Antonio Banderas explains the history of how Puss in Boots spun off from Shrek

Ever since Puss in Boots made his film debut in 2004's Shrek 2, the adorably big-eyed tabby has been stealing hearts (and priceless treasure) across multiple movies and a Netflix TV series. Voiced by Antonio Banderas, the frisky outlaw-turned-hero was so beloved from his first appearance, not only did he return for every Shrek movie since, he eventually got his own film franchise, beginning with 2011's Puss in Boots and leading to the upcoming sequel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Originally developed as a one-off sidekick, Puss has now outlasted even Shrek himself to officially become the longest-running character in the entire franchise. And Banderas, who has voiced Puss for over 18 years, is here to refresh your memory on every one of his adventures before seeing Puss in Boots: The Last Wish this holiday season. "Let's see if I can catch you up on his whole life story in just 90 seconds," Banderas says in EW's exclusive — and hilarious — video above.

DreamWorks Animation; Jason Mendez/Getty

Puss in Boots

In the video, Banderas begins with the first standalone Puss in Boots film, a 2011 prequel that tells Puss' origin story. Puss was just a nameless kitty who was abandoned when he was young, and found shelter at an orphanage where he met Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and performed his first heroic act, earning his boots, name, and reputation. At first, he and Humpty were brothers-in-arms, hunting together for magic beans that would lead them to the Golden Goose, until Humpty had a great fallout with Puss. Jealous of Puss' new reputation as a hero, their relationship fell apart after Humpty tricked Puss into robbing a bank without knowing it, and Puss left town branded as an outlaw.

Years later, he reunited with Humpty after meeting his new partner Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), and they recruit Puss to help them steal the magic beans. But it was all a setup: Humpty just wanted revenge on Puss for abandoning him all those years ago, so after they steal the Golden Goose, Humpty framed Puss for the crime. Puss got arrested, but with Kitty's help, Humpty had a change of heart. They helped him escape jail and worked together to save the town, and Humpty ultimately sacrificed himself to save Puss' life. By the end of the film, Puss and Kitty left town again as outlaws and new partners-in-crime.

Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third

Jumping backward in terms of movies, Banderas pivots to Puss' first appearance in Shrek 2 and then 2007's Shrek the Third where he met and joined his new crew: Shrek (Mike Myers), Fiona (Cameron Diaz), and Donkey (Eddie Murphy). In Shrek 2, Puss was originally hired as an assassin to kill Shrek, but failed in his attack. After begging Shrek for mercy, his life was spared, so he vowed to join Shrek as his new partner, creating a new rivalry with Donkey.

By the end of the film, they formed a new trio, and they all returned for Shrek the Third where, while helping Shrek find a replacement to take the throne of Far Far Away Kingdom, Puss and Donkey accidentally got hit with a spell that made them swap bodies. Puss struggled with being in the body of an ass — "I can say 'ass' because I am Puss in Boots," Banderas cheekily tells the video producers who try to bleep him — but they eventually saved the day and got back into their own bodies.

Shrek Forever After

Puss returned once more in the Shrek franchise for Shrek Forever After in 2010, and after all these years, Banderas still has some issues with pronouncing the villain's name: Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn). In the last Shrek film, after Shrek was tricked into making a deal with Rumpelstiltskin, everyone got transported into an alternate reality where he never existed. In the new reality, Puss was more of a chonk than a hero: a regular house cat who retired from going on adventures. But he stepped up to save the day once more, fighting Rumpelstiltskin and getting Shrek and Fiona back together just in time to have true love's kiss undo the deal and set reality back to normal.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

That brings us to the newest Puss in Boots installment, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. "Everyone knows Puss was made for a life of action, danger, a life of great food, passionate love, and constant excitement," Banderas says. "A life of many lives. And the epic tale of Puss in Boots is not over now. Everyone's favorite gazpacho-loving, swashbuckling, fear-defying feline has found out that he has burned through eight of his nine lives. And getting those lives back will send Puss on his grandest quest yet."

The new movie sees Puss once again teaming with Hayek's Kitty Softpaws as they journey into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star to restore his lost lives. But with only one life left, Puss will have to humble himself and ask for help from his former partner and nemesis. The movie also introduces a new cast of characters voiced by Harvey Guillén, Olivia Colman, Florence Pugh, John Mulaney, and more. It hits theaters Dec. 21.

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