Jareth

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Jareth is the villain of Labyrinth. He is the Goblin King, ruling over the creatures that populate the labyrinth and the Goblin City at its center. Jareth is smitten with Sarah, the film's heroine. He grants her wish to have her infant stepbrother Toby taken away from her, but to her horror he intends to turn the baby into a goblin. Sarah's quest to retrieve the baby from Jareth drives the film's story.

The goblins of the labyrinth are loyal to Jareth and seem happy to serve him, but other residents of his kingdom, including Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus, are eager to help Sarah foil his plans for Toby.

Jareth has a few supernatural powers at his disposal, including the ability to alter his form to that of a white owl, the ability to speed up time, and the ability to move the stars or heavens themselves. Jareth has a few musical numbers in the film, including "Magic Dance", "As the World Falls Down", and "Within You".

Jareth Analysis and Popularity

There is much speculation as to Jareth's role in Sarah's life. At the beginning of the film, his image appears as the lover of Sarah's absent (runaway) mother. Jareth may or may not be a figure of Sarah's imagination. A recent theory has surfaced that he may be the embodiment of a young woman's non-acceptance of sexuality, but this is unlikey considering the target audience of the film.

A high level of tension between Sarah and Jareth is maintained throughout the film. It is an element that is more intended for adults than children.

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Jareth is often considered the most popular character of the Labyrinth film. He maintains a strong cult following among children who may have grown up with the film in the 1980's. Websites and Fanfiction still center around him today.

Labyrinth recently saw a resurgance (2005-2006) in merchandise with a release of clothing and various other items from stores like Hot Topic. Most bear Jareth's likeness or a direct quote of his from the movie.