Why Supernatural Fans Think Sam Is The Most Relatable Character

The CW's action-horror hit "Supernatural" boasts a massive cast of regular, recurring, and minor characters from humans and angels to a seemingly limitless array of demons and other unpleasant creatures. For most fans, choosing a main persona on the show to root for comes down to either Team Sam (Jared Padalecki) or Team Dean (Jensen Ackles). Sam and Dean Winchester are the often-at-odds siblings on a valiant, Chevy-Impala-fueled quest to vanquish evil in whatever form it assumes. Oftentimes, Dean overshadows Sam and that could be because of their wildly different personalities (or Ackles' acting skills). 

Dean's the kind of guy who can walk into a bar, confidently chat up the waitress, step outside to slaughter a few vampires without breaking a sweat, then go back in and will end up taking the girl home. The next day, he'll typically forget the whole ordeal, move on to the next town, and re-enact the same story. Sam, on the other hand, can vaporize a few demons as well but he's the type to leave the bar early to read obscure, ancient texts about the safest way to confront a ghoul. So, with bad boy Dean and geek Sam, why are some "Supernatural" viewers so clearly drawn to the latter when it comes to feeling sympathetic?

More than a few "Supernatural" viewers seem to relate to Sam for one primary reason — his nature as a somewhat reserved and awkward "good guy" as opposed to Dean's morally flexible rogue persona. In the "Supernatural" subreddit, u/ImmediateRub9 started a discussion on Sam versus Dean with a post titled "I relate to Sam in so many ways." They started things off by writing, "... he's been through so much but he's still kind and hopeful, I really relate to him," adding that while he may come across as aloof, he actually struggles to maintain self-control to rein in his impulses. U/sapphicsato concurred, adding that they've always liked Sam more than Dean and that, "He is the most relatable character in the show for me." U/lionne6 replied that they relate to Sam because of his independence and wrote, "I also relate to him in other ways, he's a smart guy who loves to read and doesn't just connect with any random person." Meanwhile, u/sheprevails7 pays perhaps the ultimate compliment to Sam's relatable nature by commenting, "I have always loved Sam so much. I actually named my son Samuel after him!"

So, how does Jared Padalecki himself feel about the character he's played for so long? The actor revealed to Variety shortly after "Supernatural" ended, "I'm going to take Sam Winchester and the lessons I learned from 'Supernatural,' proudly, into every job I do -– and probably outside of jobs, just as what kind of human being I want to be."