At the rate Supernatural is going, Sam and Dean Winchester will probably be fighting monsters, angels, and everything in between when they're gray and using walkers (but you know they could trick out a walker or wheelchair with creative hunting gadgets). The brothers aren't in their advanced years just yet, but as we head into the twelfth season of The CW drama, it seems like a fine time to look into the past. Since Dean told Sam, "Dad's on a hunting trip, and he hasn't been home in a few days," the Winchesters have battled with bizarre phenomenon on a spectrum of scales, small and biblical. But which of the 11 seasons stand out as the strongest? We rank them from worst to best below.

11) Season 7

supernatural-season-7
Image via The CW

Leviathans. Dick Roman. What more do I need to say about Season 7? Roman was a Buffy the Vampire Slayer sort of villain, and while he would have been great in that series, he was out of place in Supernatural. The highlights of this season were watching Castiel taking on a beastly personality when he was misguided about helping the world, and seeing Bobby return as a ghost.

10) Season 8

supernatural-season-8
Image via The CW

Why is Season 8 next to last on my list? Because I can't remember much about it. The most noteworthy occurrence in the season was when the brothers found the Men of Letters bunker. The location became their first permanent home in the series, and having a consistently safe place to rest their heads brought another dynamic to the series and their relationship.

9) Season 6

supernatural-season-6
Image via The CW

Look, it was going to be a challenge to follow Season 5. The stakes were raised as high as they could be, and the Season 5 finale ended with Sam/Lucifer jumping into a prison. Still, they hit some high points after they prevented the apocalypse. Soulless Sam made for an intriguing take on the usually lighter character, and though it was given attention and time to cure like a fine wine, too many other storylines – Eve, Alpha monsters, etc. – were crammed into Season 6, which diluted the impact of Sam's issues.

8) Season 9

supernatural-season-9
Image via The CW

Let's touch on the most endearing part of Season 9 first: Castiel being human. He lost his powers when the angels fell to Earth and started working at a gas station. Yep. But even with this high point and the introduction of Gadreel, the season never quite found its way. The ingredients were in the cupboard, but the recipe didn't come together. Abaddon was too over the top to be an effectively sinister villain, and her shenanigans weighed the story down.

7) Season 10

supernatural-season-10
Image via The CW

Demon Dean. Those two words had me terribly excited about Season 10. He was consumed by the Mark of Cain and the transformation brought a whole other Dean to the table. He had a fun bromance with Crowley, and for once, he thought about only himself and not Sammy. The twist was a delight to watch, but Dean was "saved" far too soon. The rest of the season focused on removing the Mark, but it meandered and lost its way until the season closer.

6) Season 2

supernatural-season-2
Image via The CW

For all the different problems the Winchesters have had to save the world from, there's been a constant rhythm to Supernatural: one brother saves the other one from death, lies about it, the relationship gets hard, and they have a come to Jesus talk. The beats vary slightly, but it's a repeated template in the series and it works because of how much you're invested in Sam and Dean. The trend started with Season 2 when Sam died and Dean sold his soul in exchange for Sam's life. D'oh. That combined with seeing more of the other hunter community and the death of Azazel puts Season 2 around the middle of the list.

5) Season 4

supernatural-season-4
Image via The CW

When Supernatural came back after a shortened third season, it was like the writers went out of their way to make piece after piece fall into place. It could have felt rushed or overly stuffed, but instead, it was a juicy season that moved the Lilith problem ahead, introduced some guy named Castiel, and showed the Winchesters experiencing failure. Seeing Sam and Dean screw up wasn't new at this juncture, but not being able to stop Lilith from breaking the 66 seals and freeing Lucifer was perhaps their biggest mistake up to this point. The poor kids try to be proactive, but always end up reacting to the results of some terrible decision they've made – in this case, it was choosing to trust Ruby. Sam and Dean's relationship took an interesting turn over the season too, as Sam became addicted to demon's blood.

4) Season 1

supernatural-season-1
Image via The CW

The first season of Supernatural stands apart from later installments because it followed a monster of the week format. Thankfully the approach didn't become a constant, but it worked as way to introduce the world and its mythology. The brothers encountered creature after creature and leveled up as they searched for their missing father. We learned about their past and how they were more or less forced into the family business, and we started to get familiar with their very heavy baggage. Season 1 laid down a solid foundation. The familiar format then started to change towards the end of the season, as the plot expanded into more of an overreaching arc with the introduction of Azazel and the Colt.

3) Season 11

supernatural-season-11
Image via The CW

No one is more surprised than me to include an eleventh season of any series this high in a ranking. When shows stretch into double digits, it's rare later efforts shine in comparison to the show's heyday, but not with Supernatural. The battle got biblical in Season 11, with God's sister, Amara/The Darkness, threatening the world. That arc was intriguing, but other aspects of the plot carried the season. We finally learned Chuck was indeed God, we spent some intimate time with the Impala in the creative episode "Baby," we got Lucifer out of his cage in Hell, and we met new beings like the Zanna, a.k.a. imaginary friends. Game-changing developments happened, and the series also nailed the one-off, monster of the week episodes with zeal and heart. Season 11 was one of the best in years, and it gives me hope for Season 12.

2) Season 3

supernatural-season-3
Image via The CW

With only 16 episodes, Season 3 was the shortest season of Supernatural. It went above and beyond on the brotherly love and protection scale as Sam desperately looked for an answer to Dean's deal with the crossroads demon. While that dilemma is happening, the Winchesters searched for the demons that recently escaped from the Devil's Gate and started learning about Lilith. She held Dean's contract and also wanted to bust Lucifer out of his cage. Bobby Singer started playing a bigger part in the show in Season 3, and the brothers met Ruby and Bela Talbot. Finally, Season 3 claims "Mystery Spot," one of the most fun and twisted installments of the entire series.

1) Season 5

supernatural-season-5
Image via The CW

My main recollection about Season 5 is thinking back to when I first watched it and remembering how I enjoyed every single episode. When seasons include 22-23 installments, there are bound to be clunkers. It's rare for a series to have a flawless season when the episode count is so high – and I'm not even talking about so-called "filler" episodes. Anyway, Season 5! The story centered on Lucifer trying to get Sam to be his vessel, and the brothers trying to stop Lucifer from delivering the apocalypse. Dean was destined to be the vessel for Michael, and he and Sam were supposed to fight it out. The drama created by fate, manipulative angels, and the devil made for a memorable season that could have served as a hard-edged and perfect ending for the series.