| Pishtaco | |
|---|---|
| Type | Monsters |
| Lore Origin | South American Folklore |
| Seasons | S9 |
| Kill Method | Silver Knife |
The pishtaco is a creature that feeds on human body fat, draining it from victims through a specialized feeding organ. In the modern world, a pishtaco might disguise itself as someone in a profession that gives access to human bodies — a doctor, a fitness trainer, a spa worker — using the cover to select and feed on victims without raising immediate suspicion.
In Supernatural
The pishtaco appeared in Season 9, Episode 13, "The Purge." Sam and Dean investigated a series of bizarre deaths in which victims were found drained of all body fat. The trail led to a spa and fitness center run by a married couple — both pishtacos. One of them was feeding responsibly (using the controlled extraction as a legitimate weight-loss service), while the other had gone rogue and was killing. Sam and Dean had to navigate the moral gray area of creatures that had found a way to coexist with humans before stopping the one that had become a genuine threat.
Real-World Folklore
The pishtaco (also pistaco, kharisiri, or lik'ichiri) is a deeply rooted figure in Andean folklore, particularly in Peru and Bolivia. In these traditions, the pishtaco is a white, foreign-looking man who kills indigenous people and steals their body fat. The fat was said to be used to grease church bells, lubricate machinery, or produce medicines.
The pishtaco legend is widely understood by scholars as a response to colonialism — it encodes the indigenous experience of exploitation by European colonizers who literally extracted resources (including labor) from native populations. The figure has been updated over centuries: colonial-era pishtacos were priests and soldiers; modern versions are doctors, engineers, or NGO workers. Supernatural's adaptation is relatively faithful to the feeding-on-fat concept but removes the colonial and racial dimensions that give the folklore its real weight.
Weaknesses
A silver knife is effective. The creature is physically durable but not supernaturally resistant to damage once its feeding organ is targeted. The primary challenge is identification — pishtacos blend into human society and may operate for years without detection.