Created by director Jim Henson and writer Dennis Lee, the character was developed by a number of colleagues including screenwriters Laura Phillips and Elaine May as well as executive producer George Lucas.

[11] The protagonist of Labyrinth was, at different stages of its development, going to be a boy,[12] a king whose baby had been put under an enchantment, a princess from a fantasy world, and a young girl from Victorian England.

"[5] According to co-writer Dennis Lee, he and Henson defined two main characteristics for Sarah as being "spunky, feisty, high-spirited" and "very volatile – poised on the brink of womanhood, and capable of trying out very different versions of whom she might be".

[14] Acknowledging that the character cannot experience every aspect of maturity in the course of an evening or an hour-and-a-half movie, Henson said that the film concentrates most of all on Sarah learning to take responsibility for her life as well as for her baby brother she is supervising.

[19] Henson hired Fraggle Rock writer Laura Phillips to rewrite primary screenwriter Terry Jones' script, providing more insight into Sarah's inner life and personal interests.

The list of American auditionees included Jane Krakowski, Mary Stuart Masterson, Yasmine Bleeth, Sarah Jessica Parker, Laura San Giacomo, Laura Dern, Ally Sheedy, Maddie Corman, Kerri Green, Lili Taylor, Mia Sara,[19] Marisa Tomei,[16] Molly Ringwald, Trini Alvarado, Tracey Gold, Claudia Wells, Jill Schoelen, and Danielle von Zerneck.

"[34] Connelly moved to England in February 1985 in advance of Labyrinth's rehearsals,[19] and spent seven months between March and September 1985 making the film at Thorn-EMI Elstree Studios in London.

'"[41] Connelly also enjoyed working alongside her costar David Bowie (Jareth),[46] from whom she learnt "to try many things ... to have fun with [acting], and to get to the point where you know your scene so well, that when you go to the set, you can just run with it, go in all different directions.

Working with the film's hairdressers, Froud eventually devised an "Art Nouveau" style for Connelly's hair with silver leaves and vines entwined at the sides, "something that was connected to nature and yet had a sophistication to it.

Sarah's memory returns when she finds her book "The Labyrinth" and, realising that her belongings are all junk, she resumes her quest to save Toby, reuniting with her friends at the gate to the Goblin City.

Rita Kempley of The Washington Post identified Sarah as "the ingénue, a resourceful young woman with a wonderful imagination, great courage and a healthy case of sibling rivalry".

"[65] Identified by academic T. S. Miller as "the stereotypical dreamer-girl",[55] Sarah has a preoccupation with drama and romantic fairy tales,[66][67] and is prone to playing pretend,[62][68] using fantasy stories as a mental escape from her unhappy home life.

[69] Kelcie Mattson of Bitch Flicks wrote that while the character "boasts a full, varied emotional life" over the course of the film, initially she embodies several negative stereotypes of teenage girls, such as being immature, petulant, selfish and jealous.

[76] Her redemption arc further develops throughout the film;[68] while in the Labyrinth, Sarah exhibits qualities such as compassion, quick-thinking and resoluteness, is "willing to trust others and open to evolution of thought," and overcomes her "pre-judgment, naivety, and her fear of the unknown".

[78] Casey Reiland of Duquesne University wrote that Sarah is "a character who truly depicts the struggle girls are faced with as they grow up" of learning to balance her fantasies with her real life responsibilities.

[96] Critics commonly contrast Sarah's decision and that of the young heroines in traditional fairy tales, such as "Cinderella", "Snow White" and "Sleeping Beauty", who ultimately marry a royal suitor.

[104] Writing for The Black List Blog, Alissa Teige found that Sarah's dedication to rescuing her brother "defines her as a model for bravery, self-reliance and perseverance," and the character's logical problem-solving methods in completing the Labyrinth "shows girls that they can defeat any obstacle, if they put their minds to it".

[117] Rita Rose of The Indianapolis Star opined that because Sarah wishes away her brother, her attempt to get him back is "a heartless endeavor [that] makes it hard for us to care about her journey: Toby, after all, is better off with the jolly goblins than his nasty sister.

"[122] Barry Norman, reviewing Labyrinth for Film '86, felt that Sarah was not entirely believable as "like most American teenagers, she seems too worldly and experienced to have much belief in fairies and goblins",[123] a view also expressed by Ann Totterdell in The Financial Times.

[64][132] Zaki Hasan of Fandor wrote favourably of Sarah as "an intelligent young woman, neither portrayed in stereotypical terms nor baselessly sexualized," who "never loses her agency, even as sinister forces conspire to keep her from her goal.

"[133] Describing the character as a "hormonal hurricane ... bratty and forthright but impossibly likeable", Josh Winning of Total Film wrote, "In-between her numerous rants of "It's not fair!

", Sarah's brash sensibilities mean she's at least clever enough not to act intimidated by the Goblin King even if her insides are shuddering ... Not only that, but she defeats her foe by using her brains, and doesn't rely on Prince Charming to come to her rescue.

[136] Los Angeles Daily News critic Kirk Honeycutt referred to Connelly as "a bland and minimally talented young actress",[137] while Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune dismissed her as "forgettable".

[102] The Hartford Courant's Malcolm L. Johnson praised her as engaging, "pretty, fresh and feisty",[140] while Lucy Choate Eckberg of Winona Daily News opined that Connelly "steals the show in her portrayal of Sarah".

[141] Hailing Connelly as "the most engaging heroine" since Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz and Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet, Associated Press reporter Bob Thomas wrote that she "has such a winning personality that she makes you believe in her plight and in the creatures she encounters".

"[143] Frank Miele of the Daily Inter Lake wrote that Connelly managed to avoid emulating Garland's characterisation of Dorothy Gale to her own character's success, and "makes nary a false move" as Sarah.

[148][152] Emma Islip of Comic Book Resources wrote in 2020, "To this day, viewers are invested in [Sarah's] trial and error coming of age story, personality, and place in the imaginative world.

"[160] Demetria Slyt of the University of North Dakota wrote that Sarah's line, "You have no power over me", in particular "probably has had a huge impact on young women" learning to assert their individual agency as they mature.

[2] While the subplot was left out of the film,[12] various photos of Linda and her co-star love interest (actually Connelly's mother photographed with David Bowie[184]) briefly appear in Sarah's bedroom along with newspaper clippings reporting their "on-off romance".

Her character and story arc is the same as that of the film, while the comic concurrently follows the parallel tale of Maria, another young woman who journeys through the Labyrinth to save a loved one, set several hundred years before Sarah.