#Jareth the Goblin King

[greentricksterslibrary]

Except that's not quite true now, is it? Because Sarah herself admits, "I do need you. Sometimes, for no reason at all, I do need you. All of you."

And no, he's not at the party, he's not directly in the final scene... but the owl, the owl that flew in the window and became him at the beginning of the movie is there, watching this happen in the tree outside before he flies away. Because she doesn't need him now, but, by her own words, she will. Someday. And she will grow and change, and maybe he won't grow the way she does, maybe he can't do that, but, more importantly, her knowledge of herself and what she wants of him will grow clearer.

He isn't what she actually wants now, because she herself, as mentioned above, didn't know what she wanted until she was in the thick of things.

So no, he didn't get his happy ending this time. But room has been left for a next time. And, until then, he is free to fly.

Here's the thing about Jareth from Labyrinth right?

He's made up.

That's not necessarily the same thing as not REAL. But he, just like all her friends who show up in her room before her adventure as toys and figurines, exist in relation to her, in response to what she wanted and needed. She told the story and there he was, there he always had been. But she's a teenage girl who doesn't know what she wants yet, and Jareth kind of pays the price.

"but the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and had given her certain powers." He's an archetypal oxymoron. He's both the dastardly baby stealing villain and the royal love interest trying to relieve the heroine's suffering, Cinderella style. He's fucked either way by being both. She doesn't know if SHE wants to be the villain or the heroine until he shows up and then she decides on the heroine, so he has to sneer and menace and challenge but it's too late for him!! it's too late, The King Of The Goblins Had Fallen In Love With the Girl, he's Cinderella's prince too and he has to try, he gives her a poofy dress and takes her to fucking goblin prom, sweeps her around the room like a music box with perfect posture and room for Jesus.

But it doesn't work buddy, it can't work. You're just a story for a teen girl to grow up in, and as the villain you have to be defeated. He's so complex because his tropes contradict themselves, and he doesn't understand why he has to lose when he was only doing the job he was given. In his last scene he is pale as death with shadows under his eyes, backing away and begging for his happy ending with nonsense mishmash promises that belong to both halves of him.

"I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me." I'm sure you are, Jareth. No wonder.

[punksleftshoe]

ALRIGHT... HEAR ME OUT....

[saeiken]

watched labyrinth recently and loved it sm

[lilianade-comics]

Fan art of my absolute favorite sparkly 1980s teen girl fantasy movie ✨

[avatarquake]

labyrinthnook:

Jareth at the ball, being accosted by opportunists with mirrors.

[ladyaldhelm]

The Labyrinth (1986)

[littleststarfighter]

It's only forever, not long at all.

I think most people know who this guy is. The wonderful Goblin King, or Sir David to his mates. I've been wanting to draw him for years and finally got round to it ♥

[ranminfan]

I can't stop watching Bowie in the behind the scene of Labyrinth

[brookbee]

Labyrinth (1986) dir. Jim Henson

[freddiefreakedit]

i am honored to have been able to see the costumes from labyrinth in person this weekend! i have more photos from the jim henson exhibit overall im just freaking out about this

[cat-cosplay]

I made this costume because of a friend's cosplay of The Goblin King.

... I post it today because they passed on suddenly, and far too young.

They brought smiles to so many people.

Do the same this week.

Take a moment and make someone feel special. Life doesn't wait.

[batterycityghoul]

DAVID BOWIE as JARETH THE GOBLIN KING in LABYRINTH (1986)

[avatarquake]

labyrinthnook:

Jareth, practicing his fierce stare.

[queer-cosette]

I think the appeal of the male protagonists in things like Heathers and Labyrinth and Lisa Frankenstein is partly because... they take the female characters' emotions seriously. Like I'm not saying that they always make the best decisions about helping, but they take their girls seriously. Veronica is stuck with her image as a vapid party girl when she's slowly beginning to deeply loathe herself and those surrounding her; Sarah has her privacy dismissed by her stepmother simply because she's older than her toddler half-brother and shouldn't want to be selfish for once; Lisa is expected to just stop grieving the deeply traumatic loss of her mother because it's time for her to start playing happy families as a normal sister and daughter. And JD and Jareth and the Creature all listen. JD encourages Veronica to break free from what's expected of her and stands with her when no one else will. Jareth appears and offers to fulfill Sarah's unrealistic fantasies with magic. The Creature devotedly listens to every word Lisa says and protects her from anyone who has hurt her. Yeah, JD kills three people and has Veronica forge fake suicide notes to cover it up, and Jareth kidnaps Toby with the intention of turning him into a goblin, and the Creature goes straight to murder as his method of protection (in particular using methods that might even retraumatise Lisa), but that's all for plot reasons. There wouldn't be a story if there was no conflict. The fantasy is found in the way they listen when no one else will, and how the female protagonists have their negative emotions taken seriously when everyone else dismisses them.

[ariiamgoblin]

Ever since I saw the movie for the 358th time a few months ago and did some loose sketches in the sketchbook I haven't been able to get Jareth out of my head. Actually I haven't been able to get him out of my head since I first saw him when I was ten, but that's another matter.

The thing is, I've been delving into his character background, writing a fic, and I needed to draw him as I imagined him in my mind. I hope you enjoy my interpretation of the Goblin King. Maybe there will be more drawings of him.

Stay safe and drink water little goblins <3

...

Edit: The "shirtless" version with the scars is here

[layrasomething02]

thats how the movie went , i guess