Changes

|name= Demon-Killing Knife<br>Ruby's Knife<br>Demon Blade

|episodes= '''First Appearance:''' [[3.01 The Magnificent Seven]]<br>'''Latest Appearance:''' [[1415.01 Stranger in a Strange Land05 Proverbs 17:3]]

This knife originally belonged to [[Ruby]] and is capable of destroying most [[demon]]s if the stab wound is in an immediately fatal place, such as the neck or heart. Killing demons with the knife comes at the cost of killing their human hosts at the same time unless the vessels are already dead when they are possessed. When stabbed in less vital areas with the knife, the demon experiences intense agony but survives.<ref>[[4.10 Heaven and Hell]]</ref><refname="six20">[[6.20 The Man Who Would Be King]]</ref> Its blade is inscribed with symbols and the handle is made from either wood or bone. Of all the demons that have been stabbed with the knife, only [[Knights of Hell]] such as [[Abaddon]]<ref name="eight12">[[8.12 As Time Goes By]]</ref> and [[Cain]]<refname="nine11">[[9.11 First Born]]</ref> and [[Princes of Hell]] like [[Ramiel]]<refname="twelve12">[[12.12 Stuck in the Middle (With You)]]</ref> have been shown to be immune to its killing power. [[Alastair]]<ref name="four09">[[4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer]]</ref><ref name="four16">[[4.16 On the Head of a Pin]]</ref> was stabbed in the left shoulder both times, although both stabs were very close to his heart. However, Dean once stabbed Alastair in the gut with it while torturing him which has been shown to kill lesser demons and only caused Alastair pain. [[Bobby]] is the only known person to survive being stabbed with the knife, having stabbed himself to kill the [[demon]] possessing him at the time,<refname="five01">[[5.01 Sympathy for the Devil]]</ref> but the knife left him paralyzed from the waist down.<ref>[[5.02 Good God, Y'All]]</ref> It also has no effect on [[angels]],<refname="four01">[[4.01 Lazarus Rising]]</ref> but it can kill [[hellhound]]s if the wounds are fatal.<ref name="eight14">[[8.14 Trial and Error]]</ref>

The white-eyed demon [[Alastair]] was never killed by the knife's demon killing power since both times he was stabbed were on the left shoulder. However, while torturing Alastair, Dean also stabbed him in the gut with the knife which caused him pain in combination with salt water, but didn't kill him despite the fact that gut wounds have been shown to be able to kill lesser demons.<ref name="four09" /><ref name="four16" /> However, [[Sam]] noted at one point that Lilith herself was scared of the knife,<refname="four02">[[4.02 Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester]]</ref> and she continually took precautions to avoid being stabbed with it whenever confronted with it.<refname="three16">[[3.16 No Rest for the Wicked]]</ref><refname="four18">[[4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book]]</ref>

[[Crowley]], too, has always avoided being stabbed with the knife.<refname="five20">[[5.20 The Devil You Know]]</ref><refname="six10">[[6.10 Caged Heat]]</ref> While Crowley stated in that the knife couldn't kill him <ref name="ten22">[[10.22 The Prisoner]] that the knife couldn't kill him</ref>, this may have been a bluff as he was later shown to be nervous in its presence when Dean pulled it on him after disabling him with an [[angel blade]].<refname="eleven02">[[11.02 Form and Void]]</ref> Dean was later able to disable Crowley for a time by impaling the knife through his hand,<ref name="twelve23">[[12.23 All Along the Watchtower]]</ref> but Crowley eventually escaped somehow like he'd escaped a similar injury from an angel blade.<ref name="eleven02" /> After freeing himself, Crowley apparently retained the hand wound as he kept the hand that was stabbed wrapped up in a bandage.<ref name="twelve23" />

When [[Abaddon]] was stabbed by the blade, she survives despite experiencing intense pain, revealing that the [[Knights of Hell]] are partially immune to its demon killing abilities.<ref>[[8.12 As Time Goes By]]<name="eight12" /ref> Unlike Abaddon, [[Cain]] stabs himself with the blade after Dean threatens him and suffers no pain or even any sign of exsanguination.<ref>[[9.11 First Born]]<name="nine11" /ref>

After surviving a killing blow from the knife by Sam, it was revealed that [[Ramiel]] and all [[Princes of Hell]] are immune to the knife's powerand though the knife caused Ramiel some damage, he didn't bleed from the wound when he pulled out the knife like Cain.<ref>[[12.12 Stuck in the Middle (With You)]]<name="twelve12" /ref>

*In earlier seasons, the knife is generally called "Ruby's Knife knife" by the characters. Its In [[8.12 As Time Goes By]] refers to it as an "ancient demon-killing knife of the Kurds." It's referred to as just the Demondemon-Killing Knife killing knife by [[Mary Winchester]] in [[14.01 Stranger in a Strange Land]]. Additionally, Dean calls it a demon blade in [[12.06 Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox]] and explains to a room full of hunters that it kills demons, "kills them dead." In [[12.15 Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell]], Dean calls it a demon knife when explaining to [[Gwen Hernandez]] how to kill a [[hellhound]]. [[Lilith]] calls it a Demon Blade upon seeing the weapon in [[15.05 Proverbs 17:3]].*Though the knife played a role as the Winchesters main demon-killing weapon in the earlier seasons, it has lost its prevalence in the later seasons, particularly after the revelation that [[angel blade]]s can also kill demons. In the later seasons, the Winchesters use angel blades to kill demons more often the knife which then typically only appears once or twice a season.* The knife was not used by the Winchesters to kill any demons in season 11, but Dean did attempt to use it against [[Amara]] twice and drew it on [[Crowley]] before deciding against killing him. It was used by [[Gunner Lawless]] to kill the [[crossroads demon]] [[Duke]] in [[11.15 Beyond the Mat]] however. This was also a season where demons were not a major enemy to the Winchesters due to the greater threat of [[the Darkness]].* Hunters unconnected to the Winchesters don't appear to be aware of the knife's existence. In [[12.06 Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox]], [[Bucky Sims]] compares the temporary effects of an [[exorcism]] to the effects of an [[angel blade]]. In the same episode, when Dean shows the knife to the other hunters gathered, they are confused, causing Dean to have to explain what it is and its purpose despite the same hunters earlier talking about the Winchesters' legendary reputation.*Throughout season 13, the Winchesters did not use the knife to kill demons at all, instead relying entirely on angel blades despite the fact that demons were a major enemy in that particular season. Though the knife appeared in [[13.08 The Scorpion and the Frog]], the only demon killed with it was [[Grab]] by [[Luther Shrike]] while Luther was unharmed when Sam stabbed him with it. The knife was once again used by Sam in [[14.01 Stranger in a Strange Land]].*The knife was not used by the Winchesters to kill any demons in season 11, but Dean did attempt to use it against In a deleted scene for [[Amara]] twice 13.08 The Scorpion and drew it on [[Crowley]] before deciding against killing him. It was used by [[Gunner Lawless]] to kill the [[Crossroads DemonFrog]] [[Duke]] in [[11.15 Beyond , Luther Shrike inspects the Mat]] however. This was also a season where demons were not a major enemy to the Winchesters due to the greater threat blade, remarking it's craftsmanship looks Kurdish but is unaware of what dialect the Darknessmarkings come from.*Before Sam uses the knife to kill [[Kipling]] in [[14.01 Stranger in a Strange Land]], the last time either of the Winchesters used it to kill a demon was in [[12.12 Stuck in the Middle (With You)]] when Sam killed the male demon protecting [[Ramiel]].* Occasionally, demons have expressed an appreciation for the knife such as [[Alastair]] in [[4.10 Heaven and Hell]] and Kipling in [[14.01 Stranger in a Strange Land]]. In the latter case, Sam used the demon's distraction with admiring the knife to kill him with it.