The Last Unicorn

The Hero’s Journey is a story structure in which a hero goes on a quest, makes allies, faces evil, and returns home. Many events in The Last Unicorn follow the structure of the Hero’s Journey, with the titular unicorn playing the role of the hero. The unicorn’s story begins when she overhears two hunters discussing the idea that she is the last unicorn on earth. This serves as a “call to adventure” that heroes experience before setting out on their journey. The unicorn grapples with the idea of leaving her forest to find her people, not entirely believing she is the last of her kind. This is the “refusal of the call” the hero experiences before deciding to adventure. Finally, she leaves her forest, “crossing the threshold” between her ordinary world and the road of adventure.

Along the way, the unicorn meets with mentors, such as the butterfly, who tells her about the Red Bull, and allies, such as Schmendrick and Molly Grue, who aid her in her quest. She eventually winds up in Haggard’s country, which represents the “innermost cave.” This is the setting where the final battle must take place. The unicorn faces a transformation where she becomes human and must overcome both physical and psychological challenges, such as facing the Red Bull and overcoming her mortal mentality. This battle with herself and with the Red Bull is the “supreme ordeal,” and afterwards the unicorn is left forever changed by her journey. She is the only unicorn that understands human emotions like regret. Finally, she faces “the road back” where she must decide if she is going to return to her forest. All these elements of The Last Unicorn remain true to the structure of the Hero’s Journey framework.