Azazel ( Supernatural ) - wikipedia Azazel ( Supernatural ) Azazel Supernatural character Fredric Lehne as Azazel First appearance `` Pilot '' ( 1.01 ) September 13, 2005 Created by Eric Kripke Portrayed by Fredric Lehne ( main ) Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mitch Pileggi, Rob LaBelle, Lindsey McKeon, etc. ( possessing ) Information Nickname ( s ) The Demon The Yellow - Eyed Demon Yellow Eyes Species Demon Gender Male Children Meg Masters Tom Abilities Demonic pacts Demonic possession Dream manipulation Invulnerability Pyrokinesis Superhuman strength Telekinesis Teleportation Azazel is a fictional character on The CW Television Network 's drama and horror television series Supernatural. He serves as the main antagonist during the first two seasons. A demon, he feeds his blood to infants so that they will grow up to develop demonic abilities. His goal of using one such child to release Lucifer is not revealed until much later in the series. Azazel is referred to by nicknames such as `` The Demon, '' `` The Yellow - Eyed Demon, '' or `` Yellow Eyes '' throughout the first two seasons, his true name not being revealed until the third season. Due to the character 's demonic nature of taking different hosts, Azazel has been played by numerous actors but Fredric Lehne is the main default portrayer. All the incarnations have maintained his sadistic sense of humor and irony. Contents 1 Plot 2 Characterization 3 Development 4 Reception 5 References Plot The tyrannical leader of an army of demons, Azazel first appears in the pilot episode of the series, but plot devices such as flashbacks and time travel detail his background in later seasons. He is one of the four Princes of Hell, along with Ramiel, Asmodeus and Dagon, and the most devoted to Lucifer. His earliest chronological depiction occurs in the fourth season finale, `` Lucifer Rising ''. Having spent years searching, Azazel ( Rob LaBelle ) finally located the doorway to Lucifer 's prison in 1972. The fallen angel tasked him with freeing the demon Lilith from Hell -- she is needed to break the 66 seals holding Lucifer captive -- and to find him a `` special child ''. By the following year, Azazel began making demonic pacts with young individuals ; in exchange for a wish, he would be allowed to enter their homes ten years later. Azazel eventually comes across Mary Campbell, the future mother of series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester. After taking possession of her father ( Mitch Pileggi ), he kills her mother and stabs himself to kill his host. Mary 's fiance, John Winchester, is the demon 's next victim. Azazel makes his usual offer, giving her the chance to resurrect John, to produce a child he can use ; now orphaned and alone, she reluctantly agrees without knowing his true intentions. In 1983, Mary discovers Azazel standing over baby Sam 's crib ; he had been feeding his blood to the infant. Upon being interrupted, the demon pins her to the ceiling, slashes her stomach and causes her to burst into flames. Her death inspires John to dedicate his life to hunting down Azazel, at the same time training Sam and Dean to hunt supernatural creatures. As revealed in the fifth season finale, `` Swan Song '', Azazel sent demons to possess important people in Sam 's life, secretly manipulating him as he grew up. However, Sam eventually leaves the life of hunting to attend college. Azazel orders the assassination of Sam 's girlfriend Jessica Moore, who was a distraction. Her death prompts Sam to return to hunting. Demons can not be killed by conventional means so the Winchesters track down the Colt -- a mystic gun capable of killing anything -- in `` Dead Man 's Blood ''. In the following episode, `` Salvation '', they trace the omens caused by the demon 's presence to Salvation, Iowa. As he did with Sam and countless others, Azazel plans to visit a six - month - old and feed her his blood so she will later develop demonic abilities. Although Sam interrupts the demon 's plans and saves the family, Azazel escapes. Meanwhile, the demonic Meg Masters and her `` brother '' Tom kidnap John, and then set their sights on Sam and Dean. The brothers exorcise Meg in the season finale `` Devil 's Trap '', and her host discloses John 's location. Sam and Dean rescue him and kill Tom. After being taken to a secluded location, however, John is revealed to be possessed. An angry Azazel ( Jeffrey Dean Morgan ) chastises them for killing Meg and Tom -- he deems them his `` children '' -- and begins to torture the brothers. John temporarily retakes control, giving Sam the opportunity to grab the Colt. Unable to kill his father, Sam shoots John in the leg, and the demon flees from his host. As the Winchesters make their escape, a demonically - possessed truck driver crashes into their car. Dean is left dying in a coma, forcing John to sell his soul and the Colt to Azazel ( Fredric Lehne ) to save him. Azazel demon possesses a reaper ( Lindsey McKeon ) to save Dean from death and fulfill his part of the deal. Azazel 's last appearance chronologically is in the second season finale `` All Hell Breaks Loose '', where he kidnaps Sam and the other young adults that he had infected. He visits Sam in a dream, and reveals that his `` special children '' must fight to the death to determine who will lead his army. Although Sam is the demon 's favorite, the super-strong Jake Talley becomes the winner. As Dean sells his soul to another demon in exchange for Sam 's resurrection, Azazel gives Jake the Colt and coerces him to travel to a cemetery in the middle of a giant devil 's trap. Though Sam and Dean, along with other hunters, attempt to stop him, Jake uses the Colt as a key to unlock a mausoleum there. This action briefly opens a gateway to Hell, releasing Lilith and hundreds of other demons. With the devil 's trap around the cemetery now broken, Azazel confronts the Winchesters and easily overpowers them. However, John 's soul escapes through the Gate, and distracts Azazel long enough for Dean to shoot him dead with the Colt. Characterization Deeming Azazel to be `` an angry soul '', actor Fredric Lehne believed that the character having been `` denied Heaven and everything else that 's good in the universe '' has `` ( translated ) into anger and vengeance ''. A demon with a sense of humor, Azazel takes pleasure in seeing people suffer. `` The more pain -- mostly psychological pain -- he causes, the happier he is... He gets off on the power of turning people to his will '', Lehne explained. This quality suggests to the actor why the demon favored Sam as the potential leader of his army. Being the `` most ripe for picking '' because he had the `` sweetest '' heart, Sam was `` most desirable for corrupting '' of all the children ; Lehne described Azazel 's thought process as, `` If I could turn him, then I had truly won. '' The character 's ultimate motivation, however, is to free Lucifer from his imprisonment in Hell. On this, Supernatural co-executive producer Ben Edlund mentioned his view of Azazel as one of `` a little cult of demonic true believers '' that encompasses many of the important demon characters in the series. Development Azazel is first mentioned in Leviticus 16 : 8. God orders Aaron to send to him a goat carrying all of the Israelites ' sins. For Azazel 's first full appearance on the series in `` Devil 's Trap '', the writers initially could not decide which Winchester -- Sam, Dean, or John -- to have the demon possess. However, actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan 's busy schedule made them realize that having John kidnapped and possessed, and therefore absent from much of the episode, would be the only practical choice. Noting that the first season focuses on Sam and Dean trying to find both their father and Azazel, series creator Eric Kripke noted that from a storytelling perspective `` it had to be '' that `` they 'd find both of them at the same time... in the same body ''. Though the writers modeled Azazel 's personality after Al Pacino 's demonic sense of humor in the film The Devil 's Advocate, they gave Morgan free rein over the character 's mannerisms. Only directed to `` be different from John '', Morgan changed his voice and mimicked Jack Nicholson 's `` freaky '' speech pattern from The Shining. Morgan 's `` Nicholson-esque quality '' continues with actor Fredric Lehne. Though uncertain of why he was specifically sought out -- Lehne chalks it up to his previous working experience with executive producers Kim Manners and Robert Singer -- the role was offered to him without an audition. The actor avoided copying Morgan 's portrayal, but noted that the writing `` lends itself to doing it in a certain way ''. Since Azazel changes human hosts periodically, Lehne 's initial appearance in the second season premiere, `` In My Time of Dying '', was intended to be a one - time deal. Thoroughly impressed, however, the show runners kept him for the season finale. Despite the character 's death, Lehne returned to the role in the sixth season premiere as a hallucination. A dream sequence in `` All Hell Breaks Loose '' hints at Mary Winchester 's connection to Azazel. Although the writers intended to address this in the third season, it was pushed back to the fourth season episode `` In the Beginning '' due to the 2007 -- 2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Kripke asked Mitch Pileggi to enact this revelation -- the two had previously worked together on the series Tarzan -- and the actor accepted because Kim Manners and much of the Supernatural crew had also worked on The X-Files. While Pileggi emulated Lehne 's performance, he tried to `` put his own spin on it ''. Morgan, Lehne, and actress Lindsey McKeon wore hard, colored contact lenses during their portrayals of Azazel. The lenses eventually became painful, and would greatly obscure their vision. The production crew placed sandbags on the floor to help Morgan and Lehne locate their marks, and a grip held Lehne 's hand as he walked around a campfire in `` All Hell Breaks Loose ''. McKeon 's brief scene in `` In My Time of Dying '' -- she touches actor Jensen Ackles ' forehead -- took nine takes to film because she kept missing. Although Pileggi was fitted for the lenses, production ultimately added the effect digitally at `` appropriate moments ''. Reception Azazel has been met with universal praise from critics and fans alike, with the latter voting him as the best villain of the series in a poll conducted by BuddyTV. `` ( You ) have to realize that without ( Azazel ) there would be no reason for the boys to hunt in the first place, '' viewers wrote, also calling him the `` oldest arch nemesis '' and a `` classic supernatural badass ''. The results of the poll revealed that Azazel had won with 75 % of the votes, with the second - highest percentage of votes for another character ( Alastair ) being only 9 %. Both Karla Peterson of The San Diego Union - Tribune and Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune felt that Morgan gave `` his best and most believable performance of the season '' in `` Devil 's Trap '', with the latter adding, `` He was really on fire in that scene, and it brought a whole new intensity to his performance. '' Diana Steenbergen of IGN found him `` menacing, with his low voice and the cruel words... trying to tear them apart emotionally before tearing Dean apart literally '', and enjoyed the sadistic and `` vicious humor '' that makes the character `` more sinister ''. However, she believed that Azazel having a family was an unnecessary parallel with the Winchesters that `` does n't quite make sense ''. After viewing the episode, Brian Tallerico of UGO gave his opinion that the series should follow Buffy the Vampire Slayer 's format of having a different recurring villain each season. `` If the firestarting demon is the Big Bad for the first two seasons, that 's fine '', he commented, `` but do n't drag it out longer than that. Fans will get bored. And there 's nothing scarier than that. Tina Charles of TV Guide was happy to see the `` appropriately creepy '' Lehne return to the role in `` All Hell Breaks Loose ''. `` The second he popped in at ghost town central... the scare factor went up '', she wrote. Likewise, Tom Burns of UGO deemed all of Lehne 's scenes `` damn near riveting '', while Brett Love of TV Squad described him as `` a perfect evil menace ''. Diana Steenbergen of IGN deemed Lehne 's performance `` charismatic and quietly sadistic without being overdone ''. Despite this praise, she was happy to see the character die because `` it frees the show from bogging down by having the Winchesters chasing after the same villain endlessly '' and `` opens up the opportunity to explore new plots ''. Pileggi 's casting in `` In the Beginning '' was `` a cool move '' for Charles, who found his performance `` scary ''. Similarly, Steenbergen called Pileggi `` a force to be reckoned '' who `` has a chance to be both funny and disturbing ''. According to publicists of Warner Bros., the fans `` were very happy with what ( they ) did '' in the episode. References General Nicholas Knight ( 2007 ). Supernatural : The Official Companion Season 1. Titan Books. ISBN 1 - 84576 - 535 - 4. Nicholas Knight ( 2008 ). Supernatural : The Official Companion Season 2. Titan Books. ISBN 1 - 84576 - 657 - 1. Specific Jump up ^ Writer : Robert Singer & Jeremy Carver, Director : Charles Beeson ( 2007 - 10 - 25 ). `` Sin City ''. Supernatural. Season 3. Episode 4. The CW. Jump up ^ Knight, Nicholas ( 2012 ). The Essential Supernatural : On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester. Insight Editions. p. 55. ISBN 1 - 60887 - 145 - 2. Jump up ^ Ramiel lists the Princes of Hell in Supernatural season 12 episode 12 `` Stuck in the Middle ( With You ) '' Jump up ^ Writer : Eric Kripke, Director : Eric Kripke ( May 14, 2009 ). `` Lucifer Rising ''. Supernatural. Season 4. Episode 22. CW. Jump up ^ Writer : Jeremy Carver, Director : Steve Boyum ( October 2, 2008 ). `` In the Beginning ''. Supernatural. Season 4. Episode 3. CW. ^ Jump up to : Writer : Sera Gamble, Director : Robert Singer ( May 10, 2007 ). `` All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One ''. Supernatural. Season 2. Episode 21. kuyujyujyu minutes in. CW. ^ Jump up to : Writer : Eric Kripke, Director : David Nutter ( September 13, 2005 ). `` Pilot ''. Supernatural. Season 1. Episode 1. WB. Jump up ^ Story : Eric Gewitz, Teleplay : Eric Kripke, Director : Steve Boyum ( May 13, 2010 ). `` Swan Song ''. Supernatural. Season 5. Episode 22. CW. Jump up ^ Writers : Sera Gamble & Raelle Tucker, Director : Robert Singer ( April 27, 2006 ). `` Salvation ''. Supernatural. Season 1. Episode 21. WB. Jump up ^ Writer : Eric Kripke, Director : Kim Manners ( May 4, 2006 ). `` Devil 's Trap ''. Supernatural. Season 1. Episode 22. WB. Jump up ^ Writer : Eric Kripke, Director : Kim Manners ( September 28, 2006 ). `` In My Time of Dying ''. Supernatural. Season 2. Episode 1. CW. Jump up ^ Story : Eric Kripke & Michael T. Moore, Teleplay : Eric Kripke, Director : Kim Manners ( May 17, 2007 ). `` All Hell Breaks Loose, Part Two ''. Supernatural. Season 2. Episode 22. CW. ^ Jump up to : Supernatural : The Official Companion Season 2, p. 142 ^ Jump up to : Bryan Cairns ( April 2008 ). `` Something Wicked This Way Comes ''. Supernatural Magazine ( 3 ). Titan Magazines. pp. 78 -- 79. Jump up ^ Knight, Nicholas ( 2010 ). Supernatural : The Official Companion Season 4. Titan Books. p. 121. ISBN 1 - 84856 - 738 - 3. Jump up ^ Jayne Nelson ( April 2008 ). `` John 's Journal : In My Time of Dying ''. Supernatural Magazine ( 3 ). Titan Magazines. p. 81. Jump up ^ Supernatural : The Official Companion Season 1, p. 118 Jump up ^ Supernatural : The Official Companion Season 1, pp. 118 - 119 Jump up ^ Supernatural : The Official Companion Season 1, p. 115 ^ Jump up to : Bryan Cairns ( February 2008 ). `` In the Name of the Father ''. Supernatural Magazine ( 2 ). Titan Magazines. p. 27. Jump up ^ Supernatural : The Official Companion Season 2, pp. 115 - 116 Jump up ^ Eric Kripke, Sera Gamble, and Bob Singer ( September 11, 2007 ). Supernatural season 2 DVD commentary for the episode `` All Hell Breaks Loose '' ( DVD ). Warner Brothers Video. Jump up ^ Carina Adly MacKenzie ( 2010 - 07 - 10 ). `` ' Supernatural ' : Fred Lehne returns as Azazel, plus Jensen Ackles is ' a great director ' ''. ZAP2it. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Supernatural Creator Eric Kripke Answers Fan 's Questions -- Part III ''. Eclipse Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 25. Jump up ^ Don Williams ( 2008 - 10 - 01 ). `` Exclusive Interview : Mitch Pileggi of ' Supernatural ' ''. BuddyTV. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 05. ^ Jump up to : Jayne Nelson ( February 2009 ). `` Blast from the Past ''. Supernatural Magazine ( 8 ). Titan Magazines. pp. 52 -- 55. ^ Jump up to : Supernatural : The Official Companion Season 2, p. 23 Jump up ^ Henry Jenkins ( April 16, 2009 ). `` Supernatural ' Fans Name Azazel Best Villain ''. BuddyTV. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ Karla Peterson ( May 5, 2006 ). `` Supernatural : May 4 ''. San Diego Union - Tribune. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 05. ^ Jump up to : Maureen Ryan ( June 16, 2009 ). `` ' Supernatural ' Comic - Con news and thoughts on Season 1 of the show ''. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ Diana Steenbergen ( September 15, 2008 ). `` Supernatural Flashback : `` Devil 's Trap '' Review ``. IGN. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ Brian Tallerico. `` Supernatural : Tracking the Spirits ''. UGO. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ Tina Charles ( May 11, 2007 ). `` May 10, 2007 : All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1 - TV Show Recaps ''. TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 28, 2010. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ Tom Burns. `` Supernatural : Episode 2.21 - `` All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One '' ``. UGO. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ Brett Love. `` Supernatural : All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1 ''. TV Squad. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ Diana Steenbergen ( May 28, 2009 ). `` Supernatural Flashback : `` In My Time of Dying '' Review ``. IGN. Jump up ^ Diana Steenbergen ( September 3, 2009 ). `` Supernatural Flashback : `` All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2 '' Review ``. IGN. Jump up ^ Tina Charles ( October 3, 2008 ). `` '' In the Beginning '' - TV Show Recaps ``. TV Guide. Archived from the original on 2010 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ Diana Steenbergen ( October 1, 2008 ). `` Supernatural : `` In the Beginning '' Review ``. IGN. Supernatural Episodes Season 1 `` Pilot '' `` Devil 's Trap '' Season 2 `` What Is and What Should Never Be '' `` All Hell Breaks Loose '' Season 3 `` Fresh Blood '' `` A Very Supernatural Christmas '' `` Dream a Little Dream of Me '' `` No Rest for the Wicked '' Season 4 `` Lazarus Rising '' Season 5 `` Sympathy for the Devil '' `` Good God, Y'All ! '' `` Swan Song '' Season 6 `` Exile on Main St. '' Season 7 `` Meet the New Boss '' `` Hello, Cruel World '' Season 8 `` Sacrifice '' Season 9 Season 10 `` Black '' `` Reichenbach '' `` Soul Survivor '' `` Brother 's Keeper '' Season 11 `` Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire '' `` Form and Void '' `` The Bad Seed '' `` Baby '' `` Thin Lizzie '' `` Our Little World '' `` O Brother Where Art Thou ? '' `` The Devil in the Details '' `` Beyond the Mat '' `` Safe House '' `` Hell 's Angel '' `` Do n't Call Me Shurley '' `` All in the Family '' `` We Happy Few '' `` Alpha and Omega '' Season 12 `` Keep Calm and Carry On '' `` Mamma Mia '' `` The Foundry '' `` American Nightmare '' `` The One You 've Been Waiting For '' `` Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox '' `` Rock Never Dies '' `` LOTUS '' `` First Blood '' `` Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets '' Season 13 `` Scoobynatural '' Characters Main Sam Winchester Dean Winchester Ruby Bela Talbot Castiel Crowley Lucifer Supporting John Winchester Bobby Singer Jo Harvelle Ellen Harvelle Anna Milton Jody Mills Antagonists Azazel Meg Masters Lilith Uriel Alastair Zachariah Other Awards and nominations Supernatural Wiki Supernatural : Bloodlines Wikipedia books : Supernatural Seasons Season 1 Season 2 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Azazel_(Supernatural)&oldid=822333822 '' Categories : Supernatural ( U.S. TV series ) characters Fictional demons and devils Fictional mass murderers Fictional characters with superhuman strength Fictional characters who can teleport Fictional characters introduced in 2005 Fictional characters with fire or heat abilities Male characters in television Hidden categories : Pages using deprecated image syntax Pages using infobox character with unknown parameters Good articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Català Español فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Magyar Português Türkçe 3 more Edit links This page was last edited on 25 January 2018, at 19 : 44. 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Question: who is the demon who killed sam and dean's mom
Answer: Azazel