Sandman Characters You'd Never Want To Make A Deal With

Nearly three decades after its publication, the long-awaited adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" is finally here. Premiering to mostly positive reviews, the world-bending saga of the King of Dreams is a dazzling and heartfelt journey through the centuries as Dream of the Endless (aka Morpheus, aka the Sandman) rules over all dreams and stories in the metaphysical realm known as the Dreaming. Season 1 of the Netflix phenomenon adapts the first two volumes of the original comic series, "Preludes and Nocturnes" and "The Doll's House," following Lord Morpheus through several chapters and vignettes. 

Building on this richly woven source material, the first season of "The Sandman" has no shortage of fantastical characters, some more trustworthy than others. While some, like Lucienne (Vivienne Acheampong), Matthew the Raven (Patton Oswalt), and even Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), prove to be reliable, there are many more you'd never want to make a deal with. The following is a list of characters to avoid if you need a bargain or transaction. But first, a quick caveat. The world of "The Sandman" is dense mythology with ties to the larger DC Universe and Netflix's adaptation makes several changes to the source material. This list is based on the deal-making prowess of the on-screen characters rather than the entirety of "The Sandman" catalog.

Alex (Laurie Kynaston), the younger son of occultist Roderick Burgess, seems to have noble intentions but is simply too spineless to be trusted. Only a child when his father imprisons Dream, Alex grows up afraid of both his powerful father and the immortal being trapped in his cellar. He kills Dream's beloved raven, Jessamy, in a misguided attempt to prove his familial loyalty and accidentally kills the powerful patriarch once he finally decides to stand up for himself. Now the sole heir, Alex squanders his new position of power and tries to make a deal with Dream instead of righting his father's wrong. 

Alex attempts to make several deals with Dream, sometimes seeking the same immortality his father demanded and sometimes just asking for an assurance of safety. However, Dream refuses to say a word, sitting silently in his glass prison while Alex grows old. When an orderly accidentally breaks the binding circle, Dream manages to escape and punishes Alex with a neverending nightmare. Though Alex is certainly more compassionate than his father, he is too weak to ever fully trust.

Ethel Cripps (Joely Richardson) is a bit of an enigma in the waking world. Fully human, she is a member of the Order of Ancient Mysteries and the lover of Roderick Burgess. She seems to have good intentions when she enters Lord Magus's world, standing up for Alex Burgess and fleeing to save her unborn child, but before leaving, she helps herself to Dream's objects of power — his ruby, helm, and pouch of sand — along with a large sum of her lover's money. Ethel gives birth to a son named John Dee (David Thewlis), who will go on to have troubles of his own. While Ethel seems kind and decent (minus all that stealing), she's not exactly the best mother. Her constant deception gives her son a complex about lying that nearly destroys the world. 

Ethel is a master thief and a charming con artist. Going by many different names, it would be nearly impossible to tell if she would honor the terms of a contract. She would likely rob you blind, then drive a hard bargain for your stolen possessions on the black market. While Ethel is known to make deals (that's how she's survived all these years), she will always look out for herself and her son. There's no guarantee that she won't abandon the agreement and run off with your belongings.

Some of the most intriguing entities in "The Sandman" world are a trio of goddesses known as the Kindly Ones. Based on the Triple Goddess legend, they are Mother (Nina Wadia), Maiden (Dinita Gohil), and Crone (Souad Faress), three ever-changing women who see all and know all but deliver their predictions in hazy riddles. They are ruthless negotiators and command a high price for their often vague prophecies. With no other options, Dream seeks their knowledge about the location of his missing objects of power. Each of the three women will answer one question only, but the information they share is cryptic at best, and Lucienne, the librarian of the Dreaming, warns that they often give information no one wants to hear. 

As their name implies, the Kindly Ones can be counted on to deliver a contracted prophecy. They may even show up with an unsolicited warning from time to time, but there's no telling how much their consultation will end up costing. You're also likely to wind up more confused than you were before seeking their advice. On the plus side, they provide instantaneous knowledge of the whole of humanity, assuming you can muster the power to summon them. The catch is that they will drive a hard bargain for their answers, and there's no way to know if they will give useful information. They Kindly Ones should be treated as a last resort only. 

Lucifer Morningstar (Gwendoline Christie) is one of the most terrifying creatures in "The Sandman ” world. Once the most powerful angel, Lucifer was cast out of heaven and now rules over hell, overseeing the torture of sinners and managing demons. This androgynous creature is a statuesque beauty with large wings and an angelic face that hides a deep current of rage and narcissism. Dream narrowly escapes her wrath in a head-to-head battle to reclaim his stolen helm from a demon under Lucifer's control. With an eternity of enslavement on the line, Morpheus emerges from the duel victorious, delivering Lucifer a humiliating defeat in front of her demonic subjects. 

The ruler of Hell is quick to honor the terms of her agreement, prompting Dream to describe her as honorable. However, the embarrassment of losing such a public battle ignites a rage in the fallen angel, and she threatens to imprison Dream in her nightmarish realm. The season's final moments show that she has been stoking the fires of this grudge and may prove to be a worrisome enemy in Season 2. While Lucifer will fulfill her obligations with the help of her henchwoman, Mazikeen (Cassie Clare), her skin is thin, and she will likely start plotting against you in the wake of any perceived slight. It's best to just avoid hell altogether.

Hal Carter (John Cameron Mitchell) is one of the most delightful characters in all 10 episodes of "The Sandman" Season 1. The friendly drag queen owns and operates a bed and breakfast in Cape Kennedy, Florida, where Rose Walker (Vanesu Samunyai) stays while searching for her brother. He has cultivated an eclectic group of friends at the estate he inherited from his grandmother but dreams of returning to New York and making his mark on the Broadway stage.  

Hal is a trustworthy friend and the heart of the group of residents who become a second family to the orphaned Rose. He immediately offers to help her search for Jed and even moves to New York to offer support to the young siblings once they are reunited, but Hal is a gossip. When booking her stay at his Bed and Breakfast, Rose and Hal become fast friends, and Rose shares many details about her life. She checks in and discovers that he's already told everyone at the Inn all about her. While Hal's intentions are good and his conversation skills are endearing, he is perhaps not the best person to trust with a secret. There's no doubt that if you make a deal with Hal, everyone will know about it.

Not all of the nightmares Sandman comes into contact with are eternal. Some are flesh and blood human beings. Fun Land (Danny Kirrane) is a serial killer, or Collector as they prefer to be called, on the steering committee of the annual Cereal Convention (wink, wink). While this is reason enough to avoid the gentle-voiced man-child, his impetuousness and addiction to his dark trade make him especially untrustworthy. While checking people into the Cereal Convention, he befriends Jed, Rose Walker's little brother, who just happens to fit the profile of his ideal victim. Watching them interact, the Corinthian quickly makes it clear that Jed is off limits. Fun Land is not supposed to be killing at the convention anyway, as the bylaws clearly state that no member is to commit murder within 200 miles of the festivities. 

Yet, Fun Land just can't seem to help himself. When he sees Jed running from the Corinthian, he offers the boy a place to hide — in his hotel room. What looks like a gift of safety is a trap that will almost certainly lead to Jed's grisly death. Fortunately, Jed escapes in the nick of time, and Fun Land meets his own violent end. Fun Land may be a heinous murderer, but he is also exceptionally weak-willed. In addition to being a murderer, he is probably the last person at this horrifying convention that anyone should trust.