What happened to Destruction in The Sandman? Character’s fate, explored

Netflix's The Sandman Season 2 Volume 1 finally concluded Dream's (Tom Sturridge) search for one of his Endless siblings, Destruction/The Prodigal (Barry Sloane), who was living on an uncharted island off the coast of Greece.

Destruction is the Prodigal, one of the seven Endless siblings tasked with the responsibility of destroying lives and universes. However, he was the only being who was too burdened by these responsibilities, which drove him to make a difficult decision and abandon his realm.

In The Sandman, Destruction decides that he can no longer bear the weight and be the destroyer of lives and universes, and abandons his realm with a final farewell to Dream and his other siblings.

As shown in the Volume 1 finale, Destruction is the only Endless being (as of now) to have abandoned his realm and wander off into an uncharted territory, where no mortal or his other siblings could reach him.

More on this in our story.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Sandman Season 2 Volume 1. Reader discretion is advised.

What happened to Destruction in The Sandman?

In The Sandman Season 2, it is shown that three hundred years ago, Destruction abdicated his realm and set out on a different path than the one destined for him. While Dream and Delirium are searching endlessly for their Endless sibling, the former realises that Destruction can only be located with the help of his son Orpheus and with the muse Calliope.

While the estranged father-son duo share a complicated history, it was revealed in The Sandman Season 2 Episode 6 that Destruction was living on a secluded island, next door to Orpheus’ temple. He chose this place because he knew that his siblings would not be able to follow him there, given Dream's complicated history with Orpheus.

After Dream confronted his brother about his decision to abandon his realm, Destruction finally revealed his frustration and the burden of being the destroyer of universes, giving one final advice to his brother:

“Remember that I left. Remember how hard it was for me to leave. But that I did it out of love … For humankind. For this world and all others … Love is the only good reason to do anything.”

How did Destruction's action affect Dream in The Sandman Season 2?

While all the Endless siblings are burdened with their respective responsibilities in The Sandman universe, Destruction was the only one who dared to leave everything and wander off to a place his brother could not follow.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Allan Heinberg broke down Destruction's final decision and what consequences it will have for Dream in the final volume. While his role has also taken a toll on his soul, Dream continues to fulfill his role and disapproves of his brother's decision to abandon his role and realm.

While Destruction was able to 'pursue a life outside of one's calling', Dream has never been able to achieve that, which made him jealous of his brother's decision.

However, Destruction's decision will have a big consequence on Dream's character arc in The Sandman Season 2's final volume, where he will understand the need for change as teased by Allan Heinberg:

''...He understands that the new Dream has to be more human and less Endless in order to serve mankind the right way, in ways that he was not able to. So I think Destruction teaches him that.''

Season 2 Volume 2 arrives on Netflix on July 24, 2025.

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