After all, does Donkey from ‘Shrek’ appear in ‘Pinocchio’?

Presented as Shrek’s dynamic duo, Donkey was introduced in the film named after his friend, released in 2001, and soon became one of the most beloved characters in the franchise. In the plot, he is always very excited and is a great chatterbox, characteristics that conflict with Shrek’s darker personality, who is always stressed by his friend’s excitement.

Furthermore, Pinocchio is one of the few characters in “Shrek” who is not inspired by popular fairy tale figures, as the four feature films already released, two spin-offs, themed games, a musical and several collectible products count with dragons, fairies, witches, princesses and princes that make clear references to famous literary titles.

Still, a theory states that it is possible that this is not the case, since Donkey, a DreamWorks character, may be inspired by the title “The Adventures of Pinocchio” (1883), by Carlo Collodimore precisely in the character who appears in the most popular adaptation of the story: “Pinocchio”, an animation released by Disney.

After all, does Donkey from ‘Shrek’ appear in ‘Pinocchio’?

As reported by the ScreenRant portal, there is a theory that states that Donkey is, in fact, one of the characters who ends up on Ilha dos Pleasures, a cursed amusement park that is portrayed in the animation as a refuge for rebellious boys, since there, they can do whatever they want without being supervised by an adult.

The problem arises later, when it is discovered that the children who visit the place end up transformed into donkeys and are eventually sold into slavery. The moment is scary, mainly because of one detail: some transformed boys can still talk!

It is from this information that the theory takes shape, as “Pinocchio” is, as far as we know, the only fairy tale with talking donkeys. The idea is strengthened with a scene from the title released in 2001, since, in the scene where Donkey is introduced, he is with his owner, an elderly woman who tries to sell him, although no one believes that a donkey can talk.

More than that, in the 1940 film, the wooden doll that comes to life goes to the island and manages to leave it before it’s too late. But the same does not happen with his friend, Pavio, who is completely transformed, and he is the one who fans believe gave rise to Donkey, from “Shrek”.

The idea that Donkey was once human is also strengthened by two pieces of information. The first comes when Donkey and Puss in Boots switch bodies, as the swordsman reveals that he has difficulty controlling the donkey’s braying, which Shrek’s best friend responds by implying that he will learn with time — which could mean that he had to deal with the same process so he could speak normally.

As much as the theory may make sense, there is non-canonical information, but which was stated by names involved in the production, which could put an end to the idea. That’s because, the filmmakers behind “Shrek” revealed in the DVD commentary that Donkey was an ordinary animal, but was cursed.

Read also: After all, how did Donkey and Dragon from ‘Shrek’ manage to have babies?