Miguel Rivera

### Personality

Musical, inspired, familial, witty, stubborn, defiant, kind, funny, loving, rambunctious, well-meaning

### Appearance

tan skin, black hair, brown eyes, mole above lip, dimple on one side, with a red-hooded jacket with white stripes on sleeve, white tank top, blue jeans, black shoes

### Occupation

Student
Musician
Shoe Shiner (formerly)

### Goal

To find his great-great-grandfather (succeeded)

### Allies

Dante, Héctor, Mama Imelda, Pepita, Enrique, Luisa, Abuelita Elena, Abuelito Franco, Tío Berto, Tía Carmen, Abel, Rosa, Benny and Manny, Tía Rosita, Tía Victoria, Tíos Óscar and Felipe, Frida Kahlo, Cecilia, Chicharrón, Gustavo, Ernesto de la Cruz (formerly)

### Enemies

Ernesto de la Cruz, security guards, Pepita (temporarily)

### Likes

Día de los Muertos, his family, music, tamales, tacos, bread of the dead, Héctor, Ernesto de la Cruz (formerly), performing in front of others

### Dislikes

Having arguments with his family, his grandmother's temper, Imelda's ban on music, performing in front of others (formerly), Ernesto de la Cruz

### Powers and abilities

Natural Guitarist
Musician
Autodidacticism

### Fate

Celebrates dia de los Muertos with his family and performs them a song, "Proud Corazón."

### Quote

"She's the reason you wanted to cross the bridge."
"Family comes first."
"Héctor's the real musician. You're just the guy who murdered him and stole his songs!"

**Miguel Rivera** is the protagonist of the 2017 film, *Coco*, son of Enrique and Luisa Rivera, and the older brother of Socorro.

## Background

### Early life

It is revealed in the novelization that Miguel was a baby, his Mamá Coco would hold him and hum to him while Rosa would be too preoccupied to notice their great grandmother's singing. She found he had been trying to sing along. Coco found that baby Miguel had the same musical feeling like her father. So Miguel gained a love of music, which differentiated himself from the rest of his family

Though Miguel became a skilled guitarist and singer, he never performed in front of people. Miguel hid his enthusiasm from the rest of the family and worked in the family shop as a shoeshiner, even making the attic a hideout. His hideout was also used by Coco when she was younger, and it was a place where both of them could escape from their family's expectations.

Almost every year, Miguel was told of how his great-great-grandmother, Imelda had banned music after her husband had left to raise her daughter, Coco alone.

At an unknown point, Miguel adopted the street dog, Dante, as a pet, naming after Ernesto de la Cruz's horse.

### Concept and Creation

During production, Miguel was going to be a boy named Marco, a boy coping over the death of his mother. However, the idea was scrapped when the movie lost its true meaning of Dia de Los Muertos.

Later, while still as Marco, later took Ernesto's guitar with him in the land of the Dead. Before the concept of a family's blessing, it was the use of the Guitar that let him cross the Marigold Bridge.Also at another point, Miguel met Héctor on a bus when Héctor was a tour guide and receives help from him. Later the two would be attacked by Pepita. In the final film, instead, Miguel and Héctor meet at Marigold Grand Central station, and first encountered Pepita when found by Imelda.

Also, instead of being nearly thrown off the building, Ernesto destroyed Héctor's Guitar to ensure that Marco remains trapped. As Imelda and Héctor comfort their great-great-grandson, Marco's family are able to repair the guitar, allowing himto escape with Ernesto hot on his trail. Miguel had to cross the Marigold bridge before the last flower petal fell and the boy is able to escape with Ernesto dissolving with the bridge. The idea was ultimately scrapped.

Allegedly, they changed his name from Marco to "Miguel" to avoid confusion with Marco from *Star vs the Forces of Evil* and due to their similar appearance.

At another part, Miguel and Hector were meant to encounter Pepita when they were on the trolly as she attacked them. However, they managed to escape. Another escape plan involved a car chase between Miguel, Hector, Dante and the family.  When the film was meant to be like a classic Disney film, Miguel's family are well aware of Miguel's love of music but still want him following in their footsteps.

#### Voice

Emilio Fuentes originally provided his voice. However, by the time of production, he was too old to play the character. He was replaced by Anthony Gonzalas. Emilio was instead given the chance to provide the voice of another character, as the stage hand telling Ernesto that he was on in thirty seconds.

While intended to be only playing a guitar, Gonzolas was revealed to be a singer, the creators decided to allow him to be Miguel's singing voice.

### Official Description

*Miguel is a 12-year-old aspiring musician who struggles against his family's generations-old ban on music. When a magical mishap lands him in the Land of the Dead, Miguel seeks out his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz, to help him return to the Land of the Living before it's too late”. He wants to become a musician just like his idol, Erneso De La Cruz*

### Physical Description

Through most of the movie, Miguel is a twelve-year-old boy with short, messy black hair and brown eyes. Though his height is not explicitly stated, Miguel is about at his grandmother's height and comes up to at least Héctor's shoulder.

He wears a red hoody, white tanktop and blue jeans and brown boots. For a brief time in the movie, Héctor applies black and white shoe polish to Miguel's face to make him look like a skeleton. As such, Miguel has black shoe polish around his eyes and on his nose while the rest of his face is painted with white. At the end of the film, Miguel wears a white shirt and retains his jeans and boots. Miguel later wears a red mariachi uniform and red sombrero

### Personality

Miguel is a dreamer, wishing to follow his heart in singing and playing the guitar. He is a kind-hearted twelve year old boy who loves his family dearly. Miguel showed kindness towards others, especially towards Dante, a stray dog and feeding him treats even when the dog can't do the trick Miguel wants him to do.

Having a passion for music, Miguel keeps it hidden from the rest of the family. The only ones aware of it are his great-grandmother, Coco, and Dante. He shares the passion of music with his Papá Héctor and Mamá Imelda. At the end of his journey, Miguel has learned that family is more important, even to music. He is able to retain his love for both of them when restoring Héctor's memories and getting his family to lifting the ban on music. However, deep down, Miguel is a very familial person, as he doesn't like arguing with his family or likes his grandparents' wrath. He wrote "Proud Corazón" to show his love for his family, evident by the lyrics, "Our love for each other will live on forever.

It should be noted that Miguel used to have a fear performing in front of others However, he gave up the fear after his grandfather, Héctor, advised how to get rid of his nerves.

Miguel is also stubborn, noted during his argument with Imelda that they were both stubborn in being both for and against music respectively. Later, during the book, *A Story About Music Shoes, and Family*, Imelda notes that Miguel is the most stubborn boy she ever met. The deceased Riveras claim that the stubborn nature is something he inherited from Mamá Imelda.

Also, like his great-great-grandfather, Miguel is a well-meaning boy who helps others, such as agreeing to put up Héctor's photo when he returned to the Land of the Living. A defiant and kind boy, Miguel loves his family and his friends and willingly would go to the ends of the earth to save them. For example, Even during a scuffle between the Riveras and the security guards, he immediately assaulted the security guard who was attacking his Mamá Imelda. After learning Héctor would be forgotten and that he was his great-great-grandfather, Miguel wanted to save Héctor from suffering the Final Death by helping Mamá Coco remember the lullaby he sung her.

Miguel was also a key role in mending Imelda and Héctor's relationship, as he revealed Imelda that Héctor was trying to return home to her and Coco but De la Cruz murdered him before she could get home. Miguel even encouraged Imelda to sing and Héctor to playing the guitar, which in turn, ignited a romantic spark between Héctor and Imelda. Miguel is also quite resourceful and witty, being able to come up with plans, especially when going to steal back Héctor's photo from Ernesto.

Back then Miguel used to idolize Ernesto de la Cruz until he was the one who murdered Héctor for his own songs. He learned to be the true musician from Héctor, his true great-great-grandfather, and embraced both his love for music and the love he held for his family. Though defiant, rambunctious, and stubborn, Miguel is a boy who loves his family very much. In the end, he has also become a proud older brother to his younger sister, Socorro, proudly telling her all about their family.

### Abilities

Miguel is a talented guitarist and singer. He taught himself how to play the guitar watching the de la Cruz movies, as he hits the right notes beautifully. Miguel's family later is amused when he plays the guitar, getting the skills from his Papá Héctor. He is also quick-witted in coming up with plans.

Miguel is also very fast on his feet, being able to evade Pepita and the security at Marigold Central Station.

### Possessions

* **Photograph of Héctor, Imelda, and Coco:** Miguel owned the photo of his great-great-grandparents and great-grandmother. He took the photo with him when he angrily ran away from his family. It was later restored on the family ofrenda, along with the missing corner.
* **Héctor's guitar:** Miguel inherited Héctor's guitar after it was revealed that Ernesto de la Cruz was *not* the original owner of the guitar. He played it when it was not on display.

## Appearances

### *Coco*

Miguel first appears in the movie, narrating the opening sequence, explaining the reasoning behind his family's long generation ban on music and His fascination of Ernesto de la Cruz, who manifested his love for music. The film focuses back to Miguel, who is actually telling the story to the mariachi, whose shoes he is cleaning. The mariachi, feeling sympathy for Miguel, allows him to play on how guitar. However, Miguel's grandmother, Elena catches her grandson with the mariachi and chase him off. As Abuelita has Miguel come back home, he snatches a flier of the Day of the Dead talent show the mariachi pointed out before following his family.

During another scolding from his family, Miguel goes to his hide out, soon joined by Dante. After he watches a video of the Best of De La Cruz, Miguel decides to go to Mariachi Plaza like his idol, de la Cruz once did, even if it kills him. He is about to leave for the plaza, taking Dante with him but suddenly hides in the ofrenda room when he hears the sound of his parents and grandmother. Things take an unexpected turn when his parents and grandmother wants Miguel to join his family business. Of course, he has no interest in making shoes and worries he will be no good at it, but his father, Enrique assures him that Miguel will have his family to guide him. After his family leave, Miguel pries Dante off of the ofrenda, which causes his great-great-grandmother's photo to fall off the ofrenda and causing the frames to shatter. Miguel takes the photograph and notices its creased at his great-great-grandfather, where he unfolds it to see there is a guitar and realizes it and Ernesto's guitar the same and believes de la Cruz to be Mamá Coco's father.

That night, Miguel's secret love of music is revealed to his family. He expressed that he wants to be a musician like his great-great grandfather but Abuelita doesn't want him to follow the path of his great-great-grandfather and says that he will be forgotten and his picture never put on an ofrenda. Overcome by anger, Miguel yells he doesn't want to be on a "stupid ofrenda." Infuriated, Abuelita destroys Miguel's guitar despite her son, Enrique trying to stop his mother. Miguel is saddened at the guitar he worked so hard on is destroyed. Elena attempts to calm her grandson down and insists heating with his family will make him feel better but Miguel too upset at his destroyed guitar yells he doesn't want to be in the family. He snatches his great-great-grandparents' and Coco's photo and runs away in anger, ignoring his father's calls for him.

Miguel retreats back to the Mariachi plaza to sign up for the Dia de los Muertos Talent show that the Mariachi from earlier had talked about. He tells the stage manager he wants to sign up for the show and play in the plaza like de la Cruz, but she'll only let him sign up if he brings his own guitar. Miguel tries to get guitars from every one of the performers around the plaza but each of them refuse. About to give up, he looks at the Ernesto de la Cruz statue and asks what he should do. Then, Miguel looks at the photo of de la Cruz's guitar and at the statue and gets an idea. He rushes back to the cemetery to borrow Ernesto's guitar but stops when Dante catches up with him. Miguel manages to take a drumstick off of an offering and throws it away from the mausoleum to distract the Xolo dog. The boy breaks into Ernesto's mausoleum and takes the guitar, explaining to Ernesto that he's his great-great-grandson and expresses that he wants to play in the plaza just like him. Unaware of the glowing Marigold petals on the floor, Miguel accidentally curses himself and enters the Land of the Dead. He rushes out of the mausoleum when people in the cemetery heard the guitar strum. Miguel hears his parents calling for him and goes to them for comfort only to walk through them and land in a crypt. A woman passes by and helps Miguel out of the crypt. However, the twelve-year-old screams when he sees the woman who helped him is a skeleton and looks around and sees that he is surrounded by them.

Frightened Miguel hides behind a grave Stone until he is unexpectedly licked by Dante, who is the only resident of Santa Cecilia who can see and hear Miguel as a spirit. Dante it leads Miguel to the dead Riveras. However, Miguel doesn't recognize them as his family. Dante accidentally runs into a short, mustached skeleton. As he apologizes the skeleton recognizes Miguel as well as two other women. The skeleton is shocked that the boy can see and hear them and is alive. One of the female skeletons to Miguel and gives him a big hug. The boy asks how he knows them and the woman smothering him tell him that they are his family. Miguel recognizes the one woman as his great-great aunt Tía Rosita, that the skeleton he knocked over was his great-grandfather Papá Julio and that the other skeleton is his great aunt, Tía Victoria, who is the only one who suspects Miguel.

She reasons that he's not entirely dead and Tía Rosita says that he's not quite alive either, so Papá Julio suggest they go to Mamá Imelda, since she'll probably know how to fix this. However, before they can go to Mamá Imelda, two more skeletons run in, telling the family that Imelda is still stuck and cannot cross the marigold Bridge. Miguel recognizes the two skeletons as his great-great-great uncles, Tios Oscar and Felipe, we're both shocked to see that Miguel can see and hear them. Since Imelda cannot get to them, then Julio reasons they will go to her instead. Miguel is at first a little frightened going through the veil. However, Julio assures his great-grandson there's nothing wrong. Miguel is amazed when he first enters the marigold bridge but then goes in a panic when he sees Dante rushing up ahead. A boy tells his dog to remain near him as they don't know where they are but, when Miguel sees the Land of the Dead for the first time, he cannot help but be in awe and expresses that he can't believe that his family is still out there and that everything adults tell kids about Dia de los Muertos is true.

However, as the family passes by, several of the skeletons see Miguel, who carefully parts his hood up so no one will pay attention to him. As they go to the line for reentry to the Land of the Dead, Miguel is still in awe of the marigold Central station. Just as he's standing in line, Miguel smiles when he sees Frida Kahlo in the other line until it's revealed that it is not Frida but rather a very desperate skeleton. Miguel watches as the skeleton and the security agent squabble about no one being able to cross the bridge unless their photo is on an ofrenda and cannot help but watch the cell it's trying to evade security and cross the bridge. He watches as the guards slowly take the desperate skeleton away. As his Tía Rosita stresses disappointment if no one hour photo up on the ofrenda, Miguel is dragged by Rosita when it's the family's turn to reenter. Miguel is rushed to the front of the family by his great-uncles, who take down his hundred revealing him to be alive to the security guard. Miguel just gives a cheesy "hola" before the security guards job literally drops onto his desk. As the Riveras are being led by another security guard, the twelve-year old continues to look at the inside of Grand Central Station and notices a woman that having a squabble with one of the department of family reunions agents and beating up the agent's computer. Miguel is revealed to be at the Land of the Dead by the woman who is Mamá Imelda. He recognizes her from the photo and nervously says her name as Imelda suspiciously looks at her grandson.

Now with Imelda and a clerk, the clerk reveals that since Miguel stole from the dead instead of rather giving to the Dead since it's Dia de los Muertos, he stole from the dead and is cursed. Miguel accidentally blurt out that he wasn't stealing the guitar but rather because it was his great-great grandfather's. This causes backlash from Mamá Imelda, who quickly brushes her husband off and tells Miguel to never mention that man again since he's practically dead to this family. However, Miguel points out that she's already dead and so is the rest of the family. Dante is also in the room and tries to steal one of the clerks offerings, but Miguel pries the dog off. Continuing the crisis at have, The only way Miguel can get home is getting a blessing from a family member since it's a family curse. Miguel is slightly skeptical about it working, but the clerk assures that if he gets a blessing, then everything should go back to normal, but Miguel has got to do it by sunrise, or he'll turn into a skeleton and be trapped in the Land of the Dead. Dell doesn't realize how serious it is until he looks down and sees that the tip of his finger has started to show bone. However, the clerk assured him that everything is fine because his family is already there, and he can get the blessing right now.

The only thing he needs is a marigold pedal for the blessing to work. After the clerk finds a marigold petal for the blessing to work on Rosita's dress he gives the pedal to Imelda, who will give her blessing to Miguel on the condition that he goes home, puts her photo back on the ofrenda and to never play music again. This makes Miguel upset, and he asked the clerk if she can really do that. The clerk reveals that since Imelda was the one giving the blessing, she can add any condition she wants. Reluctantly, Miguel touches the Marigold petal and finds himself back in De La Cruz's mausoleum. He also finds that his skeletal finger has turned back to normal and sees no more skeletons. Miguel decides to go to Mariachi plaza and starts to take Ernesto guitar again, only to find himself back in the Land of the Dead, much to the family's surprise he is back so soon. Imelda, the one most upset, says that it's only been two seconds, and he is already broken the blessing. However, Miguel points out that it's not fair, it's his life and that she has already had hers. After trying to get several blessings from his great-grandfather, aunts and uncles, Imelda says he grows her way or remains in the Land of the Dead. Miguel asks if she really hates music that much. Imelda expresses to her grandson that she will not let him go down the same path her husband took. Miguel gets another idea and decides to get his great-great-grandfather's Blessing instead.

He and Dante escape the clerk's office by Miguel pretending to go to the bathroom. However, he is well aware that they have no bathrooms in the Land of the Dead and it makes a clear getaway. They are stopped by a security guard, but Miguel is able to run away from the guard as a long line of family members come in between the two. Just as he is about to go in another direction, Dante wanders off and Miguel follows him. Of course, he finds the skeleton he saw earlier trying to cross over to the bridge. He overhears that the skeleton knows de la Cruz and that he has front row seats and backstage passes. Miguel of course cannot help but pass this opportunity, so he chases after the skeleton. As he asked if the skeleton really did know de la Cruz, the skeleton turns and sees there's a living child in front of him. As the skeleton panics, Miguel takes him by the arm and into a phone booth. The boy reveals that he needs to get to Ernesto because he needs his Blessing to return to the Land of the Dead and that he is his great-great-grandfather, something that shocked the skeleton. As he thinks things over, Miguel starts to doubt that seeking health in the skeleton is any good and starts to walk away. However, the skeleton says that he can help Miguel if they help each other out, but more importantly if Miguel helps him. As confused as Miguel is, his family notices him talking with the skeleton and panics. As the skeleton introduces himself as Héctor, Miguel rushes out of the station, with Héctor and Dante following.

Miguel and Héctor hide in an alley where Héctor disguises Miguel as a skeleton to prevent any suspicions from other Land of the Dead residents. Héctor promises to bring Miguel to de la Cruz in exchange for putting his photo on Miguel's ofrenda when he enters the Land of the Living. However, Héctor points out that de la Cruz is a hard person to get to and asks if there's any other family easier to get to. Miguel fears that the skeleton will take him back to his family and that he'll give up music forever and instead says that the only family has is De La Cruz himself. Miguel decides that if Héctor doesn't want to help him he'll find de la Cruz himself. However, Héctor decides to help Miguel get to his alleged great-great-grandfather and begins chasing after him. However, the place where they go where Ernesto supposedly rehearses, the trio are unsuccessful, as Ernesto never does his own rehearsals. Héctor, Miguel, and Dante learn of a musical competition tonight, as the winner will be allowed in the party. Héctor initially attempts to talk Miguel out of signing up but seeing his curse becoming enhanced, instead asks Hector if he knows anyone with a guitar. Resigned, Héctor claims to know someone who does.

De la Cruz throws Miguel off the building, much to his family's horror. Dante tries to save him but finds he cannot. However, Pepita catches him in time before he hits the ground but Miguel loses Héctor's photo in the process. Héctor knows they are both out of time, both he and Imelda give Miguel their blessing with Miguel promising to not let Mamá Coco forget him before being sent back to the Land of the Living.

Knowing his grandfather is nearing the final Death, Miguel makes it in time to Mamá Coco's room and begins singing "Remember Me" like Héctor did for his daughter so long ago. Coco begins to remember her father and joins Miguel in singing the rest of the lullaby. Miguel tells Coco that her father loved her so much, something that makes his great-grandmother remember the poems and letters he wrote her, including "Remember Me" and reveals that she kept her father's photo with them. Miguel puts his great-great-grandfather's face with the photo and smiles at the completed picture. Coco then begins to tell her family the story of how her mamá and papá would sing beautiful songs as Miguel goes to hug her.

A year later, Miguel had managed to reveal that Héctor was the true musician and not de la Cruz but also Mamá Coco passed away between the two Day of the Dead. He shows his baby sister, Socorro their entire family. As Abuelita sadly puts her mother's photo next to Imelda and Héctor's photo with Coco as a little girl, Miguel and Elena embrace over the loss of Mamá Coco but have knowledge that she is with her parents.

Miguel then performs "Proud Corazon" as he and his family show their familial love for each other and the movie ends.

## Trivia

* During the events of the film, Miguel is twelve years old and thirteen in the epilogue.
* In-universe, Miguel was the one who wrote "Proud Corazon."
* Miguel is Pixar's first Hispanic human protagonist for a full length feature film and one of the five protagonists to be a human, along with Mr Incredible, Carl Fredricksen, Merida, and Elastigirl.
* Miguel is the second youngest Pixar protagonist, before Arlo from *The Good Dinosaur*
* Middle child of the Rivera cousin.
* According to his relatives, Miguel's foot size is 6 1/2, and pronated.
* Miguel has one dimple on one side of his cheek and no dimple on the other and has a beauty mark above his lip, traits he shares with Héctor. The dimples characteristic is also something Anthony Gonzalas has.
* The novelization reveals a bit about Miguel:
	+ His great-grandmother sung to him when he was a baby, manifesting his love for music
	+ Miguel hates being teased at by his cousins, Rosa and Abel, wishing they would take his side for a change.
	+ Loves his abuelita's tamales and chorizos.
	+ The family notice that Miguel inherited Imelda's stubbornness.
	+ He has a distant cousin who wasted all his money for a tuba, only to have nothing during the cold winter.
	+ Miguel is said to resemble his great-grandfather, Papá Julio, when he was younger.
	+ The hide out he used was the same one Coco used to get away from their family's expectations.
	+ His younger sister, Socorro is named after their great-grandmother.
* Miguel is seen hearing the music coming off of a Pizza Planet car as it drives by his house.
* While Miguel is passing town, he passes pinata versions of Woody and Buzz from Toy Story and Mike Wazowski from *Monsters Inc.*
* Miguel's last name, Rivera, is named in honor of producer Jonas Rivera, who consulted on *Up* and *Inside Out*.
* As Miguel and Héctor walk through the streets, an *Incredibles* logo is seen