Pan's Labyrinth, a dark fairytale from Guillermo Del toro, introduced audiences to the faun, which is now an iconic fantasy creature in cinema.

Pan's Labyrinth features a host of colorful creatures, but at the center of this mythical menagerie is the mysterious and iconic faun from which the film takes its name. The mythical half-human beast adorns the promotional material and acts as the catalyst to the protagonist's adventures, but the narrative doesn't reveal much about his backstory. In truth, the conceit behind the faun is both rooted in mythology and derived from director Guillermo del Toro's original creative ideas.

In order to understand the faun in Pan's Labyrinth, it's important to point out that the creature is not, in fact, the same Pan from Greek mythology. In English, French, and German translations of the title, the word "Pan" is used because the name is more familiar to those audiences. However, the original Spanish title, El Laberinto del Fauno, which translates to "The Labyrinth of the Faun," makes it clear that the horned monster is actually a less specific type of creature, and not the same character from the Greek myth.

However, the deity Pan and the faun within the movie do share characteristics with each other. Namely, they are both defined by their connection to nature and the forest, and they are both hybrids of a man and a goat. However, del Toro incorporated his own ideas into the design and personality of the creature, inspired by dreams he had as a child. The director eschewed certain physical and mythological elements of the faun, such as the creature's traditional appearance and its affiliation to sex, so that it behaves more according to its role in the film.

The Faun Creature from Pan's Labyrinth Explained

Del Toro's design strays away from the typical depictions of fauns as creatures split evenly between a human torso and head with goat legs and hooves. Instead, the faun comes across as more monstrous, with man and animal traits mixed together more cohesively. The filmmaker stated that he wanted the creature to come across as both threatening and comforting, frightening yet beautiful. It was also important for del Toro that the faun seemed old and not child-like, a trait common in popular depictions such as the satyrs from Walt Disney's Fantasia. The creature's wooded textures suggest that it is as ancient as the forest it inhabits.

The faun's background story is slightly expanded on in animated comic panels included in the film's home video release. The additional material explains that the creature was the king of the underworld's most loyal servant, and was sent by the ruler to open portals to the mortal realm for the return of his royal daughter, Princess Moanna. Once the faun discovers Ofelia, he assigns her tasks to aid her transition and complete the journey to her former kingdom.

According to del Toro, the faun's morality is intentionally ambiguous, neither good nor bad in order to test Ofelia's trust and obedience. This emphasizes the theme of choice and gives Ofelia more agency in her decisions to follow or defy instructions. Visual motifs connected to the faun such as horns are prevalent throughout the film, especially on doorways, to suggest the overarching presence of the fairytale elements and the authority that the faun embodies. Although the rest of the characters in Pan's Labyrinth exist in the real world, they are all free to follow their own will even when confronted with this authority.

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