When most fans think of the scariest Supernatural episode, they probably picture terrifying demons, shape-shifting wendigos, or vengeful spirits lurking in the shadows. After all, the long-running CW series built its legacy on gory creature effects and nightmarish folklore. But for Jensen Ackles, who played Dean Winchester across all 15 seasons, the most disturbing episode had nothing to do with monsters at all. It’s not the creatures that haunted him - it’s the humans. And that might just make it even scarier.

Ackles’ choice for the scariest Supernatural episode is a chilling detour from the series’ usual supernatural formula. Found in season 1, episode 15, “The Benders” marks a rare moment when the horror didn’t come from beyond the grave or another dimension. Instead, it came from people. Real, flesh-and-blood people doing horrifying things. The episode left a lasting impression on Ackles, and it still sticks out in the minds of fans who just how grounded - and unsettling - it was. Digging into why this episode freaked him out so much reveals what made “The Benders” so unique, and how it’s part of a much larger pattern across the show’s history.

"The Benders" Is The Supernatural Episode That Scared Jensen Ackles The Most

This Grounded, Human Horror Story Is Jensen Ackles’ Pick For The Series' Most Terrifying Hour

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly (available via YouTube), Jensen Ackles opened up about the episode of Supernatural that scared him the most - and surprisingly, it wasn’t about ghosts, demons, or anything supernatural at all. Ackles singled out “The Benders” as the scariest Supernatural episode, explaining that it’s the realism that truly got under his skin. “The reason that always kind of stuck with me is…because it wasn’t a monster,” he said, “it was real people as humans doing very bad things.”

There’s no creature to blame, just cruelty and depravity in its purest human form.

“The Benders,” which aired during Supernatural season 1, follows Sam and Dean as they investigate a case in Minnesota involving mysterious disappearances. However, instead of finding a supernatural creature behind it all, they uncover a horrifying truth: a backwoods family abducting people for sport. These villains - the Benders- are deeply unsettling because they operate without magic or monsters. They’re a twisted, murderous family who trap, hunt, and kill strangers for fun, in scenes that evoke movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Deliverance. There’s no creature to blame, just cruelty and depravity in its purest human form.

Dean ends up captured, held in a cage like the Benders' other victims. Meanwhile, Sam teams up with a local sheriff's deputy, Kathleen, whose brother was one of the Benders’ earlier victims. What follows is a tense, gripping rescue mission, with minimal reliance on the supernatural. It’s horror stripped to its rawest: humans preying on humans. There are no spells to reverse the situation, no demon blades to drive into evil entities - just survival instincts, grit, and the terrifying unpredictability of human nature.

Jensen Ackles’ pick for the scariest Supernatural episode is revealing. It underscores how even in a show dominated by the paranormal, some of its most unforgettable moments came from very real threats. “The Benders” stands out because it hits differently - it’s not fantasy horror, it’s something that could, in theory, actually happen. And that, as Ackles points out, is exactly what makes it so disturbing.

Some Of Supernatural's Most Terrifying Villains Weren't Monsters At All

These Human Villains Prove You Don’t Need Claws Or Curses To Be Terrifying In Supernatural

While Supernatural is filled with all kinds of otherworldly nightmares, “The Benders” wasn’t the only time the show dipped into horror grounded in humanity. In fact, some of the scariest Supernatural episodes over the years featured villains with no powers, no spells, and no demonic affiliations - just regular people capable of terrifying acts. These human antagonists reminded viewers that evil doesn’t always wear a monstrous face.

Take, for instance, the chilling doctor in “Time Is On My Side” from season 3. In this episode, Dean and Sam investigate a case at a medical facility where a doctor is secretly performing illegal surgeries and keeping body parts from victims. There’s a scientific edge to the horror, but the core of it is a human being playing god with people’s lives. It’s not ghosts that keep you up after this one - it’s the cold calculation of someone who believes their twisted experiments are justified.

Another unnerving example comes from “Malleus Maleficarum” in season 3, which introduces a coven of witches. While the witches technically use magic, the real horror isn’t their spells - it’s how casually they turn on one another and sacrifice innocent lives for petty revenge and social climbing. Their magic amplifies their dark intentions, but the root of the terror is very human: jealousy, betrayal, and a complete lack of empathy.

Then there’s “Family Remains” from season 4, a deeply uncomfortable episode that, like “The Benders,” seems to be going the classic ghost route - until it isn’t. Dean and Sam investigate a haunting in a creepy old house, but by the end, it’s revealed that the real threat is a feral, inbred human girl living in the walls. The reveal is stomach-churning and drives home the point once again: the scariest Supernatural episode isn’t necessarily the one with the biggest monster, it’s the one with the most horrifying humanity.

Even the Men of Letters storyline, while full of supernatural elements, has its roots in human villainy. The secretive organization made morally gray decisions that often blurred the line between good and evil. From memory wipes to brutal experiments, the Men of Letters were a reminder that even those fighting on the side of "order" can be deeply unethical.

Throughout Supernatural, creators returned again and again to the idea that evil isn’t limited to the paranormal. Sometimes, it’s born out of trauma, power, obsession, or sheer psychopathy. And while monster-of-the-week episodes brought plenty of fun, it’s the human villains - like the Benders - that linger in the background long after the credits roll. For many fans, and clearly for Ackles too, the scariest Supernatural episode is the one that doesn’t let them hide behind the safety net of fantasy.