Which Winchester brother is more powerful in Sam and Dean Winchester are experts of their craft. Even during the earliest years of Supernatural they carry something of a reputation, but as the Winchesters rack up more kills against nastier villains, they become renowned not just among the hunting community, but among those who dwell above and below the mortal plane. No bog-standard monster wants to tangle with a Winchester.
Sam and Dean are naturally blessed with different skills. Dean is renowned as a physical brawler, ruthless and efficient. Sam is better at "hitting the lore," figuring out and exploiting monster weaknesses whilst also dabbling in arts that don't involve guns, knives or blunt objects. Both Winchesters are formidable enough to worry a wendigo, and there's no obvious victor in a hypothetical brotherly deathmatch. So unpredictable is the outcome, even God himself wanted a front row ticket to watch Sam and Dean throw down in Supernatural.
For the purposes of this conversation, "power" will be defined as any physical or mental attribute that could prove useful in a combat situation. We'll also consider (initially, at least) Sam and Dean Winchester in their base forms, free from artificial power-ups, weapons, allies, or possession. Here's the most powerful Winchester brother in Supernatural.
Why Dean Is The More Powerful Winchester Brother
The easiest way to determine whether Sam or Dean is more powerful is examining instances where Supernatural's Winchester brothers actually clashed. Most of these sibling squabbles happened when one brother was unwilling to fight, took his opponent by surprise, or somehow powered up, but a fair Sam vs. Dean fight does happen in Supernatural season 4's "Sex & Violence." Turned against each other by a siren, this all-out scrap is won by Dean (who would've killed his brother were it not for Bobby's intervention), suggesting the older Winchester is more powerful given a level playing field. Indeed, Sam never bests his brother when both are fighting seriously on equal footing.
Sam essentially its Dean is the more powerful brother in Supernatural season 5's "Point Of No Return." Dean plans on accepting a deal to become Michael's vessel, and Sam threatens to stop him by force. Dean warns, "You can try. Just you're not all hopped up on demon blood this time." Sam concedes the point, and teams up with Castiel instead, evidently doubtful he'd win alone.
Supernatural's Sam vs. Dean debate isn't defined by strength alone. Sam is generally considered the more intelligent brother, and Dean would be hard-pressed to argue otherwise. Nevertheless, Mr. I Love Pie isn't the meathead some Supernatural villains assume - as demonstrated by his strategic brilliance during the final Leviathan battle, or his cunning trick to kill Death. Combined with a more ruthless nature and a willingness to take extreme measures, Dean is a mentally scarier opponent compared to Sam.
Dean being Supernatural's most powerful Winchester brother makes logical sense. His hunting skills were honed while Sam partied in college, and Dean began shadowing his father earlier, affording the eldest brother years more battle experience. Dean Winchester trumps Sam in of confirmed kills, taking the scalps of four major Supernatural villains compared to Sam's one, whilst also boasting a generally more impressive trail of bodies across the entire show. Although both Winchesters have endured their share of agony, Dean suffered torture by Alastair in Hell, before later fighting through purgatory with Benny. Both trials hardened his mental and physical resistance.
Demon Blood Sam vs. Mark Of Cain Dean - Who's More Powerful?
Dean might be more powerful than Sam without any bells and whistles, but what if both Winchesters were granted their temporary stat boosts? Sam after guzzling demonic blood vs. Dean with the Mark of Cain - who's more powerful now?
Once again, the contest is almost too close to call, but several factors work in Dean's favor here. Differentiating the souped-up Winchester brothers by strength alone is tricky. Both become physically enhanced, but Sam gains telekinesis. The younger sibling also harnesses his demon blood to defeat Lilith, whereas Dean deploys the Mark of Cain against Abaddon, who technically ranks lower (though that doesn't necessarily mean she's weaker). Ultimately, however, Supernatural's Mark of Cain is designed to hold back the Darkness, whose power is on God's level. The Mark also makes Dean near-impossible to kill by turning him into a demon, whereas a blood-fueled Sam lacks that same invulnerability.
Though a demon's words should always be taken with a grain of salt (which the Winchesters have plenty of, luckily), Sam killing Lilith perhaps wasn't as impressive as initially thought. Following her resurrection in Supernatural season 15, Lilith claimed she let Sam kill her in order to resurrect Lucifer, which makes sense in hindsight. Sam on demon blood maybe couldn't kill Lilith in a straight fight, whereas Abaddon had precisely zero intention of being killed by Dean's Mark of Cain. The victory was all his, proving Supernatural's eldest Winchester brother is more powerful even with power-ups engaged.
