When a show is on as long as Supernatural was, numerous storylines will inevitably come about. Some will be better than others, and some will receive more attention to detail than others. Supernatural had many story and character arcs that were connected or set up future stories. With 15 seasons under its belt, it was necessary. Some of these storylines were so important that they were relevant for multi-season stretches. Despite this, the show had many glaring plot holes.
As fans rewatch the show in the years since it ended, it has become painfully obvious that the show retconned or straight-up abandoned multiple stories or arcs that were set up to be important. These details were omitted without any explanations or reasons why they no longer fit the needs of the show’s plot lines. With ample time to dissect these omissions since the show’s end, here are ten of the biggest Supernatural plot holes.
9
Forgetting the Word “Christo”
In the early seasons, Sam and Dean could simply say a magic word, and it would force a demon to reveal themselves. It took away the demons’ element of disguise and made getting rid of them quite convenient for the brothers. Eventually, both boys stopped using it and were instead surprised by demon attacks left and right.
A Magic Word That Apparently Lost Its Magic
The show never explained why the Winchesters stopped using the word Christo, it was just never said again. Instead, the boys had to wait for demons to reveal themselves, set Devil’s traps, and attempt exorcisms. If the showrunners and creators no longer wanted to use the word because it made things too easy, they could have come up with a reason that explained why it would no longer affect demons.
8
The Absence of the Antichrist Kid
Many characters only appeared once during the show’s 15-year run, but one in particular should have had a much bigger impact than he did. In the season five episode titled “I Believe the Children Are Our Future,” Sam and Dean investigate a series of murders resembling fairytales and fables. This leads them to track down an 11-year-old boy Castiel deemed a serious threat. It turned out that whatever this little boy believes comes true.
A Dangerous Threat Long Forgotten
The biggest concern about Jesse Turner (Gattlin Griffith) wasn’t just that what he believed in came true. Castiel eventually revealed that he was the Antichrist. Also known as Cambion, this entity is the product of a virginal mother who was possessed by a demon. Jesse possessed powers beyond imagination that could have brought about the end of the world but was never seen or mentioned again.
Castiel was so concerned about the dangerous threat that he told the Winchesters to eliminate him. He was set up to be an important character, and based on his unfathomable powers, he should have been more of a concern to the boys and future storylines.
7
Angels and Demons Still Using Their Vessels in Heaven and Hell
We learned early on in the show that demons in their true form are really long puffs of black smoke, so they needed human vessels to be able to walk the Earth. With the introduction of Castiel in season four, we learn that angels also require human vessels to be able to step foot on Earth.
Their true forms are essentially an impossibly bright form of pure energy that would instantly kill a human being upon looking at them. It makes sense that both demons and angels needed a human meat suit to conduct business when not in their respective realms.
Unnecessary Use of Vessels
The reasons for angels and demons to possess human bodies make sense while they are on Earth, but those reasons shouldn’t apply in Heaven or Hell. Each time a scene took place in the other realms, angels and demons were shown possessing their vessels. Neither species needed their vessels in their respective homes, yet both groups never went back to their true forms despite doing it on multiple occasions on Earth.
6
The Winchesters’ Forgotten Run-ins With the Law
In the early seasons of Supernatural, Sam and Dean were frequently out-running Johnny Law. We have seen them chased by the police, have wanted posters put out with their faces on them, and even imprisoned after the Secret Service thought they were going to kill the President.
The FBI pursued them throughout season three because Special Agent Henriksen (Charles Malik Whitfield) believed the boys were mass murderers due to the unexplainable situations he would find them in due to their hunts. By season seven, the Leviathans were going around the country committing crimes disguised as the Winchesters.
Wanted Criminals or Forgotten Criminals?
With the numerous run-ins with the authorities over the years, it’s unlikely that law enforcement wouldn’t recognize them as the seasons went on. Their faces had been plastered across newspapers and TV stations across the country multiple times.
Sam and Dean also made no effort to change their appearances, so people wouldn’t recognize them. A big part of their job as hunters requires them to impersonate FBI agents and other law enforcement, so realistically they should have had more issues with authorities than they did.
5
Angels and Demons Being Resurrected from the Empty
When a human died in Supernatural, their souls either went to Heaven or Hell, depending on how they lived their lives. When monsters were killed, they were banished to Purgatory, an endless wasteland between Heaven and Hell, which is home to constant monster vs. monster battles.
Death was more complicated for angels and demons, however. When they died, they were sent to a completely dark place called The Empty where they would spend eternity in a deep slumber.
Interference in a Supposedly Off-Limits Realm
The Empty was supposed to be the only realm where there could be no outside interference. Not from Death, Lucifer, or even God himself. The entity that ruled The Empty, Shadow, was supposed to have sole dominion over the realm. Yet, Castiel died and was brought back to life many times throughout his 11 seasons on the show. Four of those resurrections were explained as revivals by God and one by the angel Gadreel (Tahmoh Penikett).
Castiel and Lucifer (Mark Pelligrino) were woken by Jack (Alexander Calvert) in seasons 13 and 14, respectively. Even Ruby (Gen Padalecki) was eventually woken up and taken out of The Empty. If the Shadow was supposed to have sole control of The Empty, no one should have been able to be resurrected from their eternal rest.
4
The Winchesters’ Source of Income
Since Sam and Dean didn’t exactly have “normal” jobs, they had to be creative to earn money. For much of the show’s run, the Winchester brothers committed credit card fraud, hustled for quick cash, and used fake IDs. When computer wiz Charlie (Felicia Day) was introduced in later seasons, she was able to rig a scam that would allow the boys to use the same cards permanently.
Some Miraculous Fraud Work
Charlie was a fan-favorite character who was sadly killed off in season ten, a death that left fans devastated. With Charlie gone and no longer able to offer Sam and Dean her immense tech knowledge, it was never addressed whether that credit card scheme still works without Charlie managing it. If it needed any sort of maintenance, those cards would eventually have stopped working.
Even if it continued to work, it doesn’t change the fact that the brothers committed fraud and impersonated people for years prior. It is almost a miracle that no police officer or credit card company ever caught them in the years they ran these scams.
3
Did Chuck Write Jack to Be More Powerful Than Him?
Jack was a fan-favorite character for the three seasons he was on the show. Being the son of Lucifer and a human woman named Kelly (Courtney Ford), Jack had extreme Nephilim powers. His powers were cosmic and powerful to the point of easily being able to resurrect angels from the dead. His powers rivaled even God’s.
All-Mighty Power Has a Rival
Since Chuck (Rob Benedict) had been writing the Winchesters’ story all along, he had to have known what Jack was capable of. Yet, he tells Sam and Dean that Jack’s existence was the first time a Nephilim had been created, and he didn’t know what would happen next with him.
Besides the fact that Chuck controlled the narrative all that time, being the all-mighty God should have been enough for him to know Jack’s existence would happen and that his powers would be on par with his own.
2
Castiel Not Realizing Sam Didn’t Have a Soul
Soulless Sam was an intriguing storyline many fans couldn’t get enough of. He was a stark contrast to the normally polite and thoughtful Sam we were used to. He was selfish, ill-mannered, and uninterested in the greater good. Soulless Sam explored the deep, dark corners of Sam’s mind that we didn’t get to see before. Nonetheless, Sam shouldn’t have been soulless as long as he was.
An Angel Should Have Been Able to Detect a Missing Soul
Castiel had resurrected enough people and been around enough beings to recognize when something was spiritually off with a human. He also knew more about souls than probably any other character. Castiel should have been able to sense that Sam was not himself and realize that his soul had not made it back from the cage with him. After all, Castiel could internally mark the boys with sigils that would hide them from angels.
1
Leaving Adam Behind in Hell
The Winchester brothers lived and died by their commitment to their family. They spent their entire lives honoring their father’s dedication to hunting and keeping their mother’s memory alive. Every time one of the boys died, the other would stop at nothing to get them back. Family meant absolutely everything to them. Except, that didn’t apply to their half-brother Adam.
(Some) Family Means Everything
When Adam got pulled into the cage with Sam after Michael and Lucifer possessed their bodies, it was the last time we would see Adam until season 15. Sam, however, was back on Earth by the end of that episode as he watched Dean move in with Lisa. When both brothers realized it was possible to break out of the cage and escape Hell, they didn’t think about saving Adam.
As the seasons continued, the boys would waltz in and out of Hell with relative ease and even break Lucifer out of the cage. Still, Adam was left to suffer for years in the pit.