Summary

• Shrek's sarcastic and witty lines make for some of the funniest moments in the franchise.
• The Shrek movies are filled with innuendos and adult jokes that provide something for audiences of all ages.
• The friendship between Shrek and Donkey is one of the highlights of the franchise, and their banter never gets old.

Numerous hilarious Shrek quotes prove why DreamWorks' fantasy comedy franchise is considered a classic. Shrek is easily one of the most iconic animated characters in the past two decades, making his debut when the first movie premiered in 2001. Mike Myers's stellar performance as the ogre undoubtedly elevated the character and franchise's popularity. However, Shrek subverts the fantasy genre's clichés due to his heroism (as an ogre) when he's given a chance to save a beautiful princess — who also turns out to be an ogre. Ultimately, every Shrek movie contains quotable moments that will be remembered for many generations.

With Shrek 5 in development, it seems as if the big green ogre's place in pop culture isn't soon to be relinquished. Shrek made DreamWorks Animation a household name, and, over 20 years and four films later, they remain as influential as ever. It's been a full decade since Shrek Forever After, the franchise's most recent entry, premiered. But audiences are always ready for more witty quips and dry jokes from this hapless hero of fabricated folklore. While waiting for Shrek 5, fans can return to the kingdom of Far, Far Away to relive some of the best Shrek quotes.

35 "A Stack Of Freshly Made Waffles In The Middle Of The Forest?"

Shrek Forever After

The Shrek movies are known for their meta references to fairy tale tropes, and many of the funniest Shrek quotes come when the franchise leans into its roots as a satire of classic stories. For example, in Shrek Forever After, as the title character and Donkey are out in the woods and see a beautiful stack of waffles, Donkey is excited. But Shrek can see that it's some kind of ploy.

In an old Hans Christian Andersen story, the characters would blindly fall for a trick like this. However, Shrek points out how absurd and on-the-nose this trick is. Still, Donkey's dumb enough to fall for it – and he established his love of waffles as far back as the first movie.

34 "I Already Had A Big Bowl Of Curly-Toed Weirdo For Breakfast."

Shrek Forever After

Given his appearance, Shrek finds that many people assume the worst after meeting him. After a while, however, he embraces their presumptions about him, often replying to their fears with witty retorts. This was certainly the case the first time he met Rumpelstiltskin in Shrek: Forever After, who wondered if the ogre would eat him. Though Shrek replied to Rumpelstiltskin's panicked cries with a great retort, this line still shows how difficult his life is when dealing with those who fear him.

33 "Inside, Waiting For Us To Rescue Her."

Shrek

As Shrek and Donkey explore the formidable tower, Donkey wonders where the rumored dragon is, and says, "So where is this fire-breathin' pain in the neck, anyway?" Shrek quips "Inside, waiting for us to rescue her." Of course, Donkey gives his traveling companion some bombastic side-eye for this little remark. It's one of the many Shrek quotes that are character-defining, and Shrek immediately assumed that Fiona would be the worst based on previous interactions with humans.

32 "If You Think This Mad Scene Ain't Dope, I Feel You, Dude."

Shrek The Third

One of Shrek's best quotes in the Shrek franchise comes from an interaction with Artie in Shrek the Third. Though Shrek seems to have a good sense of what it is like to be a teenager, he certainly doesn't have the appropriate lingo for it. In a feeble attempt to relate to Artie, Shrek dusts off some old phrases and makes up a few new ones. Watching the grumpy ogre attempt to see eye-to-eye with a typical high schooler will never get old, especially after he crashes and burns, setting up one of Artie's best lines:

"I've been kidnapped by a monster who's trying to relate to me!"

31 "I Like My Privacy."

Shrek

Shrek's privacy is the most important thing to him when the audience first meets him during the first installment in the Shrek franchise, and he says as much when Donkey follows him to Shrek's swamp. Donkey comments on the ogre's warning signs placed on the outskirts of the swamp, and Shrek explains how he likes living alone with no one bothering him. Thankfully, that changes as the movie goes on, but this quote sums up Shrek's personality at the beginning.

Shrek won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2001, and the movie was the first recipient of the award.

30 "I Didn't Know We Could Do That."

Shrek Forever After

Shrek discovers an entirely new talent when he meets his ogre brethren in Shrek Forever After. Shrek is confused when he meets Fiona, now in charge of an ogre militia bent on ending Rumpelstiltskin's reign. Brogan is the first to greet Shrek, welcoming him to the resistance. When Shrek questions him about this, Brogan states that they fight for oppressed ogres everywhere, then holds his nose and blows, causing his ears to act as a trumpet. The rest of the ogres follow suit, resulting in the protagonist admitting he had no idea he had that ability.

29 "Well, My Stomach Aches And My Palms Just Got Sweaty, Must Be A High School."

Shrek The Third

The funniest Shrek quotes aren't relegated just to the first film. In Shrek the Third, Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots learn that the future King Arthur is in Worcestershire. As Donkey pontificates about what the place may be, Shrek notes a familiar feeling, with his stomachache and sweaty palms confirming that Worcestershire is a high school. Even though Shrek almost certainly didn't attend high school in his teenage years, this line is nevertheless spot-on for anyone who has. Shrek's signature sarcasm and reliability once again deliver one of his funniest lines in the franchise.

28 "Join The Club. We Got Jackets."

Shrek 2