The Castle at the Center of the Labyrinth



Jareth's Castle, better known as The Castle at the Center of the Labyrinth and The Castle, is a palace at the centre of the Labyrinth, and is the most prominent building within the Goblin City and it is one of the locations featured in the 1986 fantasy movie Labyrinth. The castle is occupied by Jareth the Goblin King whom the castle itself is home to, as well as a large number of his Goblin subjects who largely appear to be resident in the throne room. Found in Goblin City, the castle stands over all the surrounding lands, and can be seen from all over the Labyrinth. Though he typically does so through the use of the crystals, Jareth is seen on occasion sitting on a window ledge, or standing out on a balcony, looking out over his subjects.

Jareth keeps infants who are wished away to the goblins with him in the castle. While Sarah Williams is running the Labyrinth to save her brother Toby, Jareth keeps the baby him with him in the throne room. Though he brought Toby to his castle as his prisoner with the intentions of raising the child as his own. Treated as an heir to the throne, Toby is cared for here by Jareth and the Goblins.

Various sections of the castle include the throne room, where the Goblin King spends much of his time, normally surrounded by his goblin subjects and the Illusionary Maze.

The film only shows three parts of the castle, namely the entrance hall, the throne room and the Escher Room. The manga sequel "Return to Labyrinth" to the film explores more of the castle, including Jareth's bedroom, a dining hall and a mysterious locked room in one of the castle's towers.

Entrance Hall
The Entrance Hall is the first room entered upon going through the main entrance to the castle. It is a high walled, stone corridor, hung with candelabras and torches fitted into the walls.

Throne Room
The Throne Room is one of the most prominent rooms in the castle, and is frequently returned to throughout the film. It is a large room with a high roof, and its walls are decorated with large stone Goblin heads. It features several free-standing torches, as well as many other candles and torches kept in brackets on the walls. Jareth's large throne is found towards the back of the throne room, and is backed by a large, curving bone hung with dully coloured drapes. A shallow pit is in the middle of the room, and is utilized as a sort of play-pen for infants when a runner is in the Labyrinth. Generally, the throne room is cluttered and in a state of complete disarray.

As well as Jareth, dozens of goblins and various other animals (most prominently chickens) occupy the Throne Room. The goblins are generally shown to idly sit around, joking with one another and waiting on Jareth. Many of them are shown to be drunk, and one goblin in particular is shown to spend most of his time lying flat on his back beneath the leaking tap of a beer barrel.

Escher Room
The Escher Room (also known as Illusionary Maze) is a vast, illusonary chamber filled with stairways that Sarah enters after running through the corridor that leads off the throne room. The room is based off M.C. Escher's Relativity, a print of which can be seen in Sarah's room.

As the stairways in the room lead in every direction, the room completely disorientates anyone who enters it. There is no clear light source in the room, and nor is there any gravity as Jareth, Sarah and Toby are all shown to move across vertical stairways and ledges with ease.

In Return to Labyrinth Vol. I, the now teenage Toby has to travel through the Escher Room to reach the grand ball being held by Jareth in his honour. Travelling through it exhausts Toby, and he finally manages to find his way out after hours spent searching for an exit.

Jareth's Bedroom
Jareth's Bedroom is seen in flashback at the start of Return to Labyrinth Vol. II, and the fact it is shown is interesting in that its existence indicates that Jareth needs to sleep. The decor resembles that of the throne room, and Jareth's bed is backed by a large pair of horns that support an elaborate headboard. As with most other rooms in the castle, it has a high roof and features stone sculptures of goblins. The room features very large windows, and is entered through a set of elaborate double doors.

Dining Room
The Dining Room in the castle is a large room, and its centrepiece is a long oblong table. Jareth is shown eating here alone, although the table is set for two people. A large candelabra is in the middle of the table.

Ballroom
The Ballroom is one of the largest rooms seen in the castle and is distinct from the ballroom Sarah and Jareth dance in in the film, which is far more intimate and enclosed. The ballroom in the castle features a grand staircase and multiple balconies, as well as a band area. The room is decorated with drapes and candelabras, and has a large dance floor that can easily host dozens of guests.

Masquerade Ball
The Masquerade Ball, an extravagant and grand costume party within the ballroom, occurs during Sarah Williams's dream sequence while Jareth sings "As the World Falls Down".

Sarah wanders the ballroom, as if in a trance. The entire choreography of the scene was designed to have a dreamy, trance-like quality. The guests dance, laughing, having a good time. In the scene, Sarah seems uncomfortable around the others, until the Goblin King arrives. The two dance together until Sarah begins to realize what is going on. She flees from the guests. She breaks out of the dream, and when she does, the entire sequence visibly begins to break down. The guests fall over or fly to the ceiling and the wind blows hard through the room.

Moppet's Room
Moppet's Room is a locked chamber found in a tower of the castle, and was her home for many years after Jareth first collected her from Mizumi. The canopy bed in the room is garlanded with flowers, and the room appears to be comfortable with a rug and pretty, curtained windows. The room features a large wardrobe full of dresses that Moppet wore during her imprisonment, as well as a music box that plays a tune (the song "As The World Falls Down") that stirs Moppet's memories of her past. Despite its pleasant appearance, the room is a prison. It is always locked, and its windows are barred.