While there have been many worlds featured in the fantasy show,Supernaturalfirst confirmed the existence of its multiverse in its later seasons. Since season 1, there have been somebig changes inSupernaturalto keep the show fresh and entertaining, with villains scaling up each season to deliver a bigger finale, and storylines expanding into unknown territories and organizations like the British Men of Letters. Additionally, there have also been many proposedSupernaturalspinoff shows, some of which have been rejected, like the much-anticipatedWayward Sisters, and others that have succeeded in their conception, such asThe Winchesters.
Yet, the most major change toSupernaturalis the creation of its multiverse, as numerous worlds have been explored and brought together, especially in the later seasons.Supernatural’smultiverse offers differentparallel timelines from the show’sand strange worlds of mythical creatures throughout its 15-season run, andThe Winchesterscontinues this tradition as it is also an alternate reality fromSupernatural’s. These alternate worlds offer interesting “what if?” concepts to demonstrate the importance of certain plot elements, although sometimes they might simply be gags. Therefore,with multiple universes interacting with each other, the multiverse inSupernaturalcan get rather confusing.
How Supernatural’s Multiverse Was Created & Is It Still There?
Supernatural First Became A Multiverse In Season 6
Supernatural’smultiverse was created by Chuck over time, so there is no specific known date when it came into fruition. However,the first alternate universe seen in the show isSupernatural’sseason 6, episode 15, “The French Mistake,”in which Sam and Dean are transported to a world where their lives are the plot of a TV show, played by actors Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, and Jensen Ackles. This episode is one of the most memorable anddefining moments inSupernatural, not only because of its humor, but because it marks the first time the Winchesters encounter an alternate world.
The War for Creation is the name of the conflict between God and Team Free Will involving God’s destruction of the multiverse in season 15. Many Archangels took part on different sides, and God destroyed billions of worlds, yet ultimately, Team Free Will won when Jack absorbed God’s powers.
Chuck acknowledges the multiverse in the War for Creation, specifically in “Galaxy Brain,”as he talks to a Radio Shed employee on Earth-2 about the different worlds he has created, showcasing them on TV screens.Chuck decides that he needs to destroy “All the other worlds, alternate realities, the subplots… the failed spin-offs…” to focus on his favorite universe – the Main Universe ofSupernatural. However, inThe Winchesters, it is revealed viacameos that theSupernaturalmultiverse has been restored by Jack, following his succession as God, meaning that by the end of both shows, the multiverse is alive again.
How Supernatural Characters Can Travel From One Universe To Another
There Are A Few Ways To Travel Between Worlds
There are a few ways thatcharacters have traveled betweenSupernatural’suniverses, as sometimes they have crossed over by accident. In “The French Mistake,” the Winchesters were sent to the Alternate Earth by Balthazar’s ritual and became trapped due to that universe’s lack of magic, although the Archangel Raphael was somehow able to retrieve them from the Main Universe. Other than Balthazar’s ritual, the main method of transporting between universes tends to be via portals or rifts. The second alternate reality, Apocalypse World, was accessed this way and was introduced withCrowley’s death and Mark Sheppard’s departure fromSupernatural.
Other portals inSupernaturallead to realms as opposed to other universes – there are portals to Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory.
Multiple rifts have featured inSupernatural,and they have been shown to vary in appearance; most rifts seen are singular gold strands that hover slightly off the ground, but there was one that looked like a larger pinkish-purple crack on the ceiling, andDean was thrown into one inThe Winchestersthat was a stereotypical-looking blue circular portal.Rifts are often created via rituals, like from the Angel and Demon Tablets, or via innate power– Jack Kline’s birth created the Apocalypse World rift due to his Nephilim powers. However, God (Jack and Chuck) can travel to different universes at will.
Some rifts can even draw people, or whole objects (such as Alternate Sam and Dean’s Fiat 500), into them.
Although rifts can be crossed both ways,Supernaturalcharacters can become trapped in another universe due to a displaced or closed rift, such as when Sam and Dean were stuck in The Bad Place, or Jack and Mary in Apocalypse World. Furthermore, rift locations can change each time they open, as the Apocalypse World rift moved from a desert to a snowy forest, and The Bad Place moved its exit from a cargo ship to a park in Sioux Falls. Alternatively, some rifts can even draw people, or whole objects (such as Alternate Sam and Dean’s Fiat 500), into them.
Which Universes Have Appeared In Supernatural & The Winchesters
Supernatural Has Countless Universes But Some Aren’t Seen
Supernaturalhas had many encounters with alternate universes andThe Winchesterscontinued the multiverse tradition, yet some have only been mentioned in the shows.There are 11 total universes that have appeared inSupernaturalandThe Winchesters, although two of them are not technically seen. The universes range from the amusing cartoon crossover episode in the Scoobynatural universe to theterrifying unknown supernatural monsteruniverse of The Bad Place, providing new characters and situations forSupernatural’sTeam Free Will to interact with.The Winchestersitself is even an alternate universe toSupernatural, as John hunts monsters sooner than originally presented.
Season 6, Episode 15, “The French Mistake”
Alternate Earth
Sam and Dean are transported by Balthazar to a world where they are actors in a show about hunting monsters calledSupernatural.
Season 12, Episode 23, “All Along the Watchtower”
Apocalypse World
Mary never made the deal with Azazel to resurrect John, meaning Sam and Dean were never born to prevent the apocalypse, so the world is in an all-out war between the Angels.
Season 13, Episode 9, “The Bad Place”
The Bad Place
As a dream walker, Kaia introduces the Winchesters to a place full of unknown monsters, but Sam and Dean accidentally become trapped there.
Season 13, Episode 16, “Scoobynatural”
Scoobynatural
A possessed TV transports the Winchesters and Castiel to an episode ofScooby-Doo, Where Are You!with cartoon physics and animated characters.
Season 13, Episode 17, “The Thing”
*Yokoth and Glythur’s World (aka “Tentacle Porn Land”)
A world ruled by two gods and their Faceless Hordes. We never see the universe itself, but Yokoth appeared from the purple-colored rift and lived on Earth before being dragged back.
Season 15, Episode 4, “Atomic Monsters”
Demon-Blood-Corrupted Sam Kills Dean Universe
In a nightmare, Sam sees an alternate universe in which he is corrupted by Demon Blood and kills Dean in the Bunker.
Season 15, Episode 5, “Proverbs 17:3”
Lucifer-Possessed Sam Kills Dean Universe
While dreaming, Sam sees a world where Dean tries to kill a Lucifer-possessed Sam with the Colt. It fails and Lucifer sets Dean on fire.
Demon Dean Kills Sam Universe
While knocked out, Sam dreams of a universe where Dean has the Mark of Cain and kills Sam in the Bunker with the First Blade.
Season 15, Episode 12, “Galaxy Brain”
Earth-2
Although others have been called it before, this is the official Earth-2 and bears the same characteristics as the Main Universe with a few differences; it has two moons and Hillary Clinton is President in 2020.
Season 15, Episode 13, “Destiny’s Child”
*HunterCorp World
Alternate Sam and Dean originate from a universe where their father owns a hunting company and spoils his sons. This universe is not seen but is talked about due to Alternate Sam and Dean’s appearance.
ThroughoutThe Winchesters
Monster Club Universe
A dead Dean Winchester visits this universe to help a young alternate John and Mary to hunt the deadly Akrida before they can reach the Main Universe and affect Sam, who is still living.
*Universes that are not technically seen, but the rift is and characters still appear in the show from that universe.
Out of the 11 universes, 2 of them are not actually seen: Yokoth and Glythur’s World and HunterCorp World. However, Yokoth was summoned to the Main Universe by a rogue Man of Letters and the rift can be seen with Glythur’s tentacles protruding from it, therefore, it does technically make an appearance. HunterCorp World has a similar situation asAlternate Sam and Dean Winchester appear inSupernaturalseason15 and describe their world, but the world itself is not seen. Due to their prominence in the plot, they are a part of the list of universes that appear inSupernatural.
TheSupernatural: The Animationuniverse.
The Akrida’s universe.
Conversely, there is aSupernaturaltheory that claims thatThe Winchestersis the HunterCorp Universe. There is potential for John and Mary to create a new hunting company following the events ofThe Winchestersfinale, as Dean gives them John’s journal and they have more knowledge at a younger age than inSupernatural. If they did, Sam and Dean would be born into a life of luxury and develop into the Alternate Sam and Dean seen inSupernatural’s“Destiny’s Child.” Therefore,the Monster Club Universe and the HunterCorp Universe could be the same universe, but this is just a theory.
Which Supernatural Characters Exist Outside Of The Multiverse?
Only The Most Powerful Characters Are Capable
There are only a few characters who exist outside of theSupernaturalmultiverse. Before creation, there was the Empty, ruled by a mysterious being called the Shadow. When God and the Darkness came into being, Chuck created multiple worlds and universes which Amara tried to destroy until Chuck locked her away. Therefore,the Empty predates the existence of both God and the Darkness, as well as the multiverse, making the Shadow one of themost powerful beings inSupernatural.The Shadow, God, and the Darkness are all able to exist outside of the multiverse as they all predate its creation.
The Empty only became the afterlife for Angels and Demons as God had not provided a place, meaning beings from other universes may rest there, as they also don’t have an afterlife.
As only one version of the Empty appears inSupernatural, it was presumed to be like Heaven and Hell – a separate realm within the Main Universe. However, other universes were confirmed to have their own realms too, due to the existence of Alternate Michael and other Archangels. Furthermore, the Empty only became the afterlife for Angels and Demons as God had not provided a place, meaning beings from other universes may rest there, as they also don’t have an afterlife. Therefore, it can be assumed thatthe Empty (and the Shadow) exists in a place outside of the multiverse.
All 7 Supernatural Episodes Where No One Dies
As a show that largely follows a death-per-episode formula of various one-off characters, there are only 7 episodes in Supernatural where no one dies.
Arguably, the Akrida may also exist outside theSupernaturalmultiverse.The Winchestersrevealed thatGod created the Akrida to wipe everything out should he fail, which is why Dean caught onto their existence. The Akrida cannot be killed by anything fromThe Winchesters’universe, hence whyDean Winchester’s Impala fromSupernatural’suniverse kills them, most likely because God made them impervious to anything in the universe the Akrida were attacking. The Akrida’s homeworld is never shown, however, it would make sense to locate the Akrida outside the multiverse so that they can destroy theSupernaturaluniverses without affecting their own.
Supernatural
Cast
Supernatural is a television series that follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who were raised by their father to hunt and combat supernatural entities after losing their mother to a demonic force. Traversing the American landscape in their ‘67 Chevy Impala, they face numerous paranormal threats.
