Lucifer may seem like the ultimate villain in Supernatural, but not even the king of Hell can compare to the intimate evil of this season 1 villain.
In a television series about monsters and the greatest powers of the universe, it would make sense that Lucifer would be the biggest, baddest villain in Supernatural, however, upon closer inspection, there is another creature that’s really much, much worse. Over fifteen seasons, Supernatural tells the story of brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who embark on a never-ending journey to save themselves and humanity from paranormal threats. The show offers a wide range of spine-chilling villains over time, from shapeshifting Leviathans to the king of Hell himself, Lucifer.
In particular, Mark Pelligrino’s Lucifer enters the scene in Supernatural season 5. Intent on bringing about the apocalypse, and in turn, the end of humanity itself, Lucifer arrives in full force, becoming the Winchesters greatest threat yet. In fact, even when the brothers defeat him at the end of season 5 by returning him to his Cage, Lucifer returns consistently until the series’ end to taunt, hinder, and tease the Winchesters. It isn’t until season 15 that Lucifer is finally, permanently killed by his heavenly brother, Michael.
Azazel Was Supernatural’s Best Villain, Not Lucifer
Despite Lucifer’s nearly constant presence throughout Supernatural, the real stand-out villain of the series is Azazel. Also called the Yellow Eyed Demon, Azazel is the first major villain that Sam and Dean must contend with in the series. The Winchesters hunt the Prince of Hell over the first two seasons of Supernatural because of his plan to release Lucifer and set the apocalypse into motion, and also, because he is the demon that killed their mother, Mary, and later killed their father John as well. Although Azazel isn’t the strongest villain in Supernatural history, he still makes for a tough enemy.
Azazel is Supernatural’s best villain over Lucifer because he is unexpected. While it makes sense that the Devil himself would be the greatest villain the Winchesters ever faced, it’s interesting that Azazel presents a very similar threat without needing as much power as Lucifer has. Not only does Azazel cause pain for the Winchesters, but he also seeks the end of the world just like Lucifer, and haunts the brothers until the very end of the series through flashbacks and nightmares. In this way, he is parallel with Lucifer yet appears darker, more intense, and just as frightening.
Azazel Had A More Personal Connection To The Winchesters
The most significant reason why Azazel is Supernatural’s best villain is because of his personal connection to the Winchesters. While most Supernatural bad guys fight Sam and Dean because the brothers are trying to stop their evil schemes, Azazel targeted the Winchester family first. Even before Sam and Dean were born, Azazel causes trouble by killing Mary’s loved ones and targeting her and her future children. Therefore, when he kills Mary while Sam is a baby, it isn’t even the beginning or end of his crimes against the Winchesters.
This personal tie between Azazel and the Winchesters make their fight against each other have more depth and meaning. It makes sense that Sam and Dean want to defeat Lucifer so that the world can be saved, but beating Azazel has more meaning than just protecting humanity. The Winchesters want to kill Azazel because of the deaths he caused and because, essentially, he is the reason they became hunters in the first place. Therefore, this intimacy between Azazel and the Winchesters makes him stand out among other Supernatural villains, most of whom lack that personal connection and motive.
Azazel Had A Singular Villainous Goal
When Azazel is pit against Lucifer, Azazel comes out on top because of his singular, evil purpose. In Supernatural, Azazel has the plan to find a special child for Lucifer to inhabit and break the 66 seals to free him from his cage and jumpstart the apocalypse. By sticking firmly to this plan, Azazel is undoubtedly evil. On the other hand, Supernatural’s Lucifer seems to have a more ambiguous position. Though he does have malevolent desires, the show often paints him as an antihero at times, and even has him playing on the Winchesters side. Therefore, Azazel is logically more of a threat than Lucifer turns out to be.
While Lucifer is an entertaining and, at times, horrifying character, he cannot really be categorized as Supernatural’s best or baddest villain. Although he is the Winchesters’ enemy and usually has an evil agenda, his flexibility makes him less of a villain. Meanwhile, Azazel’s loyalty and determination make him an even stronger villain. In this way, Azazel’s focus, motive, and relationship to the Winchesters makes him the ultimate Supernatural villain.
