For years, fans have come up with their own theories on how fictional characters – like Donkey from Shrek – got to be where they are now. Because some films don’t dive into these characters' backstories, fans are essentially allowed to draw their own conclusions. Ultimately, they are either right or wrong, but even a false interpretation makes for an interesting storyline that only bright-minded people could conjure up – one that would assuredly get other fans thinking harder than anyone intended when flicking on an animated feature.

Throughout four Shrek movies, eight short films, three television specials and one Broadway musical, Donkey isn’t given much of an origin story, unlike his partner-in-crime Puss in Boots whose solo sequel is releasing this year. All we initially know about Donkey’s past is that an old woman tried to sell him to the evil Lord Farquaad on account of he talks too much or, in her words, he’s “the talkingest d-mn thing you ever saw.” But where was Donkey before this? How did he get the ability to speak? With the acclaimed The Little Mermaid-Tarzan-Frozen theory, as outlined by BuzzFeed, it seems oftentimes people dig deep into the history of iconic Disney characters. But some intellectuals have merged Disney with DreamWorks in this fan theory that explains how Shrek's Donkey is actually from 1940’s Pinocchio.

Related: Pauly Shore Talks Pinocchio: A True Story and My Sweet Monster

Who is Donkey in Shrek?

shrek-and-donkey
DreamWorks

Though Donkey was originally introduced in William Steig’s 1990 picture book, Shrek!, most people came to know him in 2001 as one of the franchise deuteragonists, voiced by Eddie Murphy. A colorblind, waffle-loving asthmatic, Donkey quickly and willingly befriends Shrek, despite the smelly ogre being a misanthropic monster to everyone else in town. Through the entire franchise's movies, we see Donkey fulfill the position of “annoying, talking animal,” befriending Shrek, of course, Puss, and Fiona, who at one point thinks he’s a steed. Donkey also falls head over heels for a fire breathing dragon and the two marry and, in whatever way, manage to reproduce mutant dragon-donkey babies with absurd names like Peanut, Bananas, and, according to Donkey, “the most delicious thing on the whole d-mn planet,” Parfait.

Who are the Donkeys in Pinocchio?

donkey-pinocchio
Walt Disney Pictures

Disney has a lot of animated movies like Turning Red, where a character gets turned into an animal, but perhaps the most detailed – and admittedly, horrifying – scene occurred in the classic, Pinocchio. The titular puppet and his pal, Lampwick, were sent to Pleasure Island, a place for stupid, little boys to have fun and do as they please. Little do they know upon arrival is that once the amusement ends, they’re turned into horse-like creatures. While the scene doesn’t show much of the metamorphosis on screen, it still depicts the terrifying transformation through shadow (as if that’s supposed to somehow be less disturbing). From there, we see an army of captured donkey boys being forced away to different places.

Fan Theory: How the Two Connect

Shrek is confused
DreamWorks

Between the Three Bears, the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Blind Mice to name a few, each character being unnecessarily arrested by Lord Farquaad’s troop in Shrek stemmed from a beloved fairytale. Whether Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood or others, it’s easy to depict where each came from. But a talking donkey? Where did that character originate? A reasonable guess of course would be the 1941 Academy Award-winning film Pinocchio. To make the argument even more valid, as Donkey and the elderly lady approach the knights, a familiar marionette is in line before him, accompanied by a glasses-wearing, white-haired old man. Geppetto appeared to be giving up the “possessed toy” in exchange for five shillings, so it would make sense for the two Pinocchio figures to be grouped together.

Upon meeting the guards, Donkey pretends to be mute to avoid jail time for being a freak. In Pinocchio, we see that non-talking donkeys are shipped off to salt mines and circuses and the few who can still speak are kept on the island – sans delightful goods – until the only sounds they make are that of a bray. To avoid miserable island unpleasantry, Donkey, providing he was there, could have faked mutism in attempts to flee once being taken somewhere else. Once at the circus, Donkey could’ve easily made a run for it. After all, he outran multiple guards until he bumped into Shrek.

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If Donkey were a person at one point, who ventured out to the cursed island, we can assume it’s been several years since, as given his potty mouth, marriage and sensual dreams, he is clearly an adult. So if it’s true, the poor thing has been on four legs for a while now (and even if it’s not true then essentially the same thing applies but, hey, if he was born a donkey then, in this case, he’s just used to it).

In the third Shrek movie, the former loner also indicates that he once suffered from wedgies but observant, eagle-eyed viewers can look closely and see that Donkey doesn’t actually wear pants. He’s also got an obsession with waffles and even without a trip to a farm, northern Africa or the Middle East, you can easily conclude freshly toasted, golden breakfast items aren’t readily available to wild animals.

A fifth movie to Shrek was announced in 2016 but as of right now, there hasn’t been any word on whether it’ll actually happen. Meanwhile, Disney is creating a live-action adaptation of Pinocchio so maybe it’ll clear things up. But while Shrek may connect to Pinocchio, Pinnochio doesn’t necessarily connect to Shrek, so it’s probably best not to get your hopes up for an explanation to Donkey’s past. But in addition to the old lady and the wedgies, we can totally confirm that a farmer once tried to sell him for some magic beans (a fiasco he claims to have never recovered from), and then the man had a party where his guests tried to pin a tail on the critter, and then, they all got drunk and started beating him with a stick, yelling “Piñata! Piñata!”