While Supernatural featured some great anti-heroes and villains over the show’s 15 seasons, the dark fantasy drama also wasted plenty of killer characters despite their evident potential. While Supernatural is deservedly beloved by the show’s large fan base, the series also earned its reputation for being an occasionally frustrating watch. The story of Dean and Sam Winchester was engaging and compelling, and many of the monsters (and allies) that they encountered were memorable. However, Supernatural had a terrible tendency to waste as many great villains and heroes as the show utilized.
There are countless Supernatural characters that the show never used to their full potential. One of Supernatural’s strongest monsters was wasted when the show rushed through their subplot, while some of Sam and Dean’s most memorable love interests were swiftly killed off to raise the dramatic stakes of a given season. This proved particularly unpopular since a lot of Supernatural’s female characters were never fully fleshed out before their demise. However, this issue was not limited to the lives of virtuous heroic characters. Being a monster of the week series, the early seasons of Supernatural underused many memorable villains.
10 Charlie
Felicia Day’s likable Charlie was a fun presence for multiple seasons of Supernatural. Day’s trademark cheery demeanor stood in stark contrast with the rugged masculinity of both Winchester boys, which made her a fun foil to the pair. However, Charlie’s popularity only made her swift death at the hands of the Styne family an even more grave misstep when the infamously divisive death did occur. Even if Charlie’s Supernatural death did indirectly lead Dean to release the Darkness (due to the Mark of Cain’s growing influence over him), this wasn’t sufficient justification for her unnecessary early exit.
9 Bela
Unlike a lot of the Supernatural characters listed here, Bela was not a heroic figure. In fact, as far as villains on the show go, she was not even all that complex. Bela used her ability to see into the supernatural world to con humans and demons alike, a dangerous game with only one inevitable end. However, while seemingly irredeemable, Bela was still a rare human villain who could hold her own against the brothers. Her backstory eventually revealed that her villainy came from an understandable source but, by this point, her fate was set in stone.
8 Garth
Legendary character actor DJ Qualls has appeared in everything from Breaking Bad to Road Trip, but his role as Supernatural’s underrated hunter Garth is his favorite work for many viewers. Garth was a regular presence in Supernatural seasons 8 and 9. However, after this neurotic hunter became a werewolf, Supernatural seemingly forgot he existed outside of a few stray appearances in seasons 12 and 14. This was a shame since Garth’s comical persona was always a good match for Sam and Dean’s heroism. Not only that, but Garth becoming a werewolf and choosing to live proved that Supernatural’s monsters weren’t all evil, a promising development the show then proceeded to ignore.
7 Meg
Introduced in Supernatural season 1, Meg was a rare villain who wanted, like the brothers, to defeat Crowley. Meg was looking out for her own interests first and foremost but, unlike the single-minded likes of Bela, she wasn’t averse to working with agents of good when it suited her agenda. This led her to help the Winchesters out when they took on Crowley, which could have granted her a more heroic role in the future. However, this twist was wasted when Crowley unceremoniously killed her as soon as she helped Dean and Sam.
6 Eve
Supernatural’s Eve was a rare villain strong enough to beat Castiel. Not only that but she was blessed with a genuinely sympathetic motive - protecting her “children,” i.e. the other monsters she created. Like so many TV villains who deserved more screen time, Eve’s complex motives and tragic backstory didn’t save her from single-season ignominy. Before her potential could be properly explored, she was killed off after 3 episodes.
5 Agent Henrickson
Agent Henrickson spent a long time pursuing the Winchesters in the belief that they were a pair of deranged serial killers. However, just when he had a chance to reassure the boys that he realized supernatural phenomena were real and wanted to help them, he was killed by Lilith. This, in turn, killed a potentially fascinating plot line where human law enforcement could have tried to work alongside Sam and Dean’s supernatural law enforcement.
4 Anna
Dean’s season 4/5 love interest was an angel who wanted nothing more than to be human. She had a sweet relationship with Dean and could hold her own against other villains, but this did not stop her from getting brainwashed upon her return to Heaven and quickly killed off when she was turned against the Winchesters. Castiel’s popularity among Supernatural viewers meant that only one heroic angel character could last, but this one truly stung for viewers who liked Anna and saw potential in her future.
3 Kevin
Introduced as a sidekick for the Supernatural boys, Kevin Tran rapidly lost his sweet demeanor as his new role soon cost him his mother and his girlfriend. Eventually, he ended up being killed by Sam (while possessed), and even his ghost’s fate was left unclear. While there were many attempts to turn Sam and Dean’s double act into a trio over the years, this one was particularly sad thanks to Kevin’s charismatic if geeky persona in his early appearances.
2 Missouri Moseley
Missouri Moseley saw Supernatural season 1 take a welcome crack at a classic horror archetype, the “fake” psychic who is secretly much more connected to paranormal phenomena than they let on. This psychic had a family history with the Winchester brothers and helped them in their work but, outside of her lone season 1 appearance, she only appeared in one episode of Supernatural season 13 so that she could be killed off. While Bobby Singer became a main character because of Missouri Moseley’s diminished role, the series never focused on this ing star’s potential.
1 Jo
Jo went from being a girl next door ingénue to an adept, mature hunter with real potential, only to vanish for three seasons and return to be killed. This was a real shame since Jo’s earliest appearances in Supernatural season 2 promised a pretty disappointing character. She seemed inexperienced and naive, which made her likely to become a damsel in distress. However, before long, Jo had proven she had real guts as well as technical competence and was ready to strike out on her own. The problem was that her newfound independence led Supernatural to forget about her entirely.