Shrek 5: The Epic Return of Lord Farquaad is a Must!

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Summary

  • Lord Farquaad is an underrated character with enormous comedic value and an essential antagonist role.
  • His allegorical unchecked power sets him apart from other villains.
  • His potential return in Shrek 5 would bring back an iconic character essential to the best of the franchise.

Shrek 5 aims to reinforce the iconic Shrek animated series, comprising four main movies, numerous spin-offs, and even a Broadway play. The primary figures, Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, and Antonio Banderas as Puss In Boots, have earned legendary status for DreamWorks, and rightfully so. Shrek is a sassy, grumpy Scottish ogre, while Donkey is everyone’s beloved donkey. Puss in Boots, boasting an Academy Award-nominated solo performance, is a box office powerhouse that strikes fear – if one dares to challenge him.

One character, voiced by John Lithgow, doesn’t receive as much acclaim as he arguably deserves. He is a diminutive yet ogre-like ruler with an inflated ego who governs the kingdom of Duloc in fairy tales. This potato-shaped despot is often referred to by the seemingly polite title ‘Lord Farquaad,’ though dropping the ‘r’ for historical accuracy lends authenticity to his name.

One John Lithgow-voiced character doesn’t get as much praise as he deserves, being a small but powerful ruler with an oversized ego in the fairy tale kingdom of Duloc. He is commonly known as Lord Farquaad, though dropping the ‘r’ in his name for historical accuracy makes it more fitting.

Why Shrek‘s Lord Farquaad Is A Staple Legacy Character

It’s amusing that Lord Farquaad dislikes magic, as the name ‘Lord Farquaad’ itself is a kind of whimsical enchantment. A elementary school student could dance around his classroom shouting “Lord Farquaad” in old-English style, without fully understanding why it’s humorous, but still recognizing that it might just be the most amusing fictional name ever created.

Lord Farquaad is a character whose title is inherited but his reputation must be earned. His character has been imitated in various animated series like Adventure Time’s Lemongrab, known for his strict demeanor that was initially named Lemonsnatch, which didn’t make it past censors. Similarly, the antagonist from Phineas and Ferb, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, whose name translates to ‘painful fool’ in German, also suits Farquaad due to his short stature and the Germanic setting of Duloc. An alternative name for him could have been ‘Lord Doofenshmirtz.’

Shrek and Donkey have undeniably been instrumental in shaping the landscape of animated humor, but they’ve already garnered enough recognition. Their back-and-forth dialogue can even rival Quentin Tarantino’s most pulpy dialogues. Unfortunately, Lord Farquaad, who was devoured at the end of the first Shrek movie, has had a limited presence since then, with only a brief appearance in Shrek the Third. It’s disappointing because many consider Lord Farquaad responsible for the funniest moments in the early Shrek films, such as the iconic ‘Muffin Man’ scene where he uses a chain lift and a gingerbread man to get what he wants. This point is indeed valid and worth emphasizing, lest we forget the impact of that unforgettable scene.

Lord Farquaad stands out as a complex antagonist rather than just a comical one due to his excessive narcissistic wickedness. He embodies the warning of unchecked power’s corrupting influence and prioritizes himself above all else, while disguising it under a veneer of strength and morality. In the scene where he torments the Muffin Man, we suspect that if not interrupted, Lord Farquaad would have killed the innocent gingerbread man without hesitation. This underscores his readiness to commit atrocities in pursuit of his goals, as a genocidal leader who sees the deaths of others as a tolerable sacrifice.

It’s rumored that Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey will reappear in Shrek 5, with whispers that the Magic Mirror might make a comeback too. If this is true, it seems likely that Lord Farquaad would be there to keep his smart mirror under control by smacking it with his hand. There’s concern that Puss In Boots may not join the cast for Shrek 5, which could be a misstep given his popularity following his standalone films. If DreamWorks were to offer Antonio Banderas an enticing deal, they might just assemble a modern fairy-tale version of the Avengers with Puss In Boots back in action again.

How Shrek 5 Could Bring Lord Farquaad Back From The Dead

In order to effortlessly bring Lord Farquaad back for Shrek 5, there exists one significant obstacle: his near-certain demise at the climax of the original Shrek movie, where he was devoured by Donkey’s dragon spouse.

It’s possible that Lord Farquaad might not be definitively dead, since a special DVD feature of Shrek showed him at a karaoke dance party with other fairy-tale characters, singing “Staying Alive.” Although it’s likely he was eventually devoured by the dragon after his performance, he did reappear in a different form from his flashback cameo in Shrek the Third – this time as something more akin to his Magic Mirror counterpart.

In the 2003 short film by DreamWorks titled The Ghost of Lord Farquaad, the character portrayed by John Lithgow appears as a ghost alongside other Shrek characters in Universal’s Shrek 4-D theme park experience. Although it might seem like a long shot, given that he is a spirit, let’s remember we’re talking about a fantasy fairy-tale universe here. DreamWorks, could you consider bringing him back to life? In this magical world filled with fairy godmothers and mythical beings, revived characters are not beyond the realms of possibility.

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2025-05-26 20:09