Héctor Rivera

"Papá was a musician. When I was a little girl, he and Mamá would sing such beautiful songs."

- Coco about her father

Héctor Rivera is the deuteragonist of the 2017 film, Coco, Imelda's husband, Coco's father, and Miguel's long-lost great-great-grandfather.

Background
Héctor is the husband of Imelda, father of Coco, father-in-law of Julio, grandfather of Victoria and Elena Rivera, and Miguel's long-lost great-great-grandfather. Having a passion for music, Héctor wrote many of songs that became famous under the name of Ernesto de La Cruz. One of the songs "Un Poco Loco" for Imelda and "Remember Me" as a lullaby/love song for his daughter, Coco.

Though Imelda wanted to settle down, Héctor leaves the family to join his former friend, Ernesto da la Cruz in music.He began missing his family and intended to return to them but was unfortunately was killed by his former friend, Ernesto de la Cruz. However, most people, Including Héctor, believed that he died of food poisoning.He later woke up in the Land of the Dead. When he never returned, Imelda believed he had truly abandoned the family. When she came to the Land of the Dead, Imelda and Héctor remained distant towards one another. Slowly, as Coco forgot her father, Héctor's bones began to turn yellow and cracked.

The novelization reveals that Héctor once tried to get across the Marigold Bridge as an Alebrije and as artist Diego Rivera. However, both attempts failed. Because music appeared to have stopped him from realizing what he wanted all along (family), Héctor began to dislike musicians and grew embittered towards his once friend, Ernesto da la Cruz for stealing his music and taking all the credit, as well as stealing his guitar.

Personality
Héctor was a man who did not want fame or fortune or the world to remember him. Instead, he was a man who had a deep love, affection and adoration of his family, especially towards his daughter and wife, and eventually, his great-great-grandson, Miguel.

Physical Appearance
Before his death, Héctor was a handsome, young man and was only twenty-one when he died. He had tan skin, short black hair, and brown eyes. After his death, his brown eyes became majenta. It can be noted that Héctor and Miguel both have similar hair-styles, with bangs parted to the left.

As Héctor was being forgotten, his bones turned to a yellowish color. He wore clothing that became rip and tattered. Mostly in rags his purple vest was tattered and his brown pants torn on each pant leg. By the end of the film, Héctor's bones turned white again. His clothing was no longer ripped up or tattered and instead of being barefoot, he sports on brown Rivera shoes.

According to his great-great grandson, Miguel, Héctor and Coco have the same chin and cheek bone structure.

Also, Héctor and Miguel have similar hair-styles, having bangs to the side and have dimples.

Solos

 * "Everyone Knows Juanita"

Duets

 * "Un Poco Loco" (sung with his great-great-grandson)
 * "Remember Me" (sung with his daughter)

Trivia
himself. above: personal gain for the protagonist (Victor and Miguel),have been lied to by the protagonist about family and entered a fight. They were both betrayed by the main antagonist, (Ernesto and Barkis) who robbed them. They both also get a happy ending, where Héctor is welcomed back into his family and Emily ascends to heaven.
 * Héctor's birthday is November 30, which is his actor's as well.
 * Héctor wrote a majority of the songs. Among them are "Remember Me," written for Coco, and "Un Poco Loco," written for Imelda.
 * There are a few hints at Héctor's identity and death
 * His statement to Miguel that no one put his photo up
 * Refuses for Miguel to play "Remember Me," since it is a song that Héctor sung to his daughter.
 * There is a gold tooth on the head of the guitar similar to Héctor
 * He finished his own drink while sharing a toast when Chicharrón disappears. It also **Implies that he died of food poisoning, alluding to Héctor being murdered by de la Cruz with poison and
 * Héctor speaks negatively of de la Cruz, which further hints at their disdain for each other and that de la Cruz stole his songs.
 * The man in the photograph isn't as muscular as de la Cruz, implying that the man is NOT Ernesto in the photograph but Héctor
 * According to their descendant, Miguel, Héctor and Coco have the same chin and cheekbones
 * There are several movie hints that Héctor is Miguel's truegreat-great-grandfather other than the reasons behind his murder from
 * After Miguel says they need to "find [his] great-great-grandfather, Dante immediately "wanders off to the room where Héctor is being processed.
 * Also, later, Dante tries to keep Héctor and Miguel together, especially when the two Riveras have their argument.
 * Miguel and Héctor play the same chord while Miguel was at his shrine to Ernesto.
 * Both Héctor and Miguel had marigold flung into them when they couldn't go to the talent show and sneak off the Marigold Bridge respectively and they spit out the flower petals.
 * Another way you can tell that Miguel and Héctor are truly related is that they have very similar hair styles as both of them have bangs that are straight parted and messy, have similar beauty marks and dimple (when Héctor was alive).
 * A not so subtle reference is that they are at the top of the teaser poster, once again hinting that Miguel and Héctor are family.
 * Héctor's and Miguel's relationship is similar to Judy and Nick's from Zootopia and Anna and Kristoff's from Frozen.
 * Héctor is similar to non-Disney heroine, Emily from the Coprse Bride as both live in the Land of the Dead, both appear to be using
 * It is possible and implied that Imelda and Héctor wanted to have more children with each other, but her husband died before they could have more. Nonetheless, Héctor is happy with the daughter and the great great-grandson he has.
 * It's revealed in one of the deleted scenes that Héctor was originally a tour guide and was asked from Ernesto de la Cruz to keep him out of the tour and stay away from his home.
 * In the same deleted scene, Héctor and Miguel first meet on the bus as opposed to meeting at Marigold Grand Central Station.
 * In one of the deleted scenes, Héctor and Miguel were attacked by Pepita, which was her original introduction to the film.