The Shrek movies are unlike any other fairy tale movies, and Shrek the Third has a very subtle reveal in one scene that shows that a fairy tale hero became a villain, and it might have been Shrek’s fault. In 2001, DreamWorks established itself as a worthy competitor to Pixar in the world of animation with the movie Shrek. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, and loosely based on the 1990 children’s book of the same name by William Steig, Shrek introduced the title ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) and his unique world in which various fairy tale characters and other legendary creatures coexist.

The success of Shrek made way for a franchise that covers TV shows, spinoff movies, video games, and three sequels that continued the stories of Shrek, Fiona (Cameron Diaz), and Donkey (Eddie Murphy). After meeting Fiona’s parents and facing the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders), Shrek and Fiona returned in Shrek the Third to become parents while Shrek searched for Fiona’s 16-year-old cousin Artie so he could take the throne of Far Far Away, and Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) plotted his revenge – and this movie also showed that a beloved fairy tale hero had become a villain.

Shrek 3 Revealed Red Riding Hood Turned Into A Villain

Shrek 3 Had One Big Reveal Hiding At The Poison Apple

Prince Charming was the son of the Fairy Godmother, and following her demise at the end of Shrek 2 (where one of her spells caused her to explode into bubbles), he wanted revenge on Shrek and Fiona. However, Prince Charming wasn’t going to be able to get his revenge all by himself, and so, at the beginning of Shrek the Third, he visited the Poison Apple tavern, where villains and other less respectable characters gathered to drink and make shady businesses. In an easy-to-miss moment, Little Red Riding Hood could be seen at the tavern, with a very somber look on her face.

Little Red Riding Hood can later be seen pick-pocketing a dwarf’s pockets while covering herself with her red hood, confirming that she turned into a villain, though a more innocent one than others. Some Reddit users have speculated that Little Red Riding Hood’s villainous turn was Shrek’s fault, though it wasn’t intentional. At the beginning of Shrek 2, Shrek and Fiona were enjoying their honeymoon at the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel when Little Red Riding Hood showed up at their door.

Shrek simply opened the door and, when Little Red Riding Hood saw him and Fiona, she ran away in fear and dropped her basket, so Fiona and Shrek ate the food she was taking to her grandmother. Little Red Riding Hood might have been too disturbed after that, though her dark turn might also have had something to do with the Big Bad Wolf becoming one of Shrek and Fiona’s allies.

The Shrek Movies Turned Other Heroes Into Villains (& Villains Into Allies)

The Shrek Movies Completely Changed How Fairy Tales Are Seen

Little Red Riding Hood isn’t the only fairy tale hero turned into a villain in the Shrek movies, but she’s one of those whose transformation wasn’t addressed. The Fairy Godmother wasn’t the sweet and caring mentor and ally she usually is in fairy tales and, instead, was quite evil. Her son, Prince Charming, didn’t honor his name and was also a villain, and Rapunzel betrayed Fiona, but for balance, there were also some characters traditionally depicted as villains who were allies in the Shrek movies.

The Big Bad Wolf was one of them, and there was also Doris a.k.a. The Ugly Stepsister, who worked as a bartender at the Poison Apple as she wasn’t a respectable character. However, Shrek The Third revealed Doris wasn’t a villain, and she actually became a close friend of Shrek and Fiona, and even reconciled with her sister at the end of the movie. The Shrek movies completely changed how fairy tales are seen, and definitely made them more fun.