Humans

“	These people - they're all my father's creations. They're works of art.	”
	— Castiel, about humans in It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester

Humans are a race of mortal, sentient animal species who were created in the image of God and are the dominant species of Earth.

Characteristics

“	They are your greatest creation because they're better than you are! Sure, they're weak and they cheat and steal and... destroy and disappoint. But they also give and... create, and they sing and dance and love! And above all, they never give up!	”
	— Metatron to God on humans in Don't Call Me Shurley

Humans are mortal beings that populate the planet Earth. God considers them his greatest creations.

Each human has a soul, which, upon death, will be taken to one of two spiritual realms. Those who have lived a life of evil are likely to be sent to Hell for punishment, while most others will find eternal solace in Heaven. If a human is turned into a monster, however, they will instead go to Purgatory upon death. While punishment in Hell is stated on several occasions to be eternal, humans can be redeemed from Hell by angels, and on one occasion a human soul was rescued from Hell by Sam Winchester.

Humans who die will find a reaper waiting to escort them away to where they belong.

Some humans with unfinished business, uncertainty about their own death, intense emotional ties to the physical world, or who have evaded the Reaper sent to collect them, may stay on Earth as ghosts or vengeful spirits. Under certain conditions or through spells, they may be brought back to life. Whether they come back as they once were, or return as zombies and other similar creatures, depends on the method used to resurrect said human.

Humans and their souls are vulnerable to certain supernatural forces that could weaken, strengthen or modify them in many conceivable ways. For example, there are many different types of monster into which a human can be transformed. Human souls sent to Hell can be corrupted into demons through years of torture and degradation.

Humans are also capable of being hosts or vessels for various supernatural creatures. Some types of being which seek to possess a human may require the human's consent. More often than not, however, humans are incapable of preventing forced possession without mystical protection, although particularly strong-willed humans are able to partially resist the demons possessing them. On extremely rare occasions, humans can overpower even cases of angelic possession and expel the angel possessing them.

Certain humans with significant bloodlines are of great importance to many supernatural beings. The best example is the Winchester bloodline, able to host the two most powerful archangels in existence.

Many supernatural beings, regardless of their origin and alignment, look down upon humans because of their mortality, fallibility and physical frailty. The fallen archangel Lucifer considered them "broken, flawed, murderous" and likened them to "abortions". Uriel often uses derogatory terms such as "apes" to describe humans. A number of pagan deities consider humans to be nothing more than servants and/or a source of worship and sacrifice.

There are a few exceptions, as God considers humanity to be perfect and even commanded all his angels to bow down before them. Later, the archangel Gabriel also defended humans and their ability to try to do good, as he said "A lot of them try... to do better. To Forgive.", and he also has said to Lucifer, "Dad was right. They are better than us." Death, an ancient being and oldest of the horsemen of the apocalypse, more or less holds a neutral outlook on humans, but has, on several occasions, extended his assistance to help to save the planet from destruction. Dick Roman, the head Leviathan, generally has a low regard for humans but considers their ability to create weapons to be of mild interest. The Reaper Billie, upon becoming the new incarnation of Death, realizes that some humans - Sam and Dean in particular, much to her dismay - are important to the natural order of the universe.

It is possible for certain supernatural creatures to become human. Demons, who are born from deceased humans souls that are tortured in hell, can become human by undergoing a process of purification; vampires who have not fed for the first time can become human through a mysterious cure; angels can become physically human by removing their grace - the essence of their divine power - while within a vessel. If the grace is removed in their true form, they will fall to Earth and be reborn as a human. Angels are also capable of curing monsters, though the limitations of this process are never clarified.

Powers and Abilities

The primary abilities of every human being include adaptability and versatility. For the most part, humans are outmatched by supernatural beings and are most often defeated whenever confronted by a superior creature. However, some humans have been known to utilize tools and weapons and have managed to succeed in a supernatural combat. Therefore, as a means of survival, most humans must rely on intelligence, research, and teamwork in order to prevail.

Due to the fact that most (but not all) supernatural creatures have been known to cause chaos and destruction within the world, some humans become Hunters and make it their mission to hunt, identify and murder any and all threats to Earth and its inhabitants. Generally, these Hunters use advanced knowledge of folklore in order to hunt down demons, monsters, and other supernatural evils. Hunters also tend to live nomadic lifestyles where they are constantly on the move, traveling from place to place, never remaining in one location for too long. Hunters have been known to modify conventional human weaponry such as guns and knives to repel and/or kill supernatural beings that are often more powerful than they are.

Humans who employ magical powers are known as witches. While most witches are known to channel their power from demons, other witches have been said to draw their power from the forces of nature through practice and studying. However, according to a witch named Rowena, a rare selection of witches (such as herself) received their power from birth and are able to practice witchcraft by tapping into their own innate source of power. All in all, while every human has access to magical forces, many do not practice witchcraft based on the facts that they either do not believe in magic, have been taught that magic is Satanic, or they fear the supernatural consequences that come with it (i.e. black magic is known to corrupt the practitioner to point where they will become evil and remorseless monsters). Nevertheless, humans who have great command over magical energies have proven to match, or in most cases, overpower other supernatural beings. If a human completely leaves their body, they become much like a living ghost, gaining all the powers that ghosts do (Super strength, Teleportation, Telekinesis etc.) but only after plenty of practice.

A number of humans, called psychics, also have access to heightened supernatural abilities and senses such as telekinesis, telepathy, and more. An extremely powerful form of psychic ability is where a human can project their thoughts to alter the very fabric of reality itself. This power is called psychokinesis. It exists in at least one known individual, Fred Jones. How this ability is achieved is unknown. Some humans may not be psychic but are able to use similar abilities with the use of magical objects, such as spirit boards.

Humans may gain additional abilities with the help of cursed objects, spells, gifts from deities, and heavenly weapons, etc. For example, in Wishful Thinking, a cursed coin granted invisibility and super strength to some humans. Inyo was granted immortality, heightened physical strength, and improved reflexes and agility by the ancient Mayan god Cacao.

The human who has the Mark of Cain and the First Blade gains super strength, telekinesis, and immunity to demonic powers. This was shown with Dean Winchester when he killed Abaddon.

Weaknesses

“	God just don't build to last, does he?	”
	— Jacob Styne musing on the vulnerabilities of humans in Book of the Damned

Humans are vulnerable to almost any supernatural being and are also vulnerable to their own weaponry.

• Mortality - Their physical strength wanes once they reach old age. They are vulnerable to diseases, and any form of physical harm.
• Magic - Like most beings, humans are susceptible to the influences of magic and witchcraft.
• Supernatural Beings - Any other creature with supernatural powers can potentially kill humans.
• Transformation/Turning - Humans lose their humanity once afflicted with monster strains.
• Hands of God - Hands of God contain a portion of God's power, which is fatal to humans who use it.
• Primordial Entities - Any primordial entity can effortlessly annihilate any human.

Appearances

Humans have appeared in every episode/book/comic in the franchise.

Trivia

• Despite lacking many supernatural abilities, humans have been shown to defeat a number of supernatural beings, including angels, demons and leviathans.
• Humans, albeit lacking supernatural origins, are the only species to be featured in every episode.