Newly released on Netflix, The Sandman follows Morpheus, the king of dreams, as he's recently escaped capture and must rebuild his world. The series introduces many incredible characters like Dream, Lucienne, and Death, while also introducing some very detestable and mean characters along the way.
From the murderous Corinthian to the greedy Roderick Burgess, these characters are nothing short of evil when it comes to their own selfish goals, and they're not the only ones. The Sandman does an amazing job of introducing characters that fans can root for and also ones that many fans love to hate.
Alex Burgess
The son of Roderick Burgess, Alex Burgess is a timid and scared young man. He's a wayward young man looking to gain his father's love and respect. However, this leads him down an unreturnable path. After his father captures and imprisons Dream, he seems to be the one that could possibly free him; however, he kills Dream's raven at the behest of his father.
Upon murdering Jessmina, Dream's raven, Alex follows in his father's footsteps, choosing to keep Dream caged for many more years until one day, the seal keeping him contained is broken.
Cain
A character based on the religious tale of the very first murderer and victim, Cain is a character in The Sandman that resides in the dream world with his brother Abel. Living next door to his brother Abel, fans are able to easily distinguish the good brother from the mean one.
Not the nicest, Cain does not take kindly to being told what to do, and he's not afraid to express it. While some fans may be new to the actor Sanjeev Bhaskar, has a few great movies and tv shows under his belt and does an amazing job in showcasing Cain's short temper and dominance in the series. On many occasions, his anger leads to him killing his brother Abel, multiple times, which is evidenced by the many shallow graves on their farm. Although suffering from anger issues and a short temper, Cain isn't the worst character in the series.
John Dee
A man that just wants to live in a world with no lies, John Dee is the son of Ethel Cripps and Roderick Burgess. He grew up with a mother that was a thief and far from truthful. Because of this, John holds no tolerance for liars and has made it his mission, with the help of Dream's ruby, to create a new world with no lies.
In carrying out his goal, John is very mean and ruthless in his approach, revealing others' secrets that they would wish to keep under wraps. With his approach to getting what he wants, John is inconsiderate and uncaring of those he hurts around him, making him dangerous.
Lucifer Morningstar
A villainous enemy of Dream, Lucifer Morningstar is the ruler of the Hell realm in The Sandman. In the series, Lucifer is considered to be one of the strongest beings, of course after the almighty creator. Because of this, Lucifer is one of the most powerful characters in The Sandman series.
Although powerful, Lucifer doesn’t seem to be able to get the best of Dream. No matter her attempts, Dream always comes out on top, and Lucifer makes it known that she will destroy Dream whenever she gets the chance.
Desire
A sibling of Dream yet his biggest enemy, Desire is the third-youngest sibling in The Endless with her twin sister, Despair. They hold a large amount of animosity towards their siblings, especially Dream, and always find a way to interfere in their affairs. For instance, fans come to understand that Desire had a hand in the capture and imprisonment of Dream by Roderick Burgess later on in the series, and this doesn't seem to be the end of her plan to destroy Dream.
Their desire to see Dream bested finds them using anything and anyone, including children, to get what they want. With no regard to the consequences that may arise because of their selfishness, Desire isn’t remorseful for any damage that they cause.
The Corinthian
In The Sandman, the Corinthian is a ruthless nightmare created by Dream that has escaped the dreaming world and entered into the waking world. While in the waking world, the Corinthian has gone about hunting humans and murdering them by removing and eating their eyes. His dangerous actions make him the main antagonist of season 1, which is a big difference between the comics and the show.
As a result of his nature, the Corinthian holds no remorse for the lives he’s taken. His goal is to reshape the waking world into his image and will stop at nothing to make sure Dream doesn’t get in the way.
Roderick Burgess
Far from just a “grieving” father, Roderick Burgess is a greedy and power-hungry old man. On a mission to capture Death and bring back his son, he actually captures Dream and thus begins his greed and thirst for power.
He neglects the son he does have in search of one already lost, never missing a moment to berate and belittle the one he still has. After learning from the Corinthian the power he now holds with Dream's tools, his mission switches from one of a desperate father to one that wishes to possess all the power and immortality that he can.