Desire (Netflix)

This article is about Desire from the Netflix adaptation. You may be looking for Desire from the comic series.

Desire
Biographical information
Also known as	Epithumia
Species	Endless
Status	Active
Affiliations
Relatives	Time (father) Night (mother) Destiny (1st older brother) Death (2nd older sister) Dream (3rd older brother) Destruction (4rd older brother) Despair (twin sister) Delirium (younger sister) Unknown daughter (with Unity Kinkaid) Miranda Walker (granddaughter) Rose Walker (great-granddaughter) Jed Walker (great-grandson) Orpheus (nephew; deceased)
Origin
First appearance	Chapter 5: 24/7
Portrayal(s)	Mason Alexander Park

"It's time that He learned that dreams are merely echoes of desire and despair." ― Desire

Desire is the main antagonist of the first season and the overarching antagonist of the second season in the series The Sandman.

They are Dream's fellow Endless sibling, Despair's twin and the embodiment of everything you want — whatever you want and whoever you are.

History

Orpheus Marriage

As Orpheus's pibling, Desire/Epithumia is present at his wedding to Eurydice. They argue that there was nothing more magnificent than "young love" in the universe and wish them "everything their hearts could desire." Later, when Delirium/Mania confesses that she almost got married, Desire can be seen stifling a laugh next to Death/Teleute.

Plotting against Dream

Desire reached out to their twin sister Despair to report that Dream had found his way out of his cage and that they had a new plan in the works.

Desire manipulating Despair

Desire didn't believe that Dream had learned his lesson after 100 years of imprisonment, though Despair argued that their little games would never change Dream. To Desire, this was no game. They sought to put Dream in his place, as he often behaved as if his realm was superior to their own. Whatever their new scheme was, Despair was doubtful it would work, as they hadn't in the past. Desire retorted that Nada was a mistake and that Roderick Burgess was a diversion. Yet things have changed since then, as Desire revealed that there was a Dream Vortex, the first for a long time, a young girl named Rose. While the girl had no idea what she was, she was already doing what vortexes do: bringing in everything and everyone to her, including Morpheus.

Desire confronted by Dream

Desire was confronted by Dream after he discovered their plan. Unity Kinkaid should have been the vortex for the current era. Desire took advantage of Morpheus' imprisonment and fathered a child with her, knowing that it would become the vortex, and that Dream would be forced to kill her. Should he have spilled family blood, consequences would've ensued. Dream reminded Desire that they were the servants of the living, not their masters. They did not manipulate humanity; if anything, humanity manipulated them. Should Desire ever make another play against Dream again, he threatened to deal with them accordingly. However, Desire didn't appear fearful.

Family Reunion

Desire is spotted in an art gallery and begins damaging one of the exhibits by drawing a portrait of themself with lipstick. There, Destiny summons them to an Endless family reunion, and Desire agrees to attend, but not without sparking an orgy in the middle of the gallery. Upon arriving in the Garden of Forking Ways, Death complains that Destiny "dress code" doesn't apply to Desire, but they retort that Destiny himself had no fashion lessons to give. Once Despair and Delirium arrive, Destiny shares the Gray Women's prophecy with his siblings.

Destiny then invites his siblings to "chat among themselves," but Dream refuses to stay, as he was busy rebuilding the Dreaming. Desire offers to influence them to want to stay and even goes so far as to influence two of Delirium's butterflies to rush toward a candle flame, and their souls go to Death. Delirium complains about losing her butterflies, but Dream points out that Desire was only good at "interfering, corrupting, and destroying." In turn, Desire claims that they were no more responsible for Dream's romantic failures than Dream himself, and that they should "thank" them. Dream becomes angry that Desire would ask for "thanks," when they had plotted to have him spill family blood, but Despair silences them both, claiming that the Endless should not fight among themselves. There, Delirium begins to talk about how much she misses Destruction, as they all do, and Desire is surprised that she said something "intelligent" about how much their brother's absence weighs on her. Delirium begins to get angry at the thought of Desire making fun of her, but Destiny calms her down quickly. Desire then suggests they talk about Nada, whom Dream once condemned to eternal Hell because she had renounced their love. Dream threatens to lash out, but Destiny forbids him, and Dream decides to go into seclusion, while Death follows him.

Later, when Dream decides to go to Hell to free Nada, Death warns the other Endless, and Desire begins to mock her "great responsibilities." Death asks Desire how they could push Dream away and be angry that he left at the same time. In turn, Delirium accuses Desire of "always wanting to ruin everything," but Despair argues that they all needed to enjoy the rest of the family reunion while they could, which Death supports.

Searching for Destruction

When Delirium plans to search for Destruction, she first asks Despair for help, who first wants to ask Desire's opinion. However, when Desire immediately refuses, Despair chooses to do the same, prompting Delirium to seek Dream's help.

After a long discussion with Delirium, Dream asks to consult Desire, who claims not to be responsible for Delirium's "ridiculous quest," just as they claim to have nothing to do with Dream's "heartache" caused by Nada. Sensing that Dream doesn't believe them, Desire begins to swear "by their heart and the other side of the sky," but Dream orders them to stop their "acting." Suddenly, Dream begins to wonder if Delirium wasn't right to want to "restore the balance" shattered by Destruction, but Desire guesses that, on the contrary, Dream wants to "use" Delirium to find Nada. Dream admits that the idea hadn't "crossed his mind," but Desire instead advises him to "get rid of Delirium" so that he can continue to feel sorry for himself.

Much later, when Ishtar causes the explosion of her own nightclub, Dream argues that he and Delirium should abandon their quest to find Destruction, but Desire appears and asserts that this would never erase the destruction from their "place of worship". Delirium pleads her and Dream's innocence, while Dream himself suspects Destruction of being the cause, but Désiré refuses to listen to them, just as they both refused to listen to them and Destruction. Desire then leans over Wanda Mannering's corpse, revealing to Delirium that Dream had no intention of finding Destruction, and that, in fact, he was using her to find Nada. Delirium refuses to believe it, but Dream eventually admits that he did "what he did" not because they were "friends," but because they were family "above all else". Furious, Delirium chooses to "cut ties" with all her siblings, just as Destruction had done, and forbids them from summoning her or finding her.

As soon as Delirium leaves, Desire accuses Dream of abusing her "fragility", but Dream warns them not to "lecture" him. There, Desire becomes angry again and accuses Dream of having tried to "lecture" him about Unity Kincaid and/or Rose Walker. They repeat the words they themselves had said about mortals "manipulating" the Endless, and not the other way around, but contradicts them by pointing out that, in this case, it was Dream who had "manipulated" Bernie Capax, Ishtar, and Wanda. Desire then concludes by stating that from that moment on, they were "done" with Dream.

Later, at Wanda's funeral, Death confirms that Desire had warned "the whole family" about what was happening to Delirium. Dream is upset that Desire tried to "snitch" on him, but Death maintains that they were "genuinely" worried about Delirium, like all the other Endless.

Dream's Funeral

Desire attends Dream's funeral with all the other Endless. When Delirium arrives with Barnabas, she and Despair express their disappointment that Destruction is not there. Desire, true to form, adamantly opposes his presence. In turn, Death expresses surprise that Desire came, after spending eons plotting against Dream. Delirium goes so far as to ask if they were happy with the outcome, but Desire, supported by Despair, admits to feeling no satisfaction.

During their eulogy, Désire wants to recall the kind of "toxic" relationship they had with Dream : they even say that they had "never met", even though they were siblings, their lives would only be "sweeter". Desire adds that if Dream only saw them as an "eternal little sibling constantly seeking attention", they saw Dream as an arrogant, moralizing and unbearable big brother. However, in hindsight, Desire realizes that all of Dream's relatives invited to his funeral shared these faults, and yet, they were all together, while Dream was no longer there. Desire concludes that if Dream had been able to count on them to "shelter him from the storm", it would have proven their "equality", and thus, Desire would never have wanted to provoke his anger.

When Despair gives her eulogy and mentions that everyone could "easily forget Dream," just as the previous Despair had been forgotten, Desire listens attentively. However, when it's Delirium's turn, but she doesn't know what to say, Desire wants to mock her, but is stopped in their tracks by Death and Despair.

After the ceremony, Desire is there with the other Endless to welcome Daniel Hall into their family. Desire laughs at how much fun they'll "have in the future," but Delirium accuses them of trying to mock him.

Physical Appearance

Desire is a fair-skinned individual with androgynous features, golden eyes, and short, slick blonde hair. They wear heavy eye makeup, red lipstick, and matching red nail polish. Likewise, Desire is dressed in a mix of men's and women's wear but with low necklines and tight-fitting silhouettes. They accessorize with bold pieces such as feathers, headbands, or large pieces of jewelry.

Desire tends to wear their clothes and makeup as armor for battle rather than simply fashion statements. The second season emphasizes this tendency, featuring far fewer cat suits than elaborately constructed outerwear reminiscent of plate armor in many scenes and a haircut evoking the horsehair crest of an officer's helmet.

Personality

Desire is an entity with a captivating and seductive personality — a born charmer. But beneath this alluring façade lies a far darker nature: calculating, manipulative, cunning, and cruel. Desire thrives on playing with others, molding them to their will, often without them realizing it. Every interaction becomes a game, a challenge, a means of exerting control.

In relation to their brother Dream, Desire harbors a deep and ancient rivalry, rooted in jealousy, resentment, and a peculiar obsession. They provoke him, challenge him, seek to humiliate or lead him to failure. Yet behind this carefully maintained hatred lies a strange, paradoxical attachment. Dream is not merely an enemy — he is a reference point, a structure, a mirror. Without him, Desire lacks a true sense of self. Dream represents the fixed order against which Desire can rebel, define itself, and shine.

So when Dream dies, everything collapses. At his funeral, Desire is seen weeping, broken by genuine emotion. It is not only the loss of a sibling — it is the loss of the game itself, the end of the stage upon which they played their role. What Desire thought they wanted — Morpheus’ downfall — brings no satisfaction. The victory is hollow. Without Dream, only emptiness remains.

Desire’s relationship with the other Endless is equally ambiguous. They despise Despair, whom they frequently manipulate, yet remain toxically bound to her like a faithful shadow. They avoid Death, whose wisdom and compassion irritate them, and scorn Delirium, though they sometimes seem worried for her. They fear Destiny, whose rigid order disrupts their schemes.

But beneath the masks, the arrogance, the provocations — Desire is alone. They are doomed to endlessly want, never to be fulfilled. Everything they acquire quickly loses its flavor. Their need for love is twisted, unspoken, and forever unmet. Desire is the echo of an inner void, the tragic reflection of a heart that only knows how to want — never how to receive.

Powers and Abilities

• Desire Personification: As one of The Endless, Desire is the metaphysical manifestation of desire itself and is afforded immense power due to their role and status in maintaining the universe. As the personification of the state of desire, lust, greed and want, Desire has divine authority and absolute control over desire and is linked to everything related to it. With these powers, they are almost completely omnipotent.
  • Magic: Desire can use magic like the rest of their siblings, all of their spells and enchantments are likely based on the feelings or state of desire.
  • Omnipresence: Due to Desire being the embodiment of want, Desire is present almost everywhere in the cosmos, affording them immense knowledge and information and the ability to come and go to anywhere they wants. Appearing as they please on Earth and in their realm.
  • Desire Manipulation: As the metaphysical manifestation of all desire and want, Desire can freely and subtly influence other beings and entities to serve their own goals. As shown during their meeting with Despair, Desire admitted to have manipulated Roderick Burgess into imprisoning their brother Dream, implying that he may have influenced him into wanting to imprison their sister, Death, which lead to him capturing Dream instead. Desire also admitted to have manipulated both Nada and Dream's romance, hinting that they may have created the attraction that lead to the two becoming romantically involved with each other. Later, Desire showed a less subtle demonstration of their power during the Family Meeting of Destiny, where Desire managed to compel the butterflies conjured by Delirium to fly into candle fire by making them want to go into the candle light like moths.
• Immortality: Desire, like the rest of their family, is immortal and is normally immune to all mortal ailments. And even if should Desire be killed, they will reincarnate in a different aspect of themselves who will inherit their memories, powers and function.

Weaknesses

• Ancient Rules: Despite their great powers, Desire, like the rest of the Endless, is bound to a complex set of rules and customs.
  • One requires them to never spill the blood of family or they are no longer protected as the personification of Desire from other Personifications
  • Another is that they cannot fall in love with a mortal or the mortal's downfall is assured.
  • Desire cannot take a mortal life unless they become a active threat to themselves and their realm.
  • Respect roles and domains. Each Endless embodies a specific concept and must stick to their own domain. Should Desire leave and abandon their role, the aspect of existence supervised by them becomes more random and chaotic, disrupting the cosmic order.

Appearances

Season 1

• Chapter 5: 24/7
• Chapter 6: The Sound of Her Wings
• Chapter 7: The Doll's House
• Chapter 10: Lost Hearts

Season 2

• Chapter 12: Season of Mists
• Chapter 15: Brief Lives
• Chapter 16: The Song of Orpheus
• Chapter 22: A Tale of Graceful Ends

Behind the Scenes

• Desire's blonde, coiffed hair in the series is based loosely on James Dean's iconic locks.
• There has been some criticism of the costuming and especially the hair and makeup choices made for Desire in Season 2. Fans have noted that they have lost much of the ethereal androgyny that Season 1 achieved, opting instead for a more gritty, stark embodiment. Some have critiqued these choices as turning Desire into Lady Gaga; others find the new look disturbingly reminiscent of Marilyn Manson.

Gallery

Promotional Images