25 Days of Dean-mas Day 7: What made Dean the perfect vessel for Michael?

In Supernatural Season 5, we learn that Dean is the Michael Sword, the perfect vessel for the archangel. Just why is that the case? What were the hints?

Supernatural‘s first five seasons built up to the big ending. It was always supposed to be about two sets of two brothers against each other. Dean vs. Sam, Michael vs. Lucifer.

To mark Day 7 of our 25 Days of Dean-mas, we’re looking back at Season 5 and the reveal that Dean Winchester was the Michael Sword, the perfect vessel for the archangel Michael. What made him so special? What were the hints that this was going to be the case?

The older brother

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As Gabriel/The Trickster pointed out, Dean was the older brother. That was the case with Michael, too. The brothers would be the ones to follow dad’s orders, never once questioning them. They would be the soldier that dad needed, protecting their younger siblings against all odds.

Okay, Dean would protect Sam. I’m not quite sure that Michael would protect his younger siblings. For one, they were archangels and angels. But for another, angels are…you know!

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Full of inner strength

I’m not saying Sam doesn’t have this, but Dean keeps more bottled up. He fights a hell of a lot internally, while Sam leans more on his brother. After all, that’s the way Dean and Sam grew up.

Michael was full of inner strength. There’s not a moment that he would even consider turning to his sisters and brothers for help. We saw in the Apocalypse World that he would use them, not caring for a second that they were dead.

This is where Dean and Michael differ considerably. When Sam died, Dean did everything he could to bring Sammy back. Michael wouldn’t have ever done that, but that’s the difference between angel and human. It doesn’t take away the inner strength.

Duty and honor

I’ve touched on this with the older brother section. Michael and Dean are both soldiers for their fathers. They didn’t quite have the fatherly love that they would have wanted, especially Dean. It was only in John’s last days that he realized that he should have been a better father. The 300th episode gave us so many of the moments that Dean (and Sam) needed.

Michael has never had that. But it didn’t stop either from just following the orders their fathers sent them. There was an element of duty and honor to their actions.

Failing their fathers would bring shame onto them. Dean was scared of how his father would be disappointed, while Michael just wouldn’t have wanted whatever punishments God would have had in store.

In the end, it would be Season 13 when we’d finally see Dean give in and become the Michael Sword. There is a chance that it will happen again in Season 15, maybe ending the story the way that God has always envisioned it: brother against brother.

What made Dean the perfect vessel for Michael? Which clues throughout Supernatural Seasons 1-5 did you spot? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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