What is the name of the young protagonist in Coco?

The young protagonist in Coco is Miguel Rivera. He is a 12-year-old boy from Santa Cecilia, Mexico, whose passion for music drives the film’s story.

Miguel lives in a family of shoemakers that has banned music for generations. He secretly admires the celebrated musician Ernesto de la Cruz and hopes to become a performer himself. During Día de los Muertos, Miguel enters the Land of the Dead and begins uncovering the truth about his family history, music, and the people he has lost.

Anthony Gonzalez provides Miguel’s voice in the original English-language version. The character’s journey connects personal ambition with remembrance, especially the Mexican tradition of honoring deceased relatives through family altars, photographs, offerings, and shared memories.

Ernesto de la Cruz is Miguel’s musical idol, not the protagonist. Héctor becomes a crucial companion in the Land of the Dead, while Papa Julio is one of Miguel’s deceased relatives. These names are central to the plot, which is why they can seem like plausible answers even though the story remains focused on Miguel Rivera.