Supernatural: The Animation - Jared Padalecki Voices Sam But Who Plays Dean?

Between 2005 and 2020, "Supernatural" was the very definition of cult sensation for The CW. During that time, it was also one of the best-loved supernatural fantasy series on the air, building a legion of fans so wholly consumed with the demon-fighting adventures of Sam and Dean Winchester that some still haven't gotten over the series' cancellation, despite its lengthy network tenure.

Those beloved characters were portrayed by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles for the entirety of the series' 327-episode run, with Ackles even reprising his role as Dean Winchester for the "Supernatural" prequel series "The Winchesters," despite his on-screen brother's absence. 

Lest all the "Supernatural" superfans forget, Sam and Dean Winchester also fought evil anime-style in 2011's short-lived, and aptly titled series "Supernatural: The Animation." The rub there is, of course, that this time Padalecki was the only O.G. Winchester boy to serve as a regular contributor to the cast of "Supernatural: The Animation," with the actor voicing Sam for all 22 episodes of the show.

As for big brother Dean, he was largely voiced by Annakin Slayd (AKA Andrew Farrar), who's earned credits on projects like "The Factory," "Assassin's Creed III," "Spaceman," and "Playmobil: The Movie" over the years. And if you've seen "Supernatural: The Animation," you know Slayd did a better than solid job mimicking the gravelly, perpetually nervy tones of Ackles' Dean.

Interestingly enough, Sam and Dean Winchester were apparently voiced by Yûya Uchida and Hiroki Touchi in the Japanese version of "Supernatural: The Animation," the very duo who reportedly dubbed the voices of the original series for broadcast in that country. Given that the Japanese version reportedly went all out to secure the voice talents of their Winchester boys, it's all the more perplexing that the U.S. version couldn't do the same. 

Though Jensen Ackles has never openly commented on why he couldn't commit to voicing his beloved "Supernatural" character for the animated series, it's believed he may have just been too busy at the time to contribute to all 22 episodes. And a glance at his IMDb page would seem to confirm the actor was exceedingly busy with voice work and his steady "Supernatural" gig leading up to the production of "Supernatural: The Animation." 

Still, Ackles did manage to carve out a little time from his busy schedule for "Supernatural: The Animation," turning up to voice Dean for the last two episodes of the series. Titled "All Hell Breaks Loose: Part 1" and "All Hell Breaks Loose: Part 2," those episodes were arguably the best of the entire run, with Sam and Dean pushed to extreme measures and beyond to save the world (and themselves) from some very serious trouble. 

And even as strong as Annakin Slayd's work was in the first 20 episodes of "Supernatural: The Animation," those last two episodes prove nobody does Dean Winchester quite like Jensen Ackles.