The Last Unicorn

Upon overhearing two hunters debate whether unicorns exist anymore, a lone unicorn finds herself plagued with doubt. Although she’s never spoken to or seen another unicorn, she’s always believed that they lived elsewhere in the world, an idea that used to bring her peace. Now, she finds herself unable to remain in her home, a lilac wood, without proof that others like her exist in the world—so she sets off on a journey to find them.

Much to the unicorn’s dismay, the humans she encounters don’t see her for what she really is. Instead, they believe her to be an ordinary—albeit beautiful—white mare. Animals, however, are different. Young male deer sheepishly flirt with her, and a butterfly sings songs and recites poems about unicorns when they meet. Excited to be recognized for her true form, the unicorn asks the butterfly where she can find others like her. The butterfly responds with a riddle-like answer about the Red Bull, whom it tells the unicorn she must be brave to find.

Tired from being away from home, which she never leaves, the unicorn later rests in a field and falls asleep. In the night, she is discovered and captured by Mommy Fortuna, an old witch who runs the Midnight Carnival. Unlike other humans, Mommy Fortuna recognizes the unicorn immediately and orders her assistants, Rukh and a magician named Schmendrick, to cage her. Fortunately, Schmendrick sides with the unicorn, promising to be a friend. Although he struggles to perform magic, he assists her in escaping, and the two set off on their journey, with Schmendrick determined to help. He tells her what he knows of the Red Bull and King Haggard, to whom the bull allegedly belongs, though he doesn’t know much.

When the unicorn and Schmendrick journey to the next town, Schmendrick is unexpectedly snatched up by a seven-foot-tall horseman named Jack Jingly, who brings him to his leader, Captain Cully. As the unicorn tries to free Schmendrick, they’re discovered by Cully’s wife, Molly Grue. Molly reacts with anger and sadness, demanding to know why the unicorn has only appeared now. Perplexed, Schmendrick refuses when Molly asks to join them on their journey, but Molly insists.

The trio soon arrives at Hagsgate, a town near King Haggard’s castle. From a townsman named Drinn, they learn that the town is cursed and will only flourish as long as King Haggard is alive and well—but someday, someone from their town will vanquish the king, and the town, too, will suffer. On the way to the castle, the trio encounters the monstrous, all-powerful Red Bull himself. Molly and Schmendrick panic, and even the unicorn wonders if the beast is going to kill her as he ravages the land, sending all of them flying. Not quite certain of what he’s doing, Schmendrick wills his magic to run through him and turns the unicorn to a white-haired human girl.

Although the unicorn is appalled by her new form, the trio continues on to King Haggard’s castle, and they finally meet the king as well as his adopted son, Prince Lír. Both men become deeply interested in the girl, whom Schmendrick claims is his niece, Lady Amalthea. Because of this, King Haggard allows Schmendrick to replace his current royal magician and Molly to live in the castle and work, too. Prince Lír immediately becomes enamored by Lady Amalthea and begins to do all he can to win her over, even ending his betrothal to a princess.

The trio begins to acclimate to their new lives within castle walls. Molly provides encouraging words to Prince Lír, who’s heartbroken that Lady Amalthea remains cold to him, and Lady Amalthea, too, who’s heartbroken at having to live as a human. As time passes, however, things begin to change. Prince Lír and Lady Amalthea begin to spend more time together, but Lady Amalthea begins to forget her life as a unicorn. With no new leads on how to find the Red Bull, Schmendrick feels at a loss for what to do.

One day, Lady Amalthea waits for Prince Lír to return from a quest, gazing upon the sea with King Haggard. Finally, a frustrated King Lear reveals the truth: the Red Bull has imprisoned all the unicorns in the world in the sea at his request, and he knows that Lady Amalthea is after them. Confused, Lady Amalthea responds that she doesn’t understand what he means, and the king accuses her of mocking him and pretending to no longer remember who she is and what she wants. Schmendrick comes to comfort Lady Amalthea and is shocked to see that her face is damp with tears—as a unicorn, she was never one to cry.

With the help of a speaking skull, Schmendrick and Molly finally help Lady Amalthea find the Red Bull. The trio travels through King Haggard’s clock and find themselves in the Red Bull’s lair, alongside Prince Lír, who immediately followed them. Before the final battle with the Red Bull, Schmendrick reveals to Prince Lír who Lady Amalthea really is, and the prince responds that he loves her all the same. However, when Lady Amalthea asks for Schmendrick not to turn her back to a unicorn, Prince Lír responds that that isn’t a fitting end to their story.

When the Red Bull discovers Lady Amalthea and her friends, he’s quick to charge at them, and his presence causes the very ground to shatter. Inspired by how Prince Lír protects Lady Amalthea with his life, Schmendrick unlocks the full extent of his magical powers and turns Lady Amalthea back to a unicorn, though he always doubted that he’d be able to. The Red Bull tramples the brave Prince Lír, and now angered, the unicorn chases him into the sea. The once-imprisoned unicorns free themselves while King Haggard’s castle collapses in the distance.

Touching Prince Lír with her horn, the unicorn brings him back to life. In the aftermath of the encounter with the Red Bull, King Haggard’s henchmen arrive to celebrate their new king, Lír. Grieving the loss of Lady Amalthea and having to say goodbye to the unicorn, Lír tells Schmendrick that he’ll spend the rest of his life chasing her, but Schmendrick reminds Lír that no one, not even King Haggard, could truly own a unicorn.

As Lír accompanies Schmendrick and Molly to the edge of the kingdom, each of them dreams of the unicorn. Eventually, Schmendrick and Molly leave Lír behind to embark on a new journey together, though they immediately run into a princess in need. Schmendrick sends this princess off to find Lír.