Lilith | |
---|---|
Supernatural character | |
First appearance | "Jus in Bello" (February 21, 2008) |
Last appearance | "Our Father Who Aren't in Heaven" (December 12, 2019) |
Portrayed by | Rachel Pattee (season 3) Sierra McCormick (seasons 3 and 4) Katie Cassidy (season 3) Katherine Boecher (seasons 4 and 5) Anna Grace Barlow (season 15) |
In-universe information | |
Species | White-eyed Demon |
Gender | Female |
Title | The First Demon Ever Created Lucifer's First Demons Messiah The Last Seal |
Occupation | Hell's Demon Chief of Staff Queen of Crossroads |
Family | Lucifer (creator/originator) |
Abilities | Demonic pacts Demonic possession Energy rays Invulnerability Occult knowledge Superhuman strength Telekinesis Teleportation |
Lilith is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural . The series' writers conceptualized her as a dangerous new adversary for series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester to face, introducing her to stabilize the story arc in the third season by giving demons a new leader in the wake of the death of the villainous Azazel and maintaining her as the primary antagonist until the conclusion of the fourth season. During the third season, Lilith tries to kill Sam and Dean, ordering for their deaths at the hands of her minions. Early in the fourth season it is revealed that her goal is to free her maker, the fallen angel Lucifer, from his imprisonment in Hell. The protagonists' attempts to thwart her plan is the main plot of that season.
As a "destroyer of children and seducer of men", the character initially possesses little girls but is later depicted as possessing young women in attempt by the writers to avoid showing violence towards children on-screen. The character received generally favorable reviews from critics, particularly for her role in "No Rest for the Wicked".
In season 15, Lilith is resurrected by God from The Empty only to be killed once again by the archangel Michael.
According to series creator Eric Kripke, the archangel Lucifer "twisted and mutilated" the human Lilith's soul into the first demon "to prove a point to God...that human souls were...inferior to God and the angels". [1] Having been freed from Hell in the second season finale "All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two", [2] Lilith (Rachel Pattee) debuts in the final moments of the third season episode "Jus in Bello" as the current leader of an army of demons also unleashed from Hell; the first half of the season had established that after the death of the army general [3] and previous series antagonist Azazel created a power vacuum, leading to power struggles between demonic factions, [4] which is resolved when Lilith ultimately emerges as the victor. In her "Jus in Bello" appearance, she searches a police station for the series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester, brothers who hunt supernatural creatures. [5] Having just missed them, she proceeds to torture everyone in the station for nearly an hour [6] after destroying the station in a massive explosion. The Winchesters' demonic ally Ruby explains that Lilith sees Sam as a rival, as he has demonic abilities and was intended—but unwilling—to lead Azazel's demon army. [5] Lilith orders Sam's death in order to secure her position as the army's general, [5] [7] even tricking the thief Bela Talbot into making a failed attempt on Sam's life with the promise of releasing Bela from her Faustian deal, only to go back on her word and let Bela get dragged into Hell. [8]
With Dean having also sold his soul as part of a Faustian deal—one he made to save Sam's life [2] —the brothers spend part of the season searching for the entity that holds the contract to Dean's soul and eventually learn from Bela that the demon in question is Lilith, who holds the contracts to all deals. [8] In the third season finale "No Rest for the Wicked", the Winchesters track her down in New Harmony, Indiana, where she is holding a family hostage in the guise of their daughter (Sierra McCormick). Before Sam and Dean can attack her, Lilith secretly takes over Ruby's host body (Katie Cassidy) in order to catch the brothers off-guard. [9] She has a hellhound kill Dean and bring his soul to Hell to be tortured by Hell's chief torturer Alastair as part of her plan to begin breaking the 66 mystical seals keeping Lucifer imprisoned in Hell. [10] Lilith then tries to kill Sam as well by blasting him with destructive white energy, only to find that she is powerless against him. Horrified, she escapes before he can retaliate with Ruby's demon-killing knife. [9]
Throughout the fourth season, Lilith orchestrates the attacks by the forces of Hell on the 66 seals. [6] [11] They are opposed by angels, who resurrect Dean to assist them. [6] [12] Lilith eventually finds out that her death is the final seal that needs to be broken to free Lucifer. [13] [14] Reluctant to sacrifice herself, Lilith (Katherine Boecher) proposes a deal to Sam in "The Monster at the End of This Book": she will stop breaking the seals in exchange for his and Dean's lives. He rejects the deal and tries to kill her instead. She quickly overpowers him, but is forced to flee before she can do anymore when Dean tricks an archangel into coming to the location. [13] In the season finale "Lucifer Rising", Sam kills Lilith under the impression that her death will prevent the final seal from breaking, and in doing so inadvertently breaks the final seal, releasing Lucifer. [14]
In the fifteenth season, Lilith is resurrected by God from the Empty where demons and angels go after death. Possessing a young woman named Ashley Monroe, Lilith poses as the witness of a werewolf attack to get close to the Winchesters as part of God's plan, putting Dean to sleep and purposefully allowing herself to be captured by the monsters. Lilith's deception is revealed when she trips and is impaled on a set of deer antlers, but she is unable to kill Sam and Dean due to it not being part of God's plan. Having sacrificed herself to release Lucifer and begin the Apocalypse, Lilith is shown to be bitter and vengeful over her sacrifice being in vain and claims that Sam was only able to kill her because Lilith allowed him to do so. Lilith reveals that God intends for Sam and Dean to kill each other and destroys the Equalizer, the gun God created to kill the Nephilim Jack with and which Sam had used to wound him. Lilith then departs after promising to see Sam and Dean again. She later attempts to take the recently-escaped Michael to God, but the archangel refuses. When Lilith continues to insist, Michael smites Lilith who vanishes in a flash of white light, once again killing her.
"I see Lilith...and a lot of the characters who play our most powerful roles as a little cult of demonic true believers. Lilith really believes that the purpose of all of their work, the way the universe should be, is for Lucifer to be in control. Ultimately she's a true Satanist." |
— Co-executive producer Ben Edlund [15] |
Series creator Eric Kripke noted that Lilith is "a combination of all myths concerning Lilith", and posited that the show would in particular explore her two main mythological roles of "destroyer of children and seducer of men". [16] The former characteristic is demonstrated through her possession of children in her early appearances, which writer Sera Gamble considered "creepy and kind of molesty". [17] Actress Katherine Boecher supposes that aspect to be "part of the mischievous side of her", feeling that "maybe there are a lot of demons out there that wouldn't go that far to take over a child". [18] Kripke revealed that another legend about Lilith influencing their portrayal of the show's character was the traditional story of her origins, explaining that "she is generally esteemed as one of the first demons, certainly the first female demon, so we're kind of holding to that; we keep in our heads that that's really what she is, that she very well might have been Adam's first wife and was banished to become a demon." [19]
Nicholas Knight, author of various Supernatural supplementary books, acknowledged that Lilith is evil but also revealed that she is capable of feeling love, stating that she "loves her creator (Lucifer) so completely that she willingly sacrifices herself, allowing Sam to kill her [to free Lucifer]". [20] The show's writers set out to make Lilith's motivations "as logical as possible", with Kripke explaining that "everyone sets out thinking they're doing the right thing". He noted that in "Lucifer Rising", "There's a private moment with Lilith when she says to her minion, 'Don't be afraid... we're going to save the world,'" and he believes in her sincerity. [21] Boecher, too, thinks that the character is "super-confident in what she's doing" and feels that "she really believes that she's going to fix things in her own way and that she has to take it into her own hands to do so". [18]
Lilith is said to be "older and more powerful than Yellow Eyes (Azazel)" and thus holds higher status than Azazel, [19] on which Kripke commented, "You don't get much higher than her until you start digging into Lucifer territory." [16] Knight provided more information on the character's importance in Hell and in the story, explaining that she is a demonic chief of staff in Hell's hierarchy, [20] ruler over witches, [19] and "Queen of the Crossroads" for whom "all Crossroads Demons make deals, which is why she ultimately holds sway over Dean Winchester's soul." [20] Knight also noted in-universe rumors that Lilith may be "Queen of Vampires" as well as the mother of Lucifer-fathered djinn. [19]
The writing team for Supernatural's third season had "always" planned to introduce a new demon antagonist at some point in the season for that character to fulfill Azazel's role in the series as the lead villain. [22] When Kripke felt that the season's initial format—that of the Winchesters fighting small, independent groups of demons, an attempt by the writers to reflect terrorist cells [23] —was not successful, [23] [24] the writers chose to introduce this antagonist as the demons' new leader halfway through the season in order to stabilize the demon storyline. [25] [22] Although the character had the working title of Zarqawi during the planning stages, Gamble insisted that the demon be female. [26] She eventually suggested the mythological Lilith, [26] who the writers had previously learned was in part the basis for the Bloody Mary legend in conducting their research for the first season episode "Bloody Mary". [1]
Writer Jeremy Carver said that the debate about what form Lilith would take quickly ended when the writers realized that a little girl "would be the most powerful representation of evil", [1] which Kripke supported, saying, "I think it's just something about the innocence of a child saying truly awful, horror [sic] things." [1] Much of Lilith's actions in "No Rest for the Wicked" served as a homage to the Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life", in which a powerful child terrorizes his town. [27] Kripke enjoyed writing Lilith's scenes in the episode and found them to be among the easiest of the season finale to write, [27] [28] stating his view that she was "a really effective villain." [17] Gamble, too, liked the way that Lilith was used that season; she found the decision to have the character be "a demon that likes to possess little girls" to be "interesting", and called Lilith "a cool demon to do." [17] When Lilith temporarily takes over Ruby's host, executive producer Kim Manners was impressed by the performance that Ruby's actress Katie Cassidy gave, describing Cassidy's transition between the characters as "just astounding". [17] Upon realizing that they could not depict Sam killing a child, the writers decided to have Lilith possess adult hosts in future appearances. [29]
The writers initially intended for Sam to develop his demonic abilities in order to use them against Lilith in the third season. How the confrontation would have ended at that stage was uncertain, with Kripke stating that "when they (the Winchesters) went up against Lilith, maybe they would've survived and maybe they wouldn't have." [30] However, the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike prevented them from fleshing out Sam's abilities until the fourth season, and so Lilith and Sam's battle was pushed back. [31] Lilith is "very active behind the scenes" for much of the fourth season, with the writers planning for her to make her on-screen return later on. [32] [33] Boecher received the part of Lilith for "The Monster at the End of This Book", with Kripke feeling that she fulfilled Lilith's myth of being a "seducer of men" by bringing "a sexuality and a menace to the role". [29] Boecher still attempted to maintain some childlike quality for the character to "bring out more sides of Lilith". [34] Although demons typically rotate through their hosts, production asked her to return for "Lucifer Rising". Kripke admitted the benefit of having a familiar face return for the finale, but furthermore said that the production team "really liked what [Boecher] did, and [...] thought she had such a fascinating look. She's beautiful, but there's something really menacing in her performance as well, and the camera just loves her." [35] The opportunity to reprise the role both surprised and excited Boecher. [34]
Lilith is the first demon in Supernatural to be depicted with all-white eyes. When creating the character, it was decided that her demonic eye color should set her apart from previous demons in the series in order to illustrate her power. Inspired by his viewing of the horror film I Walked with a Zombie the previous year, Kripke was excited by the opportunity Lilith presented to introduce white-eyed demons into the show's mythos because he had found a white-eyed creature shown in I Walked with a Zombie to be "really disturbing". [19] Unlike actors portraying Azazel in previous seasons who had had to wear contact lenses, Boecher's eyes were colored white using visual effects. [18]
BuddyTV's senior writer John Kubieck was shocked by Lilith's debut in "Jus in Bello", specifically by the revelation that she appears as a little girl. [36] Tina Charles of TV Guide opined that the decision to portray Lilith as a child played to the show's strength of "creating kids that are freakin' scary", but was surprised by the departure from the normal demonic eye color in Lilith's white eyes, wondering at its implications for the character. Overall, she deemed Lilith's introduction one of the highlights of the episode. [37] Despite the change in actresses between Rachel Pattee and Sierra McCormick from "Jus in Bello" to "No Rest for the Wicked", Charles felt that "the results were still as creepy". [38] Sandrine Sahakians, Editor-in-Chief for TV Equals, agreed, writing that, "the scene where she comes out with her dress all full of blood...was one of the freakiest scenes ever." [39] In her review of "The Monster at the End of the Book", Sahakians was very surprised by how frightened Lilith seemed to be of her fate, musing that the character was "not as invincible as we once thought." She also found it "interesting" that, while Lilith was immune to Sam's powers, Sam was immune to Lilith's. [40]
Regarding Lilith's depiction in "No Rest for the Wicked", Don Williams of BuddyTV deemed her "one extremely scary little girl". [41] He wrote, "As sad as I was to see [Ruby] taken over by Lilith, it was yet another chilling demonstration of how powerful the new demon leader is. Watching the little girl snap her grandpa's neck just for kicks was creepy enough, but seeing her take over Ruby's body was truly frightening. It's one of the many disturbing moments in 'No Rest for the Wicked' that helps to make it so unforgettable", concluding that, "By the end of the episode, it's obvious that the Winchesters have never faced any demon as powerful as adorable little Lilith." [42] Karla Peterson of the San Diego Union-Tribune also remarked on Lilith's possession of Ruby's host, when she noted that Katie Cassidy did a "terrific job of acting like a completely different character is inside her body". [43] Likewise, Diana Steenbergen of IGN found it "nice to see Katie Cassidy have a chance to act so differently", and believed that "Lilith and her little girl mannerisms in Ruby's body were far more chilling, and interesting, than Ruby's tough chick persona ever has been". [44] On McCormick's reprisal of her role as Lilith in "Yellow Fever", Steenbergen was similarly positive towards Lilith's characterization, writing that, "Lillith [sic] as a little girl in a cute pink dress being the embodiment of evil is still creepy." [45] She felt that the revelation in "When the Levee Breaks" that Lilith eats babies detracted from an otherwise well-written episode, as she believed that Lilith's evil had already been so firmly established that adding in a scene implying the murder of infants was "pointless". [46]
Brett Love of TV Squad gave a mixed review on how the character was used in "No Rest for the Wicked". He enjoyed Lilith's storyline and that she "served as the catalyst for some great Ruby bits" throughout the season, but felt that the shortened season did not allow the proper build up for her character. He also did not like the change in Lilith's host, explaining, "each [body jump] takes away a little bit from the character...Especially if the demon in question keeps jumping into cute little girls". Although McCormick impressed him, he posited that "when it comes to menacing and scary, she's no Fredric Lehne" (Azazel). Overall, he felt "a little disappointed". [47]
Fans have responded positively to Lilith. In 2009, she was voted the third-greatest Supernatural villain in an online poll conducted by BuddyTV, placing her below fellow demons Azazel (the winner of the poll) and Alastair. [48]
Supernatural is an American television series created by Eric Kripke. It was first broadcast on September 13, 2005, on The WB, and subsequently became part of successor network The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the two brothers as they hunt demons, ghosts, monsters and other supernatural beings. Along with Kripke, the series' executive producers included McG, Robert Singer, Phil Sgriccia, Sera Gamble, Jeremy Carver, John Shiban, Ben Edlund and Adam Glass. Former executive producer and director Kim Manners died during production of the fourth season. The series was produced by Kripke Enterprises, Wonderland Sound and Vision, and Warner Bros. Television.
Dean Winchester is one of the two protagonists from the American drama television series Supernatural, along with his younger brother Sam. He is portrayed primarily by Jensen Ackles. Other versions of the character having been portrayed by Hunter Brochu (toddler), Ridge Canipe (child), Nicolai Lawton-Giustra (pre-teen), Brock Kelly and Dylan Everett (teen), and Chad Everett (elderly).
Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists of the American drama television series Supernatural along with his older brother, Dean. He is portrayed primarily by Jared Padalecki. Other versions of the character have been portrayed by Alex Ferris and Dylan Kingwell (child), Colin Ford (teenager), and Colton James.
John Eric Winchester is a fictional character on The CW's series Supernatural and the protagonist of the comic book spin-off series Supernatural: Origins. Developed by series creator Eric Kripke, the character is mainly portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. John is the father of Sam and Dean Winchester, the show's protagonists.
Azazel is a fictional character that appears on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural. He serves as the main antagonist during the first two seasons. As a demon Prince of Hell, he feeds his blood to infants so that they will grow up to develop demonic abilities, while also manipulating and deceiving others into carrying out his ambitions, often through self-serving and one-sided deals of his construction. His goal of using one such child to release Lucifer is not revealed until much later in the series. Azazel is referred to by nicknames such as "The Yellow-Eyed Demon," or "Yellow Eyes" throughout the first two seasons, his true name not being revealed until the third season. Due to the character's demonic nature of taking different hosts, Azazel has been played by numerous actors but Fredric Lehne is the main default portrayer. All the incarnations have maintained his sadistic sense of humor and irony. Azazel's popularity and importance towards the franchise even led him to be the main antagonist and the analogue to Lucifer in the anime adaptation, as the "Yellow-Eyed Demon," in reference to the nickname he had in the original first two seasons.
Meg Masters is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural. Created by the series' writers to develop a story arc for the first season, Meg is an unnamed demon who assumes the name of the host she possesses and begins antagonizing the series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester. Nicki Aycox portrays her in the first season. Meg returns in the second season, possessing Sam and as such, was played by Jared Padalecki. The writers wanted Aycox to reprise the role in later seasons, but ultimately cast Rachel Miner for storyline purposes. Miner's incarnation evolves into an ally of the Winchesters and the angel Castiel over the course of the sixth, seventh, and eighth seasons.
Ellen Harvelle is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Samantha Ferris. Introduced in the second season in order to explore a mother-daughter relationship in the hunting world, the "gun-toting, beer-slinging" Ellen brought a "maternal energy" to the male-dominated series. The mother of Jo Harvelle and the proprietor of Harvelle's Roadhouse—a bar frequented by hunters of supernatural creatures—Ellen provides advice and assistance to Sam and Dean Winchester throughout the second season. Although the character's appearances in the third season were dropped due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike and failed negotiations, she returns in the fifth and sixth seasons. Critical reception to the character has been positive, with many critics happy to see her return.
Robert Steven Singer is a fictional character in The CW Television Network's horror-drama television series Supernatural portrayed by Jim Beaver. Named after the show's executive producer, Bobby first appears in the first season finale "Devil's Trap." Although Beaver believed his role would merely be a "one-shot deal," Bobby has become a recurring character on the series, and is one of three characters who has appeared in every season of the show. The character, a "rough but warmhearted" working-class man who hunts supernatural creatures, has evolved over time into a father figure for series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester. Critics have responded favorably to the character.
Ruby is a demon on The CW Television Network's Supernatural portrayed mainly by actresses Katie Cassidy and Genevieve Cortese. Created by the writers to expand on the characterization of demons within the series, she first appears in the third season, wherein she assists series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester in fighting her fellow demons. By the fourth season, she has won Sam's trust and begins training him to kill demons with his psychic powers, though Dean remains fearful of ulterior motives. The character is killed at the end of the fourth season. In the fifteenth season, Ruby returns through flashbacks and a visit to the Empty, the angels' and demons' afterlife.
Bela Talbot is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural, portrayed by Lauren Cohan. Appearing only in the third season, she uses knowledge of the supernatural world to her personal gain rather than to help those in need. Self-centered and a thorn in the side of the series' protagonists, Bela makes her living by stealing occult objects and selling them to wealthy clients. Critical reaction to the character was mixed, with negative responses from fans ultimately leading to her departure at the end of the season.
The third season of Supernatural, an American dark fantasy television series created by Eric Kripke, premiered on October 4, 2007, and concluded on May 15, 2008. Traveling throughout America, protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester use their father's journal to help them carry on the family business—saving people and hunting supernatural creatures. The season begins with the brothers tracking down the demons released from Hell in the previous season finale. They become allies with a demon named Ruby, who claims to know a way to release Dean from his demonic pact—he had sold his soul to a demon and was given a year to live in exchange for Sam's resurrection—and wants to protect them from the new demonic leader Lilith. As Dean's deadline approaches, their efforts are further hindered by Bela Talbot, a professional thief of occult items who is often at odds with the Winchesters.
The second season of Supernatural, an American dark fantasy television series created by Eric Kripke, premiered on September 28, 2006, and concluded on May 17, 2007, airing 22 episodes. The season focuses on protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester as they track down Azazel, the demon responsible for the deaths of their mother Mary and father John. They attempt to discover the demon's plan for Sam and other psychic children—young adults who were visited by Azazel as infants and given abilities, and whose mothers often then died in a fire. During their travels, they use their father's journal to help them carry on the family business—saving people and hunting supernatural creatures.
The fourth season of Supernatural, an American dark fantasy television series created by Eric Kripke, premiered September 18, 2008, and concluded on May 14, 2009, on The CW.
Anna Milton is a fictional character portrayed by actress Julie McNiven on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural. First appearing in the fourth season, Anna is a fallen angel who champions humanity over her own kind; because she is fallen, she is a hunted fugitive of Heaven with a death sentence on her head. She is initially an ally to series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester as well as to Castiel, but becomes an antagonist in her final episode when her method for averting the Apocalypse in the fifth season pits her against them.
Uriel is a fictional character primarily portrayed by Robert Wisdom on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural. An angel who utilizes force and destruction to fulfill his various orders from Heaven, he has a recurring role in the fourth season. Uriel's lack of regard for humanity often leads to tension with series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester, and even with his fellow angels Anna Milton and Castiel. Though shocked at how his character differed from typical portrayals of angels in the media, Wisdom was impressed by the depth in Uriel's characterization and felt honored to have been chosen to play him. Wisdom was universally praised by critics for his portrayal of the character.
Alastair is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural, appearing in its fourth season. A particularly infamous demon and torturer in Hell, he is portrayed in succession by actors Mark Rolston, Andrew Wheeler, and Christopher Heyerdahl due to his demonic ability to possess human hosts.
"No Rest for the Wicked" is the sixteenth and final episode of the third season of The CW television series Supernatural, and the show's sixtieth episode overall. Written by series creator Eric Kripke and directed by Kim Manners, the episode was first broadcast on May 15, 2008. The narrative follows the series' protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester —brothers who travel the continental United States hunting supernatural creatures—as they attempt to save the latter's soul from damnation. Having made a year-long demonic pact in the previous season finale, Dean has just one day left to live. The brothers must track down the demonic overlord Lilith, who holds Dean's contract. Lilith, meanwhile, is entertaining herself by possessing a young girl and terrorizing her family, a homage to the Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life".
"Swan Song" is the fifth-season finale of The CW television series Supernatural. It is the 22nd episode of the fifth season, and is the show's 104th episode overall. Steve Boyum directed the episode with teleplay written by series creator Eric Kripke and story written by Eric Gewirtz. The episode aired on Thursday, May 13, 2010, and concluded the series' originally slated storyline. The narrative follows the series' protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester —brothers who travel the continental United States hunting supernatural creatures—as they attempt to stop the Apocalypse.
Crowley, originally Fergus MacLeod, is a fictional character on the American paranormal drama television series Supernatural, portrayed by actor Mark Sheppard, known as the King of the Crossroads and the King of Hell in Lucifer's absence. Introduced in the fifth season, Sheppard appeared in a recurring role in the next few seasons, and was eventually promoted to series regular in the tenth season. His final appearance was at the end of the twelfth season. His portrayal of Crowley has been met with positive reception from both critics and fans of the series. His name is inspired by Aleister Crowley.
"All Hell Breaks Loose" is the joint title for the two-part second-season finale of The CW television series Supernatural. It consists of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes of the second season. "Part One" was first broadcast on May 10, 2007, and the second part aired the following week on May 17, 2007. The narrative follows series protagonist Sam Winchester —a young man who travels the continental United States with his brother Dean hunting supernatural creatures—as he is abducted by series villain Azazel and sent to an abandoned town. Azazel intends to find a leader for his demon army by having Sam and other psychic children like him fight to the death. Sam is eventually killed, but is resurrected after Dean sells his soul. The sole survivor, Jake Talley, is sent by Azazel to a cemetery protected against demons, where he opens a gateway to Hell. At the end of the episode, Azazel is finally killed by Dean with the mystical Colt revolver, but not before hundreds of demons are released into the world.