History WesternAnimation / ShrekForeverAfter

** Shrek utters to Rumpel "Next to mimes, magicians are my favorite people." A little reminder, he had an encounter with Merlin in ''[[WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird The Third]]''.

* RantInducingSlight: Shrek goes crazy from all the events going on at the triplets' birthday party.

''Shrek Forever After'' (also known as ''Shrek: The Final Chapter'' through promotional content) is the fourth and final installment of the ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' tetralogy released in 2010 under Creator/DreamWorksAnimation.

* BullyingADragon: A heroic example.When Shrek is captured by the witches and brought before him, Rumpelstiltskin proceeds to gloat about how he was conned--culminating in telling him his kids no longer exist. All Rumpelstiltskin accomplishes, though, is enraging Shrek to the point of breaking free and escaping.

--->'''Shrek:''' But...''I'm'' your true love.\\

-->'''Fiona:''' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion You mean, back before you rescued me from the dragon's keep?]]

* SmartBall: [[TheDitz Donkey]], of all people. The mule tells Shrek about his knowledge he knows about Rumpelstiltskin's contracts, and at one point gives Shrek the answer by folding the ogre's contract, where being folded, it gives out the words "TrueLovesKiss".

* ExtremelyShortTimespan: Shrek terrorizes a village, finds out his entire life has been undone, gets captured and subsequently escapes, joins the resistance, etc. all in 24 hours.

* MagicallyBindingContract: Written by a malicious LiteralGenie. [[SchmuckBait Don't sign them.]] One special contract he gives out at one point promises what you want [[SubvertedTrope without any price at all]].

** After enjoying his time as a scary ogre again, Shrek has a moment when he sees a wanted poster with Fiona's face on it.

* BountyHunter: The Pied Piper is hired by Rumplestiltskin as a bounty hunter to capture the ogres.
* BrickJoke: Shrek says he's not going to eat Rumpelstiltskin because he "already had curly-toed weirdo for breakfast." [[spoiler:When Rumpel is finally caught, the ogres say exactly what they're having for breakfast.]]
* BrideAndSwitch: PlayedForLaughs during a montage in which Shrek dresses as a veiled bride at a man's wedding.

* SuicidalGotcha: In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/ShrekForeverAfter'' Rumpelstilskin is cornered by the ogre warriors and jumps backward off the balcony, causing them all to gasp. He then appears riding Fifi, his giant pet goose and says "So long!"

* SuicideIsPainless: Rumpelstiltskin jumps backwards off the balcony when cornered by the ogre warriors while saying "Foo!", but then subverts it and lands on Fifi saying "So long!"

* FakeBetterAlternateTimeline: Shrek is at first happy to be living in a new world where he gets to be feared as an ogre again - until it turns out that he was never born in it and his friends and loved ones are either non-existent or worse off.

* DarkerAndEdgier: [[WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} The first chapter]] was more RuderAndCruder, while [[WesternAnimation/Shrek2 the second chapter]] and ''[[WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird The Third]]'' were LighterAndSofter. With ''Forever After'', its premise has Shrek painfully aware of just ''how much'' LighterAndSofter things have gotten, and winding up in a world where he'd never existed and Far Far Away had been run by an AxCrazy antagonist.

* WeaksauceWeakness: The witches [[Film/TheWizardOfOz dissolve in water]]. Oddly, the ogre resistance never takes advantage of this; it's just used by Rumpelstilskin in a YouHaveFailedMe moment.

* RealityEnsues: Invoked often, to the point where the ''entire movie'' is one for the series. Even in a literal fairy tale world, midlife crises happen. The most idyllic of marriages can become strained, especially when kids get involved. And no matter how hard you try, you can't just make someone fall for you on the spot.

%%* ActionizedSequel: While the first three films had their fair share, ''Forever After'' has far more high stakes than the three.

%%* AmbiguouslyGay: Cookie.

%%* BadassArmy: The ogres.

%%* BunnyEarsLawyer: An evil variant in Rumpelstiltskin and his obsession with wigs.

%%* CrazyCatLady: One of the witches at the beginning.

%%* FauxAffablyEvil: Rumpelstiltskin.

%%* LanternJawOfJustice: Brogan.

%%* MomentOfWeakness: What sets the plot in motion.

%%* ParentalBonus: Try watching the movie again and you'll notice a lot of jokes you missed as a kid.

%%* PosthumousCharacter: King Harold.

%%* ThatPoorCat: Donkey startled Puss.

%%* {{Tsundere}}: Fiona.
%%* TwoferTokenMinority: The Black[=/=]AmbiguouslyGay Ogre Cookie.

* JustForFun/XMeetsY: Said in one of the TV spots by Donkey after reiterating Shrek's situation.
-->'''Donkey:''' Okay, let me get this straight: you signed a contract with Rumpelstiltskin and now you're trapped in a world where you were never born? It's like HappilyEverAfter meets ''Series/TheTwilightZone''.

->'''Donkey''': If your life was so perfect, then why'd you [[DealWithTheDevil sign it all away]] to Rumpelstiltskin in the first place?\\
'''Shrek''': Because I didn't know what I had until it was gone, okay?! I didn't know what I had...

** The first film began with Shrek opening storybook at the beginning, and this film has Shrek closing the book as he's reached the end of his story.

* SmartBall: Donkey, of all people. The mule tells Shrek about his knowledge he knows about Rumpelstiltskin's contracts, and at one point gives Shrek the answer by folding the ogre's contract, where being folded, it gives out the words "TrueLovesKiss".

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Played with. Queen Lilian never trusted the Fairy Godmother nor her plan to break Fiona's curse, yet she suggested she and Harold turn to Rumpelstiltskin's help of all people.

* WoundedGazelleGambit: What Rumpelstiltskin uses to meet Shrek. He's trapped under his carriage à la Wicked Witch of the West, with one of the front wheels off.

* DarkerAndEdgier: [[WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} The first chapter]] was more RuderAndCruder, while [[WesternAnimation/Shrek2 the second chapter]] and ''[[WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird The Third]]'' were LighterAndSofter. With ''Forever After'', its premise has Shrek in a world where he'd never existed and Far Far Away had been run by an AxCrazy antagonist.

* EveryoneHatesMimes: [[SarcasmMode "Oh, great, after mimes, magicians are my favorite people."]]

'''Shrek''': Because I didn't know what I had until it was gone!

* ISurrenderSuckers: Shrek turns himself in to Rumpel in order to get the loophole-free wish that had been offered. He anticipated that he can't use it to break the Ogre For a Day contract, so he had a different wish in mind: setting the captured ogres free.

* OrbitalKiss: Thoroughly subverted. TheBigDamnKiss happens, with the camera orbit, colorful lights and everything, but then the [[CrapsackWorld world reverts to dark and bleak]].

* RealityEnsues: Invoked often, to the point where the ''entire movie'' is one for the series. Even in a literal fairy tale world, midlife crises happen. Idyllic marriages can become strained, especially when kids get involved. And no matter how hard you try, you can't just make someone fall for you on the spot.

* WoundedGazelleGambit: What Rumpelstiltskin uses to meet Shrek. He's trapped under his carriage with one of the front wheels off.

'''Fiona:''' And how would you know? Did you grow up locked away in a dragon's keep? Did you live all alone in a miserable tower? Did you cry yourself to sleep every night waiting for a true love that never came?

-->"The dragon goes under the bridge, through the loop, and finally into the castle."