The King's Happily Ever After has just expired...
Even if it was the weakest link in Shrek franchise, Shrek the Third is still able to make the viewers shed some tears from time to time.
- Charming may be the villain, but it's still sad to see him crying over his dead mother near the beginning. Not to mention that he didn't even get to bury her or have a funeral.
- King Harold's death and funeral, though it's unfortunate how a few unintentionally funny moments ruin the moment.
- Shrek's reaction is of particular note, especially when he calls out in vain to the dying king. When he doesn't get a response, he simply lowers his head in sorrow, having lost one of the only people who've ever treated him like a son.
- Not to mention how the entire kingdom of Far Far Away simply stopped and mourned his passing. While we don't see how he ruled, it was clear that he was loved.
- Donkey and Puss accidentally making Artie terrified of becoming king when they inform him of the many responsibilities. Then, when Artie tries to return home, he and Shrek get into an argument that ends with the latter calling the former a "loser".
- Artie explaining about his father abandoning him.
- Shrek admitting that he's afraid about ruining the life of his and Fiona's baby. He later explains to Artie that his own father had tried to eat him, so it was possible that he was afraid the cycle of abuse would repeat itself with him becoming an abusive father to his own children.
- Also makes Harold's "provided you don't eat your own young!" crack in the previous movie's dinner argument a bit Harsher in Hindsight.
- When Shrek get captured by Charming and has to lie to keep Artie from being killed. The music that plays afterwards ("9 Crimes" by Damien Rice) is on par with Hallelujah in terms of sheer emotion.
- After Shrek is captured by Charming, he sees the Cyclopes with his daughter on "Bring your kids to work" day. Shrek is sadly thinking about how he will never get to meet his child because he thinks Charming is going to kill him; also, perhaps, how he hadn't fully realized what he might be forfeiting in running away from fatherhood until he saw the Cyclops father and child together.
