Your Absolutely Necessary Guide to 'The Sandman'
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Like any great fantasy series, The Sandman is full of dense lore and tons of highly specific rules regarding a brand new (to the audience, anyway) world's order. Netflix, which just dropped its ambitious new adaptation of Neil Gaiman's landmark comic book series, has done its best to delight long-time fans while also easing in newcomers—but those experiencing The Dreaming for the first time may need a little bit of a helping hand.
Many iconic characters in The Sandman are immortal beings that embody universal concepts. At the same time, they also feel human emotions and make decisions and live with the consequences of their choices. This dichotomy is what makes Sandman such an intriguing story, but it can also complicate understanding certain characters' roles and motivations.
That's where we can help. Below, we're breaking down all the important concepts from the world of The Dreaming for the unfamiliar, or those who just need a bit of a refresher before diving back in. After this, you'll be scouring the r/Sandman Reddit theory pages with the best of them.
Who Is Dream in The Sandman?
Known by many names, Dream is the main protagonist of The Sandman. Played by actor Tom Sturridge in the new Netflix adaptation, he is the immortal ruler of The Dreaming, the realm where all humans go when they sleep and have dreams. Throughout the series, he will also be referred to as The Sandman, Morpheus, and Lord Kai'ckul, depending on who he is interacting with, but most of the time he will be referred to as Dream.
What Happens in The Dreaming in The Sandman?
When humans go to sleep, they enter The Dreaming, a world where anything is possible. Much like in real life, your unconscious mind determines what you do while you dream, such as experiencing unaccomplished desires, fighting monsters, rehashing past trauma. The Dreaming is Dream's domain to rule, and many other beings help him in his day-to-day operations. Lucienne (Vivienne Acheampong), Dream's assistant, records every story ever conceived in a massive library.
Who Are The Endless in The Sandman?
Alongside Dream, The Endless make up other immortal personifications of universal concepts in the series. The Endless are all referred to as Dream's siblings, sharing bonds and bickering just like any family would. In Season One, viewers meet Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), and Despair (Donna Preston), but there are three more family members yet to make their grand appearance. They are called "The Endless" because they have been present since the dawn of creation, and they each hold immense power and responsibility.
What Does It Mean to Be a Nightmare in The Sandman?
Two of the main antagonists in Season One are living nightmares—dreams created to scare humans so that they learn something or motivate them to confront their fears in the real world. Some nightmares, like The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook), definitely get up to no good throughout the series, but being a nightmare doesn't exactly make you evil by default. Many psychologists believe common nightmares such as losing your teeth signify that you are stressed. Likewise, being chased by a monster can signify a great difficulty in your life that you've been avoiding. I wouldn't call either nightmare "a good time," but their frightening aspects may end up doing more good in the long run than actual harm. So long as they stay in our dreams...
What Powers Are Held Within Dream's Sand, Helm, and Ruby?
Dream's tools are a lot like Thor's hammer from the Marvel universe. While his sand, helm, and ruby all possess magical properties, they are also conduits for the power that already resides within him. Much like the legend of The Sandman in popular folklore, Dream's pouch of sand can help put people to sleep. His Lovecraftian helm helps him navigate The Dreaming, and the ruby contains some of Dream's power to turn dreams into reality.
Why Does Dream Need a Raven?
In The Sandman, ravens can freely travel between The Dreaming and the waking world. Matthew the Raven, Dream's reluctant companion, is also humorously voiced by Patton Oswalt, and along with Mervyn (Mark Hamill), a janitor with the head of a jack-o'-lantern, they keep an eye out for things while Dream's away.
What Is a Dream Vortex?
Like a natural disaster, a Dream Vortex is an anomaly that threatens to break the distinction between dreams and reality. To keep this spoiler-free, that should be enough to go on without revealing some of The Sandman's greatest moments.
How Is The Sandman Connected to DC Comics?
Dream has interacted with many of DC's heroes in the comics including Batman, Mister Miracle, John Constantine, and Martian Manhunter. Due to licensing setbacks, however, many characters in The Sandman have been slightly reworked to avoid any connection. Outside of a couple of easter eggs for fans, thankfully you won't need any knowledge of the DC universe to enjoy the Netflix series.
Lucifer and Hell Are Here Too???
Yes. Along with The Dreaming, Hell is another realm in The Sandman universe. Much like in biblical teaching, Hell is ruled by Lucifer Morningstar, a fallen angel tasked by God to punish and condemn the damned after death. Fans of Neil Gaiman's Lucifer will be familiar with the character from a prior television series on Fox (before it moved to Netflix). However, The Sandman's Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) will be more faithful to the role in the comics.
Biblical characters such as Cain and Abel also make appearances in The Sandman, as well as figures from mythology like the Fates (later popularized as the Three Witches in stories such as Shakespeare's Macbeth and Disney's Hercules). Since every story exists in The Dreaming's vast library, technically so does every mythological character.
So, What Does It All Mean?
Underneath The Sandman's evil nightmares and mind battles with Lucifer is a story about change. You can escape reality in your dreams, but it’s also a place where past trauma, grudges, and regrets can trap you. For many, The Sandman is a story about how "letting go" and accepting change is healthy. It's also about Death, Desire, Despair, and the other anthropomorphic concepts that rule over us like gods. Even if we believe that we're in control of our own emotions and destiny, accepting how they affect us is also a part of what it means to be human.
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