Puss in Boots

Puss in Boots is the tetartagonist from the Shrek film series and the main protagonist of the film with the

same name and its Netflix spin-off animated series The Adventures of Puss in Boots. He voiced in English and both Spanish versions by Antonio Banderas in the film and Eric Bauza in the series. He is based loosely on the fairy tale character of the same name, and is the main "other fairy tale character" in the four sequels. He was introduced in Shrek 2 and speaks with a Spanish accent.

Background
Puss in Boots was born and raised with a moral compass, strong sense of justice and valour. Though he may appear self-serving and greedy at times he is actually a very selfless and honourable person. Part of this stems from his small beginnings as a stray, abandoned at an orphanage with the only person who ever had any hope for him was his adopted mother. Because of this he strives to make her proud by being more than a criminal that others brand him to be. However he is also a survivor at heart and will protect himself and his interests in dubious manners such as becoming an outlaw to fight and steal. Despite this, Puss' high sense of honor prevents him from stealing simply out of selfish reasons and believes in repaying debts.

Like many orphans. Puss has a high desire to receive love and affection. This crux in behavior from a typical thief acts as cause to his growing morality during his childhood with Humpty and his growing popularity among the town as a hero led him to abandon thieving ways. Puss can act vicious and possibly hold a grudge if he is betrayed, especially if it's by ones he is loyal towards. He abandoned his childhood friend and surrogate brother, Humpty Dumpty, when the latter betrayed him, leaving get captured by the guards. After this betrayal and loss of the only family he knew, Puss became colder as he seemed concerned about only securing his survival by adapting the lifestyle of an assassin and would kill whoever demanded for a high price of gold. He would later abandon this due to his loyalty and gratitude towards Shrek for showing him mercy after years of rejection and loneliness.

When people treat him with kindness, Puss will repay them in term. He will defend those who cannot do so themselves, such as the Three Diablos, three kittens whom he protected from their wrathful master, The Whisperer. Self-sacrificing and extremely generous for a thief, Puss was not a greedy cat and most of his felonious actions and robberies were based solely to repay the crime he was tricked into committing and give the people of his hometown the money that was stolen from them. A great example of Puss' self-sacrificing nature was when he entered his hometown, San Ricardo, to save Humpty and Kitty, despite the high risk of his reputation. Puss, however, can act very vicious and vengeful at times. He held a massive grudge towards his former friend, Humpty for betraying him which did little to soothe even after years apart and still blamed him for turning him to a life of crime, only agreeing to help him on strictly business terms, making it clear there was no loyalty or connection between the two of them. Puss seems to have grown into a more forgiving person. Even after being betrayed by Humpty a second time he accepted his apology with little to no difficulty and took sympathy for him, accepting he had a part in creating the rift between them and putting a strain on their friendship.

Many things that are infamous about Puss in Boots is his legend and many relationships. A known ladies man, Puss possesses a suaveness, swagger and confidence in his movements which attracts the eye of many a fine woman. However Puss' lack of interest in commitment normally lead him to even forget the names of his relationships. The one person who does match him, in both skills and reputation was Kitty Softpaws who was said to be the only cat Puss ever loved.

Despite his infamy and reputation as a fearless warrior, Puss is still a cat and has many traits that of a common house-cat. For example, he licks himself clean, plays with a ball of yarn and light rays and occasionally suffers from hair balls. He has a fondness for milk and uses his cuteness and feline prowess to get what he wants; another famous trick of his.

Puss in Boots
He starred in the film Puss in Boots, which revealed Puss's past and beginnings before he met Shrek. He was abandoned as a kitten in a basket, which somehow found its way to the doorstep of an orphanage in a Spanish town called San Ricardo. He was taken in by the head of the orphanage, Imelda, who became his mother figure.

He befriended a young Humpty Alexander Dumpty, who gave him his name Puss, and they became brothers in heart with a dream: To find the Magic Beans so they may find the Giant's Castle and get the Golden Eggs of the Golden Goose, setting themselves up for life. Throughout their childhood, Puss and Humpty got in and out of trouble, stealing various beans in their search for the magic beans until one day, Puss saved the mother of the Captain of the Guard (Comandante)from a bull, and was regarded as a hero when Imelda gave him a pair of boots to wear with pride.

This event, however, drove a wedge between Puss and Humpty as Puss didn't want to steal anymore while Humpty continued and thought Puss was breaking their promise. One night, Humpty tricked Puss into helping him rob the San Ricardo bank. Puss tried to explain to the Comandante, but his words fell on deaf ears. Chased by the guards, they passed the orphanage and seen by Imelda, who was heartbroken to see, from her perspective, her son, Puss, having returned to his thieving ways.

The chase ended at a bridge where the money fell over the bridge and was lost, and Humpty fell and couldn't get back up as he begged Puss to help him. Angry that Humpty had tricked him and branded him an outlaw, Puss told him to help himself, left him to the guards and fled San Ricardo.

Over the next seven years, Puss became a swashbuckling hero but wanted by the law, as he searched for a way to clear his name and repay the stolen money to return home, when he found himself at a bar where he heard of two murderous outlaws, Jack & Jill, in possession of the magic beans he had long sought. He broke into their hotel room, set on the stealing the beans but so did a masked cat with the same intention, causing them to get caught and run out. Puss chased after the masked cat back to a bar with a bunch of other cats, where they both have a dance fight and a sword fight, ending with Puss smacking her over the head with a guitar, which upsets the cat so much that she rips her mask off and reveals to a surprised Puss that she is, in fact, a woman. Puss then reunites with Humpty Dumpty who also introduces her as Kitty Softpaws, named because she can take things without anyone even noticing they are gone (as she does frequently with Puss's hat, boots, and money simply to tease him) and asks him to join them in finding the beans, planting them, and getting the golden eggs which lie at the top. Puss immediately refuses, and even after Kitty tries to woo him into going with them, he denies and then tells her his history with Humpty and how everything went wrong (though she falls asleep while he is telling the story out of boredom).

After Humpty, who had followed the two, explains to Puss that he wants a second chance, Puss agrees to help him find the beans/golden eggs, making it clear that he is doing it for the town and the woman who had faith in him, not for Humpty. The three of them set off to find Jack and Jill, finally seeing them coming towards them, hiding in a canyon type place in the desert. Kitty jumps onto their cart which is pulled by warthogs, followed by Puss, while Humpty readies their getaway vehicle. Puss lowers Kitty into the back of the cart, who struggles to open the box the beans are held in (which is around Jack's hand), with Puss urging her to use her claws. She finally admits to him that she has no claws, which wakes up one of the baby warthogs sleeping in the back. Puss drops in beside her and opens the box with his claws as Kitty quiets the baby pig, giving him to Puss as she uses her paws to get the beans from Jack's hand, giving them to Puss. Just as they are about to leave, Puss accidentally backs up and steps on two pigs' tails, alerting Jack and Jill, who drop into the bottom where they are. They manage to get outside, jam the levers to force their seats to stay up, and tie up their heads, signaling Humpty to get their own cart beside the one they're on now. Kitty jumps onto the cart, but Jill headbutts Puss before he can, briefly knocking him out and causing him to drop the beans, which bounce around the top of the cart, almost falling off. Puss gets them back while fighting Jill, who somehow escaped, but she grabs him and dangles him over the edge of the cart and the canyon, about to drop him. Humpty rams the side of their cart and Puss lands back in their cart, and they get away. Kitty explains to Puss, as they are riding in the cart, that her owners got her claws removed for an unknown reason (although she does suggest it was for shredding the curtains or "playing too roughly with the hamster).

They make it to the perfect spot to plant them, being directed in the right way by Humpty, and plant the beans in a bare, sandy area, right as a storm cloud comes overhead, and a giant funnel of green-lit clouds and wind comes spinning down the place they planted the beans, cracking the sand, then suddenly disappearing, leaving only a small weed where the beans are buried. Kitty suggests Humpty talk to it, which he does, but barely gets a few words out before a giant beanstalk shoots up out of the ground, taking them with it, higher and higher into the clouds before it finally stops. The three got off and surprisingly are able to stand and walk on the clouds without difficulty, although their voices grow higher due to the thin air (their voices return to normal in the normal air pressure of the castle.) They see a castle type building and they enter it, not having to fear the giant, as Humpty says it's been dead for years; although, there is a beast in the castle known as the Great Terror, which if gazed upon, allegedly turns the gazer to stone. They cross the water far below and get to the island. With only a small run-in with whatever the beast is, they find the golden eggs and the gosling that lays them. They take the gosling because the eggs are far too heavy and make it to the edge of the island before the rope they used to get across is broken, and they fall down into the canyon, the beast not far behind. As they are trying to get away, Kitty falls into the water, unable to pull herself back onto the branch due to her not having claws, but she is saved by Puss. They escape and get back down to the ground, cutting the beanstalk down and rejoicing over getting the golden goose. They briefly dance, and Humpty pulls Kitty aside to tell her to not lose focus, obviously talking about her falling in love with Puss. Kitty seems about to tell Puss something but is interrupted by Humpty and leaves to get rest, leaving Humpty and Puss outside with the goose. Puss tells Humpty he is glad to have his brother back, and Humpty goes to sleep with the goose lying on top of him. Meanwhile, Jack and Jill suddenly come up behind Puss and knock him unconscious.

When Puss awakens, he is lying in the desert surrounded by crows, which he shoos away. He finds footprints and wagon tracks around him, and he follows them to the town he was raised in. He sees a shadow of Humpty being held by Jack and Jill, and he follows them to save him, only to find them laughing and celebrating. Humpty explains to him how the only thing he wanted against Puss was revenge, and everyone had been working for him, even Jack and Jill. He prepares to fight the guards, but Imelda arrives before he can. Out of empathy for all the grief he caused to his adoptive mother, Puss accepts his fate and doesn't fight arrest. He sees Kitty as he is being led away in a carrier, knowing she has betrayed him. While in jail, he finds the Jack, who had the beans in the first place, as his cellmate. Jack tells Puss actual goal of Humpty's plan. The Great Terror is, in fact, the golden goose's mother and will destroy the town while trying to get her baby back. Puss escapes using his adorably big eyes to practically hypnotize the guard, and Kitty comes back to do the rest. She helps Puss escape, and he goes to find Humpty. Puss confronts him about his actions. Humpty claims that Puss was the one who betrayed by neglecting him and choosing the town over their brotherhood. Puss apologizes for this and the two reconcile. With the Great Terror arriving, they lead her to the bridge, which breaks under her weight, and Puss has to hold onto a rope that Humpty is holding onto to be sure he doesn't fall into the wreckage. The gosling was also caught by a rope, but it is breaking. Knowing that Puss can't save both him and the goose, Humpty lets go of his rope, so Puss can give the baby back to make sure the mother does not destroy the whole town. He does save her and later finds Humpty has been turned into a golden egg, which the mother takes and flies back to the castle.

Puss is still wanted though, but before leaving, he and Imelda reconcile. Puss and Kitty get away from the guards still, and Kitty says she will see him again soon, showing that she has taken his boots. During the first half of the credits, Puss and Kitty finally kiss.

The Adventures of Puss in Boots
The series sees Puss in Boots fight off an endless legion of invaders to protect the previously hidden city of San Lorenzo, after his actions unintentionally broke the spell that protected its legendary mystic treasure from the outside world and must also find a way to restore the protection spell that will cloak the town once more.

Shrek 2
Recommended to King Harold by Doris (the Ugly Stepsister and barmaid of the Poison Apple Inn) as a famous ogre assassin, Puss is hired by the king to assassinate Shrek. However, unlike his fairy tale counterpart, he does not try to trick the ogre into changing into a mouse, but instead makes a direct, frontal assault on Shrek, which works up until the feline gags on a hairball, spitting it up. Shrek and Donkey think of what to do with him as Donkey even proposes to give him the 'Bob Barker treatment', but the swashbuckling cat begs for his life. Puss claims to have taken then contract to help his poor family, consisting of a litter of siblings, a sick mother and a father who lives off the garbage (although he may have been lying so Shrek would spare his life). Ultimately, they spare his life, and Puss proposes to the ogre he owes a life debt to him, in thanks. Although there is some tension/rivalry between Puss and Donkey (who seems nervous that Puss is taking his place as "annoying talking animal" and as Shrek's best friend), the three eventually become close friends and allies.

Shrek appears to have accepted this debt, as Puss in Boots stays with him throughout the course of the film. He has also stated that he "hates mondays". When Shrek and Donkey enter the castle to find Fiona and are being chased by the castle's knights, Puss repays his debt to Shrek by holding them off (he removes his hat, looks at the guards cutely, and then attacks them when they stop and say "aww!") After Shrek and Fiona get back together, and the king turns back to a frog, Donkey finds out he has become a dad. Due to the friendship that has developed, Puss decides to be Donkey's dronkeys' uncle.

Shrek the Third
Donkey and Puss remain in Far Far Away with Fiona and Shrek, helping the royal couple run the country in the place of the ailing king. Puss joins Shrek and Donkey on their journey to find Artie (Fiona's cousin and heir to the throne) and later encourages Shrek to be kinder to Artie to gain the teenager's trust. He also tries to advise Shrek who has just found out that Fiona is expecting a baby, on fatherhood.

When the group is magically sent back to Far Far Away by Merlin, Puss and Donkey have their bodies accidentally switched, something they were not happy about. The two swapped animals later join forces with the Far Far Away princesses and other captives of Prince Charming and help rescue Shrek. Towards the end of the movie, they confront Merlin and demand he put them in their correct bodies. He does so, although their tails seem to have been switched this time (in the next scene, this is shown to have been corrected as well). At the end of the movie, Puss helps Shrek and Fiona care for their new born ogre triplets. He has trouble with them pulling his fur and tail.

Shrek the Halls
In Shrek the Halls, Puss tells the story of Santa Claus as a smooth Spanish cat (similar to himself). He is distracted from telling the tale when he sees a glass Christmas tree ornament and begins batting at it. When he realizes what he was doing, he walks away muttering "I have shamed myself". Later, when Shrek explains that he never celebrated Christmas before and wanted it to come right, Puss tells his friend "Christmas just comes".

Shrek Forever After
Puss is seen as a regular guest at Shrek's home, eating dinner with Shrek's family and telling the children of the tale of how Shrek met Fiona. He is not properly seen again until Shrek has entered the alternate reality made by Rumpelstiltskin. Here, he has retired from swordsmanship and has become obese and shiftless, and Fiona's pet as well. He befriends Shrek when he realizes there was a spark of romantic interest between Shrek and Fiona. Puss takes part in the ambush on Rumplestiltskin's ogre hunt, but Fiona's army of ogres are captured by the Pied Piper. Puss and Donkey rescue Shrek and Fiona from the Piper, but Fiona leaves in anger when she thought Puss told Shrek everything about her.

Puss and Donkey later lead the ogres in the battle against Rumpelstiltskin's forces, and helps save Shrek and Fiona from Dragon.

Fiona didn't think Shrek was her true love due to her lack of faith, and just believes Puss told everything about her to Shrek. When, at sunrise, Shrek fades from existence (but actually returns to the real world), Puss is first to notice that Fiona is still in her ogress form.

Puss eventually disappears with everything else when Fiona's curse is broken and reality is restored. In the real world, Puss celebrates the ogre babies' first birthday with everyone else.

At the end of the film, when Puss admires himself in the mirror, he sees his alternative self.

Scared Shrekless
Puss takes part in the tournament to crown the "King Of Halloween". Shrek says they are doing it in Lord Farquaad's ghost, who Puss (supposedly) doesn't know who Farquaad is, not being present in the first movie. He and Donkey tell the story of Bates Motel, where they are invited in a hotel by its warm and friendly owner (who turns out to be Prince Charming), but Donkey that as Puss was taking a shower, Charming came and killed him.

Puss and Donkey argue over who was killed, and Donkey gets Pinocchio to spray him with water, making him run away.

Personality
A pint-sized powerhouse, puss is one tough,contentious, suave, charismatic, flirtatious dude. He is very much in full control of his emotions, rarely expressing fear and able to keep calm in the face of danger. For a good price, he'll hunt down and capture anybody. He is an expert theif, but has a strict moral code and refuses to rob churches and orphanages, yet happily robs from people who don't NEED their riches, or won't use them for the greater good, such as Jack and jill. Puss is also very intelligent, strategic, and quick-witted, as well as powerful enough to battle enemies who are bigger than himself. His claws can hurt shrek, even though shrek's green skin is very tough, and his claws can Pierce glass, as well. He also sarcastic, snarky and droll. He also has a form of hypnotic powers, employing a begging expression, which involves expanding his pupils, lowering his head, and holding his hat. This effect enables him to break weak-minded individuals, and exploit people under the influence of the begging face.

He only uses this power in extreme circumstances, and for the greater good. During the events of shrek the third, puss's consciousness was interchanged with that of donkey, and while inhabiting donkey's body, puss attempted the begging look, yet it was ineffective. Puss is highly popular with the ladies, has an active sex life with multiple female cats, and is considered cute by human women, as they often pamper him, and in an alternate timeline, the ogres spoiled him, making him a pathetic, morbidly obese freeloader with no fighting or hunting skills. He couldn't even get into his boots in that timeline.

Trivia

 * Puss in Boots form is based on Zorro's (whom Banderas also portrayed in the The Mask of Zorro and The Legend of Zorro) fighting style, accent (Spanish) and personality. While attacking Shrek, he used his sword to scratch up a P, a parody of Zorro's trademark move. In Shrek the Third, Donkey, while in Puss' body, scratches a D instead.

Theater
Puss in Boots makes a silent cameo in the Shrek the Musical song, "Travel Song" as Donkey says "Hey look, a cat that's wearing boots, that's crazy!". Puss tips his hat to Shrek and Donkey and walks off. He is one of the many puppets seen in the song, along with a bunny Shrek scares away and some African-style animals that parody the opening number of "The Lion King".