There is a lot to love about The CW’s Supernatural, and the relationship Dean and Castiel share definitely makes that list. Ever since Castiel gripped Dean tight and “raised him from perdition,” they have survived the harshest of tests together, establishing a special bond that often appears romantically inclined, giving fans ample reason to ship them as “Destiel.” But while Supernatural has given many nods to the “Wincest” ship, they have always shied away from even informally recognizing the section of its fans that see Dean and Castiel as the best romantic pair in the show.
Much of the fandom has already accepted the theory that Dean is bisexual, with there being ample evidence throughout Supernatural's run backing the idea. For instance, Every time the brothers are mistaken as lovers, while Sam simply lets it slide as an obvious mistake, Dean gets defensive and starts flaunting the fact that he is a man. This is something even Sam remarks on in Season Two when Dean openly airs his discomfort with people assuming that they are gay, to which Sam aptly points out that the elder Winchester is “kind of butch” and “overcompensating.”
However, for Destiel shippers, the show denying at every turn that Dean isn't bisexual does little to discourage them from taking the headcanon super seriously. Even if you forget every relationship trope and smoldering gaze the duo has shared, there is still the fact that there is no canon couple on the show (not even Mary and John) who have been through what Dean and Castiel have survived together. They have made their fair mistakes, went against each other but at the end of the day, they always manage to find their way back to one another, standing together against whatever comes their way.
Castiel's Bond With Dean
Though Castiel entered the hunter’s life on God’s orders, he stayed back because he wanted to. He slowly transformed from the “hammer” blindly following orders to being loyal to the Winchesters, especially Dean. There's a moment in Season 6 when an irritated Sam questions Castiel why he doesn't answer his calls but comes running when Dean utters his name. To this, the angel admits that he shares a “more profound bond with Dean.”
Together they’ve faced monsters, angels and archangels, battled against Hell and Heaven and even survived the brutality of Purgatory side-by-side. Now, they're facing God himself, proving there isn’t a battle that Cass and Dean would let the other fight alone. Castiel constantly rebelled against Heaven for Dean, at the cost of being tortured and even putting his very existence in danger. When Metatron tries to be God and takes over Heaven in Season 9, while both Winchester brothers are at peril, it is Dean’s fate that worries Castiel the most. Even Metatron questions Castiel’s motives because, while he initially made efforts for Heaven’s improvement, he turned his back on all of it to save Dean.
Dean Risks It All to Save Cass
Castiel isn’t only the angel who ravaged Heaven and Hell to save Dean, though. The Hunter, even though he is not blessed with celestial powers like Cass, has saved him countless times. Dean rescued Castiel from Alastair even when seconds ago the angel had been fighting against them, and it's Dean who undoes Naomi’s brainwashing on Cass, with him saying “I need you” being enough to defeat the powerful angelic spell. The number of times their bond alone, sans the heroics, has saved their lives is hard to overlook. In fact, it's Dean and his love for Castiel that humanizes him.
Castiel Understands Dean Better Than Most
Some would claim that Dean shares a similar dynamic with his brother, but Sam hasn't ever understood the elder Winchester like Castiel does. The angel knows Dean like the back of his hand and is understanding of his little idiosyncrasies. In Season 8, Dean was angrily harassing a store clerk in Season 8 when he announced that they are out of pies because he was frustrated at Castiel's continued stubbornness to sort problems regarding the Angel Tablet on his own. Luckily, the angel knew the best way to amend the tension between them was pie.
Making up for Supernatural's Lack of LGBTQ+ Representation
When it comes to LGBTQ+ characters, Supernatural hasn’t had the greatest reputation, with the show even being accused of queerbaiting by staging scenes in a way that insinuates that Dean and Castiel are a romantic pair. Throughout the series, there are lines like Balthazar denoting Castiel as “the one in the filthy trenchcoat who's in love with [Dean]” and Uriel in Season 4 claiming that Dean is Cass’ weakness. These moments obviously tease the Destiel relationship but choose to look at it as if it's a joke.
Making Destiel canon would not only make fans happy who are sure that Dean and Castiel belong together, but it would also do wonders for queer representation on the show. Imagine the gun-slinging, demon-hunting Dean Winchester coming out as a bisexual in a hyper-masculine, male-dominated show like Supernatural.
Unfortunately, now that Supernatural is heading towards the end of its final chapter, it’s obvious that the creators of the series have no plans to make Destiel happen. For the pair to go from friends to suddenly announcing their love for one another would feel forced and more like a consolation prize for diehard shippers. So, all that fans can do now is binge-watch the series after it ends and marvel at all the special moments Dean and Castiel share, knowing that they would have been the couple to root for.
Starring Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, and Alexander Calvert, the final seven episodes of Supernatural will return on Oct. 8 on The CW.