Supernatural: Sam and Dean's 11 most memorable deaths

When your life is spent hunting the things that go bump in the night, you're always in danger. And for Sam (Jared Padelecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), that danger brought them face-to-face with death (sometimes literally) multiple times.

Sam getting struck by lightning only counts as a death on a technical level, because, otherwise, it's not the most memorable — probably because it was mostly played for laughs.

Dean's trip to purgatory would greatly impact him later on, but his actual death was so quick and unexpected that the scene barely gave viewers time to realize what was happening, much less feel something about it.

This death was brief, but still impactful — if only for the panicked look on Dean's face as he watched his brother collapse. This scene also gets points for the Michael-in-John's-body twist.

A trip to Apocalypse World took a shocking turn when Sam fell victim to a pack of vampires, of all things. After watching Sam have his throat ripped out, a heartbroken Dean was forced to leave his little brother behind. Thankfully, Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) showed up and brought Sam back to help him win favor with Jack (Alexander Calvert). And the look on Dean's face when he saw his brother again was worth all the heartbreak.

One of the more violent deaths, Sam and Dean were shot — at close range — in a motel room. In a show that's about the unthinkable, this scenario was so realistic it was horrifying. But, thankfully, the guys returned to the living after a memorable trip to Heaven.

The episode with the most deaths, "Mystery Spot" found Sam stuck in a world where every day ended with Dean dying in some outlandish way. The deaths were mostly played for comedy, but the final one — when Dean was shot by a mugger — also struck a dramatic tone by leaving the viewer to wonder if it would stick.

In a great scene for both Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki to flex their acting muscles, Dean watched as Lucifer-Sam snapped his neck in the future. Combined with Lucifer's speech about how the scenario was inevitable for Dean, it was about as crushing as anything we'd seen.

This scene is memorable enough simply for being Sam's first death on the show. But, when you combine it with the moment Dean tried to warn Sam that Jake (Aldis Hodge) was sneaking up behind him (but couldn't), it's downright unforgettable.

Sam arrived just in time to see Metatron (Curtis Armstrong) stab Dean, and, as Sam held his brother, Dean managed to get out some final words: "I'm proud of us." Tissues, please.

No true Supernatural fan will forget how they felt when the Hellhounds came calling for Dean in season 3, just as they'll never forget the range of emotions experienced when Sam took hold of Lucifer and willingly jumped in the cage. There aren't enough tears in the world.