- “I always knew you were good inside”
- ―Puss In Boots[src]
Humpty Alexander Dumpty is the (former) main antagonist-turned-supporting protagonist of DreamWorks Animation's 2011 animated feature film Puss in Boots.
Background[]
Humpty is an anthropomorphic egg who lived in the town of San Ricardo. His lack of parents caused him to be adopted by Mama Imelda, and live in her orphanage. At some point, Humpty gained a fascination with the tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk", seeking to find the magic beans necessary to grow the beanstalk to get to the giant's castle.
One day, an orange cat joined the orphanage, having been sent to San Ricardo after travelling across the desert in an orange basket case. When the cat was bullied by Little Boy Blue, Humpty stood up for him, causing the cat to defend his honor. The cat eventually followed Humpty, who explained his ambition. The cat, who spoke little, was then named Puss by Humpty. At a tree near the outskirts of town, Humpty explained to Puss while looking at clouds how he wants to become a golden egg and how he feels he belongs up there. The two then opt to work together in their effort to find the magic beans. The two would grow together, and consider each other brothers. As the years passed, their attempt to find the magic beans would fail, and they would become rebellious and reckless, to the chagrin of Imelda.
One day, the two would converse on a rooftop, where Humpty explained how he was fed up with having to live in the orphanage and threw a rock out of frustration, which inadvertently landed on a lock encasing a bull. This released the captivated bull who immediately began charging at the Comandante's mother. Upon instinct, Puss lept into action before Humpty could stop him and steered the bull away from the old lady. The result saw Puss be praised as a hero of the town, and be gifted his soon-to-be famous boots.
In contrast to his brother, Humpty continued rebelling to the point where he was sent to prison. This caused a wedge between the two brothers, which culminated in an argument, which ended with Puss proclaiming he would never steal again. Angered at this, Humpty woke Puss up in the middle of the night, claiming he was in trouble with Little Boy Blue, while in reality stealing money from the San Ricardo Bank. After the guards catch up to them, the two came across a bridge. The wagon collapsed and fell into the river below the bridge, while Humpty rolled off and struggled to get up. As the guards where on the verge of capturing them, Humpty pleaded for Puss to help him up. Puss, feeling betrayed by Humpty, opts not to, and leaves him on the bridge.
In the years since, Humpty's capture would go on to become a famous nursery rhyme, while he himself was trapped in prison. Vowing revenge on his former brother, Humpty hired the murderous outlaws Jack and Jill, as well as the "softest touch in Spain", Kitty Softpaws upon getting out of prison. He eventually found the magic beans he had been searching for, and opted to intend to steal the Golden Goose.
Personality[]
Being a mastermind, Humpty is a very ingenious and manipulative trickster who can invent extraordinary devices and manipulate unwitting people like Puss into doing his dirty work. He is also quite selfish and somewhat backstabbing, despite his intellect, Humpty was still very foolish to betray Puss and had him framed for his crime and later excusing Puss of betraying when it was he who betrayed him and his own fault for making him a look like a criminal and later got the town destroyed just because he did not want to return the goose. Despite his bad qualities, Humpty has a heart of gold and considers Puss a brother; he even sacrificed himself to help save the town after finally releasing his foolish actions. He is also very shown to be a dependable hero.
Physical appearances[]
Humpty is an egg with a human face, brown eyes and black eyebrows. He wears a red shirt with yellow buttons under a green sweater, brown gloves, white socks and brown shoes. He also wears a black hat with a yellow belt. In Shrek Super Slam he had blue eyes and wore green shorts with yellow buttons and brown suspenders, he also wore yellow gloves.
Appearances[]
Puss in Boots[]
Puss followed Kitty back to the Glitter Box, a club, where they have a dance-off and a sword fight, ending when Puss hits her in the head with a guitar. Upon realizing Kitty is a girl, Puss attempts to apologzie, and comes across Humpty. Despite Humpty's pleas, Puss is adamant with his refusal. In an effort to convince him to join, Humpty asks Kitty to help him out. Puss tells Kitty of his feelings of betrayal and explains his past. Humpty then attempts to explain that he is sorry for what happened, convincing Puss to join.
After stealing the beans back, Humpty brought his compatriots to the spot where they must plant the beans, while Puss and Kitty's relationship began to grow. The trio found the castle, where the Golden Goose lays guarded by the Great Terror, a mysterious monster which Humpty tells Kitty and Puss not to look at. They ultimately manage to steal the egg, and celebrate, while Humpty attempts to convince Kitty not to let Puss trick her. He also has Jack and Jill knock Puss out and place him in the middle of the desert.
When Puss wakes up, he tracks Jack and Jill back to his old hometown, where he learns that the entire heist was part of Humpty's scheme. He expresses anger towards Puss for abandoning him, and summons the guards to apprehend Puss. After pleas from Imelda, Puss turns himself in to the guards while Humpty donates many golden eggs to the town and becomes a hero.
In the tower where he originally planned to steal those beans those years ago, Humpty smiles in his revenge, but finds an old paper of his and Puss's old "Bean Club", feeling a sense of sorrow. Attempting to leave the town, Humpty is confronted by Puss, who escaped from prison with help from a remorseful Kitty, and who has discovered Humpty's true plan: To let the Great Terror, the mother of the Golden Goose, go to San Ricardo and destroy the town. Humpty explains that while Puss felt embraced as a hero, he never felt the town was his home, and that Puss left him to be a hero. Puss apologizes, but explains this isn't the way, and convinces Humpty to help save the team.
Using the Golden Goose as bait, Puss and Humpty lure the Great Terror out of the town, but Jack and Jill intervene wanting the Golden Goose for themselves, only for Kitty Softpaws to battle and hold them off, until the Great Terror finally crushes them. Humpty and the Goose are knocked off a bridge during the chase with Puss holding on to them. Humpty knows Puss cannot hold both of them, and he lets go, sacrificing himself to save the Goose and the town. Humpty's shell cracks open to reveal that he was a golden egg on the inside, proving Puss' beliefs that Humpty was a good egg after all. The Great Terror then takes the Goose and Humpty's golden remains away back to the giant's castle.
Following Humpty's death, Puss is forced to flee because he is still an outlaw to the San Ricardo authorities, but his efforts to save the town make him a hero among the townspeople. Puss and Kitty escape the guards once more and Kitty says she will see him again soon, showing that she has taken his boots. In the epilogue, while Jack and Jill are recovering from their injuries after being crushed by the Great Terror and Puss and Kitty head back to dance at the Glitter Box where they finally kiss, Humpty is shown once again in his regular egg form, wearing his golden egg suit, as he rides the Great Terror into the clouds, possibly symbolizing that Humpty's spirit is now in Heaven.
