dean decides not to return with Sam and to stay with Lisa and Ben, in order to keep them safe. Dean offers the Impala but Sam declines as he has his own car now and drives away, leaving his brother behind.
Sam is confronted by Dean.
Things get stranger between Sam and Dean, as Dean starts to notice that Sam has been acting differently ever since he came back into his life. He (presumably) uses a baby shapeshifter as bait to draw in the Alpha, stands aside when Castiel tortures a kid for intel on the angel buying souls (Balthazar), he even lets Dean get turned by a vampire to get more information on the Alpha Vampire. Dean tries to get to the bottom of this issue and finally (under a truth curse) confronts Sam about it. Sam, however, lies and says he just froze. When the brothers are held captive by the Goddess of Truth Veritas, the goddess reveals two things: Sam is able to lie even under the truth curse, and therefore he is not human. Sam convinces Dean that he's still Sam, but he knows something's wrong with him, and admits he needs help. Dean responds with beating Sam unconscious, and calling on Castiel for assistance.
Castiel confirms that Sam is not possessed by Lucifer, and is physically healthy, but his soul is missing. Dean plans on keeping Sam hostage, but Sam holds his ground, repeating his will to fix what's wrong with him. Later, Sam and Dean meet up with Samuel, who informs them that he's got a lead on the Alpha vampire. Sam and Dean join in on the hunt, with Sam following Samuel's group and Dean standing guard with Gwen. Dean sneaks away, and witnesses Sam helping the Campbells load the Alpha into their van. When confronted by Dean, Sam states that keeping this from Dean was his idea because they needed to ask questions, where Dean is a 'shoot first, ask questions later' kind of hunter.
The Alpha vampire attempts to turn Sam.
Sam helps Dean find out where Samuel is taking the creatures for interrogation by activating a GPS tracker in one of the his cell phones. They find the Alpha vampire, and take the opportunity to question him when Samuel leaves the room. The Alpha expresses an interest in Sam because of his soullessness, and later attacks Sam and attempts to turn him. Christian, revealed as a demon, prevents this and takes the Alpha away.
Crowley then appears on the scene, and through Samuel, is revealed to be the one who raised Sam from Lucifer's cage, and is in possession of his soul. He tells them that if Sam ever wants the return of his soul, he and Dean need to help Samuel to capture creatures for him. Currently, Sam doesn't see any other option than to 'play ball' with Crowley until the brothers find another way to get his soul back, and then they will get him back.
Sam's behavior, however, shows that he's definitely in conflict on whether he should get his soul back or not, or even want to get his soul back. He tries to convince Dean that he's still the same Sam. He works Crowley's cases without question, and also claims that his brain works better than ever. His actions contradict this, as when dealing with a skinwalker case, Sam jumps to the conlusion that a women is the skinwalker they're looking for, and is ready to bag her up as soon as possible. When the brothers face the pack of skinwalkers, Sam orders Dean to take a shot at the pack leader, even when there was an innocent in the way.
Sam later comes clean to Dean about himself. He admits he's not his brother, that he's not the old Sam. He states he couldn't care less about Lisa and Ben, and doesn't even care that much about Dean, besides the fact that he needs his help. He also says he's done a lot worse than Dean's aware of, including killing innocent people in the line of duty. He says that despite how maybe he should feel guilty, he doesn't. He only looks at the positives of being soulless, which is getting the job done and not having any emotional effect, which to Sam, is "not the worst thing", Although, after some thought, Sam decides he should probably go back to being the old Sam, and get his soul back. Dean acknowledges this.
However, Sam already shows signs of having second thoughts, or not wanting to change. When investigating the case of UFO abductions, Sam checks only one lead when Dean's abducted, but is side-tracked and picked up by a hippie chick and has sex with her, much to Dean's dismay. When the abductions are revealed to be the cause of fairies, Sam takes matters into his own hands when Dean is sent to jail. He confronts the leprechaun Wayne, who strikes a deal to lift Sam's soul from the cage. Sam expresses interest, but banishes him and the other fairies. When asked by Dean why he refused, Sam suggests that deals have never lead them anywhere good. Dean then questions whether Sam is having second thoughts, to which Sam denies with a simple "No."
Powers
Sam using his developed powers.
Sam exhibits both telekinetic and precognitive abilities at various times throughout the series. His telekinesis on screen is limited to a single incident wherein he was under extreme stress and pressure, while his precognitive abilities, manifesting as dreams and visions of others' deaths, started prior to the first episode with dreams of Jessica's death, and continued throughout the first two seasons. In the first season episode "Home", Sam demonstrated the ability to sense the presence of the poltergeist even after Missouri couldn't. Also, in "In My Time of Dying", Sam was able to sense Dean's spirit during a time of great stress. He is immune to a demon-spawned virus, called Croatoan, which turns humans violent and drives them to infect others. Sam stated that visions stopped with the death of Azazel at the end of Season 2; however, according to Ruby, his powers are simply dormant.
Sam and Ruby together again
Sam's powers are a result of being fed demon blood by Azazel, which he did to a number of children before his death. Ruby states that if he was in full control of his power, he could blow away demons as powerful as Lilith with no effort. As the series progresses, Sam learns to hone and develop these powers. In "No Rest For the Wicked", Sam demonstrates an immunity to Lilith's attack, and later confidently strides through Samhain's similar-looking attack. At the start of the fourth season, Sam has learned to use his powers to exorcise demons with the help of Ruby, who is occupying a new host. During "Yellow Fever", Sam's eyes briefly flash yellow, like Azazel's; whether or not this is a product of Dean's imagination after his frightening experience is never revealed. In "Death Takes a Holiday", Sam is shown to have grown more powerful, resisting Alastair's attempt to telekinetically "fling" him when he had previously been unable to. He then uses his powers to pin Alastair to a tree and exorcise him, another feat he had been unable to accomplish before. In "On the Head of a Pin", it is revealed that these "boosts" in his abilities are a result of drinking Ruby's demon blood. After the latest drink, Sam's powers are increased to the point where he can kill demons outright, as opposed to simply exorcising them. The same light flickers under their skin as if killed with the Colt or the knife. He is also able to "grip" demons with his powers, causing them pain and forcing them to tell the truth.
Death
Through the course of the series, Sam has died once and has been resurrected by the Crossroads Demon. Dean paid the ultimate price with his soul, only to be brought back from hell by self-proclaimed Angel, Castiel. His resurrection seems to have been the catalyst for Sam's increasingly cold nature and it has been insinuated by Azazel that when he was resurrected, he did not come back "100% pure Sam".
Sam, struck by lightning and briefly died in "Wishful Thinking" when Hope wished him dead. However, this was quickly reversed.
During the episode "The Song Remains the Same", Sam was killed by Anna to prevent him saying yes to Lucifer. Michael brought him back however. Both Sam and Dean died in the episode, "Dark Side of the Moon" but were resurrected by Joshua.
During the Season 5 finale, Swan Song, Sam sacrificed both himself and Michael by leaping into Lucifer's cage during the showdown in Stull Cemetery. He went briefly to Hell but appeared at the end of the episode, staring at Dean's new family having dinner. He also appears in season 6.
Notable episodes
Season 1
- "Pilot"
- "Bloody Mary"
- "Home"
- "Asylum"
- "Nightmare"
- "Provenance""
- "Salvation"
Season 2
- "Simon Said"
- "Croatoan"
- "Hunted"
- "Playthings"
- "Houses of the Holy"
- "Born Under a Bad Sign"
- "Heart"
- "All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 1"
- "All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 2"
Season 3
Season 4
- "Metamorphosis"
- "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester"
- "I Know What You Did Last Summer"
- "Heaven and Hell"
Season 5
- "Free to Be You and Me"
- "I Believe the Children Are Our Future"
- "My Bloody Valentine"
- "Dark Side of the Moon"
- "The Devil You Know"
- "Swan Song"