Death (Puss-in-Boots)

Death, also known as Big Bad Wolf, Bounty Hunter, Death the Wolf, El Lobo, Lobo and The Wolf, is a character from the Puss-in-Boots series.
== Charactah Account ==
Death is savage wolf who is after Puss loses the eighth out of his nine lives, the Wolf shows up attempting to claim his final life, with Puss believing that he's a bounty hunter who's after the reward on Puss' head.
As revealed before the final confrontation, this is only half true because the Wolf's true identity is Death itself, and he's become sick of Puss frivolously wasting his extra lives. As Puss finds out the hard way, when you make it a habit to "laugh in the face of death," Death might just take it personally.
Being the physical embodiment of death itself, Death possesses great physical and supernatural abilities. He is an exceptionally skilled and powerful fighter, being able to hold his own very well against the legendary swordsman Puss in Boots, and is one of the very few that can match the cat's speed and agility. In fact, Death is the only known individual who has ever managed to draw blood on Puss with a blade.
== Appearance ==
=== Cartoons ===
* Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - The Trident
=== Movies ===
* Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
=== Video Games ===
* DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing
== Trivia ==
* Death is the second antagonist to be an anthropomorphic wolf with supernatural powers Puss faced off with, the first being Bloodwolf.
* Death is based on the folkloric character of the Grim Reaper, whereas the tune he whistles is based on The Silbón, a legend associated with the Los Llanos region of Colombia and Venezuela.
** Since the Grim Reaper/Death is normally portrayed as a humanoid skeleton, it's possible that Death can shape-shift and specifically chose to take the form of a timberwolf, since the individual he is targeting, Puss in Boots, is a cat who notoriously has a fear of dogs and wolves. In ancient times, the wolf was often considered the embodiment of death by certain cultures, mainly because of its savagery and fury.
* While it’s implied, Death is never seen or shown killing others.
* In order to not spoil Death's true identity, which isn't revealed until much later, he is credited as the "Big Bad Wolf" (or at least "the Wolf") in promotional material, although he is never referred to as such in the film. Death himself does not have any connections with the original original Big Bad Wolf from the Shrek films.
* The Dual Sickles Death wields are likely a reference to the aforementioned Grim Reaper's Scythe, both being farming equipment.
* Contrary to appearance, Death is not a bounty hunter, but instead this is just what Puss mistook him for until he revealed his true identity later on.
* Death admitted that he hated that cats have nine lives, considering it to be absurd and he held a personal contempt for Puss, who arrogantly squandered eight of his lives, in reckless abandon all the while claiming he "laughs in the face of death". This basically means that Puss was insulting Death every time he said this remark.
* When Death crosses his sickles on his chest, it makes him appear similar to Anubis, the Egyptian God of the Dead. Fittingly, they are both canines and embodiments of death itself.
* Death is the only character completely unaffected by the Dark Forest, appearing inside a crystal trap that isolated Puss in Boots and showing the ability to effortlessly pass through the star wall. This is because he is not a mortal being, but instead the personification of death itself, the end of mortal existence.
* There are several subtle hints about Death's true identity throughout the film:
** The numbered cards during the death montage have a hooded wolf with sickles at the four corners.
** Death makes his very first entrance by suddenly appearing right next to Puss with ghostly silence.
*** Prior to that, Death could be seen in the top left corner of the screen in an alleyway as the camera pans over the villagers of Del Mar watching Puss as he battles the giant. Unlike everyone else, he is not cheering for the cat and is instead ominously staring at him.
*** This also proves Death's claim of witnessing every single one of Puss's deaths at least partially true.
**** In the short: The Trident, Death can be also seen on the quarterdeck of the ship in a different attire beside the mast when Puss is in the cannon before wasting one of his lives, further verifying that he may have indeed present whenever Puss will lose a life.
** Death's weapons are a pair of sickles, and his attire is a pitch-black cowl, which bare a strong resemblance to the Grim Reaper's scythe and cloak respectively. Also, his appearance as a silvery-white, bipedal wolf with gray mark on his face is likely a reference as Death is usually depicted as a berobbed skeleton.
** During his first encounter with Puss, the Wolf notes that "Everyone thinks they'll be the one to defeat me. But no one's escaped me yet", referencing the fact that everybody dies one day.
** When Puss once makes another crack at death, the Wolf scratches his wanted poster, hinting why he's actually here.
** When Puss, Kitty and Perrito escape from Big Jack Horner's henchman, the Wolf puts two stray coins over his eyes as he watches him leave, making him look like a corpse. This is also a reference as to how Ancient Greeks buried the dead with coins over their eyes so they would have money for passage to the Underworld.
** When Puss sees the Wolf for the first time in the Dark Forest, the scenery surrounding him looks like a skull.
** The Wolf keeps appearing out of thin air with seemingly no one but Puss (initially) able to see him. This is a pretty clear indication that the Wolf is no mere bounty hunter.
** Death knew about Puss's quest for the Star despite never mentioning it to him, and he appears anywhere Puss goes, including the Dark Forest, proving to be both omniscient and omnipresent.
** While every other major character is introduced with a wanted poster (sans for Perrito, who has an "unwanted poster"), Death isn't. This lampshades how Death is not a criminal and merely wanted to hunt down Puss specifically for wasting his lives.
** During Puss's visit to the vet, his death is emphasized to him by the vet blowing out a candle. Likewise, shortly before Death appears in the bar, one of the candles on the chandelier above extinguishes, foreshadowing him coming to end Puss's life.
** When Death appears while they are fighting The Baker's Dozen and Goldilocks and the Bears at The Dark Forest, the scenery forms with him a shape resembling a skull.
** Later on, when the Wolf reveals his true identity, right before the purple crystal representing one of Puss' past lives behind which the supernatural entity is standing shatters, cracks forming in front of his face start forming a wolf skull.
* Death is considered one of the most powerful villains in the Shrek franchise and the most terrifying character in the Puss in Boots franchise, due to cutting Puss and causing him to bleed, all while saying “I love the smell of fear”.
* Death, despite his major role in the series, has the shortest amount of screen time of any antagonist, at only around 7 minutes.
* There are a few indications of Puss in Boots’ nine lives being wrecked by the potential presence of Death in the bar scene:
** Before Death even suddenly appears at the bar next to Puss, the bell in the background of the bar toils 8 times, referencing Puss’ past 8 lives, the last one wanting to be taken by Death.
** While Puss is at the bar sipping one of his cups filled with milk, 8 other finished milk filled cups can be seen at the bar counter, referencing that Death is about to come for Puss’ 9th life.
* Death’s whistle is regarded one of the most realistic elements for Death up-to-date, as Death’s whistle is a nod to the fact European villages hold a mysterious creature known as “The Whisperer.”— because of this, villagers would lock their doors and stay in at night. Since the whistle is used as a metaphor for the call of actual death.
* Death's infamous whistle is eight beats long, mirroring how he's already taken eight of Puss's lives. During his fight with Puss when he summons the ring of fire, this melody lasts for nine beats until he starts talking instead, showing how Death is fully intent on taking the cat's last life. Likewise, when Death spares Puss and leaves the whistle's notes are higher, giving it a less menacing tone as he now respects Puss and wishes to let him live his life well
* Death set out to kill Puss because he was "an arrogant little legend who thought he was immortal". While he didn't kill Puss in the end, Death ironically succeeded in ending the flawed being Puss was before his adventure for the Wishing Star because everything he learned helped Puss become a better person with a true respect for the importance of life and death and a promise to cherish his last life.
** In addition, Death did manage to sort of succeed in his hunt. While his target for most of the movie was Puss, in the end after Death leaves, Jack Horner ends up dying as the Wishing Star falls apart. Jack Horner, being a known nursery rhyme character and owner of a large baked goods factory, thought himself unstoppable due to the numerous magical items he had collected over the years, and was arrogant and sadistic to anyone who was not himself. So while Death did not walk away having killed Puss, he did end up with "an arrogant little legend who thought he was immortal" in the form of Jack.
* During Puss' fight with the giant, Death can be seen standing in an alleyway among the crowd watching the fight in contempt.
* Puss addresses him as "Lobo" near the end, as lobo is both Spanish and Portuguese for "wolf".
* As he is the living embodiment of Death and speaks Spanish a few times in the film whose events started in Spain, Death can be seen as an evil counterpart to Santa Muerte, a Spanish folk character who also personifies Death. The difference is that Santa Muerte is depicted as a benevolent figure, while Death is sadistic and resentful.
* Death's quick rant in Spanish (¡¿POR QUÉ DIABLOS FUI A JUGAR CON MI COMIDA!?) roughly translates into English "WHY THE H*LL DID I PLAY WITH MY FOOD?!?", likely showing his disappointment in toying with Puss over the course of his journey instead of killing him when given the chance.
== Gallery ==
File:Death (Puss-in-Boots) Render 01.png
File:Death (Puss-in-Boots) Render 02.png
File:Death (Puss-in-Boots) 01.png
File:Death (Puss-in-Boots) 02.png
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== External Links ==
* Death at The Adventures of Puss in Boots Wiki
Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:Puss-in-Boots