History WesternAnimation / TheBookOfLife

* MagnificentMoustachesOfMexico: Present throughout the movie, of course, but taken UpToEleven when ''Mexico itself'' is depicted as having one of these.

* KissingDiscretionShot: La Muerte and Xibalba get in a few smooches, but always obscured by La Muerte's enormous hat. It serves dual purpose- Xibalba is a lot less humanoid than La Muerte, so actually showing the characters kiss might look rather strange, and the combination of [[NiceHat La Muerte's hat]] with Xibalba's spread wings forms an image of the Sacred Heart.

* NiceHat: La Muerte boasts an absolutely ''enormous'' one, bedecked with candles, marigolds, feathers and skulls, as par due to being inspired by ''La Calavera Catrina''. If she weren't a god, there is no way that thing would stay on her head. It also [[ExpressiveAccessory reacts to her emotions]]. The candles turn into flares when she is furious, and Roman Candles when she is passionately happy.
** The three previous generations of Sanchez bullfighters in the Land of the Remembered each have one - Carmleo wears a traditionaly Meso-American headress, Jorge has a conquistador's helmet, and Luis wears a large sombrero.
** Both of the Adelita twins wear impressive looking sombreros.

* SicklyGreenGlow: Part of Xibalba’s color scheme has a deathly shade of green.

* RapunzelHair: Both Maria and La Muerte have hair that goes all the way down to their ankles.

* AdultFear:
** Your child goes missing and then [[spoiler:turns up dead due to an unforeseen accident.]]
** Regarding Joaquin, having one parent die (father) and the other just up and leave you (mother).

* BringIt: Manolo is challenged by Xibalba to defeat every bull the Sanchez family ever slew in the afterlife. Which, as his grandfather points out, would be thousands. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis All. At. Once]]. Manolo's response? "''Vamos, toro, venga!''"[[note: "let's go, bull, come!]]

[[caption-width-right:350: ''[[ArcWords "Always play from the heart."]]'' ]]

* BadassBeard:
** The Candlemaker has a beard ''made of clouds''.
** One of Chato’s defining features that sets him apart is a round, unkempt beard.

* BadassMoustache: Multiple examples since this is a Gutierrez production and it takes place in Mexico. It's kind of a CreatorThumbprint.
** Skeleton Luis, Manolo's grandfather, has a moustache so badass it literally ''beat up'' Chakal's banditos.
** The terrifying bandit Chakal has a handlebar moustache that is quite impressive. But then again, everything about the man is extra large.
** Joaquin's father, the heroic Captain Mondragon, has a large bristly moustache that curls at the ends.
** General Posada's thick white moustache stands almost upright at a 90-degree angle from his top lip. He's a career military man, training the next generation and still holding his own in a fight.
** Adult Joaquin himself has a rather nice thick brown moustache which he's been trying to grow since childhood, and which he prides himself on almost as much as his various medals.

** Chakal's got a handlebar moustache that is quite impressive. But then again, everything about the man is extra large.

** General Posada's thick white moustache stands almost upright at a 90-degree angle from his top lip.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Joaquin, a potential suitor for Maria, [[spoiler: tells Manolo YouShouldHaveDiedInstead after it seems Maria has died]]. He gets what he wished for, [[spoiler: when Manolo not moments later and Maria revived, thanks to the Medal of Everlasting Life]]. Given the look on his face when Maria finds out, [[PartingWordsRegret he clearly]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regrets it]].

** If you make a wager with La Muerte, do '''not''' cheat. [[spoiler:And '''especially''' do not cheat and then trick her into thinking she's lost, though admittedly, she's more angered on the behalf of the mortals who were hurt by the results of the wager]].

* TheBet: La Muerte and Xibalba have one concerning who Maria will marry. The former backs Manolo, while the latter backs Joaquin. The winner will take over the Land of the Remembered. The film suggests that they do this sort of thing fairly often, and La Muerte is still angry at Xibalba for attempting to cheat during a previous wager.
* BettyAndVeronica: Maria is the Archie, while kind-hearted musician Manolo is the Betty and GlorySeeker soldier Joaquin is the Veronica. Both are childhood friends, a role usually reserved for the Betty.

** Manolo is a kindhearted musician, but when he's sufficiently pushed, he's a force to be reckoned with.
** Maria is a great girl to befriend... but she's not one to take lightly.

* BigBadEnsemble: Xibalba is the primary antagonist, while Chakal and his bandits pose a threat to the characters in the Land of the Living. [[spoiler:Xibalba ultimately [[GracefulLoser admits defeat once it's clear he's out of angles to work]], leaving Chakal as the final boss of the story.]]

** [[spoiler: Even La Muerte and Xibalba have one after they reconcile in form of a KissingDiscretionShot.]]

* BouquetToss: Maria tosses her bouquet. Joaquin ends up being the surprised party to catch it; he is immediately tackled by a gaggle of girls who have been swooning over him in the background (and one nun).
* BrattyHalfPint: {{Implied}} with the Detention Kids, considering they all were given detention. Goth-kid exemplifies this the most.
** Joaquin was this as a child. He denies an old man, [[spoiler:Xibalba in disguise]], bread and ''eats'' the said bread in front of him. It's only when [[spoiler:Xibalba offers him the Medal of Everlasting Life]] does a young Joaquin give it up.
* BreakTheCutie: Manolo - mocked by townsfolk for not killing bulls, basically disowned by his own father at one point, [[spoiler:thinks he sees the love of his life die before his eyes.]] The poor guy gets put through the wringer.
** [[spoiler:Maria breaks into sobs when she learns Manolo has died]].
* BreakTheHaughty:
** [[spoiler:Joaquin. After losing the Medal of Everlasting Life and getting his butt handed to him by Chakal. By the end of the film, he's lost an eye, and decides to give up the medal to earn his reputation honestly]]

* BringIt: Manolo is challenged by Xibalba to defeat every bull the Sanchez family ever slew in the afterlife. Which, as his grandfather points out, would be thousands. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis All. At. Once.]] Manolo's response?
--> ''Vamos, toro, venga!''
* BrutishBulls: Since the Sanchez family have been bullfighters for many, many generations, some are expected to show up. [[spoiler:In the Land of the Forgotten, Xibalba unleashes on Manolo ''all'' the dead bulls that his family ever fought, who then fuse into one giant bull.]]

* CastingGag: Manolo's ancestor Jorge admits that he dreamed of singing in the opera when he was alive. He's voiced by Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo.
* TheCavalry: [[spoiler: The Sanchez ancestors near the climax.]] arrive thanks to some bending of the rules.
* CheatersNeverProsper: Xibalba has a chronic problem with cheating during bets with La Muerte. As she points out, it's the reason they're no longer together.
** Joaquin with the Medal of Everlasting Life ends up getting what he wants: glory, constant victory, and eventually Maria's hand in marriage. Just as he realizes that their wedding will be a sham since she's doing it out of duty, [[spoiler: Chakal shows up, manages to steal the Medal, and kicks Joaquin's butt]].

* CreatorCameo: Jorge voices the character Carmelo and his wife, Sandra, voices Scardelita. Producer Guillermo del Toro voices the Land of the Remembered Captain's Wife while executive producer Aron Warner voices Thomas, the male museum tour guide.

%% * DanceBattler: Manolo, a natural showman; and later, Maria, who studied dance and kung fu among other things.

** La Muerte, personifying the Day of the Dead, when the deceased are celebrated in a colorful party style and the positive side of the afterlife. Plus, she's the BigGood in the story.
** Xibalba's love for La Muerte is one of the few indicators he isn't totally evil. [[spoiler:He also indirectly helped Manolo fight Chakal and his gang, showcasing his official HeelFaceTurn.]]

!!''The Book of Life'' provides examples of:

** General Posada shows little respect for his daughter and treats her as a bargaining chip for most of the story, [[spoiler:corercing her into accepting Joaquin's proposal just after she learns of Manolo's death, despite Joaquin's attempt to stop him.]] He redeems himself by the end, actively encouraging Manolo to propose to Maria after saving the town from Chakal.
** Implied with Luis Sanchez, but it's PlayedForLaughs. An early conversation between Manolo and Carlos reveals that Luis began teaching Carlos how to bullfight when he was nine... and apparently did so by putting nine year old Carlos in the ring with an actual bull, which ended with Carlos in a coma. A coma that lasted ''three years'', according to WordOfGod.

** Subverted with Joaquin, as he is actually using The Medal of Everlasting life, making it impossible to kill or even hurt him, to achieve fame and glory. [[spoiler:Though by the end he decides to earn his reputation honestly]].

** Maria Posada. When Manolo and Joaquin start a swordfight over her, she picks up a sword and disarms them both in a single move. And that's before the bandits show up. During her travels, Maria has learned fencing and kung-fu.

** Xibalba calls La Muerte "mi amor" and (according to WordOfGod ) "Meurtita". In return, La Muerte calls him "Balby".

** La Muerte. She believes that the heart of man is essentially pure. Plus, [[FriendToAllLivingThings all creatures love her]] and [[FriendToAllChildren she has a deep fondness towards children]].

** Chato’s (the bandit leading the first attack on San Angel) name isn't stated at all in the actual movie, rather, it's by the credits and novelization.

* AlmostKiss: After Manolo serenades Maria, they both start to lean in for a kiss before she decides it would be more fun to tease him instead.
* AltarTheSpeed: General Posada coerces Maria and Joaquin into getting married less than a day after the latter's proposal so [[spoiler:he'll stay in San Angel to defend it from Chakal.]]
* AmazingTechnicolorWorld: The Land of the Remembered.

* AnachronismStew: The film features versions of "[[Music/{{Radiohead}} Creep]]". "I Will Wait" "Just a Friend" and "[[Music/{{ElvisPresley}} Can't Help Falling in Love]]". All of which were most certainly written after the 20s.

** Manolo: Follow your heart.
** Maria: Live life by your own rules.

** La Muerte: Anyone can die. It takes courage to live.

** Manolo with bulls. He comes from a family of bullfighters, but can't bring himself to deliver the final blow.
** Joaquin with eagles, given the small, but generous amount [[http://mexopolis.tumblr.com/post/111915120844/bookoflifedetails-joaquins-eyepatch-has-an of them]] surrounding him throughout the movie.
** Xibalba with snakes, given his magical staff is a two headed snake. The snake staff is actually a part of Xibalba himself.

* ArrangedMarriage: Although there's no official agreement, General Posada is clearly planning to have Maria marry Joaquin. [[spoiler:Joaquin genuinely did want to marry Maria, but not if she had to be forced; and they end up not marrying after all.]]
* ArtisticLicenseMartialArts: Maria learning sword fighting in Spain during the early twentieth century might be somewhat plausible. Also learning kung-fu there in that time period? Not so much.
* ArtisticLicenseSports: Bullfighting is really toned down here. In real life, the bull is weakened by picadors who jab spears into his neck to weaken him so that the matador can further weaken him with the capote, with the goal of tiring him so much that he's forced to expose his lungs for the killing blow; here, the bull and the matador enter together. [[JustifiedTrope Of course, the lack of picadors, might also be a nod at the Sanchez family's penchant for taking dangerous risks in the bullring.]]

** The designs in the FramingDevice and the story proper are also distinctly different, with the characters in the latter resembling puppets or dolls with jointed limbs and wooden textures,[[JustifiedTrope, since Mary Beth is using a set of miniature wooden dolls on a table to tell Manolo's story to the Detention Kids.]]

* AwesomeMcCoolname:
** Manolo Sanchez. His first name means "God is with us".
** Joaquin Mondragon. "Joaquin" is the abbreviation of the Hebrew name "Jehoichin" meaning 'Jehovah has established'. And of course ''Mondragon''.

* BadassAdorable:
** Even as a child, Manolo was able to effortlessly perform amazing feats of bullfighting.
** Since she was a child, Maria has always been upbeat and adorable. Ten years later, and she became a certified badass.

** One of Chato’s defining features that sets him apart is a round, un-kept beard.

** Skeleton Luis, Manolo's grandfather. His is so badass it literally ''beat up'' Chakal's banditos.
** Chakal's got a handlebar moustache that is quite impressive. But everything about the man is extra large.
%% ** Joaquin's father, the heroic Captain Mondragon.
%% ** General Posada.
%% ** Adult Joaquin himself, which he's been trying to grow since childhood, and prides himself on almost as much as his various medals.
%% ** ''Mexico itself''.

-->'''La Muerte: (''obviously enraged'') ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis What. Medal?]]''

--> '''Xibalba:''' Oh ''please''. I never sent that snake to Maria. And I never gave that medal to Jaoquin.
--> '''La Muerte, obviously enraged:''': ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis What. Medal?]]''
--> '''Xibalba, panicking:''' The...one I never gave him. Ever. At all. Who is this "Jaoquin"?

--> '''La Muerte, obviously enraged:''': [[PuncuatedForEmphasis ''What. Medal?'']]

** The last thing Jaoquin says to Manolo before [[spoiler: the latter dies was that [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead he should have died instead of Maria.]] It certainly starts his CharacterDevelopment in asking himself if a marriage to Maria was worth it, since she only will marry him so he will stay to protect San Angel.

--> '''Grandpa Sanchez:''' La Murete would never give control to you!
--> '''Xibalba, casually picking his teeth:''' She lost a bet.
--> '''Grandpa Sanchez:''' Ah. (''{{Beat}}'') She would do that.

** La Muerte is a kind and loving ruler. [[BerserkButton But if you make a bet with her, do ''not'' cheat.]]

* JawDrop: Xibalba does an epic one after [[spoiler:Manolo passes his challenge by taming the giant bull.]]

* RealityEnsues: PlayedForLaughs. Joaquin asks why Chakal doesn't pick on someone his own size.
-->'''Citizen''': 'Cause no one's that big, man!

* IgnoredEpiphany: When La Muerte finds out that [[spoiler:Xibalba killed Manolo]] and thus cheated in their bet, she summons him angrily and confronts him for breaking his promise.  Xibalba doesn't look guilty; he looks busted and unrepetentant. When Manolo confronts him for being a liar and a cheater, Xibalba decides the best solution is ''another'' bet. Yeah, someone has definitely learned their lesson. 

* WhatTheHellHero: Played with. In the time period of the film, bullfighting was an incredibly popular sport, and the great matadors were roughly equivalent to modern day sports stars. Manolo refusing outright to kill the bull not only disappoints his father, but causes the entire town to turn on him, so much so that General Posada invited the whole town, including people he hates, to Maria's welcome back party -- except Manolo.

* IgnoredEpiphany: When La Muerte finds out that Xibalba killed Manolo and thus cheated in their bet, she summons * IgnoredEpiphany: When La Muerte finds out that [[spoiler:Xibalba killed Manolo]] and thus cheated in their bet, she summons him angrily and confronts him for breaking his promise.  Xibalba doesn't look guilty; he looks busted and unrepentant. When Manolo confronts him for being a liar and a cheater, Xibalba decides the best solution is ''another'' bet. Yeah, someone has definitely learned their lesson. 

* MurderTheHypotenuse: A rare example of an outside party doing the murdering. When it looks like Xibalba is going to lose TheBet, he has Manolo killed via snake bite. While it technically works, it turns out to be far from the last word on the subject.

* MagicalAccessory: The Medal of Everlasting Life. Whomever wears the medal cannot die or be injured, making them effectively immortal.

* MagicalAccessory: The Medal of Everlasting Life. Anyone who wears it cannot be harmed or killed, making them effectively immortal.

** If you enter into a bet with La Muerte, do '''not''' cheat. [[spoiler:And '''especially''' do not cheat and then trick her into thinking she's lost, though admittedly she's more angered on the behalf of the mortals who were hurt by the results of the bet]].

* VitriolicBestBuds: Jorge the conquistador Sanchez member and Carmelo the native Mesoamerican Sanchez member, have a rather complicated relationship with each other. The former often calling the latter savage and the latter unintentionally bumps around the former. Not surprising considering the complicated history between the conquistadors and Mesoamericans. They're still family though.

* WasItReallyWorthIt: Joaquin silently starts to ask himself this, when he ends up winning Maria's hand [[spoiler: after Manolo dies]], and Maria is only marrying Joaquin for honor, not love. Right as he's about to call it off, realizing that he doesn't want to marry Maria if she doesn't love him and he's not a true hero given the Medallion and [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead the last thing]] [[PartingWordsRegret he said to Manolo]], [[spoiler: Chakal and the bandits interfere]].
* WellDoneSonGuy:
** Manolo worries deeply about disappointing his father by not being a great bullfighter like the rest of the men in his family.
** Joaquin aspires to live up to the reputation of his late father.

* WhatTheHellHero: Played with. In the timeframe of the movie, Bullfighting was the biggest sport, and the great matadors were roughly equivalent to modern day sports heroes. Manolo [[spoiler: refusing outright to kill the bull]] not only had the spectators react with dismay, the entire town turned on him, such that General Posada invited the whole town, including people he hates, to Maria's welcome back party -- except Manolo.

* WimpFight: Although both Manolo and Joaquin are established to be fairly skilled fighters, their argument over who will marry Maria quickly devolves into ineffectually flailing at each other. While PlayedForLaughs, it also showed that while the two considered each other rivals for Maria's affection [[HiddenDepths they won't seriously come to blows.]]
* WithThisRing: Joaquin produces one heck of a big shiny diamond ring to propose to [[spoiler: Maria.]] It does not turn out to be important to the plot.
* WomenAreWiser: Manolo's mother was one of few members of the family who knew that the family's bullfighting methods fell into TooDumbToLive territory and thus ''didn't'' want her son participating in the sport and Maria is repeatedly exasperated by her suitors' attempts to show off and impress her. Subverted by Manolo's grandmother, who really does not seem to be better than the other male relations.

-->'''María:''' (''to Joaquín'') All this… is about [[spoiler:a stupid medal]]? ARE YOU ''KIDDING'' ME?!

** General Posada shows little respect for his daughter and treats her as a bargaining chip for most of the story. Most apparent when [[spoiler:he coerces her into accepting Joaquin's proposal just after she learns of Manolo's death, despite Joaquin's attempt to stop him.]] He redeems himself by the end, actively encouraging Manolo to propose to Maria after saving the town from Chakal.

** Joaquin: You do not have to be exactly what someone else expects of you to be great.

* ArtisticLicenseSports: Bullfighting is really toned down here. In real life, the bull is weakened by picadors who jab spears into his neck to weaken him so that the matador can further weaken him with the capote, with the goal of tiring him so much that he's forced to expose his lungs for the killing blow; here, the bull and the matador enter together.

** The designs in the FramingDevice and the story proper are also distinctly different, with the characters in the latter resembling puppets or dolls with jointed limbs and wooden textures. This is [[JustifiedTrope justified]], since Mary Beth is using a set of miniature wooden dolls on a table to tell Manolo's story to the Detention Kids.

** Xibalba has a ''very'' cool and suave-y looking beard.

** Skeleton Luis, Manolo's grandfather. His is so badass it literally ''beat up'' Chakal's footmen.

%% ** Skeleton Jorge, Manolo's great-grandfather.
%% ** Adult Joaquin himself.
%% ** Even Xibalba and Mexico itself.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Joaquin, a potential suitor for Maria, says YouShouldHaveDiedInstead [[spoiler: to Manolo after it seems Maria is dead]]. He gets what he wished for, [[spoiler: with Manolo dead]] and Maria willing to marry him. Given the look on his face when Maria finds out, [[PartingWordsRegret he clearly]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regrets it]].

** If you enter into a bet with La Muerte, do '''NOT''' cheat. [[spoiler:And '''especially''' do not cheat and then trick her into thinking she's lost, though admittedly she's more angered on the behalf of the mortals who were hurt by the results of the bet]].

** Do ''not'' assume that pissing Manolo off won't end badly for you.

** La Muerte is a kind and loving ruler. Do '''not''' push her BerserkButton[[note]] If you enter into a bet with her, do '''NOT''' cheat[[/note]].
* BigBadEnsemble: Xibalba is the primary villain, while Chakal and his bandits pose a threat to the characters in the Land of the Living. [[spoiler:Xibalba ultimately [[GracefulLoser admits defeat once it's clear he's out of angles to work]], leaving Chakal as the final boss of the story.]]

** The Candlemaker is a rather big jovial ball of wax.

* BigWhat:
** One of Chakal's bandits reacts like this to [[OhCrap Chuy's pig army]].
** La Muerte quips, "He did ''what''?" when [[spoiler:Manolo reveals that Xibalba cheated on her wager]].
* BirdPoopGag: At one point, a vendor is trying to sell churros but a bird poops on them.

* BrattyHalfPint:
** {{Implied}} with the Detention Kids, considering they all were given detention. Goth-kid exemplifies this the most.

* BreakTheCutie:
** Manolo is mocked by townsfolk for not killing bulls. Looked down on and basically disowned by his own father at one point. [[spoiler:Thinks he sees the love of his life die before his eyes.]] The guy gets put through the wringer.

** [[spoiler:Joaquin. After losing the Medal of Everlasting Life and getting his butt handed to him by Chakal.]]
** [[spoiler:Manolo besting Xibalba in the final trial deflates his ego. If just a bit.]]

** 'Vamos, toro, venga!'
* BrokenAesop: Subverted. The kids decide to free the animals about to be butchered. Then it looks like Manolo will use his bullfighting skills with the big nasty hog... but he does not, because the truth is that Manolo does NOT want to be a bullfighter.

* {{Calacas}}: All those who have died and have people among the living who remember them live out their afterlives in an endless fiesta in the Land of the Remembered. They are usually white skeletons with colorful designs decorating them, their eyes glowing orange dots in their eye sockets. Should the memory of them fade away completely, they are then sent to the Land of the Forgotten, where they wander aimlessly - their bones blackened with glowing green eyes and markings - before fading away into dust.
* TheCameo: Manolo's operatic ancestor, Skeleton Jorge, was played by RealLife opera singer Placido Domingo.
* CastingGag: Skeleton Jorge was played by famous Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo and in the film he states that instead of bullfighting he wanted to sing at Operas.
* TheCavalry: [[spoiler: The Sanchez Ancestors near the climax.]] arrive thanks to some bending of the rules.
* CheatersNeverProsper:
** Xibalba has a chronic problem with cheating during bets with La Muerte. As she points out, it's the reason they're no longer together.
** Joaquin with the Medal of Everlasting Life ends up getting what he wants: glory, constant victory, and eventually Maria's hand in marriage. Just as he realizes that their wedding will be a sham since she's doing it out of duty, [[spoiler: Chakal shows up, manages to steal the Medal after Joaquin has to get it, and kicks Joaquin's butt]].
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: Manolo, Joaquin and Maria were friends as children, with Manolo and Joaquin both in love with Maria -- a love triangle, resolved at the end of the film.

** Red for Maria -- symbolizing her bravery, plus the fact that both dresses she wore as a child and adult were both red. [[WordOfGod Jorge]] even states that Maria's favorite color is red.

* DeaderThanDead: What apparently happens to those who fail the Candle-Maker's trial.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: In addition to the bullfighting example, there's also the subtle disdain that some have about Maria's interest in books and her "unwomanly" attitudes.

* DiggingYourselfDeeper: Joaquin does this when trying to woo Maria, which annoys her, thus making her leave the dinner table and go to her room.

** Maria has both Manolo and Joaquin falling for her. And when she returns to San Angel, all the men go '''GAGA''' over her. Even [[JerkassGod Xibalba]] was impressed.

* EmeraldPower: [[spoiler: The Medal of Everlasting Life]] glows green.
* EvenTheDogIsAshamed: The bull shakes his head sadly after [[spoiler: Manolo refuses to kill him in the bullfight. (It's worth noting that Manolo has done what he thinks is right; it's just that the others disapprove)]].
* EverybodyHatesHades: Subverted.
** La Muerte is unambiguously good.
** Xibalba's a rather nasty death god but he's more petty and uncaring of humans than outright evil. He's quite capable of selfless love [[spoiler:and admitting when he's been proven wrong.]]

--> '''Xibalba:''' I rule now.
--> '''Grandpa Sanchez:''' She would never give control to you!
--> '''Xibalba:''' She lost a bet.
--> '''Grandpa Sanchez:''' (''{{Beat}}'') She would do that.

* FearlessFool: Luis and Carmelo, like other Sanchez members, were very brave but unfortunately very foolish as well, so much so that they allowed hubris to get the better of them.

* {{Flight}}:
** La Muerte can levitate herself.
** Xibalba can either levitate himself or use his wings.

** A rare marriage example with La Muerte and Xibalba. They are both gods, but that's about the only thing they have in common. Xibalba thinks humanity is selfish and unnecessary creatures; he is made out of everything icky and slimy in the world, and therefore hated and/or feared by all. On the other hand, La Muerte believes that mankind is good. She is a colorful character made out of everything good and sweet in the world, and therefore beloved by all.

** Manolo Sanchez. Given his refusal to kill bulls and giving Chuy to Maria when they were younger.
** Maria Posada has a strong love for animals and won't stand for the killing of them. As a child she convinces Manolo and Joaquin to help her free a butcher's pigs. Later, the look of dread on her face during the main bullfight is what prompts Manolo to throw down his sword. She also has the "Disney Princess" ability to draw flocks of birds to her and have them hang around being cute and musical.

* FriendlySkeleton: The residents of the Land of the Remembered and La Muerte, in addition to being {{Calacas}}

* GenderNormativeParentPlot: Manolo Sanchez wants to become a musician (a stereotypically sensitive career), while his father Carlos wants him to become a bullfighter (a very macho career). Even though Manolo does have the skills of a bullfighter, he refuses to kill a bull, [[spoiler:even in the Land Of The Unremembered, where he had to fight a hundred bulls that all morphed into one gigantic bull. Eventually, Carlos sees for himself that his son does much better as a singer when the song of apology that Manolo sings for the bulls that were slaughtered by the Sanchez family is so moving that it just turns the gigantic bull into a pile of flower petals.]]

* GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath: The spirits have yellow ones.

** Despite having lost an eye, an arm, and a leg, Skeleton Jorge, is not slowed down by these infirmities, nor does it diminish how awesome a swordsman he is.
** [[spoiler:Joaquin's eye gets damaged in the climax, resulting in him wearing an eyepatch.]]

** After being [[spoiler:resurrected,]] Manolo traps himself and Chakal [[spoiler:under a church bell with a lit pack of dynamite to save San Angel from the subsequent explosion.]]
** Just before this, Joaquin secretly gives Manolo [[spoiler:the Medal of Everlasting Life so he can survive the battle and marry Maria. Without protection, he loses an eye in the explosion. He expected to perform a real heroic sacrifice, too - he clearly didn't expect Manolo to shove him out of the danger zone.]]
* HesDeadJim: Multiple examples. This ''is'' a movie about the Day of the Dead. The Candlemaker explains that every shining candle in his cave of souls is a life.

* HeterosexualLifepartner: Manolo Sanchez and Joaquin Mondragon, they may be after the same woman but the two are best friends and constantly refer to each other as "Brother."
* HolidayPardon: On the Day of the Dead, Manolo went to [[spoiler:the [[TheUnderworld Land of the Remembered]] when he died]] and his final challenge [[spoiler:before he can come [[BackFromTheDead back to the Land of the Living]]]] is to fight a giant [[DemBones skeleton bull]] combined from every bull his family has killed. He refused to fight it, [[MusicSoothesTheSavageBeast singing]] an apology instead, which it accepted and it passed on peacefully, making Manolo the winner. The Candlemaker, Xibalba, and La Muerte also [[spoiler:temporarily brought the other Sanchez ghosts back to the Land of the Living (without losing their {{Calacas}} appearances unlike Manolo who is flesh and blood again) because the holiday has a certain amount of leeway]].

* InTheStyleOf: Mexican guitar versions of Mumford And Sons' "I Will Wait", Music/{{Radiohead}}'s "I'm a Creep" and Music/ElvisPresley's "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You".

* IWillWaitForYou: Manolo and Joaquin wait ten years for Maria to return from Europe, shown through a montage set to, appropriately enough, a [[InTheStyleOf mariachi rendition]] of the song of the same name.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
** Joaquin's conceited and his fame has gone to his head, but he's still a good guy under it all. Best shown during the wedding when, despite getting what he wants, he's less than happy because Maria is basically being forced. Before Chakal attacks it looks like he is about to call the wedding off.
** Carlos has a habit of moulding Manolo into the man he wants, but is ultimately a loving father towards him and [[spoiler:apologizes to Manolo for trying to change him]].
** General Posada is a bit of a jerk, being very strict with Maria and trying to make her decisions on who she'll marry for her, but he was sincerely saddened when [[spoiler: everyone thought Maria died and near the end of the film he accepted Manolo with open arms.]]
** Unlike regular villains, Xibalba only sought to rule his wife's world out of loneliness. [[spoiler:He is even undoubtedly (if begrudgingly) impressed after Manolo’s heroism bests him and cheerfully takes part in the battle against Chakal at the conclusion, if indirectly.]] But, the biggest example that shows Xibalba isn't completely heartless is his love for [[MoralityPet La Muerte]].

* KissingDiscretionShot: La Muerte and Xibalba get in a few smooches, but always obscured by La Muerte's enormous hat. It serves dual purpose- Xibalba is a lot less humanoid than La Muerte, so actually showing the characters sucking face might look rather strange, and the combination of NiceHat plus Xibalba's spread wings forms an image of the Sacred Heart.
* KingKongClimb: In the climax, Chakal grabs Maria Posada and climbs the town's belltower with her in his hand.

** And just before that, when Manolo [[spoiler:believes that Maria is dead]], an all too familiar looking old man appears before him. The lightning flashes, casting the old man's shadow over Manolo... Giving the audience [[http://jackie-chaos-wolf.tumblr.com/image/106486289071 this glorious shot]] that confirms our fears.

* MagicalAccessory: [[spoiler: The Medal of Everlasting Life. Anyone who wears it cannot be harmed or killed, making them effectively immortal.]]
* MagnificentMoustachesOfMexico:
** Present throughout the movie, of course, but taken UpToEleven when ''Mexico itself'' is depicted as having one of these.

** Luis has probably the most impressive moustache among the Sanchez family.
* MassOhCrap: The ''entire'' Sanchez family gets this when they realize that [[spoiler:Xibalba]] is the new ruler of the Land of the Remembered.

* MonsterShapedMountain: The Cave of Souls, which is not so much just a mountain. [[spoiler: It's shaped like the Coatlicue stone idol, Precolumbian goddess of life and dead]]. When approached, it comes to life as a Judgement entity.

* MusicSoothesTheSavageBeast: [[spoiler: Xibalba lets Manolo challenge him to a wager at which he is allowed to pick the task. The dirty cheater chooses bullfighting -- which he knows Manolo hates. As if that weren't bad enough, the task is that Manolo must defeat ''every single bull'' every Sanchez before him has ever faced -- ''all at once''. And when Manolo succeeds at ''that'', Xibalba combines them into one mega-bull]] and still the hero does not flinch, instead playing an apology song.
* MyGreatestFailure: Played with. Manolo's father tells his son when he is very small that he will grow up to be the greatest of the Sanchezes. But when Manolo [[spoiler: refuses to kill the bull]], he reacts [[IHaveNoSon very badly]]. But when Manolo lives up to his heroic destiny, his father says that Manolo has indeed become the greatest of the Sanchezes.

** Carlos after [[spoiler: Manolo's death]] and [[PartingWordsRegret following their argument]] is residing by his son's [[spoiler: grave]].
** Likewise, Joaquin has a similar expression when he has to tell Maria that [[spoiler: Manolo is dead]], for similar reasons. It's what makes him doubt going through with [[spoiler: the wedding, along with Maria wanting to marry him for honor and duty rather than for true love]].
** Manolo after [[spoiler:realizing his efforts to reunite with Maria in the Land of the Remembered were AllForNothing]].

** In the trailer, Maria sees a snake coming near her and Manolo, shouts his name, he gets bitten and dies. In the movie, [[spoiler: Maria sees the snake, shouts Manolo's name, protects him by going in front of the snake which bites her once, and she dies. Subverted later, as Manolo then got voluntarily bitten twice by the snake while Maria just needed a kiss to come back to life, because she was only bitten once.]]
** In general, the advertising for the film focused heavily on the Land of the Remembered and made it seem as though the film was largely about Manolo's journey through the afterlife. Most of the movie actually takes place in the Land of the Living, and the story doesn't move into the afterlife until about halfway through.

* NiceHat:
** Joao has a nice bowler hat.
** La Muerte boasts an absolutely ''enormous'' one, bedecked with candles, marigolds, feathers and skulls, as par due to being inspired by ''La Calavera Catrina''. If she weren't a god, there is no way that thing would stay on her head. It also [[ExpressiveAccessory reacts to her emotions]]. The candles turn into flares when she is furious, and Roman Candles when she is passionately happy.
** Carmelo Sanchez wears an Aztec headdress which identifies him being of native Mesoamerican origin.
** Both of the Sanzhez Twins wear impressive looking sombreros.

* TheNothingAfterDeath: The Land of the Forgotten, a gray featureless wasteland where the souls who are forgotten go, as contrasted with the permanent fiesta of the Land of the Remembered. The film never stops to consider that within a few generations ''everyone'' will go to the grim, sad Land of the Forgotten, once everyone who remembers them also dies.

* OmniscientMoralityLicense: Deconstructed with Xibalba and La Muerte. Their bet over who Maria will marry ends up affecting three bystander children's lives, and not necessarily in a good way; Joaquin becomes a faux hero with an inflated ego, Manolo gets constantly ragged on for preferring music to bullfighting, and Maria is seen as a prize rather than as a person.

* OneSteveLimit: Subverted. The film has characters named Maria and Mary.
%% * OneTrueLove: Manolo and Maria.

** At the beginning as young Manolo speaks with his father about missing his mother, Carlos explains that while family is remembered with love, we can always feel their presence. Ghostly versions of family members begin appearing all over town near their shrines, showing love to the living.
** When Manolo returns to life to fight Chakal, Xibalba, The Candlemaker and La Muerte decide to exercise their leeway. The Sanchez ghosts all appear, and then are briefly restored to life to help Manolo fight.

** Joaquin as well, since the last thing he said to [[spoiler: Manolo]] was YouShouldHaveDiedInstead, when Maria [[spoiler: wasn't really dead]] and on waking up learned what happened to [[spoiler: Manolo]]. It certainly starts his CharacterDevelopment in asking himself if a marriage to Maria was worth it, since she only will marry him for honor and so he will stay to protect the village.

* PlotDevice: The Medal [[spoiler: of Everlasting Life. Anyone who wears it cannot be hurt or killed]]. Joaquin ends up with it as part of the wager between La Muerta and Xibalba. Chakal had it once and seeks to get it back. In the final battle, several people end up with a chance to wear it, and be temporarily badass.

* PublicDomainSoundtrack: When Skeleton Jorge reunites with his grandson Manolo, the Prelude to Georges Bizet's opera ''Carmen'' can be heard.

* RealityEnsues: An example that is PlayedForLaughs. Joaquin asks why Chakal doesn't pick on someone his own size.

%% * RecycledSoundtrack: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOr0na6mKJQ "The Ecstasy of Gold"]] from ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'' will be used at one point.

* ResurrectedRomance: What Manolo is hoping to accomplish after Xibalba tricks him [[spoiler: into requesting his own death to be with Maria in the Land of the Dead. Maria isn't there.]]
* RousingSpeech: Maria gives one to the entire town of San Angel, who have all been mostly cowering from Chakal the entire time.

* RuleOfThree: The Medal of Everlasting Life. Chakal had it. Xibalba stole it back, causing Chakal to go monomaniacal to seek it back. But Xibalba traded it to Joaquin, who used it to launch himself to fame in hopes of honoring his father. Then Joaquin lost it to one of the banditos, who in turn ended up losing it to the citizens of San Angel, before Joaquin gave it to Manolo.

* SayingTooMuch: After La Muerte finds out that Xibabla [[spoiler:cheated to win their wager]], he proceeds to put himself in even ''deeper'' hot water by accidentally revealing that [[spoiler:he gave The Medal of Everlasting Life to Joaquin]]. ''Whoops''.
* SceneryGorn: The Land of the Forgotten, which is a very grey place filled with the forgotten dead, who are likely to crumble to sand at any given moment.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When [[spoiler:Chakal is defeated]], Chato and his bandits [[spoiler:are forced to retreat]].

** Manolo is the AllLovingHero, aspiring musician Sensitive Guy to rough-and-tumble Soldier Joaquin and his bullfighter dad's Manly Man.

* SharedFamilyQuirks: Luis, Jorge and Carmelo shared a running Sanchez trait of handicapping oneself when fighting bulls because "''fighting otherwise is for cowards''". Jorge also shares Manolo's love and talent for music.

** Maria herself has a moment like this when she sees Manolo singing "Creep."

* SicklyGreenGlow:
** Part of Xibalba’s color scheme has a deathly shade of green.

* SingleTargetSexuality:
** "I Will Wait For You", basically describes how Manolo will wait for Maria.
** Maria towards Manolo.

** Like Manolo, Joaquin has only had eyes for Maria.

** {{Implied}} with La Muerte. In the opening, she sadly tells Xibalba he's not the man she fell in love with years ago. [[spoiler:She only gets back with Xibalba when he admits his mistake and apologizes]].

** La Muerte lets loose a truly epic one when she finds out [[spoiler: that Xibalba cheated to win their bet]]. Just before she screams, Candlemaker warns the Sanchezes, [[LampshadeHanging "You'd better cover your ears."]]

* StayInTheKitchen: Maria sarcastically brings this idea up when discussing a hypothetical marriage to Joaquin with him. [[spoiler:He's too preoccupied with her looks to notice her disdain for what she's saying and unknowingly agrees with her, which briefly drives her off.]]
* StealthPun: Pancho says he and his friends ran into four bars... right before running into a bar. Ouch!
* StrawMisogynist: Joaquin's group of [[YesMan Yes Men]] agree with Maria as she sarcastically asks Joaquin if a pretty ornament who knows her place is what he wants in a woman; this results in Joaquin looking bad to her, and her deciding to leave and spend time with her pig.

** Luis tried fighting three bulls at once because "''fighting just one bull is for cowards''".