Shrek

Shrek is happy alone until Lord Farquaad dumps every fairy-tale creature in the kingdom on his swamp. To get his land back, he agrees to rescue Princess Fiona from the Dragon's tower and hand her over to the lord.

With Donkey stuck to his side, Shrek pulls it off and falls for Fiona along the way. Overhearing half of a conversation, he thinks she's rejecting him for being an ogre. He comes around in time, crashes the wedding and learns her secret: Fiona is an ogre too. They get married.

Visiting Fiona's parents in Far Far Away goes badly. King Harold won't accept an ogre in the family and, pushed by the Fairy Godmother, even hires Puss in Boots to get rid of his son-in-law. Puss ends up a friend.

Insecure, Shrek drinks a potion that makes him human, thinking that's what Fiona deserves. When she makes it clear she loves the Shrek she married, he chooses to be an ogre again. Before that, he needs Donkey, Puss and a giant gingerbread man to storm the castle and stop Prince Charming from winning Fiona.

When King Harold dies, the crown lands on Shrek. He dodges it by going after Fiona's cousin Artie, and on the way he learns he's going to be a dad, which terrifies him.

The trip teaches Shrek to believe in someone else. He helps Artie find his confidence, and the kid becomes king. Shrek goes home to the swamp with Fiona and their triplets.

Shrek has never celebrated Christmas and promises Fiona and the kids a perfect night, following a how-to book to the letter. His friends barge in with their own traditions, and he blows up and kicks everyone out.

Alone, he realizes he overdid it. He goes after the gang, apologizes, and Christmas ends with everyone together in the swamp.

Years later, Shrek is a celebrity and a worn-out dad. On a bad day he signs Rumpelstiltskin's contract to get one more day as a feared ogre, without reading the fine print.

The deal erases the day he was born. In a world where he never existed, Shrek has to win back Fiona, now leader of the ogres, and earn true love's kiss before the day is over. He does, and returns to his family grateful for what he has.

Shrek first appeared in William Steig's 1990 picture book. Mike Myers voices him in all four movies.