Excerpt from Crowley 's monster anatomy book.

Monsters are supernatural beings that have either been infected to become monsters, or in most cases were born that way. All species of monsters were created from an Alpha, who were born from Eve, the Mother of All Monsters; who herself was a primordial creature born in Purgatory, and first walked the Earth some 10,000 years ago. It is implied that Eve and in turn monsters, are in some fashion descended from the Leviathans.

According to Agent Terrance Clegg, there are around an estimated 100's of thousands of monsters in world, most of which are capable of assimilating into human culture.

Click on the monster names for more information about their appearances in Supernatural.

Types of Monsters

Alphas are the first born of their particular species. Being the progenitors of their respective species gives the Alphas a connection to their "children," through either shared visions or telepathy.

The Amazons are a tribe of female warriors, who after their ranks were decimated in a long lasting war, made a deal with the goddess Harmonia. In exchange for everlasting service, Harmonia granted the Amazons great strength as well as the ability to reproduce at an accelerated rate. After mating, an Amazonian will give birth after 36 hours, and within three days the child would be a fully formed teenager. This cycle is repeated every two years by Amazons of child bearing age.

Archanes are creatures with spider-like abilities and attributes, they appear human with mottled skin and double irised-eyes. Until 2010/11 not much was known about them as they had not been seen outside of Crete, Greece for 2,000 years, the reemergence in 2010 could have been attributed to the averted Apocalypse, which caused many monsters to come out of the woodwork and act in ways not seen before. Arachnes are capable of spinning a strong web to keep their victims captive, they also have an infectious bite that can turn a human into an arachne, they are also capable of reproducing with their own kind. Arachnes are strong and are able to survive gunshots and fire, the only guaranteed way to kill one is through decapitation.

Banshees are creatures with ties to fairy lore. Banshees can be either benevolent creatures warning people of their impending deaths or malevolent, targeting the vulnerable to feed on. Malevolent banshees take on the form of a pale female with hollow eyes and dark flowing hair, dressed in bloody robes. Banshees are capable of traveling through mist, but are best known for their cry. Where a benevolent banshee will use it as a warning of coming death, a malevolent one will use a piercing scream to drive their victim mad by forcing them to bash their skulls in to relieve themselves of the sound.

Banshees are vulnerable to certain types of spells, they can be banished with one type and trapped with a special Celtic trinity knot sigil. The only method of killing a banshee is to pierce its heart with a gold blade.

Not much is known about Baku as they have only been mentioned by Bobby as he and Rufus hunted one in Alaska.

Changelings are humanoid creatures with discolored, slimy skin, hollow eyes, and a round mouth with many teeth. They can appear human, but their true nature is revealed in their reflection. They feed on humans' synovial fluid. Incineration is the only method to kill a changeling, if their mother is killed via fire, all the children will become set aflame along with her.

Chupacabras are creatures known to inhabit Puerto Rico, Mexico, Chile, Brazil and parts of the United States. Chupacabra translated into English means "goat sucker." A chupacabra has not been encountered on Supernatural, but it has been mentioned before inferring that the creature does indeed exist.

The crocotta is a long-lived scavenger able to live for centuries. It is known to live in filth and squalor, and has the ability to appear human and mimic voices of people it has heard. The crocotta in legends is described as being able to lure people deep into the forest by mimicking the voice of a loved one, in order to consume the souls of their victims, in modern times they appear to have been able to adapt and use technology to their benefit. Their true form is unknown, however when they feed their jaws will extended and reveal long sharp and jagged fangs.

Djinns are creatures that are able to poison their victims with a touch, sending them into a coma where they get to live out their deepest fantasies while the djinn slowly feeds on their blood over a long period of time. Djinns can typically be found in large ruins, they appear human with blue glowing eyes and tattooed skin covering their bodies, when they put a victim under, their hands are consumed by a blue smokeless flame which knocks the victim out instantly. There also appears to be a "bastard off-shoot" of djinn that are able to pass off as human and cause their victims to live in their worst nightmare as opposed to a happy fantasy.

A silver knife dipped in lamb's blood is the best way to kill a djinn, however extreme brain damage can be just as effective.

Dragons are creatures capable of camouflaging themselves as humans, in their true form they appear to have scaly skin, serpent eyes, bat like wings and talons. Dragons also have the ability to generate extreme heat, which is able to melt metal with a touch. Traditionally dragons are attracted to gold and virgins, and prefer to live in caves, but are able to adapt to urban environments by living in a dark secluded places such as sewers. The only method of killing a dragon is to stab it with a sword that has been forged in dragon's blood.

Ghouls are creatures that feed off the flesh of the dead, and have the ability to take on the form and memories of the corpse they have fed on, though they are known on occasion to feed on the living. A ghoul can only be killed through a headshot, severe head trauma, or decapitation.

Not much is known about the creatures known as "gorilla-wolves," other than they appear to hunt/live in packs, have glowing red eyes, are quadrupeds, are able to move at incredible speeds and are native creatures of Purgatory. They were also the first creatures Dean and Castiel encountered when they awoke in Purgatory.

Jefferson Starships is the name given to this hybrid monster by Dean Winchester. They were created by Eve to be the perfect monster, undetectable to hunters and able to procreate through an infectious bite. Jefferson Starships possessed strength, speed, the ability to shapeshift, as well as a wraith spike and vampire teeth. The Jefferson Starships of Grants Pass, Oregon were all wiped out by Castiel in 6.19 Mommy Dearest, with Joe and Ryan Silver taken out by unknown demon assailants.

The Khan worm was the first new monster to be created by Eve upon her release from Purgatory. The creature's appearance is a cross between a slug and a centipede. The Khan worm is an intelligent and self-aware being. It enters through a person's ear and takes control of their body. Killing the host body will not kill the Khan worm, as it is able to reanimate the corpse. The only method of removing the Khan worm from its host and killing it is through electrocution.

There is also a second class of Khan worm, which originates in the Middle East. Unlike the standard version, this cousin does not take possession of its host body. Rather it acts as a parasite, absorbing all bodily fluids, eventually causing the host to go mad with thirst. It enters through the mouth, and appears to reside the the host's digestive tract, regurgitating itself out of the host body when it is prepared to move on to a new one. Extreme dehydration appears to be the only way to force the parasite out of the host body.

Kitsunes are humanoid monsters, that are known as a type of supernatural fox that can shapeshift into a human in Japanese mythology. When attacking, they are able to change the appearance of their eyes to resemble a fox's, and are also able to sprout long black claws from their hands. Kitsunes feed on the pituitary gland of their victims, though it possible for them to survive of off glands harvested from a dead body, if a kitsune falls ill it will need to feed on fresh pituitary glands, otherwise it will risk death. A kitsune can be killed by simply stabbing it in the heart.

Kraken

Not much is known about krakens in Supernatural, as Sam and Dean have yet to encounter one. All that is known about the creature is that Crowley has a warehouse full of "essence of kraken" in Belize, and that the kraken essence is a key ingredient in a location spell.[1]

Lamias are monsters that are typically only found in Greece. It is assumed that they have a humanoid form, as well as large claws which are used to rip open the chest cavity of a victim and feed on their heart. There are two ways to kill a lamia; the first is to stab it with a silver knife blessed by a priest, if that is not an option a second method involving covering the lamia in rosemary and salt, and then setting it on fire also proves to be an effective way on disposing of them.

Leviathans were the first beasts created by God, they were created long before angels or man came to be, and were incredibly powerful and clever beings. Leviathans were primordial creatures from the sea, that through evolution, became able to possess other creatures to survive on land.[2] They also possessed an insatiable hunger, and God, fearing they would consume the whole of creation locked them away in Purgatory until they were released by the angel Castiel. The number of Leviathans that escaped Purgatory is unknown, they were however able to infiltrate high levels of business once on Earth. Leviathans have the ability to shapeshift and regenerate from any wounds, as well as overpower and kill angels with little effort. However Leviathans have a rigid hierarchy, with Dick Roman having been their leader presumably since creation, if the leader should fall they are effectively rendered aimless in their goals, seeking only to satiate their hunger.

Leviathans have few weaknesses, one of those being the compound sodium borate, or borax, which acts as a type of acid to the Leviathans. However the effects are only temporary, but long enough to allow for decapitation. Once the head is removed, it must be kept away from the Leviathan, otherwise it will attach itself back to the body. The only methods to truly kill a Leviathan involve either one eating the other, "bibbing" (autocannibalism), or stabbing one with a bone of a righteous mortal that has been bathed in the three bloods of the fallen; which are a fallen angel, the ruler of fallen humanity (King of Hell), and the father of fallen beasts (an Alpha). However, this weapon has the side effect of pulling anyone close to the dying Leviathan back to Purgatory with it.



Mandragora

Mandragora are an extinct species of monster; all that is known of them is that their livers are a key ingredient for a piece of Stregherian magic. The last of the mandragora was killed by John Winchester.

A marid is an amphibious creature, believed to be some sort of djinn off-shoot that when captured, so long as it is kept fed will grant their captor money, health or anything they could desire.

Methods of killing a marid are unknown beyond simple decapitation.

Michael from Apocalypse World commences a project of enhancing monsters through a process that involves feeding them his grace. He is able to enhance the abilities of monsters and also reduce their vulnerability to traditional forms of dispatch. Michael approaches different monsters and offers them a deal - in return for having their abilities upgraded, they are to kill as many hunters as possible.

Muscas are a human fly hybrid that tend to keep to themselves, which led to their existence being questioned due to no one actually having seen one. Muscas live in close knit communities, but every few hundred years there is what is known as a "bad egg" -- a male who fails to find a mate -- who will abandon the community and nest on his own, using human bodies as nesting material.

Lore theorizes that a brass nail dipped in sugar water can kill a musca, however conventional means such as guns and knives have proven to be just as effective.

Nachzehrer are humanoid looking creatures that are a hybrid between vampires and ghouls. Nachzehrer's come in two different breeds, one type takes more after ghouls and prefers to consume the flesh of the dead, the other takes after vampires, preferring to feed on the blood and hearts of the living. Like vampires, the nachzehrer live in small packs, and prefer to keep extremely low profiles.

Nachzehrer have few weaknesses and are incredibly hard to kill. Silver is capable of slowing them down, but is generally ineffective against one. Even when decapitated, a nachzehrer will not die and in fact will be able to have it's head reattached to its body. The only way to truly kill one is to place a obol, or copper coin in their mouth and chop off their head. If the pack's alpha is killed, everyone it turned will revert back to humans.

Ōkamis appear to be an offshoot of sorts of the werewolf, as one of the translations of their name in English is "wolf." Like standard werewolves, ōkami's look human in appearance except for their fangs and claws, as well as possessing superhuman strength and agility. They differ however in the method in which they are killed, an ōkami must be stabbed seven times with a bamboo dagger that has been blessed by a Shinto priest. Though, "Wood chipper. That pretty much trumps... everything."

The phoenix is an immortal creature that is immune to most forms of death (save for a kill shot by the Colt) and has the ability to incinerate anyone with a single touch. Upon "death" their bodies will cease functioning and spontaneously combust, and a new body will rise from the ashes of the old. Like most other supernatural entities it has a weakness to iron, and will cause horrible burns upon contact. The phoenix's ashes are the only known thing capable of killing Eve, according to writer Andrew Dabb, the reason for this is because the phoenix is akin to cancer.[3]

"It's born from her body, but it's toxic to her. She cast it out, and it's hated by all monsters because it's poisonous to their mother. The phoenix has been on the run for thousands of years."

Pishtacos are Peruvian fat suckers, typically located in the Andes region of South America. Pishtacos are parasitic by nature, as they are able to feed off of their victim's fat without killing them, however fatalities will happen if a pishtaco cannot control itself while feeding. Pishtaco's are human in appearance, when they feed a proboscis appendage is released from their mouth's that latches onto their host which allows them to feed on fat. The more fat a pistaco consumes the stronger it will become. Their weakness is silver, and cutting off their proboscis works as well as stabbing them.

Qareens are shapehifting creatures that take on the form of a persons deepest, darkest desire. Qareens are Arabic in origin and much like a genie do the bidding of a master, who is in control of their black heart. A qareen is unrelenting in its pursuit of their victim, while they can be slowed down temporarily, they will not stop until they rip out the victims heart. The only way to kill one is by finding its heart and piercing it.

Rakshasas are a race ancient Hindu creatures that feed on human flesh and prefer to sleep on a bed of dead insects. They have heightened senses, can shapeshift and make themselves invisible. Their only weakness are that they cannot enter a home without an invitation, and they are able to be killed by a knife (or any sharp object) of pure brass.

Rawheads are hairy, ragged-looking creatures with leathery skin, they prefer to lurk in basements and like to feed on children. Electrocution is the best method for killing a rawhead, once done their bodies will be rendered into gooey orange mounds of viscera.

Rugarus are born human, but through a genetic mutation will eventually transform into cannibalistic creatures with insatiable hunger. When it is time for a rugaru to transform, its bones will begin to shift in its body, and it will be driven by the urge to eat any meat it can get its hands on. This drive eventually leads to human flesh. A single bite of human meat is all it takes for the transformation to be complete, at which point physical attributes such as strength and speed will become enhanced. Outwardly the ruguaru's skin will become wormy, teeth will begin to rot and its eyes will turn black when feeding. The only way to kill it is by immolation.

Shapeshifters have the ability to change their physical form, allowing them to look like anyone living, dead or fictional. Typically a shapeshifter needs to shed it's skin when it transforms, the speed of which the shedding happens can vary from shifter to shifter, however Sam and Dean Winchester have encountered shapeshifters that do not need to shed their skin and are able to transform instantaneously, much like the Alpha Shapeshifter. Unlike most monsters that are driven by their hunger, shapeshifters appear to have purely human drives that can range anywhere from jealousy to greed. Shapeshifters can be identified by the retinal flares they give off on videos, they have a weakness to silver which is deadly to them if pierced through the heart.

Sirens are a type of creature with the ability to change its appearance depending on how it chooses to approach its victims. A siren's true visage can be seen in a mirror, where it takes the appearance of a pale humanoid with hollow eyes and mouth that appears fused shut. In lore a siren's call is described as a song, in reality it is transmitted through saliva, leaving traces of Oxycontin in the victim's blood. When a siren chooses its victim it will approach them by reading their mind and appearing as their perfect person. It will manipulate feelings of love; be it sexual, familial or platonic, eventually leading the victim to kill for the siren anyone that would appear threatening to their relationship.

A siren can only be killed with a bronze dagger dipped in the blood of someone living it has infected, which will then free any victims from the siren's call.

Skinwalkers are humans who are able to shapeshift into a canine form, they are essentially cousins to the werewolf as they have a weakness to silver and prefer to feed on the hearts of their victims. Like werewolves they will revert back to their human form when killed. However, they differ in that their transformation is not dictated by the lunar cycle, and have the ability to change forms at will, as well as have control over what they do in their canine form.

Soul eaters inhabit a plane between the human world and another, a place that exists outside of time and space. When a soul eater moves into a house, it creates a "nest." The nest takes on the appearance of the home it is in, albeit much darker. Being between worlds, a soul eater is capable of mustering enough strength to snatch the souls of its victims and take them to its nest, where they feed the soul eater until the soul withers away. To keep the victim's soul vulnerable, a soul eater will mess with their heads, showing them images of things/people they love in distress.

Vampires are immortal creatures that are created when a human ingests vampiric blood (or gets the blood into an open wound), the transformation is only completed when the infected first feeds, until that point the process is reversible if the person is aware of the cure and able to get the blood of its maker. However, if the transformation is complete the newly created vampire will suffer from bloodlust and need to regularly feed on blood; either from a human, animal or through blood bags. Vampires retain their human appearance, except for a row of retractable teeth, which they use to rip the throats of their victims. They also have enhanced senses allowing them to see in pitch black darkness, and once a vampire gets your scent it will have it for life. Vampires also mate for life and tend to live in nests of eight to ten members, with smaller packs of three to four being sent out to hunt, victims can be kept alive for days while being fed on. All vampires also have a psychic connection to the Alpha Vampire, even if they have not yet fed and fully turned. By 2006, vampires had been hunted to the point of near extinction, by 2011/2012 their numbers have increased significantly due in part to the machinations and arrival of Eve on Earth.

Most folklore on vampires is false, as they are not affected by garlic or silver, cannot be killed with a wooden stake to the heart or burst into flames when they come into contact with the sun; though vampire eyes are sensitive to ultraviolet light, and prolonged exposure will leave them with a nasty sunburn. Vampires are vulnerable to dead man's blood, which will give a paralyzing effect and cause any wounds to heal at a slower rate. Burning saffron, skunk's cabbage and trillium will also block your scent when confronting vampires. The only way to kill a vampire is through decapitation. However, vamptonite -- the blood of humans that have ingested the Leviathan food additive, works as a poison against vampires, once injected or ingested the blood will instantly kill the vampire.

Vetalas are serpent-like vampiric creatures that, like most monsters has adapted to appear human. Vetalas prefer to hunt in pairs, where they will sedate their victim(s) with venom and feed off of their blood over a number of days, with the victim typically dying after the fourth feeding. While feeding they will reveal snake-like eyes and four pointed fangs.

A vetala can be killed by stabbing it in the heart with a silver knife and then twisting, whereupon they will revert to their true serpent form in death.

Wendigos are people who turned to cannibalism for survival; they are slender, pale, hairless, can be hundreds of years old, are armed with long claws, and have the ability to mimic human voices. Many cultures believed consuming human flesh could give a person abilities such as speed, strength and immortality. The constant consumption of human flesh over the years will eventually transform the person into a wendigo, giving it all those abilities but saddled with an insatiable hunger. Wendigos will hibernate for years at a time, but when it is awake it will store their victims and keep them alive to feed on whenever it wants.

A wendigo can be kept at bay by drawing Anasazi protection symbols, silver will also cause harm to it, but won't kill it. The only way to kill a wendigo is through immolation.

Werewolves are humans that will turn into a feral wolf-like creature under a full moon, though after the averted Apocalypse werewolves were reported to have been turning during half-moons. Werewolves are essentially id brought to the forefront of the mind -- whatever subconscious desires, fears or hatred a werewolf felt as a human can lead to violent action when they transform. When a werewolf transforms, the human typically blacks out and is unaware of any of their actions; it keeps mostly human features only sprouting fangs and claws, with their eyes turning yellow and wolf-like. The transformation also comes with some enhanced abilities such as speed, strength, stamina as well as senses. There are also two different classes of werewolves; those which were born as werewolves and thus have better control over themselves when they change, and those that are bitten. If a "bitten" is infected by a werewolf within four generations of a pureblood, like a pureblood they too will have better control over their transformations; being able to transform before, during and after the lunar cycle as well as not blacking out.

Werewolves prefer to feed on the hearts of their victims, if the human has any control over the werewolf they can survive on animal hearts, however if the werewolf feeds on a human heart it will increase the difficulty to not attack humans. Werewolves have a weakness to silver, contact with it is uncomfortable and can cause their flesh to burn. Killing a werewolf simply requires piercing its heart with silver.

Whispers

Whispers have not yet been encountered but Castiel has done research on them.[4] The lore stats that whispers were once believed to be derived from the bloodline of werewolves, however they are closer in similarity to demons. Whispers are incredibly stealth creatures, where their name derives, and only feed during solar eclipses. They have lived for centuries on the fringes, though several whisper were hunted down during the Salem witch trials. Whispers can be killed by silver, however decapitation can be executed to ensure their demise.

Wraiths are creatures that can appear human, their true form can be seen in reflections where they appear to have decaying flesh. Wratihs have the ability to distort their victims' minds, making them hallucinate and become emotionally unbalanced, they do this because it causes the brains to become soaked in dopamine and adrenaline, as well as other hormones and chemicals which make the brain taste delicious. Wraiths feed on brains through an organic spike that is hidden in the wrist, they typically stab their victims in the back of the neck, where the spike pierces the skull, allowing them to suck the brain out. The only way to kill a wraith is by stabbing it with silver in the heart, any physical contact with silver will also cause the wraith's skin to crackle.