The cult classic fantasy film Labyrinth is filled with memorable characters! Everyone from creepily adorable goblins, to Sarah the teen protagonist, to Jareth the Goblin King played by the late icon David Bowie.
Every character is so colorful and interesting that it's hard for viewers to choose a favorite character. However, with so many memorable characters, many of them amazing Jim Henson Muppet creations, some still stand out more than others.
The Worm
When Sarah is trying to find her way around the castle she encounters The Worm, who tries to constantly invite her in for tea and meet his wife. He also gives Sarah the wrong directions through the hidden openings in the walls.
Even though The Worm only makes one short appearance, he still stands out with his upbeat high-pitched Cockney accent and constant pull for Sarah to come in for tea. Also, the fact that without his misdirection the movie would be much shorter. If Sarah had not listened to The Worm she would have arrived to the castle right away!
The Goblins/The Fireys
The Goblins are mischievous creatures that show up in Sarah's bedroom with Jareth and are the main inhabitants of the Labyrinth. The Fireys are a group of creatures that are obsessed with having a good time and have detachable limbs.
The Goblins and The Fireys are similar due to them both being mischievous groups of inhabitants of the Labyrinth that cause trouble for Sarah. The two groups of creatures also are both featured in standout songs. The Goblins are featured with Jareth in "You Remind Me of The Babe" and The Fireys in "Chilly Down." The Goblins and The Fireys both all have unique creepy cute creature designs.
The Junk Lady
The Junk Lady tried to trick Sarah into staying in a replica of her bedroom with all of her toys and other possessions.
The Junk Lady is so creepy and sinister in such a short amount of time. The way she begins to pile objects on Sarah's back like her own objects is deeply unsettling. It's as though she wants to assimilate Sarah into a junk person herself. The way the Junk Lady is defeated is also very memorable when the replica bedroom falls apart after Sarah declares everything junk.
Merlin/Ambrosius
Merlin is Sarah's dog in the real world and Ambrosius is Sir Didymus's steed and Merlin's counterpart in the labyrinth.
Both as Ambrosius and as Merlin, this sheepdog is adorable. Ambrosius seems to have more common sense than Sir Didymus and runs away from trouble. As far as a non-speaking animal sidekick he is a very memorable one, especially surrounded by plenty of talking creatures!
Sir Didymus
Sir Didymus is a fox-terrier that believes he is a knight. Sarah meets Sir Didymus while he is guarding the Bog of Eternal Stench.
Despite his diminutive size, Sir Didymus is still a very brave and chivalric knight who always looks out for Sarah and the rest of his friends. He is also very polite to Sarah, constantly referring to her as "My Lady." It's also unusual to find a knight character in the form of a small fuzzy animal.
Ludo
Ludo is large but gentle beast that Sarah befriends after finding him being tortured by goblins. He is very sweet and lovable despite his monstrous appearance.
Additionally, Ludo is one of the kindest and gentlest personalities in all of Labyrinth. He is also a very helpful friend to Sarah with his amazing ability to summon rocks.
Hoggle
Hoggle is a dwarf that Sarah meets, starting off in an antagonistic relationship with Sarah that gradually turns into friendship.
Hoggle has one of the most interesting character arcs. He isn't at all sweet and innocent at first. In fact, when Sarah first meets him he is gassing fairies, something that viewers would not expect a heroic character to do at all. He changes the most out of Sarah's friends, standing up to Jareth and rejecting his threats.
Toby
Toby is Sarah's baby half brother, adorably dressed in his red and white striped sleeper, who is kidnaped by Jareth.
Toby is highly memorable for just being an infant! The whole plot hinges on Sarah needing to babysit him and then him being taken by Jareth. Without him, Sarah would still be in her bedroom and would never set off on her journey. He is also iconic sitting on Jareth's lap and crawling during "You Remind Me Of The Babe."
Sarah
Sarah is the main protagonist, a teenage girl who wishes for her baby brother Toby to be taken by The Goblin King and has to take a journey to rescue him.
Sarah has a compelling coming of age arc. She starts off as lost in her daydreams and a bit childish and melodramatic, but then gradually over the course of the movie becomes more mature. She learns about responsibility with rescuing Toby. She also experiences a bit of a teenage sexual awakening in her interactions with Jareth, particularly during the ballroom scene where she is confronted with a much more adult environment - and is seduced by The Goblin King himself. Interestingly, her coming of age story is about growing up while not totally rejecting childish things, which is a unique moral.
Jareth
Jareth, the Goblin King is the main antagonist who kidnaps Toby and sets Sarah off on her adventure in the Labyrinth.
Jareth is by far the most iconic part of the movie. He has a kind of omnipresence, always watching the goings on. He's the villain, but there is a strange romantic melancholy about him. It's apparent that he's in love with Sarah. His character also sings many of the songs, which are (as voiced by the otherworldly Bowie) one of the most memorable parts of the movie.