Shrek 2 while also featuring cameos from other characters such as Gingy, Pinocchio, and even Shrek himself. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish also features a villain present in the first Shrek. However, it's a different version.
A hit with critics, as suggested by high Rotten Tomatoes score (96%), the return of Antonio Banderas' beloved sword-fighting cat begins with his realization he has used up all of his nine lives except for one. To get his lives back, Puss decides to go on a quest to find the mythical Last Wish, a remnant of a shooting star that crash-landed in the middle of the Dark Forest. However, Puss isn't alone in his desire to find the star. He is racing against several groups of fairytale criminals and villains, including Kitty Softpaws, Jack Horner and the Baker's Dozen, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
The Three Bears Have Already Appeared In The Shrek Universe
The Three Bears in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish are among the film's main villains, but the characters have already appeared in the Shrek universe. In the first Shrek movie, Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear can be seen in Lord Farquaad's cages alongside Donkey and the other fairytale creatures. The versions of the Three Bears in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish are entirely different, having new designs, different backstories, and motivations.
While some may claim that Puss in Boots' Three Bears are the same characters redesigned, that's not true. Having them appear at all entirely contradicts the first Shrek. After being seen at the beginning with her family, a bear rug resembling Mama Bear can be later seen. In the end, a sad Papa Bear and Baby Bear can be seen at the swamp, confirming Mama Bear's death. Shrek's dark Three Bears twist is a funny background gag, but it also makes the villains of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish a retcon, as Mama Bear should still be dead.
This Isn't The Only Time Shrek Has Retconned A Villain
While this Three Bears retcon may seem odd, it's not out of the ordinary for the Shrek franchise. The character Rumpelstiltskin makes a cameo appearance in Shrek the Third. However, an entirely different version of the character is the main villain in the very next film, Shrek Forever After. Each Rumpelstiltskin has a different design, arc, and voice, meaning that the Three Bears retcon in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is just continuing a franchise trend.
