 The life of a hero is an interesting one. Heroes are supposed to be humble. What you do as a hero should be bigger than who you are. Being a hero is about saving those who cannot save themselves, about protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Puss in Boots is some of these things, but as he gains glory and admiration, the adrenaline of being this savior and everything that comes with it, that begins to drive him. And slowly this life becomes lonely and isolating. Everybody needs the hero, but nobody needs you. The person behind the cape, behind the boots, behind the sword. And to add to that, as he grows, his aura builds, listen to his theme song. He's fearless. He's never been touched by a blade. Once that aura is built, he has to be all those things. He's not allowed to be afraid or to be sad. He has to gamble with his life, and most of all, he can never lose. He can never fail because heroes never die. The ability to defy death distinguishes heroes from other mortals. Puss in Boots has become a great hero. He has also become drunk off pride, hubris, and leche, drunk off the glory of being a hero. Puss in Boots has fallen to this idea that heroes are immortal, but that is a belief only in the mind of the people. And throughout this film, he's treated his life as synonymous with being a hero, wasting eight of his nine lives, because heroes never die. By all accounts, Puss has lived a tremendously fulfilling life. He's done just about everything. He's fought fairies and princes and far, far away. He's taken down leaders, lords, and giants. He's saved countless people. He's become a legend. He's become a fearless warrior. He laughs in the face of death. Until death laughs back. Lobo, the big bad wolf, death is one of DreamWorks' strongest antagonists in quite some time, maybe since Lord Shen from Kung Fu Panda 2. And from the get go, what sets him apart from other great DreamWorks villains like Shen, Tai Long, and Titan, even the fairy godmother. And Lobo doesn't have a deep wound caused by the hero, or by society. He really isn't even related to the protagonist in any way. He should not be present in the cat's story yet, but his motive is simple. He has a job to do, and he has been mocked by an arrogant cat. And what I love about death is that fear makes up so much of why he's such a menacing character. Because we are shown the wolf from Puss's perspective all the time, we begin to fear him in the same way that the cat does. As death becomes more terrifying in Puss's eyes, we, the audience, are also experiencing his presence become larger than life. His aura, the atmosphere surrounding death, is the horror fuel he needs to keep his job entertaining. And I think a prospect like Puss, a legend who has defied and disrespected death more than once, makes it that much more fun for him. It makes him want to play with his food. And Lobo's introduction at the bar was masterful. Puss has become such a feared warrior, and he has become so strong that he doesn't need to be vigilant anymore. He doesn't need to worry or to be afraid of anyone who wants to challenge him. No one has even touched the cat with their blade. And death presents himself as a simple, over-eager, weird fan. And what jumps out from the two sitting side by side at the bar is the size of the Big Bad Wolf, compared to Puss. And of course, those iconic, piercing scarlet eyes that become synonymous with death throughout the film. The wolf's design as a whole is simple, but it works so well to contrast Puss. Red eyes to symbolize danger and death, that goes against Puss's bright green eyes that often represent life and vitality. Death is a white wolf who wears a hooded all-black poncho, and he wields dual sickles, almost like two tiny sights. It's very grim reaper-esque. The curved blades oppose Puss's straight rapier. The feline against the canine. And we have to talk about the wolf's voice. Vognimora does an amazing job at making death sound terrifying, but he's also able to add a touch of actual anger and resentment, along with being able to mock the cat in certain scenarios. There's just a level of confidence and assuredness in his voice, which adds to his overall presence. Overall, it's a great voice to oppose Antonio Banderas' Puss. And with death, we of course have to talk about that whistle. That terrifying whistle, which can even be heard when he's fighting the giant in the scene prior to the one before he dies. As the movie goes on, Puss becomes familiar with it. And it just lets him know that death is always lurking. And using a familiar sound is such a great way to create that fear. And finally, death's ability to not only match, but overpower Puss in combat is what makes the threat of the wolf that much more real. Again, Puss is somebody who has never felt another's blade. Death made him bleed. He's never feared anyone. Now, the prospect of actually dying aggrandizes all of his hidden fears. All the wild death is mocking him, giving him all of these chances. And it's at this stage where the whistle becomes the sound of nightmares, and death truly becomes death in the movie as we know it. When he sees Puss, he replaces his eyes with coins to represent death as the Greeks did for Charon, the fairy man of the dead. The wolf then begins to show up everywhere. His mere presence becomes larger than life for Puss. Death starts off as just an individual. Just a wolf, a bounty hunter. And as the fear grows, he becomes this force lurking at every corner. He becomes inevitable, slowly but surely closing in on Puss. Death's gaze and his whistle now catches attention when they otherwise wouldn't. Like in this shot earlier in the film, where death is watching, in the top left corner. The inevitability of it all, and the fact that he just gets closer and closer after each encounter, it's just like the doctor told him. Death comes for us all. To me, the thing about death that gives him that allure is just the simple idea that death truly does come for us all. It's the one fate that we can all fear and all relate to. At some point in time, I think everybody has feared death. It's a fear that we can all understand, collectively. Death is a subject that is already kind of taboo and awkward, and it's so scary because it's so unknown. You can't be ready for death. Everyone wants to keep going, to keep living. Hinton writes that death is the separation from everything that gives our life form. It is the loss of everything that we hold dear, and the finality of it is harrowing. Epicurus believed that our fear of death is the worst fear that we face, because it pervades our thoughts while we are alive. It stops us from living. Pus never imagined that heroes truly die. His ego has become so powerful that it has clouded his sense of reality. Heroes are immortal, right? In the cave of lost souls, surrounded by all of his past lives, as they sing and dance and reminisce, he quickly realizes that those were fleeting moments. The admiration, the glory, they are fleeting memories. His past lives lacked substance, meaning. And now faced with death, the film also begs the question, how do you want to die? Under what circumstances? In the heroic death essay, they write that the hero Odysseus, while it's unclear exactly how you met his end, he did however die a death that was in many ways enviable. He died surrounded by friends and family. The hero Pus and Boots, he's already seen the circumstances of his death. He died, he had a funeral, and he was alone. Pus and Boots, loved by one and all, died alone. No friends, no family, no loved ones. And so in that cave, he begins to fight his ego and the people that he once was and once admired. But before he can make real inroads, death finds him, leading him to run from death once more, this time being an inch closer to the cat than the last time. Pus at this stage is still not ready to face down his own mortality. He runs from death once again, or death lets him go. And that in itself is interesting because for an individual who represents death in its entirety, the wolf himself values life quite a bit. His main motivation for the pursuit of Pus is on the basis that Pus does not value his own lives. He's taken life for granted and he's laughed in the face of death, so he's trying to finish his job for Pus early. And yet, death gives the cat tons of chances in this movie, tons of chances to change. When bested at the bar, he tries to bait the cat into picking up his sword once again, instead of finishing the deed right then and there. At the cave as well, instead of finishing the job, he torments the cat. By haunting Pus, he's teaching him that he cannot outrun death and at the same time he teaches the cat that he can't run away from his own problems and mistakes. By tormenting him, this is the way that he can force Pus to make a change. But at the same time, death is here for a fight. The duel of the legend first hand, and he knows that when Pus genuinely values his life, he will fight harder. He will live up to the legend and he will pick up his sword, making the battle that much sweeter. I think a part of death genuinely wanted to teach Pus a lesson. The wolf in their introduction knows everything about the famed cat. He mentions all the little details of the legend, the feather, the boots, the cape. He knows the legend through and through. So I think he truly did respect the Pus and boots and the work that he's done and because of that gave him chances to change. And death seems to know that a life solely based around glory and fame, a life where Pus is adored by all but truly loved and cared for by no one, doesn't have any true weight to it. To me, that is the complexity of death. He is upset at the cat for not valuing his life, but he also wants to kill the cat here and now to test his might against the legend. So El Lobo haunts him and he tests him and he lets him go until he is able to pick up his sword again. The cat learns in the cave that heroes and legends are lonely, mortal creatures. Pus and boots' legacy has already been crafted. He's had 8 chances to do it. But when it came time to face down death, I think a lot of his fear had to do with that funeral and the loneliness he felt at Mamaluna's home. He had no one to call, no one to contact when he was dying. There was nobody to sing Pus and boots' theme song. His heroic stature did not grant him companionship and love when he needed it most. Pus has been running away from death because he is so afraid of dying alone. I think he feared dying with so many regrets. The haunting and pressing nature of death forces Pus to confront his own ego. It forces him to ask the question, what kind of life does he want to live? Perito and Kiriti teach him that friendship and love are more fulfilling than his own legend. And with their backing, he has the courage to face down his own fears. And so he learns that having one life to live forces him to maximize that one life. And what that looks like isn't through fleeting superficial memories, it's with loved ones, with Perito and Kiriti. And with them he can still have adventures, he can still be Pus and boots, and now he does it with the people that he loves and values most. Living out of the fear of death will make you more miserable than embracing its clutches. Death is inevitable, but its appearance depends on the type of life you've lived. When you live a life that is fulfilling only on the surface, a life filled with glamour but not substance, you will hear death's haunting whistle, and you will see his piercing crimson eyes that will haunt your every step. You will forever be running away from death, because if you lose, you know that you will die lonely, that you will die with so many regrets. But when your life is filled with an actual purpose, when it has been shared with others, with loved ones, you will be ready for death's embrace. You will be ready to pick up your blade and fight for your life when lose or draw. You will be able to fight freely, and you will be at your strongest. When you have people to protect, when you have something to fight for, that is when you are at your strongest. People and love, that is what makes a life worth living. This video is sponsored by HelloFresh. 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