Ludo: Friend? Supporting Character That Stole Labyrinth Fans' Hearts

One of my all-time favorite movies is probably in the top 5 of most fantasy lovers' lists, and it should be. Notably for the great music and iconic performances from the legendary David Bowie, Labyrinth is a cult classic and one of The Jim Henson Company's Masterpieces.

I'll always hold it fondly in my heart, and Jennifer Connelly's portrayal of Sarah is one that not only brings me a smile but reminds me of the Sarahs in my family and how very close and personal that connection is to my heart. You might say, I was a young Sarah and that I related to her character in so many ways from the moment I first saw the movie in my beloved Aunt Christine's house at the age of five.

All the characters that make up the ensemble of Labyrinth are wonderful, and I will forever hold many of them in my heart. Hoggle, Ambrosius, and Sir Didymus are all beloved pieces of the story and all have a great purpose as supporting characters for Sarah and her journey to find her baby brother, Toby, after the Goblin King, Jareth (David Bowie), kidnaps him, albeit at Sarah's wish.

I have held this movie so fondly in my heart for so long that a couple of years back I went to a Labyrinth Masquerade Ball and it was as lovely as one might dream it could be - I thoroughly enjoyed the event, and would gladly go again. As you can see from the picture I've shared here, I did my best to make myself fit the theme and gave homage to the characters that I have loved all of my life.

However, the point of this article is to highlight a character that stole the show, and entirely unexpectedly, it is Ludo. Ludo is the loveable gigantic beast with reddish fur covering his body who looms at a towering height, and Sarah meets him while traveling through the labyrinth while encountering several guards with odd little toothy-fanged creatures at the tips of spears that repeatedly bite him in various locations while he dangles from a rope. Outraged by this scene, and having the gracious heart that Sarah has (the same heart that got her bitten by faeries at the start of the journey), she races in to stop them, and fortunately for her, Ludo isn't quite the monster that the guards have made him out to be. Frightened, at first, he is puzzled and on the defensive, but Sarah's calming demeanor helps him to understand that she is there to be a friend, and this opens an iconic dialogue that is seared into my mind when Ludo says, “Sarah - friend.”

Jennifer's acting finesse with this scene made it looks so real and believable that the kindness she was meant to convey literally poured forth from her eyes as she looks at Ludo during this moment, and it's a beautiful scene showing that just because something looks big and scary - it doesn't always make it bad, or inherently evil.

This also shows some of Sarah's own character arc growing as she begins the story with a bit of an attitude and some lack of discretion, leading to her brother being taken abruptly simply because his existence is annoying to her. While in her frustration, her lack of maturity leads her to make a rash decision, and that ultimately results in what sends her on this voyage to start with.

So, while Ludo seems like he is only a supporting character in the lightest of senses his existence and placement in Sarah's path while she's going through these evolutionary changes works as a literary device and makes him one of the primary thieves of her story - along with his aloofness, and the added levity he brings - Ludo is a part of Labyrinth who is as unforgettable to the storyline as Chewbacca is to Star Wars, and equally as great.