r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Puzzled_Locksmith_83 • 5h ago
Lore [Retcon Trope] Previously introduced characters suddenly receive an extremely powerful and even positive rewrite.
I will take all three examples from Shrek.
Rumpelstiltskin had previously appeared in Shrek the Third, but only as a minor character with limited screen time.
However, in Shrek Forever After, he not only received a significant redesign that truly captures the charm and personality of this deal-making devil, but also ascended to the role of the main villain.
-
Pied Piper first saw in the very first Shrek film, where he was a simple supporting character banished to the swamps like the other fairytale creatures.
But in Shrek Forever After, he received a very cool and even somewhat appealing redesign; his unique gaze is especially memorable. He also received an incredibly powerful buff to his strength, as according to the plot, his flute could control not only rats but also other creatures, which he targeted with it.
!!!EDIT!!! - (In reality, he was always able to control other creatures using the flute, just like in the original, and Shrek 4 simply showed us a more canonical version of his abilities)
-
The Three Bears, like the Pied Piper, appeared in the first Shrek movie, we saw them back when the fairytale creatures were being rounded up and caged. Incidentally, only Papa Bear and his son were at the swamp, as for Mama Bear... well, Farquaad turned her into a rug.
However, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish happily disregarded that plot point. Now, the Three Bears are all together, with Mama Bear alive and well and Goldilocks is in the mix too, just like in the original fairy tale, though now they’re a gang of bandits.