15 Strongest The Sandman Characters Ranked (The Most Powerful Endless)
The Sandman TV series is just about to premiere on Netflix, and fans can’t wait to see what the show has in store. It’s an adaptation of DC Comics, specifically the characters called the Endless. There are many characters the show could include, so we decided to dig through the comics and find the strongest ones.
Without further ado, here’s the ultimate, ranked list of the 15 strongest The Sandman characters, including all the most powerful Endless siblings. Get ready for the show’s premiere, and enjoy!
15. Barbie
In a comic book series revolving around monsters and supernatural entities, it’s not that often you get an ordinary human character presenting any kind of strength. And while Barbie isn’t physically imposing, her strength is loyalty, kindness, and quirkiness. Her biggest role was in Volume 5, A Game of You, which centered around her and her childhood dream world.
Barbie had a trans friend, Wanda, who died near the end of the Volume, and her entire town hated and disrespected her for being who she was. Even Wanda’s gravestone had a different name on it. That’s when Barbie made a simple yet character-defining move when she used red lipstick to cross out the name “Alvin” on the stone and write “Wanda.”
14. Rose Walker
Another human character on this list is Rose Walker, who is the protagonist of Volume 2, The Doll’s House. Again, Rose is an ordinary person who ends up in the middle of something she could never understand. Her only goal was to find her missing little brother, and she was willing to get over all the weird, supernatural stuff happening around her, never losing sight of the original goal.
Rose Walker will appear right away in Season 1 of the Netflix show The Sandman and will be portrayed by Kyo Ra, a debuting actress who is said to have achieved to “make you care as she ventures into some very dangerous places.”
13. Matthew
Matthew Cable was an ordinary human before but died after being in a coma for a while. That’s when he met Dream, aka Morpheus, the lead character of The Sandman. Dream offered Matthew a chance to stay alive but to become a raven. Matthew agreed and became Dream’s most trustworthy companion.
His raven form still remembers his human life, but the best part about Matthew is how loyal, calm, and composed he is, even though he now lives in the Dreaming realm. He never leaves his “master” Dream behind, even in the most perilous situations. Matthew will be voiced by Patton Oswald.
12. Wanda
I’ve already mentioned Wanda when talking about Barbie. Wanda is Barbie’s trans friend who has been ridiculed, hated, and disrespected her entire life for being different. But that’s exactly where her strength lies. Through all that hate – and even at her tragic ending – Wanda is still always kind, compassionate, funny, witty, and protective over her friends.
Her character still hasn’t been cast, seeing she’ll likely turn up around season 2 or 3, but I loved the character from the comic book series. She is inspiring and shows that being yourself beats anything that anyone has to say about you.
11. Hob Gadling
Hob Gadling is, if you ask me, one of the more interesting characters in the series. He was just a guy who believed dying is for “chumps.” Dream heard him back in a pub in the 14th century, and offered Hob a deal – you become immortal and live for as long as you want. All you have to do is meet up with Dream occasionally to talk about it.
Hob agrees and lives for centuries without aging, recurring throughout the series. However, living forever isn’t all peaches, especially if you’re not really that good of a guy. Hob survives through wars, diseases, famine, and participates in slave trading, and so much more.
He becomes wiser and tougher, though, and appreciates his gift at every moment. Hob will be portrayed by Ferdinand Kingsley in the new Netflix series.
10. Lucien
Now, we’re breaking the top ten with supernatural characters, and the first of the bunch is Lucien. He is an extremely smart guy that is the head librarian of Dreaming and is always there to help Morpheus with sound advice. He is also responsible for every book ever imagined or written, so you see why his knowledge is off the charts.
He might not be as active, powerful, or strong as the Endless, but his vast knowledge has to be accounted for something – especially considering how loyal he is. When Dream disappeared, all of his sidekicks left the Dreaming except Lucien, who stayed and protected his master’s realm.
The character is getting a gender swap in the show, as Lucienne will be portrayed by Vivienne Acheampong.
9. Despair
Despair is the second youngest of the Endless siblings and a very powerful one. She is the personification of all the despair in the world and always appears naked, scarred, and hurt. As the horrifying things the human race does make her more powerful, they also make her appearance worse.
That’s the double-edged sword Despair is balancing – becoming more powerful but more hurt as despair in the world grows. She would be higher on this list due to her vast power but isn’t because she often chooses not to act to save herself from more pain. Despair will be portrayed in the Netflix show by Donna Preston.
8. Destiny
Destiny is the oldest Endless sibling and the oldest thing there ever was. Even before the universe, there was Destiny, as the universe’s destiny was to be created. Destiny is bound to his book, which contains everything that ever happened and everything that will ever happen in the future. He sees everything, yet he is blind.
Some say that Destiny is the most powerful of all the Endless because everything and everyone has their destiny. However, the fact is, Destiny doesn’t act on almost anything, as he already knows what will happen and how it will happen. He doesn’t abuse his power but chooses to stay on the sidelines and observe as the history he already knows unravels before him.
7. The Corinthian
The Corinthian isn’t one of the Endless but rather one of Dream’s scariest creations. He is a personified nightmare among nightmares, intended to be the embodiment of the human fear of the dark. However, the Corinthian was a flawed creation that escaped the Dreaming and caused all kinds of horror on Earth, killing, destroying, and worse.
He kills so much that he develops the ability to infect the people around him with an insatiable urge to kill. The series even suggests that today’s serial killers exist due to the toxic influence of the Corinthian. Luckily, he was caught and “repaired” by Dream later. The Corinthian will be portrayed by Boyd Holbrook in the Netflix series.
6. Destruction
Destruction could be called the middle child of the endless, with three older and three younger siblings. He is also the only Endless ever to leave their post (or their realm, if you will) to seek the opposite of what they’re intended to do.
Destruction is level-headed and smart, but when humankind started to show interest in science, he knew it would eventually lead to self-destruction, and he wanted no part in it. That’s when he left and started indulging in every art imaginable, wanting to create instead of destroying. His power is unfathomable in his realm, but Destruction chose not to use it.
5. Delirium
Delirium is the youngest of the Endless and the utmost eccentric one. She was originally known as Delight, but it slowly became Delirium as time went on and humanity grew worse. Delirium is often incomprehensive, brash, and doesn’t make much sense. Even when she does, she uses her own sense of logic.
The only reason why she’s not higher on the list is that Delirium rarely acts and chooses to remain dormant in her realm. However, when she does, she has the power to make anything she imagines reality almost instantly. Her realm is chaotic and ever-changing, and Delirium herself is often frustrated for not being listened to or taken seriously by the other Endless.
4. Desire
The power of desire is quite a driving force of humankind, and it all comes from one Endless sibling – Desire herself. Desire is the twin sister of Despair, and they are the second-youngest of the Endless. Yet, Desire is considerably more powerful, as she is responsible for every urge, and every desire that ever was, be it sexual or otherwise.
Unlike many other Endless, Desire is cruel, evil-intended, and always knows how to get what she wants. The only ones who don’t succumb to her influence are the other Endless, so she is in beef with them more time than not. She hates Dream and vice-versa and will be portrayed by Mason Alexander Park in the series.
3. Lucifer
I absolutely love the reimagined story of Lucifer Morningstar depicted in The Sandman series. This version of Lucifer feels betrayed by God, whose ultimate plan from the start was to have him become the Fallen Angel and rule over Hell for all eternity.
He says no, and decides he will take his destiny into his own hands. Lucifer leaves Hell behind and gives the keys to Dream, deciding to live on Earth instead. He is charming, cunning, classy, and overall awesome. I put him so high up the list because saying NO to God’s master plan has to be one of the most awesome power moves in history.
Like Lucienne, Lucifer is getting a gender swap in the series, as the character will be portrayed by Gwendoline Christie, best known for her role in Game of Thrones, where she was Brienne of Tarth. I bet I’ll love her in The Sandman just as much as I loved her in Game of Thrones.
2. Dream (Morpheus)
You probably thought that Dream – the Sandman himself, the main protagonist of the story – would be at number one. However, as powerful as he is, he isn’t the most powerful Endless of all. Still, Morpheus is awesome, having been responsible for every dream that ever existed.
And, not just sleeping dreams, but rather all the things people dream of, ever, be it a new house, a new life, everything. He is the closest to his sister, who sits at number one on this list, and even his somber, melancholic personality doesn’t stop them from dealing with many problems and solving them together.
The Dreaming – Morpheus’ realm – is absolutely breathtaking, and the nature of his powers is very similar to those of Desire, yet he isn’t that malicious or sinister. Dream will be portrayed in the Netflix series by Tom Sturridge.
1. Death
Last but certainly not least, Death is, above and beyond, the most powerful Endless ever, and it’s not even close. She is the second-oldest Endless sibling behind Destiny, as every being’s destiny ends – with Death. When all the other beings and all the other siblings are gone, Death will be the last thing to exist.
Despite such a terrifying job, Death is kind, loving, and always there to help her siblings. Even when other beings die, she is always there to show them respect and compassion and guide them towards the next chapter of their existence. The most powerful Endless of all will be portrayed by Kirby Howell-Baptiste in the Netflix series.
