Poor Gurgi...
There is some controversy about this movie's dark nature. Despite it being a PG-rated movie, it's pretty dark and edgy. There are plenty of tearjerking and heartbreaking moments.- Princess Eilonwy demands respect from Taran after they escape and he comments that girls wouldn't know anything about swords. Upset, she runs off and cries while leaning against a tree. When he goes to apologize to her, she forgives him and treats him with respect in return.
- As Taran says that without his sword he's nothing, Eilonwy takes him aside and says this.Eilonwy: Look, you are somebody. You must believe in yourself. ...I believe in you.
- Upon witnessing the Horned King using the Black Cauldron to create the Cauldron-Born, Taran, Eilonwy, and Fflewddur Fflam (all tied up) fall into despair knowing that they will fall victim to the undead soldiers later on; even Fflewddur sadly states that he was better off being turned into a frog by the witches instead of witnessing the Horned King's triumph.
- Eilonwy: Oh, Taran.... I'm afraid it will soon be over for us.
Taran: I..... I hadn't planned to end like this, Eilonwy.
Fflewddur: Ohhh..... I wish I stayed a toad.
- Gurgi's death. While he comes back, he was dead and it required great magic and Swiss-Army Tears to revive him—if the witches hadn't been forced to 'pay' for the cauldron's return, he would've stayed dead. And the reason he did it was so Taran wouldn't die.
- This line before his sacrifice.Gurgi: Taran has many friends... Gurgi has no friends.
- Following the destruction of the Horned King's castle, Taran sees the depowered Cauldron floating in the water, breaking himself into tears out of complete remorse for his earlier behavior towards Gurgi; he even lampshades to the witches that Gurgi should be considered as the real hero who foiled the Horned King's quest for power, and as a true friend towards Taran and the others.
- This line before his sacrifice.
- After the witches regain the Black Cauldron, Gurgi's body is left where it was, without any sign of life. It makes you think that they used Exact Words and just brought his body back, but not his life.
- Taran cradling Gurgi's dead body and nuzzling into it. This brings him back to life.
- Creeper being choked by the Horned King for any annoyance or setback, while usually Played for Laughs- well, very dark laughs, one instance of his latest failure has the latter beckon him over in order to choke him. The former decided to strangle himself in order to appease his Bad Boss of a superior. The situation echoes a very abusive relationship and a dark parallel to Taran and Gurgi.
