Puss in Boots (Shrek)

Puss in Boots is a major character from the Shrek franchise. Loosely based on the fairytale character Puss in Booths hence the name and appearance, he also does a parody of Zorro in the franchise.

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 foster mother. 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.

Why He Rocks

 * 1) Unlike Humpty, Puss didn't want to steal anymore ever since he saved the mother of the Captain of the Guard from a bull. Even in later years, Puss is already a hero in spite of being wanted by the law.
 * 2) He often overpowers his enemies with his cute kitten looks which is cute to look at. it even spawned a meme.
 * 3) He can easily save other people's lives such as attempting to help Shrek and Donkey get the Happily Ever After potion and escaping from the Fairy Godmother's potion factory or how he protects the hidden city of San Lorenzo in The Adventures of Puss in Boots.
 * 4) Don't let his size fool you since he is capable to fight against much taller opponents and is skilled with a sword.
 * 5) He can be seen as the voice of reason between conflicting parties like when Donkey seems to have an antagonizing nature towards him, Puss is normally the less proactive.
 * 6) *Another instance was when he talks to Three Diablos about how it's tough not knowing whom to trust and being led in the wrong path.
 * 7) *Another example was when in Shrek the Halls, he educates Shrek that "Christmas just comes" after learning that Shrek never celebrated Christmas before and wanting it to go right.
 * 8) He acts like a ladies' man. It is shown in the 2011 Puss in Boots movie when he has a girlfriend named Kitty Softpaws. This could also apply in one scene of his cover of Livin La Vida Loca from Shrek 2.
 * 9) In Puss in Boots (the movie), the titular cat reconciles with Humpty to help take down the Great Terror. Even if Humpty did a lot of bad things for Puss, at least Puss tried to forgive Humpty.
 * 10) He does have a father figure in him as seen with The Three Diablos when he teaches the kittens the right direction and how to fight. Though Puss does not adopt the kittens, the kittens are a lot younger than Puss.
 * 11) He was willing to restore his lost honor in his movie Puss in Boots. Even if he's still a criminal by the law, at least the townspeople and Imelda see him as a hero once again.
 * 12) Out of all the characters in Shrek 2, Puss in Boots is by far the best new addition which would give him a popularity status. His popularity led him to get his own spin-off movie and a show on Netflix.
 * 13) He's a pretty great singer.
 * 14) Does have some funny moments like his fight against Shrek.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) In his younger years, Puss and Humpty did some bad things.
 * 2) Can be seen as someone who did get tricked before like when Humpty tricked Puss into helping him rob a bank or when he realizes that Humpty wanted to get revenge on Puss.
 * 3) He doesn't show much personality in the Shrek movies, shorts, and specials other than being a kiss-up to Shrek, as pointed out by Donkey in Scared Shrekless, unlike his spin-off film and series.
 * 4) He tried to kill Shrek and Donkey when they first met in Shrek 2, though he only did that because King Harold hired and paid him to do it.
 * 5) He often picks on Donkey, although Puss is the less antagonistic one in their rivalry.

Trivia

 * In Shrek 2, when Shrek grabs Puss, he mentions his parents. However, it is revealed in Puss in Boots that Puss is an orphan, though Shrek might have been referring to Imelda as Puss' mother and the Three Diablos as the litter of little brothers.
 * In Shrek 2, when Puss is fighting with Shrek, he sneaks into Shrek's clothings, and he burst through the ogre's shirt, this may be a reference to the chestburster scene in the sci-fi/horror film Alien.
 * Puss' Shrek 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 moves. In Shrek the Third, Donkey, while in Puss' body, scratches a D instead. Puss also hates Mondays, as revealed in the Poison Apple bar (an eerily similar trait to Garfield).