Supernatural multiverse, which is one of the reasons there is more than one version of Sam in the show's lore. Supernatural first aired in 2005 and ran for 15 successful seasons before ending in 2020. Both Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki started the show when they were in their 20s and essentially grew up on-screen, so it would make sense for Supernatural to implement a few changes as time went on.

One of the biggest changes in Supernatural is arguably Sam Winchester’s personality over the years, as he morphed from a law student searching for his father to a world-saving God killer alongside his brother in season 15. With multiple deaths, visits to Hell, and countless possessions, the Winchester brothers have been through the wringer throughout Supernatural. Therefore, in the scope of the multiverse and different character arcs, there have been many Sam Winchester variations seen in Supernatural over the years.

8 The Original Sam

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1, "Pilot"

Regarded as the more emotional brother, Sam sometimes struggled with the hunting life and the many losses that came with it from the beginning. Sam inherited his brother’s and father’s self-sacrificial attitude, often leading to situations in which Dean must save him from himself.

Regarded as the more emotional brother, Sam sometimes struggled with the hunting life and the many losses that came with it from the beginning.

After he regained his memories of his time in the Cage with Lucifer, Sam experienced hallucinations and mental distress as he was unable to discern what was real before Castiel took on his burden. He has also been possessed multiple times by angels and demons and is one of the few characters to be occupied by both.

Like Dean, Sam tends to keep trauma close to his chest, however, in Supernatural season 13, episode 12, “Various & Sundry Villains,” he said to Rowena that Lucifer’s face “still keeps me up at night” and that it’s “not something I really know how to share.” Having often expressed conflicted feelings about the hunting life due to its brutal nature, Sam eventually stopped hunting following Dean’s death in Supernatural’s final episode to settle down with a wife and child.

7 Special Child Sam

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 9, "Home"

The Yellow-Eyed Demon Azazel infected Sam with demon blood at 6 months old, giving him special abilities that he unlocked at 23 years old. Sam, alongside other Special Children, was infected in a secret plot to create an Army for Lucifer for use in the Apocalypse. Fortunately, Sam and Dean stopped the plot, although this led to Sam’s first death in Supernatural.

In season 4, Sam had an addiction to drinking demon blood due to Ruby’s coercion, which made him powerful enough to exorcise demons without moving. Despite Dean and Bobby forcing Sam to detox and God curing any cravings, Sam fell into the habit again in season 5.

While Sam is technically a "Special Child" throughout the series, viewers don't see evidence of this until his first on-screen precognitive dream in "Home."

The demon blood made Sam more reckless and aggressive than usual, with Castiel commenting that he was unsure what Sam could turn into. The demon blood arc ended in season 5, where Sam returned to normal with no more cravings for demon blood in later seasons.

6 Djinn Hallucination Sam

First Appearance: Season 2, Episode 20, "What Is and What Should Never Be"

Mary Winchester’s death is quite possibly the most important Supernatural moment as it defined the show. Therefore, when Dean is introduced to a reality in which Mary didn’t die in season 2’s “What Is and What Should Never Be,” Sam and Dean have a very different relationship. Instead of being raised on the road, with Dean “watching out for Sammy,” they lived a normal life and grew apart.

Unfortunately, this reality is just a fictional world set up by a Djinn who has trapped Dean in a dream in order to drain his blood. However, “What Is and What Should Never Be” offers an alternate version of Sam that is interesting as it shows a life that could have happened had the Winchester brothers not experienced tragedy when they were children.

5 Sam Wesson

First Appearance: Season 4, Episode 17, "It’s a Terrible Life"

Sam Wesson is not technically a variant of Sam Winchester, as it was just the name Sam thought he had while under the influence of one of Supernatural’s most powerful characters’ spells. However, Sam has such a drastic change in season 4, episode 17, “It’s a Terrible Life,” that the variation has to be included.

Living separate lives, Sam Wesson and Dean Smith work at Sandover Bridge & Iron Company in different roles, until a murder case brings them together. Sam Wesson differs from Sam as he is shown to work in a tech role answering phones all day, with no knowledge about his hunting life or connection with Dean beyond some strange dreams.

The Ghostfacers, Harry Spangler and Ed Zeddmore, make a reappearance in this episode with a brand-new website that Sam Wesson and Dean Smith learn about ghosts. The pair were last seen in Supernatural season 1, episode 17, "Hell House," where they encountered the Winchesters for the first time.

When Sam and Dean team up to fight a ghost in their company building, they discuss the impracticalities of hunting in a rather meta reflection of Supernatural. Following this, both Sam and Dean quit work, deciding that they were meant to be hunting all along. Suddenly, the angel Zachariah undoes the spell and tells Dean he should stop lamenting about his life because it could be worse.

4 Soulless Sam

First Appearance: Season 6, Episode 1, “Exile on Main St.”

After Castiel pulled Sam Winchester out of Hell following season 5’s finale, Sam reunited with his mother’s side of the family, the Campbells. He spent time with his grandfather Samuel and hunted down Alphas while Dean was living with Lisa, unaware his brother had escaped Hell. However, when Castiel pulled Sam out of Hell, he left his soul behind, and Sam spent season 6 being completely emotionless until Death was able to restore his soul in episode 11, “Appointment in Samarra.”

Soulless Sam was heartless, providing a stark difference from his usual caring self; when Dean was abducted by a UFO (which turned out to be fairies) in season 6, episode 9, “Clap Your Hands If You Believe,” Sam used the story of his brother’s abduction to seduce a young woman instead of continuing his search for Dean. While Soulless, Sam went to extreme lengths, including letting Dean turn into a vampire and nearly killing Bobby to prevent his soul from returning, stating “I think maybe I’m better off without it.”

3 Scoobynatural Sam

First Appearance: Season 13, Episode 16, “Scoobynatural”

One of the best Supernatural episodes of season 13, (if not, of all time) was episode 16, “Scoobynatural.” Dean has long referenced Scooby-Doo as being a show he enjoyed, with one of the first mentions being in season 2, episode 11, “Playthings,” in which Dean said they “might even run into Fred and Daphne while we’re inside.”

Therefore, when Supernatural had a crossover episode with Scooby-Doo, it paid off a recurring reference regarding Dean's dream of meeting the Scooby-Doo gang. After rescuing a pawn shop owner from a giant, possessed stuffed dinosaur, Sam and Dean took a television as payment.

However, when they turned the television on, they found themselves sucked into an episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! called “A Night OF Fright Is No Delight.” Sam was exasperated in “Scoobynatural” as his brother became way too involved with the Scooby Gang, who didn’t believe that the ghost they were hunting was real. This comedic crossover was possibly one of Supernatural’s funniest and most iconic episodes, especially as Sam’s attitude contrasts with Dean’s excitement in this 2D adventure.

2 Demon Sam

First Appearance: Season 15, Episode 4, “Atomic Monsters”

Alternate realities become quite prominent in later seasons, often providing comedic takes on characters, or highlighting Sam and Dean Winchester’s mistakes in Supernatural. In season 15, while linked with God, Sam had flashes to other worlds in the multiverse. One of these instances happens in season 15, episode 4, “Atomic Monsters,” in which a nightmare showed a version of Sam who was corrupted by Demon blood and kills Dean in the Bunker.

Had Sam not been cured of his Demon blood addiction in Supernatural’s main universe in season 5, Demon Sam may have become a reality for the original universe...

This version of Sam only has a few seconds of screen time but poses an interesting concept. Although Sam has been possessed by demons that have given him evil powers, this alternate Sam Winchester has been corrupted by his Demon blood addiction and Special Child status, leading him to become evil. Had Sam not been cured of his Demon blood addiction in Supernatural’s main universe in season 5, Demon Sam may have become a reality for the original universe and not just a vision of an alternate world.

1 HunterCorp Sam

First Appearance: Season 15, Episode 13, “Destiny’s Child”

While Sam and Dean were researching for signs of Chuck destroying worlds, a rift opened and caused a car to appear in the Bunker’s armory where an Alternate Sam and Dean stepped out. Supernatural season 15, episode 13, “Destiny’s Child” saw Sam and Dean use their counterparts to fool Chuck if he was to check in on them while they investigate the Occultum.

However, Alternate Sam and Dean Winchester were much different from their main universe versions. Alternate Sam and Dean explained that in their world, John Winchester was still alive and had created a monster-hunting company called HunterCorp, allowing the brothers to live cushy lives.

The original Sam and Dean were taken aback by their counterparts, as HunterCorp-universe Dean drove a Prius and Sam had a man bun, although their alternate selves had an appreciation for the Winchester’s Bunker and life. Despite being the complete opposite of their original characters, Alternate Sam and Dean Winchester were an interesting addition to season 15 and demonstrated just how different each Supernatural universe could be.