7 best Castiel episodes in Supernatural

Photo Credit: Supernatural/The CW by Robert Falconer Acquired from CW PR

We’ve looked at best moments and best lines, but what about episodes as a whole? Which Castiel episodes stand out the most?

Considering there are no episodes solely focused on Castiel in Supernatural, looking at “best episodes” can be tricky. How do you decide if it’s the whole episode or just an individual moment that makes that episode stand out?

It was definitely hard when deciding to do this for Cas-mas. On top of that, everyone will have their favorite episode or favorite moment for all sorts of reasons. To help decide on best episodes, this is looking at those episode where every Castiel appearance was strong. Some episodes have one or two moments or lines, but this is looking at the times where every scene has been excellent and he’s been in at least 50% of the episode—where most of the focus has been on him.

These episodes are also in order of least to most favorite of the lot.

Season 5: My Bloody Valentine

Who couldn’t love this holiday inspired episode? Not only is this a chance to meet Cupid, but another Horseman of the Apocalypse is introduced. There’s also a strong focus on Castiel and his vessel, Jimmy.

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When people in a town start killing themselves in odd ways, the Winchesters are called in. Cupid explains that he has nothing to do with it and is just following Heaven’s orders in matching couples. When Castiel later shows up, he’s eating a hamburger and is sure that Famine is in the area.

As the episode progresses, Castiel consumes more and more hamburgers. It’s a craving his vessel is getting. Castiel attempts to fight Famine and get his ring, but the cravings for meat are just too strong. It’s one of the times we’ve seen Castiel weak and it’s due to the human soul he’s carrying inside.

Season 4: The Rapture

Technically this isn’t a Castiel one. It’s a Jimmy Novak episode, but there is a hint of Castiel. The episode opens with Dean dreaming and Castiel telling him that he has a message. Dean and Sam need to get to a specific location for this message. By the time the Winchesters get there, Castiel is gone and Jimmy Novak (the vessel) has been left behind.

It’s an excellent episode to understand more about this vessel and the way angels choose their vessels. Fans got to know the differences between angels taking a vessel over and demons jumping into what is referred to as a meatsuit. There’s an important message of consent.

If you’re a fan of the upcoming Wayward Sisters spin-off, this is also an important backstory for Claire Novak. Without this episode, there would be elements of Castiel that fans couldn’t understand. It’s crucial, which makes it one of the best.

Season 5: The End

Supernatural foreshadowed that Castiel would eventually lose his wings. In “The End,” Dean was sent to the future to see that Sam saying yes to Lucifer was inevitable. Dean would have to say yes to Michael and just get on with the end of the world as everyone knew it. While there, Dean came across the future Castiel, who wasn’t just human but an orgy-loving-addict.

It was a side of Castiel that we’d never seen before. This was something we never expected from our favorite angel, but an important side to show the effects of the end of the world; of the potential if the apocalypse didn’t happen.

Despite Castiel being human and an addict, he still put his life on the line when the time came. No matter how the future Dean treated him (and others) he continued to be there.

Season 4: On the Head of the Pin

When struggling to understand some of Castiel’s actions or thoughts, it’s worth giving “On the Head of the Pin” a watch. Yes, there is a huge focus on Dean throughout this, but it’s also a major Castiel episode of season 4. This is the turning point, as he realizes that his brothers may not want the same as him after all. It’s also the point he realizes that Uriel in particular was betraying him.

Castiel starts to fall down the rabbit hole of questions and uncertainty. He doesn’t want to be anything like Anna, who fell from grace, yet he knows deep down that she’s telling the truth. Why would God order the torture of anyone, even if it was a demon?

In the end, Castiel makes the decision to start exercising his own free will. This is the point he decides to follow the Winchesters and no longer work solely for Heaven.

Season 9: Heaven Can’t Wait

Homeless Castiel was one of the most devastating moments for the character, but what came after was epic. Season 9 gave us “Steve.” This human Castiel continued to try to protect the world and help people. He also got to understand more about the human way of life than ever before, through the eyes of a baby.

This was the episode that gave us the awkward babysitting moments. He would hum The Greatest American Hero to help baby Tanya to settle and remain understanding when Nora turned up late for work. There was no judgment from him, only the hope that he could help.

The episode comes off the back of “I’m No Angel,” where Dean kicked Castiel out of the bunker because of “Ezekiel.” The two are sort of able to make up, but it’s clear that is still some disappointment and confusion. However, remains kind-hearted to others, despite his situation.

Season 13: The Big Empty

When Castiel died in the season 12 finale, fans were furious and worried at the same time. Supernatural has tried killing Castiel off before and it just didn’t work. Ratings dropped significantly in season 7 (although the storyline and lack of scary big bad was also partially the reason) and Castiel was soon brought back. Would the writers do the same?

In the end, it turned out Castiel was trapped in the Empty. Most people would struggle to act against a dummy and green screen, but Misha Collins did it twice over. Not only did he play Castiel, but also the enigmatic Cosmic Entity.

Castiel was able to prove that he could be badass when necessary. This wasn’t through physical fighting but through his words. He made it extremely clear that he could make the Cosmic Entity’s existence a nightmare unless he got his own way, just like any toddler threatens but fails.

Season 6: The Man Who Would Be King

While seasons 6 and 7 aren’t my favorite Supernatural seasons, both are important for Castiel. Season 6’s “The Man Who Would Be King” just has to take the number one spot in best Castiel episodes, because it was mostly Castiel focused. The start of the episode is the angel telling the story of the things that happened, while the end is him looking for a sign of whether to stay on the same path or not.

One of the big things about this episode is the way he’s starting to rebel and lose his path. While he thinks he’s doing the right thing, he literally teams up with the new King of Hell to take over Heaven. He wants to release the creatures God created Purgatory from to defeat Raphael for good.

The episode is also important for the bond of Castiel to the Winchesters, especially Dean. This is the point that Dean makes it clear Castiel is like a brother to him.

Next: 25 Days of Cas-mas: What to expect

Do you agree with this list? What are your favorite Castiel episodes from Supernatural? Share in the comments below.

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