Jareth's kith are said to be fae. He is most likely goblin and Tuatha De Danann. It is rumored that he may also be part spriggan or korrigan, possibly because both of these fae are notorious for stealing human babies. As you will see, there is overwhelming evidence to support Jareth's fae seeming.
The Tuatha De Danann are fae who live in palaces found in an underground world. They have a monarchial society and enjoy feasts, singing and dancing. Jareth's realm is the Underground, where he is the king of the goblins. He joins his subjects in feasting and making merry in the throne room and uses song and dance to entertain the babies he has takes. He also enjoys enchanting the young maidens who challenge him by putting them under a spell and dancing with them. Unfortunately, most young girls do not escape his enchantment. They become trapped forever by his faerie dance and possibly a binding faerie kiss as well.
Jareth's physical resemblance to the fae is striking. Faeries have been described as having fair skin and long, luxuriant hair. Some fae have a human form and can assume an animal form or combine human and animal form. Many times, faeries who can assume human form have a deformity or deficiency of some kind, such as Jareth's mismatched eyes. The absence of wings, except when he is in owl form, is not unusual since winged faeries have little foundation in traditional lore. It is not clear if Jareth allows us to see his true form. He could easily be using Glamour, a protective camouflage that the fae use to deceive humans into believing they are dealing with their own kind.
Faeries enjoy many pastimes, such as feasts, festivals, games, singing, dancing and entertainment. Jareth's favorite form of entertainment is watching humans try to solve his Labyrinth. Fae are also well known for stealing human babies, something Jareth does when someone says the right words. Neither he nor other fae see anything wrong with stealing babies. In fact, Jareth does not understand why we find it so detestable that he takes babies when asked to do so.
As for temperament, Jareth shares the fae characteristic of being sensitive to slights. The fae will punish or harm a person who breaks their rules or taboos. Jareth is easily angered when defied or insulted. His favorite forms of punishment include terrorizing his victims with the cleaners or suspending them head first in the Bog of Eternal Stench.
Mortals can be in grave danger if they eat fae food while in the land of the fae, and may never be able to return to their own world. As said before, fae kisses and dancing can be used to keep humans from leaving the fae realm. For example, Jareth gives Sarah a peach, which she eats and then falls under his spell. He dances with her and just before she breaks away he smiles and leans forward as if he intends to kiss her. Fortunately, she manages to pull away from him and break the spell. Humans can protect themselves from faeries by making the sign of the cross or uttering certain incantations. In the end, Sarah defeats Jareth with the words, "you have no power over me" and escapes from the Underground along with her baby brother.
