Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Sandman comics.
Netflix’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s iconic Sandman comic book series has introduced legendary characters like Dream and Death. While the fantastical beings from the comics are certainly memorable, there are also a few mortals (mostly humans) who are remarkably well-written.
The best mortals from the comics have engrossing storylines that often significantly impact the overarching narrative or are at least unique enough to leave a lasting impression on readers. These don’t include humans who have been granted unnaturally long lives (like Orpheus, Mad Hettie, and Hob Gadling). As fans eagerly wait for a potential second season of the popular Netflix series, it’s the perfect time to meet some of the mortal characters that could appear on the show.
John Constantine
John Constantine’s Netflix counterpart Johanna isn’t too different from his character in the comics, as they’re both disillusioned occult detectives with messy romances. Just like Johanna, John meets Dream when during his search for the pouch of sand that was taken from him several decades ago.
He may be mortal, but John has learned a thing or two about surviving through his magical abilities and masterful ability to deceive others. He ages just like everyone does, however, which is especially obvious when Dream mentions that he has met several generations of Constantines in the past (including Lady Johanna).
Lyta Hall
Another character that has already been introduced in the Netflix series is Lyta Hall, but the show has barely touched the surface of her tragic story arc. In the comics, Dream eventually fulfills his promise and takes Lyta’s son Daniel, but not before the child is kidnapped by the trickster god Loki and Puck.
Despite being a mostly average human, Lyta embarks on a quest for revenge that leads her right into the arms of the Three. She plays an important role in Dream’s demise, which is a fact that Thessaly reminds her of towards the end of the series.
Prez Rickard
One of the best Sandman comic book storylines is centered on Prez Rickard, who is the subject of a one-off tale told in the World’s End Inn. According to the visitor’s story, Prez was the youngest man to be elected as the President of the United States, and he did such a good job that he ended up serving several terms.
Every now and then, though, Prez is visited by a creepy figure who calls himself Boss Smiley. Prez always refuses to work for Boss Smiley, which turns out to be a futile action after his death. While Prez lives an extraordinary life as a human, his death becomes even more significant, as Dream allows him to walk through worlds to improve all the different versions of America.
Rose Walker
Viewers are already familiar with the story of Rose Walker, a young woman whose first priority is to find her long-lost brother, Jed. She bravely faces shocking revelations about her lineage, strange situations in the house she’s staying in, and encounters with Dream, all to be reunited with her brother.
Rose is a surprisingly insightful and sensitive character in the comics, as poetic words come easy to her thanks to her profession as a writer. Her unique experience as the Vortex serves as one of many mysteries in the Sandman universe that still inspires fan theories to this day.
Wanda
Barbie’s journey to The Land would not have been possible without Wanda, but even before then, Wanda has served as her loyal and supportive friend. Wanda also happens to be fierce and bold, mostly due to her difficult past with her family who never accepted her.
Her inspiring friendship with Barbie may end with tragedy, but the series manages to leave it on a bittersweet note, with Barbie honoring Wanda’s real name by writing it with lipstick on her tombstone. Death also makes it possible for the two friends to say one last heartbreaking goodbye, making Wanda’s arc even more memorable.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare likely didn’t fully grasp what he was getting into when he entered into an agreement with Dream. His works would be remembered and studied for a long time, but at the cost of his own life and enjoyment.
Shakespeare devotes his lifetime to writing plays, detailing how major events around him felt more like inspiration rather than actual things that are happening to him and his family. He may have had the honor of performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream in front of the Faerie it was written for, but he likely didn’t die a happy man. It’s an arc that emphasizes the true cost of any bargain with Dream.
Emperor Norton I
The subject of one of the best single Sandman storylines is based on the real-life historical figure, Joshua Abraham Norton. In the comics, the Endless toy with him thanks to Despair’s challenge for Dream, daring her older brother to take the failed businessman from her realm.
Morpheus easily does so by giving the mortal a dream that he’s the first and only emperor of the United States. It’s a lie that he holds onto for the rest of his life, with Delirium mentioning how “his madness keeps him sane.” His story is a genuinely interesting one that underscores the power of dreams.
Barbie
Barbie may start out in her major arc as an unhappy human being without the ability to dream, but she’s soon thrust into a magical location known as The Land. What’s more, she’s actually the princess of that place, which has been endangered by the ruthless villain called the Cuckoo.
Her misadventures in The Land are wildly entertaining mostly because of how fantastical they are. She meets several anthropomorphic subjects who are willing to give up their lives for her, not to mention the shocking twist in the story when she finally reaches the antagonist.
Nada
Viewers have already seen a brief glimpse of Nada’s horrific imprisonment in the show, and fans of the comics know exactly why she’s in Hell. Readers know that Dream’s romantic relationships don’t really ever end well, and Nada’s is a particularly awful case.
Back when she was alive, Nada was the queen of the first people and reigned over a kingdom she loved deeply. When the Sun discovered her affair with Dream, it punished her by setting fire to that kingdom. Nada’s devastation leads to her dying by suicide, which Dream selfishly takes as a rejection and condemns her to Hell. Nada gets a second chance at a mortal life after Dream rescues her later on, but it’s clearly too little, too late for the queen who needlessly suffered in Lucifer’s realm.
Charles Rowland
The consequences of Lucifer’s decision to leave Hell are far-reaching, as shown in the unsettling case of a young boy named Charles Rowland. After being left in a boarding school during the holidays, he finds himself alone with the terrifying ghosts of former bullies and mean teachers. His friendship with a ghost called Edwin Paine helps him survive, at least for a little while.
Since the innocent Charles is a human child, it’s not long before he succumbs to the wounds the bullies inflicted on him, and also dehydration and starvation from being alone for so long. He dies in a dusty attic and refuses to go with Death, instead wandering away with his new friend and into a spinoff series, Dead Boy Detective Agency.