Clowns are humans that usually perform for children events and parties. They have been featured and referenced in some episodes of Supernatural.

Season 2[]

Sam and Dean Winchester investigate a series of murders that have occurred while a circus is in town. A clown has been seen in the vicinity of the deaths. Dean teases Sam about his fear of clowns: "you still bust out crying whenever you see Ronald McDonald on the television".

The boys start investigating Cooper's Carnival and their suspicions are aroused after a little girl sees a clown her parents can't see. They stake out the girl's house, and manage to save her from a clown, who disappears as they shoot at it. Sam calls Ellen, who tells the boys the creature is a Rakshasa that must be killed with a brass dagger. Suspecting Mr Cooper, the carnival owner, the boys return to the circus. The real culprit is the blind knife thrower, who attacks the boys and traps them in the funhouse. Sam manages to kill the Rakshasa with a brass pipe from the organ. ("Everybody Loves a Clown")

Dean comments when examining Andy's Van "Not exactly a serial killer's lair, though. There's no... clown paintings on the walls, or scissors stuck in victims' photos. I like the tiger." ("Simon Said")

Season 3[]

When Sam says he's had a weird dream, Dean retorts "Yeah? Clowns or midgets?" ("Mystery Spot")

Dean tells Victor Henriksen "FYI, ghosts are real too. So are werewolves, vampires, changelings, evil clowns that eat people. ("Jus In Bello")

Season 5[]

Sam and Dean receive an urgent message from Chuck Shurley's phone but instead attend a 'Supernatural' Book fan gathering with lookalikes of the duo. Among the fans is a man dressed as a clown. ("The Real Ghostbusters")

John Wayne Gacy's clown art is mentioned when Dean sees some creepy clown art done by Martin Creaser. ("Sam, Interrupted")

Season 7[]

When Ezra Moore first sees Dean Winchester in his 2012 outfit she asks "Who's he? Some farmer clown?" ("Time After Time")

Howard is using Hoodoo to exact revenge on people he perceives as mean or neglectful parents. Howard takes a drawing of the child's fear, which the restaurant chain encourages them to do on placemats, and combined with an object owned by the parent. There is power in the child's fear, and combined with the spell, it manifests in reality.

When Sam and Dean Winchester arrive in Wichita, Kansas, Sam is reluctant to go to Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie and Dean teases him that it's because of his clown phobia. Sam denies it, but is obviously uncomfortable when he is confronted by all the clowns at the restaurant. Another employee, Cliff, tells Sam and Dean he and Saul heard noises coming from the sub-basement. When one of the waitresses Libby berates her son Tyler, she appears to be the next victim. Sam follows, on the lookout for the giant robot with laser beam eyes (Tyler's fear).

Dean goes to the sub basement, and finds Howard's hoodoo books and equipment, including a cauldron with a fire in it. Howard confronts him, and tells him he's put a spell on Sam. As Sam watched Libby and Tyler, he is approached by two evil-looking clowns, who attack him. Dean manages to get a clown statue Howard owns, along with a drawing he did of his brother drowning, and tosses them into the fire. Howard's drowned brother appears, and Howard "drowns". His death causes the clowns attacking Sam to disappear in a shower of glitter.

Afterwards, Dean apologizes to Sam for leaving him at Plucky Pennywhistle's Magic Menagerie when he was a kid, assuming that's where Sam's clown fear comes from. Sam says that fighting the nightmarish clowns was "therapeutic". But when Dean gives him a toy "Plucky Pennywhistle" calling it his "clown phobia sobriety chip", Sam grimaces, and throws it out the window as they drive off. ("Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie")

Season 11[]

When Rita Johnson shows Sam and Dean a picture of her brother Chester, he's in a clown costume as he was a children's party performer. Sam later encounters a clown in an elevator of the hospital and is noticeably nervous and uncomfortable around the man. Sam eventually realizes the man is possessed by Chester's ghost after seeing his bloody scalpel and the two fight, ending with Sam expelling the ghost with an iron railroad spike. ("Plush")

Season 14[]

In Lebanon, amongst the things that Sam and Dean take from Terry is John Wayne Gacy's cigar box, John Wayne Gacy having been an infamous serial killer known as "the Killer Clown." After Gacy's ghost is released from his cigar box, appearing as an evil clown, Dean becomes gleeful at Sam facing what is essentially a combination of his favorite and most hated things: serial killers and clowns. Sam is able to destroy Gacy's ghost before he can do anymore harm by burning his cigar box.

In Moriah, Gacy's ghost is one of the Hell Ghosts released by God during the Ghostpocalypse. Dressed as a clown, Gacy menacingly appears at a young boy's birthday party.

Season 15[]

In Back and to the Future, the ghost of serial killer clown John Wayne Gacy resumes his killing spree after escaping from Hell during the Ghostpocalypse, slaughtering all of the partygoers at the house in Harlan, Kansas that Gacy went to upon his escape. Searching for anyone still in town, Sam is attacked by Gacy and wounded, but is saved by Castiel who heals Sam. Sam explains to the mother and daughter that Gacy was hunting that the clown was a ghost while Castiel identifies himself as an angel to the two.

As Sam and Castiel attempt to lead the mother and daughter to safety, Gacy attacks again along with the ghosts of Lizzie Borden, Mary Worthington and an unnamed man. However, Belphegor manages to raise a magical barrier over the town to contain the ghosts and the four escape to the far side of it. As Gacy shrieks at him in rage, Sam, for once not showing any of his typical fear of clowns, simply orders Gacy to shut up before walking away, leaving Gacy trapped alongside the rest of the Hell Ghosts.

Appearances[]

• Season 1
  • Salvation (on Rosie Holt's crib)
• Season 2
  • Everybody Loves a Clown (Rakshasa disguised as a clown)
  • Simon Said (mentioned only)
• Season 3
  • Mystery Spot (mentioned only)
  • Jus In Bello (mentioned only)
• Season 5
  • Sam, Interrupted (mentioned only)
• Season 6
  • My Heart Will Go On (mentioned only)
• Season 7
  • Time After Time (mentioned only)
  • Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie
• Season 10
  • Dark Dynasty ([on Charlie Bradbury's shirt)
• Season 11
  • Plush
• Season 14
  • Lebanon
• Season 15
  • Back and to the Future
  • The Rupture (flashback only)

Trivia[]

• A fear of clowns is called coulrophobia. Sam Winchester is the only known character to suffer from this fear.
• Will Verchere-Gopaulsingh and Will Wood portrayed clowns in the episode Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie.