It has been more than two decades since the world fell in love with the kind-hearted green ogre named Shrek, but the series remains as great as ever!
The story is set in an imaginary world where humans and ogres coexist. It follows Shrek, the main character, on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona, who later becomes his love interest, and his friendship with a super talkative donkey, followed by the many adventures that go on in the fairytale-like world of the franchise.
The Shrek series was so successful that it can solely be credited for making DreamWorks animation the platform it has become today that has released some of our favorite animated films and franchises like Kung Fu Panda, and Madagascar.
It was also the first computer-animated film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars!
With the first Shrek movie being released in 2001, the franchise is one of the most iconic animations ever! In addition to that, the Shrek series now also holds the record of being the highest-grossing animated series of all time!
With so many great things being associated with the franchise, it is easy to get confused about how many Shrek movies are there as part of the franchise.
But to make things easier for you, we are here to answer the question…
How many Shrek movies are there?
The world of Shrek is so vast that one could easily get lost in it!
From feature films to spin-offs and short films and television specials, there is just so much happening in the universe of Shrek.
Here is an attempt to make it all a bit clear.
Main Films
This section will discuss the main films, which are the feature films focusing on Shrek. We will also get to answer whether there is a fifth Shrek movie?
Shrek – 2001
The first and original Shrek movie was released on 22nd April 2001.
The story of Shrek was loosely based on the works of William Steig. Still, it mainly focuses on the adventures of Shrek, who starts off his journey to reclaim his land by rescuing Princess Fiona from the clutches of an evil dragon and, along the way, becomes friends with a super talkative donkey.
Shrek is a cranky but kind-hearted green ogre who lives a quiet life overrun fairy tale creatures invading and taking over his swamp. He finds out that they have been exiled to the swamp by Lord Farquaad.
Wanting to reclaim his swamp, he reluctantly befriends a talkative donkey, and they head to meet Lord Farquaad, who then demands that they must rescue Princess Fiona, a human, to get back the swamp.
Shrek and Donkey then set off to rescue the princess, who was held captive by a dragon. After a lot of struggle, they manage to escape with Princess Fiona, and along the way, Shrek falls in love with the princess.
He later interrupts her wedding with Lord Farquaad to declare his love, and Shrek and Fiona get married, turning Fiona into an ogre because of a curse placed upon her.
There is also an interesting angle of a love story between the Donkey and the dragon that had captured Fiona.
Shrek 2 – 2004
After the massive popularity of the first movie, the second movie of the series was released in 2004, titled ‘Shrek 2’. It is one of the most popular animated movies and the franchise’s highest-grossing film.
Shrek 2 picked up right from where the first movie left off, with Shrek and Fiona enjoying their honeymoon. Fiona’s parents are later invited to her hometown, whereupon reaching, and her family is shocked to see that they are ogres.
The movie mainly revolves around the disapproval Fiona’s family displays towards Fiona and Shrek as a couple and how they overcome the difficulties created by her family.
A character of Prince Charming also appears in the movie, which is later revealed to be Fiona’s former crush.
Another highlight of Shrek 2 was introducing the character of ‘Puss in boots,’ about whom we shall talk about in a bit.
Shrek The Third – 2007
The third film of the Shrek series, Shrek The Third 2007, focuses on the politics over the throne of King Harold, which is supposed to be inherited by Shrek, much to his dislike.
A plan to make Fiona’s cousin Artie the king is hatched which does not come without complications. Prince Charming is also interested in claiming the throne in this film that ensures proper chaos.
Another essential part of the film is Fiona being pregnant and Shrek’s struggle to be a father. Ogre triplets finally bless the couple at the movie’s end.
Shrek Forever After – 2010
The fourth and, as of now, the latest movie of the series is Shrek forever after, 2010.
The movie starts with Shrek living a happy domestic life with his family, but it is soon revealed that he misses being a ‘real ogre.’ He gets tricked by a dealmaker named Rumpelstiltskin, and Shrek then finds himself in an alternate reality where things are messed up.
The setting of the world is the same, but with erased memories, the characters transform into something and someone completely different.
The entire film is a rewrite of the story in a fascinating way to provide a new perspective.
Towards the end of the film, Shrek manages to come back to the actual world and realizes that he has everything he ever wanted, and the movie ends on a happy note.
Untitled Fifth Shrek Film (TBA)
After the success of Shrek 2, it was revealed that the plot had been divided into five films, leaving the audience anticipating the fifth film.
However, the fourth film’s title, Shrek Forever After, indicated that it might be the last film in the Shrek series. One of the film writers also commented upon how that film had the right ending to Shrek’s journey.
It was only in 2016 that it was confirmed that a fifth Shrek movie would be released, and as of now, the script has been completed. So we can hope to see the movie hit the screens anytime now!
Spin-Offs
There are plenty of other fairy tales and animated characters in the Shrek movies from time to time, be it Peter Pan or Pied Piper.
But the Shrek series has also given birth to new characters that have ventured into adventures of their own, the biggest example being Puss In Boots, which, if you did not know, is a spin-off film of the Shrek series!
Puss in Boots – 2011
This action comedy film follows the adventures of Puss In Boots with the characters of Kitty Softpaws and the mastermind Humpty Dumpty.
In the movie, Puss and his accomplices have to go up against two outlaws named Jack and Jill to attain the magical beans that will get them the greatest fortune: The Golden Goose!
The film is set in a time prior to that of the character’s appearance in Shrek 2.
Puss in Boots 2: The Last Wish- 2022
The second film of this series will tell the character’s story after he has used all his nine lives and is in search of the magical ‘last wish’ that shall restore all of his lives.
The movie will be released in September 2022.
Short Films
Shrek also has several short films in its basket, being a huge franchise!
The list of all short films given below includes films for both the main Shrek series and its spin-offs.
Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party – 2001
Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party is a musical short film included on the home media releases of Shrek.
It has all the characters performing a medley of pop songs and is set in the scene just before Fiona and Shrek leaves for their honeymoon.
Shrek 4 – D – 2003
This was originally a theme park ride that premiered at Universal Studios Florida in 2003.
Right after the end of the first movie, the place takes place, with Lord Farquaad returning to kidnap Fiona.
The short film is Shrek 3-D, Shrek 4D Adventure, Shrek’s Never Seen Before Adventure, and The Ghost of Lord Farquaad.
Far Far Away Idol – 2004
As an extra on the Shrek 2 DVD and VHS, Far Far Away Idol is a short film based on American Idol.
Its guest stars Simon Cowell, who judges a singing competition of the movie’s supporting characters along with Shrek and Fiona as co-judges.
Donkey’s Christmas Shrektacular – 2010
This is another musical short film of the franchise that involves all the characters singing Christmas carols.
Shrek’s Yule Log – 2010
This 30-minute short film was also featured on the Donkey’s Christmas Shrektacular and showed all of the characters of the Shrek Forever After seated in Shrek’s house and preparing for Christmas.
Thriller Night – 2011
Thriller Night is Micheal Jackson’s hit music video ‘Thriller.’
Multiple characters from the series, both dead and alive, appear in the film released on DVD with the television special ‘Scared Shrekless.’
The Pig Who Cried Werewolf – 2011
This is a Halloween short film starring the Three Little Pigs who get into trouble because of a mysterious, spooky new neighbor.
Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos – 2012
This is a CGI animated short film showcasing Puss on a mission to recover a stolen ruby ring from a French thief. The film also features three kittens, ‘the three diablos’ who accompany him on the mission.
Total Films
So, coming back to the question in focus. How many Shrek movies are there?
In a nutshell, a total of 13 Shrek movies are there that have been released, plus 2 unreleased ones.
So, how many Shrek movies are there in total is 15.
Here is a brief breakdown –
- There are 4 main Shrek movies, plus 1 unreleased movie
- There are 2 spin-off Shrek movies, one of which is set to be released soon
- There are 6 Shrek short films based on the main character
- There are 2 more short films based on spin-off characters
In addition to feature films and short films, the Shrek series also includes a couple of television and interactive specials and a television series.
Television and Interactive Specials
The franchise has three television and interactive specials, which are-
Shrek The Halls – 2007
Shrek The Halls is a Christmas-themed television special that premiered on the ABC network.
The premise is set between Shrek The Third and Shrek Forever After and shows Shrek celebrating Christmas with his family for the first time in his life.
Scared Shrekless – 2010
Scared Shrekless is a Halloween themed television special that premiered on the NBC network,
The film is set after Shrek Forever After and involves the characters having a competition of which is the hardest to scare.
Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale – 2017
This is an interactive special that DreamWorks developed. It debuted on Netflix and is its first attempt at an interactive special.
To understand what an interactive special is, check this out.
Television Series
The Shrek series has also enabled the creation of a television series about one of its spin-off characters. The series debuted on Netflix and is titled ‘The Adventures of Puss in Boots.
With so much to its credit, it is pretty understandable how Shrek became one of the most successful and popular series of all time!
The occasional appearances and references of other famous fictional characters in the franchise also add to the experience.
The series has adventure, friendships, and other valuable relationships that one can learn from while enjoying the screenplay. It also easily taps into the different humor of both children and grown-ups, making it an excellent watch for everyone!
And now that we have cleared out exactly how many Shrek movies are there, we would love to know which one was your favorite!
And if you are someone who is yet to begin their journey into the world of Shrek, we have provided the years of the release of the films and specials along with their titles so that you can watch them in the correct order!
I hope you have a great time watching Shrek!
Also, if you have a love for animated movies, here are some suggested reads –
Animated Movies For Kids? These 5 Must-Watch Animated Movies
Last Updated on by Sathi