Who is the famous musician Miguel initially believes is his great-great-grandfather?

Miguel initially believes Ernesto de la Cruz is his great-great-grandfather.

Miguel reaches this conclusion after finding a damaged photograph on his family’s ofrenda. The visible part shows a man holding Ernesto’s distinctive guitar, but the man’s face has been torn away. Because Miguel idolizes Ernesto and recognizes the guitar, he assumes the hidden ancestor must be the famous musician.

That belief motivates Miguel to break into Ernesto’s mausoleum and borrow the musician’s guitar. The act transports him to the Land of the Dead, where he seeks Ernesto’s blessing to continue playing music despite his family’s ban.

The truth is revealed when Héctor explains that he performed with Ernesto and that Ernesto stole his songs after poisoning him. Héctor is the faceless man in the photograph and Miguel’s actual great-great-grandfather. He is also Mamá Coco’s father, while Ernesto has no family connection to Miguel.

The twist matters because Miguel’s journey is not really about inheriting fame. It is about recovering Héctor’s identity, restoring his authorship and reconnecting the Rivera family with the ancestor they had unknowingly forgotten.