Timeline (Mythological Arc)
Dates are tricky in Supernatural. Some dates are significant dates are made explicit in the script, but most are not. Sometimes dates that appear within an episode relate to the the date when an episode was shot rather than when the events are supposed to occur.
It is generally accepted by fans that the time covered in each season roughly corresponds to the airdates eg from September/October to May.
Dates here taken from killa's timeline, canon where available and some wild speculation. The episode an event relates to is included so readers can make their own decision.
See the timelines category for other alternative dates.
Distant Past
At some point in the distant past, God, Death and other deities come into existence.
God creates the Leviathans, but grows concerned that they will try to destroy His other creations. He creates the realm of Purgatory to contain them, and seals the Leviathans away.
God then creates celestial beings including Archangels, Angels and Cupids all of which will dwell in Heaven with Him creating an angelic society collectively known as The Host of Heaven.
God instructs the angels that they should bow down to humanity, but Lucifer refuses because he sees humanity as flawed and unworthy.
- Lucifer entreats his brother Michael to support him but he refuses
- God then imprisoned Lucifer with Six-Hundred Seals, sixty six of which have to be broken for Lucifer to escape his confinement
Eve begins creating the Alphas of the Supernatural beings, and is eventually imprisoned in Purgatory
Recent Past
- 1972 - events of 4.22 Lucifer Rising
- Azazel possesses a priest at St. Mary's Convent Ilchester, Maryland, and in the chapel he kills eight nuns. This enables him to speak to Lucifer, who tells him he needs Lilith to be released from Hell to break The 66 Seals that hold him captive. Lucifer tells Azazel he also needs to find a very special child.
- 1973, April 30 - May 2 - Azazel meets the Winchesters; events of 4.03 In The Beginning
- Mary Campbell (later to be Mary Winchester) and her parents - Samuel Campbell and Deanna Campbell - are hunters living in Lawrence, Kansas. People in the area are dying, and it appears their deaths may have been caused by a man with "yellow-eyes" who makes a deal with someone who wanted the person dead (for example the son of a violently abusive man, a woman whose father is terminally ill) in exchange for permission to return to them in ten years time.
- Dean is sent back to this time by Castiel, and warns the Campbells that the being is a demon. He steals the Colt from Daniel Elkins, but fails to kill the demon we will later know as Azazel.
- Azazel meets Mary Campbell and likes what he sees - her bravery and hunting prowess.
- Azazel possesses Samuel Campbell and reveals to Dean that he makes the deals with people he deems 'perfect parents' so he can return and feed demon blood to babies, which will endow them with demonic powers.
- Azazel tells Dean that the aim is not only to create beings to lead a demon army and taunts that "my end game's a hell of a lot bigger than that".
- Azazel kills both Samuel and Deanna Campbell, and Mary Campbell's fiancee - John Winchester. He offers to bring John back to life if Mary will make a deal to allow him to enter her home in ten years time. He adds "as long as I'm not interrupted, nobody gets hurt, I promise".
- Mary agrees to the deal, Azazel seals it with a kiss.
- 1978 events of 5.13 The Song Remains The Same
- Mary is pregnant with Dean
- The angel Anna travels back in time to kill John and Mary before Sam can be born in order to avert later events
- Castiel takes Sam and Dean back to stop Anna
- Anna enlists Uriel's help to kill the Winchesters
- Anna kills Sam
- Michael possesses John Winchester and kills Anna
- Michael wipes John and Mary's memories, heals Sam and sends Dean and him back to the present.
- 1979, January 24
- Dean Winchester is born
- 1983, May 2
- Sam Winchester is born
- 1983, November 2. Events shown in flashback during 1.01 Pilot and 2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part One
- Sam is 6 months old.
- Azazel enters his nursery, and slicing his own wrist, drips Demon Blood into infant Sam's mouth.
- Mary Winchester enters the room, and recognizes the Yellow-Eyed Demon. He kills her and burns the nursery.
- December 1983 - The Journal (diary entries).
- John Winchester learns from Missouri Mosely that something supernatural killed Mary.
- Soon after he takes to the road with Sam and Dean to hunt down the creature that killed Mary.
- 1990, September 29
- Adam Milligan - son of John Winchester and Kate Milligan is born
- 1983-2006. Information from Ruby in 3.04 Sin City
- People associated with Mary Winchester including family, friends and her doctor are killed by Azazel
- 1991, December 25
- Sam reads John's Journal and finds out that Mary's death was supernatural, monsters are real, and that John hunts them. He confronts Dean, who confirms it.
- Sam gives Dean an amulet as a Christmas present.
- April, 1998. Events revealed in 3.15 Time Is On My Side
- Bela Talbot makes a deal with a Crossroads Demon to kill her abusive parents.
- 2002/3 as revealed in 5.20 The Devil You Know
- Sam's college friend Brady is possessed by a demon, on instruction from Azazel, while on Thanksgiving break
- Brady introduces Sam to Jess with the aim of killing her and propelling Sam back into hunting.
- 2005, Early October
- Sam's prescient visions of Jess's death start (Bloody Mary)
- Max Miller's telekinetic abilities surface (Nightmare)
- John Winchester cuts off contact with Dean (John is in Jericho, Dean in New Orleans) (Pilot)
- Possession of Meg Masters begins (Devil's Trap)
- 2005, November 2 - Death of Jessica Moore
- In 2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part One the Yellow-Eyed Demon reveals he killed Jessica because he wanted Sam to return to his training and hunting, in order to prepare him to lead the demon army
- 2006, May - Events of 1.14 Nightmare
- Sam has visions of Max Miller's father and uncle dying
- Max Miller reveals his mother died in a nursery fire
- Sam uses his powers to move a sideboard that is trapping him in a closet.
- Max Miller kills himself
- 2006, Oct 31- November 2. Events of 1.20 Dead Man's Blood, 1.21 Salvation & 1.22 Devil's Trap
- Death of Pastor Jim
- Death of Caleb
- Death of Meg Masters
- While possessing John Winchester, the Yellow-Eyed Demon reveals that he has "plans for Sam and all the children like him"
- 2006, Nov 4. Events of 2.01 In My Time Of Dying and 4.16 On The Head Of A Pin
- John Winchester makes a deal with the Yellow-Eyed Demon offering his own life to save Dean. John reveals that he has known known the "truth" about Sam and the other children for 'a while'
- Before he dies John tells Dean a secret about Sam
- John Winchester dies and goes to Hell where over the next year he is tortured by Alastair, who recounts that he never broke
- 2006, Late December. Events of 2.05 Simon Said
- Sam and Dean meet Andy Gallagher and his evil brother, who are more of the Special Children and find out that not all of them had a mother who dies in a nursery fire when they were six months old.
- 2007, mid January. Events of 2.09 Croatoan and 2.10 Hunted
- Dean reveals to Sam the secret John told him - that he has to save Sam "that nothing else mattered; and that if I couldn't save you, I'd have to kill you."
- Sam proves to be immune to a demon virus that spread and infected nearly an entire town
- Scott Carey, one of the Special Children, is visited by the Yellow-Eyed Demon who tells him a war is coming and he will be part of the army.
- Gordon Walker kills Scott Carey and tries to kill Sam after learning of his destiny to lead a demon army.
- Sam meets Ava another of the Special Children, after she has a vision of Sam.
- Ava disappears, and her fiancee is killed. Sam and Dean find sulfur at the scene, indicating the involvement of demons.
- 2007, February - June.
- Ava is taken by the Yellow-Eyed Demon to Cold Oak, South Dakota. Over the months she learns how to use her powers to summon demons. Other Special Children arrive at intervals, and Ava uses the demons she controls to kill them.
- 2007, mid March. Events of 2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign
- Sam is possessed by the same demon who had possessed Meg Masters
- 2007, early May Events of 2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part One and 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two
- The Yellow-Eyed Demon brings together Sam and the other Special Children to choose a leader for a demon army
- The Yellow-Eyed Demon reveals to Sam that on the night of the nursery fire, he fed his blood to Sam, and that Mary Winchester recognized him.
- Ava kills Lily, Andy and is about to kill Sam when she is killed by Jake
- Sam is killed by Jake Talley
- Dean makes a deal with the Crossroads Demon to bring Sam back to life, which leaves Dean with a year to live
- According to the Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 2 Dean's deal takes place on 2 May, 2007
- Jake Talley opens the Devil's Gate unleashing an uncountable amount of demons and souls including Lilith and John Winchester
- The Yellow-Eyed Demon tells Dean that Sam may have been changed somehow after being bought back
- The Yellow-Eyed Demon is shot by Dean using the Colt, with help from the spirit of John Winchester.
- 2007, late June. Events of 3.01 The Magnificent Seven
- The demon Pride refers to Sam as "the Boy King"
- A demon named Ruby tails Sam, and helps him fight the Seven Deadly Sins
- 2007, early to mid-July. Events of 3.02 The Kids Are Alright
- Following a hint from Ruby, Sam learns that after his mother's death, all her friends and "her doctor, her uncle -- everyone who ever knew her" were killed by the Yellow-Eyed Demon
- 2007, mid August. Events of 3.04 Sin City
- Ruby helps Bobby restore the Colt.
- The demon possessing Casey tells Dean that the Yellow-eyed Demon was actually Azazel, and that after his death, the demon hordes that escaped the Devil's Gate in Wyoming are in chaos, since Sam did not take on the role Azazel had planned for him to lead the demon army. She says that she would've followed Sam. She also reveals that demons believe in a higher power – Lucifer.
- Dean expresses his concern to Bobby that something has changed in Sam since he came back from the dead.
- 2007, late October. Events of 3.05 Bedtime Stories
- Sam shoots the Crossroads Demon with the Colt, but it doesn't break Dean's deal.
- 2008, Late January. Events of 3.09 Malleus Maleficarum
- 2008, Mid February. Events of 3.12 Jus in Bello
- For the first time demons take the offensive in trying to kill Sam and Dean
- Ruby reveals that Lilith,the new leader referred to by Tammi, is behind the attack
- Ruby offers to help, but when her plan is rejected by the boys, she leaves
- Lilith, appears and kills all the survivors of the demon attack, except for Sam and Dean
- 2008, early February. Events of 3.10 Dream a Little Dream of Me
- early April, 2008. Events of 3.15 Time Is On My Side
- Bela reveals that Lilith holds her contract
- Lilith told Bela she would release her from her contract if she killed Sam
- Hellhounds come for Bela
- 2008, May 1. Events of 3.16 No Rest For The Wicked
- Sam summons Ruby who reveals Sam's powers are only dormant, and that he could use them to defeat Lilith
- Dean opposes this plan, and steals Ruby's Knife to use against Lilith
- As the hellhounds appear for Dean, Lilith takes over the body Ruby has been in,sending her 'far, far, away'.
- Lilith lets the hellhounds take Dean.
- Lilith tries to kill Sam, but her powers have no effect.
- Sam takes Ruby's Knife and is about to kill Lilith, when she disinhabits "Ruby's" body.
- 2008, May to September.Events recounted in 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer and 4.10 Heaven And Hell
- Sam tries to get Dean out of Hell by trying to open the Devil's Gate and making a deal with a Crossroads Demon but to no avail.
- Ruby returns from Hell, having promised Lilith she would kill Sam.
- Ruby starts teaching Sam to use his powers to kill Lilith
- Sam starts drinking Demon Blood from Ruby because she tells him it will enhance his abilities
- In Hell, Dean is tortured by Alastair
- 2008, August. Events recounted in 4.10 Heaven And Hell and 4.16 On The Head Of A Pin
- Angels assail Hell to try and save Dean
- The first of the The 66 Seals binding Lucifer is broken when Dean, a righteous man, breaks and begins torturing souls himself
- 2008, September 18. Events of 4.01 Lazarus Rising
- Castiel rescues Dean from Hell and tells him God has work for him
- September 21, 2008 4.02 Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester
- Lilith breaks one of the The 66 Seals by bringing on the Rise of the Witnesses
- 2008, October 29 to November 1st. 4.07 It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester
- The Rising of Samhain breaks another of The 66 Seals
- Castiel and Uriel are ordered to do whatever Dean tells them to do, as a test of him under battlefield conditions.
- Sam and Dean fail to stop the breaking of this seal.
- Sam uses his demonic abilities to exorcize Samhain.
- 2008, November. 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer and 4.10 Heaven And Hell
- Anna Milton an angel who has become human, is being pursued by both angels and demons. She eventually reverts to being an angel.
- 2008, December. 4.12 Criss Angel Is A Douchebag
- Ruby informs Sam that 34 of The 66 Seals have been broken
- Sam agrees to start drinking Demon Blood again in preparation to kill Lilith
- 2008, 20-21 December. 4.15 Death Takes A Holiday
- Sam and Dean stop Alastair breaking a seal that requires the death of two reapers on the night of the solstice.
- Alastair reveals Death's Scythe, and refers to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
- 2009, early months. 4.16 On The Head Of A Pin
- Castiel and Uriel enlist Dean to interrogate Alastair and find out what is killing angels
- Alastair reveals Dean was responsible for breaking the first seal
- Anna tries to get Castiel to rebel against the angelic hierarchy
- Uriel is revealed to be a follower of Lucifer, and has been killing angels who will not join him
- Anna kills Uriel
- Sam drinks Ruby's blood
- Sam kills Alastair with his demonic abilities
- 2009, early months. 4.17 It's A Terrible Life
- Zachariah wipes Sam and Dean's memories in order to show Dean that hunting is a part of who he is
- 2009, early months. 4.18 The Monster At The End Of This Book
- Chuck Shurley, a prophet protected by an archangel, prophesies the events surrounding Sam and Dean
- Lilith tries to make a deal with Sam because she knows she won't survive the apocalypse
- Sam tries to kill Lilith but fails
- 2009, mid year 4.20 The Rapture
- Castiel has important news for Dean but is forcefully taken back to Heaven
- Castiel's vessel, Jimmy Novak is hunted by demons and mortally wounded.
- Returning from Heaven, Castiel possesses Claire Novak but Jimmy begs for Castiel to possess him
- Castiel refuses to tell Dean the news he had for him
- 2009, mid year 4.21 When The Levee Breaks, 4.22 Lucifer Rising and 5.01 Sympathy For The Devil
- Dean swears fealty to God and the Angels
- Castiel helps Sam escape from Bobby's Panic Room
- Ruby tells Sam there are only 2-3 seals left to break and that only "Lucifer's first" - Lilith - can break the final seal.
- Zachariah holds Dean in limbo and finally reveals that he wants Lucifer to rise and the Apocalypse to start so that the angels can battle and defeat Hell so that they can live on Earth in eternal peace despite the fact that this will devastate humanity.
- Castiel reveals to Dean that Lilith is the final seal and that her death will release Lucifer
- Castiel helps Dean escape from Heaven. They go to Chuck to find Sam's and Lilith's whereabouts.
- Castiel is killed by Raphael
- Sam kills Lilith
- Ruby tells Sam that she was manipulating him all along for this end.
- After being helped by Castiel, Dean arrives too late to stop Sam killing Lilith, but he does kill Ruby using Ruby's Knife
- Lucifer rises
- God puts Sam and Dean on a plane to save them from Lucifer, and resurrects Castiel
- Chuck gets a message to Dean and Sam about the whereabouts of "the Michael Sword"
- A demon possesses Bobby, and with Meg, tries to kill Dean.
- Bobby overpowers the demon possessing him and stabs himself in the stomach, releasing the demon and is left wounded but not dead.
- Zachariah reveals that Dean is Michael's vessel and that he needs to consent to possession so Michael can kill Lucifer
- Lucifer possesses a human named Nick
- 2009, mid year a few days later - the events of 5.02 Good God Y'All
- 2009, mid year a few weeks later - the events of 5.03 Free To Be You And Me
- 2009, mid year - the events of 5.04 The End
- Zachariah transports dean to a possible future where the Croatoan Virus swept the globe and the Angels have left Earth
- In this future Sam is Lucifer's vessel, following a confrontation in Detroit.
- Future!Castiel has lost most of his angelic abilities
- Future!Dean tries to use the Colt to kill Lucifer
- Lucifer kills Future!Dean and tells Dean that he will always win
- 2009, mid year - the events of 5.06 I Believe The Children Are Our Future
- Sam and Dean find Jesse Turner who is the Antichrist also known as Cambion.
- Castiel tries to kill Jesse Turner
- When the truth of his circumstance is revealed to him Jesse Turner disappears
- 2009, mid/late year - the events of 5.08 Changing Channels
- 2009, mid year- the events of 5.09 The Real Ghostbusters
- 2010, January - the events of 5.10 Abandon All Hope
- 2009 Jan/Feb - the events of 5.13 The Song Remains The Same
- Sam, Dean and Castiel follow Anna back in time to 1978 as she tries to kill John and Mary Winchester.
- 2010, February 14 - the events of 5.14 My Bloody Valentine
- Famine causes people to fulfill their hungers in often deadly ways
- Sam drinks Demon Blood again and exorcises all of the demons from Famine
- They take Famine's ring
- 2010 - March?- the events of 5.16 Dark Side Of The Moon
- Sam and Dean are killed by hunters and go to Heaven
- An angel called Joshua tells them God is not interested in intervening to stop the Apocalypse
- 2010 - March/April? - the events of 5.17 99 Problems
- The Whore Of Babylon rises
- Dean kills Whore Of Babylon - who can only be killed by "a true servant of Heaven"
- 2010 - March/April - the events of 5.18 Point Of No Return
- 2010 - March/April? - the events of 5.19 Hammer Of The Gods
- 2010 - April - the events of 5.20 The Devil You Know
- Crowley helps Sam and Dean get Pestilence's whereabouts from the demon Brady
- Crowley goes to Bobby and offers to help find Death - but requires the temporary use Bobby's soul
- 2010 - March/April? - the events of 5.21 Two Minutes To Midnight
- Sam and Dean stop Pestilence's Croatoan virus from spreading across the world.
- Castiel cuts off Pestilence's ring
- Death hands over his ring to Dean in return for Dean's promise to let his brother say yes to Lucifer and jump into his cage.
- 2010 - May - the events of 5.22 Swan Song
- Sam prepares to assent to be Lucifer's Vessel
- Sam consumes enough Demon blood in preparation for containing Lucifer's overwhelming spirit
- Sam consents to Lucifer
- Lucifer kills Castiel and Bobby
- Sam regains control over his body while he is still containing Lucifer. Sam then opens Lucifer's Cage and jumps in with Michael following close behind
- God resurrects Castiel. Castiel heals Dean and brings back Bobby
- Dean and Bobby part. Dean goes to stay with Lisa and her son
- There stands Sam, staring silently into the window at Dean.
Distant Future
Death claims that he will reap God at the end of time, and then persist throughout eternity.