Im not sure if any #supernatural fans are out there but I have been a Sam Stan since season 1 and I wanted to talk about how I view him and how it deviates from popular headcanons of him. Sam is the darker/less wholesome brother and thats why I love him (a thread)

So just starting out, I see Sam fans sort of treat him as the wholesome sweet baby child because he will express his feelings - which is great! I <3 that too! I also won't disparage the passion other sam stans have about him being the wholesome one because yall connect w it

I also want to mention I am focusing LARGELY on original canon- seasons 1-5 with SOME SMALL examples from later seasons, largely because later season toy with both brothers personalities rather chaotically and their personalities become less consistent.

1) Sam struggles with functioning in a universe without Dean, who acts as his north star. We see in episodes like mystery spot and the entire 4th season that Sam without Dean is largely a violent experience. Sam becomes significantly more willing to kill innocent people-

to accomplish his goals or get revenge. Sam has a tendency to fall back on violence when his life purpose is removed from him, and unlike Dean, he can revel in that violence a bit and has less of a moral conflict when inflicting it. Sam with Dean, he can -

easily act as a voice of empathy to Deans black and white morality, but the loss of Dean adjusts Sam's moral compass where he UNDERSTANDS the right thing, he just doesn't really care.

2) Sam is willing to flirt with darkness more consistently. We see it often. Not just in his general attraction and curiosity with monsters, but his willingness to accept the bended morality of the monsters, witches, etc that he's gotten close to, and in some cases, allow

- those people to influence him. X is okay because Y did it. Contrasting that with Dean, who really needs genuine proof that the monster who wants sympathy is owned it. You kill someone innocent (and are not named s/d) you are done.

3) Sam likes power (compared to Dean) His relationship with Ruby, and in later seasons Rowena shows that in a very big way. While Sam with Dean is again, very docile and willing to let things roll off his back, as an individual person, he's made an active effort though the -

Shows history to "level up", be stronger, and be able to defend what he values with more intensity. This comes with "flirting with darkness" but I do what to touch on the fact that Sam genuinely likes the POWER aspect and likes to feel strong or have an ability that other humans

- do not, and revels in it. Of course, along the way he will find he is biting off more than he can chew, but he is always the first to offer himself to play around with morally compromised power sources, generally lacking much caution or fear with them- contrasting Dean who-

- has absolutely "gone off the deep end" with power sources, but ON HIS OWN with nothing magical influencing him, has a stronger level of suspicion and caution compromising who he is for power.

4) Sam has Anger issues (i mean, they both do lol) but they are different/gonna focus on Sam. Sam's anger issues trigger largely from a lack of control (regardless of how much control he actually has) and what I would describe an an specific desire to do violence rather than-

being triggered by an actual situation. Sam has literally expressed this many times, that he is sort of just naturally angry and suppressive of this personality trait for the greater good, and the self therapy has worked mostly and is great, but looping back on "if dean is gone-

- imma just going to be a serial killer" - Sam's general sense of identity and sanity (?) and ability to cope with his own anger is largely hanging on the balance of how the person he loves most will react to it if he outwardly expresses that anger.

I think because Sam has absolutely gotten the short end of the stick with Fandom being ACTIVELY UNFAIR to his character, there is a Sam fan response to sort of whitewash these issues and act like hes a more wholesome character, but he has always been the loose canon, the power-

- motivated one. He was literally created by god to belong to the devil. He was created in the image of Lucifer- and I think these traits are so wildly important into understanding and valuing this beautiful and complex anti hero that is Sam Winchester. who TRIES TO DO GOOD-

despite..lets be real, not organically measuring up. What I love about Sam is that he is on a constant path to deny his nature and be better than the monster he can be- and that is wholly more interesting to me than someone who is just a "nice dude" (/thread)