Supernatural: 5 Strongest Portrayals Of Women (& 5 Weakest)

Over the show’s 15-year-long run, the list of Supernatural characters has grown a mile long. Having well-developed characters is an essential element of any successful television show, and Supernatural is no different. Many of the strongest hunters, angels, and more have been women. They have brought a sense of what real women are like in an otherwise fantastical world and male-dominated story.

On the other hand, the show has also been heavily criticized for its lack of accurate female representation. The way some characters were written rubbed fans the wrong way. Here are some of Supernatural’s strongest and weakest female characters.

10 Weak: Bela Talbot

While some fans adore Bela for her wit and intelligence, the character was not set up to be liked either by fans or by the main characters. After meeting the Winchester brothers, she steals from them various occult items, including the Colt; gives their location to Gordon Walker, who tries to kill them; and also gets them arrested for a brief time.

In her final episode, it’s revealed that she, like Dean, made a demon deal and is Hell-bound, which makes it clear that she never existed to be a character herself but rather a mirror for Dean. Only minutes before she dies, it’s implied that she made her deal to kill her abusive parents, an attempt to give viewers an emotional gut punch that never hit its mark.

9 Strong: Jody Mills

Jody being an early season character and not only being alive but still playing an active role in the story makes her a rarity. She has appeared in every season since her season 5 introduction as the Sioux Falls sheriff. Since then, she has also taken on the roles of expert hunter and mom to Alex, Claire, and Patience. She has positive relationships with several other women, including her girls, Donna, and Mary. Despite being close friends with the boys, she hasn’t been forced into a romance with either of them.

Her journey throughout the show has found an independent woman who has experienced immense loss but who is brave and committed to protecting her family and her community.

8 Weak: Anna

First appearing in season 4, Anna acts as a vessel for introducing angels to the narrative. After the mysterious Castiel saves Dean from Hell, her interactions with the Winchesters establish the rules surrounding the angels in the show’s universe. Her unique experience as a fallen angel was worth exploring, but she is imprisoned by the angels, disappearing for almost a whole season.

When she does return for one episode, “The Song Remains the Same,” she steps into a villain role, going back in time to kill Mary and John before they had Sam, who would become Lucifer’s perfect vessel. Her evil turn was not only unexpected but out of character, used as a means of driving the story, which ultimately sees her killed.

7 Strong: Naomi

As the leader of Heaven, Naomi was the commander of the fleet of angels meant to defend it. She was originally painted as a ruthless villain who would stop at nothing to protect Heaven, even when the undertaking put her in opposition with the show’s heroes.

When she returns years later, she finds that only a few angels are remaining to power Heaven, which is being threatened by the entity from the Empty. Even when faced with the impossible task, she takes on the responsibility of leading the angels to protect the souls that Heaven holds, proving that her true goal all along was not power but the good of Heaven.

6 Weak: Toni Bevell

The season 11 finale, “Alpha and Omega,” provides a brief glimpse of Lady Bevell’s life in London, where she is studying the effects of the Darkness. She seems to be important and wealthy, and she is a mother to her young son. Unfortunately, we learn almost nothing more about her during season 12.

Revealing herself as a British Men of Letters operative, she kidnaps Sam and interrogates him. She isn’t seen again until near the end of the season, which sees her betrayed by her organization and unceremoniously killed. Despite being used as a starting point for the season’s plot, she doesn’t play as important a role as fellow Men of Letters Mick Davies and Arthur Ketch.

5 Strong: Delphine Seydoux

Dean meets Delphine when he travels back in time onboard an American submarine during World War II in order to get a Hand of God. Working for the French Men of Letters, Delphine has taken the object from Nazi possession after going undercover as the lover of a trusted officer and killing him.

Dean tells her that a German destroyer will sink their sub and convinces her to let him take the Hand of God with him to his time before it is lost. She and the crew submit to their deaths rather than surrender to the Germans. The episode captures the stark realities of war, careful not to leave the often-overlooked female role and the sacrifices women make out of the picture.

4 Weak: Becky Rosen

In “The Monster at the End of This Book,” the Winchester brothers discover that their lives had been written and published by Chuck Shurley. Later, they meet superfan of the novels Becky Rosen, who proves to be an exaggeration of real-life Supernatural fans. She writes fan fiction, attends conventions, and becomes infatuated with Sam. She texts the brothers from Chuck’s phone to get them to a convention, drugs Sam and forces him to marry her, and uploads Chuck’s unpublished sequels online.

The story-within-a-story plotline started as a seemingly loving tribute to the show’s fanbase, but the addition of Becky’s crazed fangirl character soured the gesture. Becky almost sees some closure in season 15’s “Atomic Monsters,” which finds her settled down with a husband, two kids, and a successful Supernatural Etsy shop, but Chuck makes her and her family disappear by the end of the episode.

3 Strong: Charlie Bradbury

There existed only two years’ difference between Becky’s introduction and Charlie’s. The latter, however, provided an immensely evolved depiction of fan culture. A computer genius and self-proclaimed “nerd,” Charlie offers her skills to help Sam and Dean. Over time, her work with the brothers gives way to a curiosity about monsters and the supernatural world, and she begins hunting. Even as she embraces the life of a hunter, she remains an avid fan pop culture.

Although she is killed in season 10, the alternate world version of Charlie makes it back to the main world. Fans had mixed reactions about the beloved character’s return; however, bringing in this new Charlie who has had different experiences adds layers to the character which we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

2 Weak: Claire Novak

The daughter of Jimmy Novak, who died as a vessel for Castiel, Claire was left on her own in the foster system until her teenage years. When she is brought back in season 10, although she invokes some pity, her character is overall unlikable, impudent, and stubborn. She makes a few bad judgment calls, like running away from Castiel, trying to kill Dean, and starting an unprepared search for her mother, all of which Castiel and the Winchesters rescue her from.

She seems to find her footing when Jody takes her in, becoming a productive and even valuable member of the Sioux Falls hunting team. She hasn’t been seen since the season 13 backdoor pilot of Wayward Sisters, but her long-overdue return is highly anticipated.

1 Strong: Alex Jones

Due to her limited time on screen, Alex is often overlooked as a character, but the time she spent on the show brought out traits of strong female characters of which we should expect more in Supernatural and in all fiction.

Despite a dark and violent upbringing, she is taken in by Jody and flourishes under her care and in a normal teenage life. She develops a strong bond with Jody and Claire; in “Don’t You Forget About Me,” she is willing to sacrifice her entire life for their safety. She learns how to hunt and helps Jody and Donna with their cases while also working in a hospital and pursuing a medical career, living the normal life she always wanted.

About The Author