Angel Blade

The existence of the weapon is revealed when Uriel first attempts to kill Castiel. In subsequent episodes many angels carry the blades, including Castiel himself. Demons such as Meg, Crowley and Abaddon have also taken to carrying these blades as well as Sam and Dean.

Weapon Properties

The weapon could be described as a long dagger or a short sword. It can be used to kill angels, demons, hellhounds and archangels. It has not been revealed how an angel creates a blade. It also can drain an angel of their power, as shown with Castiel when he is wounded by Rachel's sword, which causes him to lose most of his angelic power. It is also an efficient tool for torturing an angel as shown when Crowley tortures Samandiriel with one.

Although Uriel stated that the only thing capable of killing an angel is another angel, it seems that the blades are still effective in the hands of a human or demon. Castiel gives his blade to the Winchesters to use on Anna, and Dean Winchester kills Zachariah with one as well and later another angel to save Ezekiel. Sam is later able to use Castiel's sword to kill two demons. During an angelic fight, Rachel manages to pierce Castiel in the chest with her blade, but he survives, and he kills her. Meg is later able to use one to kill hellhounds, Hester and a demon.

It may be that the higher the rank of an angel, the more powerful the sword he carries. Kali refers to Gabriel's sword as "an archangel's blade." Gabriel's sword was capable of killing archangels, including himself. When an angel is killed by this weapon, they explode with an intense white light and their wings are burned like ash onto the ground where their body lies. Archangels may only be vulnerable to archangel blades, and are immune to regular angel blades because the Winchesters never attempt to kill Lucifer with an angel blade. However, Dean and Bobby attempt to kill Raphael with an angel blade in 6.22 The Man Who Knew Too Much.

After 6.22 The Man Who Knew Too Much the angelic blade is ineffective against Castiel after he becomes the new God. In 8.07 A Little Slice of Kevin, Castiel pulls his sword on Crowley, indicating that these swords are effective against demons as well as angels. Crowley dismisses the threat, but Castiel later confirms it in 8.10 Torn and Frayed and it is seen when Sam kills two demons with one.

In 8.19 Taxi Driver, it is shown that an angel sword can kill a reaper, as demonstrated when Crowley kills the rogue reaper Ajay with one of his angel swords. In 8.21 The Great Escapist, Crowley has a sword melted-down into bullets for a gun. As long as the wound is fatal, the bullets work just as well as the sword itself.

Angel swords have been shown to be able to kill Nephilim as well.

Episodes

4.16 On the Head of a Pin

Uriel, a supporter of Lucifer, is trying to recruit angels to his cause, which is to help free Lucifer from Hell. When they refuse, Uriel kills them with his angel sword. When Castiel realizes Uriel's betrayal, he draws his sword from his sleeve, but quickly loses it in the ensuing fight. Anna eventually picks it up and stabs Uriel through the throat with it, killing him.

Uriel has something up his sleeve.

Uriel is killed by Anna.

5.01 Sympathy for the Devil

As Zachariah tries to coerce Dean into agreeing to be the archangel Michael's vessel, Castiel arrives, and attacks the angels, killing them.

Castiel kills one of Zachariah's henchmen.

5.13 The Song Remains the Same

Castiel carries the blade with him when he meets with Anna. It is also one of the items that Castiel puts in the bag he gives to Sam before they travel through time. A young Mary Winchester uses this blade to defend herself against Anna, but it is knocked out of her hand.

That's not a knife...

Mary Winchester vs. Anna.

5.18 Point of No Return

Castiel uses the blade to kill two fellow angels who are also carrying swords at Adam Milligan's grave. He later brings them to Bobby's house. Castiel later uses his blade to kill an angel who is guarding the Green Room, but drops it before banishing himself and four other angels (all carrying their own angel swords) with an angel banishing sigil cut into his chest. In the Green Room, Sam fails to kill Zachariah with a sword, presumably one of the ones Castiel got from the angels he killed, but Dean, after nearly assenting to Michael, tricks Zachariah into getting close and kills him with another sword by stabbing it through his head.

Dean stabs Zachariah with an angel sword.

The death of Zachariah.

5.19 Hammer of the Gods

Kali takes what she believes to be Gabriel's sword and kills him with it. However, this is merely a trick on Gabriel's part as he is still alive, having given her a fake. He does confirm that the blade of an archangel sword, and can kill Lucifer. Gabriel confronts his brother with the sword but is himself killed (for real this time) when Lucifer turns it on him.

Kali with Gabriel's imitation of his angel blade.

Gabriel's death after confronting Lucifer.

6.03 The Third Man

A number of swords are seen in this episode. Castiel and the soldier of Raphael use them in the fight in the Winchester's motel room, though the fight ends with a fall out a window, rather than in death. At Balthazar's house, Sam threatens another soldier, who has his own sword, with one of the weapons to distract him. The angel holds his sword to Sam's throat, but Dean banishes him instead of trying to kill him. Castiel throws his sword into the chest of a third armed soldier after pleading with him to lay down his weapon. Finally, Raphael intends to kill Castiel with a sword, but is stopped by Balthazar.

Castiel crosses swords with a soldier of Raphael.

Castiel kills one of Raphael's soldiers.

6.10 Caged Heat

Meg takes an angel sword from Castiel and uses it to fight off and kill a group of hellhounds.

Meg with an angel sword.

Meg delivers the killing blow to a hellhound with an angel sword.

6.18 Frontierland

Rachel confronts Castiel in a warehouse over his tactics. She attacks, and stabs him in the abdomen with a sword. He manages to pull it out and fight back, eventually killing her with her own sword. His wound does not immediately heal, and light emanates from it. He seems severely weakened by the injury.

Rachel is stabbed by Castiel after confronting him about his "dirty little secret."

Rachel's death.

6.22 The Man Who Knew Too Much

Castiel uses a blade to kill Balthazar after he finds out that he has helped the Winchesters. Then Dean tries to throw a blade and kill Raphael, but he fails as Raphael easily catches it with his back turned. Later Sam stabs Castiel with the same blade, but Castiel pulls it out of his back and tells them that the blade won't kill him as he is not an angel anymore, but their new God.

7.21 Reading Is Fundamental

When Hester orders Inias to attack her, Meg reveals that she has acquired one of these swords and slashes Inias' palm with it. Before the situation can deteriorate too far, Dean banishes the angels and Meg reveals that she got the sword as "a lot of angels have died this year," but is cut off by Kevin Tran before she can explain further. After finding the group, Hester attacks Castiel and beats him badly while holding a sword in her grasp. As she prepares to kill him with her sword, Meg stabs Hester from behind with the sword she acquired, killing her.

Crowley with a bloody angel sword, from torturing Samandiriel.

8.07 A Little Slice of Kevin

Crowley has acquired one of these swords and uses it to torture the locations of the future prophets out of Samandiriel. He eventually stops the torture when he learns the next generation of prophets hasn't been born yet, but doesn't kill Samadiriel as he may still be useful.

When confronting Crowley, Castiel draws his angel sword to use on the demon and Crowley summons his own, believing that in Castiel's weakened state he doesn't stand a chance against him. Holding the sword, Castiel starts to use his powers on Crowley who believes he is bluffing but ultimately flees instead of attacking, getting only half of the demon tablet as Castiel breaks it and gets the other half.

8.10 Torn and Frayed

When invading Crowley's base, Castiel gives his angel sword to Sam, telling him it can kill demons too. While Dean distracts a demon, Sam stabs it from behind with the sword, killing it. He later kills another demon with the sword after it attacks him. Sam gets attacked by a third demon, but is unable to break free and stab it with the sword, but Dean kills it with Ruby's Knife. After seeing how weakened Castiel is by the Enochian symbols in the building, Sam gives him back his sword to protect himself with.

Later, on Naomi's orders, Castiel stabs and kills Samandiriel with his sword for being a traitor for revealing the existence of the angel tablet.

Castiel stands over Dean, prepared to kill him.

8.17 Goodbye Stranger

During a test by Naomi, Castiel ruthlessly stabs and kills a copy of Dean with his sword, proving the changes Naomi has instilled in him and her control over him. Hundreds of other Dean copies are seen dead of sword wounds as well.

While interrogating a demon that has possessed a woman who knows a lot about a certain town, Castiel stabs her in both hands to torture her for information. The demon eventually breaks and tells them that they are looking for Lucifer's Crypts and that they are getting the locations from a hostage at the Murray Hotel. As the demon is about to reveal that the demons are actually searching for the angel tablet rather than a translating parchment as Castiel claims, he kills her with his sword on Naomi's orders.

After learning that a demon has failed him in the search for the angel tablet and that he has also lost Meg, Crowley kills the demon with an angel sword.

When two demons attack her and Sam outside the warehouse where the crypt is, Meg pulls her angel sword to fight and eventually kill one of the demons. Eventually Crowley shows up and he and Meg face off armed with their swords.

After finding the angel tablet, Castiel, under Naomi's orders, beats Dean to get the tablet while holding his sword, but resists killing him with it. Ultimately Dean breaks through to Castiel who drops his sword and picks up the tablet which breaks Naomi's control over him.

Crowley easily defeats Meg, but after seeing that Sam and Dean are leaving without Castiel who she realizes has the tablet, Meg stabs Crowley in the shoulder with her sword, only slightly injuring him. In retaliation, Crowley stabs Meg with his own sword, killing her.

8.19 Taxi Driver

After interrogating rogue reaper Ajay, Crowley kills him with his angel sword to ensure that he doesn't get Sam out of Purgatory after he is done sneaking into Hell.

8.21 The Great Escapist

Ion and another angel capture Castiel and hold him with their angel swords. When Crowley arrives, he possesses a gun that has bullets made of a melted-down angel sword and he is able to kill an angel and force Naomi to retreat. Crowley shoots Castiel in the gut and gets the angel tablet from inside him, but must leave when Kevin Tran figures out the truth. Castiel digs the bullet out of himself and uses it to escape by knocking Ion down and shoving the bullet through his eye, killing him. Castiel is left badly wounded by the bullet.

8.22 Clip Show

Castiel still hasn't fully recovered from the angel sword bullet Crowley shot him with, saying he's healing from the wound slower than he expected.

When Castiel and Metatron go after a Nephilim to kill her and cut out her heart as part of the first trial to seal off Heaven, Castiel arms himself with his angel sword. The Nephilim overpowers both Castiel and Metatron, but while she is distracted with Metatron, Castiel stabs her through the throat from behind with his angel sword, killing her.

Naomi and her foot soldiers kidnap Metatron.

8.23 Sacrifice

Naomi appears in a bar with two other angels to confront Castiel and Metatron. Naomi holds Metatron at sword-point while Castiel and the other angels all point their own swords at each other. Naomi orders an angel to kill Castiel, but the situation is diffused when the bartender shoots the angel with a shotgun to no effect and Metatron tells Castiel to stand down. The angels leave with Metatron without a further fight.

After learning that Gail is the Cupid they are after, Castiel draws his sword to confront her, but Dean convinces him to talk first. As Heaven is in such chaos, Gail willingly gives them her bow, but Castiel must cut it out of her hand with his sword.

After learning what Metatron is really planning, Naomi comes to Earth to warn Castiel who immediately draws his sword. Naomi doesn't and insists she is just there to talk, not fight, so Dean gets Castiel to hear her out, though he keeps the sword out the whole time.

Upon returning to Heaven, Castiel finds Naomi dead and Metatron armed with her sword. Metatron holds Castiel at sword-point and tells him Naomi was telling the truth. He later uses the sword to make a small cut on Castiel's neck to remove his grace and use it as the final ingredient in his spell to expel all angels from Heaven.

9.01 I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

After Dean sends out a distress prayer looking for any angel to help the dying Sam, one shows up and holds Dean at sword point, demanding to know where Castiel is. Ezekiel shows up and tries to defuse the situation, but the angel attacks him. In the fight that follows, the angel drops his sword and Dean picks it up and stabs him through the back with it, killing him.

When another angel shows up looking for Castiel, Dean confronts him with the sword he took from the first angel, but is disarmed by another angel that was behind him. As the angels beat him up and menace him with their swords, Dean manages to banish them instead.

After abducting Castiel, Hael keeps her angel sword on her lap as she drives. Castiel eventually causes the car to crash, incapacitating Hael and causing her to lose her sword which he picks up. After Hael threatens to let all the angels looking for him know where he is unless he allows her to possess him, he kills her with her own sword.

9.02 Devil May Care

Going after Abaddon and her demon minions, Dean arms himself with an angel sword. After devil's trap bullets fail to affect her due to a bullet-proof vest, Dean tries to use the sword on Abaddon, but she knocks it from his hand.

9.03 I'm No Angel

Sensing an angel nearby, Castiel draws an angel sword to confront him. The angel slashes Castiel in the shoulder with his own sword and is surprised that Castiel bleeds and is thus human. Castiel uses the moment of surprise to kill the angel with his sword.

After capturing the rouge reaper named Maurice who is hunting Castiel, Dean uses an angel sword to torture him. After he reveals all he knows, Dean stabs the Maurice through the neck with his sword, killing him.

When cleaning Castiel's clothes, the reaper possessing April Kelly takes his angel sword and uses it to torture him for information on Metatron. When Sam and Dean arrive, the reaper kills Castiel with the sword, causing Dean to draw one of his own. The reaper tosses Dean across the room and kicks the sword away from him, however, while she is distracted with Sam, Dean takes the sword impaled in Castiel and uses it to kill the reaper.

9.06 Heaven Can't Wait

Going after Ephraim at Nora's house, Dean arms himself with an angel sword, but is thrown into a wall before he can use it. As Ephraim starts to kill Castiel, Dean tosses him the sword and Castiel stabs Ephraim with it, killing him.

Bartholomew's henchmen are killed.

9.09 Holy Terror

Angels possessing a church choir working for Malachi enter a biker bar where angel-possessed bikers working for Bartholomew are and slaughter the bikers with their angel swords.

Meeting with three of Bartholomew's followers, Malachi and two of his followers kill the other angels with swords when they refuse to negotiate, marking the start a civil war between the angels on Earth.

When the head of the choir angels is recruiting vessels from a college church group, angels working for Bartholomew kill her with a sword and proceed to use their powers to smite the humans.

After being captured with Muriel by Malachi and Theo, Castiel is tortured with an angel sword. On Malachi's order, Theo uses it to kill Muriel. However, when left alone, Theo reveals he wants to work for Metatron and is hoping Castiel, who he believes works for Metatron willingly, will get him in. Castiel gets Theo to release him, then slits his throat with his own angel sword, allowing Castiel to inhale Theo's grace, restoring his powers. Theo doesn't die of his wound immediately and Castiel tests out his restored powers by smiting him rather than stabbing him. He then proceeds to slaughter all of the other angels he encounters on his way out.

9.10 Road Trip

Gadreel confronts Thaddeus who goes for his hidden angel sword only to discover it missing. Gadreel reveals that he has it and then kills Thaddeus with it.

When planning to hunt Gadreel down, Dean packs an angel sword to kill him with.

After being sent to kill a man, Gadreel goes to pull out his stolen angel sword until he discovers that he is his friend Abner and stops. After discussing how you have to be willing to pay any price to achieve happiness, Gadreel slits Abner's throat with the sword, killing him. Soon after, Dean confronts him with one of his own, but is knocked out and disarmed before Castiel knocks Gadreel out.

After learning that Cecily is playing both sides in her fight with Crowley, Abaddon kills her with an angel sword.

9.11 First Born

While inside Cain's house, four demons break in, three through the front door and one through the back. While Crowley leaves Dean to fight the demons that came in through the front, when the one who came in the back attacks him, Crowley pulls an angel sword and easily kills the demon with it.

9.14 Captives

When captured by angels working for Bartholomew, Castiel is held at sword point and taken to Bartholomew who takes away his angel sword as a precaution.

After capturing one of Rebecca's followers, Eliah, Bartholomew uses an angel sword to torture him for information on the location of any remaining members of the faction. After being convinced that there is no more, Bartholomew offers Castiel the sword to kill Eliah, but he refuses. Instead, Bartholomew kills Eliah himself and turns on Castiel, trying to kill him. Castiel quickly overpowers Bartholomew and holds him at sword-point, but refuses to kill him as he wants there to be no more violence between angels. Castiel tosses the sword away, but Bartholomew pulls another one and attacks Castiel from behind. With no other choice, Castiel grabs Bartholomew and drives the angel sword into his abdomen, killing him.

Trivia

• This angelic weapon is referred to as the "Sword of Lucifer" in the official episode summary released by The CW, although it is never referred to as this in canon.

See also

• Angelic Weapon
• Death's Scythe
• The Colt
• Ruby's Knife