Raphael (Supernatural)

Raphael is a villain appearing in the TV series Supernatural. He was played by Demore Barnes and later by Lanette Ware.

History
Raphael was an Archangel, alongside Michael, Lucifer and Gabriel.

In Season 5, it is revealed that Raphael was the Archangel protecting the prophet Chuck Shurley and thus the one responsible for smiting Castiel when he attempted to help Dean Winchester prevent Sam Winchester from killing Lilith and thereby thwarting the angels' plans to set off the Apocalypse.

In "Free to Be You and Me," Castiel believes that Raphael knows where God (who has disappeared from Heaven) is, so he and Dean track Raphael to a town and later trap him in a ring of holy fire inside an abandoned house. When Castiel demands to know where God is, Raphael asserts that God is dead. Castiel refuses to believe him, and he and Dean leave the Archangel in the ring of holy fire. Raphael warns Castiel that he will find him, but Castiel replies "Maybe one day, but today, you're my little bitch."

Raphael somehow manages to escape (off-screen), and takes over as one of the main antagonists in Season Six, following the Apocalypse being stopped by the Winchesters and Castiel being sent to preach free will and truth to the angels. Raphael summons Castiel before him and tells him of his plans to free Michael and Lucifer and re-start the Apocalypse, and orders Castiel to tell his followers to stand down and side with him. When Castiel refuses, Raphael blasts him, telling him he will either join him or die. This forces Castiel to make an alliance with Crowley, now the King of Hell. Crowley gives Castiel half a million souls from Hell to empower Castiel; with it, Castiel and his followers declare war on Raphael.

In "The Third Man," Raphael later comes to Earth, searching for Heaven's weapons, which the angel Balthazar stole. He confronts Castiel and casually beats the angel up, stretching out the beating to hurt him more before finally trying to kill him. However, Balthazar intervenes, turning one of Heaven's most powerful weapons (Lot's Salt) on the Archangel, reducing his human vessel to salt and banishing him back to Heaven.

In "The French Mistake," Raphael sends one of his best hitmen Virgil, the weapons keeper of Heaven, to regain Heaven's weapons, believing Castiel had given them to Sam and Dean for safekeeping. However, Castiel had tricked him and, now with all the weapons under his power, forced him to flee as he prepared to kill Balthazar.

In "The Man Who Knew Too Much," following Castiel betraying Crowley over gaining the millions of souls from Purgatory, Crowley makes a new deal with Raphael, who arrives protecting Crowley from Castiel's wrath and scares Castiel off. However, Castiel tricks him (again) by swapping the blood needed to open Purgatory for dog's blood, meaning Crowley and Raphael's spell fails while Castiel absorbs all the souls. With his now much greater powers, Castiel destroys Raphael in same way the Archangel had originally destroyed him.