Fans are conditioned to feel for Shrek throughout the Shrek movie franchise because he is the protagonist and the storylines and adventures in the movies are solely based on Shrek's life. But as funny and charismatic as Shrek is, it's his sidekick and best friend that fans really root for.
After meeting Donkey in the first film, he quickly became a fan-favorite character. Donkey had some of the funniest quotes in the Shrek movies, he was loving, and more importantly, he was always there for Shrek. As different as Donkey and Shrek were, they had each other's backs in even the scariest of circumstances. Because of fans' love for Donkey, they couldn't help but feel bad for him in his down moments.
When Shrek Wouldn't Let Donkey Sleep Inside (Shrek)
Donkey is one of the greatest characters in Shrek, but he and Shrek didn't always have a close bond. The two met in odd circumstances and Donkey had nowhere to go. He ended up following Shrek back to the swamp in hopes to live there with him as his newfound best friend.
But Shrek enjoyed being alone and wasn't used to having a friend. Donkey took a peek around Shrek's home and became excited at the thought of having a sleepover and making waffles in the morning. But Shrek was having none of it. He opened the door and kicked Donkey out, telling him to sleep outside. Poor Donkey's ears drooped and he slowly walked outside, where he proceeded to watch Shrek's cozy evening from the window.
When He Was Almost Sold To The Knights (Shrek)
Shrek was one of the best movies from the 2000s because it combined pop culture, mythical creatures, and Disney Easter eggs throughout. All the while, it was telling a compelling story about an ogre and his friend.
In Shrek, fans first meet Donkey when he's being sold to the knights for money by his owner. His owner claimed that her donkey could speak and wanted big bucks for him. Donkey refused to speak because he was afraid of the outcome and the look on his face while with his rude owner was upsetting.
When He Hung Around Shrek Even Though He Was Constantly Insulted By Him (Shrek)
Before Shrek and Donkey became best friends, Shrek viewed Donkey as an annoyance who was going to help him rescue Fiona so that he could get his swamp back from Lord Farquaad.
During their mission to rescue the princess and deliver her to Lord Farquaad, Shrek and Fiona began to fall in love with each other. Shrek went to talk to Fiona one night and overheard her talking to Donkey, where she said, "Who can ever love a beast so hideous and ugly!?" Shrek was upset with Donkey for stabbing him in the back and talking to Fiona about him, but in reality, Fiona was talking about herself. Shrek called Donkey "pathetic" and "annoying" before he realized the truth. Donkey was devastated by Shrek's words and it left him depressed.
When His Fear Of Heights Wasn't A Joke (Shrek)
In Shrek, Shrek and Donkey were on a mission to rescue Princess Fiona from a dragon-protected castle. Lord Farquaad promised Shrek that if he brought back Fiona, he'd make sure Shrek had his swamp all to himself. Due to Lord Faquaad's stature, Shrek fans made countless memes about him.
On their way to the castle, Donkey was afraid to cross the bridge due to his fear of heights. Shrek loved the idea of Donkey being scared and so he shook and swayed the weak bridge as the two were on it. Donkey was paralyzed with fear before running across the bridge to get it over with. Fans felt bad that Shrek's idea of fun was tormenting Donkey.
When He Didn't Like The Body He Was In (Shrek 2)
Some fans felt that Shrek 2 was better than the original movie because they got to see the continuation of Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona's tale. Now that Shrek and Fiona were married, the two were at a crossroads when Shrek met Fiona's parents, the King and Queen of Far Far Away.
Fiona's dad made Shrek feel like he wasn't good enough for his daughter, so Shrek and Donkey went on an adventure to Fairy Godmother's laboratory for a special potion to make them attractive. While Shrek turned into an attractive young man, Donkey turned into a beautiful stallion. Donkey loved his new appearance, but as the spell wore off, he began to turn back into a donkey. Donkey hated the idea of turning back into his former self, which was sad to see because there was nothing wrong with who he really was.
When Donkey Was Almost Eaten (Shrek 4)
In Shrek 4, Shrek was up against one of his more powerful enemies and Shrek villain, Rumpelstiltskin. After Shrek made a bad deal with Rumpelstiltskin, he created a new friendship with a group of ogres as a way to meet Fiona and get his life back. The ogres welcomed Shrek to their group but didn't extend the same warmth to Donkey.
In one scene, the ogres attacked Donkey and tied him to a stick as they attempted to roast and eat him. Donkey was frantically trying to get Shrek's attention before he was burned alive. Shrek eventually saved Donkey from being dinner, but it was a scary moment.
When He Felt Like Dragon Didn't Care About Him (Shrek 2)
At the start of Shrek 2, Shrek and Fiona just got back to the swamp after spending time away on a honeymoon. Meanwhile, Donkey stayed in their house and took care of it while they were gone.
Now that they were back home, Shrek wanted Donkey to leave so he could have one-on-one time with Fiona. Donkey wasn't ready to leave, but Shrek didn't care. He told Donkey he was "bothering" him and showed him the door, despite Donkey's entire body language hinting that something was wrong.
When Donkey Was Hurt By Shrek After His Honeymoon (Shrek 2)
Following the previous entry, there was a reason why Donkey was so down in the dumps when Shrek and Fiona got back from their honeymoon.
Shrek eventually asked Donkey why he wasn't home with his wife, Dragon, and Donkey shyly said that she was "moody." He thought it was best if he moved in with Shrek for the time being. Seeing how sad Donkey was at the presumed demise of his relationship was heartbreaking. For fans, Donkey was a Shrek character they'd love to hang out with, if only to cheer him up.
When He Was Overworked Because Of The Witches (Shrek 4)
If any fan thought that Shrek 4 was the final movie in the franchise, Shrek 5 is said to be coming out at the end of 2022. Back in the fourth film, Shrek is transported to a different reality. He's in a time where Fiona didn't know who he was and Donkey wasn't his upbeat best friend.
Fans are first introduced to Donkey as he's steering a carriage that's owned by witches. He had the same personality as before, but a sadder reality. The witches whipped him and told him to sing different songs as he pulled them along. Instead of being free, he was at the witches' disposal.
Dragon Chow (Shrek)
The first Shrek movie had some of the funniest quotes compared to the other movies in the franchise. They were raw and authentic, just like the characters.
In one hilarious yet scary scene, Shrek told Donkey to be a distraction for the dragon as he saved the princess. Donkey was horrified and had no idea how to do this. Instead, he ran for his life before trying to flirt his way out of death. The look in his eyes before becoming dragon chow made fans sad for Donkey. He signed up to be Shrek's friend, not his scapegoat.