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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shrek3.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:''[[TagLine The wait]] [[{{Pun}} is ogre.]]'']]
3->''"I can't let this happen. I can't! I am the rightful King of Far Far Away. [[WesternAnimation/Shrek2 And I promise you this, Mother...]] I will restore dignity to my throne. And this time, no one will stand in my way."''
4-->-- '''Prince Charming'''
5
6The third installment in the ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' tetralogy, ''Shrek the Third'' was released in 2007 by Creator/DreamWorksAnimation, serving as a direct sequel to ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek 2}}''. This is also marking the first ''Shrek'' film distributed by [[Creator/{{Paramount}} Paramount Pictures]] after DWA's distribution agreements with Paramount. This would be followed by ''WesternAnimation/ShrekForeverAfter'' (2010).
7
8At King Harold's deathbed, he leaves his throne to the ogre couple, Shrek and Fiona. However, Shrek does not want his father-in-law's crown; aside from not willing to give up his beloved swamp, he also doesn't think he's qualified enough to be a king. With his dying breath, Harold mentions the only other available heir to the kingdom of Far Far Away -- Fiona's cousin, Arthur "Artie" Pendragon (Music/JustinTimberlake).
9
10Meanwhile, Prince Charming gathers an elite fighting force of fairy tale villains in order to start a rebellion and take over the kingdom. Seeking revenge on the ogre who ruined his happily ever after, Charming gets his followers to track down Shrek while he imprisons his pregnant wife and her friends.
11----
12!!''Shrek the Third'' contains examples of:
13
14* AbusiveParents: Both Shrek and Artie had abusive fathers and bond with each other because of this. In Artie's case, [[ParentalAbandonment his father dumped him at Worcestershire the first chance he got]] and Artie never saw him again. Shrek's father was worse, being an ogre, as he apparently tried to ''eat'' Shrek when he was a baby.
15* ActionDressRip: Provides the page image; the sequence of the princesses readying their escape.
16* ActionGirl: All of the princesses turn out to be on-par with how much of an action girl Fiona is (and even her older mother). Except for [[spoiler:Rapunzel]].
17* ActorAllusion:
18** Listen to the queen's NonSequiturThud after [[spoiler:she head-butts the wall apart]]. Sound familiar? [[spoiler:It's a bit of "A Spoonful of Sugar" and "My Favorite Things".]]
19** In the Japanese dub, this is not the first time Creator/TesshoGenda (Mabel) has voiced a (very ugly) woman [[Anime/ProjectAko before]].
20* ActuallyPrettyFunny: [[spoiler:The audience and even Charming's minions laugh at him when Shrek roasts him on stage, with the drummer even adding a [[RimShot "ba-dum-tss"]] after Shrek's quip about Charming's bad singing.]]
21* AdiposeRex: Shrek and Fiona during their brief stint as monarchs of Far Far Away.
22* AlmostKiss: Shrek and Fiona attempt to kiss at the beginning of the film but are pulled away by their ridiculously uncomfortable clothes.
23* AllThereInTheManual: [=DVDs=] of the films included a high school yearbook or Worcestershire students. Descriptions from said yearsbook include some [[MythologyGag really obscure references to Arthurian canon]] that [[ParentalBonus most children really wouldn't get]]. Really, [[ViewersAreGeniuses neither will most adults]].
24* AlphaBitch: Guinevere is portrayed as a medieval version of the 2000s-era ValleyGirl.
25* AmbiguouslyGay: Prince Charming again, as a continuation from the previous movie. However, this is ultimately averted with his romance with [[spoiler: Literature/{{Rapunzel}}]], making him simply a case of CampStraight.
26* AlternativeForeignThemeSong: The movie has a different theme song for the Japanese version, called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADg9eY6w9Sk "Love is the Greatest Thing"]] by w inds.
27* ArtEvolution: The film's look is ''way'' more polished than anything DWA had made before (the studio always had some issues with props and "extras" looking "too generic"), putting it almost on par with the aesthetics of Creator/{{Pixar}} films.
28* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Among the things the villains do on their rampage, they loot shops, terrorize citizens, cause general mayhem and destruction and... rip the stamps off of letters before mailing them.
29* BabiesEverAfter: The final scene of the movie is Shrek and Fiona raising their newly born ogre triplets.
30* BadBadActing: Charming's acting comes across as this to the people he's performing to.
31* TheBeastmaster: Snow White’s singing allows her to command birds to attack.
32* BaldOfEvil: [[spoiler: Rapunzel, much to her embarrassment. Let's just say that her "long hair" is, in fact, an elaborate wig.]]
33* {{Bathos}}: King Harold's death is a tragic moment, but there's still a lot of comedic elements present.
34** First of all, there's the whole scene in itself, with the simple fact that ''he's a frog''. And during this whole time, [[MilkingTheGiantCow he gestures with his arms up in the air]] pretty ecstatic for someone who is dying.
35** He has not one, but two fake-out deaths, not only being jokes about how he evades death for the moment, but also from Puss in Boots having to go back and forth between [[HatsOffToTheDead keeping his hat on and taking it off]].
36** During the funeral, not only is the funeral music a ''Franchise/JamesBond'' song, but when Harold's "coffin" is viewed from above after being placed in a pond, it's shown that it is a ''shoe box''.
37* BewitchedAmphibians: In an inversion, King Harold resumes his natural frog shape, and this is the form he dies in.
38* BigShutUp: Charming does this twice to the audience during the show at the end when, thanks to Shrek's insults, they start laughing at him. He first shouts, "Be quiet!", and another jab from Shrek later, he loses it and yells, "ENOUGH!"
39* BirthDeathJuxtaposition: King Harold dies at the beginning of the movie, which kicks off the main plot. Shortly afterward, just as Shrek is departing on the ship to start his quest, Fiona calls out to him to reveal that she's pregnant, and she gives birth to triplets at the end of the movie.
40* BlackComedy:
41** While rehearsing his lines for the scene in his play where he kills Shrek, Charming (who is going to use a real sword to kill Shrek for real) apparently fatally stabs the guy in the Shrek costume. And so he did with the second guy who jumps in after the first was dragged away, without Charming even noticing it.
42** In a throwaway scene, Shrek himself seemingly accidentally kills a man who he's supposed to be knighting. And then accidentally sinks a ship by throwing a bottle at it too hard.
43*** He doesn't just sink it, it somehow accidentally ''catches fire'' as well.
44* BloodySmile: When Shrek, Donkey, Puss In Boots, and Arthur encounter Merlin, he offers them his "rock o gratin", which he eats. He smiles at them while saying "it's organic", showing off his rather bloody teeth.
45* BookEnds:
46** The cardboard tower at Charming's dinner theater gig falls and he goes through the window hole. During his staged (and failed) execution of Shrek, the much larger and heavier prop tower falls and actually crushes him.
47** When we first see Shrek and Fiona, they're asleep and just waking up. At the end, they've just gone to sleep.
48* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: In order to prevent Charming from killing Artie for being Shrek's comrade, Shrek acts like he didn't really care about him and was only using him. As one tie-in book put it, "but a broken heart is better than broken arms and legs".
49* BriefAccentImitation: Artie imitates Shrek's voice ("''You're gonna be king!''") after they're shipwrecked on the beach.
50* BrickJoke: Snow White’s gift to Fiona is one of her seven dwarves to function as a babysitter. Later on, he shows up at the swamp after the kids are born.
51-->''Babysitter:''' Where’s the baby?
52* ButtMonkey: Artie. Even his own father didn't seem to want him.
53* ByWallThatIsHoley: Happens to Prince Charming with one of the props in the play in the opening. [[spoiler:Then [[{{Callback}} almost happens again in the ending]], only that this time, it's implied he didn't have the same luck.]]
54* CallToAgriculture: Hook's plan with planting "beautiful daffodils".
55* CampfireCharacterExploration: Merlin insists Shrek and his friends take "The journey to your soul" before he will help them by looking into the fire and seeing their deepest fears. Artie reveals his father left him at Worcestershire and never returned, thus causing Artie severe self esteem issue. Shrek reveals he too had an abusive father who had tried to eat him as a child.
56* CantSpitItOut: Fiona attempts to tell Shrek she's pregnant while he says goodbye to her before he goes to get Artie. She then is cut off a couple of times by a foghorn before she's finally successful.
57* CardCarryingVillain: Hook admitted that he and the rest of the Fairy Tale villains are (of course) villains right before each and every one of them have a HeelFaceTurn.
58* CatapultNightmare: Shrek does this twice in a row following his nightmare about babies which was layered inside another nightmare where he sees Puss and Donkey's head replaced with the heads of ogre babies.
59* TheCavalry: Just as Charming is about to kill Shrek, Dragon stops him in the nick of time and is accompanied by the fairy tale creatures, Donkey, Puss, and the princesses.
60* CoDragons: Captain Hook and [[spoiler:Rapunzel]] are this to Charming.
61* ConfusingMultipleNegatives: Pinocchio provides several elaborate examples when Prince Charming demands him to tell him Shrek's location since Pinocchio, of course, can't lie without his ever-extending nose giving him away. Pinocchio tries to twist the truth and worm his way out of the interrogation with convoluted excuses. It seems to be working... until eventually, his baffling multi-negatives frustrate the Three Little Pigs so much that one of them accidentally blurts it out.
62* ContinuityNod: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHH3HeTxnWU The Worcestershire school band plays]] "All-Star" at one point, referencing the opening for the first movie.
63* CoolOldLady: Queen Lillian. Bashing a solid brick wall with her head... [[spoiler:twice!]]
64* CruelToBeKind: When Charming finally corners Shrek and Arthur, Shrek berates Arthur and calls him an utter loser. Donkey and Puss both point out that Charming would have murdered Arthur had Shrek not made him look so pitiful.
65* CryIntoChest: When Harold dies, Fiona cries into Shrek's chest. At his funeral, she again cuddles into Shrek's chest, though not crying as much this time.
66* CurseCutShort: As Shrek, Donkey, and Puss leave for Worcestershire Academy to find Arthur "Artie" Pendragon, after Fiona tells Shrek he's going to be a father, Puss states: "And you, my friend, are royally--" '''*loud horn blast*'''
67* CuteApproachesCamera: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] when Puss attempts to use his cute shtick while in Donkey's body.
68* CuttingTheKnot: Donkey, in Puss; body, is trying to cut the glass to [[spoiler: get the Gingerbread Man out.]] However, time is of the essence so Puss, in Donkey's body, rolls his eyes and just uses his hoof to smash the glass.
69* DepravedDwarf: Several of them appear as Charming's minions.
70* DidntSeeThatComing: Shrek said this about, when he was a baby, his father trying to eat him. In hindsight, he says he should have seen it coming because he was bathed in barbecue sauce and put to bed with an apple in his mouth.
71* DinnerTheatre: Charming is reduced to this after his mother's death. He performs for a less than enthusiastic crowd who instead cheer for Shrek (who is supposed to be the villain of his play) and throw a stool at him.
72* DisappearedDad: As mentioned above, Artie's father essentially cast Artie off by dumping him at the Worcestershire school at the first opportunity and never saw Artie again. This is also the only time we ever hear any mention of Shrek's father. We have no idea what happened to him aside from trying to eat his son.
73* DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: Played straight with Shrek in the two EpicFail moments mentioned below.
74* DotingGrandparent: Lillian takes very quickly to [[spoiler: her triplet grandchildren. While playing with her grandson, he throws up on her. She's a little disgusted but then laughs it off, finding him adorable still.]]
75* DotingParent: Despite his fears, Shrek turns out to be a very good and loving father to [[spoiler: his triplets. Fiona as well adores their children.]]
76* DragQueen: Kind of inverted again. Ugly Sister 'Dorris' from ''Shrek 2'' is now one of Fiona's girlfriends but is ''still'' voiced by Creator/LarryKing, and her similarly ugly sister 'Mabel' is voiced by another man, Creator/RegisPhilbin.
77%%* DramaticCurtainToss
78* DreamWithinADream: Shrek's nightmare upon realizing he will become a father. [[spoiler: His first dream consists of him at his swamp, dreaming of having lots of babies. His next one is of Donkey and Puss in Boots having the heads of ogre babies, with Donkey saying "Dada".]]
79* DudeLooksLikeALady:
80** At the beginning of the film during Charming's performance at the dinner theatre, an elderly woman in audience mistakes him for a woman.
81** One of the Three Little Pigs calls Arthur a 'creepy little girl'.
82* EarnYourHappyEnding: The main goal of the fairy tale villains. [[spoiler:They do earn it though, not by achieving petty revenge against their enemies, but rather, by realizing they don't have to give in to the "villain" image the stories made them out to be]].
83* EatDirtCheap: Merlin offers a snack of his rock 'o' granite, which is just crushed rocks in a pan. He proceeds to eat it in front of Shrek and Arthur, saying it's organic while showing his bloody teeth. Shrek then refuses again, sarcastically saying he ate a boulder on the way in
84* EpicFail: Shrek's entire reign as king is filled with failures no matter what he does:
85** He apparently accidentally kills a man he is supposed to be knighting.
86** Shrek sinks a ship he is supposed to be launching by [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength accidentally pushing it away from the dock by leaning against it too hard]], then he throws the bottle at the ship to break it. He throws it so hard, it breaks a hole in the hull, sinking the ship and then somehow causing the sails to burst into flames.
87** The botched royal presentation is what ultimately causes Shrek to quit being king on the spot: he accidentally gives the audience an unpleasant view of his butt being scratched, his belt pops and knocks Donkey out, Fiona slips on the floor, the castle gets set on fire and Shrek gets a table of food dumped in his face.
88* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: The Cyclops has a daughter!
89-->'''Shrek:''' Well, she's... got your eye.\
90'''Cyclops:''' Who would have thought a monster like me deserved something as special as you?
91* EvilIsPetty: During the villains' takeover of Far Far Away, one cyclops proceeds to do the most evil thing he can think of: tearing stamps off of envelopes.
92* ErmineCapeEffect: Parodied. Shrek and Fiona are forced to wear ridiculously confining finery for a ceremonial dinner. Shrek has to get some poor servant to scratch his bum for him...and wouldn't you know it, that's when the curtain is raised. To top it off, the buckle on his belt pops, leading to DisasterDominoes.
93* EtTuBrute: [[spoiler:Rapunzel betrays the Princesses and Fiona due to her crush with Charming, or at least the power being his queen would bring her.]]
94* TheEvilPrince: Prince Charming.
95* ExactWords: This line sums it up:
96-->'''Artie:''' ...the only person standing in your way is you. ''[points at Rumpelstiltskin]''\
97'''Rumpelstiltskin:''' Me?\
98'''Everyone else:''' [[DramaticallyMissingThePoint Get him, lads!]]
99* FauxActionGirl: The Princess Rampage ends with meek surrender at the first sign of non-mook resistance.
100* {{Foreshadowing}}:
101** At the beginning, Prince Charming is performing at the theatre when the cardboard castle comes crashing down, narrowly missing him. And, at the end, [[spoiler: Dragon tips over the castle, this time made of bricks, which lands on Prince Charming, presumably killing him.]]
102** Bird-watchers will be able to anticipate Snow White's intentions for her FriendToAllLivingThings ability when they notice [[spoiler: some of the birds she's calling, as the Evil Tree guards watch in puzzlement, are ''woodpeckers''.]]
103* FreakyFridayFlip: Puss and Donkey, thanks to Merlin's unreliable magic (mainly Puss reluctantly holding Donkey's hoof as the latter was worried), exchange their bodies. [[VoicesAreMental Their voices swap along with them, too.]]
104* FriendToAllLivingThings: Snow White ends up ''weaponizing'' this trope when she calls upon a bunch of cute little animals... and then sics them on the Treeman guards.
105* FreudianSlip: [[spoiler:When Shrek is arguing with Arthur about his becoming a king, Shrek tells him, "We're heading back to Far Far Away whether you like it or not, and you're gonna be a father!"]]
106* GenderedInsult: Shrek compliments Prince Charming on his leotards, then asks "Do they have those in men's sizes?"
107* GenerationalTrauma: It's {{implied}} to be a common custom among new ogre parents to try and toughen up their children from an early age so they can survive -- this is later expanded in the musical. Shrek tells Arthur that his father attempted to eat him as a child. As a consequence, Shrek is terrified to pass the tradition on to his children, and so he flees to search for a successor to Far Away's throne.
108* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: When Charming attacks Far Far Away, Snow White tells everyone to stay calm, then freaks out and screams they're all gonna die, causing Doris to slap sense into her
109* GlassShatteringSound: Charming's singing is so high pitched and horrible, he breaks a man's glass, a woman's opera glasses, and another woman's (presumably glass) pearls.
110* GoOutWithASmile: King Harold when he finally passes.
111* GoryDiscretionShot: During the knighting ceremony, Shrek accidentally brings the sword down on the man he's supposed to be knighting. This isn't shown onscreen so we don't see where the knight was injured, but judging by Shrek and everyone else's reactions, it's not a pretty sight.
112* GoToSleepEnding: [[spoiler:The movie ends with Shrek and Fiona putting their newborn ogre triplets to sleep, then they go to sleep themselves.]]
113* HandBehindHead: Shrek does this in shock after he wakes up from his nightmare and expresses his shock that he's going to be a father.
114* HandOnWomb: Shrek does this to Fiona near the end of the film, indicating a shift from being terrified of fatherhood to actually looking forward to it.
115* HatsOffToTheDead: Zigzagged and PlayedForLaughs. As King Harold drifts in and out of consciousness, Puss In Boots's hat repeatedly goes off his head and back on again. Ultimately played straight when Harold finally croaks.
116* HeelFaceTurn:
117** At some point between films, Doris the Ugly Sister from ''WesternAnimation/Shrek2'' actually turns from a barmaid in a villain's bar to one of Fiona's girlfriends. We don't know how, why or when this happened, just that it's funny because the man in drag is back.
118** [[spoiler:All the villains have one in the end, except for Charming]].
119* HeroWithBadPublicity: Not so much hero, but it is revealed that none of the villains (sans Charming) are actually evil, but they feel they have to be so as that's what's expected of them.
120* HiddenDepths: [[spoiler:All of the villains reveal that they have a secret desire deep inside their hearts other than just being evil.]]
121* HighSchool: Worcestershire in medieval times and within a fairy tale world. It's revealed that Donkey himself went to one, and he was bullied a lot.
122* HisNameIs: Subverted [[spoiler:during the king's death.]] It's Arthur.
123* HippieTeacher: Merlin has some shades of being an InUniverse equivalent to this.
124* HumiliationConga:
125** What Shrek and Fiona have to endure while acting as rulers of Far Far Away.
126** Shrek snarks about Charming's subpar stage performance and singing multiple times, turning the latter into a laughing stock for the audience. [[RageBreakingPoint Charming eventually snaps]] and prepares to kill Shrek.
127* HypocriticalHumor:
128** After Shrek throws Donkey out of his bedroom for bothering him following a botched royal presentation, Puss notes that "some people just don't understand personal boundaries" while getting comfortable on one of Shrek's bed cushions. Cue Shrek dumping the cat on the castle balcony.
129** Lampshaded by Merlin.
130--->'''Artie:''' This is ''lame''.\
131'''Merlin:''' ''[whacks him]'' ''You're'' lame.
132* IJustWantToBeSpecial: This is the main premise of the entire film. Shrek wasn't the only one who felt this way, all the other villains and Prince Charming felt they weren't special because they never recieved a HappilyEverAfter. Arthur wanted to stop being seen a loser. Arthur even tells the villains that deep down, what they really wanted was to stop being seen as villains and losers. [[spoiler:It turns out they were only villains because they gave into what stories made them out to be. Upon realizing this, they have a HeelFaceTurn, and end up getting their happy ending. Prince Charming, however, didn't get what he wanted.]]
133* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Subverted. Charming stabs Shrek with a sword and appears to have succeeded... [[spoiler:except the sword went in between his arm and torso instead]].
134* InconvenientItch: Shrek is trussed up in some very UsefulNotes/LouisXVI-esque [[ImpossiblyTackyClothes clothing]] for a royal appearance, and suddenly develops a horrible itch on his rear. He's having that itch scratched by a servant (he's unable to reach it himself thanks to his ''very'' restrictive getup) when the curtains open, giving the waiting crowd a view they really didn't want. HilarityEnsues when his belt buckle pops off, causing DisasterDominoes.
135* IronicEchoCut: When Shrek and Fiona are interrupted after an emotional exchange between the two, this happens, setting up the main plot of the film.
136-->'''Shrek:''' Well, somebody better be dying!\
137''[cut to King Harold on his deathbed]''\
138'''King Harold:''' I'm dying.
139* TheIrredeemableException: When the villains are about to kill Shrek, [[spoiler:Artie gives them a speech about how they don't have to be evil and can choose to do whatever they want. All of them have a HeelFaceTurn, except for Prince Charming who still tries to attack.]]
140* IrritationNightmare: Shrek's nightmare he has combines this with AnxietyDreams-- it comes from being nervous at the prospect of Fiona being pregnant, but it involves things like babies spitting up a torrent of vomit on him and other gross/annoying things.
141* ItAlwaysRainsAtFunerals: The day of Harold's funeral is accompanied by overcast and begins to rain.
142* ItMakesSenseInContext:
143-->'''Donkey:''' We went to high school, then the boat crashed, and then we got bippidy-boppity-booped by the magic man!
144* IWantGrandkids: Lillian implied her desire for grandchildren in ''WesternAnimation/Shrek2''. She's shown to be very excited when Fiona announces her pregnancy in this film. [[spoiler: She's later seen at the end of the film visiting Shrek and Fiona's swamp, doting on her triplet grandchildren.]]
145* JerkJock: Lancelot and his friends.
146* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Snow White may be kind of mean and catty at times, but she's loyal nonetheless to Princess Fiona and willingly helps her and the rest in the fight against Prince Charming.
147* JerkassHasAPoint: When Artie decides to bail out of being king when the responsibilities of such a job are (inadvertently) revealed to him, one of Shrek's responses is effectively "Back to what, being a loser?". While these were harsh words and in context Shrek is just giving the kid the job so he doesn't have to do it, he isn't exactly wrong that Artie is still giving up a chance of a lifetime in favor of going back to a place where he was so [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer unpopular]] even stereotypical nerds bullied him. It’s worth noting that Artie never does provide a real counterfeit to this claim besides the fact, he simply doesn't want the responsibilities laid on him.
148* KingOnHisDeathbed: Harold has been ill for quite some time when the movie begins and ends up on his deathbed. He leaves the throne to Shrek and Fiona but Shrek does not want to be king and convinces him otherwise. Harold, though confident in Shrek, tells them of Fiona's cousin, the only remaining heir.
149* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: This is the only movie of the series to not begin with a StorybookOpening, not to feature Fiona's human form or Shrek roaring, and not end with a DancePartyEnding.
150* LaserGuidedKarma:[[spoiler: It turns out that Rapunzel's hair is actually a wig, and it falls off after she betrays Fiona and her friends]].
151* LawOfInverseFertility: It is implied in the second film that Shrek very much does not want children. When Fiona brings up the idea of them starting a family, Shrek again shows his fears of parenthood by explaining to Fiona that babies are a lot of work and all he needs is her. He later learns from Fiona that she is pregnant with his children and he starts to panic.
152* LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn: "Just thought I'd help set the mood! You know, for your big heart to heart!"
153* LegionOfDoom: Prince Charming leads one which consists of all the villains from every fairy tale.
154* LongLastingLastWords: Seen when Fiona's father "croaks" in the beginning of the movie.
155* MamaBear: Lillian breaks through two stone prison walls, breaking out her pregnant daughter and friends and they rally to save Shrek from Charming. Fiona can be seen as this too as a reason she flees from Charming's attack is to protect her unborn child. [[spoiler: Or children as unknown to her, she's pregnant with triplets]]
156* NerdyNasalness: Whilst wandering through a medieval high school, Shrek runs into two nerds playing a dungeons and dragons style game. They both have nasally voices.
157* NeverFoundTheBody: After the tower drops on Charming, it's assumed he is dead despite the fact his body is not shown.
158* NeverTrustATrailer: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x3fX6u1Fks One trailer]] features "Story of My Life" by Music/SmashMouth, which doesn't play in the movie itself, nor is it included in the movie's official soundtrack.
159* NewBabyEpisode: The episode has a subplot about Shrek finding out that Fiona is pregnant and worrying about being a dad. At the end, the triplets Fergus, Farkle and Felicia are born.
160* NightmareSequence: Shrek has one after learning that he is to become a father, which becomes a DreamWithinADream.
161* NoBudget: In-universe, the dinner theater production Prince Charming acts in at the beginning of the movie. His steed is a hobby horse, the sound of hoofbeats is produced by clopping two coconut shells together, and the tower holding the princess is a large, flat wooden panel.
162* NonAnswer: Pinocchio gives a series of these involving ConfusingMultipleNegatives when interrogated by Prince Charming in regards to Shrek's whereabouts:
163-->'''Prince Charming:''' You! You can't lie! So tell me puppet: [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Where... is... Shrek?]]\
164'''Pinocchio:''' Uh. Hmm, well, uh, I don't know where he's not.\
165'''Prince Charming:''' You're telling me you don't know where Shrek is?\
166'''Pinocchio:''' It wouldn't be inaccurate to assume that I couldn't exactly not say that it is or isn't almost partially incorrect.\
167'''Prince Charming:''' So you do know where he is!\
168'''Pinocchio:''' On the contrary. I'm possibly more or less not definitely rejecting the idea that in no way with any amount of uncertainty that I undeniably -\
169'''Prince Charming:''' Stop it!\
170'''Pinocchio:''' - do or do not know where he shouldn't probably be, if that indeed wasn't where he isn't. Even if he wasn't at where I knew he was.\
171[Pigs and Gingerbread Man begin singing]\
172'''Pinocchio:''' That'd mean I'd really have to know where he wasn't.
173* NoodleIncident: Perhaps it is best for it to be left unsaid how Donkey could receive wedgies while young, despite clearly being "not a wearer of the underpants".
174** Shrek's relationship with his father. This is the only time he is ever mentioned and all we know is that he tried to eat Shrek as a child.
175* OddballInTheSeries: Downplayed, but it's definitely the most unique installment, such as being the only one not to have a StorybookOpening or a DancePartyEnding.
176* OhCrap: Shrek has this moment when he learns he is going to be a father.
177* OfCorsetsFunny: This happens to Shrek and Fiona at the very beginning of the movie when they act as king and queen, much to their discomfort which also counts as Main/OfCorsetHurts.
178* OverTheShoulderCarry: Dorris briefly carries Sleeping Beauty over her shoulder, when the princesses are escaping the castle.
179* PanFromTheSkyBeginning: Played with. The camera pans down from the boy on the moon in the opening logo, [[LogoJoke which is covered by storm clouds]], dissolving into a stormy sky, which reveals a beam of light. Then it shifts downwards to a forest and descends upon Prince Charming supposedly riding on his valiant steed, until suddenly... The camera slowly zooms out to reveal that he is actually performing in a dinner theatre play with a hobby horse.
180%%* PaperThinDisguise
181* ParentalBonus:
182** The two birds that perch on Snow White's shoulders just before [[spoiler: she sics all the forest animals on the evil trees]]? They're ''woodpeckers''.
183** To get the gag about the frogs singing "Live and Let Die" at the king's funeral, one needs to a) recognize the theme of a [[Film/LiveAndLetDie 1973 James Bond]] film as being a Music/PaulMcCartney song and b) also be aware of [=McCartney=]'s role in the 1984 animated film ''[[ComicStrip/RupertBear Rupert]] and the Frog Song'' (and associated Frog Chorus single). It's not exactly one for the kids.
184* PerilousPlay: Prince Charming re-enacts the play he did at the beginning of the movie, but with higher production values. He intends for it to end with him executing a chained-up Shrek, though the play is quickly derailed by Shrek's heckling.
185* PlotTriggeringDeath: Now that King Harold has passed, Far Far Away needs a new king. With Shrek not being fit for the job, he and his friends heads off to find a relative to Harold who fit better.
186* PokeThePoodle: When the villains attack Far Far Away, there's a montage of them "rearranging" the place. Cut to the cyclops ripping stamps off unsent letters and then cramming them back into the mailbox.
187* PoorPredictableRock: A sponsored commercial for Sierra Mist plays off this trope, having Shrek using paper since he claims Donkey's hoof represents rock.
188* ThePowerOfRock: When Snow White unleashes the power of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song", causing the forest animals to attack the evil trees guarding the city gates.
189* PregnantBadass: Fiona's pregnancy doesn't slow her down in the slightest when [[TheLeader leading]] the princesses and the rest of Shrek's friends in fighting off Charming's coup and rescuing Shrek.
190* PregnantHostage: After Charming's coup, he locks up all the princesses including Fiona who was pregnant at the time with her and Shrek's kids.
191* ProsceniumReveal: The opening sequence begins with Charming supposedly riding his horse triumphantly through a forest... only for the camera to eventually pull back and reveal that he's miming trotting on the stage at a dinner theater, holding a prop horse head, and the trees going by are actually a continuously moving backdrop reel.
192* PsychopathicManChild: Prince Charming had degenerated into this between movies.
193* ReallyFondOfSleeping: Sleeping Beauty. She loves sleeping because she's always very sleepy. She also happens to have narcolepsy.
194* RedemptionDemotion: Dragon. While in the first film she is shown to have defeated many knights, and is barely defeated by Shrek, also [[spoiler:eating Lord Farquaad at the end]], she seems a lot weaker in ''Shrek the Third'', only able to throw one of Prince Charming's mooks away before more of them capture her. They also subdue her easily with spears in the final confrontation.
195* RepeatWhatYouJustSaid: Shrek after Fiona tells him she's pregnant, probably because he was hoping he misheard. He's horrified to learn he heard correctly and that he is going to be a father.
196* RibbonCuttingCeremony: Shrek, performing one of his duties in his day as stand-in king, attempts to christen a newly made ship via the standard shattering of a wine bottle. Unfortunately, he accidentally pushes the ship off (by [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength leaning against it too hard]]) before he can finish the ceremony. Desperate, Shrek ''hurls'' the champagne bottle at the ship, blowing a hole in it and somehow causing it to ''[[EveryCarIsAPinto burst into flames]]'' as it sinks.
197* RunningGag: Prince Charming has a nasty habit of accidentally killing whoever's playing Shrek in his plays or during rehearsals. [[spoiler:He completely fails to kill the ogre himself even after a straight shot with a sword which ends up under his armpit without any harm, which ironically is a common location for actors to "stab" someone onstage with a prop.]]
198* SameSexTriplets: [[spoiler: Fiona gives birth to triplets sometime before the ending. However, while they do have two boys, they also have a girl.]]
199* SelfSoothingSong: Prince Charming is interrogating Shrek's friends about Shrek and Fiona's whereabouts, so he has Captain Hook threaten Gingy with his hook hand. Gingy is frightened by him, and as his life flashes before his eyes, he sings "On the Good Ship Lollipop" to keep himself calm.
200* ShoutOut: [[ShoutOut/{{Shrek}} Shares a page with the rest of the franchise]].
201* ShowSomeLeg: ...by one of the Ugly Sisters. Still works, though.
202* ShortLivedLeadership: As King Harold is on his deathbed, he asks Shrek and Fiona to succeed him in ruling Far Far Away. Shrek's attempt at being the king, however, failed so horribly that before his death King Harold told him of another remaining heir to the throne, Arthur Pendragon. Shrek, knowing he'd make an awful king, immediately agreed to travel to find Arthur. Meanwhile, Prince Charming and his team of villains stormed Far Far Away, taking it over for the time between Shrek's disappearance and the final fight.
203* SickeninglySweethearts: [[spoiler:Rapunzel and Charming, after she betrays the other princesses and it's revealed she is in love with Charming.]]
204* {{Slapstick}}: Fiona, when she was running for queen of Far Far Away, had her nose hairs plucked, a corset tightened on her, and a collar forcibly put on her neck.
205* SleepCute: [[spoiler: The babies at the end. Then Shrek and Fiona themselves.]]
206* SleepsInTheNude: Near the beginning of the movie, Donkey tries to get Shrek out of bed and yanks off the covers, resulting in him ScreamingAtSquick.
207-->'''Donkey:''' You know, you really need to get yourself a pair of jammies!
208* SorryILeftTheBGMOn: Two cases in succession. Merlin's porchlight apparently plays the classic "That's What Friends Are For"; and later on, Shrek and company are attacked by treants while Captain Hook plays mood music on the piano.
209* SoProudOfYou: On his deathbed, Harold tells Shrek that he's proud to call him his son.
210* SoundEffectBleep: Twice: When Fiona is trying to say [[spoiler:she's pregnant]], the ship captain toots an airhorn, when Shrek chucks the horn over the side. A different, much deeper tugboat horn is then used to cover up a vulgarity from Puss.
211* StockAudioClip: Fiona's "Let go of me!" is directly reused from the first film.
212* StockSoundEffect: Baby Kate Cry: In Shrek's nightmare, the ogre baby cries like this after it vomits.
213* StumblingUponTheLostWizard: PlayedForLaughs. Merlin is portrayed as a mentally unstable teacher who was forced to leave the school where he taught, rather than being a wise exile typical of these types of characters.
214* SwallowedAFly: This briefly happens to Charming as the villains fly in on Far Far Away.
215* TeensAreMonsters: The students at Arthur's high school aren't very kind to him, to the point of the students, and even the teachers, rooting on the idea of Shrek eating him.
216* TemptingFate:
217** "Someone better be dying!" [[GilliganCut Cut to]] King Harold on his deathbed.
218** "Better out than in, I always say." Cut to VomitIndiscretionShot of the baby puking heavily on Shrek.
219* ThatPoorCat: Puss does his cat screech when Shrek throws him out to the window.
220* TheTalk: Puss starts to give this to Shrek when the latter says this after waking up from his nightmare: "I can't believe I'm gonna be a father. How did this happen?" Shrek cuts Puss off when he says he knows HOW it happened.
221* ThoseTwoGuys: Puss and Donkey are almost never seen apart in this movie.
222* TooManyBabies: A nightmare of Shrek's. Most likely it symbolizes how overwhelmed Shrek feels about becoming a father, that the responsibility will be like this.
223* TotallyRadical: Taking Donkey's advice, Shrek tries talking street cred to connect with Artie. However, [[NoSell it doesn't even work]], not to mention it was pretty stereotypical.
224* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The princess' action scene was shown in the trailers in almost its entirety. See FauxActionGirl for the only thing they left out.
225* UncertainDoom: It's never stated for certain whether Charming did in fact die. It's assumed he did when Dragon pushed the tower onto him, but it is left ambiguous.
226* UnfitForGreatness: On top of not wanting to leave behind his beloved swamp, Shrek deems himself unworthy of succeeding the dying King Harold as he feels that an ogre like himself isn't royalty material.
227* VerbalBackspace: Shrek does this to cover up a FreudianSlip when speaking to Artie: [[spoiler:"And you're gonna be a father!"]] When Donkey tells him what he just said, he tries to cover up his mistake by saying, "I said king! You're gonna be king!"
228* VomitIndiscretionShot: In Shrek’s nightmare, the baby vomits profusely on Shrek.
229* WackyCravings: When Rapunzel asks Fiona if she's had any cravings yet, she says no while she is seen eating cake and then asking if anyone smells ham.
230* WaveOfBabies: The inevitable extension of the TooManyBabies example.
231* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: When Shrek, Donkey and Puss begin their voyage, they are accompanied by the ship's unnamed captain. After Shrek accidentally crashes the ship onto Merlin's island, the captain is last heard shouting "Land ho!" offscreen, and is not seen or mentioned again for the rest of the movie.
232* WokenUpAtAnUngodlyHour: Shrek and Fiona are visiting her parents when they're woken up in the middle of the night by a palace servant. A very aggravated and tired Shrek growls, "Well, somebody had better be dying!" Unfortunately, the next scene reminds him to BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor, because that's exactly why they've been summoned.
233* TheWorfEffect: Dragon. That weighted chain-net clearly had her name on it.
234* WouldHurtAChild: Charming has the Dronkies locked up in a zoo to be ridiculed as freaks. Also since he intended to hurt Fiona (who was pregnant at the time, though he may or may not have been aware of this) it would count as hurting her and Shrek's unborn children.
235* YankTheDogsChain:
236** Justified due to being a NightmareSequence. The boat Shrek, Donkey and Puss are taking to find Arthur seems to crash at Shrek's swamp, much to his joy, but after he is lured into the swamp by Fiona's voice, things take a turn for the worse when it turns out to be filled with TooManyBabies.
237** Also in the beginning with Charming. You can see he's fallen very low since the death of his mother, working as an actor for a dinner theater with no one taking an interest in his performance. Even worse is when they start cheering when an actor dressed as Shrek (who's supposed to be the villain in his play) comes on stage.
238* YouAreFat: Puss calls Donkey a "bloated roadside piñata" when they [[FreakyFridayFlip swap bodies]].
239* YourCostumeNeedsWork: Shrek passing for a mascot at Arthur's high school [[spoiler:gets spun into a ChekhovsGun.]]

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