Abilities and Skills
Dean is well-versed with multiple types of firearms; he prefers his Colt 1911 and sawed-off shotgun, but is proficient with most other weapons he might acquire. An expert marksman, he seldom misses his intended target and can efficiently put down anything vulnerable to bullets, as shown in the episode "Frontierland", where he shoots down a phoenix with one shot.
Dean is adept with martial arts and knife fighting, as well; he has subdued several human assailants with ease in multiple episodes and bested physically more powerful creatures, often unarmed or equipped with only a blade. In "Nightshifter", he killed a shapeshifter armed with a simple silver letter opener. In "Fresh Blood", he managed to subdue a vampire long enough to inject her with a shot of "dead man's blood". In "The Magnificent Seven", he fought and held off several demons by himself, armed only with a flask of holy water.
Highly resourceful, he frequently utilizes improvised weapons and explosive devices; in "Croatoan", he demonstrated knowledge of chemistry, constructing Molotov cocktails and improvised explosive devices, and in "Phantom Traveler", he revealed knowledge of electronics and reverse engineering, having built an electromagnetic field detector from an old Walkman radio.
Dean also possesses extensive knowledge of the supernatural and mythology (Although Sam's knowledge of 'on-the-spot' facts is generally superior, such as Sam being able to perform an exorcism on his own with no access to their usual books where Dean needed help from a teenage amateur witch to exorcise a demon). He is well-versed in how police, fire departments and various government agencies (FBI, CDC) typically operate and conduct investigations, and knows how to both impersonate and evade them effectively. An accomplished mechanic, he maintains his Impala in tip-top condition and has maintained an intimate knowledge of automobiles and engines since childhood.
Dean is a virtuoso of escape, evasion and silent movement, when the situation requires subtlety and stealth. Lastly, he is skillful in: lock picking, breaking into security systems (not so much computers, which often falls to Sam), and carjacking. Gaining an 'advantageous purchase' comes naturally to him.
Due to his time spent in Hell as Alistair's "student", Dean has an in-depth knowledge of torture, but he prefers not to use this knowledge as he does not like what he became during his time in Hell.
During Season 4, Dean gains magic that is effective against angels: he learns a banishing spell that sends angels back to Heaven from Castiel. He is also untraceable to angels after season 5, because he has Enochian symbols carved into his ribs by Castiel to hide him and Sam from all angels in existence.
Read more about this topic: Dean Winchester
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