David Bowie’s character in Labyrinth is the Goblin King Jareth.
Jim Henson’s 1986 fantasy film follows Sarah Williams, a teenager who wishes away her baby half-brother Toby and must cross a dangerous labyrinth to rescue him. Jareth grants the wish, but he gives Sarah only thirteen hours to reach the castle at the center of his realm.
David Bowie played Jareth and wrote and performed several songs for the film, including “Magic Dance,” “As the World Falls Down,” and “Within You.” His musical performance and elaborate costume helped define the character’s otherworldly identity.
Jareth is sometimes casually called “the Goblin King” without his personal name, which can make the answer less obvious. The film never presents him simply as an ordinary human king; he is a fantastical ruler whose powers and motives remain deliberately mysterious.