Who are The Endless in ‘The Sandman?’
And you think YOUR family's weird...
The Sandman, Netflix’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s classic DC comics saga, is getting a new batch of episodes soon. With 11 episodes in season 1 and more coming soon, the series has the same vast scope as the comics, with Morpheus of the Endless traversing history as the ruler and personification of dreams.
Plus, in season 2, we get to meet the rest of the Endless.
But who—and what—are the Endless, exactly? Who are Morpheus’s siblings, and what are their domains? Here’s what you need to know!
The Endless, Explained
In the world of The Sandman, all of existence is shaped by seven natural forces: Dream, Death, Desire, Despair, Destiny, Delirium, and a seventh figure called the Prodigal. Each force is personified by a figure who appears in the comics as a godlike humanoid being, and each member of the Endless has their own domain that they rule over while they perform their duties throughout the universe. Along with the concepts implied in their names—that is, Dream governing dreams and nightmares while Death shepherds people to the afterlife—the Endless also define their own opposites, with Death defining life, Despair defining hope, and so on. The Endless all consider themselves siblings, and are the children of Night and Time.
The Endless were all born near the beginning of the universe, one by one, as their functions came into existence. Despite their name, the Endless will, in fact, cease to exist when the universe eventually dies. In The Sandman Volume 7: Brief Lives, Destruction describes himself and his siblings thusly:
The Endless are merely patterns. The Endless are ideas. The Endless are wave functions. The Endless are repeating motifs. The Endless are echoes of darkness, and nothing more… And even our existences are brief and bounded. None of us will last longer than this version of the Universe.
Dream
Dream, the protagonist of The Sandman, is the ruler of dreams, imagination, inspiration, and anything that’s not real. In governing the unreal, he defines reality. Dream’s sigil is a large helm that he wears into battle.
Generally dour and moody, Dream has been deeply involved in the human world for centuries, falling in love with some humans and developing long-term quasi-friendships with others, and this involvement has gotten him into trouble numerous times. Dream’s domain is the Dreaming, which contains, among other things, a library full of every book that was never written. The Dreaming is also home to a lively cast of characters who will make their onscreen debut in the Netflix series.
In the Netflix series, Dream is played by Tom Sturridge.
Death
Death, the second-oldest of the Endless, is Dream’s sister. Death takes all things across the threshold when they die, but she’s not the grim reaper one might expect. Instead, she’s the warmest, kindest, and arguably wisest of the Endless, and Dream frequently comes to her for help and advice. Along with governing death, Death gives everything in the universe the breath of life when it’s born. Death generally takes the appearance of a young woman dressed all in black. Her sigil is the Anhk, the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph meaning “life,” which she wears as a pendant around her neck.
In the Netflix series, Death is played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and she also has a cameo in the spinoff series Dead Boy Detectives.
Destiny
Destiny is the firstborn and oldest of the Endless, and he was created when the first being capable of having a destiny came into existence. Destiny governs the fates of all beings from his domain the “Garden,” which is a castle surrounded by mazes. Destiny appears as a blind man in a long robe and hood, with a book chained to his wrist. The book contains the stories of every being in the universe.
In the Netflix series, Destiny is played by Adrian Lester.
The Prodigal
Warning: Skip this section if you’re avoiding spoilers for the Netflix series!
As the embodiment of destruction, Destruction governs all change and transformation in the universe. In the comics, Destruction observes humanity at the beginning of the Enlightenment and realizes that, with their rapidly developing understanding of science, humans are on the path to ultimate destruction through tools like the atomic bomb. Not wanting to contribute to that kind of mass destruction, Destruction abdicates his post and walks away from his duties as one of the Endless, earning himself the nickname the Prodigal. Destruction takes the form of a muscular man, and his sigil is a sword.
In the Netflix series, Destruction is played by Barry Sloane.
Desire
Desire, one of the younger siblings of the Endless, is a vain, self-centered, and capricious being who governs all forms of desire. Their appearance is that of a beautiful androgynous person, and their domain is a giant statue of themself. They frequently meddle in the affairs of mortals. In the comics, Desire has a rocky relationship with Dream, and the two often find themselves in conflict. Desire’s sigil is a glass heart.
In the Netflix series, Desire is played by Mason Alexander Park.
Despair
Despair, Desire’s twin sister, governs misery and the absence of hope. She appears as a naked woman with her sigil, a large hook, which she uses to carve her own skin. Her realm is a gray place full of mirrors that she uses to watch people struggling with despair. As Desire’s twin, she and Desire often plot together to interfere in the lives of mortals. Interestingly, the Despair who appears in the comics isn’t the original Despair from the beginning of the universe. The first Despair died at some point in the distant past, and was reborn in her current form.
In the Netflix series, Despair is played by Donna Preston, and she also appears in Dead Boy Detectives.
Delirium
Delirium, a fan favorite back in the comics’ heyday, is the youngest sibling of the Endless. Appearing as a young girl with wild, multicolored hair, mismatched clothing, and two different colored eyes, Delirium governs all aspects of madness. Her duties are reflected in her loopy, unmoored disposition, and the things she says often don’t seem to make any sense. However, there’s often a hidden logic underneath Delirium’s chaos. In the distant past, Delirium was Delight, but no one knows how or why she changed into her present form. Unlike her siblings’ sigils, which are all tangible objects, Delirium’s sigil is a multicolored abstract swirl.
In the Netflix series, Delirium is played by Esmé Creed-Miles.
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