How to watch the Shrek movies in order – including Puss in Boots

Lucy-Jo Finnighan
Shrek and Puss in Boots

Here’s your guide to the Shrek movies in order and where you can watch them, whether you’re looking for release or chronological order.

Shrek movies are like onions. Meaning, in some cases, you can peel back layer after layer to see a meaningful family film. Or in other cases they’re just stinkers.

The Shrek franchise – including the Puss in Boots films – has been going strong over the past two decades, with its newest iteration, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, still playing in some cinemas.

But in what order do you need to watch the Shrek movies, do the films have a different timeline, did they come out chronologically, and just where can you watch them? Well, let us guide you.

How many Shrek movies are there?

There are a total of six Shrek movies in the franchise, including the Puss in Boots films.

The franchise started in 2001 with Shrek, and the current film is 2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Read more about Puss in Boots: The Last Wish here.

Shrek movies in release order

The Shrek franchise’s movies were once released pretty steadily for the most part. The franchise seemed to end in 2011 after the first Puss in Boots movie, however, it has risen from the grave 11 years later with its sequel.

Here’s the order of how they were released:

  • Shrek (2001)
  • Shrek 2 (2004)
  • Shrek the Third (2007)
  • Shrek Forever After (2010)
  • Puss in Boots (2011)
  • Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Shrek movies in chronological order

While you can watch the Shrek-centred films in the order they were released, the Puss in Boots movies slot in somewhat differently. Here are the films in terms of their chronological order:

  • Puss in Boots (2011)
  • Shrek (2001)
  • Shrek 2 (2004)
  • Shrek the Third (2007)
  • Shrek Forever After (2010)
  • Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

NOTE: While this is the chronological order, we do advise that you perhaps watch the first Puss in Boots movie sometime after Shrek 2, as that is when the character first appeared in the franchise, and the joke may be ruined should you watch his origin movie first.

Puss in Boots (2011)

Puss in Boots poster

Puss in Boots follows this plot: “An outlaw cat, his childhood egg-friend, and a seductive thief kitty set out in search for the eggs of the fabled Golden Goose to clear his name, restore his lost honor, and regain the trust of his mother and town.”

The film is a prequel to the franchise, hence why we don’t then see him until Shrek 2, where he is an antagonist for a brief moment before joining Shrek on his adventures. This story shows how Puss became the cat we know and love.

Shrek (2001)

A still of Shrek

Shrek’s plot reads: “A mean lord exiles fairy-tale creatures to the swamp of a grumpy ogre, who must go on a quest and rescue a princess for the lord in order to get his land back.

Shrek was a phenomenon when it first came out, and arguably changed the landscape of family movies. We now Shrek to thank for kids films that subvert expectations, make pop culture references, and always have dance parties at the very end. Okay, those may be overplayed tropes by now but they were still fresh and great when Shrek did them.

Shrek 2 (2004)

Shrek, fiona, and fiona's parents meet in Shrek 2

Shrek 2’s IMDb plot is as thus, “Shrek and Fiona travel to the Kingdom of Far Far Away, where Fiona’s parents are King and Queen, to celebrate their marriage. When they arrive, they find they are not as welcome as they thought they would be.”

Now, when people point to a sequel that’s better than the original, this is a top contender. Not only is this a fantastic continuation of the series, it’s an iconic comedy movie in general. Has any other film reached the heights of that “I Need a Hero” scene? Didn’t think so. This is also the movie that introduced Puss in Boots to the franchise, hence why we advise you watch this one before the character’s prequel film.

Shrek the Third (2007)

shrek, donkey, arthur and merlin in shrek 3

Shrek 3’s official plot continues the franchise: “When King Harold suddenly croaks, Shrek learns he will have to rule the land of Far, Far Away, unless he can find a suitable heir to the throne. The most-promising candidate is Princess Fiona’s cousin Artie, a teenage slacker in a medieval high school. Shrek and his trusted companions, Donkey and Puss in Boots, set out to bring Artie back but find their mission is a bigger challenge than they expected.”

Shrek 3 is arguably the biggest fumble of the series, as many found it underwhelming after the first two iconic films. Some of its jokes land flat, and recycling villains is never a good idea. However, there are still some fun moments, such as the Princess breakout scene set to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.”

Shrek Forever After (2010)

shrek and rumplestiltskin talking in Shrek 4

Shrek 4’s IMDb plot is as thus: “Rumpelstiltskin tricks a mid-life crisis burdened Shrek into allowing himself to be erased from existence and cast in a dark alternate timeline where Rumpelstiltskin rules supreme.”

While this movie doesn’t quite reach the heights of Shrek 1 and 2, it is arguably better than Shrek the Third, and helps wrap up the series in a satisfying way, as it takes Shrek back to his roots of being a feared ogre. Plus, there are some fun dance scenes and action set pieces littered throughout, and this movie’s take on Fiona is an interesting one.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Puss in Boots in The last Wish

Puss in Boots 2’s official plot goes as such: “For the first time in more than a decade, DreamWorks Animation presents a new adventure in the Shrek universe as daring outlaw Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll. Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives, though he lost count along the way. Getting those lives back will send Puss in Boots on his grandest quest yet.”

After an 11-year wait, nobody thought this film was going to make such a splash. However, The Last Wish has delighted audiences, with a heartfelt story, intimidating villains, and great animation. We waited a long time, but boy, was it worth it, as this movie is now considered one of the best in the franchise.

Where can I watch the Shrek movies?

The Shrek movies are actually spread across streaming platforms. Below, we’ve listed each platform that you’re able to view each of the six Shrek movies:

  • Shrek: Hulu and Peacock
  • Shrek 2: Hulu and Peacock
  • Shrek the Third: Prime Video and other VOD platforms
  • Shrek Forever After: Netflix
  • Puss in Boots: Netflix
  • Puss in Boots 2: Peacock

All of the Shrek movies are also available to rent via Amazon Prime Video, which you can sign up for here.

Please note that if you click on a product link on this page, we may earn a small affiliate commission.

So, there you have it — that’s exactly how, and where, you can watch all of the Shrek movies in order.

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About The Author

Lucy-Jo is a Movies and TV Writer at Dexerto, and has previously written for Screen Rant and Girls on Tops. After earning a Master's Degree in Film and Literature, Lucy-Jo now loves covering films, TV shows, and anime, especially if it's something by Mike Flanagan, or anything drenched in camp. You can contact her at lucyjo.finnighan@dexerto.com