rewatched labyrinth for the billionth time the other night, and i’ve got a new headcanon to share
i think at this rate most people in the fandom are aware of all the things in sarah’s room that are related to the journey she’s about to go on in the labyrinth.
the plush firey, her music box, didymus, the maze game, all the books that inspired the story of the movie itself, etc etc. there more than what i have pictured here even
but not everything in her room is there as direct inspiration for her adventure, some things are there just to flesh out the room/show her interests. there’s two things specifically i wanna call out here, a poster for cats and a poster for evita (sorry about the quality, they’re pretty small this was the best i could do for pics)
so we know that she’s not only a theater kid, but specifically an andrew lloyd weber fan. on this watch through though, i realized that there was no poster for phantom of the opera. which is weird because not only is that probably his biggest hit, but it seems right up sarah’s alley. i decided to look up the premiere dates for both phantom and labyrinth and sure enough phantom made its west end debut just a couple months after labyrinth hit theaters
here’s where the headcanon comes in: i think that after her time in the labyrinth, sarah would end up not liking phantom. there’s certain parallels you could draw between her time in the labyrinth and the show (a musically inclined villain with a flair for the dramatic stealing a loved one, said villain being rather obsessed with the heroine and even taking her at one one point, probably other little things i’m not thinking of at the moment)
now do i think that jareth and the phantom (or even the movie labyrinth and the musical phantom of the opera) are actually all that similar? not really, but i think it might feel a little too close for sarah after her time in the labyrinth. luckily for her though, the next year when phantom makes its way to broadway, another show also makes its way there: into the woods
TLDR: sarah’s time in the labyrinth accidentally turns her from an andrew lloyd weber fan into a stephen sondheim fan
(These hcs are slightly centered around Halloween, so sorry if you were looking for something different!)
- There’s a lingering warmth that hangs in the Underground even as the normal world turns bleak and cold. You wonder if it’s like this all year round: if the brick walls that seal you inside the manmade; or fae-made, labyrinth also fend off the crisp chill of the regular autumn air. You can’t bring yourself to ask about it either way. You want to stay wondering: want to enjoy the strange world for what it is instead of wondering why it is. Everything inside the labyrinth seems to be just as you like it. You suppose that’s Jareth’s way of making you want to stick around.
- Nevertheless, you’ll occasionally find that the air grows colder right before Jareth arrives or when you find yourself straying too far from his side. The pleased smile that flits across his lips when you gravitate towards him and his body heat is evidence enough that he has some kind of hand in the changing of the winds. He likes you close, nearly shoulder to shoulder or chest to chest. You’ve found that lingering out of his reach proves troublesome in more ways than one….
- Different creatures surface during the changing of the seasons: some emerge from their dens, some retreat away, some grow thicker fur, and some simply grow more ravenous; their new attitudes rendering them unrecognizable from their summery counterparts. Areas of the labyrinth change as well. Leaves fall, as do trees and seeds and rocks, holes and burrows get dug, landslides crumble, things break apart. The labyrinth is perilous on a good day, it grows even more dangerous during seasons of uncertainty.
- Though with it's danger comes an even greater beauty, one that has you pleading with Jareth to escort you around the Underground whenever you have the chance. The two of you go for walks around the kingdom nearly every day, watching the leaves change color and the autumn harvest gradually rise from the earth. When Jareth is too busy to accompany you, he makes sure that one or more of his subjects are around to keep an eye on you, making sure that you're safe wherever you decide to go.
- The Underground is bathed in an orange glow during the in-betweens of day and night. Everything sparkles and shines in the fading sun, and the smell of smoke and spices pour out of the stone chimneys found around Goblin city and the fires that warm Jareth's castle. The light disappears quicker amongst the stacked houses and thick walls, and though you deny that you're cold, Jareth simply smirks at your stubbornness and throws his cape over your shivering shoulders.
- After long days outside, you get back to the castle and have a hot supper together, basking in the warmth of the fire and the different candles that light the room. Though the goblins aren't the best cooks, Jareth's ensured that they know how to make things that he knows you'll enjoy: warm soups and filling foods that remind you of the things you have back at home. He likes to be close to you when you eat: likes being able to watch you and hear you talk more than you usually do. You lower your guard when you're amongst the normalness and the quiet of the empty dining room, and Jareth likes to see you feeling particularly at home and comfortable.
- There's something about traveling between the real world and the Underground that makes you feel like a kid again, like you're still celebrating Halloween in your youth. Something about it reminds you of how it felt to trick or treat late at night: like you're doing something you're not supposed to with the safety of knowing that you're allowed. It's the nostalgic feeling of still believing in magic, of the world suddenly turning fantastical and whimsical and strange. It's the same giddy emotion you get when watching a seasonal movie, of having your fantasies beautifully fulfilled in full.
- Travelling to the Underground doesn't always make sense. Oftentimes, Jareth will seek you out as the sun begins to set and you'll enter his realm just as it's beginning to rise. Sometimes it's morning or noon when he materializes in your home, and when you arrive at his castle, you're standing under a sky of shimmering stars. It adds to the magic of it, makes it feel even more like a dream.
- Either decorating the castle with the goblins or having Jareth order them around in preparation for your arrival. He's unfamiliar with the traditions of the holiday/season, but he lets you wreak havoc in whatever festive way you'd like. Bring those over there. She wants those strung up. What are you waiting for? He raises a brow at the poor creatures when they look at him in bewilderment, making them hurriedly start doing whatever was asked/commanded of them.
- Whether it includes using his magic or simply using his goblin servants, anything you ask for is yours. Want pumpkins? He'll send his minions out to retrieve some. Want atmospheric weather? He'll conjure it up in a second. He'll go as far as to change entire areas of the labyrinth just to make you happy. Like I said: anything you want is yours.
- Jareth likes to pretend he isn't interested in/is above your childish human traditions, but his curious gaze tends to defy him whenever you busy yourself with an unfamiliar task. He'll watch from the sidelines, glancing away whenever someone looks towards him, pretending he isn't amused/vaguely fascinated by whatever's going on. He thinks it's silly that you insist on cooking things instead of just letting/making the goblins do it, or that you want to rake the leaves and jump into the manmade piles. Though he refuses to do it himself, he grows jealous whenever the goblins agree and make you happy in the process.
- The goblin king can't help but scoff when you fondly tell him about corn mazes in the real world. He jealously brags about his own maze; his labyrinth, and asks if you'd like to give his a try if you like them so much. He doesn't actually expect you to agree, or at least doesn't expect you to be so determined about it. He likely sends his goblins out to tail you and make sure that you're not grievously injured during your little adventure: commanding them to go around the kingdom closing oubliettes, moving rocks, and scaring different beasts away as you cluelessly continue on with your journey....
- In the beginning, he watches you with vague amusement, occasionally appearing and making comments about having déjà vu and things of the sort. He tries to convince you to take a break and spend time with him, growing bored with the whole idea when you refuse and insist that you're going to beat his labyrinth. He might even have his subjects lead you towards shortcuts just so you can finish quicker, letting you brag to him about how easy it was when you make your way inside the castle, letting you feel all accomplished while he tugs you close to him and forces you to make up for lost time.
- Speaking of beasts: though the goblin king is prone to jealousy, he might gift you a creature to keep you company/safe whenever he's not able to spend time with you. It's likely an adorably ugly, furry, and hulking critter that follows after you obediently and lays across your lap to keep you warm. Jareth might pretend that you found the thing all on your own; and you might be convinced due to the slight rivalry that the two of them have going on, but rest assured that there's a reason that the beast suddenly appeared during one of your mini travels.
- Fair warning: teaching goblins how to carve pumpkins is a vaguely terrifying experience. It's like trying to teach a room full of slightly violent preschoolers how to do an activity that's completely foreign to them. They cluelessly try to follow along, hesitating at first and looking to Jareth for permission before hurriedly doing as you say. They get very invested very quickly, however, and you'll soon find yourself in a room full of noisy, excited little creatures.
- Goblins love scary stories. They recount them in gruesome detail whenever you ask them to/mention that it's holiday tradition. Jareth usually sits by your side and grimaces while he listens, his hand on his chin and his eyes flicking over to you, watching you hang on to the storytellers every word. He doesn't understand why you're so enamored with such ugly little tales, but he allows them to be told all the same.
- Some of the goblins would likely ask to do Halloween activities all year round/whenever you come to visit, loving the newfound rituals/games you've introduced them to. You might find that the goblins keep Jack-o'-lantern's on their doorsteps all the way into spring and summer, or that they tell cover their "yards" with hay or "fallen" leaves (leaves they've plucked from trees and forced to shrivel up).
- Receiving whimsical gifts. Your home in the real world is decorated with magical souvenirs, things you tend to keep hidden or dodge questions about whenever company comes over. These gifts tend to defy logic and science, and they make even your boring old bedroom seem fantastical, exciting, and strange.
- Somedays, you like to stay with Jareth in your own world, showing him different Halloween movies and listening to seasonal music. Familiar activities take an interesting turn when you're doing them with a magic wielding goblin kings.
- You explain different holiday traditions to him whenever they come up in conversation, telling him about this and that while he sits and listens patiently. The perfect time to whisk them away, isn't it? He'd said teasingly when you told him about trick or treating, wrapping his arms around you while you tried to glare at and scold him. I suppose you'll just have to spend the night with me to ensure that I don't do anything of the sort.
- Your Halloween desserts are a guilty pleasure of his. He can always find it in himself to excuse the boredom you put him through while waiting for you to be finished whenever you finally reward him with a proud smile and a sweet treat.
- There's likely some kind of portal in your home that allows you to enter into the Underground without Jareth's help. It also allows for the goblins to sneak into your world, happily roaming around your house and wreaking havoc wherever they go. Whether you willingly invite them over or not, you still have fun babysitting the little rascals and getting them to help you with your Autumn-related endeavors; even if they leave you with more of a mess than anything else. Jareth can always right whatever wrongs they commit in a matter of minutes, so you never really have to worry. He also finds it amusingly sweet whenever you plead with him to be merciful with the creatures whenever they decide to pay you a visit without his permission.
- When you find yourself feeling lonely or unable to sleep, you sometimes make your way deeper into the castle and see what the goblins are doing. Sometimes you'll be able to stumble across a makeshift goblin party or decide to make one on your own: convincing the creatures to divvy out some snacks and drinks and play some music or party games. It's chaotic, but it's always fun, and you'll find yourself getting so caught up in it that you don't even notice Jareth standing in the doorway. He'll raise a brow at you when you finally lock eyes, smirking in amusement when you smile at him sheepishly.
"Time for bed, don't you think?" He teases hintingly, leaning against the doorframe as he waits for you to untangle yourself from the party. He's somewhat amused as he leads you back to your room; whether in the castle or back in the real world, and he promises to show you what a real party looks like in the very near future.
- The party in question is a masquerade ball, one that's likely set on the night of Halloween. The entire point of it is to try and top your little goblin get together; an incredibly simple affair, yet the extravagance of it would make one assume that he was trying to outshine an entire royal ball. The dancehall's decorations take on a gothic twist, the room is lit by candelabras and chandeliers, the guests are dressed in gaudy satin and velvet and lace.
- You yourself are dressed indulgently, wearing the gown and the jewelry that Jareth gifted you in anticipation of the holiday event. He spoils you rotten with the outfit: making sure that every hem and stitch is in line with your deepest fantasies. He tries to entice you with promises that you could be wearing similar things everyday if you simply chose to stay with him in the Underground, smiling impishly at you when you fondly tell him to focus on his dancing.
- You spend all night dancing and drinking and laughing with all of the Goblin Kings eccentric party guests. You take it all in until you physically can't anymore, collapsing happily into the cushions of an armchair at the end of the night, resting your feet and catching your breath. Your head is fuzzy as you watch Jareth approach you, fading in and out of view between the vibrant, moving company. He asks if you've had enough for the night, offering you his hand and leading you out of the room, members of the crowd parting for the two of you like the red sea. You feel like a child being carried off to bed, hearing the chorus of voices and laughter grow quieter and quieter as you slink up stone staircases and down long empty hallways.
- You soon find yourself standing at the ledge of his castle, looking out amongst the entirety of his kingdom and his labyrinth, admiring the autumn atmosphere late at night. It's easy to want to stay there forever when you feel like this, to be swayed to agree to be his and his alone. Everything is so beautiful in that moment: perfect beyond compare. When Jareth comes up behind you and embraces you, you feel as though the whole world is embracing you, and without hesitation, you find yourself embracing it back....
{It is then ending of his story, but you turn it into a chapter}
"Give me the child."
"Y/N, beware. I have been generous up 'til now. I can be cruel."
He strolled up to you, straining to show confidence.
"Generous? What have you done that's generous?"
"Everything!" He shouted.
"Everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken. I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time..."
He circled you now, like a vulture. Faster and faster, and your eyes could barely keep track of him.
"I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for 'you'!"
He stops. His cloak like tattered and torn pieces of silk and feathers, whipping in the air like an irritated owls wings.
"I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?"
"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered..." but something was wrong...
He looked like a ghost of his former self....
"I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City..." You knew how this ended...
"For my will is as strong as yours, and my--"
"Stop! Wait.. look Y/N, look what I am offering you..... your dreams..."
The crystal ball he held only reflected and magnified what you already knew to be true.
"My kingdom as great..." This is the end for him...
"I ask for so little..." Isn't it?
"Just let me rule you. You can have 'everything' that you want..."
Every-thing?? You look away.
"My kingdom as great... Damn. I can never remember that line..."
That line, that line. It always ends with that line.
"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave!"
Slave. Slave? I don't like that...
You repeat the whole verse in your head, two or three times. It's always this line that bothered you.
Finally, you look up at him.
"You have no power over me."
This is it. This is the end.
He will disappear in a flood of satin, morphing into that well known creature that escapes into the night. Wings beating like a broken heart.
The clock chimed.
..........
He smirks. "No." It was barely a whisper.
He lowered his arm...
"Y/N..." He smiled at you. A look on his face you had never seen. As if he was proud of you. And then his smile slipped into sadness.
The world moved slowly.
But what if it was different?
You grabbed him by the wrist which seemed to startle him.
"Yet, I'll still need you."
He tilted his head to the side, in question.
And you kissed him in response.
A goblin king fell to his knees and was held in the arms of the only one he could not live within...
Time froze. The clock ticked no more and all around was a deafening silence.
The Crystal slipped from Jareths gloved fingers, and smashed into glittering pieces on the cold stone.
if there’s one thing that jareth and hoggle do have in common i think it’s being so used to their desolate lives that they actively push away anyone who tries to help them, despite wanting out, because the idea of being happy is so unfamiliar that it’s frightening to them
Okay, let's just get it out there that I have now officially become Labyrinth trash.
So I have no idea if anyone cares about my opinions or will actually read this post but here's my little shipping rant.
Since joining this fandom (like a week ago lol) I've noticed a lot of people who ship Jareth and Sarah are like 'Hey, I don't care if this is a problematic relationship or not. I ship it.' While I am someone who is most likely going to become a die-hard shipper of this pairing, I just wanna address a few things that allow me to ship this relationship without thinking it unhealthy and become headcanons for me.
I personally think that while Jareth is manipulative to some degree, means well and is only trying to do what he thinks Sarah wants from him. I don't think he has experienced many relationships of any kind so I definitely think the manipulation stems from that aspect. Plus I think its a trait that Sarah can handle. She does not strike me as someone who backs down easily, the obvious example of this is that she beat the labyrinth.
Things are not as they seem in the labyrinth and I think the same goes for Jareth.
"I am growing tired of trying to live up to your expectations." To me, that is blatantly saying that he is trying to play the villain here in accordance with what he thinks are Sarah's wishes.
Further more, I don't think Jareth EVER intends to hurt Sarah or Toby because I think Jareth truely does love Sarah. While he did take Toby to the Underground, I think this again was him trying to live up to what he believed Sarah wanted combined with his position as the Goblin King; there are rules that he must follow no matter the formalities.
All in all, my personal interpretation is that Jareth was always going to let Toby go home to his family, whether Sarah won or not. The way he treats Toby seems way too affectionate for someone who supposedly just wants to add another goblin to his army. If anything, I think Jareth views Toby as a child that he could mold into a prince of sorts and mentor.
But back to my point, it is my personal opinion that all of the escapades through the labyrinth were all Jareth's attempts to persue Sarah. I headcanon Jareth having some sort of personal need to look out for Sarah and keep an eye on her since the time when something happened to her mother. Over time, as she matured, he began to fall for her which brings us back to my position that Jareth never intends to harm Sarah. The labyrinth, in addition to playing to what he believes Sarah wants and being part of a requirement of the Goblin King position, also acts as a test to see if she's matured enough for her to truely become his queen.
I headcanon that Jareth believed he could get Sarah to stay with him and become his queen if he were to let Toby return.
I honestly think Jareth is just extremely lonely in a land with little to no other fae, lovesick over Sarah, and truly is just doing what he thinks is the best decision due to his lack of experience with other people.
Partly, I think one of the reasons why I like this ship is because it reminds me a little bit of two of my favorite romances; Disney's Beauty and the Beast as well as Pride and Prejudice. Belle is strong willed and stubborn just as Sarah is and the Beast is socially immature and has a bit of a temper just like Jareth has. By being with his love, the Beast is able to blossom into someone that we always new he had the potential to be and that is how I view Jareth's relationship with Sarah.
In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth prematurely judges Darcy after witnessing some of his mistakes, his lack of social skill, and accounts of those who are familiar with Darcy. Because Darcy genuinely loves Elizabeth, he sets out to right what he's done to anger her and to give her his point of view of the situations. I think the same thing is true of Sarah and Jareth, we just never were able to see Jareth redeem himself.
Anyways, enough rambling. Congratulations if you've made it this far! You deserve a gold star! 🌟
Sarah's stepmom is not happy either because she can't measure up to Sarah's birth mom. First off, she looks nothing like Sarah's mom. Sarah's mom looked like an older version of Sarah: a glamorous, dreamy figure with long brown hair. Stepmom, with her brittle beauty - short frosted hair, drawn face, frown lines - looks more like a real person than Sarah's mom, the actress. Second, stepmom acts nothing like birth mom. Birth mom loved Merlin the dog [note family photo of Sarah, parents and dog on her mirror], while stepmom won't let him in. In her physical appearance and her character, stepmom is harsher, more realistic and a tougher disciplinarian than birth mom.
Stepmom works hard at being a good mom. She goes out frequently with Sarah's dad [probably not every weekend, as Sarah claims, but often enough to keep the spark alive], but also spends time with her children. Toby's getting along fine, but stepmom worries about Sarah. Is she socially and emotionally on track? Stepmom doubts it: "I'd like it if you had dates at your age" she exclaims to Sarah. Sarah responds by throwing a fit and storming upstairs. While particularly concerned about her stepdaughter, stepmom doesn't know how to communicate with her and tell Sarah that she does, in fact, love her. Stepmom's comment to dad "She treats me like a wicked stepmother in a fairy story no matter what I say" summarizes stepmom's hurt, frustration and probably some of her broken heart that she can't get through to Sarah.
Interesting approach on Karen, Sarah’s stepmother, by this site
Fun fact: Jareth (as all fictional characters) has to perform the events of the film at times. Let's talk about the bubble ballroom...
• You are always invited.
• Yet you are always confused. As confused as Sarah has to become over and over again to re do the story. Jareth makes this happen.
• Your confusion is set up from direction.
• Jareth calls upon his dream goblins to spin you around, turn you the wrong way, similar to Sarah.
• His reason? He doesn't like you having to witness his seduction of her. It upsets him.
• He stares at Sarah in a daze because he really would prefer it to be you.
• He glances over at you to make sure you're distracted, just as much if not more often than he checks on her. She runs the same track every time, she has to.
•When Sarah gets too close to you, he's off on the hunt for her so you two don't run into each other.
•He dances with her, while a distracting goblin dances with you.
•Until Sarah smashes the bubble and throws herself out of the mobile vision that pops into the actual ballroom that is in his castle.
•To which he backs away from the commotion, finds you, and dances with you instead, relishing the glow in your eyes when you realize "you found him".... why else do you think the song goes on?
