John Winchester (Supernatural)

John Winchester
Supernatural character
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as John Winchester
First appearance	"Pilot"
Created by	Eric Kripke
Portrayed by	Jeffrey Dean Morgan Matt Cohen (young) Nels Guloien (child)
Information
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Occupation	Hunter Former mechanic Former Marine
Family	Henry Winchester (father, deceased) Millie Winchester (mother, unknown)
Spouse(s)	Mary Campbell (wife, deceased, recently resurrected by Amara)
Children	Dean Winchester (son) Sam Winchester (son) Adam Milligan (son)
Nationality	United States

John Eric Winchester is a fictional character on The CW's series Supernatural, and the protagonist of the comic book spin-off series Supernatural: Origins. Developed by series creator Eric Kripke, the character is mainly portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. John is the father of Sam and Dean Winchester, the show's protagonists.

Seeking revenge after his wife Mary was killed by the demon Azazel, John Winchester became a hunter and raised his two sons to fight the supernatural. John disappears early in Supernatural, and the first season revolves primarily around Sam and Dean trying to find him. Morgan was also filming episodes of Grey's Anatomy while the first season of Supernatural was under production, and future appearances of the character were hindered by his busy schedule. While Morgan's portrayal has been praised, fans and critics were generally frustrated at the character for keeping so many secrets.

The father of series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester, John Winchester first appears in the pilot episode of the series, but plot devices such as flashbacks and time travel detail his background in later seasons. Apparently abandoned by his father at a young age—his father actually died while serving a secret order known as the Men of Letters—John Winchester grew up hating the man. John left high school to join the Marine Corps, eventually attaining the rank of corporal and receiving many medals for his service in Vietnam. After leaving the service, he found a job as a mechanic, and fell in love with Mary Campbell.