Sad as it might make you, but we’ve had as many season premieres as there can be for Supernatural with its fifteenth season’s debut. Now that we know what all premieres were like, it makes sense to rank them up to see which was the best.
Fortunately, we have IMDb to do that for us already, and we’ve brought together all these episodes based on the highest rating an episode has achieved. So, read on further and see if your favorite premiere managed to be a unanimous hit among fans, or if some other premiere turned out to be even better.
Season 6 - “Exile On Main St.” - 7.9
Dean gets the surprise of his life when Sam somehow returns from Hell and introduces him to their extended family, including their resurrected grandfather. This reunion is cut short when Ben and Lisa are put in danger.
After the incredible Season 5 finale, this premiere lacked in every department, with Dean’s sedate personality being one of the lower points, as well as his and Sam’s reunion being relatively awkward.
Season 14 - “Stranger In A Strange Land” - 8.2
In Dean’s body, Alternate Michael sets about to scout the world and find out ways to make his position more powerful. Sensing his brother might be out there, Sam puts his hunter resources to use to try and locate Dean’s whereabouts.
Being the only episode not to feature Dean in the series, this premiere was all right in some places and lacking in others. It had a different feel to it, but put extra burden on Sam’s shoulders to deliver.
Season 10 - “Black” - 8.3
Demon Dean lives it up with Crowley by engaging in questionable activities, although his destructive nature has the latter worried that Dean might try and take over his position. Meanwhile, Sam searches for his now-evil demonic brother.
Fans have never liked having the brothers apart much, and for good reason too as it was heartbreaking to see Dean become antagonistic against his brother. Dean’s new evil ways still did entertain due to his devil-may-care attitude.
Season 15 - “Back And To The Future” - 8.3
After Chuck revealed his true nature as the main villain of the series, the heroes are forced to fight off hundreds of undead enemies that Chuck unleashed on them. The arrival of an unlikely ally turns the tide in their favor.
Fans wanted an action-packed premiere for the final season, and the episode didn’t disappoint as it delivered just that. However, the way Castiel’s arc was handled, along with the absence of Jack, caused the premiere to feel rather incomplete.
Season 8 - “We Need To Talk About Kevin” - 8.4
Dean returns from Purgatory under mysterious circumstances and learns that Sam not only decided against looking for him, he also abandoned Kevin altogether. Learning that Crowley has Kevin captured, the brothers head out to rescue him.
With action scenes in just the right spots, and planting the seeds for Sam and Dean’s soon-to-be strained relationship, this premiere was a finely balanced one. Even if it came at the cost of making Sam a tad unlikeable.
Season 12 - “Keep Calm And Carry On” - 8.5
Sam is captured and tortured for information by the British Men of Letters, and is unaware that the Dean and the newly resurrected Mary Winchester are on their way to rescue him after the departure of God and the Darkness.
Although Season 12 was quite possibly the worst season, its premiere wasn’t nearly as bad since we got a taste of how the boys would operate with their mother around, as well as catching a glimpse of this new dynamic.
Season 3 - “The Magnificent Seven” - 8.6
Despite closing the Hell’s gate, hundreds of demons are released on Earth, including the Seven Deadly Sins. As the brothers look to fight these demons, Sam begins his search of finding a way to get Dean out of his one-year contract to Hell.
Along with giving us a few funny moments, this premiere was creative in that the theme of the seven sins was implemented in the demonic sense. Some scary moments were also in place, with the small drawback of an uneven premise set for the season.
Season 11 - “Out Of The Darkness, Into The Fire” - 8.7
Removing the Mark of Cain results in the release of the Darkness, the first entity ever in creation and God’s older sister. Her return sparks a massive threat that the Winchesters set out to fix since it’s all their fault.
What fans loved about this episode was how it shifted the style back toward the brothers being united and having a big bad to go against. The cosmic aspect was turned to the highest degree, making it the premiere with the highest stakes.
Season 1 - “Pilot” - 8.7
An unexpected visitor arrives at Sam Winchester’s place, who turns out to be his estranged brother Dean. This reunion is cut short when Dean announces that their father is missing, as the brothers encounter the Woman in White.
This was where it all started, and the show did it right by combining the main plot with a ghost of the week styled episode as it turned out to be one of the more watched stories in the series and a fine starting point for new fans.
Season 9 - “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here” - 8.8
The toll of undertaking the process to close the gates of Hell lands Sam in a comatose state and near his death. This prompts Dean to make a deal with a fallen angel to possess Sam and heal him from within.
The brothers’ dilly-dallying relationship with Death was explored in this premiere, which gave us an insight over how either of them thought and how much they relied on the other.
Season 5 - “Sympathy For The Devil” - 8.8
With Lucifer released from the cage, Sam and Dean confront their differences, where the latter comes to the conclusion that they are weaker when they are together. Castiel experiences what it’s like to be cut off from Heaven.
The fallout from the storyline to stop Lucifer’s escape was just as engaging as before, with this premiere choosing to take things slow and set up the stage for the remainder of the season by placing emphasis on the brothers and Castiel.
Season 13- “Lost And Found” - 8.9
Lucifer’s newborn child turns out to be far from what Sam and Dean expected, as this innocent boy is taken in by Sam and placed under his protection. However, Dean develops a hostility for Jack due to his role in causing Castiel’s death.
Fans were pleasantly surprised to find Jack’s personality to be nothing like Lucifer, and his adorable qualities made him an instant favorite. Sam’s parental side and Dean’s antagonism made for a highly interesting scenario.
Season 7 - “Meet The New Boss” - 9.0
Castiel’s godlike powers after taking in all of Purgatory’s souls come back to haunt him when he realizes he’s absorbed the destructive Leviathans. Dean, Sam, and Bobby bind Death to try and kill Castiel to stop his threat.
Anything would’ve been a welcome change from the humdrum Season 6 storyline, and the seventh season premiere turned out to be entertaining in its own right for bringing back a fan favorite guest character and beginning a whole new arc.
Season 2 - “In My Time Of Dying” - 9.3
Dean is on the verge of death due to the accident the Winchesters suffered, which motivates John into making a deal with Azazel to take his soul to Hell in exchange for Dean’s life.
The template for the series overall was set in this premiere, as the boys were left well and truly alone with the loss of their father. It was an all-around sad affair, which furthered the series lore and the aura around Hell.
Season 4 - “Lazarus Rising” - 9.5
Dean is brought back from Hell under mysterious circumstances and has an emotional reunion with Sam. His savior turns out to be an angel from Heaven, who informs Dean that God himself ordered his resurrection.
For bringing in everyone’s favorite angel in Castiel to the fold, that too in such cool fashion, the fourth season premiere is the most replayed one yet. It featured a turn in the series into one that had a grand scale when it came to the supernatural, and this shift served to be a resounding hit.
