Shrek Forever After took the title ogre to an alternate timeline and back to his main one, but there’s one thing at the end that still bothers me and Shrek 5 must fix it. Back in 2001, DreamWorks Animation brought Shrek, loosely based on William Steig’s 1990 picture book of the same name. The success of Shrek established DreamWorks Animation as a competitor to Pixar and helped the studio grow, while also spawning a media franchise that currently covers movies, spinoffs, TV shows, a musical, short films, and more.

Shrek introduces the audience to the title ogre (voiced by Mike Myers), who, with the help of his new friend Donkey (Eddie Murphy), rescues Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and breaks her curse, which permanently leaves her as an ogre. The following movies continued the story of Shrek and Fiona along with Donkey and saw them forming a family. The fourth movie, Shrek Forever After, does things differently by introducing Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohm), who takes Shrek into an alternate timeline – and because of that, there’s one part that still bothers me.

Shrek Forever After Brings The Ogres Back For The Dance Party

Shrek Forever After Continued The Dance Party Tradition

At the end of Shrek the Third, Shrek and Fiona became parents to triplets, so Shrek Forever After caught up with them some time later. Shrek and Fiona were doing great with their new responsibilities and activities as parents, but it soon became monotonous for Shrek. Rumpelstiltskin, who was already mad at Shrek as he inadvertently ruined his best deal during the events of the first movie, used Shrek’s boredom and frustration to make a deal with him: a day as a “real ogre” in exchange for a day from his childhood.

What was more shocking about this new reality was that other ogres were still around.

Shrek agreed and was taken into an alternate reality where he got his day as a “real ogre”. However, he soon realized that this reality was completely different and his friends had never met him, he never met Fiona, and she escaped from the castle all by herself. Rumpel later revealed to Shrek that he took the day Shrek was born, which unleashed a chain reaction of events that included Rumpel being the king of Far Far Away. What was more shocking about this new reality was that other ogres were still around.

Fiona became the leader of the ogres, forming a resistance against Rumpel with the purpose of taking the kingdom back. In the third act of Shrek Forever After, Shrek turned himself in and Rumpel had no choice but to grant him a wish, which he used to free the ogres. Shrek managed to get a “true love” kiss from Fiona at the last moment and thus ended his deal with Rumpel, sending him back to his timeline, moments before he met Rumpel.

Shrek Forever After continued the tradition of previous movies and ended with a dance party, and that’s the part that bothers me.

This gave Shrek the chance to change the course of that day and not hurt his marriage and friendships, and he finally appreciated them and their love. Shrek Forever After continued the tradition of previous movies and ended with a dance party, and that’s the part that bothers me. The dance party shows Rumpel in a cage and everyone else celebrating, but the ogres also show up. The ogres shouldn’t appear as Shrek returned to his original timeline and everything before he lost his temper at the party should be intact.

It has been argued by fans of the Shrek movie saga that the dance parties at the end of the movies are non-canon, but there’s one detail in the one in Shrek Forever After that might prove the contrary. It’s during that scene that Rumpel is shown in a cage, and it’s taken as canon that that was his fate. The ogres at the dance party, then, can be considered a plot hole, and it’s one that still bothers me.

Previous Shrek Movies Implied He Was The Last Ogre Alive (Before Meeting Fiona)

The Ogres In Shrek’s Universe Apparently Have A Tragic Story

Shrek established that he was the only ogre around, which is why he lived completely alone in his swamp and had a lot of trouble socializing. Shrek’s line about the world seemingly having a problem with him also hinted at him being rejected by society, which wouldn’t be the case if there were more ogres around. Fiona was the only other ogre Shrek met, which is why the presence of ogres in the alternate timeline raised so many questions.

Shrek Forever After implied that Shrek was somehow responsible for what happened to the ogres as they were all alive and living in a community in the timeline where Shrek was never born. Again, it makes no sense that the ogres show up at the end of Shrek Forever After as they should still be gone (no matter what happened to them), as Shrek’s actions in the alternate timeline weren’t carried into the main one.

Shrek 5 Needs To Solve The Mystery Of The Ogres’ Fate

Shrek 5 Is Currently In Development

After a lot of speculation about it and anticipation, plot details of Shrek 5 are a mystery, but it’s the perfect chance to solve some of the saga’s biggest mysteries. I mostly hope Shrek 5 solves all questions about what happened to the other ogres, no matter how tragic or darkly funny the explanation is.

I suppose Shrek 5 would confirm that the dance party in Shrek Forever After was not canon, but in that case, it would have to answer what happened to Rumpel. Shrek 5 has some key details and mysteries to address, but I really hope it puts an end to all the ogre confusion.