The fantastical spirit-guide creatures in Pixar’s Coco are called alebrijes.
In the film, alebrijes are colorful supernatural companions that guide or protect people in the Land of the Dead. Pepita and Dante are the best-known examples. Their bright patterns and combinations of animal features reflect the imaginative visual language associated with Mexican alebrije art.
Traditional alebrijes originated in Mexico as vividly painted fantastical creatures, especially through the work of artist Pedro Linares. Coco adapts the idea for its own mythology. Alebrijes should not be confused with calaveras, which are decorative skeletons or skull imagery, or with xoloitzcuintles, a real Mexican dog breed.