The Labyrinth would be impossible without David Bowie’s starring role as Jareth, the goblin king. The songs, the style, and the performance are all inimitable Bowie.
Jareth resides in the castle beyond the goblin city and takes Sarah’s baby brother, Toby. His goal is to transform Toby into a goblin: “You have thirteen hours in which to solve the labyrinth, before your baby brother becomes one of us… forever.”
Did the goblin king create all of the goblins in the goblin city, transforming them from babies to goblins with his magic? That would make him some kind of twisted father figure….
His cruelty is obvious, what with the baby kidnapping and all. Jareth harasses Hoggle with continuous Bog of Eternal Stench threats. He abuses his goblin underlings, and is generally a jerk.
But we also love Jareth, because of the singing on the Labyrinth soundtrack, the dancing, and the fact that he is the one with all the magic. Plus, there is a touch of pain and sympathy for Jareth. As he says/sings to Sarah “everything I’ve done I’ve done for you” and “I can’t live within you.” As a fantasy master, Jareth’s very existence depends on Sarah’s fantasy and imagination. His love for her is deep and obsessive – he literally needs her to live. How complex.
The most elaborate egg timer ever
Bowie brings to the character his years of experience of sexualized strutting and the benefit of an amazing soundtrack. Dance Magic, and many others, have aged well, and the vocals are a pure example of 1980s David Bowie.
And those pants. Those are some pants.
"It's very rude to stare!"
#1 by Sparkina on August 5, 2010 - 7:49 pm
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I thought the movie was pure enchantment, and even though there IS more to it than Bowie, in this Bowie-fan’s eyes, it’s 98% about The Gentleman (my code name for David Bowie, cuz he’s such a classy looking fellow!)
#2 by raven on August 20, 2010 - 5:34 am
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I thought the movie was awesome. i am a big fan of david bowie and everything he does. he is the best Goblin King ever and there will never be another on just like him. he has inspidred me so much in this move that now my wall paper on my laptop is him and my room is covered with pics of david.
#3 by JarethFan on November 6, 2010 - 5:54 pm
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He’s uber hot as Jareth. He’s such a handsome dude anyway, but Jareth really played to his interesting features and natural, anti-hero strengths. People talk too much about the pants and the junk. He just looked sleek and cool and dashing in that wardrobe. He did a good job with the role, too (some of that material wasn’t easy), especially since he hardly had film experience at the time.
Sarah’s nuts. If Jareth asked *me* to come away with him, I wouldn’t even give notice at my job !! *Swoon*
#4 by JarethFan on November 11, 2010 - 9:39 pm
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Oh, and I forgot to mention the music, which is the heart of the film. From the first bar of the opening titles, you’re transported to this beautiful fantasy that is Labyrinth. David’s voice – omg… it’s heaven. It truly soars.
The guy is just a feast for any appetite.
#5 by BowieLover on January 19, 2011 - 11:01 am
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I first watched this movie about a week ago, I fell in love with it and Bowie was just perfect for the character. I feel so sorry for Jareth I know hes a bit of a bully but hes just beautiful really and the love he feels for sarah is beautiful too. I have a crush on David bowie and im 15 thats not wrong is it? 😉
#6 by vlad on March 2, 2011 - 7:05 pm
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Jareth has always been my favorite character. I like the idea that there are lands beyond the areas Sarah explores, and that Jareth is an exiled King. Think about it…the Goblin City is pretty crummy. He’s the only non-goblin there, and everything is in ruin or bordering on ruin. He has chickens in his throne room for goodness sake! Maybe he was exiled and then built up the loyalty of the goblins? There’s no basis for that, of course.
#7 by Molly on May 17, 2011 - 5:21 pm
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i got the idea that jareth could want toby as an heir to his throne. think about it: he never smiles around his goblin subjects unless he’s kicking them. but he always smiles around toby, and goes so far as to play with him. he makes sure that toby has bottles on the ready, and says, “I think i’ll call him Jareth. He’s got my eyes.” he is gloating over his recent capture, but he’s also speaking in a fatherly way. think about it.
#8 by Chelsea on June 27, 2011 - 2:45 am
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Oh, those pants.
#9 by giavanna on July 4, 2011 - 7:55 am
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well the things about jareth in this movie labrinth he is creative and he does such amazing songs he a really great acter i wach the movie almost every day thats all i have to say about jareth
#10 by giavanna on July 4, 2011 - 8:04 am
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last night i had a dream about the labrinth i had to go throuhe it and the hole thing in the movie was the same i just love that movie
#11 by giavanna on July 5, 2011 - 11:26 am
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david bowie as jareth i think the movie was amasing david bowie is a creative acter and singer but i think as the goblin king it is really amasing how when david bowie sings within you it is amasing how he goes upsidedown david bowie is my favorite singer and acter
#12 by J3ssika on July 16, 2011 - 2:34 pm
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Oui, oui, oui…those pants, definitely gave me plenty to think about in my teens!! I think that’s where my desire for all things Bowie developed, he just DOES something for me with the outfit & the hair (& the magic too). I love the soundtrack for this movie too, sing along for hours.
#13 by Patricia on October 4, 2011 - 2:27 pm
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It’s comforting to know that after all these years, I’m not the only one still in love with the film and captivated with Jareth.
#14 by Dee on November 3, 2011 - 11:30 am
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I so love the movie, first saw it when I was young around 5 years old and so and watching it over and over until now with my daugther who’s 2 years old. Jareth and Sarah’s romance might have influence me marrying a man 12 years older than me 🙂
#15 by Vienna on December 11, 2011 - 10:12 pm
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Omg, how I so loved , and enjoy( past & present) x 100 lol this movie! All the characters are amazing. Thank goodness for the movie, The Runaways, with Cherie Curry’s character played by Dakota Fanning singing his hypnotic, haunting, soothing, exotic song, ‘Lady Grinning Soul.'( plz listen if you haven’t). I just discovered Ziggy a few months ago by of course the runaways, and since then; i have been hooked. I’m 21yrs old( ppl say I look 13), and I grew up on movies such as The Never ending Story, so to see this movie is a long awaited refresher.( better than tangled in my opinion lol). To be frank, I think Sarah is dumb for what she did, but I think we all would have done what she did. I mean we all want Lancelot to comfort us, but we do at some point or another pass it on to our own Toby’s. I do feel sorry sometimes for Jareth. He seemed hurt, he wanted love.He couldn’t love the goblins, he loved(it seemed) Sarah and Toby.( in his own twisted way) Overall, he was neutral. He just didn’t say, i’m taking you to my castle end of story. no. He gave her 13 hours. He needed her to keep him alive, he needed to live within her, but he can’t love without her heartbeat. I agree with Molly…who did Jareth take the place of, and was Toby going to be the new Heir? It sure wasn’t Hoggle or the goblins. Did Jareth come as a Toby himself, and did he really want to be the Goblin King?…also, whats the signification of the enubla( the place where you put ppl to forget about them)?….Anyway, great movie, great cast! I listen to the soundtrack all day! Bowie is the creme de la creme of a perfect musician/ Actor! Bowie is the man. If a guy said to me looking like Jareth, “Fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave.” I would be his Goblin Queen in a minute, but that can’t happen….only in my dreams!!
#16 by unknown on February 25, 2012 - 6:41 am
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OMG…. i watched the movie a couple days ago.. and now i CAN’T STOP WATCHING IT!! i even downloaded all the songs, and TONS of pics from the movie.. that’s how obsessed i am!!! lol.like the last person to post… “fear me, love me, do as i ask, and i will be your slave….” are you kidding me?? i’d say yes no matter what!!!!(unless jareth was ugly… but thats even an insult to even SAY anything like that.) unfortunatly, i’m only in sarahs position in my dreams.
=….(
#17 by Kaylee on February 25, 2012 - 2:39 pm
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I swear, I have the biggest crush on David Bowie as Jareth. Can’t stand him in anything else, but the character provided me with my first ever crush. I first watched the movie round my grandparents’ house about 10 years ago (possibly 11, I was six at the time) and I made them replay it over and over again. Memories…
#18 by Carnage on March 25, 2012 - 8:33 pm
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I like to believe that all story tellers want there bad guys to look like David. It’s no wonder though, the he plays this character with such mastery and charisma( not to mention that gorgeous face.) 😉
#19 by Geri lea Evans on March 31, 2012 - 11:38 am
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Funny Jareth he is so cute!!!!!!!!
#20 by Jimmy on April 14, 2012 - 2:39 pm
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Jareths purpose for “kidnapping” Toby was to get to Sarah and ALSO to make Toby his heir. Many of you might not know but there is a series of books after the film called “Jim Henson’s Return To Labyrinth” where he tricks Toby into coming back to the labyrinth in order to fix the mess Jareth made of the labyrinth, it also explains Sarah’s reason for finally putting her “labyrinth” book away in the drawer to her vanity at the end of the movie. The books explain almost everything the movie doesnt, so i recommend reading them!!!!
#21 by Leo on April 20, 2012 - 3:40 am
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Bowie is good, but I was more amazed by Jennifer Connelly. I was only 16 when the movie was first released, so for me she was not only incredible beautiful, but it was also clear how much talent she had (even though it wasn’t her first).
I have at least 10 of her movies in my private collection, of which Labyrinth is one of course 🙂
#22 by allison on June 21, 2012 - 2:01 pm
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i LOVE the movie labyrinth!!! i wasn’t even born when the movie came out! lol. david bowie is sooooo awesome in the movie!! i think jennifer connelly has too much emotion, but otherwise perfect!!! she reminds me of how good judy garland was in the wizard of oz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ludo is so adorable it almost made me cry!! and the puppets and puppeteers are sooo good. especially the fire monsters!! did u know that the puppeteer who did the one with the snake eyes is the same one who plays elmo????? hey jimmy, where are those books you were talking about??????
#23 by Bolerame on June 23, 2012 - 10:43 pm
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When the movie first came out, my 7 year old daughter and myself saw and fell in love with it. We probably saw it at the theatre at least 12 times after that. We rented it for another 5 or so times and finally bought it on VHS. We also bought the RECORD sound trax. Now we own it in DVD and Blue Ray. In 2001 we had our second daughter and I have made another fan of Labyrinth out of her. We have probably seen it another 20 times since she was about 5. My favourite part of the movie is when Sarah is transported to the ball. She was so beautiful and Bowie was sooo HOT. :o))
#24 by Tim on June 24, 2012 - 4:14 pm
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I agree with Leo. Jennifer Connelly is amazing. This is the first movie that I saw her in.
#25 by Sarah on June 27, 2014 - 9:05 am
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I WISH I COULD HAVE SEEN THIS ON THE BIG SCREEN
#26 by Johnny Jesus on October 14, 2014 - 8:01 am
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I’d like to lay claim to Jareth myself-but you all seem to think the same way as me, which is fair enough ‘cos goddamn he’s fine & dare I again bring up the imfamous trousers! (I’ve been obsessed for almost 30 years, & interesting what Dee up there said about how it may have influenced her to marry an older man- at 16 or so I got my own goblin king, a bowie-esque older junkie guy & spent quite a while lost down the oubliette myself.) Anyway glad to see the legend lives on, for those whose knowledge of Bowie starts here, or god forbid with his 80’s music in general- the man who sold the world album about his brother Terry’s skitzophrenia is a brilliant shattered mirror, but Ziggy is just legend pure! Love You Jareth, Happy Worshipping my friends x x x x P.S there’s actually a page dedicated to ‘those pants’!!! x x x x
#27 by Linda Fox Blevins on October 17, 2014 - 6:19 pm
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David Bowie first amazed me as Ziggy Stardust and he amazes me in this movie.
#28 by danielle shiflett on November 14, 2014 - 8:29 pm
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dose anyone know when part 2 come out bc i really want to go see it i love the movie and david bowie is so handsome
#29 by Andrew on January 11, 2016 - 8:31 am
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RIP Jareth.
#30 by katherine on December 28, 2016 - 1:54 pm
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I love the it. (but I never got to see the full movie I’ve only seen the ending!) (wish I could have watched it!)
#31 by Vivian on March 18, 2018 - 9:23 pm
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^ Uh, you know you could just watch the movie online? Alternatively, the VHS tapes & DVDs of Labyrinth abound everywhere.