Puss In Boots 2 Dramatically Retcons A Major Shrek Rule

Based on its trailer, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish will contradict a major rule about Puss in Boots' nine lives and identity from Shrek 2.

Although Puss in Boots: The Last Wish will not premiere until December 21, 2022, it already seems like the upcoming Puss in Boots sequel will retcon a rule from the Shrek films. Originally introduced as an anthropomorphic cat mercenary in Shrek 2, Puss in Boots rapidly became a fan-favorite character. Due to this instantaneous popularity, Puss has appeared throughout the rest of the Shrek franchise and starred in his own prequel spin-off film. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish will continue Puss’ adventures before meeting Shrek, taking place two years after the first film. For fans who have been waiting 11 years for a Puss in Boots sequel, getting new content is a good thing, but it also creates more opportunities for inconsistencies with the Shrek franchise.

Already evident in the Puss in Boots 2 trailer, one plot hole will come from a quick comment Puss made in Shrek 2. After briefly trying to kill Shrek for money, Puss befriended the ogre and helped him steal a potion from the Fairy Godmother. When Shrek asked if Puss could reach the potions on the highest shelves, Puss explained that it would not be a problem, boasting that, “in one of my nine lives, I was the great cat burglar of Santiago de Compostela!” This suggests that although Puss remembered his past lives, his identity changed each time he started a new life.

However, the Puss in Boots: The Last Wish trailer contradicts this rule. While other movies in the Shrek franchise have referenced Puss having nine lives before, Puss in Boots 2 will directly deal with Puss’ reaction to learning that he is on his last life. Due to this, the Puss in Boots 2 trailer briefly depicted how Puss lost each of his earlier lives. In contrast to Puss’ statement in Shrek 2, though, Puss seemed to maintain the same identity throughout all eight of his previous lives, always having the same name and personality and even sometimes the same outfit. This suggests that Puss’ nine lives are more similar to video game lives, where he returns the same way each time. Although there may be a way to explain this discrepancy, it is more likely that Puss in Boot’s nine lives is a retcon along with several other contradictions between the Puss in Boots and Shrek franchises.

Puss In Boots 9 Lives Retcon Is A Sloppy Mistake

Given that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has only released trailers so far, it is possible that the spin-off will not contradict Shrek 2. The flashbacks to Puss’s previous lives only showed his last moments before dying. Viewers could then argue that Puss’ identity does shift between each life, but the audience cannot tell with so little time to compare them. This would explain differences in Puss’ appearance, such as his large muscles in one flashback before dying in a weightlifting accident. However, Puss also died after being crushed by a bell at the beginning of the Puss in Boots 2 trailer, and his identity did not change at all, confirming that Puss’ nine lives are probably the latest Puss in Boots retcon.

This only adds to the list of inconsistencies between the Shrek and Puss in Boots film series. For example, when Shrek captured the former cat burglar in Shrek 2, Puss asked for mercy by explaining that he needed money to support his siblings, sick mother, and father, who was surviving by eating garbage. In contrast, Puss in Boots revealed that Puss grew up in an orphanage. While Puss might have been lying in Shrek 2 to protect himself, it is still a noticeable difference. In addition, the Shrek movies occurred during medieval times, and despite being a prequel, Puss in Boots took place in a much later historical setting: 19th century Mexico. While Puss in Boots: The Last Wish will benefit the Puss in Boots series by expanding upon existing lore about Puss’ nine lives, it will also create another potentially glaring retcon from the Shrek movies.