Azazel. That name alone used to send a literal chill down the spines of millions of CW viewers every Thursday night. If you’ve spent any time in the Supernatural fandom, you know that the Supernatural prince of hell wasn't just some monster of the week; he was the catalyst for the entire Winchester tragedy. He’s the reason Mary Winchester ended up on a ceiling. He's the reason Sam had demon blood in his veins.
Honestly, the show never quite regained that specific brand of visceral terror once the yellow-eyed demon exited the stage in the season 2 finale, "All Hell Breaks Loose."
Most people think of the Princes of Hell as a late-series retcon, but the lore is actually surprisingly tight if you look at how Eric Kripke originally mapped out the hierarchy. While we eventually met Ramiel, Dagon, and Asmodeus, it all started with one guy in a dusty nursery in Lawrence, Kansas. The impact of the Supernatural prince of hell lineage changed the DNA of urban fantasy television forever. It moved the needle from simple ghost stories to a complex, hierarchical war between heaven and hell that lasted fifteen years.
The Gritty Origin of the Princes
Let’s talk about where these guys actually came from because the show’s mythology is kinda wild. According to the lore established in the later seasons (specifically season 12), the Princes of Hell were the first generation of demons created by Lucifer himself. They weren't just random souls who stayed in hell too long and lost their humanity. They were hand-crafted. Lucifer turned them shortly after his fall from grace but before he was locked away in the Cage. This makes them older than almost anything else the Winchesters fought, save for maybe the Alphas or the Archangels.
They were meant to lead the demonic armies. They were the generals.
But here’s the thing that most casual fans miss: they eventually got bored. Or maybe "disillusioned" is a better word for it. By the time the series starts, three of the four Princes had basically retired. Ramiel just wanted to go fishing. Dagon was obsessed with her own hobbies. Asmodeus was... well, Asmodeus was busy being the "weakest" but most ambitious of the bunch. Azazel was the only true believer. He was the only one who actually gave a damn about the "Father’s" plan to kickstart the Apocalypse.
Why Azazel Was Built Different
Azazel wasn't just a Supernatural prince of hell; he was a fanatic. While his siblings were hiding out on Earth living quiet lives, Azazel spent decades—literally decades—searching for the door to Lucifer’s cage. Think about the dedication that takes. He had to coordinate the "Special Children" project, which involved bleeding into the mouths of infants across the country. It’s gross. It’s meticulous. It’s classic Supernatural.
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Remember the 1973 flashback in "In the Beginning"? We see Azazel making deals not for souls, but for permission to enter houses ten years later. He was playing the longest game imaginable. He didn't want your soul; he wanted your kid. He needed a psychic general to lead his army, and he didn't care how many families he had to torch to get there.
The sheer power level of a Supernatural prince of hell is often underestimated because the Winchesters eventually started killing gods. But early on? Azazel was untouchable. He could possess people without them remembering. He could manipulate reality. He could kill with a thought. The only thing that could touch him was the Colt, a mystical revolver made by Samuel Colt himself. That’s it. No salt, no iron, no holy water. He walked through those things like they were nothing.
The Rest of the Family: Ramiel, Dagon, and Asmodeus
It took until season 12 for the show to circle back to this lore. We met Ramiel in "Stuck in the Middle (With You)," which is widely considered one of the best-directed episodes of the later seasons (shout out to Richard Speight Jr.). Ramiel was a beast. He had the Lance of Michael. He almost killed Castiel with a single poke.
Then there was Dagon. She was tasked with protecting (or kidnapping) Kelly Kline and the Nephilim, Jack. She was ruthless but had this weirdly casual vibe, which is a hallmark of the Prince of Hell "brand." They've been around so long that they just don't care about the theatrics anymore.
Finally, we had Asmodeus. He’s the one people love to hate. With his white suit and Southern Fried accent, he felt like a different kind of threat. He was a shapeshifter. He actually managed to capture Gabriel—an Archangel!—and use his grace to power himself up. That’s a level of audacity even Azazel didn't show.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lore
A common misconception is that the Princes of Hell are the same thing as the Knights of Hell. They aren't. Not even close.
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The Knights of Hell, like Abaddon and Cain, were hand-picked by Lucifer, but they were trained by Cain. They were the shock troops. The Princes were the royalty. In the demonic hierarchy, the Princes sit right below Lucifer and Lilith (the first demon). If hell was a corporation, the Princes would be the retired founders who still hold all the shares while the Knights are the aggressive middle management trying to stage a coup.
Another weird detail? The yellow eyes. That’s their calling card. It’s not just a cool visual effect; it signifies their status as the first-born of Lucifer. When you see those golden irises, you don't run. You’re already dead.
The Real-World Mythology Behind the Name
Kripke didn't just pull these names out of a hat. Azazel is a name that pops up in various ancient texts, including the Book of Enoch and Leviticus. In some traditions, Azazel is a fallen angel who taught men how to make weapons of war and women how to use cosmetics (seriously). He’s often associated with the "scapegoat" ritual.
The show took these fragments of ancient Near Eastern mythology and baked them into a midwestern gothic setting. It works because it feels grounded. When a Supernatural prince of hell shows up in a roadside diner, it’s scarier than if he were in a palace. The juxtaposition of the mundane and the cosmic is where the show lived and breathed.
The Legacy of the Yellow-Eyed Demon
Looking back, Azazel’s death was the end of an era. It was the moment Dean finally got revenge for his mother, but it opened a vacuum that the show spent years trying to fill. We got Alastair, Crowley, Abaddon, and eventually Lucifer himself, but none of them had that same personal connection to the Winchesters.
Azazel wasn't just a villain; he was the architect of their lives. He picked Sam. He spared John in 1973. He created the Winchesters as we know them. Without the Supernatural prince of hell, Sam would have finished law school and married Jessica, and Dean would probably be a mechanic in Lawrence. They’d be happy, sure, but the world would have ended a dozen times over.
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How to Dive Deeper Into the Lore
If you’re looking to revisit this specific era of the show or want to understand the hierarchy better, there are a few things you should do. First, go back and watch "Salvation" and "Devil's Trap" from season 1. Then jump to "Stuck in the Middle (With You)" in season 12. The contrast is fascinating.
You can also check out the Supernatural tie-in novels, though their "canon" status is often debated by the hardcore fans. The "Bobby Singer's Guide to Hunting" is a great resource that touches on some of the demonic classifications that didn't make it into the early scripts.
The Princes of Hell represent a time when the stakes felt personal. They weren't fighting for the fate of the multiverse; they were fighting for the soul of a family. That’s why we’re still talking about them nearly two decades later.
If you want to track the evolution of these characters, keep a spreadsheet of their powers. You’ll notice that Azazel was actually more powerful in some ways than his "older" siblings, likely because he stayed active and didn't let his powers atrophy.
- Watch the Season 1-2 arc to see Azazel at his peak.
- Compare the "Yellow Eyes" makeup across different vessels (Fredric Lehne is the goat).
- Read the Book of Enoch for the real-world inspiration for the name Azazel.
- Pay attention to the eye colors—they tell you everything you need to know about a demon’s rank.
The Princes of Hell aren't just a footnote. They are the foundation. Whether it’s the terrifying calm of Ramiel or the obsessive drive of Azazel, these characters defined what it meant to be a high-level threat in the world of the Winchesters.