went wrong with The Winchesters, leading Supernatural's one-season spinoff to fail. From its inconsistency regarding the original show's lore to its quality issues, the prequel faced many obstacles when it came to winning fans over. The harshest reality, however, was that John and Mary Winchester simply didn't make the most compelling main characters.
The dynamic between Sam and Dean was the heart of the original show, so adopting new leads was always going to be risky. Of course, there's still plenty of demand for the CW series, as the discussions about the possibility of Supernatural season 16 confirm. But a spinoff wouldn't be a bad idea either, assuming it adopted a more promising angle than The Winchesters. And there's one great side character from Supernatural who would have made a great prequel lead, especially given the glimpses of his backstory we get in the original story.
Supernatural's Prequel Should Have Been About Bobby Singer, Not The Winchester Family
Viewers Were Already Attached To Bobby's Character
Bobby Singer is easily one of the best characters from Supernatural, and he would have made a much better prequel lead than Mary and John. For one, we learn enough about the Winchesters' parents in the original series, raising questions about why their story needed to be covered in more depth. While the revelation that Mary's family, not John's, were hunters was a fascinating detail, the execution of this backstory left much to be desired. Meanwhile, Bobby's history — also touched on in the main show — offered far more potential.
Viewers were already attached to Bobby after the original series, which would have given them a better incentive to get invested.
The losses Bobby faced before the events of Supernatural were massively emotional, which would have made them a strong hook for a prequel. Additionally, viewers were already attached to Bobby after the original series, which would have given them a better incentive to get invested in a spinoff. The dynamic between Bobby and Rufus Turner would also have captured the themes of brotherhood present in the main show, giving a follow-up a similar feel that would have been appealing to longtime fans.
Bobby's Backstory Is Alluded To In The Original Series & Deserves More Depth
A Supernatural Prequel Could Offer A More Detailed Character Study
Bobby's backstory would have offered the perfect premise for a Supernatural prequel, as it would've opened with a shocking and devastating event on par with the original series. Supernatural reveals that Bobby was thrust into the life of a hunter after his wife was possessed by a demon, an incident that to him killing her. Bobby clearly carries the weight of that in the main show, but it would be interesting to venture back and see how things played out. A Bobby prequel would be able to unpack his grief in a far more detailed character study.

"Dated Before We Got Married": Supernatural's Best ing Character Was Only Supposed To Be In 3 Episodes
Supernatural has a lot of amazing ing characters, but its best one was only going to star in three episodes before he became a fan favorite.
It would also show how he became such an experienced hunter, going on to mentor Sam and Dean. Given how beloved Bobby is, it would be fun to watch his evolution as a young man learning the ropes of the "business." It would also give Rufus more attention, and a Bobby spinoff wouldn't rule out Winchester family cameos, either.
A Bobby Singer Prequel Could Still Have Included Winchester Cameos
But It Wouldn't Have Been Too Close To The Original Show
The Winchesters' ties to the original show were a bit too close, but a Bobby Singer spinoff could have featured Winchester family cameos without directly overlapping or feeling redundant. Bobby and John Winchester knew one another well before Supernatural's start, meaning viewers still could have gotten a glimpse of the Winchesters' father when he was younger. We could have seen Sam and Dean as kids, too, which would have made their bond with Bobby in Supernatural that much sweeter.
If The CW does decide to return to the prospect of Supernatural as a larger franchise, it should consider Bobby as a contender for his own series. While it's hard to envision anyone but Jim Beaver tackling the role, his character could make a compelling lead if handled correctly.

Supernatural
- Release Date
- 2005 - 2020
- Network
- The CW
- Showrunner
- Eric Kripke
Cast
- Sam Winchester
- Dean Winchester
- Directors
- Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Kim Manners, Thomas J. Wright, Charles Beeson, Guy Norman Bee, Richard Speight Jr., Mike Rohl, John Badham, Steve Boyum, Amyn Kaderali, Jensen Ackles, Tim Andrew, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeannot Szwarc, P.J. Pesce, Nina Lopez-Corrado, James L. Conway, amanda tapping, J. Miller Tobin, Stefan Pleszczynski, John MacCarthy, Jerry Wanek, Ben Edlund
- Writers
- Meredith Glynn, Davy Perez, Raelle Tucker, Cathryn Humphris, Brett Matthews, Nancy Won, John Bring, Ben Acker, Daniel Knauf, David Ehrman, James Krieg, Trey Callaway
- Franchise(s)
- Supernatural
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