The first Supernatural spinoff arrived earlier than many fans realize, but it succeeded by keeping things simple and sticking to what made the original show iconic. While the short-lived 2022 prequel The Winchesters attempted to expand the Supernatural universe with new characters, time travel, and lore-heavy mysteries, one earlier attempt at a spinoff did the exact opposite - and arguably got much closer to what fans actually wanted. Supernatural: The Animation may not be a household name even among the most devoted hunters, but its approach to continuing the Winchester story hit far closer to the mark than The Winchesters ever did.

Both projects attempted to carry on the Supernatural legacy, but only one of them avoided the franchise-killing trap of sidelining Sam and Dean. The Winchesters had good intentions, strong production values, and even Jensen Ackles on board as executive producer and narrator. But without Jared Padalecki and Ackles truly at the center, it simply couldn’t tap into the same magic. The animated spinoff, on the other hand, leaned into what already worked. By embracing Sam and Dean, even in animated form, it preserved the heart of the franchise. And that, more than anything, explains why one spinoff clicked while the other fell flat.

Supernatural: The Animated Series Was About The Winchester Brothers

The Anime Spinoff Worked Because It Stuck With Sam And Dean’s Story

Supernatural: The Animation (also sometime Supernatural: The Anime or Supernatural: The Animated Series) was the first Supernatural spinoff to ever air, debuting in 2011 with a 22-episode season that flew under the radar for many fans. Produced in Japan by Madhouse, the anime-style series was a t project between Warner Bros. and Japanese animation studios, offering a reimagined take on the early seasons of the show. Though the aesthetic and tone shifted slightly for the anime format, the core of Supernatural remained firmly intact: it was still Sam and Dean Winchester hitting the road and hunting monsters.

The key to the spinoff’s success was simple - it didn’t try to reinvent Supernatural. Instead, it adapted episodes from the first two seasons, reimagining stories like “Skin,” “Home,” and “Heart,” while also adding new original cases that blended in seamlessly with the show's tone. This created the feel of an alternate-universe version of Supernatural that didn’t require viewers to learn new characters or invest in unfamiliar arcs. It was Sam and Dean, just drawn differently.

In essence, the first Supernatural spinoff succeeded because it understood that the franchise lives and dies by its leads.

Another major strength was that it treated the material with reverence. It wasn’t trying to replace the original show, it was enhancing it. Jared Padalecki even returned to voice Sam throughout the entire series, while Jensen Ackles voiced Dean in select episodes. Even when Ackles wasn’t involved, the stories were so tied to the existing Supernatural mythos that it still felt authentic.

In essence, the first Supernatural spinoff succeeded because it understood that the franchise lives and dies by its leads. The monsters, demons, and urban legends are important - but they’re all in service to Sam and Dean’s journey. By anchoring the series in those familiar characters and beloved episodes, Supernatural: The Animation became a kind of love letter to the early days of the show, giving fans more of what they already loved instead of asking them to start over. That’s the core mistake The Winchesters would eventually make.

The Winchesters Didn't Understand What Truly Made Supernatural So Popular

The Prequel Made The Mistake Of Sidelining Sam And Dean In Their Own Universe

The Winchesters was announced with plenty of fanfare and high expectations. Executive produced and narrated by Jensen Ackles, the Supernatural prequel promised to explore the untold love story of John and Mary Winchester, Sam and Dean’s parents, and reveal hidden truths about the Supernatural timeline. In theory, this sounded like a compelling extension of the Supernatural mythology. In practice, however, the show lost sight of what made Supernatural special in the first place.

The problem wasn’t that The Winchesters was a prequel - it was that it pivoted away from the very foundation of the franchise: Sam and Dean Winchester. The first Supernatural spinoff made this mistake by focusing entirely on new characters and a revised timeline, leaning heavily on lore and cosmic mysteries to justify its plot. Even with Dean’s narration popping in occasionally, it felt like a side story with little emotional connection to the characters fans had spent 15 seasons following.

It’s understandable that The Winchesters wanted to carve its own identity. Most successful spinoffs - from Better Call Saul to Fear the Walking Dead - build new stories in existing universes. Supernatural isn’t like other franchises, though. The Supernatural fanbase is deeply tied to the personalities, chemistry, and brotherly bond of Sam and Dean. Without them at the center, the emotional core vanishes.

The prequel tried to capture Supernatural’s signature blend of horror, humor, and heart, but without the grounding presence of Sam and Dean, the result often felt like cosplay in a familiar world.

The Winchesters also suffered from tonal whiplash. The prequel tried to capture Supernatural’s signature blend of horror, humor, and heart, but without the grounding presence of Sam and Dean, the result often felt like cosplay in a familiar world. While leads Drake Rodger and Meg Donnelly delivered strong performances, their characters were reimaginings of versions fans had already seen die, sacrifice, and live out their arcs. The stakes never quite landed, and neither did the nostalgia.

Ironically, The Winchesters had one of the franchise’s strongest assets on board - Jensen Ackles - and still couldn’t fully recapture the magic. Despite some interesting ideas and fan-service moments, the show missed the point of the first Supernatural spinoff: fans didn’t want new heroes. They just wanted more Sam and Dean.

If The Supernatural Franchise Ever Comes Back, It Must Be With Sam And Dean

Future Spinoffs Need To Put Sam And Dean Front And Center, Not The Sidelines

If the Supernatural franchise ever gets another shot, it has to go back to what worked. That means centering any revival, spinoff, or continuation around Sam and Dean Winchester. The first Supernatural spinoff, Supernatural: The Animation, understood that. It gave fans new content without sacrificing the characters they were actually there to see. That’s the blueprint going forward.

Sam and Dean are more than just protagonists - they are the franchise. Their dynamic, their humor, their personal struggles, and their ever-evolving bond are what sustained the show for 15 years. The monsters-of-the-week were fun, the mythology was compelling, but none of it would have mattered without Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles anchoring it all. Any new Supernatural project that sidelines them is bound to struggle, no matter how slick or lore-heavy it is.

The audience isn’t tired of Supernatural - they’re just tired of Supernatural without Sam and Dean.

That doesn’t mean there’s no room for creativity. An animated sequel, spinoff featuring the brothers in the afterlife, or even a multiverse-style reunion could all work, so long as Sam and Dean are the focus. There’s rich territory to explore with these characters, whether that’s diving into the Empty, revisiting past hunts, or finding new threats that even Death couldn’t predict.

The audience isn’t tired of Supernatural - they’re just tired of Supernatural without Sam and Dean. The reaction to The Winchesters proved that. It’s not that the show was bad, it’s that it wasn’t them. The first Supernatural spinoff got that right, and any future attempt needs to follow its lead. Otherwise, the franchise risks losing not just its leads, but its soul.