Gabriel (Supernatural)

"You can't take the trick out of the trickster."

Gabriel was one of the many antagonists of Season 2, 3 and 5 of the TV show Supernatural and had often caused trouble for the Winchesters until he turned to the good side and acquired a heart to finally side with the Winchester Brothers after trapping them in a TV show.

Gabriel was really an archangel, the fourth and youngest after Michael, Lucifer, Raphael. Gabriel fled Heaven after he was distraught to see his family fighting and took up the identity of the Pagan Loki. He is played by Richard Speight Jr.

Early Life
Gabriel, the youngest of the four archangels was created sometime before everything else. He aided his family in sealing the Darkness in a cage for eternity. Not too long after, God created the universe and other angels who he instructed to bow before humanity while Michael, Raphael and Gabriel complied Lucifer refused to obey and rebelled but he was banished from Heaven. This along with God's sudden departure caused Gabriel grief, he was unable to watch his family fighting and left Heaven to live amongst humanity.

Under the alias of Loki, he portrayed himself as the trickster Loki, he befriended the pagan gods and had a romantic relationship with Kali that soon ended but he retained care for her.

Season 2 and 3
While acting as the trickster, he harassed the Winchester brothers for the second and third seasons always surviving their attempts to kill him.

Season 5
In the fifth season, he traps them in a television world to get them to fulfill their roles as the vessels of his brothers. While doing this, he keeps his identity from being exposed by stopping his brother Castiel who arrived to save them. When Castiel gets back to them, he gives the Winchesters hints that he is not truly a trickster before Gabriel personally banishes. This is further proven by the fact when he recognizes Castiel and proves unable to be killed by the stake as the brothers realize what he is. Acting on a hunch, they pretend to surrender and trap him in a ring of holy fire and expose him and he reveals his true identity as Gabriel the Archangel. Afterwards, he explain that he left Heaven because of his family fighting and reveals to the Winchesters that their relationship mirrors his brothers which why they are the true vessels.

At Dean's threat, Gabriel brings Castiel back and they have a tense meeting as Gabriel taunts him over his fruitless search for their father. Dean releases Gabriel from the holy circle after he asks if they would leave him trapped while calling him too scared to stand up to his family.

With motivation from Dean, he was willing to go against Michael and Lucifer to end the Apocalypse before it starts. He was also willing to sacrifice himself in order to give Sam and Dean Winchester the information to finally stop Lucifer. He was killed by Lucifer during his wrath on the pagan gods and after Gabriel finally stands up to his brother not for him or Michael, but for the sake of humanity he fought for trying to kill Lucifer but failed to accomplish this and earned an honorable fate.

Season 9
Gabriel later appears to Castiel while he is in a motel. He tells the surprised Castiel that he faked his death saying that "You can't take the trick out of the trickster. He also explains that he's been in hiding the whole time from Metatron but after the Fall, he had to hide on Earth. They later go a store where they were ambushed by Metatron's minions. Gabriel tells Castiel to go while he holds them off. Castiel then realizes that it was an illusion and asked Gabriel if he is real. Gabriel only responds with a wink before he disappears.

Season 13
It is later revealed in Devil's Bargain, that Gabriel is in fact alive but being held captive by Asmodeus to be used in his plan to kill Lucifer and do something about the invading Alternate Michael.

In The Thing, a captive Gabriel has grace stolen repeatedly to fuel Asmodeus which was witnessed by Arthur Ketch. Gabriel watched as Arthur was submitted to a savage beating by the Prince of Hell. Arthur soon noticed Gabriel watching him and gets annoyed as the angel shrinks back.

Arthur then gets an idea and decides to liberate the scared entity. Stealing the archangel blade and killing a demon guard, Arthur takes Gabriel out of Asmodeus' lair and takes him to the men of letters' bunker. When the Winchesters' return, Arthur makes his presence known and to appease them, he shows them the battered Gabriel who they are shocked to see as they believed him dead. They are concerned and questioned Arthur on Gabriel, Arthur revealed that Asmodeus had him captive and he liberated him. Arthur mentioned they need him for the spell, after Sam mentions his grace was needed Gabriel freaked out. Arthur calmed him and provided him Asmodeus' next dose containing Gabriel's grace which was used for the spell to open the rift.

Gabriel was tended to by Sam who removed the stitches from his mouth and question how he is alive. Before he can respond, Dean walks in and has Sam ready the spell for the journey and he is accompanied by Arthur who wants to get away from Asmodeus. Dean entrusts the disheveled Gabriel into Sam's hands as he and Arthur travel to Apocalypse World.

During Bring em' Back Alive, Gabriel is tended to by Sam and Castiel while showing no change as he refuses to take his own grace to recover. The duo try to figure out how he is still alive and why he won't talk. Eventually, Gabriel uses Enochian language which Castiel translates and it is revealed Gabriel faked his death at Lucifer's hands as the latter stabbed an illusion while the real Gabriel watched on. With everyone believing him dead, Gabriel was able to hide from others unnoticed by all including God and Heaven who wondered about him.,