How can someone survive Supernatural? Always carry salt. Always burn the body. And never, ever even THINK about dating Sam Winchester…
Surviving Supernatural is no easy task, but one simple rule can vastly improve your chances: do not under any circumstances date Sam Winchester. Traveling around middle America killing monsters is not conducive to a successful private life, and as handsome as the Winchester brothers may be, Sam and Dean both struggled with love. The siblings tried their hand at romance throughout Supernatural’s fifteen seasons, and all but one of those attempts was a complete failure. That lone exception is Sam’s wife (implied to be Eileen Leahy, but never confirmed), who he starts a family with following Dean’s demise.
Dating a Winchester is, generally speaking, a bad idea. Unless getting hounded by demons and buying obscene amounts of salt is a girl’s idea of romance, they’re unlikely to find a lasting relationship. But Sam Winchester’s girlfriend survival record is what prospective love interests should really be concerned about. Of all Sam’s lovers between Supernatural season 1’s premiere and season 15’s finale, a disturbing number found themselves ghosted… literally.
Sam Winchester’s bloody love life began as early as Supernatural’s very first episode with the sudden death of Jessica, killed on the orders of the same yellow-eyed demon who murdered Mary Winchester. Then, in Supernatural season 2, Sam fell for Madison the werewolf. Despite the Winchester brothers’ valiant attempts to find a cure, Madison realized the only solution was asking Sam to put her down. Already, a deadly pattern emerges. Sam sparked up a demonic romance with Ruby before Supernatural season 4, but that ended in tears after her secret loyalty to Lucifer was revealed and Dean plunged a knife through her stomach. It’s a similar story for Amy Pond – a kitsune crush from Sam’s childhood. Again, Dean took exception to his brother’s monster girlfriend and bumped Amy off in Supernatural season 7, which also saw the death of hunter-with-benefits Annie Hawkins. Sarah Blake might’ve thought she survived the curse of Sam Winchester after escaping her Supernatural debut alive, but Crowley had other ideas and finished her off seven seasons later. Last but not least, Sam’s fellow hunter, Eileen Leahy, was offed by Arthur Ketch.
Which Sam Winchester Love Interests Actually Survived In Supernatural?
Not every woman to catch Sam Winchester’s eye wound up dead in Supernatural. Lori avoided violent repercussions after sharing a kiss with the young hunter, while Supernatural season 4’s Dr. Roberts got even further, managing a couple of drunken office hook-ups. Perhaps the most fortunate member of the “I survived Sam Winchester club” is Amelia Richardson, who enjoyed a full-blown relationship with the hunter while Dean was in purgatory. Alas, their romance ended when Sam chose hunting over love, despite Amelia choosing Sam over her own husband. That’s a loose definition of “fortunate.” It should also be noted that Eileen was brought back to life when Sam (perhaps annoyed by his girlfriends dying all the time) learned a resurrection spell.
While Sam might blame his abysmal record with women on the inevitable perils of a hunting career, that theory can be immediately debunked by Dean’s far less deadly personal history. Of all Dean’s major romances in Supernatural (the ones we know about, at least), only the angel Anna and Jo Harvelle – who arguably doesn’t count anyway – were killed off. The likes of Lisa, Cassie and Robin all get their hearts broken, but only in the metaphorical sense, proving Sam Winchester really is the scourge of Supernatural’s female contingent.
