Do we like Shrek?
A character from Shrek (2001-2010)
Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, we'd back him. He's grouchy and says he wants to be left alone, but he's loyal, brave and kind, and he looks after his friends better than most heroes do.
Shrek is an ogre who lives alone in his swamp and likes it that way. He's a big, gruff, Scottish-accented loner who keeps a 'Beware' sign up and chases off the villagers who come after him. His quiet life ends when the scheming Lord Farquaad banishes a crowd of fairy-tale creatures to the swamp. To get his home back, Shrek agrees to rescue a princess from a dragon-guarded tower, with the chatty Donkey tagging along.
Why he scores so high: under the grumpiness, Shrek is decent. He finds Donkey exhausting but never abandons him. He treats the misfit creatures squatting in his home with more patience than he admits to. When someone he cares about is in trouble, he acts. His flaws are real and human. He expects to be judged on his looks, so he gets in first by pushing people away. He can also be stubborn and say hurtful things when he's scared. He's still a hero worth following.
Across the sequels, he goes from swamp hermit to husband, friend and eventually father. The films keep testing whether he'll let people in, and he mostly gets there, if only after a few missteps and some grumbling.