Puss in Boots joins Shrek and Donkey in Shrek 2 as a sword-fighting cat.
Antonio Banderas voices Puss, whose Spanish accent, boots, hat, and rapier parody the traditional fairy tale character. He begins Shrek 2 as an assassin hired to kill Shrek, but quickly changes sides after forming a friendship with him.
Puss is especially recognizable for his dramatic “cute kitten” expression, which he uses to disarm enemies and persuade other characters. His fighting style combines fencing, acrobatics, and comic timing.
The character became popular enough to headline two spin-off films: Puss in Boots in 2011 and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022. Puss also appears in later Shrek films and television specials, making him one of DreamWorks Animation’s best-known recurring characters.