Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

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Name	War Famine Pestilence Death
Actor	Titus Welliver James Otis Matt Frewer Julian Richings
Dates	Unknown
Location	No fixed address
Occupation	Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Episode(s)	5.02 Good God Y'All 5.10 Abandon All Hope (Death hid his Visage) 5.14 My Bloody Valentine 5.15 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (Death hid his Visage) 5.19 Hammer Of The Gods 5.20 The Devil You Know (Pestilence hid his Visage) 5.21 Two Minutes To Midnight 6.11 Appointment in Samarra

The things the Horseman represent in pestilence, famine and war are like forces of natures and are states that humans experience all the time. So it isn't as though when Lucifer comes on the scene he brings these monsters with him that are unleashed that we haven't been experiencing the effects of throughout history. It's more that he gathers them to him. – Sera Gamble, Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 5

Origin

The Horsemen are powerful, immortal beings that act as instruments of chaos and destruction during the Apocalypse, which is triggered by Lucifer's release. War, Famine, and Pestilence are loyal to Lucifer's plans, whereas Death serves Lucifer's agenda only while he is bound to him by a spell. Each Horseman appears human, and drives a car that reflects the color of his horse as described in lore. Each possesses a different ring that is somehow tied to their powers, and their rings prove integral in ending the Apocalypse.

The Horsemen's origin remains unclear and has yet to be presented in Canon. Their actual ages remain unknown, however Death is the oldest Horseman as he existed during the origin of time. War refers to the other Horsemen as his siblings, yet their relationship to each other is somewhat unclear. Pestilence professes allegiance to War and Famine, and is distressed that both fell into an impaired state due to the actions of Sam and Dean, so much so that he disobeyed Lucifer's commands and tormented them.

War is the first Horseman to appear in Supernatural, and Death is the last Horseman to appear. Their abilities vary, but all appear capable of causing widespread destruction in one form or another. They read human thoughts and emotions. The Horsemen can teleport themselves, move objects telekinetically, and be invisible to humans when they choose to be. Sam's powers do not work on the Horsemen, though they can have an indirect impact.

In addition to these powers, they each possess unique abilities that coincide with their apocalyptic roles. War can alter human perception, making people see enemies where there are none. Famine can affect people's urges and addictions. Pestilence can create and manipulate deadly diseases in humans. Death has full control over life and death itself, and is able to kill with a touch or dramatic event. War, Famine and Pestilence cannot fully manage and maintain their powers or their roles in the Apocalypse without their rings. Ruby's Knife can damage War, Famine and Pestilence enough to remove their rings, though as yet nothing has been shown to kill them.

The Horsemen

War

War, also known as the Red Horseman, wears a gold ring that allows him to alter human perception. War possesses destructive powers, and obliterates a bridge on one occasion. War can also perceive a person's innermost desires and thoughts; War tells Sam that he can see the lust for power in Sam's heart. When the Apocalypse begins, War leaves his work in the Sudan for a small town in Colorado, where he poses as a man named Roger. He uses his power to divide the townspeople, making them see demons among them when only other townspeople are present. During a conversation he has with Sam, he reveals that the task which he preformed wasn't that difficult, and it was easy to make them turn on one another. He is defeated when Sam and Dean cut off his ring with Ruby's Knife. He disappears after the ring is removed.

For other details on War see War's Mustang and Wormwood.

Famine

Famine, also known as the Black Horseman, wears a sliver ring that enables him to affect his victim’s inner urges, desires, and needs, which causes them to go insane for what they crave. Castiel states that Famine is "hunger".

He appears as a weak, elderly man in a wheel chair, and is attended by demons. Famine's hunger is never truly quenched, and because of this, he consumes human souls and demons to strengthen himself. Once Famine's strength is replenished, he will then be able to march across the lands with authority as described by Castiel. He will then be able to spread his influence upon his victims from vast distances, like he could previously before he was weakened by the agricultural improvements on Earth. Famine can see what a person craves or desires, as he demonstrates with Dean, who he describes as being empty inside. Famine triggers Sam's hunger for demon blood, and after drinking, Sam is able to exorcise the demons surrounding the Horsemen from their hosts. Famine devours the demons, and Sam uses his power to affect the demons within the Horsemen, weakening him to the point at which Sam can take his ring.

For other details on Famine see Famine's Car

Pestilence

Pestilence wears a ring with a green emerald that enables him to infect people with deadly diseases. His power can reach people from far away, and he is occasionally accompanied by a swarm of flies. He is a supporter of Lucifer, and travels across the United States spreading swine flu, then uses a nursing home as his headquarters while promoting research on the Croatoan Virus. He states that his power is "pure". He tells Dean and Sam that he wants to prove that God is wrong in thinking that humans have inner potential - compared to Pestilence himself, humans in general are weak, pathetic, and "messy".

He is eager to punish the Winchesters for what they did to War and Famine, and he insists that if Lucifer wants the Winchesters so badly that he can "glue them back together." He vanishes after Castiel cuts off his finger, removing the ring. He warns them that "it’s too late" before leaving.

For other details on Pestilence see Pestilence's Car and Croatoan Virus.

Death

Death, also known as the Pale Horseman, is affiliated with Famine, War and Pestilence, although he is far more powerful than them. Death wears a ring with a white stone; unlike his brothers, Death's powers do not come from his ring. Death can kill by creating massive storms, tsunamis and hurricanes, or by using a simple gesture. Death can also resurrect dead people. According to Bobby, Death has been kept restrained prior to the Apocalypse, and the last time Death was free, "Noah was building a boat". Death is released from his cage in 5.10 Abandon All Hope by Lucifer's spell. Death acts under Lucifer's direction for most of Season 5, but resents the archangel's control over him. He willingly gives his ring to Dean to stop the Apocalypse. After Lucifer's defeat, Death remains free, possibly directing the reapers. It is he that eventually returns Sam's soul.

For other details on Death see Death's Scythe and Death's Cadillac.

Equipment

The Rings

Each of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse wears a single ring. The color of Famine, Pestilence and Death's rings respectively match that of their cars. The Horsemen except for Death draw or channel their powers via these rings, and when these rings are taken they cannot properly control their core ability which is essential in the Apocalypse.

Without me, you got zero shot at killing Lucifer. Sorry. But... you can trap him. The cage you sprung Lucifer from, it's still down there, and maybe, just maybe, you can shove his ass back in. Not that it'll be easy. You got to get the cage open, trick my bro back into it, and oh yeah, avoid Michael and the God Squad. But hey - details, right? And here's the big secret, Lucifer himself doesn't even know. But the key to the cage, it's out there. Actually it's keys, plural, four keys. Well, four rings from the Horsemen. You get 'em all, you got the cage. – Gabriel, 5.19 Hammer Of The Gods

According to Brady, War and Famine are in a debilitated state, and even getting the rings back to them would not soon make them active. Pestilence also appears weakened after the loss of his ring. Death, on the other hand, seems unfazed by giving Dean his ring, suggesting that the ring is not essential to his nature. Death is likely more powerful than the other Horsemen, having been present since the beginning of time itself, and being one of the only constants in the universe.

In a hidden message recorded on a Casa Erotica DVD, Gabriel reveals posthumously how Sam and Dean can trap Lucifer in Lucifer's Cage. The keys to the cage are the rings worn by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In order for Lucifer's Cage to open, the current holder of the rings must place them on a surface and say the incantation, "Bvtmon Tabges Babalon". The opened cage can be closed by a counter-incantation, as Lucifer demonstrated by reciting "Chdr Bvtmon Tabges Babalon." The cage also closes if something passes through the opening.

File:War's Hand.jpg

War's Ring.

• War wears a gold ring. War's ring is a simple band, and is the only one of the Horsemen's Rings without a colored stone. His ring allows him to affect the perception of humans. Sam and Dean get War's ring after cutting off his finger using Ruby's Knife.

File:Famine's Ring.png

Famine's Ring.

• Famine wears a ring that is silver, engraved, and has a black stone. His ring affects human urges and addictions (lust, hunger, and addictions to alcohol, drugs, or demon blood, etc.). Sam and Dean get Famine's ring after Sam exorcises the demons out of Famine's body.

File:Pestilence's Ring.jpg

Pestilence's Ring.

• Pestilence wears a ring with a green stone. He uses the ring to trigger an epidemic which affects humans. Sam and Dean get the ring after Castiel cuts off Pestilence's finger using Ruby's Knife.

File:Death's Ring.jpg

Death willingly gives his Ring to Dean, in return for promising that he will ensure Lucifer's re-incarceration, even if it costs Sam his life.

• Death wears a ring with a white stone. Death's power aren't completely derived from his Ring, however, his Ring does bear supernatural properties in which some of his powers lie within the Ring. On Death's request, Dean uses his Ring to act as Death for 24 hours, and in return, Death will raise Sam's soul. Unlike the other Horsemen, Death is does not have his ring taken from him by force. Death gives Dean his ring in exchange for Dean's promise to re-imprison Lucifer's by ensuring that a possessed Sam jumps into Lucifer's Cage. Death also instructs Dean on how the four rings work to open the cage.

File:The Key to Lucifer's Cage.jpg

The four Horsemen rings conjoined together forming the Key to Lucifer's Cage

• Later Dean is seen working with all four rings. By placing them on a table, they all join together to form a triangle-shaped design, with War's ring in the middle, and the other three surrounding it. When Bobby asks him about Death teaching him how the rings work, Dean responds "Yeah, it's nuts."
• When Sam allows Lucifer to possess him, Dean uses the four rings to open a portal to Lucifer's Cage. The first time Sam is unable to overpower Lucifer to throw him in. However the second time, in Stull Cemetery, Sam manages to regain some control and throw himself and Lucifer into the cage. While trying to stop him Adam, which is possessed by Michael is also trapped.

• Dean tries to make a deal with Death to get Sam's soul back. Death agrees on the proviso that Dean wears the ring and performs Death's duties for a day. Dean retrieves the ring from where he had buried it at Bobby's place. While Dean doesn't keep his side of the deal, Death does return Sam's soul. Dean returns the ring to Death.

The Brief-Cases

Both Death and Famine own black brief-cases that can house human souls. These particular brief-cases seem to serve one primary function, which is containing and securing human souls and essences until either Death or Famine can manage the contained souls. A demon uses Famine's Brief-Case to transport human souls to Famine. Death uses his Brief-Case while he is returning to Earth from Hell and he secures Sam's soul within it.

The Cars

Each Horseman owns a car and they use these vehicles to travel to locations around Earth. Each car symbolizes a horse and mirrors the color of their steed in lore.

Episodes Featuring Horsemen

5.02 Good God Y'All

War causes havoc in a town when he convinces the townspeople that some of them are being possessed by demons, when in fact none are. He is banished when Sam and Dean remove a ring from him that seems related to his power.

5.10 Abandon All Hope

Lucifer undertakes a ritual to release the most fearsome Horseman, Death. It involves killing all the women and children in a town, and then the men, who are possessed by demons, sacrifice themselves. He then performs an invocation. Death rises, but is not seen.

5.14 My Bloody Valentine

Famine arrives in town and causes everyone's cravings to turn rabid. People start killing each other and themselves. He infects Sam, who craves demon blood, and Castiel, whose vessel had a fondness for red meat, but Dean is unaffected. Famine says this is because Dean is already "dead inside". Famine is stopped when, after consuming demons that Sam had exorcised from their hosts, Sam exorcises those demons from his body. The brothers take his ring.

5.15 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Death causes previously dead townspeople to come back to life, including Bobby's wife, Karen. Death sends Karen back with a warning: that because Bobby is helping Sam say 'no' to Lucifer, Death has his eye on him. Karen describes Death as "A really thin man, almost like a skeleton," but he is not seen in this episode.

5.19 Hammer Of The Gods

Pestilence arrives at a small store, and enters, coughing and spreading germs and phlegm everywhere. He buys some flu medication and leaves. As he drives, his car fills with flies.

5.20 The Devil You Know

Sam and Dean begin the episode on the trail of Pestilence, posing as CDC agents at a hospital hit with a swine flu outbreak.

Crowley offers to help Sam and Dean find Pestilence by tracking down and cutting a deal with Brady, who Crowley calls "the Horsemen's stable boy." Brady is in charge of the plan at Niveus Pharmaceuticals. He uses the Goblet of Blood ritual to communicate with Pestilence about the progress on the vaccine. Brady eventually relents and gives up Pestilence's location to Crowley, Sam, and Dean.

Brady reveals that War and Famine aren't dead, but they have been taken out of the game, telling Dean, "See, War and Famine, even if I could cram the rings back on their bony fingers, I doubt it would do much good. They're withered husks right now, fetal position on the floor, all thanks to you. So I don't want the rings. What I want is retribution. And I'm going to rip it right out of your ass!"

Bobby is talking on the phone with Rufus Turner discussing possible omens for locating Death when Crowley appears in his home. Crowley tells Bobby he can help them find Death, but he needs to make a deal for Bobby's soul to pull it off. Bobby is resistant to the idea, but Crowley assures him that it will be temporary and that he will give Bobby back his soul after it's done.

5.21 Two Minutes To Midnight

Props for Pestilence's fingers

Using the alias "Dr. Green" Pestilence is working at the Serenity Valley Convalescent Home. He tends to an old woman named Celeste, telling her she has a combination of the common cold, dengue fever, and a "nasty, nasty case of Japanese encephalitis." He then proceeds to give her chicken pox. She asks if he is going to cure her, and he tells her that she is going to die. She vomits in his face (a la Linda Blair in The Exorcist) before she dies.

Using information from Brady, Sam and Dean arrive at the home, but are incapacitated by Pestilence. While writhing on the ground from their illnesses, Pestilence tells them they're suffering from scarlet fever, meningitis and syphilis, and gives them a condescending lecture about God, disease and humanity. Castiel, now human, enters the room and falls to the floor after beginning to feel the effects of Pestilence's epidemic. Pestilence mocks him for being a powerless occupied vessel, noting that "there's not a speck of angel in you." Castiel picks up Ruby's knife and cuts off Pestilence's ring finger. A possessed nurse rushes at Castiel, but he kills her with the knife. Sam and Dean immediately recover from their illnesses and get up from the floor. Pestilence, clutching his hand bleeding, tells them "It doesn't matter. It's too late," before vanishing.

Later in the episode, Sam and Dean figure out what Pestilence's plan was after a talk with Crowley. Brady was vice president of distribution at Niveus Pharmaceuticals. The first part of the plan was for Pestilence to start a swine flu epidemic, which set the stage for the second step: mass nationwide distribution of the Niveus vaccine which contains the Croatoan virus. Crowley suggests Sam and Dean stock up on everything, because "this time next Thursday, we'll all be living in Zombieland."

Bobby tells Sam, Dean and Castiel that he's figured out that Death is going to cause a storm and a series of natural disasters that will kill three million people in Chicago. He is eventually forced to admit that he sold his soul to Crowley to get the information on Death. The group splits up: Sam, Bobby and Castiel go to Niveus to destroy the samples of the vaccine and the distribution center to prevent the outbreak of the Croatoan virus, while Dean and Crowley head to Chicago to try and defeat Death, save the city, and get the last ring. Crowley gives Dean Death's Scythe to use in Chicago, saying that in addition to killing angels, demons, and reapers it's rumored to be capable of killing Death himself.

Death arrives in Chicago to start the disaster. Dozens, if not hundreds, of Reapers arrive too, and are later seen by Crowley.

Death stops in a pizzeria for lunch, killing everyone inside (possibly unintentionally) and is found by Dean, who attempts to sneak up on him with Death's Scythe. However, the scythe begins to burn hot in Death's presence, forcing Dean to drop it and alerting the Horseman to his presence. Rather than showing hostility toward Dean, the Horseman thanks him for returning the Scythe before asking Dean to join him at the table. Death then reveals that he has been waiting for a while to talk with Dean.

When Dean asks him how old he is, Death admits he can't really remember anymore and guesses he is as old or older than God himself and neither can remember anymore. He surmises that he has been alive since life itself began and someday he will even reap God, to Dean's surprise. Death just states God is a living being like any other and someday he too will die; its just the way things work.

Death explains that Lucifer, whom he describes as "a bratty child", has him bound by a spell and is using him to create Apocalyptic chaos.

Death offers his ring to Dean on the condition that Dean must do everything in his power to assure that Lucifer is put back in his cage, even if that means sacrificing Sam. Dean reluctantly agrees, and Death warns him to hold true to his word, reminding him that he can't cheat Death. The Horseman then gives Dean the instructions on how to operate the rings, which combine to form a key-like device.

Later, Dean and Bobby discuss the plan, and while Dean is skeptical, Bobby says that Death probably has a larger view of things than they do and they should have more faith in Sam.

6.11 Appointment in Samarra

Dean tries to make a deal with Death to get Sam's soul back. Death agrees on the proviso that Dean wears the ring and performs Death's duties for a day. Dean retrieves the ring from where he had buried it at Bobby's place. While Dean doesn't keep his side of the deal, Death does return Sam's soul. Dean returns the ring to Death. Death says he wants Dean to keep investigating Purgatory.

Trivia

• Alastair refers to them as 'amigos'.

• The "human soul in the briefcase" device is a reference to the urban legend of the 1994 moviePulp Fiction where the mysterious shining object in the briefcase (which is never seen or identified) is said to be the soul of Marsellus Wallace.

• Anna states that the Horsemen will revert back to their "day jobs" without Lucifer..

Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse in Lore

Left to Right: Death, Famine, War and Conquest.

This interpretation replaces Conquest with Pestilence, which is portrayed as a distinct entity (separate from Death). The first horseman to appear is Pestilence, who rides upon a white horse. In the wake of Pestilence comes War, riding a large, wild red horse and wielding a tremendous sword. In the wake of War, due to immense destruction because of War and Pestilence, is Famine. Famine is portly, and rides upon a black, sickly horse; this represents gluttony and hunger, respectively. And in the wake of Famine comes Death. His horse is pale green. He is followed by Hades and carries the remaining souls to their final destinations.

• See the page titled Apocalypse for more info