Dean Winchester's 1967 Chevrolet Impala is a major member of the Supernatural universe, yet the show's creators made a small change to the car during season 2 that may not be entirely noticeable but has an interesting hidden meaning. Supernatural is a paranormal mystery series that ran for 15 seasons on the CW. The show follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester as they fight the forces of evil in order to save themselves and the world.
Throughout Supernatural, the Impala, also known as Baby, has become an iconic signifier of the series and also something of a leading character itself. Dean is overly attached to the vehicle, and even when Supernatural's Impala is wrecked, it always magically returns good as new. Furthermore, the Winchesters spend a significant time in the Impala, traveling across the country to fight whatever monster or demon they're facing that week. Overall, Baby is an integral part of the plot and the world of the series, however, it did face one change in the early seasons of the show that had a deeper story attached to it.
What Supernatural's Different Impala License Plates Mean
During the first season and a half of Supernatural, the Impala's Kansas license plate read "KAZ2Y5." Then, during the course of season 2, the plate was changed to an Ohio license plate which read "CNK80Q3." The first plate has a fairly simple meaning behind it. The "KAZ" stands for Kansas, which is where the Winchesters are from. Meanwhile, the "2Y5" represents 2005, the year that Supernatural began.
In of the second license plate, which remained on the Impala for the rest of the series, the meaning behind it is unclear if it exists at all. Although, one key detail about it is that it is an Ohio license plate. Supernatural's original creator Eric Kripke is from Ohio and this could certainly be a nod to him. However, the other numbers and letters don't seem to symbolize anything, which may actually be the point of them.
Why The Impala Changed License Plates In Supernatural Season 2
The main reason why the Impala changed license plates during Supernatural season 2 is that the Winchesters were being tracked by an FBI agent named Victor Hendrickson. Using the Impala's license plate, Hendrickson was following the brothers wherever they went and consequently hindering their investigations. Therefore, they switched the license plate to elude the agent. In of the series as a whole, it may also be likely that the showrunners wanted to change the license plate because it was too obvious of a nod to the Winchesters, and wanted to make it seem more realistic.
Baby the Impala has had many iconic Supernatural moments and made an impact almost as significant as Sam and Dean throughout Supernatural, so it's unsurprising that the car has also kept secrets and easter eggs that many viewers may not even pick up on. Though the license plates are a small detail, they are a notable change in the series. In this way, they add to the complicated lore and story of the CW hit.