Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Dean begins the season with one year left on the deal he made to bring Sam back. The brothers and Bobby confront the demons released when the Devil's Gate opened, while a demon named Ruby offers Sam help and a way to fight back. They cross paths with Bela, a thief who steals supernatural objects for profit. Ruby’s interest in Sam points toward a larger plan, but Dean's approaching deadline keeps their choices focused on breaking his contract.
The brothers encounter the Trickster, whose time loop makes Sam watch Dean die repeatedly, and later investigate cases that test their trust in Ruby and Bela. Sam searches for a way to stop Dean's death, even considering the grotesque experiments of Doc Benton, while Dean refuses to let his brother trade away his life. When their trail finally leads to Lilith, Dean can see demons inside their human hosts, but the power does not give him a way to undo the deal. Bela also has a demonic contract; she cannot escape collection and dies before Dean’s deadline.
With hours left, Dean and Sam track Lilith to New Harmony, where she is possessing a young girl. By the time they reach her, Lilith has left the girl and taken Ruby’s host. She pins the brothers down as a hellhound mauls Dean to death. Lilith’s attack on Sam has no effect, and she flees before he can retaliate. Sam cradles his brother’s body, while Dean’s soul hangs from chains and hooks in Hell.