Sam/Dean

Sam/Dean, also known as Wincest, is the slash pairing of Sam Winchester and Dean Winchester in the Supernatural fandom. It is the original OTP of the fandom, and it is still one of the most popular pairings within Supernatural fandom. Fans were initially drawn to the pairing because of the tight focus on the brothers in canon, but even when that focus expanded, many fans were still inspired to create fanworks based on the characters' dynamics. Outside and inside the fandom the pairing has been the source of some controversy and discussion because of its incestuous nature (see Controversies).
It is also correlated with J2, the RPF ship of the actors (Jared and Jensen) who play them.
==Fandom==
===Ship Appeal===
Many Wincest fans feel that Sam and Dean's love for each other is much more then that of brotherly, platonic or friendship and that their connection and bond is more along the lines of a romantic love.Anon comment on fail_fandomanon, January 28, 2021 The main appeal of the Sam/Dean pairing in the eyes of its shippers is the incredibly intense, chaotic, all-consuming and emotional connection and indescribable love between Sam and Dean as depicted on the show itself. The relationship between the two brothers is the emotional center of the show; showrunner Sera Gamble has referred to Supernatural as “The Epic Love Story of Sam and Dean”.Super Women: Supernatural's Executive Story Editor Sera Gamble at Sequential Tart, 01 December 2006. Some fans are drawn to the idea of Sam/Dean as a tragic romance and have even argued that Sam/Dean are the M/M version of Romeo/Juliet.For example, the TV Tropes page on Dean contains several references to Romeo & Juliet. His relationship with Sam is basically Romeo and Juliet on steroids. When it comes to Dean's devotion to Sam, love doesn't just make him crazy, it makes Dean extremely co-dependent, depressed, self-destructive, and suicidal.
In response to a 2007 meta post by a non-Wincest shipper, a few fans explained that while the incest was a kink for some Wincest shippers, for others the fact that Sam and Dean were brothers was not a factor in their interest. 
There have been many in-canon references to romantic love between the brothers, from outsiders mistaking the two for a gay couple, to the tropes between the two having romantic undertones ("chick flick" moments, emotional bonding, star-gazing together), to being declared as metaphysical soulmates who are bonded for life and also share Heaven together. 
====Fan Comments====
===History===
The first episode aired on September 13, 2005,epguides.com/Supernatural and Sam/Dean slash kicked off immediately. The Supernatural slash community sn_slash (Supernatural Slash - For all your brotherly needs) was founded the very next day and the first story posted was a short 350-word snippet called Reunion by janedavitt.janedavitt. Reunion, 14 September 2005. (Accessed 02 March 2010) Other stories that implied incest such as Burdens In The Dark by wistful_fever (16th September)wistful_fever. Burdens In The Dark, 16 September 2005. (Accessed 02 March 2010) soon followed. Two other LiveJournal communities for Sam/Dean slash were created in the next month: sam_dean (13 October 2005) and wincest (23 October 2005).
===Common Tropes in Fanworks===
*Incest: Sam/Dean fic ranges from deeply angsty and intense on the part of one or both brothers about their relationship being incestuous and thus "wrong," to cheerfully accepting with romantic fluff of the incest factor.
*Pre-Series or Wee!cest: a focus on their relationship pre-canon, often showing them having a romantic relationship, sometimes with them breaking things off when Sam goes to college, these stories, especially if they contain sexual elements, are called wee!cest 
*Raised Apart: A subgenre of Sam/Dean AUs involves the brothers having been separated when Sam was very young, and on meeting as adults without knowing who the other is, are intensely attracted to each other.
*Amnesia: usually a curse or spell causes the brothers to forget that they're brothers, but they decide (usually based on evidence of their constant proximity and remaining feelings of affection) that they must be involved and act on it, angst follows.
*Hurt/Comfort: fics seems to be pretty evenly split, with both Sam and Dean being the object of the hurt and receiving comfort
*Protective Dean Winchester: exploring Dean's protective instincts towards Sam, and the lengths Dean is willing to go to save Sam, often emphasizing the emotional components of Dean's behaviour 
*Codependency: examining the codependent nature of Sam and Dean's relationship, this can be shown in a negative or positive light depending on what the creators wish to explore 
*Jealousy: Dean or Sam being jealous, having them be jealous of their brother's relationship with an unspecified, or original, character is common. However, in early fandom it was not uncommon to have Dean be envious of the relationship Sam had with Jess, and in later fandom, having Sam be jealous of Dean's relationship with Cas was pretty standard 
*Deathfic or Near Death: these experiences are usually used in fic as a way to explore Sam and Dean's deeper feelings for each other. These stories can sometimes be dark, ending in permanent death, while others will find a way for Sam and/or Dean to avoid their fates at the last moment, or they will contain the resurrection trope, where a revelation of feelings occurs after one of them returns 
*Evil!Sam with Dean: Sam becoming evil, as the Boy!King of Hell, or by drinking demon blood. Dean's role in these fics varies, sometimes he is Sam's consort, or he fully embraces becoming evil and is a demon, or he remains human and is lost in the situation, either way he almost always refuses to leave Sam despite what he has become
*Sam Saves Dean from Hell: after the season 3 finale there was a lot of fanworks created around the idea that Sam would find a way to save Dean from Hell, these fics continued to be written even after the show continued, because some fans were unhappy with Sam's lack of agency in Dean's return. The same issue occurred around seasons 7-8, where fans wrote Sam Saves Dean from Purgatory stories for the same reasons. 
*Smith & Wesson: focusing on the alternative reality in the episode It's a Terrible Life, where the boys were named Smith and Wesson, this universe can be attractive to fans because in it the Winchesters are not brothers, thus avoiding the incest issue 
*Samulet fix-it: before it's return in season 11, there were Samulet fix-it fics, about Dean getting the Samulet back after he threw it in the trash in S5. Either with Dean retrieving it or Sam giving it back to Dean
*Pretend Couple: Sam and Dean pretending to be in a romantic relationship, usually for a case. This may lead to them realizing that they prefer things that way
*Gay For You: although it has since fallen out of favor, some early fics featured the trope where Sam and Dean were heterosexually romantic, except when it came to each other 
*Fuck or Die: this is usually along the lines of a curse/magic made them do it, this can be a solid basis for angst, and may lead them to admitting they have deeper feelings for each other
*Top/Bottom Dynamics: fics seem to be pretty evenly split between Top Sam and Top Dean
*Alpha/Beta/Omega: the omegaverse originated in the SPN fandom. Having Dean be an omega and Sam an alpha is common, although it is also fairly common to have both Sam and Dean be alphas, and for them to be an unusual all alpha pairing. Fics where Sam is an omega are fairly rare, but those fics are more likely to involve mpreg 
*Finale Fix-it: some fans were unhappy with the series finale, and so they will fix-it in their fanworks. Some common storylines are Dean not dying at all, and the story ending with them still hunting or retired, or Sam and Dean dying together, and ending up in Heaven at the same time 
*Threesome or Poly: the most popular choice for the third partner being Castiel (Wincestiel). However, in the early days of fandom the pairing of Jess/Sam/Dean was not uncommon 
*RPS: Because some Supernatural slash fans don't want to write, draw, or vid incestuous pairings, there is also a J2 or Jared/Jensen fandom within SPN based on the two actors rather than the two characters. J2 is a highly popular pairing within RPS fiction and within the SPN fandom. This is why Supernatural is sometimes called the fandom where RPS has the moral high ground.
===Challenges===
*Sam/Dean Gift Exchange
*Sam & Dean Minibang
*Wincest Big Bang
*Wincest Big Bang (LiveJournal)
*Wincest Reverse Bang
==Controversies==
===Incest===
The ship is subject to the same general controversy that all incest ships are. 
Wincest became widely known outside of the Supernatural fandom, being negatively commented upon by the entertainment press, and being acknowledged, and disparaged, within the show itself.From canon to fanon and back again: The epic journey of Supernatural and its fans, Transformative Works and Cultures, March 15, 2010 In the early part of the fandom some fans were disturbed by this, because they wanted to keep their fandom and real life spheres separate. They were aware of the taboo nature of the pairing, and did not like discussing it outside of their fandom groups,Loving Fanfiction: Exploring the Role of Emotion in Online Fandoms by Brit Kelley which they may have been obliged to do when it was openly talked about outside fandom circles. Still, other fans were quite open about shipping Wincest and sharing related fanworks, but this could sometimes lead to arguments,Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls by Katherin Larsen and Lynn S. Zuberris or targeting by anti-wincest shippers.Anon comment on fail_fandomanon, April 16, 2016
In the 2020s, some fandom-wide events are excluding Wincest to varying degrees. These range from simply forbidding the creation of Wincest content for a challenge,, tumblr post, 1 June 2021. to refusing to acknowledge any content created by Wincest shippers regardless of subject,. Tumblr account created March 2021. to extending that restriction to any content deemed "Wincest adjacent.". Tumblr account created in May 2021. Excluding people who create the content instead of merely excluding the content appears to be part of a larger fannish trend in the 2020s, possibly related to antishipping.
====Fan Comments====
=====Critical=====
Some members of the fandom recall that there was a general antipathy to ships other than Sam/Dean even before Destiel came along - while also acknowledging that this antipathy towards ships with female characters was not limited towards Wincest shippers.
=====Supportive=====
===Ship War===
There was a long standing ship war between fans of Sam/Dean and fans of Dean/Cas. For more information, please refer to Wincest vs Destiel.
==Fanworks==
===Doujinshi===
:See also :Category: Supernatural Doujinshi
The following doujinshi circles are known for their works on the ship: Shisinden, Studio Taiyo, Weekend, Cathexis, Nejineji, Cute Pink, Bull's Eye No8.
*99th Madness (2009)
*A; (2008)
*Angel Feather (2008)
*Arcadia (2007-08)
*Around The Love Land (2008-09)
*Back-burner (2007)
*BACKNUMBERS (2009)
*BAD COMPANY + Possession (2007)
*Bad Moon Rising (2007)
*Baka Kyoudai (2008)
*Because the Night is Cold (2008)
*Before the light fails (2007)
*Call Call (2009)
*Catch (2009)
*CATCH-22 (2007)
*Coming Undone (2008)
*Continuity Circles (2007)
*Crescendo (2008)
*Cross Road (2007)
*Dean in Wonderland (2010)
*Don't Be Cool (2008)
*Dr. Winchester's Sweetheart (2010)
*Dramatic Rhythm (2007)
*Dream in Dream (2009)
*Dust In The Fire (2008)
*Everyday (2008)
*Evil Eyes (2008) Contains Ray/Dean
*FAINT (2008)
*Furuchin! (2007)
*Happy Time (2008)
*Hear the thunder before (2008)
*Here We Are (2008)
*Huddle Together (2008)
*Gambit! (2008)
*Give me a bite! (2007)
*Give me a reason (2009)
*Go Go Winchester Girls! (2008)
*Good Job! (2008)
*Good Morning Sammy (2009)
*Gravely Jungle (2007)
*Guardian (2008)
*Guardian Altercode (2009/10)
*Hunting in the Sheets (2010)
*Jack's Trick (2008)
*Jingle all the way (2009)
*Kitty's Charm (2008-09)
*Kyoudai Burari (2008-09)
*Little Starry Future (2007)
*Loop (2008)
*Lovers Potion (2008)
*Natural Catastrophe (2008)
*Naturally (2009)
*Natural World (2007)
*Necessary Supernatural (2008)
*Ningyo no Niku (2008)
*No Exit (2007)
*Nostalgia (2008)
*On the Beach an Older Brother with a Puppy (2009)
*One Day, One Room (2007)
*Only one thing (2009)
*Oops (2007)
*Orion Waltz (2008)
*Our Delicious Life (2011)
*Outside Flavor (2008)
*Penultimate Step (2008)
*Proof in the Box (2008)
*Rage (2008)
*Redempto Ideo (2007)
*Sacrifice (2008)
*Salt & Sugar (2010)
*Say Yes (2009)
*Secret of Love (2009)
*Silent Scream Shadow (2007)
*Sly dog (2007)
*Smith & Wesson (2009)
*Sodom (2009)
*Song Book (2012/13)
*Soul Cage (2008)
*Spiral chaos (2011)
*StarBright (2011)
*Sugar Sugar Honey (2008)
*Suki ni Narazu ni Irarenai (2008)
*Super (2007-2012)
*Super Honey Flavor (2008)
*Super Naturally
*Super Winchester Brothers (2007)
*Swan Song (2013)
*Sweet Brothers (2007)
*Sweet Mariage (2008)
*Sweet Vampire (2009)
*This is Our Day Off (2009)
*Up to Boy (2012)
*Under the Cubic Sky (2009)
*Under the cloak (2008)
*Unfold (2007)
*Unforgettable Fire (2007)
*Vanillatte Point (2008)
*W's (2009)
*Watarigarasu no Kokuin (2008)
*Wish You Were Here (2008)
===Fanart===
:See also :Category:Supernatural Art
*What's a little rain? by nargynargy (archive link)
*You wanna...? by nargynargy (archive link)
*Wincest by Luluxa
*Lucky to be alive by vongue
*Wake Up Next To You by maichan-art
*wincest 02 by sweetdari
*Nightswimming by mlle-gabrielle
===Fanfiction===
:See also :Category:Wincest Fanfiction
*Sure Got a Dirty Mouth by JustineDelarge. 
*A Truth In The Lie by flawedamythyst. 
*there will be better days by deadlybride. Sam and Dean settle into their heaven.
*Out of Focus by Shadow-shimmer
*Man, I Feel Like A Woman by Lyra Wing
*The First Cut Is the Deepest by Angyl
*Invisible Boy series by dollylux. 
*Brothers Shouldn't by Algedonic - link
* Slutty little Sammy is planning a gangbang with the football team Archived Link by homo-pink
*streams and side alleys by thecapn
*The Chicago Verse by compo67
* by nightsammy
* by tifaching
* by cupcakeinthetardis
* by jackles67
* by ScorchedAngel
* by Noname109
====Authors====
* ancastar
* astolat
* awabubbles
* belyste
* candle_beck
* dreamlittleyo
* drvsilla
* Ethrosdemon
* fleshflutter
* gekizetsu
* Jane Davitt
* leonidaslion
* locknkey
* lovesrain44
* lustmordred
* Maygra
* ninhursag
* not refined
* rei_c
* selecasharp
* sevenfists
===Meta===
:See also :Category:Supernatural Meta
*Erotically Co-Dependant: A Dean/Sam Manifesto by slytherinblack and kissedbythegods, at Ship Manifesto (December 2005, updated through season 5); archive link
*Emotional Intimacy & Communication by destina (October 2006); archive link
*Justifying Sam/Dean by monster-of-hope (March 2007); archive link
*Could Dean kill Sam? by destina (March 2007); archive link
*Redemption narratives and kissing by missyjack (May 2007); archive link
*Why I write Sam/Dean even though I've never liked incestfic (Untitled) by setissma (August 2007); archive link
*Wincest and Romanticism by fannishliss (February 2008); archive link
*Things That Are Completely Fantastic About Sam/Dean by setissma (March 2008); archive link
*Wincest Manifesto by Sarah on Supernatural for Grown Ups (circa 2008); archive link
*Incest in my Canon? by chasingtides (October 2008); archive link
*Analysis of Sam's love/devotion for Dean by laurificus (May 2009); archive link
*Wincest! The Musical by coyotesuspect (December 2009); archive link
*Young, Katie. 2011. Psychotically, irrationally, erotically co-dependent…the obsessive bromance of Supernatural. Katie Young Author, June 18; archive link
*A Wincest Manifesto by nana (circa 2012); archive link
*What is Wincest and How Do I Ship It: A Comprehensive Guide by brothersintheimapala (April 2013); archive link
===Podfic===
:See also :Category:Supernatural Podfics
* by applegeuse based on Archived Link
* by Opalsong
* SPN Fics Written by Molly aka Merry (includes Gen and Wincest works)
===Vids===
:See also :Category:Supernatural Vids
* Climbing Up The Walls by obsessive24 takes a hard look at the real "dead end" of a possible Sam/Dean relationship
* Falling For The First Time by sisabet
* Supernatural (In My Pants) by deirdre_c (Sam/Dean crackvid)
* Sam & Dean | At A Glance by SecretlyToDream
* Protège Moi by Charmax, a vid known for it's coloring, it is black and white with highlights of red
* Carnival of Rust by absrip, known for its use of manips
===Zines===
:See also :Category:Supernatural Zines
*Adickted
*Collected Supernatural Shorts
*Hand Basket to Hell
*Highway to Hell
*Something Gold
*A Supernatural Slash Anthology
===Reclists===
*Wincest Primer by blackrabbit42 on sd_recs (July 2013); archive link
==Example Art Gallery==
Image:Manip_wincest_low_resjpg.jpg‎|Sam and Dean: Original manip by nyaubaby (2008)|alt="Photo manipulation of Sam kissing Dean, with Sam's hand on the side of Dean's face"
File:Wincest_6AMwithyou.jpg|6AM with you by nargynargy (2008)|alt="Illustration, in foreground is Sam and Dean in the Impala, driving down a deserted highway, in the background are Sam and Dean's faces close togetehr looking like they are about to kiss"
File:Win_by_starkiller_0001c2k5.jpg|The Lovers tarot card created by marciaelena for the 2008 Supernatural and J-Squared Big Bang Challenge!|alt="Illustration of a tarot card, in the center Sam and Dean are sitting, naked, curling into each other, with their legs and arms intertwined. At the bottom are the word "The Lovers""
File:Incest_wanttobeatree2.png|Fan art by wanttobeatree (2009), created for the the fic The Incestuous Courtship of the Antichrist's Bride|alt="Illustration of Sam kissing Dean, with his hands on either side of Dean's face. In the background there are mountains in the distance and fiery orange and red clouds in the sky"
File:Bleakpetitemadame.jpg|Art by petite madame (2009), created for the fic A Bleak Understanding in Reverse|alt="Illustration of Dean kissing Sam, Dean has his hand on Sam's neck and Sam is grabbing Dean's jacket at the shoulder. In the close background is the Impala, and in the far background are nondescript city buildings and a lit street lamp"
File:Handbasket_int1.jpg|Interior art from the zine Hand Basket to Hell by Vamptastica (2009)|alt="Black and white photo manipulation of Sam and Dean sitting, naked, legs entwined, kissing. Dean has one hand on the back of Sam's neck, while the other supports him, Sam has one hand on Dean's ribs and his other hand on Dean's leg"
Image:Lastoutsmall.jpg|Daunt's Last Outpost Of All That Is (2010), created for the influential fic of the same name|alt="Black and white illustration of Sam on top of Dean, pressing Dean into a bed, while Sam kisses his neck, and grabs the neck of Dean's shirt pulling it open. Dean's shirt is shoved up under his armpits and his pants are low on his hips. Dean is gabbing Sam by the arm of his shirt pulling him closer"
File:Impala_67_by_loonylucifer.jpg|Impala '67 by loonylucifer (2010)|alt="Illustration of Sam pressing Dean up against the Impala, Sam is his kissing Dean's neck and pushing Dean's shirt up with his and one leg inserted between Dean's leg. Dean is looking away from Sam, with one hand on the hood of the Impala. In the background if the sign "Singer Auto Salvage""
File:Different_As_It's_Always_Been.jpg|Art by siennavie created for the fic Different As It's Always Been, as part of the 2013 Sam & Dean Minibang|alt="Illustration of Sam and Dean are smiling and holding hands, while standing in the water of a lake, their trousers are rolled up to their knees. In the background the sun is setting"
File:Monochrome wincest.jpeg|Monochrome Wincest by ErinPtah. Produced in 2019 as part of the Problematic Ships Project|alt="Illustration of Sam on his knees looking down, as Dean hugs him from behind, one of Sam's hands is holding onto Dean's arm, on a soft beige background"
==Further Reading==
*Tosenberger, Catherine. 2008. "The epic love story of Sam and Dean": Supernatural, queer readings, and the romance of incestuous fan fiction. Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 1. link
*Chan, Suzette. 2009. Catherine Tosenberger on Sam and Dean's Transformative Love Story. Sequential Tart: A Comics Industry Web Zine, April 6; archive link
*"Saving People, Hunting Things," edited by Catherine Tosenberger, special issue, Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 4. Published: 2010-03-15.
*Gennis, Sadie. 2012. Supernatural: Is Wincest Dead? TV Guide, October 16; archive link
*Torrey, K. T. 2014. Writing with the Winchesters: Metatextual Wincest and the provisional practice of happy endings. Journal of Fandom Studies 2: 163-180.
*Workman, Kimberly. 2015. Brothers As Lovers: Shipping Wincest in Supernatural. In Media Res: A MediaCommons Project, June 15; archive link
*Mary Sue. 2017. The Supernatural Appeal of Wincest. FAN/FIC Magazine, January 18; archive link
*Collins, Hannah. 2019. How 'Wincest' Became Supernatural Canon. CBR.com, August 2; archive link
*Samdean Shipper Survey data compiled by sammyverse (March 8 2021); archive link
==Archives and Links==
*Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester tag at Archive of Our Own
*Sam + Dean at FanFiction.net
*Sinful Desire (now archived at AO3)
*Sam Dean Slash Archive (defunct)
*Supernatural Slash, which had a Sam/Dean category (defunct)
*wincest (LiveJournal community)
*On A Hotel Bed link site
*Beyond Salvation message board
==References==
Category:Slash Pairings
Winchester
Category:Supernatural Relationships
Category:2022 Featured Articles