#TBT: Ruby 1.0 vs. Ruby 2.0: Which meatsuit was best on Supernatural?

Some characters are played by multiple actors, especially when it comes to demons. Supernatural saw two main actresses take on the role of Ruby in Seasons 3 and 4, but who played the role best?

One a number of occasions, a role has been played by multiple characters on Supernatural. This is often the case with demons and angels, who are able to jump between vessels. It started as a small number of demons who would jump between their meatsuits, with Ruby being one of two females in the earlier years.

The two main actresses to take on the role of Ruby were Katie Cassidy (in Season 3) and Genevieve Cortese Padalecki (in Season 4). Who do you think wore their meatsuit better? Here’s a look at the two actresses’ highs and lows.

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Katie Cassidy: The one who developed the character base

Cassidy appeared in Supernatural during the Season 3 premiere. She stepped in as this butt-kicking woman with a knife that could kill a demon dead within seconds. It would be an episode later that we’d learn she was a demon, but there was a chance that she was good. Up to this point we didn’t know too much about how demons were made, but Ruby would later explain the process; and Dean was in danger of becoming one.

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The benefit for Cassidy was that she started the role. This was the first creation of the character, allowing her to create the base. She would be the one to follow for personality, physical cues and more. Following on from one person isn’t always easy, as those who attempted to play Lucifer after Mark Pellegrino found. Only Misha Collins was ever really able to get some of Mark’s mannerisms down to a tee.

Cassidy also set up the allure and suspense for the character. Throughout Season 3 we had no idea if we could trust her. On the one hand, she helped to fix the Colt and gave options to stop Lilith. On the other hand, she was a demon. Could you really trust a demon?

The downside was Supernatural Season 3 and the writer’s strike. This was the year that TV shows had to stop filming because there weren’t any more scripts. Supernatural’s third season is the shortest of all, coming in at just 16 episodes, compared to the 22-23 all other seasons have had. This affected the development of the character a little. It gave us less Cassidy that we could have possibly needed.

Genevieve Cortese Padalecki: The true nature of Ruby revealed

There is one reason to dislike Ruby 2.0: she was completely against the Winchesters. In the end, it turned out that she’d manipulated Sam and coerced him into breaking the final seal that would see Lucifer free. Yes, she was a demon that nobody could trust and a damn good actress.

But that just made her a character you loved to hate. One that finally confirmed suspicions. It made her an excellent character to follow over two seasons, just to see which side she was on and see any foreshadowing that she was against the Winchesters.

Cortese Padalecki didn’t have it easy, for sure. Cassidy had created this character she would have to follow. Unfortunately, she didn’t get all the mannerisms and the attitude Cassidy had created, which kind of made this jump feel distorted, as if Ruby wasn’t really the Ruby we’d met in Season 3.

That being said, Ruby 2.0 was a fully fleshed out character. She took command of situations and made her presence known when she needed to. Cortese Padalecki played the scared demon when angels came in and the powerful, manipulative woman in times of need. As she said in the end, she was awesome!

Had Cortese Padalecki been the first to play Ruby, most fans would have likely taken to the character instantly. She just couldn’t follow on from the character Cassidy had initially created.

Next: Meg 1.0 vs Meg 2.0: Who played the Supernatural character better?

Which Ruby did you prefer? What about you particular Ruby did you like the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Supernatural Season 13 returns Mar. 1 at 8/7c on The CW.