Puss's backstory was meant to indicate the "heaviness on his mind and in his heart", and why he was on the run despite his "cool life". Miller said that Puss was a "pretty wide open" character when it came to his portrayal in the film; Puss adds a dramatic note to everything, which the filmmakers used "to attach a very tragic story to his life". Miller stated that "the heavy dramatic themes" fit Puss's character well, making the character's journey a "story of redemption" in which "he sort of walks a dark path with a hole punched in his heart" and wishes "to clear away the sins of his past" and "reclaim what was his". Miller said that Puss in his cape affirmed "an urban legend"; although he wore it in marketing material, he rarely did so in the films. According to Miller, Puss's cape was "so expensive to keep strapped to that cat" and "so cumbersome" that the "Puss in Boots" filmmakers decided to have the character wear it for a short time, as in "Shrek 2". Miller felt that Puss's "giant big eyes" would appeal to viewers. "Puss in Boots" executive producer Guillermo del Toro said that Puss would be taken "to a completely different land which is very exotic" in the future adventure film "Puss in Boots 2", since Miller wanted the film to be set in a visually-different universe than "Shrek"s. Doug Langdale, executive producer of the television series "The Adventures of Puss in Boots" (2015–2018), said that in the series Puss fights "a lot more" compared to the films; he is depicted "more as a master swordsman with lots of extra punching, kicking and action". Langdale stated that he "wanted to set the show earlier in Puss's life, back when he was the only one who thought he was a legend ... had more to prove, and maybe [was not] quite so awesome at everything yet", which determined that the series would be set before the film "Puss in Boots". He said that since Puss is a "hero", the series focuses on his saving people and defeating "bad guys". Langdale added that in the series, "unexpected depth and nuance" are brought to the character with comedy; Puss was a "nomad" and a "loner" before the events of the series, which "is an essential segment in Puss's life" that taught him "how to get along with other people" and made him "understand the value of friendships and relationships".