The Endless are some of the strangest and most influential characters in the DC Universe. They made their first appearance as a family in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman from Vertigo Comics. The powerful characters were mostly explored in the Vertigo series, but a few have played large roles in the modern DC universe as well.

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The Endless are personifications of natural forces of existence. Much of their own existence revolves around the performance of their duties. However, as living personifications, tensions arise and motivations clash between members of the family. It can be difficult to rank The Endless based on their power, but their influence on the larger universe can be explored.

Updated on October 31, 2022 by Scoot Allan: After years of development, Netflix successfully adapted Neil Gaiman's iconic Vertigo comic series The Sandman into a live-action series. The adaptation introduced Morpheus along with inspired new takes on powerful characters like The Endless. Morpheus' powerful siblings each have their own level of influence on the DC universe in the comics, which fans are watching develop in the hit TV series as well.

8 Dream (Daniel Hall)

First Appearance: Sandman (Vol. 2) #22, by writer Neil Gaiman, penciler Kelley Jones, inker Malcolm Jones III, colorist Steve Oliff, and letterer Todd Klein

Daniel Hall as Dream with Superman and Batman in an old library

Daniel took over for Morpheus upon his death as "Dream of the Endless." He is a distinct member of the Endless. By virtue of his being new, he's still very much untested and has a lot to learn. He exhibits quite a few characteristics of the previous Dream, Morpheus. This includes all the powers and rules associated with his status as one of the Endless.

Morpheus chose Daniel to serve as the next Dream after he was born within the realm of The Dreaming to Lyta-Trevor Hall and Hector Hall. Morpheus's investigation into the child born of The Dreaming freed the trapped spirits, Hector and Lyta, but he promised to collect Daniel later. As Dream, Daniel has become one of the best Sandman characters in the comics.

7 Delirium

First Appearance: Sandman (Vol. 2) #21, by writer Neil Gaiman, penciler Mike Dringenberg, inker Malcolm Jones III, colorist Steve Oliff, and letterer Todd Klein

Delerium is one of The Endless from DC's The Sandman

Delirium is the youngest of the Endless, but she's still millions of years old. Occupying a chaotic realm, she serves as the personification of delirium and sanity and she can induce both in others. Delirium is depicted as a teenage girl with shifting, mismatched hair and clothing.

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Because of the chaotic nature of the character, Delirium often delivers prophecies that don't seem clear at first. Mystery surrounds the youngest member of The Endless as well. She wasn't always Delirium. Instead, she began her existence as Delight. There's no direct explanation for why she became Delirium, which has become one of the greatest mysteries of The Endless.

6 Despair

First Appearance: Sandman (Vol. 2) #10, by writer Neil Gaiman, penciler Mike Dringenberg, inker Malcolm Jones III, colorist Robbie Busch, and letterer Todd Klein

Despair is one of the Endless in The Sandman comics

Despair and her twin, Desire, are antagonistic forces throughout The Sandman, and they worked together to try to bring down Dream. One such fascinating storyline revolves around a contest between a few of the Endless over the fate of a mortal man named Joshua Norton.

Despair, like some of her other siblings, has taken on multiple forms across eternity. Her first form may have been one of the most influential figures in the DC universe. Chapter 3 of The Sandman: Endless Nights hints she played a part in the destruction of Krypton that led to Superman's storied arrival on Earth.

5 Desire

First Appearance: Sandman (Vol. 2) #10, by writer Neil Gaiman, penciler Mike Dringenberg, inker Malcolm Jones III, colorist Robbie Busch, and letterer Todd Klein

Desire is one of The Endless from DC's The Sandman

Desire, the twin sibling of Despair, is one of the primary antagonists of The Sandman. Their gender is completely mutable, allowing them to change their form as the situation requires. Desire is also one of the more cruel members of the family, often teasing or interfering with the duties of their siblings.

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The animosity between Desire and Dream culminated when they assaulted Unity Kinkaid, leading to the birth of Rose Walker. Desire them manipulated Dream into killing Walker. However, killing the "blood" of the Endless is an inviolable rule of the Endless. Rose Walker's death would've had major repercussions for Dream had he gone through with it.

4 Destruction

First Appearance: Sandman Special (Vol. 1) #1, by writer Neil Gaiman, penciler Bryan Talbot, inker Mark Buckingham, colorist Daniel Vozzo, and letterer Todd Klein

Destruction is one of The Endless from DC's The Sandman

Destruction, the fourth eldest of the Endless, represents his namesake in all forms. However, the abdication of his duties creates a great deal of drama between the Endless. Destruction stepped away from his role because of the future development of the atomic bomb in one of The Sandman's most heartbreaking moments.

Destruction didn't want to be responsible for such devastation and sought a new path for his eternal life. Delirium and Dream eventually tracked down their rogue brother so Delirium could make up with him. In a curious turn, Destruction's attempt to write his own path involved him taking to acts of creation like cooking and painting instead of bringing about more destruction.

3 Dream (Morpheus)

First Appearance: Sandman (Vol. 2) #1, by writer Neil Gaiman, penciler Sam Kieth, inker Mike Dringenberg, colorist Robbie Busch and letterer Todd Klein

Morpheus as Dream of the Endless from The Sandman

Morpheus, also known as Dream, is one of the most influential of The Endless. He's also the target of several of his siblings' schemes. Morpheus is tall, thin, pale, and very much the goth ideal in appearance. Morpheus is also known for a long line of romantic partners and spends much of The Sandman dealing with the fallout of these relationships.

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Morpheus is the custodian of one of the most influential realms called The Dreaming. His influence is so vast that some consider him the lord of all stories. This is particularly apparent in Dream's chosen fates for the biblical Cain and Abel, as he turned them into storytellers and occupants of The House of Secrets and The House of Mystery, respectively.

2 Destiny

First Appearance: Weird Mystery Tales (Vol. 1) #1, by writer/penciler Jack Kirby and inker Mike Royer

Destiny of The Endless walking down stairs from DC's The Sandman

Destiny, the eldest of the Endless, is one of the most powerful and influential of his siblings. As the ultimate observer, Destiny is the personification of fate and is generally all-knowing. Destiny is blind and largely unconcerned with action, preferring instead to observe. Destiny, however, could foresee the chain of events that would play out in Morpheus' demise.

Destiny and his book of knowledge have appeared throughout the universe well before his reveal as one of DC's most powerful cosmic characters, The Endless. One appearance depicted him investigating the Challengers of the Unknown, who were the only souls not recorded in his book. Destiny even turned the book over to them briefly for safekeeping.

1 Death

First Appearance: Sandman (Vol. 2) #8, by writer Neil Gaiman, penciler Mike Dringenberg, inker Malcolm Jones III, colorist Robbie Busch, and letterer Todd Klein

Death is one of the Endless

Death is one of the most powerful members of the Endless and one of the most powerful beings in existence in the DC Universe. Her ultimate duty as the embodiment of death lasts until the last living thing dies and she puts the universe itself to rest. Portrayed, generally, as an adorable goth woman, Death has become very popular with DC fans.

One of Death's quirks is that she spends one day each century as a mortal. This began as a way for her to cope with the harsh realities of her duties, which also changed her personality a great deal. Death has appeared to other characters in the DC universe and had a close relationship with her brother Morpheus.

NEXT: 10 Worst Things Dream Has Done In The Sandman Comics