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The first demon was created by Lucifer, an archangel, after God banished him from Heaven for refusing to revere humans. In revenge, he took a human woman - Lilith - and stripped away her humanity to make her the first demon. For this offense, God commanded Michael to imprison Lucifer in a cage in Hell.
Demons have a belief system analogous to humans, according to the demon Casey, but while humans believe in God as their higher power, demons view Lucifer as theirs. No demon had ever actually seen Lucifer according to Casey, at least until that point in the show's progression. If this is true, it would mean Lilith was turned into a demon without seeing her maker.
All demons were once originally humans, who become demonic when tortured in Hell until their humanity is lost. Prior to becoming demons, it is unclear on what criteria the human spirits are judged as being worthy of Hell, other than selling one's soul to a crossroads demon or being a witch.
According to Crowley, some demons live together in "nests".
- White-eyed demons - The demon chiefs of staff.
- Yellow-eyed demons - The demon army generals.
- Knights of Hell - Some of the first souls handpicked by Lucifer to become demons, with exception of Dean Winchester, who became a Knight of Hell through the Mark of Cain.
- Red-eyed demons - The demon deal-makers.
- Black-eyed demons - The soldiers, thugs, henchmen, minions.
Hell was created sometime after Lucifer's rebellion. It is a place where demons are produced from human souls after centuries of torture. Human souls can get sent to Hell after making deals or agreements with crossroads demons or other demons. Hellhounds hunt and then kill humans who made a demonic agreement and then the human's soul is sent to Hell. Black-eyed demons are constantly being created, and they occupy positions on Earth under the demon-favored term for their human shell - "meat-suits". Time itself is also altered in Hell, as 4 months on Earth is equivalent to 40 years in Hell.
The exact structure of Hell remains undefined, although Ruby reveals, "There's a real fire in the pit, agonies you can't even imagine." Meg describes this place as, "...A prison, made of bone and flesh and blood and fear." Dean is seen suspended from hooks embedded in him when his soul arrives in Hell. Angels can bypass Hell's defenses, enter and retrieve human souls, as Castiel and other angels laid siege to Hell to save Dean. Death can enter Hell and bring souls back to Earth, as shown when he retrieves Sam's soul from Lucifer's Cage. The King of Hell has limited access to Lucifer's Cage, as Crowley was able to raise Sam's body from the Cage after assuming command over Hell; it is later revealed to be Castiel who raised Sam's body from Perdition. There is also a portal in Purgatory that reapers use as a back door into Hell to retrieve souls. The part of Hell accessible through the portal, at least in 2013, takes the form of a dungeon.
Azazel was a significant leader among demons, directed as he was by Lucifer in the plans involving the Special Children, and the plot to release Lucifer from his prison. Following Azazel's death, Ruby and Lilith continued the plan until their deaths and Lucifer's release. After Lucifer's re-imprisonment, Crowley declares himself King of Hell. Abaddon later wars with Crowley for rule of Hell for several months before being killed by Dean with the First Blade.
Demons usually do not have bodies of their own, except in the case of Acheri demons, who can "manifest" as human children. Other demons appear as black smoke in their incorporeal form. Their presence may leave traces of sulfur. They manifest by possessing humans, alive or recently deceased, via demonic possession.
Exorcism will drive the demon from its human host and return it to Hell. A possessed human may incur physical damage while the demon is present, including fatal injuries, but will survive until they are dispossessed. A high volume of dispossessed individuals die; Dean commented that demons seem to enjoy wearing out their meatsuits. Humans possessed by demons exhibit black, red, yellow or white eyes depending on the demon involved.
Demons themselves, and people close to the Gates of Hell, see the "real" decaying faces of demons, not just the body they use to walk the earth; angels can as well, evidenced by Anna being able to see the demon behind the meatsuit.
Demons' abilities and weaknesses vary depending on the apparent rank of the demon. Demons share many strengths and weaknesses with ghosts.
These abilities are possessed by all demons.
- Demonic Possession - Like angels (besides Cupid, or so it seems) , most demons (only known exceptions are Acheri, Daeva and Hellhounds) require a human vessel or "meatsuit" to travel on Earth. Unlike angels, they do not need a person's consent, and demons can possess corpses. It is easier to take control of people who are in states of heightened emotions or fear. When possessing a human, the Demon invades their muscles, bones and brains, and it can also access their host's memories while possessing them (even if it is a brief possession). This ability can be thwarted by anti-possession tattoos. Under certain circumstances, the person being possessed can regain control if his or her will is strong enough. They can also possess humans who are already possessed by an angel (and probably by another demon), but the only problem is the angel can neutralize it, because angels are naturally stronger than demons. In many cases, the demon will ride the host hard for fun and once they vacate, the host will die.
- Electromagnetic Interference - Demons, like spirits, often disrupt nearby electronics with their presence. Large numbers of demons can cause thunderstorms.
- Flight - Only when in their smoke forms.
- Immortality - Demons have an indefinitely long lifespan and an arrested aging process.
- Invulnerability - Injuries that would be fatal to humans, such as broken necks or gunshot wounds, have very little - if any - effect on demons. They can only be killed by special weapons or rituals. Unlike angels, they don't always heal their vessels. If the "meatsuit" receives too much damage, they simply find another human to possess, leaving their former vessel to die.
- Super stamina - Demons never tire, and do not require food, water, oxygen, or sleep to sustain themselves. Sam states that they also do not get hot or cold; Dean states they do not need to urinate.
- Super strength - Demons possess superior physical strength compared to that of humans, capable of physically overpowering humans. Demons can also overpower most monsters. Once, a demon (the Phantom Traveler demon) ripped open an airplane hatch with over 2 tons of atmospheric pressure at over 1,000 feet above the ground. The higher ranking the demon, the stronger it is. The highest ranking demons can overpower low-level angels.
- Supernatural Perception - Demons are able to see hidden supernatural activity and beings, such as Reapers, ghosts, and hellhounds.
- Supernatural Senses - Demons have an enhanced sense of smell and taste, demonstrated as Crowley could identify Castiel was in Dean's Impala and that he and Raphael had been using dog's blood. A demon possessing a waitress claimed she could smell Sam's soul.
- Telekinesis - Demons can move or suspend objects and other beings with their minds. Higher ranking demons can use this ability to pin their victims to walls or kill people by snapping their necks.
- Soul Extraction - Demons have the ability to forcefully remove a person's soul from their body.
Used by some (mostly upper and some mid-tier), but not all, black-eyed demons, as well as higher-ranking demons.
- Biokinesis - Some demons can manipulate the biology of other beings. Azazel, for example, was able to torture Dean by causing him to hemorrhage. Meg was also able to cause Crowley to cough up blood in a similar manner. Astaroth stopped Elizabeth's heart with a wave of her hand and Abaddon caused people to bleed from their eyes. Crowley was even able to cause a girl to explode by snapping his fingers.
- Electrokinesis - Displayed by Azazel and Crowley. They could manipulate electronic equipment to their will. The demon possessing Isaac's corpse was able to switch on an old radio.
- Healing - Used by Crowley, he is the only demon who has shown the ability to heal others out of the context of a deal, albeit a small wound. (All Dogs Go To Heaven)
- Invisibility - Some demons can become invisible to humans.
- Mind Control - The Seven Deadly Sins each possessed the ability to force humans to carry out lethal actions based around the Sin they represented. For example, Envy forced a woman to kill over a pair of shoes, Gluttony forced Issac to drink drain cleaner and Sloth caused a family to stay seated and starve to death.
- Pyrokinesis - Some demons can generate and manipulate fire. Azazel, Abaddon and Brady have demonstrated this ability. Crowley can also manipulate fire; he has lit a fireplace by raising his hand, extinguished a Holy Fire circle by snapping his fingers, and also pretended to set himself on fire.
- Regeneration - At least some demons can heal their hosts from any physical injury they sustain. Meg was able to heal several broken bones after falling from a window. Crowley, Meg and Ruby have all been shot on several occasions and show no signs of injury following the incident. Crowley has also healed his vessel after being severely burned by an angel's white light and being stabbed through the shoulder by an angel blade. However, after leaving their host, any injuries the body has sustain reappear and the host dies. Oddly, while Crowley has vacated his vessel several times, many of his injuries (such as his burns) did not reappear on his host (though his host seems to have died so it is possible some of his injuries did reappear).
- Spell Casting - Some demons can practice witchcraft, much like witches, like altering the range/space they occupy. Other demons are adept in Enochian magic, which they use to protect themselves from Angels. Alastair knew of a spell that could allow him to banish an angel back to Heaven. Meg and Casey knew of spells that they could use while inside a Devil's Trap, allowing them to break free. Astaroth was extremely skilled in magic and used it to kill witches, to almost kill Dean and severely hurt Ruby.
- Soul Reading - Some demons, particularly Crossroad Demons, can assess the condition of one's soul.
- Telepathy - Dean mentions that some demons can read minds. Envy used this ability to gain intimate knowledge about Tamara's past without ever encountering her before or possessing her.
- Teleportation - Knights of Hell, white-eyed demons, red-eyed demons, and powerful black eyed demons are able to teleport from one place to another, without occupying the space inbetween.
- Terrakinesis - Some demons can create small earthquakes. This was once used to destroy a Devil's Trap drawn by Kevin Tran. Abaddon was also able to create an earthquake with her presence that broke a Devil's Trap restraining Crowley.
- Thermokinesis - Certain demons such as Lilith and Crowley can emit great heat through their skin resulting in severe burns to whatever they touch. Lilith used this power to scald Sam when forcefully kissing him and later to burn through a Devil's Trap. Crowley once caused Ruby's knife to burn red hot by merely snapping his fingers, forcing Dean to drop it. (We Need To Talk About Kevin).
- Voice Mimicry - Crowley was able to mimic his original host's voice while possessing Mrs. Tran in order to taunt the Winchesters. Though never confirmed, it is hinted at that Ruby may have been the one that sent Sam a voice text of Dean, distorting what Dean would have really said.
- Weather Manipulation - Some demons such as Meg and Father Gil are able to alter the weather to a limited extent such as creating sudden gusts of wind. More powerful demons like Azazel can create stronger winds and Abaddon could trigger thunder and lightning merely by screaming.
Knights of Hell, Multicolored, White-Eyed demons, Crowley and Azazel are the only ones to use these powers. They also possess all the previous abilities at enhanced levels and are incredibly strong. Lilith and Alastair are known to be powerful enough to fight and even overpower angels who rank low on the celestial chain of command. They will still flee when confronted by Archangels.
- Access to/from Hell - High ranking demons such as Azazel, Alastair, and Crowley can easily teleport themselves back and forth between Earth and Hell, without the need for any complex summoning ritual or assistance. This however, varied among high-tier demons, as some were kept imprisoned due to unknown reasons and methods.
- Demonic Smiting - Cain, one of the first and most powerful demons, displayed the power to smite other demons, similar to the angel smiting, but with a red glow rather than a white one.
- Dream Walking - Displayed by Azazel only on the special children. He could enter and control the dreams of his targets.
- Enhanced Immunity - As a general rule, the more powerful the demon, the more resistant they are to harm and common anti-demon methods such as salt and holy water. High ranking demons like Alastair are immune to the Killing Touch of normal angels and both he and Abaddon are immune to the killing effects of the Demon-killing knife though it causes them pain. The Knights of Hell could only be killed by the First Blade and Cain, the original Knight, is completely immune to the knife to the point it doesn't even hurt him.
- Exorcism - Displayed by Abaddon and (possibly) Lilith. Abaddon forced a demon out of its host and back to Hell by choking its vessel. Lilith also claimed that she sent Ruby to Hell and then possessed her vessel.
- Memory Extraction - By inserting part of her essence into her victim, Abaddon could access their memories (even their subconscious memories) and gain information about what they had seen and heard.
- Memory Manipulation - Displayed by Crowley and Azazel. Crowley stated that he "scrubbed" Kevin's short term memory and Azazel was able to erase Dean's memory of his conversation with Tessa. (In My Time of Dying)
- Mind Manipulation - Displayed by Crowley only, he was able to grant his illiterate son the ability to read simply by touching his head.
- Summoning - Displayed by Samhain. He could summon and control various monsters, ghosts and zombies.
- White Light - Used by Lilith (Jus In Bello, No Rest for the Wicked) and Samhain (It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester). High ranking demons can use this to generate massive amounts of destructive energy that can obliterate large areas. This ability is extremely rare and are otherwise present only in the more powerful angelic beings.
These powers can generally only be accessed in the context of a Faustian Deal or performed in Hell.
- Healing - In the context of a deal, crossroads demons can heal themselves and others of any wound as demonstrated by Azazel and Crowley. While in Hell, demons such as Alastair can heal any wound applied to their victim, so that they can continue to torture them again and again.
- Reality Warping - Crossroads demons, and a few other demons, can grant humans a wish in exchange for their souls. It is worth noting that Azazel did not need to take souls, and could grant wishes from his own power, which he did in exchange for permission to enter the homes of special children, on their 6-month birthday. Lilith also claimed she could make deals without taking a soul but this was never confirmed. While in Hell, demons can alter reality to torture people in ways that are beyond human imagination. One of the reasons Alastair despises being on Earth is because reality is "too concrete", and there are too few resources for torturing people efficiently. In Hell, Crowley was able to turn a demon to dust with just a snap of his fingers.
- Resurrection - One of the wishes demons can grant is the resurrection of a loved one. Crowley claims that, since he is now the King of Hell, he is strong enough to resurrect anybody in his care without a deal. He demonstrated this by resurrecting Samuel Campbell in Season 6. This is the 'patriarch' he 'took off the bench' in order to capture Alpha creatures, which Crowley hoped would lead him to the door of Purgatory. Azazel also displayed resurrecting, the young John Winchester, after he killed him, in the context of a deal. He couldn't, however, resurrect Dean (possibly because he hadn't crossed over yet)- instead, he possessed a Reaper, who he used to do it for him.
- Shapeshifting - Demons can take any form they wish while in Hell. Several demons were able to take the appearance of Sam and Dean while torturing Bobby Singer in Hell.
- Devil's Trap - A Devil's Trap will hold a demon in place and prevent its escape. No matter how powerful the demon is, they are bound by the Trap. The Trap will also prevent demons from using their powers. Castiel's Enochian circle was able to completely bind even Alastair's abilities. It also locks a demon inside its host unless it is exorcised. For some reason, a demon inside a trap is usually unable to do anything to damage the integrity of the circle, which would allow its escape. A Devil's Trap engraved into a bullet was shown to limit the movements like a normal Devil's Trap would. This was shown by the bullet shot into Abaddon's head (As Time Goes By), and to the bullet shot into Crowley. (King of the Damned)
- Flesh Sigil - By carving a particular sigil into a demon's possessed flesh, it is possible to lock the demon within its host and disable its powers, the most important one being teleportation. However, demons with these sigils are not bound to a single place and can roam around freely if not restrained by some other means. (The Devil You Know)
- Holy Fire - Though not fatal to demons as it is to angels, Holy Fire can cause demons extreme pain, as demonstrated when Castiel threw Meg into Holy Fire (Abandon All Hope...) and when Sam doused Abaddon in Holy Fire, causing her so much pain she fled both the scene and her vessel (Sacrifice). Another demon committed suicide by dousing himself in Holy Fire (Soul Survivor).
- Holy Water - Holy Water burns demons that come into contact with it, like acid (though it does no damage to the human host, only the Demon). It has proved to be very effective against demons, as only Azazel and Lilith have been thought to be immune to it. However, certain high-tier demons seem to develop some resilience to it as Ruby practically laughed when Sam was about use it against Alastair because it would barely slow him down and, while it caused them pain, it only affected Crowley and the Seven Deadly Sins for a very brief period of time.
- Iron - A demon can't touch iron without its skin burning or cross it if it is used to erect a barrier, much like salt. Samhain and Alastair were immune to this weakness and Astaroth had some resistance to it. In large groups, demons are able to overcome this weakness, as the demon army was able to break an iron Devil's Trap in order to escape.
- Palo Santo - Basically a wooden, hybridized version of salt and holy water. When a demon is stabbed with it, it causes the wound to smoke and painfully pins the demon to a single spot, immobilizing them long enough to perform an exorcism. Palo Santo isn't commonly used by many hunters due to the fact that it damages the hosts the demons are possessing. (The Magnificent Seven)
- Purified blood - The blood of a person who has confessed his/her sins or is blessed by a priest is shown to be able to hurt demons if injected into them. This hurts Knights of Hell more than regular demons.
- Salt - Demons are unable to cross a line of salt and can do very little to damage the line at all. They cannot open doors lined with salt if opening it would break the line. Salt can also be used to torture demons by making them ingest it or by injecting them with saltwater. Forcing a demon to ingest salt will drive them out of their host. It can also be put into shotgun rounds to hurt and knock back demons. However, Azazel is immune to this weakness and Crowley was hardly affected by rock salt shots; Crowley still found the experience painful.
- Angels - Demons are inherently weaker than angels and therefore, are highly susceptible to the powers of angels. Even low-tier angels are able to easily overpower and kill almost all demons except the most powerful ones, demonstrating the apparent disparity in power between the two supernatural species. Only the highest ranking demons in the hierarchy of Hell could fight and overpower low-tier angels. Furthermore, in extremely large groups, demons can overpower regular angels, as shown when Crowley's army defeats Castiel's guards. However, even the most powerful demons are completely no match for Archangels, who can easily destroy them.
- Angel Blade - In Torn and Frayed, it is shown that an Angel Blade can be used to kill a demon. Sam uses one to kill two demons while rescuing Samandriel. It was earlier implied when Castiel drew his blade against Crowley. Crowley and Meg use Angel Blades to kill other demons when necessary. Even Abaddon has been shown to use an angel blade on occasion (Road Trip), and it appears to be Crowley's method of executing demons who have committed crimes against him. (Soul Survivor)
- Archangel Blade - Even more powerful than a regular Angel Blade, it is assumed only four in existence, belonging to the four archangels. (Michael, Raphael, Lucifer, Gabriel)
- Bones - If the bones belonging to the demon are burned, the demon will be killed, much like a vengeful spirit. This can also be used to torture demons. This until recently was believed to be merely a rumor; however, Bobby tested this method against a Crossroads Demon, resulting in her death. Crowley may have been aware of this method, as he tried to convince Bobby it was "a myth". This tactic is very difficult to use. It requires to know the location of a demon's bones. It may be necessary to have extensive information on their human biography, and many demons themselves can no longer remember they were ever human at all, let alone particular details of their earthly life, including their names.
- The Colt - Much like Ruby's Knife, it will kill any demon that is shot while within a host if the shot is a fatal one. It is more powerful, however, as it affects upper level demons as well, even when the Knife does not.
- Demon Bomb - The Word of God tablet on demons describes a spell which can completely destroy demons. Kevin Tran is able to cast this spell and it is shown to work, disintegrating two demons and their vessels. (We Need To Talk About Kevin) Following instructions Kevin made in a notebook, Sam and Dean are later able to turn this into a bomb that Sam uses to kill three demons. (A Little Slice of Kevin) Sam and Dean later use it to kill four demons while rescuing Samandriel. (Torn and Frayed)
- Demon Cure - It's possible to turn a demon into a human again if, on sacred ground, a human injects his own "pure" blood in a demon. The blood must be given hourly for eight hours. In the last dose, the blood must be fresh and the donor must tell before the exorcism: "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, hanc animam redintegra, lustra, lustra". (Clip Show) Alternatively, the curer only need inject the purified blood and it will cure the demon. (Soul Survivor)
- Death - Death can reap anything in existence, including demons, reapers, monsters, angels, and gods.
- Exorcism - Will pull the demon out of its host and send it to Hell. Hosts may not survive. Before Sam and Dean learned that demons could be killed by the Colt or Ruby's Knife, exorcism was the only known method used by hunters, to stop demons. Reciting the exorcism backwards will force the demon back into its host. Very powerful demons are immune to exorcism (eg. Abaddon).
- Death's Scythe - Death's Scythe can kill demons, as it is capable of reaping just about anything. Crowley confirms this when he gives Dean the scythe. (Two Minutes to Midnight)
- Defigere Et Depurgare - A spell created by the witch Rowena, which is capable of killing demons.
- Eve - As Eve is the primordial monster and mother of all monsters, she is able to kill even the most powerful demon. She has demonstrated the ability to even block the powers of angels, further displaying her power.
- Exorcism - An exorcism will pull the demon out of its host and send it to Hell. Hosts may not survive. Before Sam and Dean learned that demons could be killed by The Colt or Ruby's Knife, exorcism was the only known method used by hunters to stop demons. Reciting the exorcism backwards will force the demon back into its host. Very powerful demons are immune to exorcism (eg. Abaddon).
- The First Blade - The First Blade, combined with power from the Mark of Cain, is capable of killing demons that even other weapons can't, such as the Knights of Hell.
- God - Being omnipotent and omniscient, God can kill any demon He so desires.
- Hellhounds - Although normally docile towards demons, hellhounds can overpower and kill demons just as easily as they can kill humans.
- Higher demonic ranks - Common demons are often afraid that they will be killed if they disobey their masters. Crowley claimed that he killed a "hive" of demons in season 5, although he most likely used a hellhound or demon-killing weapon. This goes for the other demons as well. As the strongest demon, Cain is able to smite lower level demons. While in Hell, Crowley, the king, is able to snap his fingers, and turn lower level demons into dust. It is implied that this doesn't kill them, as Crowley used an Angel blade when he wants to kills a demon.
- Ingestion of Salt - Under some circumstances, the ingestion of large quantities of salt can force a demon to vacate its host. (I Believe The Children Are Our Future)
- Leviathans - As monsters that predate the existence of angels, Leviathans have been shown to be capable of overpowering and killing even Seraphim. As such, even the most powerful of demons are completely no match for Leviathans and can be easily killed by them. Furthermore, Leviathans view demon-kind to be a "mutation", and in one instance called demons to be "unimpressive", displaying a collective sense of hostility towards demons.
- Physical Damage - Though demons themselves cannot be harmed by conventional means, severe damage sustained by their vessels (such as severed limbs) will greatly reduce their effectiveness in combat. Unlike angels, most demons are unable to heal their vessels. As such, if the vessel accumulates too much damage, the demon will be forced to vacate its host and search for a new vessel. However, some demons choose to heal their host's injuries but this is relatively rare.
- Ruby's Knife (Ancient Demon-Killing Knife of the Kurds) - The knife originally belonged to Ruby, only later the Winchesters find out what it is exactly. It will kill a demon that is within a host if the wound dealt is a fatal one. Upper level demons are more resistant to the pain of the knife, and the Knights of Hell cannot be killed by the knife, as seen with Alastair and Abaddon. The only demon that the knife had no effect on was Cain. However most demons (with the exception of Cain) find contact with the knife extremely painful, even when not lethal.
- Virgin Sacrifice Spell (Unknown) - Ruby claimed to know a spell that would destroy any demon within a one mile radius. Not much is known about the ritual except that it requires cutting the heart out of a virgin. (Jus In Bello)
- Ghosts - Ghosts can pull demons from their vessels, as shown when John Winchester's spirit grabs Azazel.
- Hallowed Ground - Low-level demons are unable to enter hallowed ground, however stronger ones can. It is unclear if this includes cemeteries as well as churches. (Salvation)
- Hex bags - Hex bags can be used to hide people from demons as well as angels.
- Special Children - Sam Winchester developed special abilities almost especially tailored to hurt or kill demons. Due to training from Ruby and ingestion of demon blood, he first developed the power to pull demons out of humans. Later the powers advanced to killing demons outright, much like the knife or the Colt. Although unknown, it is assumed the other special children would have also been able to do this as well, had they survived, trained, and ingested demon blood.
- Witches - Witches can harm demons with some spells, as shown when Elizabeth caused Astaroth to cough pins. However, it seems that they cannot kill demons; witches gain most of their powers from Demons, which implies they are relatively powerless against them. (Malleus Maleficarum)
The most common and standard class of demons on the show, black-eyed demons possess only basic powers, such as super-strength and telekinesis. Effective defenses against these demons include Holy Water, salt, iron, a Devil's Trap, etc. Stronger black-eyed demons, such as Meg (Demon), are not barred in entering hallowed ground and one demon, Tammi, is shown to have the ability of causing internal bleeding. She also has extensive magical knowledge, such as when she recites a ritual to exorcise Ruby from her body. Tammi was also able to stop a bullet shot from The Colt in mid-air. Although the Knights of Hell are black-eyed demons, they are far more powerful and possess much greater abilities.
Red-eyed demons are one level higher than black-eyed demons, and have more powers, such as teleportation and deal making. Since red-eyed demons have the ability to teleport, they are usually stationed as crossroad demons, so they can teleport to the crossroads without having to be forcefully summoned. As crossroads demons, they make deals with humans, granting them one wish in exchange for their soul. In a period of time, normally ten years, a Hellhound will be sent after the deal maker, and drag him to Hell where he will become a demon. While stationed as crossroad demons, red-eyed demons generally posses attractive females, presumably to attract men to make a deal. If favored by the Ruler of Hell, or another higher demon, red-eyed demons can be promoted from a crossroads demon to a higher position.
White-eyed demons are considered the generals of demons. They're terrifyingly powerful and they rank the highest in the hierarchy of Hell, just under Lucifer himself. They inspired fear in their subordinates as all other demons seemed to be terrified of them. Being as powerful as they are, they were resistant to many demonic weaknesses. They were even capable of holding their own against regular angels. So far, the only known demons of this type are Lilith and Alastair, the former of which was the very first demon to be created.
Azazel is the only yellow-eyed demon to appear in any episode thus far. Besides having a unique durability threshold and advanced telekinesis, he could manipulate fire, control dreams, make electrical devices go haywire, and could even possess Reapers. The initial leader of the demon army, Azazel was the designer of the master plan to free Lucifer from Hell. He was impervious to Holy Water and most other conventional defenses against demons.
Knights of Hell are very powerful demons, said to be some of the first demons; handpicked by Lucifer himself, they were created and trained by Cain, the Father of Murder and himself the first Knight. Legend among Men of Letters had it that archangels have destroyed all but one, but in truth Cain himself killed them. Knights possess a number of abilities not seen from other types of demons. They are also nearly invulnerable, being immune to many defenses against demons, including exorcism rites and even the demon-killing knife. The only weapon that can kill one is The First Blade. With Abaddon's death and Dean being cured, Cain is the only Knight left.
Cambions are demon/human hybrids, which are created when a demon reproduces with a female human virgin, by using said human as a vessel. Jesse Turner is the only known Cambion. He was born from a woman while possessed by a demon, and was meant to become the Anti-Christ, destined to help Lucifer not only destroy humanity, but also destroy the Host of Heaven. His powers far exceed that of any Demon or Angel. Lucifer's presence on Earth increased his powers tremendously. Even though he was still a child, he was powerful enough to turn Castiel into a toy figure. However, thanks to Sam and Dean's encouragement, Jesse rejected his destiny and went into hiding. (I Believe the Children Are Our Future).
Throughout the course of Supernatural, the Winchester brothers have battled demons that are unique in some way. Examples of these demons include:
- The Acheri - Demons from Indian mythology that can spread disease, appears as young girls with feline features.
- Daeva (Zoroastrian shadow demons) - Daeva, who are sometimes used by other demons to attack target, but are difficult to control, can turn on the demon controlling them. They do not seem to require a host. (Shadow)
- Deva/Reshef - Demon of Plague and Pestilence, seen in the eyeballs in "Croatoan". May be one of the Demons that causes disasters. (Croatoan, The End, The Devil You Know, Two Minutes to Midnight)
- Airplane Demon - The demons that cause disasters, which is a rare type, causes a specific type of disasters, both natural or man-made as on the episode Phantom Traveler (causing airplane crashes). They are also quite unique, as their form on Earth resembles insects more than smoke; they enter their victims through the eyes, and only the iris's turn black when possessing a victim. They can also possess inanimate objects, such as cars and planes.
- Hellhounds - Demonic canines that drag souls to Hell upon their deal expiring. They do not require a host.
- Rakshasa - A Hindi demon that can disguise itself. It can only enter a residence by invitation. (Everybody Loves a Clown)
- Samhain (The Multicolor-Eyed Demon) - Samhain, the origin of Halloween, can be summoned through three blood sacrifices every 600 years. (It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester)
- The Seven Deadly Sins - The physical embodiments of the Seven Cardinal Vices, with a touch or speaking, can effect their vice upon a victim. (The Magnificent Seven)
- Abaddon (killed by Dean Winchester, with The First Blade)
- Alastair (killed by Sam Winchester, using demon powers)
- Azazel (killed by Dean Winchester, using The Colt)
- Crowley
- Dean's Crossroad Demon (killed by Sam Winchester, using The Colt)
- Dean Winchester (cured by Sam Winchester)
- Gerald (killed by Crowley, tricked into it by Rowena)
- Lilith (killed by Sam Winchester, using demon powers)
- Meg (killed by Crowley)
- Ruby (killed by Dean Winchester, using Ruby's Knife, with Sam's help)
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- The first demon ever to appear (the airplane demon in Phantom Traveler) was notably different from the other demons that would later appear. This was the result of several retcons by the writer as they developed the demon lore.
- Demons' true forms are almost never seen on Supernatural, but if one looks carefully in All Hell Breaks Loose - Part 2 after John pulls Azazel out of his vessel, a decaying skull-like face is visible within Azazel's smoke form. This is arguably also seen in demons stabbed with the demon knife or an angel blade, when their vessels flash orange and the skeleton beneath is visible. From this, it's possible that demon's true form when disembodied in fact, resembles animated human skeleton that engulfed by smoke.
- Crowley's true form took on a reddish smoke, as opposed to the usual black color.
- In Bobby Singer's Guide to Hunting, Samhain was described as a Blue-eyed demon. It also states that orange eyed demons exist and that white eyed demons are immune to exorcism.
- Demons are the main antagonists of the Show, and the most recurring one. Up to date four main villains have been demons, specifically Azazel, Lilith, Crowley and Abaddon. Likewise three secondary villains have also been demons, specifically Meg, Alastair and Ruby.
- In Frontierland, Samuel Colt kills two demons who, upon death, flash blue opposed to the regular red-orange. It is never explained how the demons differed from others. Azazel's demonic son, Tom, also shared this trait when he was killed by the Colt in Devil's Trap.
- In Taxi Driver, it is implied that demons do not need vessels to appear human while inside Hell, as one on-screen demon (and many more off-screen) was able to appear as Sam Winchester without possessing him.
- In Hell it appears that the King of Hell can turn demons to dust with just a snap of his fingers as Crowley did to an unnamed demon. However, as the power of Reality Warping is amplified in Hell, this appears to be just limited to Hell itself as on Earth Crowley relies on Angel Blades as do other demons.