Character from Shrek by DreamWorks Animation
A bounty hunter whose magic flute forces any creature to dance against their will — Rumpelstiltskin's most insidious weapon, because you can't fight what makes you boogie.
The Pied Piper doesn't speak much — he lets his flute do the talking. He's a professional: point him at a target, he plays, and the target dances helplessly until captured. Rumpelstiltskin hired him to hunt down Shrek and the Ogre Resistance in the alternate timeline. His flute's dial is the detail that elevates him from one-note villain to comedy gold — he can tune it to make specific species dance, and the sight of hardened ogre warriors involuntarily breaking into choreographed routines while trying to resist is one of the franchise's best visual gags. Cookie the ogre actually enjoyed the forced dancing, which undercuts the menace perfectly. In the real timeline, he's apparently harmless enough to attend parties at Shrek's swamp, suggesting the villainy was situational.
Tall, gaunt figure in a dark outfit with an ornate magic flute. The flute has a dial that can be adjusted to target different creature types — ogres, rats, witches, children. His design is a blend of Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull and Marilyn Manson: part rock musician, part fairy tale nightmare. He moves with a piper's deliberate, rhythmic gait.
Also known as: Pied Piper, The Piper