Princess Fiona

Development

Creation

Shrek is loosely based on William Steig's children's book Shrek! (1990), but its main characters significantly deviate from their inspirations. According to animation historian Maureen Furniss, changing Shrek's love interest from an ugly princess to a beautiful one is the film's most significant deviations. In Steig's story, a witch foretells that Shrek will marry an unnamed princess, who she only describes as uglier than Shrek himself, inspiring the ogre to pursue her. Described in the book as "the most stunningly ugly princess on the surface of the planet", Steig's princess bears little resemblance to Fiona, but the couple immediately marries with little conflict. In an effort to expand the plot and make its characters more marketable, the film's writers decided to adapt Shrek!'s princess into a beautiful maiden only cursed to become ugly during evenings, which she is forced to conceal from other characters. These changes to the character make the vain Lord Farquaad's interest in Fiona more believable, since he is only marrying a princess to become King of Duloc. According to author Margot Mifflin, Fiona is also written as more of a damsel in distress than Steig's princess.

Feeling that keeping Fiona's curse entirely secret until the end was unsuitable for a feature-length film, screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio suggested a shapeshifting princess. At first, the concept was rejected by their peers for six months because they found it overcomplicated for a fairy tale, but the writing partners argued that similar plot points had been used in Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). Instead, Elliot and Rossio began referring to Fiona as an "enchanted" princess. Some writers expressed concern that turning Fiona into an ogre full-time once she professes her love for Shrek implies "that ugly people belong with ugly people", but Rossio explained that her final transformation actually suggests that Shrek already loves Fiona regardless of how she looks. Fiona remaining in her "ugly, bewitched state" retains some of the book's original themes about staying true to oneself, according to journalist Julia Eccleshare, although The Daily Telegraph remarked that Fiona is far from repulsive.

In early drafts of the script, Fiona is born an ogre to human parents, who lock her in a tower to conceal her true nature and lie about her appearance to their subjects. One day, Fiona seeks help from a witch named Dama Fortuna, who offers her a choice between two potions, warning her that only one will turn her beautiful. Fiona selects the wrong potion, entitled "Beauty", and only after drinking it learns that the elixir renders her human during the day before reverting every night. The writers had originally intended for Fiona's backstory to be the film's prologue, but discarded it after test audiences found the scene depressing. Animator Tom Sito had pitched the scene to producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, but recalled that Katzenberg reacted unfavorably. The sequence was storyboarded but never animated. Another abandoned scene, entitled "Fiona Gets Them Lost", follows Fiona, Shrek, and Donkey becoming trapped in a cave after she is rescued, while a third details a physical confrontation between Fiona's ogre form and Shrek, who the latter mistakes for a monster who has harmed her. The fight was discarded because, according to Elliot, some female crew members perceived the violence towards Fiona as misogynistic, reportedly misunderstanding their vision for the action sequence.

Voice

Fiona is voiced by American actress Cameron Diaz, one of the franchise's three main cast members. Diaz voiced Fiona in all four installments of the film series over the course of ten years. The role was originally intended for comedian and actress Janeane Garofalo, who was fired from the first film and ultimately replaced with Diaz. Although Garofalo maintains that she was fired without explanation, it is believed that Fiona's re-casting resulted from the death of comedian Chris Farley, who was originally cast as Shrek and had already recorded most of the character's dialogue until he died during production, at which point he was replaced with actor Mike Myers. According to film historian Jim Hill, the filmmakers originally cast Garofalo as Fiona because they had felt that the actress' "abrasive, sarcastic comic persona" would serve as an ideal foil to Farley's positive approach to the titular character, but eventually relented that Garofalo was "too downbeat" for the film's lighter tone, offering the role to Diaz. With a "sweeter" version of Fiona introduced, Shrek was developed into a more pessimistic character in turn.

Fiona was Diaz's first animated role. DreamWorks invited Diaz to star in an animated film about an ogre and a princess who learn to accept both themselves and each other. In addition to the film's positive message, Diaz was drawn to the idea of co-starring alongside Myers, Eddie Murphy and John Lithgow. Approaching her role as though it were a dramatic performance, Diaz recorded most of her dialogue before a full script had been written, working closely with director Andrew Adamson to stage scenes before the film had been storyboarded. Prior to Shrek, Diaz starred in the action comedy film Charlie's Angels (2000), a role for which she had undergone martial arts training. While recording the scene in which her character fights Monsieur Hood and his Merry Men, Diaz became quite animated, gesturing and occasionally uttering Cantonese phrases; her martial arts background is credited with benefiting the sequence. Diaz once burped during a recording session, which was written into a scene for Fiona. Without a proper screenplay to aid her, Diaz found the improvisation required for some scenes one of the most challenging aspects of the recording process. The actress did not see the film's completed story until after she had finished working on the project on-and-off for two years, by which point she finally truly understood her "character and ... what she was going through". Myers was both impressed with and inspired by Diaz's commitment to her role, to the point that he felt he was acting opposite Fiona herself. Asbury recalled that Diaz immediately "nailed" her character, elaborating, "She had this certain thing about her voice where she could be headstrong and know exactly what she wants and be confident, but also have this touch of sweet naivete and all make it completely believable." Despite admiring the performances of her predominately male co-stars, Diaz seldom worked directly with them throughout the Shrek series.

Design and animation

Fiona is the franchise's female lead and Shrek's romantic interest. Shrek was the first computer-animated film to feature human characters in lead roles, thus director Vicki Jenson believed its heroine should be beautiful yet convincing. Elliott and Rossio had originally envisioned Fiona's monstrous form as furry in appearance, wanting her to resemble an entirely unique character as opposed to simply a female version of Shrek, but the filmmakers struggled to agree upon her final design. Aiming to achieve stylized realism, the animators found that they could emphasize Fiona's face most efficiently by focusing "on the subtleties of the human form" and compiling translucent layers of skin to prevent the character from resembling plastic, a task they found particularly daunting due to people's familiarity with human skin. To make Fiona's skin more believable, the animators studied dermatology books to learn how various light sources interact with human skin, which visual effects supervisor Ken Bielenberg approached as though they were lighting Diaz herself. Bielenberg joked, "You want the sunset to reflect off her face in a way that's flattering ... Fiona may be a computerized princess, but she has her bad side." The animators painted a combination of freckles and warmer tones onto some of her skin's deeper layers, through which they then filtered light. A shader was used to penetrate, refract and re-emerge layers of light, the concentration of which was adjusted to achieve Fiona's desired radiance; they learned that too much exposure resulted in a mannequin-like appearance. The lighting department consulted with makeup artist Patty York to learn different approaches to creating realistic effects on Fiona's face, while the computer graphics software Maya was used to animate her hair, which consists of more than 1 million polygons. The animators felt that Fiona's design was "too real" at times. When the film was previewed to test audiences, some children cried because they found Fiona's hyperrealism disturbing; the character was suffering from a phenomenon known as the uncanny valley. Consequently, DreamWorks ordered that the character be re-animated to appear more like a cartoon and less like a human simulation. Animator Lucia Modesto recalled that her team was instructed to "pull back" on the character's design because her realism was growing unpleasant. Subsequently, Fiona was modified to fit in among the film's more fantastical characters, which supervising animator Raman Hui credits with improving the believability of Fiona and Shrek's relationship. To make Fiona a more "cartoony-looking love interest", the animators enlarged her eyes and smoothed her skin. Hui acknowledged that Fiona was much more difficult to animate as a human because any errors were quite apparent. In total, Fiona's face required a year of constant experimentation before the animators were satisfied with her final design: a realistic yet softer interpretation of the princess.

Personality

According to Rossio, the first film's four main characters are written "around the concept of self-esteem, and appropriate and/or inappropriate reactions to appropriate or inappropriate self-assessment", explaining that Fiona seeks validation from others because she believes "there's something not correct about herself". Adamson elaborated that the character's main issue revolves around living up to stereotypes and ideas "represented in fairy tales that if ... you look a certain way and act a certain way and put the right dress and slippers on a handsome man is going to come", dismissing this as an unrealistic and unhealthy approach to finding romance. Diaz confirmed that Fiona only becomes her true self once she is freed from the tower and realizes her Prince Charming differs from who she had been taught to expect.

A scene during which Fiona duets with a bird who explodes once the princess sings a high note, subsequently frying its eggs for breakfast, is considered to be a parody of Disney fairy tales such as Cinderella (1950), about which Adamson explained "pok[es] fun at people's expectations" of princesses. Diaz believes her character's personality "shattered" children's perception of princess characters from the moment she was freed from the tower, explaining that Fiona had always been capable of freeing herself but chose to remain in the tower solely because she was "following the rules of a fairy tale book". In the sequel, Diaz explained that Fiona "has a lot of pressure from all the people who told her about Prince Charming to take everything materialistically and monetarily. And she literally is just kind of baffled by it and says, 'Sorry, but I don't need any of those things.' All she needs is this man who she loves and loves her and accepts her." Diaz considers her character to be an empowered, positive role model for young girls, explaining, "She's never depended on anyone to rescue her, which is a different message from Snow White and Rapunzel ... She was capable of getting out of the tower herself" and "took on Shrek as her partner rather than as her rescuer." She believes that the moment she accepts herself as an ogre is her most empowered moment, as well as "the biggest stride in her evolution as a person".

Diaz considers Fiona to be "the anchor that holds all these kooky characters", identifying her as the comedy's straight man. Revealing that she "hate[s] naggy women", Diaz sometimes found herself wishing that Fiona would be "less naggy" and more compassionate and understanding towards the difficult changes Shrek is undergoing since marrying her. During production of Shrek the Third, Diaz observed that the filmmakers had made Fiona into more of a nag and asked that they tone this down, explaining, "just because she got married it doesn't mean she has to become a nag'." This was one of only a few things Diaz asked that they adjust about Fiona. In Shrek Forever After's alternate reality, Fiona frees herself from the tower on her own and subsequently becomes a warrior and leader of an army of ogres, which some commentators found to be a more empowering approach to the princess; Diaz contested that her character has "always been a warrior ... of love through all these films. What she's worked for, what she's fought for is the love that she has for herself and the love that she has for Shrek and her family and her friends." Diaz concluded that, due to the fourth film's tone, Fiona's responsibilities are simply more apparent, believing that in this film she is "fighting for what she believes in."

Characterization and themes

Todd Anthony of the Sun-Sentinel cited Fiona among several elements that make Shrek resemble an archetypal fairy tale initially. Furniss identified Fiona's character arc as struggling with insecurities about her identity and appearance before finally "accept[ing] herself in a so-called 'ugly' physical manifestation", which she described as merely "cute" as opposed to "push[ing] the boundaries of true ugliness." Bob Waliszewski of Plugged In (publication) believes Fiona "has bought into the conventions of fairy tale romanticism hook, line and sinker", writing, "Her skewed perspective on love and marriage undermines agape love and spiritual discernment in relationships." Similarly, TV Guide film critic Frank Lovece described Fiona as a "beautiful and headstrong princess" who has spent too much time thinking about true love. Michael Sragow, film critic for The Baltimore Sun, agreed that the character is "fixated on being treated like a fairy-tale princess", resulting in a precarious outlook on reality. Although Fiona is originally disappointed upon discovering her rescuer is not a Prince Charming, her expectations are more-so grounded in "rituals of self-loathing". Furniss believes Fiona's story is targeted towards Disney films in which princesses are constantly rescued from "horrible fates by knights". However, despite her efforts to look, speak and behave like a traditional princess, Fiona is soon proven to be an nontraditional princess, exemplified by her traits as a skilled fighter, unusual diet occasionally consisting of wild animals and tendency to belch spontaneously.

James Clarke, author of Animated Films - Virgin Film, described Fiona as "both an old-school and new-school heroine, in love with the notion of a charming prince who will rescue her but also tough talking and tough acting". Although she originally possesses traits associated with a traditional princess, being tall and slender, both Shrek and audiences soon agree that Fiona is different, and the princess is merely "following a script from a storybook" herself. Paul Byrnes of The Sydney Morning Herald wrote that Fiona's depiction in the first film offers "a sense of how gender roles had shifted" by resembling "a bottom-kicking heroine". Among her unusual characteristics, John Anderson of Newsday observed that Fiona is "perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She's just been waiting for some classic romance." Although in the context of the film Shrek initially observes Fiona's differences once she belches, "it rapidly also becomes apparent that she is indeed not a prototypical fairy-tale princess", according to authors Johnny Unger and Jane Sunderland. The New York Press observed that Shrek emphasizes "that the ogre falls in love with the heroine not because of her conventional good looks, but in spite of them ... looking past Fiona's skinny, blond human surface and seeing the belching, bug-eating ogre beneath." Journalist Steve Sailer, writing for UPI, similarly wrote that "Fiona wins Shrek's heart by belching, beating up Robin Hood's Merry Men (who act like Broadway chorus boys) with cool "Matrix"-style kung fu, and cooking the Blue Bird of Happiness' eggs for breakfast." Elliot believes that Fiona's storyline explores "the actual prevalence of attitudes about appearance in society", identifying a theme of lacking self-esteem as particularly prevalent with Fiona. Film critic Emanuel Levy shared that "Fiona suffers/benefits from duality", transitioning from a "sexy, opinionated, and feisty" character into an outcast once "her secret is revealed", after which she becomes closer to Shrek. Matt Zoller Seitz, film critic for the New York Press, wrote that Fiona takes the film's metaphor pertaining the people "passing for something they're not" to "a whole different level", explaining, "At first you think she's a standard-issue princess who's willing to let her hair down and hang with the riffraff", describing her as "a modern-day Disney heroine". Seitz also observed "interracial overtones" in Fiona and Shrek's relationship.

Appearances

Film series

Fiona first appears in Shrek (2001) as a bride chosen by Lord Farquaad, who intends to marry the princess solely so that he can become King of Duloc. In order to regain ownership of his swamp, Shrek and Donkey agree to retrieve Fiona from her dragon-guarded tower and deliver her to Farquaad. Fiona is rescued successfully but disappointed upon discovering that Shrek is an ogre instead of a knight, proceeding to act coldly towards him at the beginning of their journey back to Duloc. However, her attitude softens once she overhears Shrek explain that he is constantly misjudged by his appearance, and the two gradually develop a camaraderie as Fiona falls in love with Shrek. Late one evening, Donkey discovers that Fiona is under an enchantment that transforms her into an ogre every night, and she wishes to break the spell by kissing Farquaad before the next sunset. When she finally decides to tell Shrek the truth the following morning, she transforms back into human and learns that Shrek has already summoned Farquaad to take her back to Duloc himself, having overheard and misinterpreted some of her conversation with Donkey. The princess and ogre part ways, Fiona returning to Duloc with Farquaad and Shrek returning to his swamp alone. Shrek and Donkey soon interrupt Fiona and Farquaad's wedding ceremony, where Shrek professes his love for her. With the sun setting, Fiona allows herself to transform into an ogre in front of Shrek for the first time, prompting Farquaad to threaten to lock her back in her tower for eternity. However, the dragon that had once imprisoned Fiona, eats Farquaad, killing him. Fiona finally confesses her feelings for Shrek and, upon kissing him, turns into an ogre full-time; the two ogres marry.

In Shrek 2 (2004), Fiona and Shrek return home from their honeymoon to find that Fiona's parents are inviting them to the kingdom of Far, Far Away to celebrate and bless their marriage. Shrek is apprehensive about meeting his parents-in-law, but Fiona insists. Fiona's parents, King Harold and Queen Lillian, are surprised to find that their daughter married an ogre, with Harold acting particularly coldly towards his new son-in-law, which in turn strains Fiona and Shrek's relationship. When a tearful Fiona unintentionally summons her Fairy Godmother, who discovers that the princess married someone other than Prince Charming – her own son – she conspires with Harold to kill Shrek and trick Fiona into falling in love with Charming, as per their original agreement. Fiona is briefly returned to her human form when Shrek consumes a potion that turns both him and his true love beautiful, but Shrek must obtain a kiss from Fiona before midnight, otherwise the spell will revert. However, Fairy Godmother, from whom Shrek steals the potion, tricks Fiona into believing Charming is Shrek's human form. Despite their efforts, Fiona continues to resent Charming's impression of her husband to the point where Fairy Godmother imprisons Shrek and insists that Harold feed Fiona a potion that will force her to fall in love with whomever she kisses first, intending for this to be Charming. However, the king refuses upon seeing how unhappy Fiona has become, thwarting Fairy Godmother's plan. Fairy Godmother and Charming are defeated by Fiona, Shrek and their friends. Although Shrek offers to kiss Fiona so that they can remain human forever, Fiona refuses, insisting that she would rather spend forever with the ogre she fell in love with and married, and they turn back into ogres.

Television specials and shorts

Fiona has appeared in two holiday-themed television specials: Shrek the Halls (2007) and Scared Shrekless (2010). The animated short Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party! (2001) is included on home video releases of Shrek, featuring several of the film's characters performing covers of well-known songs. In the short, Fiona sings an excerpt from Madonna's song "Like a Virgin" (1984). Fiona appears in the short Shrek 4-D, a 4-D film originally shown at various amusement and theme parks. The short was renamed Shrek 3-D and The Ghost of Lord Farquaad for home video and streaming service releases. In it, Fiona and Shrek's honeymooning plans are interrupted by Farquaad's ghost, who abducts Fiona and intends to kill the princess so that he can remarry her ghost in the afterlife. Shrek and Donkey pursue Farquaad determined to rescue her, assisted by Dragon. Fiona appears in the short film Far, Far Away Idol, a parody of the reality television singing competition American Idol, which is included as a bonus feature on home video releases of Shrek 2. First serving as a judge alongside Shrek and an animated version of American Idol judge Simon Cowell, offering feedback about the other characters performances, Fiona eventually duets The Romantics' "What I Like About You" with Shrek.

Stage

Fiona appeared in the stage musical adaptation of the film, which ran on Broadway from 2008 to 2010. The role was originated by actress Sutton Foster, who had been involved in the project three years before its premiere, having learned about it from composer Jeanine Tesori and director Jason Moore. She was drawn towards the idea of playing a princess for the first time, the prospect of which she found "fun", as well as the opportunity to collaborate with lyricist and librettist David Lindsay-Abaire. Actresses Keaton Whittaker and Marissa O'Donnell portrayed younger versions of the character. Before production, Foster described Fiona as an atypical princess who is "a little bipolar, but rightfully so" having "grown up, like we all have, with ideas of how the world works" while trying to surround herself with, and emulate fairy tales. Foster believes Fiona constantly struggles with her "inner ogre" despite trying to be perfect. "Everything she's been told is that she's supposed to look a certain way and act a certain way, but everything on the inside is telling her something different." Although Fiona longs to be a "proper princess", Foster identifies herself as "more of a tomboy", while Fiona's body contradicts her desires: "as soon as she starts farting and burping, she has a really great time! And I just love that, that she finds herself in just having fun with an ogre, with Shrek. And I love that she falls in love with him through something crude." Foster found it "fun to play a truly conflicted character and to be a princess who burps and farts and gets to do silly things." Foster earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Despite being a fan of the musical adaption, Diaz has stated that she has no intention of reprising her role on stage. In the musical's original West End cast, Fiona was portrayed by Amanda Holden. Other actresses who have played Fiona in various productions around the world include Kimberley Walsh, Carley Stenson, Faye Brookes, Lucy Durack, Amelia Lily, Laura Main, Joanne Clifton and Julia Murney.

Reception

Critical response

During early press screenings, critics were amused by Fiona's bluebird scene, to the point where they laughed hysterically. David Ansen of Newsweek reported that the sequence consistently "sends audiences into fits of delight". Time film critic Richard Schickel called Fiona "an excellent character", highlighting her confrontation with Monsieur Hood. Kelly Vance of the East Bay Express said "Fiona is more charming, more vulnerable, perkier, and even more sensitive than if she were played by a human actress". Film critic Emanuel Levy believes Shrek benefits from Fiona and Diaz's performance. Malcolm Johnson of the Hartford Courant lauded Fiona as "a marvel, as beautiful and shapely as a real star but capable of moves that go beyond the wirework in The Matrix". Johnson continued, "Every turn of Fiona's head, every glance, every shift of mouth lift character animation to new heights". Similarly, the London Evening Standard wrote that "every bright ringlet on Princess Fiona ... the liquefaction flow of her velvet robe, even her skin tones have the feel of organic root, thread or cell". Slant Magazine's Ed Gonzalez identified Fiona's struggles with self-loathing as the film's strongest asset. Reviewing Shrek the Third, Entertainment Weekly film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum described Fiona as "fabulously resourceful", identifying the moment she reinvents her princess friends into independent women as the film's sole "Cool Thing".

Diaz has also received positive attention for her voice acting. The Washington Post film critic Desson Howe wrote that Diaz's performance offers "a funny, earthy princess". GamesRadar+ wrote Fiona "nestle[s] comfortably between the movie's storybook style and photo-realistic convincingness," continuing that Diaz's performance "reinforces her game-for-a-laugh reputation". Kim Morgan of OregonLive.com said, "Diaz's sweet yet tough demeanor shines through all her computer-generated-imagery beauty," citing her vulnerability as an asset. The Daily Telegraph's film critic Andrew O'Hagan believes Diaz imbues Fiona with "easygoing shrillness that modern eight-year-olds may find likeable", while the Deseret News' Jeff Vice wrote that Diaz proves more than merely "a pretty face". Bruce Westbrook of the Houston Chronicle reviewed Diaz as an improvement upon "the spunkiness of today's heroines" by "packing surprise punches that would have suited her role in Charlie's Angels". Turner Classic Movies and TV Guide agreed that Diaz's performance earned the actress several younger fans. PopMatters' Cynthia Fuchs, reviewing the fourth film, described the princess as "always at least a little wonderful, patient, and smart (and now awesomely Amazonian)," and found herself wishing Fiona would discover a parallel universe in which she is truly appreciated.

Feminist analysis

Some media publications have regarded Fiona as a feminist icon. Upon her debut, Fiona was celebrated by most critics "as a radical new take on the princess myth". Fiona's subversion of common princess tropes continues to be widely discussed in the media. Wired contributor Claudia Puig felt the first film boasts "a wonderfully affirming message for girls courtesy of Fiona". Jack Rear, writing for Pretty 52, described Fiona as "feminism goals" due to her martial arts proficiency. Affinity Magazine contributor Isabel Tovar identified the moment Fiona defeats Monsieur Hood as "female empowering", believing "Fiona has been feminist queen since day one." Reviewing Shrek Forever After, Rachel Giese of CBC found the character's "girl-power turn as a warrior princess" to be one of the installment's most endearing changes. Crowning the character "the best feminist action hero around", Emily Shire of The Week deemed Fiona "the kind of feminist action hero movies need more of", describing her as a strong heroine who "saves herself and loved ones" while accepting the "'ugly' and 'gross' aspects of herself". Shire also voiced her preference for Fiona over The Hunger Games' Katniss Everdeen and the superheroine Wonder Woman. Allison Maloney of The Shriver Report shared Shire's sentiments. Felicity Sleeman, a writer for Farrago, believes "Fiona completely dispels any misconceptions of the passive princess trope", citing her as a strong female character "able to stand up for herself and fight in ways that would typically be considered masculine." Sleeman continued that one of the most important components of Fiona's personality "is that the films don't ignore or degrade any of her qualities that are considered typically feminine", elaborating that her struggles over her appearance are "significant in that it presents the ways in which so many girls are pressured by society to uphold a certain standard of beauty." Sleeman concluded, "In an industry where female characters have so often portrayed as secondary characters defined by their beauty ... Fiona is a well-rounded character who represents an eclectic mix of traits that are representative of real women", remaining feminine yet strong. Rachel O'Neill, a writer for The Daily Edge, identified Fiona as "the first badass princess ... able to speak for herself", joking, "nobody can fling a mermaid quite like Fiona."

In 2008, BBC News named Fiona "the next feminist icon", believing the character retains "a certain sex appeal which continues even after she changes into an ogre - perfectly underlining how attitudes have changed towards women in the 21st Century." HuffPost contributor Hayley Krischer cited Fiona as a rare example of a princess who "br[oke] the mold". Iona Tytler of Babe.net recognized Fiona among childhood feminist characters "who got you where you are today". Praising her independence, Tytler said Fiona "overc[ame] the societal prejudice in her world that came with being an ogre" while becoming "more comfortable in her own skin." Sarah Tutton, curator of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's DreamWorks exhibit, credits Fiona with "br[eaking] the mould of the helpless princess," citing her as a modern-day feminist. Tutton also said the character "completely subverts what it means to be a beautiful princess." Forbes contributor Dani Di Placido believes Fiona embodied characteristics associated with the unconventional, rebellious warrior princess several years before such traits became standard in film and television. Similarly, the British Film Institute's So Mayer wrote that heroines such as Merida and Elsa from Disney's Brave (2012) and Frozen (2013), respectively, were both "late to the party compared to" Fiona, reflecting, "over the course of the trilogy she wanders the wilderness, turns down Lord Farquaad, survives imprisonment, decides she prefers being ogre to being human, and organizes a resistance composed of fairytale princesses." Furthermore, Female Action Heroes: A Guide to Women in Comics, Video Games, Film, and Television author Gladys L. Knight wrote that Fiona challenged the manner in which medieval women are portrayed on screen. Mary Zeiss Stange, author of Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, Volume 1, cited Fiona as an example of an "outstanding female action hero".Refinery 29's Anne Cohen felt Fiona remains a strong heroine despite Shrek's "un-feminist plot" featuring several men making decisions about her future without her involvement. Cohen praised Fiona for defending herself, defying stereotypes, speaking her mind and accepting her own flaws. Crowning Fiona an "important cultural milestone", the author concluded that she is "fierce, honest [and] wonderful" despite her unconventional appearance.

Recognition

Fiona was celebrated as a positive role model by the Girl Scouts of the USA, who used the character's likeness in several tie-in media to promote the organization's "Issues for Girl Scouts" movement and encourage "girls to develop self-confidence and embrace diversity." The organization also hosted a free screening of the film in 2001, which was attended by an audience of 340. For her performance in Shrek, Diaz won a Kid's Choice Award for Best Burp, which the actress claims to be one of her greatest achievements. According to Daniel Kurland of Screen Rant, Diaz "remains a crucial component of what makes the movie work" despite resembling an "unsung hero" throughout the franchise. Summarizing the actress' career, Kendall Fisher of E! Online said Diaz "voiced one of our favorite animated characters". The Ringer ranked Shrek Diaz's best film, believing her performance as Fiona aged better than the film's soundtrack and animation. Author Alison Herman elaborated that Fiona embraced her flaws and offered children "an important lesson in both self-esteem and the comedic value of fart jokes", while the actress "holds her own against" Myers and Murphy; "as a character, Fiona subverts the pretty-princess trope enough to provide fuel for undergrad media studies papers for decades to come".

Marie Claire ranked Fiona Diaz's third best "Movie Moments That Made Us Fall In Love With Her". In addition to ranking Fiona the fourth best role of Diaz's career following her retirement in 2018, Samarth Goyal of the Hindustan Times crowned Fiona "one of the most loved animated characters of the 21st century", crediting her with making Diaz "a big star". In 2011, Gulf News ranked Diaz among "Hollywood's A-list of most popular voice actors", with Forbes reporting in 2010 that the actress was mentioned in the media approximately 1,809 times while promoting the most recent Shrek film. Teen Vogue considered Fiona among the "17 Best Princesses in Movies and TV", praising the character for learning "to love herself." NBC New York's Bryan Alexander described Fiona as "the world's hottest ogre", while Stephen Hunter, film critic for The Washington Post, found hearing Diaz's voice from a computer-animated character "kind of hot". To promote Shrek 2, ice cream restaurant Baskin-Robbins named a flavor after the character, entitled Fiona's Fairytale. Described as "pink and purple swirled", the ice cream was cotton candy-flavored.