Neil Gaiman's The Sandman is the story of Dream, a nigh-omnipotent individual who rules over a realm of the Dreaming – a place people travel to when they sleep. Dream (aka, Morpheus) is one of seven immortal beings known as the Endless, who are even more powerful than the gods.
While the story mostly revolves around Dream and his personal journey, his siblings are no less important. In fact, the teaser trailer for the new Sandman series about to land on Netflix listed the names of Dream's siblings – one of the few details it revealed about what to expect. But, who are DC's Endless? And what makes them so powerful?
7 Destiny Is The Oldest Sibling
Destiny is the oldest member of the Endless. He came into existence the moment beings in the multiverse were capable of having destinies. He is not the god of Destiny. Rather, he is Destiny. In fact, all the Endless are the concepts they represent. They also share the same parents, with Time being their Father and Night being their mother.
Destiny carries a book that contains every event that has and ever will happen. It's a book he's physically chained to, and he experiences all time as the present. Whatever page his book happens to be open at is the time in which he exists. Interestingly, his existence seems to preclude the possibility of free will.
6 Death Finds Joy In The Simple Pleasures Of Life
The second eldest member of the Endless is Death – for once there was sentient mortal life, the end of that mortality came to be. When someone dies, she collects their soul and ushers them towards what comes next. She dresses all in black, favoring a goth aesthetic with lots of eye shadow, and wears a pendant and earrings featuring an ankh – the Egyptian symbol of life.
Of all the Endless, Death loves life the most. She is a fan of the Mary Poppins films and likes to use modern slang. Beyond this, she is also respectful of human religions and when asked about what happens after life, avoids ever answering directly. Of all her siblings, Death has the closest bond with Dream, though his shortsightedness and stubborn rigidity frequently infuriate her.
5 Dream Is The Ruler Of All That Never Was
The protagonist of the series, Dream is the ruler of the Dreaming. He's used many names over the years with the most notable being Morpheus, Oneiros, and Lord Shaper. He is the titular Sandman who fashions dreams and nightmares into existence as extensions of his will.
Dream is stoic and humorless and seldom shows emotion. Nevertheless, he feels things deeply and is governed by a strong sense of personal responsibility. He takes his role as King of the Dreaming very seriously as he inspires the mortal dreamers of the world – whether they're political leaders, artists, or writers. This is particularly interesting as many denizens of the Dreaming exhibit a sense of whimsy and surrealism, such as the chain-smoking pumpkin-headed janitor, Marv, or the brothers Cain and Abel who live in two houses as next-door neighbors and forever relive their origin story. Unfortunately, Dream's self-imposed sense of propriety is his greatest character flaw and often causes harm to himself and others.
4 Destruction Is The Missing Sibling Who Went Away
Throughout most of The Sandman, Destruction is referred to as the missing sibling who went off on his own for an unknown reason. He is younger than Dream and, during a flashback, is seen philosophizing about the nature of destruction as a dangerous concept in regards to Newton's scientific discoveries.
Interestingly, Destruction seems most interested in creating works of art. However, as this goes against his nature, he's a particularly bad artist. Even after he leaves his post, the physical act of destruction continues in the world, despite the fact he isn't a part of it.
3 Desire Defies Gender Binaries... And The Wishes Of Others
Desire has no sex, or rather, is both sexes. After all, Desire has no limits. The sister-brother of the Endless is coy, manipulative, and deceitful. They are shortsighted and vain, pursuing joys and tempting mortals to do the same, even when such pleasure is fleeting – for Desire is a being of endless appetites that can never be satisfied.
In several instances throughout the comic, Desire tries to tempt mortals into giving into carnal lust, even if this giving-in leads to ruin. Dream, Death, and Destiny all seem to look down on Desire's manipulative schemes and antics. However, Desire is spiteful and more than willing to ruin their own family members when they feel slighted.
2 Despair Is Cruel And Forgetful
Desire's twin sister is Despair, who dwells in a gallery of mirrors and is symbolized by a barbed hook. Depicted as an obese naked woman, she is actually the second version of Despair, as an earlier incarnation of Despair died. However, the Endless live up to their name as, even if one dies, a new version of that concept/person manifests.
One of the few things that give Despair joy is causing misery to others. She often plays games with the fates of mortals alongside her twin, as Desire frequently leads to Despair. It's worth noting that she – like her twin – never learns from their past actions.
1 Delirium Used To Be Delight
The youngest of the seven siblings is Delirium. She is a personification of madness and unable to maintain any clear thoughts for long herself, even when she tries. While she is often dismissed by the elder siblings, she is far more benevolent and caring than either Desire or Despair. Humans undergoing a mental health crisis frequently find themselves in her company.
Long ago, Delirium was called Delight until her very nature changed, which is quite a powerful concept considering she is one of the fundamental forces of the universe. It seems Delight's innocence was lost, giving way to her new existence as Delirium where she'd caught in a reverie between joy and tragedy – seemingly lost as she wanders between moods and thoughts with only a vague sense of direction. Over the course of the series, she and Dream become closer, and their relationship is both comedic and endearing.