“Shrek” Timeline (LONG)
Here is the linear timeline nobody asked for! A cohesive sequence of events from the Shrek franchise, including information from all 4 movies, 3 specials, the Puss in Boots spinoff, and the musical. Complete with researched and assumed anachronistic dates! Let’s get started:
Key: + Musical only ++ “Forever After” AU only * Extra Notes
- December 24, 1026 (+ 1108) Shrek is born*
- 1028 - 1035 Shrek’s father tries to eat him multiple times
- December 24, 1035 (+ 1115) Shrek’s parents send him away + Shrek is burned by an angry mob + + 1115 King Harold and Queen Lillian lock Fiona in a tower +
- + circa. 1098-1100 The pea princess falls in love with Grumpy the dwarf + Grumpy and Princess Pea elope +
- + circa. 1099 - 1103 Farquaad is born to Grumpy and Princess Pea +
- + circa. 1100 - 1105 Princess Pea falls to her death +
- circa. 1100 -1106 Harold the frog falls in love with Princess Lillian - Harold meets the Fairy Godmother - Fairy Godmother helps Harold become human - Harold marries Lillian - Harold promises Fairy Godmother his firstborn*
- circa. 1106 - 1107 Harold becomes king of Far Far Away
- circa. 1106 - 1108 Prince Charming is born to Fairy Godmother*
- 1108 Princess Fiona is born to King Harold and Queen Lillian - Fiona is cursed to turn into an ogress at night*
- circa. 1109 Puss in Boots is born and abandoned in San Ricardo*
- 1115 Harold and Lillian lock Fiona in a dragon-guarded tower - Prince Charming begins training to rescue Princess Fiona
- 1121 Arthur “Artie” Pendragon is born to Uther Pendragon*
- circa. 1123 - 1134 Prince Charming braves blistering winds, scorching deserts, etc. on his quest to rescue Fiona
- circa. 1128 Puss is framed and becomes an outlaw
- + circa. 1127 - 1131 Grumpy kicks Farquaad out of his basement + + Grumpy moves in with 6 other dwarves +
- circa. 1127 - 1134 Farquaad takes control of Duloc* - Puss clears his name in San Ricardo - Puss becomes an ogre slayer
- April 22, 1134 Farquaad persecutes Duloc’s fairytale creatures and banishes them to Shrek’s swamp - Shrek meets Donkey and the others - Farquaad sends Shrek to retrieve Fiona - Dragon falls in love with Donkey
- April 23, 1134 Shrek rescues Fiona - Rumpelstiltskin tries to get Harold and Lillian to sign his contract ++ Rumpelstiltskin kills Harold and Lillian ++ ++ Rumpelstiltskin becomes king of Far Far Away ++
- April 24, 1134 Shrek and Fiona fall in love - Fiona defeats Robin Hood and co. - Donkey discovers Fiona’s curse
- April 25, 1134 Dragon eats Farquaad - Fiona receives true love’s kiss - Shrek marries Fiona, Donkey marries Dragon + Grumpy reunites with Farquaad +
- circa. April 1134 Lord Farquaad’s ghost tries to kill Shrek and marry Fiona (again)
- Farquuad fails and returns to
hellthe underworld - circa. April - May 1134 Shrek and Fiona’s honeymoon - Prince Charming reaches Fiona’s tower
- May 19, 1134 Fiona returns to Far Far Away with Shrek - Harold hires Puss to murder Shrek
- May 20, 1134 Shrek and Donkey befriend Puss - Shrek and Donkey drink the divine beauty potion
- May 21, 1134 Shrek turns human - Fiona rejects Prince Charming - Fairy Godmother dies and Harold becomes a frog - Harold gives Shrek his blessing - Dronkeys are born to Dragon and Donkey
- circa. 1134 - 1136 King Harold falls ill - Fiona and Shrek take over Far Far Away - Artie is sent to Worcestershire Academy - Prince Charming becomes a dinner theatre actor ++ Rumpelstiltskin enslaves ogres ++ Fiona forms the ogre resistance
- circa. 1135 - 1137 Shrek’s approval rating rises
- May 18, 1136 King Harold dies
- May 19, 1136 Shrek and co. meet Artie - Prince Charming and Poison Apple villains attack Far Far Away - Prince Charming and Rapunzel start a relationship - Prince Charming dies - Artie becomes king of Far Far Away
- May 21, 1136 Fergus, Farkle, and Felicia are born to Shrek and Fiona
- December 24-25, 1136 Shrek celebrates his first Christmas
- May 21, 1137 Shrek throws his children a birthday party - Shrek meets Rumpelstiltskin ++ Fiona meets Shrek
- ++ May 22, 1137 Fiona and Shrek share true love’s kiss ++ Shrek dies ++ ++ Fiona liberates Far Far Away ++
- October 31, 1137 Shrek and co. have a storytelling contest in Duloc
- circa. 1137 - 1139 Shrek’s adventures end*
* In Shrek the Musical, Shrek and Fiona are the same age. But in the films, they have a 86-year age gap.
* Harold could have promised Fiona’s fate to the Fairy Godmother after she was born as well. It was never specified in canon.
* Prince Charming could have been born before or after Fiona. The timeline assumes they’re at least in the same age range.
* Fiona could have been cursed from birth or had a spell put on her in early childhood.
* The timeline assumes Puss in Boots lives by human years.
* 1136 was the year Historia Regum Britanniae was completed by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Arthur was most popularized as a literary figure through this work. Although the historical Arthur lived c. 5-6 centuries, the Shrek series parodies fiction and medieval folklore, so this date works better for all intents and purposes. 1136 is the date the timeline is built around.
* It’s unclear whether Farquaad built Duloc himself or if he took over from an already existing leader.
* Jeffrey Katzenberg recently announced a 5th Shrek film, but it’s unknown whether it will be a sequel or a prequel, so for now, the timeline assumes Shrek settles down shortly after 1137