Death's Scythe
  
| |
| Name | Death's Scythe |
| Manufacturer | Death |
| Powers | Can kill anything |
| Location/Owners | Billie |
| Episodes | 4.15 Death Takes a Holiday 5.21 Two Minutes to Midnight 10.23 Brother's Keeper 13.05 Advanced Thanatology 14.20 Moriah 15.12 Galaxy Brain |
Keep it. Dean's covered. Death's own. Kills... golly, demons and angels and reapers and rumor has it... the very thing itself.
History
The scythe is Death's iconic weapon. It first appears as a sickle in Alastair's possession; he claims that Death, an old friend, lent it to him. While Alastair uses it to kill a reaper, his attempt to break one of the 66 Seals fails as Sam and Dean rescue Tessa.[1] Somehow, Crowley is able to get his hands on the scythe, presumably after Alastair's death. After locating Death in Chicago, he provides the weapon to Dean, who attempts to use it against the Horseman. However, Death causes the scythe to burn his hand and summons it to the table. He thanks Dean for "returning" his property.[2]
Death provides Dean with the scythe to kill Sam and satisfy his deal to prevent him and the Mark of Cain from killing anyone else. However, Dean reneges on his deal and swings the weapon at Death, killing him and destroying the scythe in the process.[3]
Billie reveals that when one incarnation of Death is killed, the next reaper who dies adopts their mantle and gains the scythe as a result.[4]
Characteristics
Death can summon the weapon to his or her hands and alter its physical appearance between the traditional scythe or a sickle. According to Crowley, the scythe is capable of killing anything, including angels, demons, reapers, and Death itself.[2][3]
Episodes
4.15 Death Takes a Holiday
Oh. An old friend lent it to me. You know, he doesn't really ride a pale horse, but he does have three amigos, and they're just jonesin' for the Apocalypse!
The first appearance of the scythe and reference to Death in the series. Alastair hints that it belongs to Death and uses it in an attempt to break one of the 66 Seals: killing two reapers under the Winter Solstice moon. After killing one, he attempts to kill Tessa, but Sam and Dean cause a chandelier to fall, breaking the reaper trap and freeing Tessa before Alastair can finish the incantation.
5.21 Two Minutes to Midnight
Crowley gives Dean the scythe before the two go to Chicago to find Death, telling him it is believed to be capable of killing Death himself. Armed with the scythe, Dean nervously tries to ambush Death in a Chicago pizzeria, but the handle begins to burn in Death's proximity and Dean drops it. Death thanks him for returning the scythe, which moves from its position on the floor beside Dean to lying on the table near Death's right hand without Dean seeing it move.
10.23 Brother's Keeper
After Dean is ready to kill Sam, Death gives him his scythe to do the job. At the last moment, Dean turns the scythe on Death himself, impaling him through the side and killing him. When Death crumbles to dust, so does his scythe.
13.05 Advanced Thanatology
Billie, having taken on the mantle of Death, appears before Dean clad in black holding a new version of the scythe. After teleporting herself and Dean to her library, she places the scythe against a wall away from Dean, noting she knows better than to just leave it lying around in his close vicinity.
14.20 Moriah
While talking about Death, Chuck complains that Billie pokes her scythe where it doesn't belong. Later, when Billie appears in the Empty to talk to the recently-deceased Jack Kline, she is holding her scythe in one hand.
15.12 Galaxy Brain
After successfully rescuing Kaia Nieves from the Bad Place, the reaper Merle is abruptly stabbed through the chest with Death's Scythe, and crumbles into dust for disobeying Billie's directives.
Trivia
- Although obviously not Death's scythe, a very similar sickle can be seen on the table in the basement of Rufus's cabin when Dean takes Kevin Tran there in 7.21 Reading Is Fundamental.
