The Sandman Season 2, Episode 2, "The Ruler of Hell," explained Lucifer Morningstar's decision to leave Hell, and it makes perfect sense. Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) is one of the main characters of Netflix's fantasy series, alongside Dream (aka Morpheus) and the rest of her Endless siblings. As the charismatic ruler of Hell and a fallen angel, Lucifer is pivotal to Dream's story in The Sandman because both are seen as rivals to each other.
The Sandman Season 2 continues Lucifer Morningstar's story in an unexpected way as the once-leader of Hell is now ready to move on and forge a new path. Things take a turn when Lucifer reveals that their retirement plans require the participation of Dream in Season 2, Episode 2.
Part 1 of the final season of The Sandman on Netflix continues Morpheus' journey as he tries to correct his past mistakes while also bearing a huge responsibility that could make or break him. Tom Sturridge leads the cast of The Sandman alongside Umulisa Gahiga, Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Coleman, Boyd Holdbrook, Razane Jammal, and Donna Preston.
Why Lucifer Leaves Hell In The Sandman Season 2
The Sandman Season 2, Episode 2 explained why Lucifer decided to leave their responsibilities in Hell behind. After summoning Morpheus, Lucifer shared that they had grown tired of the daunting task of keeping Hell in check.
Part of that responsibility is to ensure Hell stays within the boundaries of what Heaven wants it to be, with Lucifer describing the realm as "Heaven's shadow" or "Heaven's dark reflection." As a result of Lucifer's departure, they released all the souls trapped within the realm (which included Dream's love interest, Nada) and chose their next successor.
In a shocking twist, Lucifer entrusted Hell to none other than Morpheus, giving him the burden of leading the realm while also becoming a target for anyone who wants to lord over Hell. Some of the powerful figures who want to take Hell for themselves include Azazel and Merkin, the Norse god Odin (and his two sons Thor and Loki), and the creepy and dangerous group known as Chaos.
Lucifer explained that they chose Morpheus because they knew that it was "too dangerous for them to entrust [Hell] to anyone else." By becoming the leader of Hell, Morpheus now wields more power than any entity in any other realm, but it doesn't help that he has become enemy number one for other powerful beings.
Dream realizes that Lucifer gave him Hell was not a gift. Instead, it was their act of revenge, with Lucifer pointing out that Morpheus' life would not be easy from this point forward.
The Sandman Reveals What's Next for Dream After Becoming Hell's Leader
After he received the key to Hell, Morpheus decided to host a peaceful banquet to determine who would become the next ruler of the realm (simply because he didn't want to be burdened by it).
However, Azazel takes matters into his own hands by threatening Morpheus to give him the key or he will instantly kill Nada.
The Sandman Season 2, Episode 3 revealed that Morpheus had a plan and decided to give the key to Hell to the angels to ensure the realm's safety and security.
While Dream's decision angered Azazel, Morpheus used his Dreaming realm to his advantage, imprisoning the reckless demon and saving Nada (but she ended up abandoning him due to his reckless actions of banishing her to Hell in Season 1).
Morpheus was freed from the dilemma of taking over Hell, but his problems were far from over due to his later actions involving his son, Orpheus, that made him enemy number one for a far more dangerous threat (read more about The Sandman's complex family tree here).
