Biography
The tyrannical leader of the demon world, Azazel first appears in the pilot episode of the series, but plot devices such as flashbacks and time travel detail his background in later seasons. His earliest chronological depiction occurs in the fourth season finale, "Lucifer Rising". Having spent years searching, Azazel (Rob LaBelle) finally located the doorway to Lucifer's prison in 1972. The fallen angel tasked him with freeing the demon Lilith from Hell—she is needed to break the 66 seals holding Lucifer captive—and to find him a "special child". By the following year, he began making demonic pacts with young individuals; in exchange for a wish, he would be allowed to enter their homes ten years later. Azazel (Christopher B. MacCabe) eventually comes across Mary Campbell, the future mother of series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester. After taking possession of her father (Mitch Pileggi), he kills her mother and stabs himself to kill his host. Mary's fiance, John Winchester, is the demon's next victim. However, Azazel makes his usual offer, giving her the chance to resurrect John; she reluctantly agrees.
In 1983, Mary discovers Azazel standing over baby Sam's crib; he had been feeding his blood to the infant. Upon being interrupted, the demon pins her to the ceiling, slashes her stomach and causes her to burst into flames. Mary's death inspires John to dedicate his life to hunting down Azazel, at the same time training Sam and Dean to hunt supernatural creatures. As revealed in the fifth season finale, "Swan Song", Azazel sent demons to possess important people in Sam's life, secretly manipulating him as he grew up. However, Sam eventually leaves the life of hunting to attend college. Azazel orders the assassination of Sam's girlfriend Jess, whose death prompts Sam to return to hunting after leaving the life to attend college.
Because demons cannot be killed by conventional means, the Winchesters track down the Colt—a mystic gun capable of killing anything—in "Dead Man's Blood". In the following episode, "Salvation", they trace the omens caused by the demon's presence to Salvation, Iowa. Like he has done with Sam and countless others, Azazel plans to visit a six-month old and feed it his blood so the child will later develop demonic abilities. Although Sam interrupts the demon's plans and saves the family, Azazel teleports away to avoid being shot. Meanwhile, the demonic Meg Masters and her "brother" Tom kidnap John, and then set their sights on Sam and Dean.
Meg tracks the brothers down in the season finale, but they capture her within the titular devil's trap—mystical symbols capable of rendering a demon powerless—and exorcise her. The real Meg, now dying from previously-sustained injuries, discloses John's location. Sam and Dean rescue him—they are cautious and test him with holy water to make sure he is not possessed—and are forced to kill Tom in the process. After being taken to a secluded location, however, John is revealed to be possessed. An angry Azazel chastises them for killing Meg and Tom—he deems them his "children"—and begins to torture the brothers. John temporarily retakes control, giving Sam the opportunity to grab the Colt. Unable to kill his father, Sam shoots John in the leg, and the demon flees from his host. As the Winchesters make their escape, a demonically-possessed truck driver crashes into their car. Dean is left dying in a coma, forcing John to sell his soul and the Colt to save him. Azazel (Fredric Lehne) takes possession of a Reaper (Lindsey McKeon) and saves Dean from death.
Azazel's last appearance chronologically is in the second season finale "All Hell Breaks Loose", where he kidnaps Sam and the other young adults that he had infected. He visits Sam in a dream, and reveals that his "special children" must fight to the death to determine who will lead his army. Although Sam is the demon's favorite, the super-strong Jake Talley becomes the winner. As Dean sells his soul to another demon in exchange for Sam's resurrection, Azazel gives Jake the Colt and coerces him to travel to a cemetery in the middle of a giant devil's trap. Though Sam and Dean, along with other hunters, attempt to stop him, Jake uses the Colt as a key to unlock a mausoleum there. This action briefly opens a gateway to Hell, releasing Lilith and hundreds of other demons. With the devil's trap around the cemetery now broken, Azazel confronts the Winchesters and easily overpowers them. However, John's soul also escapes through the Gate, and distracts Azazel long enough for Dean to shoot him dead with the Colt.
Azazel returns in the sixth season premiere, "Exile on Main St.", as an illusion in Dean's mind caused by a poison of the creature he was hunting. Dean sees Azazel killing Lisa like he did his mother and poisoning Ben with demon blood, like he did to his brother.
Read more about this topic: Azazel (Supernatural)
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