Lord Farquaad (or simply known as "Farquaad") was the main antagonist in Shrek and Shrek 4-D.
Farquaad also had his cameo appearence in Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After. He was voiced by John Lithgow.
Shrek
In "Shrek", Lord Farquaad is the (seemingly) self-proclaimed of Duloc City who is ruthless, demanding and something of a perfectionist. In order to achieve his dream of ruling the 'perfect kingdom', he sets out to remove all faiy tale creatures, banishing them to Shrek's swamp. He is portrayed to be a cruel ruler, not above torturing captives for information. When told by the Magic Mirror that, without marrying a princess, he is technically not a king, he makes it his new mission to rescue Princess Fiona and marry her. In another example of egotism, or prehaps cowardice, he attempts to send his knights in his place, showing no value for their lives. When Shrek and Donkey interrupt, he strikes a deal that Shrek can have his swamp back in return for rescuing Princess Fiona. For the majority of the film, Lord Farquaad has no further appearence until the end, where he convinced Fiona to marry him. Just as they are about to complete their vows, Shrek interrupts and confesses his love for Fiona. Lord Farquaad then ridicules Shrek and, upon seeing Fiona take on her Ogre form, set his guards on them. Believing that the marriage was sealed, he claims himself to be king, just before Shrek summons Dragon, and he gets eaten.
Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party
In Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party he is seen singing "Stayin' Alive" from inside Dragon's stomach.
Shrek 4-D
In Shrek 4-D, his ghost appears as the main antagonist.
Shrek the Third
In the third film he is seen in one of Gingy's Flashbacks.
Shrek Forever After
In Shrek Forever After he is seen during the flashback montage during the end credits.
Trivia
- He marks the first villian in the Shrek series to be vertically challenged; The others being Fairy Godmother and Rumpelstiltskin.
- The character of Lord Farquaad is based on Dreamworks Animation Studios CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg's former boss Michael Eisner who was head of the Walt Disney Company from 1984-2005. Farquaad's Castle is based on the Castle at Disneyland and Disney World.
- In one scene where Farquaad lies in bed, the coat of Mother Bear (From "Goldilocks and the Three Bears") is seen on his floor, hinting that he may have killed her. This makes him one of the two Shrek villians to actually kill someone; Rumpelstiltskin "kills" the King and Queen in Shrek Forever After.
Quotes
Evening. Mirror, mirror, on the wall Is this not the most perfect kingdom of them all
-Lord Farquaad talking to the Magic Mirror
Some of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make
-Farquaad to the Castle of Guards
I'm not the monster here, you are. You and the rest of that fairy tale trash, poisoning my perfect world. Now tell me, where are the others
-Farquaad to the Gingerbread Man
See Also
Ghost Farquaad - A Villian in the short Shrek 4-D