Summary

• Sam Winchester's role as the protagonist in Supernatural is evident from the beginning, as he is the primary focus of the first episode and the audience follows his storyline.
• Sam's status as the chosen one and his unique attributes set him apart as the main character, with his greater purpose and integral role in the story.
• Sam's heroic morals, relatability, and personal growth throughout the series make him a better fit for the main character role than his brother Dean, who relies heavily on Sam for success.

Despite the fact that Supernatural follows the lives of both Sam and Dean Winchester, and at times, the show could even be considered an ensemble series, the truth is that there are various reasons why Sam Winchester was the actual main character of Supernatural, at least in the beginning. Supernatural is a paranormal mystery, cult classic series that ran for an impressive 15 seasons on the CW. It follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester as they team up to fight against supernatural entities in order to save the world, and more often than not, themselves.

Throughout Supernatural's run, there was plenty of discourse about which brother the showrunners were more focused on. Although some seasons seemed to have a greater focus on Sam, others would be entirely about Dean. For the most part, as the show progressed, it seemed that Dean was more often the center of the series than Sam was. In fact, at times, Sam seemed more like a sidekick to Dean rather than a co-lead. However, after looking back through every Supernatural season, there are several reasons why, at least in the early seasons, Sam was Supernatural's protagonist.

7 Sam Was Supernatural's Original Main Character

In the first episode of Supernatural, it seemed fairly clear that Sam was the show's primary protagonist. First and foremost, the series started with him. In the iconic flashback scene that opens the show, Sam is the one that the demon targets, and it is Sam's room that catches fire due to his mother's tragic death. Additionally, when the episode returns to the present, it is Sam that the audience follows as he enjoys Halloween with his girlfriend and discusses exam scores with his college friends. This fact makes it undeniable that Sam was supposed to be Supernatural's protagonist over Dean, whose perspective doesn't appear at all.

This theme of solely following Sam continues throughout the first season as audiences watch him work through his childhood trauma and come to with the fact that, although he doesn't want to be a hunter, the lifestyle will never leave him. Furthermore, Sam's story is very typical of a main character. Like most protagonists, he is living a pretty average life until a single event changes anything. From there, he is sucked into a new world of monsters, and a situation in which his father is missing. Therefore, the audience and Sam are, in essence, on the same level, trying to understand what is going on around them.

6 Sam Was Supernatural’s Chosen One

A major storyline that comes up throughout Supernatural, and also proves that Sam is the main character, is the fact that Sam is the chosen one. As previously mentioned, Azazel picked Sam as a victim when he was a baby, and as a result, Sam is different from everyone else, including Dean. He is the chosen one. There are attributes that only he has and tasks that only he can perform. This is showcased when he becomes Lucifer's vessel in Supernatural season 5. Since the very first episode, the series builds up to Sam's greater purpose which, arguably, makes him more integral to the story than Dean.

It is true though that, later on in Supernatural's run, both brothers end up being chosen ones in one way or another. Dean is saved from hell on the orders of God himself in Supernatural season 4, and also, wears the Mark of Cain in season 9. However, the reasoning still remains. No matter how much Supernatural veered off into other chosen one storylines, the original chosen one of the series was always Sam. Because he was the first chosen one, and remained in that role for so many seasons, it only makes sense that would be considered the main character.

5 Sam Had More Heroic Morals Than Dean

Furthermore, Sam fits the archetype of a hero and main character much better than Dean ever did. Sam is the Winchester who is the voice of reason, the most forgiving, and the one willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good of the world. Meanwhile, Dean acts on instinct alone, is reckless, holds grudges, and only cares about saving the world as long as his brother is alive. In this way, Sam is clearly the more heroic, morally upstanding character, which is fitting of a protagonist. Though Dean's more complex nature makes him a more dynamic character, it bars him from being a classic main character.

Additionally, Sam would likely be a hero without Dean, but not the other way around. While a main character typically has friends and around him throughout his journey, he can almost always succeed on his own when the time comes. This usually isn't true for ing characters. In of Supernatural, Sam would most likely be able to save the world on his own, or at the very least, live a happy life alone, meanwhile, Dean relies heavily on Sam, and often his own love for his brother gets in the way of success. This fact further proves that Sam is Supernatural's main character above Dean.

4 Sam Was More Relatable Than Dean

Another necessity for a main character is relatability, and Sam definitely has more of that than Dean. At the start of the series, Sam is living an average life when Dean pulls him back into the supernatural world. Because of this, Sam is essentially a stand-in for the audience. Through Sam, the audience begins to understand this new world and situation. Plus, Sam's morals lean more towards those of a viewer: both the audience and Sam wants to do the right thing. Because Dean is so prickly, he is much harder to relate to in the beginning, and therefore is not a good candidate for main character.

3 Sam Grew More Than Dean During Supernatural

Although the Winchester brothers are somewhat notorious for their unchanging personalities and views, it is true that, if either of them changed, it was Sam. Stubbornness is a significant part of Dean's character makeup, so it's unsurprising that, throughout the series, he never really sees any development. On the other hand, Sam's entire motivation changes over the course of Supernatural. Ultimately, Sam must leave behind his desire to stop hunting and commit himself to protecting the world.

More than that though, Sam is irrevocably changed by the events of Supernatural. From being possessed by Lucifer to losing Dean and his own soul, and accidentally killing his friends, Sam has done and seen some terrible things, and these ultimately developed him as a person. Overall, Sam grew from being an optimistic and caring young man to being a haunted and scarred mess to ending the series being a mature and capable leader that can take control of his life in a way he couldn't when he was younger.

2 Supernatural Made Sam Winchester The Victim

Sam's early Supernatural storylines framed him as the victim, and ultimately, that proves he is the protagonist. Sam starts the series by coping with the death of his girlfriend, trying to heal his relationships with his family, and above all, dealing with the fact that, despite his wishes, he is becoming a hunter. Like any main character, Sam is facing difficult events and hopefully, by the end of the story, he will have overcome them. Though both boys get this treatment later in the series, in the early seasons, the focus is especially heavy on Sam. This shows that, at least at the start, Sam was Supernatural's bigger priority.

1 Sam Winchester Survived

In the end, Sam Winchester was one of the few characters to survive the Supernatural series finale, and this is the biggest piece of evidence proving that he was the main character. While it isn't unheard of for main characters to die, especially at the end of their series, it isn't typical. In fact, the main character is usually the survivor, having succeeded at his overall mission. The fact that Dean dies at the end of Supernatural and Sam moves on is major proof of Sam's main character status. Though losing his brother pains him, it allows Sam to overcome his problems and live the life he always desired.