House of the Dragon shares some strange similarities with Shrek 2, as highlighted by a hilarious comparison video. Loosely based on the 1990 children’s picture book of the same name by William Steig, the first sequel to Shrek sees the eponymous ogre and Princess Fiona meeting her parents, the king and queen of the kingdom Far Far Away. On the other hand, House of the Dragon is a Game of Thrones prequel series based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood which chronicles the devastating war of succession within House Targaryen known as the Dance of the Dragons.
On Instagram, fotogramas_es shared a hilarious comparison video highlighting the strange similarities shared between House of the Dragon and Shrek 2.
To highlight the similarities shared between the two, the video juxtaposes Princess Fiona with a young Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), and Shrek 2’s dinner with House of the Dragon episode 8’s feast, with sucking pig served at both. Of course, dragons are present in both stories. Other similarities include the Frog Prince and King Viserys, as well as King Aegon and Lord Farquaad (the latter from the first Shrek).
House Of The Dragon & Shrek 2’s Similarities Shouldn’t Be Surprising
They Both Incorporate Fantasy Archetypes
At first glance, it might seem strange that House of the Dragon and Shrek share some similarities. The former is a dark fantasy drama filled with violence and sex, and the latter is an animated movie mostly marketed towards children. However, their similarities shouldn’t be that surprising since they both draw from fantasy archetypes. Like its predecessor, Shrek 2 spoofs films based on fairy tales, which themselves contain fantasy archetypes. House of the Dragon is a work of fantasy, though the Dance of the Dragons draws inspiration from the real-life civil war in medieval England known as the “Anarchy.”
Considering their incorporation of fantasy archetypes, it makes sense that Shrek and House of the Dragon share some similarities. Both include a beautiful queen or princess character, a famous fantasy archetype represented in Queen Alicent Hightower, known as the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms, and Princess Fiona, the gorgeous princess whom Shrek must rescue from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon. Therefore, it makes sense that Alicent and Fiona may share some similarities in their appearance.
Another similarity between House of the Dragon and Shrek 2, as highlighted by the video, are their royal feasts with suckling pig being served. In medieval times, and the fantasy stories inspired by them, sucking pig is often served at royal feasts, symbolizing the host’s wealth and generosity towards their guests. Other archetypes present in both stories are the old, ailing king (Viserys and Harold) and the ruthless ruler (Farquaad and Aegon). Overall, the similarities stem from both stories drawing from fantasy archetypes.