Ask any former Supernatural actor their reaction when they heard their character was being killed off, and they generally answer with a smile: “No one really dies on Supernatural.” And neither, it seems, does the show, which has managed to survive long after the final monster-hunting episode aired on November 19, 2020. The 15 seasons live on through syndication, streaming and, of course, in the hearts of millions of fans.
Indeed, the series continues to find new life from a growing fanbase. With all 327 episodes available on Netflix, a younger generation has been discovering the show. Their allegiance is apparent in the impressive numbers of fans faithfully attending Supernatural conventions across the country and abroad — including Australia, Germany, and the U.K. — where they get to meet the stars, shop for signed photographs from the cast, buy merch and, most meaningfully to many, line up for a personal photo with their favorites. Other perks have included group karaoke, mini golf with cast members, and rocking out on Saturday nights with Louden Swain, a band fronted by God (a.k.a. actor Rob Benedict) and a revolving roster of the show’s former castmates.
Fans Jennifer Gaylord (left) and Anna Knierim now run the vendor table for Ackles’ band, Radio Company, at Supernatural conventions (Holly Diane White)
All this fun does not come cheap. At Creation Entertainment’s May 16-18, 2025, convention “The Road So Far…The Road Ahead: Celebrating 20 Years of SPN” in Secaucus, New Jersey, visited by TV Guide Magazine, fans were delighted to spend roughly $1,000 to secure a gold pass that covered all three days and admission to every event, including a special VIP Q&A with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, who played beloved brothers Sam and Dean Winchester.
Other popular genre shows like Doctor Who, Star Trek, and The Walking Dead draw crowds to conventions with attendees often paying tribute with elaborate cosplay. For Supernatural, though, it’s not about imitation but about feeling part of the SPN family, as fans call themselves. “That face-to-face interaction has created more reciprocal relationships than any other fandom enjoys,” says Lynn Zubernis, a psychologist and university professor who has edited several books on the show’s appeal.
Collins, Padalecki, Ackles, and Alexander Calvert with a happy fan (Holly Diane White)
The faithful form strong bonds with Sam and Dean, whose brotherly ties are never broken (except maybe when one of them is demon-possessed), as well as with the siblings’ powerful angel ally Castiel (Misha Collins). “New fans discover the show and are drawn in by the intensity of those relationships, their complexity and the courage of the actors to show a great deal of emotionality and vulnerability onscreen,” says Zubernis.
As I spoke with fans from across the country at the convention, another emotional tie to the show became clear: the close friends they met through their shared love for the series. SPN convention royalty undoubtedly seems to be North Dakotan Andrea Hurtt, who has been to 93 of the gatherings. After attending several cons 10 years earlier, she closed her clothing store and began making “support pillows” modeled after the show’s characters and selling the merch at the cons. “It gets very emotional here,” she explains, “and I help a lot of people with a tangible memory of meeting their heroes.” She says she’s raised $250,000 for charity through the pillows.
Family legacy is also common at the cons. I met a father and his 13-year-old daughter from Connecticut who was happily going through her Supernatural goody bag. Her dad began watching the show before she was born, he said, and couldn’t wait for her to be old enough so they could binge it together. It was their second time at the New Jersey convention. “It’s like a little community here,” he says.
Rianna Melton (center), who owns Charlie’s (Felicia Day) car, a yellow
AMC Gremlin (Holly Diane White)
Alabama’s Stephanie Gentry was another legacy fan. “Supernatural was my dad’s favorite show,” she says. “When he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, we got him passes to a con, but he passed away three weeks before the event.” Despite her pain, her mom urged her to go; she did and has since kept coming back. “I feel like my dad led me to having all these new friends,” she says. “I’ve done 14 conventions because I love the show, the cast and all my friends here.”
Fans and actors alike would be thrilled to see a new limited series or a movie, which Ackles and Padalecki have publicly mused about, especially since Netflix will drop Supernatural in December after their five-year contract ends. Whether there are any original episodes in the future or a new bingeing life on another streamer, it’s safe to say that the fans — and the dedicated cast — will carry on.
— Additional Reporting by Damian Holbrook
For a deep-dive into 20 years of Supernatural, from behind-the-scenes scoop to exclusive cast interviews, photos, and fan stories, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Supernatural Afterlife: 20th Anniversary Special issue, available on newsstands and for order online at Supernatural.TVGM2025.com.