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When they say my name perhaps I will be remembered, not as the one who let the serpent in but as one of the few who helped give Heaven a second chance.
— Gadreel's final moments before sacrificing himself
in Do You Believe In Miracles?

Gadreel was the angel that guarded the Garden of Eden from evil, particularly Lucifer, who managed to trick Gadreel into letting him in. This ruptured the Garden's stability, triggering a series of events that caused the creation of Hell, Lucifer's falling from Heaven, humanity's corruption, and the creation of demons. As punishment for his failure, Gadreel was imprisoned within Heaven's dungeon and tortured for thousands of years. After Metatron's spell, he posed as the famed angel Ezekiel, who was considered to be the exact opposite of Gadreel. While masquerading as Ezekiel, Gadreel inhabited Sam Winchester, as a way to heal the hunter and himself, but also to hide from Bartholomew and Malachi. Crowley managed to torture the angel enough for the demon to enter Sam to make him expel Gadreel out. Gadreel moved on from Sam and entered his previous vessel. After working to aid Metatron in his efforts to rebuild Heaven, Gadreel became disgusted with his methods and sacrificed himself so that Castiel could stop Metatron hoping to one day be remembered for saving Heaven, rather than allowing Lucifer into the Garden

He was an indirect catalyst for Lucifer's corruption of man, the creation of demons, God's departure of Heaven, the Apocalypse and thus the events of the entire series itself, making him arguably one of the most significant characters of the series.

History[]

Background[]

Gadreel was once God's most trusted angel. He was stationed by God at the Garden of Eden to protect it from evil. However, he failed at this task by letting the serpent in, cursing the Earth with evil, and so was dishonored but would claim that it was a mistake and not his fault, implying that he let Lucifer in by accident without knowing his intentions. This was, in fact, the reason God left Heaven. His actions led to the chaos in the universe, the severity of which caused him to be locked in the darkest dungeon in Heaven for countless thousands of years, something that, according to Metatron, broke God's heart. Metatron amounted his image to "a sap" and "Heaven's longest running joke.", with Crowley calling him "the original chump", and Gabriel calling him an "old chest nut". From the moment of his imprisonment Gadreel's sole obsession was to one day escape and redeem himself, so much that he lost sight of the mission of protecting humanity. During his imprisonment, Gadreel was abused by the angel guard Thaddeus for countless centuries but also befriended fellow inmate Abner.

Season 8[]

In Sacrificewhen Metatron tricked Castiel into using a spell to expel all angels from heaven, Gadreel was one of the angels who fell as a result.

Season 9[]

Sam and Ezekiel

"Ezekiel" watches over an ill Sam.

In I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here, Gadreel fell to Earth with the other angels and took a vessel. When Dean Winchester sent out a desperate prayer to any angel to help Sam, Gadreel, who was traveling by bus, heard the prayer and got back on the bus to help. After Gadreel arrived at Dean's location, he interrupted an angel attacking Dean only to be attacked himself. Dean killed the angel with his own angel blade, then Gadreel passed out.

While he is unconscious, Dean traps him in Holy Fire and demands to know what he wants as he is distrusting of angels. Gadreel, identifying himself as "Ezekiel", convinces Dean he wants to help and Castiel later confirms by phone that "Ezekiel" can be trusted, so Dean lets him try. However, both Gadreel and Sam are weak and he is unable to heal him right away.

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Gadreel possesses Sam.

Two angels arrive and Dean puts up warding to protect Sam and Gadreel as Sam can't leave without dying and manages to banish the two angels who show up. With Sam near death and unable to do anything, Gadreel offers a "bad" solution: he possesses Sam. Doing so would allow him to heal Sam from the inside while recuperating from his own injuries. After showing Dean how close Sam is to giving up, Gadreel takes on Dean's form and enters Sam's mind, convincing him to say "Yes" to him and stop Sam from going with Death and dying. Gadreel possesses Sam and leaves the hospital with Dean, leaving his previous vessel there with no memory of what happened. Gadreel decides to let Sam remain in control of his body while he hides away in his mind, but warns Dean that Sam must not know until he can accept it or he will be able to eject the angel from him. Gadreel and Dean decide to erase Sam's memory of his near-death experience and Gadreel gives Sam back control.

Ezekiel3

Gadreel's broken wings.

In Devil May Care, when Sam is knocked out by three demons, Gadreel takes control of his body and displays what's left of his wings, and distracts them with the light it causes. Gadreel then uses the demon-killing knife to kill them in order to avoid questions when Sam wakes up. Gadreel's presence causes Abaddon to flee and he and Dean discuss the situation with Dean admitting that he feels guilty about all the deaths that have happened as he stopped Sam from sealing up Hell. Gadreel tells Dean that he understands that he did it to save Sam and that he loves his brother a lot from being in Sam's mind and keeps Sam from knowing what happened while he was knocked out after he gives up control again, having used the knife to kill the demons so Dean could explain away their deaths.

In I'm No Angel, Gadreel takes control of Sam to warn Dean that the angels are looking for Castiel and that a faction is gaining vessels and power. He also reassures Dean that Sam is feeling better and that he is successfully healing him though it is slow going. Dean grows worried about the angels chasing Castiel, but has Gadreel give back control to Sam rather than continue helping.

SPN 1353

"Ezekiel" resurrects Castiel.

When Dean gets desperate to find Castiel after learning that reapers are after him, Dean calls on Gadreel to help. Gadreel reluctantly takes control, telling Dean that he can't be running around in control, but Dean asks him to just help to find Castiel. Gadreel is unable to do so due to Castiel warding himself with a tattoo against angels, but Dean instead has him look for Reapers that are after Castiel. Gadreel is able to locate Castiel this way and gives back control to Sam. After Castiel is killed by the reaper and Dean kills the reaper, Gadreel once again takes control of Sam and resurrects Castiel. Dean covers it up by claiming that Sam got knocked out and then he made a deal with April not to kill her if she brought Castiel back and then killed her anyway. At the Men of Letters bunker, Gadreel takes control and tells Dean that Castiel must leave because angels are after him and while the base is protected, they can't withstand an incursion. Gadreel tells Dean that if Castiel isn't sent away he will have to leave Sam and flee which would lead to Sam's death. With no other choice, Dean tells Castiel he has to leave.

Gadreel takes control of Sam's body as Dean calls out to him

Gadreel takes control of Sam's body as Dean calls out to him and return Charlie to life

In Slumber Party, when Charlie Bradbury is killed by the Wicked Witch, Dean calls out to Gadreel as soon as Sam enters the room and he takes control. Dean asks for help with Charlie, but Gadreel tells him that Charlie is dead and he can't keep using his powers to help as it weakens him and he is only back at half-strength. He tells Dean he can either bring Charlie back or help with the Witch and Dean has him resurrect Charlie. Dean then tells Sam and Charlie that they got knocked out by the Witch but he drove her off. However Sam becomes suspicious as he heard Dean call for a "Zeke" but Dean tried to say that Sam was out of it.

In Dog Dean Afternoon, after Chef Leo slashes Sam's neck, seriously wounding him, Gadreel takes control for a moment to heal the wound and erase Sam's memory of it. As a result, Chef Leo tries to eat Sam to heal his own cancer.

Zekesam

"Ezekiel" warning Dean about revealing the angel's possession of Sam.

In Rock and a Hard Place, when Dean prepares to tell Sam about Gadreel, the angel quickly takes possession of Sam and tells Dean that Sam is not ready to know the truth, but also promises that he will not be in Sam much longer.

Metatron talks with Gadreel outside the alleyway

Metatron discuss matters with Gadreel outside the alleyway

In Holy Terror, he again promises Dean he won't be in Sam much longer. He is not happy when Castiel comes back and asks Dean to get rid of him. While at a bar, he goes outside to get some air where he is met by Metatron who tells him he know who he really is. Metatron tells him that he wants to bring back Heaven to its former glory and wants him to be his second in command so that he can redeem himself for his failure saying that he used to be God's most trusted. After many secret meeting with Metatron he accepts the offer, Metatron is glad and gives him a piece of paper with a name on it telling him to kill said person. Gadreel says that's not who he is but Metatron says it must be done.

Meanwhile, Dean has figured out the truth from Castiel and asks Kevin to help him find a way to cancel the angel out so that he can tell Sam the truth. They find special sigils and paint them in the storeroom but Gadreel had overheared and alters the form. Dean brings "Sam" to the room and activates the spell and tells him the truth but "Sam" punches him out. "Sam" approaches Kevin and proceeds to smite the prophet. Dean witnesses this in horror and tries to aid, but "Sam" telekinetically pins him to a pillar. Gadreel reveals that he was in possession of Sam's body the whole time they talked. After revealing the truth to Dean, Gadreel then proceeds to leave the bunker with the angel and demon tablets.

Gadreel staying at his angel friend Abner's house and have moments with him

Gadreel and his friend, Abner having a conversation

In Road Trip, in order to get around, Gadreel stole the Impala while trapping Sam in a fantasy world in his mind so that he would be unaware of what was going on and couldn't expel him, but would be unharmed. Following Metatron's orders, Gadreel tracks down Thaddeus. Gadreel refuses Thaddeus' apologies from their time in Heaven and kills him with his own angel blade. Gadreel meets with Metatron in a bar where he is surprised to find his original vessel working as a bartender. Gadreel turns over the angel and demon tablets and confirms Kevin and Thaddeus' deaths, but not Dean's, saying that Metatron didn't order him to kill Dean. Metatron orders him to kill another man named Alexander Sarver to prove his loyalty and Gadreel is angry that he must kill again, but Metatron yells at him to stop questioning his orders.

Supernatural-season-9-episode-10-crowley-castiel-dean-sam

Dean, Castiel and Crowley work to Expel Gadreel from Sam.

Traveling to Sommerset, Pennsylvania, Gadreel is surprised to find that Sarver is actually the vessel of his friend Abner and hesitates in killing him. Meeting with Abner when his family is gone, Gadreel learns that he has taken on the role of his vessel, taking care of the Sarver family and taking up his job, happier with his life as a human than of an angel. Abner is horrified to learn that Gadreel killed Thaddeus. Gadreel then slits Abner's throat, killing him. While cleaning up, Gadreel is approached by Dean while Gadreel is distracted, Castiel knocks him out.

Gadreel is taken to an abandoned warehouse where he is chained up and interrogated by Dean who demands to know who he is and why he betrayed him when he had trusted the angel and fought with him. Gadreel tries to comfort him by telling him that Sam is safely locked away in his mind with no idea of what is happening, but threatens to tear his body apart if they try to expel him. After Castiel confirms that Gadreel healed most of Sam's injuries and he should be able to finish the job once Gadreel is gone, Dean sets Crowley on him to use his spikes to break into Gadreel's base coding to try to draw out Sam's mind. After hours, Crowley succeeds in activating Gadreel's "factory settings" and they learn who he is leaving Cass furious because of all the trouble he caused. However, Gadreel retakes control saying he has withstood much worse torture and can wait forever. Desperate, Dean asks Cass to possess Sam too to wake him up, but as Castiel would need Sam's permission, Crowley offers to do it instead in exchange for his freedom and with no choice, Dean agrees and has Castiel remove Sam's anti-possession tattoo despite Gadreel's warnings.

SPN 1453

Gadreel possesses his original vessel.

In Sam's mind, Gadreel, in the form of his original vessel, confronts Sam and Crowley after Sam learns the truth. Gadreel is angered when Crowley calls him the "original chump," saying he isn't anymore and tells Crowley to run. Instead, Crowley fights him to no avail and Sam attacks. Gadreel initially has the upper hand, but Sam manages to overpower him, finally expelling him. Expelled from Sam, Gadreel returns to the bar where Metatron is waiting in his natural form and gains permission from his original vessel once more. Gadreel possesses the man again and Metatron realizes the Winchesters once again interfered in their plans.

In First Born, it is revealed that a side effect of Gadreel's healing of Sam caused some of his grace to remain behind. Castiel tried to extract it from Sam to find Gadreel but the effects caused Sam to revert to his pre-Gadreel state and started having flashbacks and was forced to stop so Sam wouldn't die, thus the amount of Grace they had was not enough to track him.

DeanGadreel

Gadreel tortured by Dean.

In Meta Fiction, Gadreel continued to work for Metatron, who was now playing God with the power of the tablets, and was recruiting angels to join his legion with a spell to lure angels in. Those that refused Gadreel would kill. The angel continued this in a pattern across America but in one hit Metatron ordered Gadreel to deliberately leave one alive for Castiel to find. Later Gadreel went to a shop of a hunter for ingredients he needed but killed the owner when he was finished but when he was leaving in the back ally, he was trapped in Holy Fire by Sam and Dean. Gadreel was then placed in an angel's trap and interrogated for Metatron's whereabouts but refused to give in and tried to make Dean kill him but he refused to do so and instead knocked him out. When Metatron abducted Castiel he offered Cass in exchange for Gadreel and both side did so willingly. Gadreel later visited Metatron who was writing down his next plan phase, or "story" as he was referring to, and asked if his own capture was a part of the plan but Metatron claimed that Gadreel's capture was unexpected. 

GadreelCastiel

Castiel encourages Gadreel to change loyalties.

In King of the Damned, when an angel infiltrates Castiel's faction and kills a prisoner from Metatron's faction, Castiel seeks out Gadreel's assistance. Gadreel meets Castiel in a field where he tries to convince him that Metatron is the wrong side and Gadreel is being used just as he was which lead to the angels falling but also Gadreel's release. Gadreel is skeptical because of his honor but Castiel reminds him of his mistake in the garden and that following Metatron will have the same consequences, telling him that there are other ways that he can redeem his failure. Before they can continue they are ambushed by two of Metatron's followers and Gadreel flees in the confusion. Later Gadreel returns to Castiel to apologize and claims not to have known of Metatron's spies but tells Castiel that he cannot simply abandon his cause which he was worked hard for. Castiel tells him that he understands his sense of honor but makes Gadreel an offer to be his spy among Metatron's ranks and asks him to think it over.

Dean slashes Gadreel across the chest with the First Blade

Dean slashes Gadreel with the First Blade

In Stairway to Heaven, Gadreel was present with Metatron when he met with other angels in charge of their own factions to gain their trust, all those that refused, Gadreel would kill. However one angel Gadreel was unable to kill due to the number of people in the area but made the point to Metatron that no one would follow him over Castiel. To turn Castiel's minions against him Gadreel, on Metatron's orders forced some of Castiel's angels including Constantine and the reaper Tessa to commit suicide in public to kill Metatron's own men and make him look like a victim. As Castiel's former followers leave Castiel and go to Metatron to be his followers, Gadreel questions Metatron's plan as it resulted in the deaths of his own men and leaves Metatron to be Castiel's follower along with Dean and Sam. As he shakes hands with Dean, Dean slashes him across the chest with the First Blade, seriously wounding him.

Screenshot (4)

Gadreel moments before his death.

In Do You Believe In Miracles?, Sam and Castiel find that Gadreel has fled the Bunker in fear for his life. They find his car some distance away and covered in blood with Gadreel close by, seriously wounded. Gadreel begs them not to hurt him and advises Castiel not to heal him as it will weaken him with his already weak grace. Castiel heals a grateful Gadreel's wound anyway. Gadreel is stunned to learn that Dean is being affected by the Mark of Cain and that he used the First Blade on him. Gadreel reveals that Metatron's great power comes from the Angel Tablet and that if they can break it, it will allow Dean to kill Metatron. In order to do so, Gadreel leads Castiel to the portal to Heaven, pretending that Castiel is his prisoner so that the angels guarding it will let them pass. In Heaven, Castiel and Gadreel are led to what is apparently Metatron's office, but what is really Heaven's dungeon to Gadreel's horror. Castiel and Gadreel try to convince Hannah to release them to no avail as she sees Gadreel as someone who only cares about himself. Realizing this to be true, Gadreel carves the sigil the suicide bomber angels used into his chest and makes a speech about how while imprisoned, he only thought about redeeming himself for his actions above all else when really he should be focusing on the true mission: protect humanity at all costs. Finally understanding this and hoping that his name will one day be remembered as one of those who restored Heaven instead of as the one that let the Serpent into the Garden of Eden, Gadreel orders Castiel and Hannah away and then kills himself with a piece of rock from the dungeon floor, causing an explosion that releases Castiel and convinces a horrified Hannah of the truth. His sacrifice allows Castiel to break the angel tablet and Metatron's power and finally stop him. His sacrifice did give Heaven a second chance, as all the angels were finally able to return home, and his dying wish of redemption came true.

Season 12[]

In The Future, while trying to figure out how to track Lucifer's son, Sam brings up his and Castiel's attempt to track Gadreel using his grace he left behind in Sam. Discussing the failure to track Gadreel in this manner causes Sam to come up with the idea of removing the child's grace to leave him human.

Season 14[]

In Nihilism, after Dean is possessed by the Apocalypse World Michael, Sam remembers how Crowley was able to force his way into Sam's mind when Gadreel possessed Sam and showed Sam how to take control which allowed him to cast Gadreel out. Sam suggests doing the same thing for Dean with Michael though the plan is complicated by the fact that Crowley is dead.

Personality[]

Gadreel was once God's most trusted and reliable angel. He was well-meaning and benign. However, after his failure to prevent evil from infecting the Earth, Gadreel was dishonored.

In his initial appearance, Gadreel imitated what he interpreted as Ezekiel's personality; the stereotypical interpretation of an angels, as he was humble and polite as opposed to being arrogant and condescending like many other angels.

Sam 9x09-140

Gadreel after being ordered to kill Kevin.

After his true identity was revealed, his personality shifts significantly. It is revealed that he took possession of Sam both for healing purposes, and to hide from Bartholomew and Malachi, but also to make amends for his past mistakes and failures. Despite the stigma he received in Heaven, Gadreel does have some inherent benevolence. When Metatron tasked him to smite Kevin Tran, Gadreel stated that killing the innocent was not who he was. Despite this, Gadreel did as he was told, smiting Kevin, and showing great remorse in doing so. He also imprisoned Sam in a fantasy world rather than harming him as he could have and tried to comfort Dean with this. Despite his conscience, Gadreel did have a vindictive side, killing his former torturer Thaddeus gleefully and claiming he would tear Sam's body apart if Dean tried to expel him, though this appeared to be an empty threat in an attempt to sway Dean away from expelling him. He also now sees himself as a hero who will lead Heaven back to its former glory, though it is possible he is delusional in this aspect, as he is using less than scrupulous methods to do so. 

Gadreel also proves to be quite intelligent, using the demon killing knife instead of smiting the three demons, so Sam wouldn't be suspicious of their deaths. Despite his apparent compassion, he has a self-preservation instinct which shows when he gives Dean an ultimatum: send Castiel away, or he will leave Sam, killing him, to save himself from Bartholomew. Despite this and his weakened state, he is compassionate to a fault, shown when he resurrects Castiel and Charlie despite knowing it will weaken him because Dean was distraught by their deaths.

Despite his benevolence causing him to hesitate to kill, Gadreel is willing to do it on a large scale if needed as he killed dozens of angels who he couldn't recruit for Metatron's legion. Gadreel, presumably because of his Heavenly torturing, seems to favor death over imprisonment as he tried to goad Dean into killing him by using Sam's true feelings towards Dean. Gadreel has a very strong sense of honor and loyalty, believing angels to be creatures of compassion rather than wrath and when Castiel meets to discuss him changing sides Gadreel immediately refuses because of his belief in Metatron's cause. But when Metatron's minions ambush Castiel at the meeting Gadreel later returns to Castiel to apologize for their interruption and begins to consider Castiel's offer, hoping that there is still some honor somewhere. He later switches sides after he sees Metatron's unscrupulous methods.

At the end of his life, Gadreel revealed that ever since his imprisonment he had become obsessed with redeeming himself and regaining his good name to the point that he lost sight of the true mission: protect humanity no matter the cost, putting them above even the angels themselves. This causes Gadreel to sacrifice himself to give Castiel the chance to do this, hoping that perhaps one day his name will be remembered among the many who restored the angels to Heaven, rather than as the one who let the Serpent into the Garden. This shows that Gadreel was somewhat selfish, at least after his imprisonment, but he came to understand what was truly important.

Despite the atrocities he committed in Metatron's name, Gadreel was driven to do what he did due to his desire to reclaim his good name and be accepted as part of the angelic family once again. He had deeply loved humanity as their Guardian, and felt very regretful for failing and disappointing God. Once God's most trusted angel and greatly admired by his siblings, Gadreel became one of God's greatest disappointments, and was thought of as the one thing no angel should ever become, something that deeply hurt him. While he may have been misguided, ultimately, it wasn't so much his reputation that mattered to him, but rather he just wanted to be a part of the family again. This is partly why he accepted Metatron's offer to join him in building a faction, because Gadreel saw a way for him to be accepted by his angelic brethren again, and it was also partly why he stayed loyal to Metatron for as long as he did, for fear of being cast out of his family again, despite the dishonorable things he was forced to do going against his conscience. In the end, Gadreel gave up on fighting for himself and focused on fighting for the good of all angels, dying with the hope that one day, his family would admire him as they once had.

Powers and Abilities[]

Gadreel possesses the common powers of an angel, but to a greater extent than most of them. Like angels such as Castiel and Naomi, Gadreel, even for an angel, was extraordinarily powerful. Before the Fall, he was of such strength that Lucifer chose to trick him to enter the garden rather than force himself in. According to him, he was severely injured when he fell, which left him considerably drained and weakened, as seen when he was easily bested by another fallen angel. However, after regaining a portion of his original strength, he was capable of fighting off and defeating three demons in physically powerful human vessels. Once he regained his strength, he was capable of killing entire groups of angels alone, proving to be far stronger than a standard angel. When the angels fell from Heaven, many of the angels' wings were completely destroyed, however, Gadreel managed to retain his wings, although they were badly damaged. He even easily overpowered Crowley in Sam's mind and he was barely affected by Crowley punching him and he badly beat him with just a few kicks and punches. He even scared the Knight of Hell Abaddon (a very high tier Demon) enough for her to flee rather than face his wrath. However, he was still outmatched by the Seraph Castiel, who knocked him out.

  • Angelic Possession - As an angel, Gadreel needs a willing living human vessel to physically exist on Earth. If the vessel chooses, they can expel him. Gadreel returned to possessing his original vessel after being expelled by Sam Winchester.
  • Immortality - As with all angels, Gadreel does not age and is immune to any earthly disease and toxin. He was present at the Garden of Eden and, according to Castiel, has been imprisoned since the beginning of time.
  • Astral Projection - Gadreel is able to display the remains of his wings.
  • Super Strength - After his fall, Gadreel retained just enough of his original strength to sufficiently overpower three black-eyed demons at once; as shown when he single-handedly shoved one away with above-average force. However, in his weakened state at that time, he was no match for another fallen angel though he held him off long enough for Dean to kill him. His strength gradually returns over the course of the season and, though he was barely back to half-strength during the events of Slumber Party, he implied that he was strong enough to help defeat the Wicked Witch. As of Holy Terror, his strength is almost completely restored. Despite this, he was overpowered by Castiel who is able to knock him out with one punch when he was caught off guard. By Meta Fiction his strength was fully restored and he was able to kill several groups of angels with no effort in a short space of time without apparent injury to himself.
  • Electrokinesis - Gadreel caused the alarms on a machine connected to Sam to turn off with just a wave of his hand.
  • Flight - While disembodied, Gadreel can fly.
  • Healing - Gadreel can cure the bodily wounds and illnesses suffered by others, even those of a supernatural origin. However, in his weakened state if the person he is healing is weak as he is, he is not able to do this. When he resurrected Castiel, who had been rendered human by his lost grace, he healed  the wound that killed him and the ones he got from torture. The Shaman Leo wanted to eat Sam's heart while he was possessed by Gadreel in order to heal his cancer.
  • Telekinesis - Gadreel was able to pin Dean to a wall with just a wave of his hand and keep him there without any apparent concentration. He released Dean by simply walking away. He later threw Dean across a room with just a wave of his hand with enough force to knock him out.
  • Holy White Light - Similar to the archangels and the Seraphim, Gadreel was able to emit a blast of light when he confronted three of Abaddon's soldiers, a rare ability to see in a normal angel.[1]
  • Smiting - He killed Kevin in the same way he would a demon, by touching his forehead. He later killed Ian with this power.
  • Mental Manipulation - Gadreel erased Sam's memory that they met in his mind and also that he gave Gadreel permission to possess his body. He repeatedly erased Sam's memories of his taking control but these were not permanent as with Crowley's help, Sam regained his memories. By touching Sam's forehead and Dean's at the same time, he was able to link Dean to Sam's mind so he could see what was going on inside and later allow Dean to enter Sam's mind to convince him to say "Yes" to Gadreel.
  • Telepathy - Gadreel can tap into "angel radio" as well as read the minds of humans.
  • Shapeshifting - Gadreel was able to take the form of Dean inside Sam's head.
  • Regeneration - Gadreel possesses accelerated healing abilities, which heals his and his vessels injuries within mere moments. However, due to his Fall from Heaven due to Metatron, he was severely weakened and his accelerated healing was not strong enough to heal Sam at first. However, it was strong enough to keep Sam barely alive. This was seen when even Vesta, who can scan a human's biology, stated that Sam body is such bad shape, that he couldn't possibly be alive. A serious neck wound required him to take complete control to heal, but he was able to do it in seconds. After months of possessing Sam, Gadreel accelerated healing abilities managed to heal most of the damage done to Sam by the Trials. However, after being expelled, Castiel completely healed Sam. Gadreel later regenerates damage from torture inflicted by Dean and injuries from an angel blowing himself up. He was not however able to heal damage from the First Blade, requiring Castiel to heal him instead.
  • Resurrection - Gadreel is able to bring those who have died back to life, or at least those who have been dead for a short period of time. He has demonstrated this ability on Castiel, who lost his grace and was functionally human at the time, and Charlie Bradbury.[2]
  • Super Senses - Gadreel is able to find a warded Castiel by locating a reaper who is holding him captive. Like the other angels, he can hear humans prayers and can sense their location.
  • Spell Casting - Gadreel was able to cast the spell that activated the Horn of Gabriel. He also used the Energy Focusing Sigil in order to sacrifice himself.
  • Superhuman Endurance - Gadreel is able to recover quickly from torture that broke Samandriel, saying that he has withstood much worse and can for a very long time.
  • Supernatural Perception - Gadreel was able to see Death inside Sam's subconscious.
  • Power Granting - Gadreel was able to extend his perception to Dean by touching his forehead.

Weaknesses[]

SamejectsGadreel

Sam ejects Gadreel.

Gadreel possesses the standard weaknesses of an angel.

Harming, Misleading and Trapping[]

  • Angel trap- This trap could imprison Gadreel.
  • Enochian Sigils - Certain Enochian sigils can weaken his power and keep him from finding people.
    • Angel Suppressing Sigil - This sigil could effectively knock him out for a period of time and keep him from knowing what's going on.
  • Holy Fire - He could be trapped by Holy Fire.

Banishing or Destroying[]

Death[]

Killed By[]

  • Himself

In order to free Castiel from Heaven's dungeon and defeat Metatron, Gadreel carved the Energy Focusing Sigil into his own chest. After delivering a speech about the importance of the angels mission to protect humanity and his hope he would be remembered as one of those who gave Heaven a second chance, Gadreel drove a rock from the floor of the dungeon into his chest in the middle of the sigil. This caused Gadreel's grace to explode out of him, killing Gadreel and destroying Heaven's dungeon as he intended.

Appearances[]

Trivia[]

  • Gadreel's angelic shadow form can be seen behind Sam on the barn in the Season 9 poster.
  • Gadreel is the secondary antagonist of Season 9 though he redeems himself in the end.
  • It can be argued that Gadreel is a main character in season 9 as eight of his appearances were played by Jared Padalecki (Sam), a series regular, and had a further six by Tahmoh Penikett (his current vessel), though two of these appearances were shared with Jared, which rounds to twelve episodes which is one more than Castiel makes in season 9 who is only in eleven episodes.
  • Although other angels like Hael have lost their wings after the fall (which is shown when Castiel killed her and the usual print of the burned wings did not appear), Gadreel still has wings, though they are quite damaged.
  • Gadreel is labeled as one of the most significant 'villains' in the series as his letting Lucifer into the Garden, caused the corruption of Man, Lucifer's imprisonment in Hell, the departure of God, the creation of the demon kind (including Lilith) and the Apocalypse itself. Though most these actions were caused by Lucifer's actions, Gadreel is responsible for letting it happen. 
  • Gadreel is the second angel to possess Sam Winchester, a trait ironically shared with Lucifer, the one he was protecting the Garden against. 
  • He is currently the third most recurring angel in the series, beat by Castiel and Lucifer.
  • Gadreel is the second angel to use a fake name to conceal his identity, the first being Gabriel going by "Loki".
  • Since Gadreel was stationed to protect humanity at the Garden of Eden, he is depicted as a Grigori in the Book of Enoch.
  • Gadreel is listed as one of the chiefs in the fallen Grigori of angels. This is depicted in the second section of the "Book of Enoch"; "Parables". He is said to have been responsible for teaching man warfare. This contradicts the first section of Enoch, which claims that Azazel was responsible for doing this.
  • Although Gadreel played a major role in season 9, he was not mentioned again until season 12.
  • In the episode The Future, both Sam and Dean pronounce his name as "Gadriel" instead of "Gadreel".
  • Gadreel was one of six angels to have met God prior to the series, the others being Metatron and the four Archangels.
  • Gadreel shares the same fear as Lucifer, and Amara, which is imprisonment.

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References[]

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