It sounds like a fever dream now, but there was a specific window of time in 2014 when the ABC fantasy hit Once Upon a Time decided to lean into the green. When fans first heard that Princess Fiona was joining the roster of Storybrooke’s cursed residents, the reaction was mixed. Some loved the campy potential. Others feared the show was finally jumping the shark—or, in this case, the ogre.
But Once Upon a Time Fiona wasn't exactly what DreamWorks fans expected. This wasn't a direct port of the Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz cinematic universe. Instead, the show did what it does best: it took a familiar trope and twisted it into the "Once" mythology during its fourth season, specifically during the Episode 14 "Enter the Dragon."
Wait, you might be thinking. Was Fiona actually a main character? No. She was a guest spot played by Christie Laing, and her inclusion was a clever nod to the fact that Once Upon a Time was basically a massive sandbox for Every Fairy Tale Ever.
The Reality of the Shrek Connection
Let's get one thing straight. The show didn't have the rights to the specific DreamWorks Shrek designs. You weren't going to see a 3D-rendered donkey voiced by Eddie Murphy wandering down Main Street. What we got instead was a clever subversion of the "maiden by day, ogre by night" curse.
In the episode, we see Fiona in a flashback. She's trapped in a tower. Sound familiar? It should. But here, the stakes were tied directly to the show's lore regarding the "Queens of Darkness." Fiona's appearance was brief, but it served a massive purpose in grounding the idea that even the most "modern" fairy tales have roots in the ancient, messy world of the Enchanted Forest.
The writers, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, were masters of the "Easter Egg." They knew that by 2014, Shrek was a cultural titan. By introducing a character named Fiona who suffered from an ogre curse, they were winking at the audience while keeping the tone firmly within their own universe. Honestly, it was a ballsy move. Most shows would shy away from a character so heavily associated with another brand.
Why the Curse Mattered
In the "Once" version, the curse wasn't just a plot device for a romantic comedy. It was a tragedy.
Fiona’s transformation was a source of immense shame and isolation. In the flashback, we see her interacting with a young Regina (the Evil Queen). This choice was brilliant. It showed that before Regina was the "Monster" of Storybrooke, she was capable of seeing the monster in others—and perhaps feeling a bit of empathy for it.
The makeup wasn't "Hollywood Ogre." It was subtle. It leaned more into the "beast" aesthetic that the show had established with Rumplestiltskin’s scaly skin. This helped avoid the "uncanny valley" problem that often plagues TV budgets trying to replicate big-screen CGI.
The Christie Laing Impact
Christie Laing brought a specific kind of dignity to the role. It’s hard to act through prosthetics or the weight of a legendary name like Fiona. She had to play the maiden trapped by fate, a recurring theme in a show that literally revolves around "Operation Mongoose" and the fight for happy endings.
What's fascinating is how the fans reacted.
- The "Oncers" (the hardcore fanbase) started theorizing immediately.
- Was she related to the "Lily" arc?
- Was there a Shrek-equivalent hidden in the background of Granny's Diner?
Social media was a mess of screen grabs. People were looking for green vests and onions. They didn't find them, because Once Upon a Time prefers its drama with a side of leather jackets and angst, not swamp jokes.
Breaking Down the Crossover Logic
You’ve got to remember that Once Upon a Time was a Disney-owned property. Shrek is a DreamWorks property. This is why the show couldn't use the name "Shrek" or the specific likenesses. They used the public domain elements of the "ogre princess" story.
It’s a legal tightrope walk.
By keeping the character as "Fiona," they stayed within the lines of a generic name, but the audience knew. The audience always knows. It's that "Leo DiCaprio pointing at the TV" meme in real-time. This version of Fiona exists as a bridge between the classic Grimm’s Fairy Tales and the modern interpretations we grew up with in the early 2000s.
The Episode That Changed the Vibe
"Enter the Dragon" is often remembered for Maleficent's development, but Fiona's inclusion provided the necessary texture. It reminded us that the world was bigger than just the core cast.
Think about it.
If every character was just Snow White or Prince Charming, the world feels small. Tiny. By pulling in a "Fiona-esque" figure, the show suggested that there were thousands of other stories happening simultaneously. Some were being resolved with true love's kiss, and others were just... sad.
Fiona’s story in the show doesn't have the "Shrek 2" blowout ending. It’s more muted. It’s a reflection of the "Once" philosophy that magic always comes with a price. You want to be a princess? Fine. But you’re going to have to deal with the literal monster inside you when the sun goes down.
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Mistakes People Make About the Character
I see this on Reddit all the time. Someone will post a "Mandela Effect" thread claiming they remember an actual green ogre in a wedding dress on ABC.
Nope.
That never happened. If you’re looking for a CGI green woman, you’re thinking of a different show (or maybe just the movie). The "Once" Fiona was human in her primary appearance. The "ogre" side was largely off-screen or hinted at through practical effects and lighting.
Another misconception: that she was meant to be a series regular.
There was a rumor that Season 5 would head to a "Swamp Kingdom." Totally fake. The show was already pivoting toward Camelot and the Dark Swan arc. Fiona was a one-off, a "guest of the week" designed to flesh out the world-building.
Comparing the Versions
Let's look at the differences between the two Fionas, because the contrast is actually quite deep.
The DreamWorks Fiona is a warrior. She’s sarcastic. She burps. She’s a deconstruction of the Disney Princess trope.
The Once Upon a Time Fiona is much more in line with the classic "cursed maiden." She’s a tragic figure. Her story is used to highlight Regina’s descent into villainy. In the movie, Fiona finds freedom in her ogre form. In the show, the curse is a prison. It’s a darker, more "Grimm" take on the character that fits the aesthetic of a show where Peter Pan is a villain and Red Riding Hood is the wolf.
Lessons from the Storybrooke Vault
If you're a writer or a creator, there’s a lot to learn from how they handled the Fiona character.
- Reference without Copying: They took the "essence" of the character (the name and the curse) but changed the "mechanics" to fit their own world.
- Use Characters as Mirrors: Fiona wasn't there for her own sake; she was there to show us something new about Regina.
- Respect the Budget: Don't try to do a $200 million movie effect on a TV budget. Use the human element.
Why We Still Talk About Her
It’s the nostalgia.
Once Upon a Time was one of the last great "appointment viewing" shows on network TV. Every Sunday, families would sit down to see which childhood character would get the "dark and gritty" reboot next. Fiona represents that peak era of TV where everything felt possible.
Even if she only appeared briefly, she remains a "deep cut" for fans. Mentioning the "Once Fiona" is like a secret handshake for people who stuck with the show through the Frozen arc and the Underworld arc. It shows you were paying attention.
Practical Steps for Rewatching the Arc
If you want to go back and find these specific moments, don't just search for "Shrek in Storybrooke." You won't find it.
Instead, follow this path:
- Watch Season 4, Episode 14: This is where the bulk of the "Queens of Darkness" backstory happens.
- Pay Attention to the Wardrobe: The costume designers on this show were geniuses. Fiona's dress in the flashbacks is a deliberate, muted version of the iconic green dress from the animated films.
- Check the Background: Sometimes characters like this appear in the crowd shots of later "all hands on deck" scenes in Storybrooke.
The legacy of Fiona in Once Upon a Time is a testament to the show's ability to gobble up pop culture and spit it out in a way that feels cohesive. It wasn't a cheap gimmick. It was a well-executed piece of a much larger, much crazier puzzle.
Honestly, in a world where we now have multiple cinematic universes, the way Once handled its "multiverse" of fairy tales still feels fresher than most. They didn't need a 10-movie plan. They just needed a girl in a tower, a curse, and a really good makeup department.
If you're looking for a happy ending, you might have to look elsewhere, but if you want a fascinating look at how a TV show can adapt a legend, the Fiona arc is exactly where you should start. Stop looking for the swamp and start looking for the heart of the curse. It's always been right there in Storybrooke.