Neil Gaiman's Sandman series was recently adapted into a Netflix show, and with it, a great number of amazing characters came to life. Several characters made their epic appearance, including Dream, Lucifer Morningstar, and Johanna Constantine. With all the characters Gaiman provided the comics, many fell confident the versatility will continue and Netflix will have a hard time messing up this series.
At the end of the day, however, fans will always have their favorites. For reasons beyond simple explanation, people are drawn to various characters for many reasons, and as such, will have strong opinions about who the best Sandman characters are.
Updated on September 15th, 2022 by Casey Lawrence: Netflix's Sandman adaption introduced a larger audience to Neil Gaiman's unique characters and thought-provoking narratives. As more of Gaiman's world springs to life, fans will get to learn even more about their favorite Sandman characters.
10 Lucien Is The Dreaming's Loyal Librarian
Always ready with advice or a change of perspective, Lucien is the head librarian of the Dreaming, as well as part of Morpheus' menagerie of sidekicks. Marked by his tall, bespectacled figure, Lucien is responsible for literally every book ever imagined.
Even though Lucien isn't as colorful or as powerful as some of the other members of the Sandman roster, he's notable for good reason: he's loyal. When every other member of Dream's staff abandons their post at their master's disappearance, Lucien stays, protecting and up keeping Morpheus' palace.
9 Matthew Embodies The Sandman's General Aesthetics
Perhaps Dream's most well-known sidekick, Matthew was a raven who used to be human. When his physical human body died, his mind stayed in the Dreaming, where Morpheus offered him the chance to keep living on as a raven. Matthew agreed and remained Dream's companion ever since.
Matthew tends to be an extension of Morpheus in most stories, or at least he acts as Dream's herald. Out of Dream's companions, Matthew is probably the one who matches the atmosphere of the series the best: equal parts magical and macabre.
8 The Corinthian Poisoned Humanity With A Hunger To Kill
Nightmare among nightmares, Corinthian might be Morpheus' scariest creation, with Dream even going so far as to call him his masterpiece. Originally intended to symbolize humanity's fear of the darkness, Corinthian escaped the Dreaming and wreaked havoc on the living as a killer in the real world.
Corinthian's list of murders ran so long that he began infecting humans with his desire to kill. It's even implied that modern-day serial killers exist due to Corinthian's influence. Dream eventually caught and made the original Corinthian, but Morpheus remade him later after fixing a few of his unpredictable traits.
7 Destiny Helps Keep The Piece As The Eldest Endless
The eldest of the Endless, DC's most powerful family, Destiny has been around since the universe began. Bound to his book, where everything that has ever been or will be is written, Destiny watches over existence, even though he is blind.
In the comics, Destiny often calls and hosts the family meetings, as the other Endless all seem to respect his realm as a neutral zone, even if they have issues with one another. Seeing as his power is near omniscience, his younger siblings know better than to try anything with him.
6 Delirium Wants Her Family To Take Her Seriously
The youngest of the Endless, Delirium was once known as Delight. Nowadays, she rarely makes sense, and when she does, it tends to be through her own form of logic. The complete opposite of Destiny, Delirium is playful, scatterbrained, and seems unaware that she has responsibilities as an Endless.
Since Delirium's older siblings don't take her seriously, she often becomes frustrated when she isn't listened to. Her realm comprises pure chaos, and everything inside of it appears unstable and ever-changing.
5 Destruction Determined To Chart His Own Path
The first and only Endless to abandon his post, Destruction left his realm and his family behind to set out on a path of self-discovery. In his family, Destruction was one of the more level-headed ones, often acting as a dependable older brother.
Destruction gave up the mantle of Endless when he saw mankind taking an interest in science and realized where it would ultimately lead. Since giving up his duties, Destruction took up every form of artistry imaginable, although he proved terrible at all of them. Instead of helping bring about destruction, he wanted to help create.
4 Desire Doesn't Care For Anyone Else
Malicious, cruel, and fickle, Desire is everything associated with an unmediated appetite. Desire wants others to praise, love, and respect it most of all, and most of the time, Desire gets exactly what it wants.
The Endless seem to be the only ones unaffected by Desire's influence, especially the elder siblings, and so it is only natural that Desire would butt heads with them. As such, Dream and Desire harbor deep animosity towards each other, with Desire often playing the role of the villain in Sandman.
3 Lucifer Took Control Of His Life
Lucifer Morningstar is everything one could want from the devil. He's charming, refined, and constantly has the air of someone bored by his unamusing company. Before he had his own TV show and memes made about him, Lucifer graced the pages of Sandman as the unwilling ruler of hell.
Based on the tragic Paradise Lost version of Lucifer, he felt betrayed by God and His ultimate plan that would see Lucifer rule in Hell for eternity. Instead, Lucifer decided to take his existence into his own hands and leaves Hell behind, finally giving the key to Hell's gates to Dream.
2 Death Goes With The Flow And Cares For Her Family
The second eldest of the family, Death was the first Endless to exist after Destiny. Despite her full-time, disheartening job, Death is both the kindest and the most easygoing in her family.
When Dream felt lost after getting revenge on the people who imprisoned him, Death showed up for some older sister pep-talk. While the rest of the Endless seemed to struggle between enjoying themselves and keeping up with their responsibilities, Death thrived at both with a smile on her face and a fashionable style.
1 Morpheus Takes Center Stage As Ruler Of The Dreaming
Morpheus, or Dream, is the third eldest Endless and the protagonist of the Sandman series. Dream's somber appearance mirrors his demeanor. He often acts melancholy, down on himself, and distant. Most of his relationships end up in disaster, often due to his shortcomings.
Out of all his siblings, Dream is closest with Death, and the two often team up to tackle problems facing reality, their family, or themselves. Dream's realm is an absolute delight to explore, and the artwork of artists like Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, and Jill Thompson enrich this world with characters and creatures that could only witnessed in wild dreams.