WikiShrek
Register
Advertisement

If you're looking for the character from the third movie, see: Rumpelstiltskin.

Nobody's smart but me

—Rumpel Stiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin, also known as Rumpel and Mr. Stiltskin is a shady deal maker who had wanted to take revenge on Shrek after inadvertently foiling his plans following him saving Princess Fiona. He made Shrek sign a contract that would allow him to live one day as an ogre again in exchange of the day he was born.

Appearances

Early life 

When King Harold and Queen Lillian, the rulers of Far, Far Away, lost all hope that their daughter Princess Fiona would be rescued from the Dragon's Keep by her true love, they desperately travelled to Crone's Nest Carriage Park to see Rumpelstiltskin. There, he made them sign their kingdom over to him via the 'Problems Disappear' contract so that their daughter would be rescued as well as being freed of her curse. Though he initially distrusted Rumpel, due to the latter being devious and full of trickery, Harold was left with no choice. Just as he was about to sign the contract, a messenger suddenly came in with news that Fiona has been saved. Upon receiving this news, Harold and Lillian immediately called off their deal, much to Rumpel's dismay. His life immediately deteriorated afterwards and he lost his reputation. He later learned that the one who rescued the princess was an ogre named Shrek. Now having a strong hatred for the latter for destroying his reputation, Rumpel vehemently wished that Shrek was never born.

Shrek Forever After

Shrek-forever-after-300x153

Due to now being poor, Rumpelstiltskin is seen eating whatever he could scrounge from the garbage outside the Happy Apple until he was forced to hide when an angry Shrek burst out the back door. From his hiding place, Rumpel observes as the latter lashed out at his wife Fiona and wished that to go back to the days where he felt like a 'real ogre'. Shortly after they have left, Rumpel took Shrek's wish as an opportunity to get revenge. Following the ogre's tracks, he fakes a carriage accident and waited for Shrek to help him. Just as he had expected, the latter did come by and he helped him. As Shrek continued on his way, Rumpel insists that he give him a ride in his carriage, which was being pulled by his giant pet goose Fifi. Due to the coming rain, Shrek accepted. There inside, Rumpel offers the ogre eyeball-tinis and roast rat for his good deed. During their meal, Shrek mentions that he has been depressed lately and that he wishes that he had one day to be a "real ogre" again. Hearing this, Rumpel offers Shrek a deal of one day of being an ogre in exchange for one day of his childhood. Shrek signed the contract without knowing that he just signed away the day he was born, and soon finds himself in a twisted, alternate universe in which he was never born, which means that Fiona was never rescued from the Dragon's keep and thus his children were never born. Far Far Away is now ruled by Rumpelstiltskin, who had now become king and has many witches under his command to do his dirty work. He even commanded them to hunt down and enslave the ogres, which caused them to start a rebellion against Rumpel's rule, with Fiona becoming their leader.

When Shrek was captured, a group witches brought him to Rumpel's castle where the latter was waiting for him. There in the throne room, he and his witches were having a big party until Shrek was brought in. Rumpel then reveals to the ogre that he became king due to Shrek signing his contract. As a result, in addition to him not existing in the alternate reality, Fiona was never rescued and because of this, King Harold and Queen Lilian had no choice but to sign their kingdom over to Rumpel in exchange for Fiona’s curse being lifted and all of their problems disappearing according to Rumpel, but instead made them to disappear. The latter then further reveals to Shrek that in signing his contract, he had to give away a day from his past, which is a day that he remembers, and, in addition, is also the day that he was a baby. This caused Shrek to figure out that Rumpel had taken away the day he was born, though Rumpel corrects him by stating that he gave it to him. Rumpel then tells him that when his day is up he'll fade from existence.

When Shrek demands on where his family is, the former reveals to him that since he was never born, his family nor his kids ever existed. At its conclusion, he and all the witches burst into laughter with Rumpel mocking Shrek and greeting him Happy Ogre Day in a sadistic and mocking tone. This provoked Shrek enough into aggressively lunging at Rumpel, which caused the latter to cower behind his hourglass and he immediately orders his witches to subdue him. However, Shrek broke free of his restraints and easily fought them off while Rumpel watched on. Rumpel then watched the chase between Shrek, who is now flying on a broomstick, and several witches. He then hid behind a witch as the ogre was about to rush forward and grab Donkey. Shrek then began whirling the giant ornate glass ball that was hanging above the throne room, much to Rumpel's dismay. The latter was then forced to watch as after Shrek and Donkey escaped, the giant ball immediately shattered upon making contact with the floor, which left Rumpel furious.

Later after a meeting with his inner circle of witches, Rumpelstiltskin has Baba hire a bounty hunter to fight the ogre resistance and prevent Shrek from kissing Fiona which would render the contract null and void. The Pied Piper, a bounty hunter who can make anything dance with his flute, is hired and Rumpel sends him out with witch reinforcements to fight the ogre resistance, who are being led by Fiona. The Pied Piper succeeds in making them fall into his trap and he captures them all. However, Shrek and Fiona are rescued by Donkey and an overweight Puss.

"Light your torches, sharpen your pitchforks and GET YOUR MOB ON!!"

Upon learning that Shrek is together with Fiona, and as a last resort, a desperate Rumpel offers any deal (the "Deal of a Lifetime" as he calls it) to whoever turns Shrek in. Once Shrek hears of this, he turns himself in so he can sign the deal in the form of another contract, and in return, he has Rumpel free all the ogres, though the latter refuses to release Fiona (as she is human by day, and therefore not "all ogre"). He tries to have them killed by Dragon, whom she has never met Shrek and is now antagonistic in nature, but Donkey, Puss, and the ogre resistance ambush the palace and start a fight with Rumpel and his witches.

S4024

Shrek, Fiona and the other ogres eventually stopped Rumpel from escaping with Fifi, capturing him and declaring victory at last, but by this time, the 24 hours are up and Shrek started to fade from existence However, he and Fiona, who have now fallen in love, were able to share true love's kiss. Due to Shrek having fulfilled his contract's exit clause, this caused the alternate reality to pulverize with everything going back to the original Shrek timeline (With Farquaad, Charming and Fairy Godmother fallen of their deaths once more while Arthur Pendragon returns to be king once more). Rumpel, having been sent back to the original timeline, is last seen being held prisoner in a cage during the party at the swamp and Fiona makes Fifi explode by singing at a high note (similar to the bluebird scene in the first Shrek film), leaving Rumpel distraught over the loss of his faithful pet. He is then tormented by the Pied Piper, being magically forced to dance in his cage.

Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular

In Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular, it is shown that Rumpelstiltskin is still imprisoned in his cage, and most likely will remain there. Rumpelstiltskin has tried to escape once before, but was caught and put back in his cage. Later he gets coal in his stocking for Christmas.

Shrek's Yule Log

In the virtual fireplace video of Shrek's Yule Log, Rumpelstiltskin tries to put out the fireplace twice, but is stopped by Shrek both times.

Thriller Night

Rumpel returns as a zombie in the DVD release of Scared Shrekless, in which it features a version of Michael Jackson's Thriller. He is first seen emerging from his grave with Fifi, who is also a zombie, and putting on his angry wig. He then joined in the dancing with the other characters including deceased classic villains such as Lord Farquaad and Fairy Godmother. After Shrek breaks zombie Pied Piper's flute, zombie Rumpel along with the others proceeded to approach Shrek just before the latter wakes up in the movie theatre, revealing that it was all a nightmare. It is assumed Rumpel is still alive.

Description

Rumpel has a large face, red auburn hair, and wears an orange shirt with a brown vest and yellow ascot. He also wears green medieval puffy pants and black, gold-buckled pointed shoes. Being in poverty, his clothes are also visibly ragged, and sometimes he is covered in filth.

As King of Far Far Away in the alternate universe, Rumpel wears a white, pompous/regal outfit with a golden outline, and a red scarf. He also wears a variety of large, flamboyant wigs, including a white powdered wig for formal and business occasions, a wig resembling his goose Fifi, and his "angry wig"; a messy, fiery red wig for when he's in a bad mood.

Personality

Rumpelstiltskin is a snarky, stingy, sinister, pugnacious, and ungenerous man who will do whatever it takes to claim the throne of Far Far Away. However, even though he achieves this goal for a brief time in the alternate universe, he is shown to be a party animal as he threw lavish parties for himself and his witch servants, while the outside world becomes an unrecognizable dystopia. He shows no care for anybody else's life, such as removing Shrek and his kids from existence. However. he cares deeply for his enormous goose Fifi.

Powers/abilities

Rumpelstiltskin has no magical powers as far as anybody has seen, but he does have a variety of magic contracts that he calls "magical transactions" (as shown in Shrek Forever After). These contracts seem to be able to warp dimension based on the details written within that had been agreed upon by Rumpelstiltskin and his recipients, to the point where they can actually create an alternate reality, as he demonstrated by tricking Shrek into signing a deal that allowed him to null away the day the ogre was born (subsequently allowing Rumpel to illegally succeed the throne of the Kingdom of Far Far Away).

However, these contracts are not perfect, since Donkey (in his alternate reality self) claimed that all of Rumpel's contracts have an "exit clause" that can render the contract invalid if the recipient succeeds in fulfilling the clause. Details of the "exit clause" can only be found on the contract once it has been rearranged via origami.

Quotes

Rumpel Stiltskin/Quotes

Trivia

  • Paul McCartney, David Morrissey, and Johnny Depp were all considered to voice Rumpelstiltskin before Walt Dohrn was selected for the role.
  • Rumpelstiltskin is the only main villain known to have been left alive by the end of a Shrek movie after Prince Charming.
  • He is the only villain to have a known pet, his being Fifi.
  • He could be considered an amalgamation of all the main villains of the previous films.
    • Being short and ruling an empire with an iron fist (in an alternate universe) like Farquaad.
    • Has access to magic and had a business that helped characters alter their fate like the Fairy Godmother.
    • And like Prince Charming, had his life ruined by Shrek through the rescue of Princess Fiona.
  • He is the second villain to briefly be the king of Far Far Away (though in the alternate universe), the first was Prince Charming.
  • Though being King in the alternate universe, instead of going by "Your Majesty", Rumpel goes by "Mr. Stiltskin" by his subjects and servants.
  • There is a deleted scene in Shrek Forever After where Rumpelstiltskin tricked an Emperor who wanted respect by offering him a deal where he gets respect if he signs over everything he is wearing.
  • The spinning wheel he used to spin straw into gold was seen in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish during the evil posies scene. "Big" Jack Horner finds no use for it however, quickly throwing it aside and saying, "I guess I overpacked."

Gallery

Concept Arts

Advertisement