Supernatural Spinoff Confirms Impala as Universe’s Greatest Hero

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The show centers on brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who travel the country hunting monsters and protecting people – and each other. Over time, their group grows to include characters like Castiel, becoming a chosen family. But one constant companion has been with them since the start: their classic Chevy Impala.

Lovingly called ‘Baby,’ the Impala isn’t just a car to Sam and Dean—it’s their comfortable haven and feels like home. In Season 5, Chuck (who is revealed to be God) suggests the car has a significant role to play in the grand scheme of things. The show’s spin-off series ultimately confirms this, declaring Baby to be the greatest hero in the entire Supernatural world in its final episode.

The 1967 Chevy Impala Is one of Supernatural’s Most Important Characters

For fifteen years, Baby – the Impala – was the one steady presence in Sam and Dean Winchester’s chaotic lives. Unlike most hunters who had a home base, Sam and Dean traveled constantly, living out of hotel rooms. Their car became the closest thing they had to a permanent home.

I’ll never forget the ending of Season 5, “Swan Song.” Chuck’s voiceover really hit me when he talked about the Impala. He pointed out that Sam and Dean didn’t need a traditional home with a roof and walls – they had each other, and in a way, they were never truly without a home.

Dean’s deep connection to the Impala was clear in how lovingly he talked about it – and how fiercely he defended it from even a glance. He painstakingly restored the car after it was wrecked at the end of Season 6. Small, personal touches, like the army man Sam put in the ashtray and the LEGO Dean hid in the vents, made it uniquely theirs, as Chuck pointed out.

Dean became fiercely protective of Baby, his Impala. When the car was temporarily possessed in a Season 6 episode, he angrily told whatever was inside to leave it alone, saying, “She’s got nothing to do with this.” He made it clear he’d do anything to protect Baby, even saying he’d torture and kill anyone who tried to take her, stating, “If I can’t have it, nobody can.”

At the start of the finale, God highlighted the significance of the Impala, explaining that on April 21st, 1967, the hundred-millionth GM vehicle was built in Janesville. Just three days later, another car came off the assembly line – a 1967 Chevrolet Impala that everyone overlooked. However, God stated this car would ultimately prove to be the most important object in the entire universe.

The prophecy began to come true when Sam agreed to Lucifer’s terms. Though Lucifer was incredibly strong, Sam managed to defeat him and send the archangel back to Hell after seeing his own reflection in the Impala’s window. The Impala, affectionately known as ‘Baby,’ then became the most crucial object in existence, preventing further disaster.

Even Baby, the Impala, gets a dedicated episode in Season 11, told entirely from the car’s perspective. The show really focuses on the car – if something isn’t happening in or around it, viewers don’t see it. So, when two girls steal the Impala for a drive, the episode follows them instead of Sam and Dean’s current case.

This episode offers viewers a surprisingly intimate look at the everyday moments between the action-packed events. Seeing Sam and Dean simply connect as brothers, and even sing together, makes it a standout and proves that Supernatural continues to deliver compelling stories after eleven seasons.

The Impala Saved All the Universes in The Winchesters

During a great cosmic war, God decided he wanted to destroy all life in every possible universe. As a backup plan in case Sam and Dean Winchester interfered, He created the Akrida. These creatures resembled insects with legs and claws, and they had the ability to take over people’s minds and bodies. They operated as a single, unified intelligence, guided by their Queen.

This enemy was relentless, set on total destruction. Others had tried to stop them before, but they were gone now. It was up to Mary, John, and the rest of the Monster Club to take action.

In The Winchesters, Dean Winchester travels across different universes in his Impala after his death. He discovers a world where the Akrida Queen exists and realizes she’s a threat not just to this new reality, but to the one where his son, Sam, is still alive. Determined to protect Sam, Dean begins secretly helping others fight the Akrida, these dangerous, god-like insects, from the shadows.

In the end, the heroes realize that only something not from Earth can destroy the dangerous creatures they’re fighting. Because Dean’s Impala, affectionately known as Baby, originally came from another world, young Mary uses it to defeat the Akrida Queen and her forces. This makes Baby the unlikely hero who saves everything, and dramatically changes the meaning of a prophecy from Season 5.

The Winchesters’ Finale Gave Dean the Ending He Deserved

The ending of Supernatural disappointed many fans. The show’s main hero, Dean, died during a standard monster hunt, and viewers felt his death lacked impact. Given everything Dean had overcome throughout the series, fans had hoped for a happier conclusion or a more meaningful death – similar to the sacrifices made by Sam in the episode “Swan Song” or Castiel when he saved Dean.

Both deaths were impactful moments in the show, but Dean being stabbed during a typical vampire encounter didn’t feel as significant as those other resurrections.

After discovering a new reality where the Akrida exist, Dean wants to give his parents a peaceful life, away from the control of Chuck. Before he leaves, he provides them with his hunting journal and a new Colt, hoping to set them on a path toward happiness after they help save the world.

If you were disappointed with how Dean’s story ended in Season 15 of Supernatural, this new ending provides a more satisfying conclusion. Throughout the series, Dean’s biggest wish was to have his family reunited, and this version of events finally allows them to stay together.

If Mary had used the Colt, she could have killed the Yellow-eyed Demon, saving John from a twenty-year hunt for Azazel. Sam and Dean could have had a normal childhood. Dean finally got to be the hero he always wanted to be, saving his family before joining them in a new version of Heaven – a dream he’d given up on.

After The Winchesters ended, Jensen Ackles hinted that Dean may have discovered multiple backup plans created by Chuck to safeguard Sam and his world. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Ackles explained they intentionally avoided limiting their options with the show’s alternate reality storyline, saying, “It would’ve been a fool’s errand to try and box ourselves in with what had been.”

That storyline would have severely limited us. To realistically bring those two characters together within the show’s timeline, we had to create a separate, alternate reality. Thankfully, the show had already established the idea of multiple universes thanks to Chuck [Rob Benedict], who had previously introduced that concept and expressed his fondness for our show. Knowing that opened the door to exploring other possibilities, like wondering how many other backup plans Chuck might have created.

Sadly, the show won’t be returning for another season, meaning fans won’t find out what Jensen Ackles had planned for his characters, Mary and John.

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2026-02-25 06:08