Dean Winchester was born on January 24, 1979 in Lawrence, Kansas to John and Mary Winchester. He is Sam Winchester's older brother by four years. Following the murder of Mary Winchester by the demon Azazel on November 2, 1983, John handed over the responsibility of raising Sam, who was six months old at the time, to Dean. This protectiveness has lasted their entire lives, and has been the cause of many arguments between the Winchester boys.
As John begins to investigate Mary's death and subsequently learns about the supernatural beings in the world, he begins to hunt them. As a result, Dean and Sam are hunters from a young age. The Winchester constantly moved around the country, living in motels and houses of other hunters. When Dean was 16, he was arrested for stealing food while John was away on a hunting trip and spent time in a boy's home where he had the chance to go to a regular school, but ultimately gave it up due to return to John and, more importantly, Sam. Dean is known for being able to handle a large amount of weaponry. He is commonly seen in a dark leather jacket, dark shirts, and dark jeans. He is also known to drive a black 1967 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe, which he keeps a stash of hunting paraphernalia hidden in the trunk.