The giant winged jaguar-like spirit creature in Pixar’s Coco is named Pepita.
Pepita is Mamá Imelda’s alebrije, a fantastical creature that serves as her spirit guide in the Land of the Dead. The character combines features of several animals, including a jaguar, eagle, and other vividly colored creatures. Her wings and bright design make her one of the film’s most recognizable visual creations.
Pepita is sometimes called a spirit animal in casual descriptions, but the film presents her as an alebrije-like guide rather than an ordinary animal. Dante is another important animal character, but he is Miguel’s Xoloitzcuintli and does not have Pepita’s jaguar-like appearance. The name Pepita belongs specifically to Imelda’s powerful guide.