History TearJerker / TheBookOfLife

** The later reveal from WordOfGod that Manolo and Maria [[spoiler:are the reincarnations of [[WesternAnimation/MayaAndTheThree Zatz and Maya]]]] makes this even ''worse''. [[spoiler:She almost had to watch her true love die '''''twice'''''.]]

** The later reveal from WordOfGod that Manolo and Maria [[spoiler:the reincarnations of [[WesternAnimation/MayaAndTheThree Zatz and Maya]]]] makes this even ''worse''. [[spoiler:She almost had to watch her true love die '''''twice'''''.]]

* Right before Manolo's HeroicSacrifice[=/=]DisneyDeath: ''"Don't forget me."''

** The later reveal that [[spoiler:Manolo and Maria the reincarnations of [[WesternAnimation/MayaAndTheThree Zatz and Maya]]]] makes this even ''worse''. [[spoiler:She almost had to watch her true love die '''''twice'''''.]]

** The later reveal that [[spoiler:Manolo and Maria the reincarnations of [[WesternAnimation/MayaAndTheThree Zatz and Maya]] respectively]] makes this even ''worse''. [[spoiler:She almost had to watch her true love die '''''twice'''''.]]

* According to a snippet regarding a future project, the idea that Xibalba will eventually cast a curse against the Sanchez family is a pretty big downer after everything that happened with Manolo and co. It's open for interpretation as into why he does this and what the effects are, as well as how La Muerte will react if he does this behind her back (especially since he'll be breaking his end of the wager of not interfering with mortals).

* When rightly ousted for his cheating and hand in Manolo's suicide Xibalba refuses to allow Manolo to regain his life. Not even La Muerte is able to convince him nor is she able to restore Manolo herself, which leads to another bet having to be made and the aforementioned confrontation with the slain bulls.

* Apparently, La Muerte and Xibalba have a habit of divorcing or separating until they finally reconcile and remarry once more. And this happened ''countless'' times. They may love each other dearly, but it's clear their relationship is also woven with heartbreak that many beings might not be able to handle.

* Carmen was confirmed to have been killed while protecting her family during a war or a raid on their town. As did her husband many years later, [[HeroicSacrifice she died a hero]] but left quite the toll on her family.

* Carmen was confirmed to have been killed while protecting her family during a war or a raid on their town. As did her husband many years later, [[HeroicSacrifice she died a hero.]]

* According to a snippet regarding a future project, the idea that Xibalba will eventually cast a curse against the Sanchez family is a pretty big downer after everything that happened with Manolo and co. It's open for interpretation as into why he does this and what the effects are, as well as how La Muerte will react if he does this behind her back (especially since he'll be breaking his end of the wager of not interfering with mortals).

* According to a snippet regarding a future project, the idea that Xibalba will eventually cast a curse against the Sanchez family is a pretty big downer even after everything that happened with Manolo and co. It's open for interpretation as into why he does this and what the effects are, as well as how La Muerte will react if he does this behind her back (especially since he'll be breaking his end of the wager of not interfering with mortals).

* According to a snippet regarding a future project, the idea that Xibalba will eventually cast a curse against the Sanchez family even after everything that happened with Manolo and co. It's open for interpretation as into why he does this and what the effects are, as well as how La Muerte will react if he does this behind her back (especially since he'll be breaking his end of the wager of not interfering with mortals).

* According to a snippet regarding a future project, the idea that Xibalba will eventually cast a curse against the Sanchez family after everything that happened with Manolo and co. It's open for interpretation as into why he does this, as well as how La Muerte will react if he does this behind her back (especially since he'll be breaking his end of the wager of not interfering with mortals).

* The fact that La Muerte and her sister, La Noche, are quite possibly enemies, is pretty disheartening.

* There were some ideas for WhatCouldHaveBeen revealed in interviews that were changed due to how down they were, such as Manolo remaining dead without having a resolution with Maria and him actually dying via allowing the bull to kill him.
* According to a snippet regarding a future project, the idea that Xibalba will eventually cast a curse against the Sanchez family. It's open for interpretation as into why he does this, as well as how La Muerte will react if he does this behind her back (especially since he'll be breaking his end of the wager of not interfering with mortals).

* Also during the MinorKidroduction when Maria, Joaquin, and Manolo are playing, Maria and Manolo's fathers call them both over, but no one calls Joaquin. It can be assumed that Joaquin's mother is dead, leaving him completely alone at his deceased father's statue [[spoiler: right until Xibalba shows up.]]

* Manolo's rendition of Music/{{Radiohead}}'s "Creep" right after being rejected by the town for [[spoiler:not killing the bull at the bullfight.]]
* [[spoiler: Manolo realizing how Xibalba played him]].
* Right before [[spoiler: Manolo's HeroicSacrifice[=/=]DisneyDeath: ''"Don't forget me."'']]
* [[spoiler: Carlos's death at the hands of Chakal]]. In the end [[spoiler: [[DefiantToTheEnd he died a true hero's death]]]].
** The way it's shown. [[spoiler:Carlos throws himself at Chakal. Cut to a single candle in the Cave of Souls. ''It goes out''.]]
* [[spoiler: Maria seemingly dying from a snakebite. Manolo catches her body as she falls, and as the sunny day becomes gray and rainy, he tilts his head back and lets out a [[SkywardScream loud, anguished scream.]] And to really rub salt in the wouds, when he brings her body back to her father and Joaquin. They both rub it in on him that he didn't rescue Maria.]]
--> [[spoiler: Manolo: "It should have been me."]]
--> [[spoiler: Joaquin: "[[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead Yes. It should have.]]"]]
* [[spoiler: Carlos at the spot where Manolo died, absolutely ''devastated'' that the last time he spoke to his son was telling him how disappointed he was with him.]]
** And to smash our hearts into even tinier pieces. [[spoiler:Carlos]] was the one who found Manolo's body and the reason why he was at the tree was because [[spoiler:he was building a shrine for his son]].

** Later, [[spoiler: he dies in front of his son's grave.]]
* [[spoiler: Joaquin's expression when Maria says she'll marry him 'for the sake of the town.' He loves Maria, but if she's only marrying him out of duty he doesn't want to do that to her, and he's clearly on the verge of saying something when the warning about Chakal comes.]]
* The normally confident and upbeat Maria [[spoiler:breaking down and sobbing when she's informed of Manolo's death.]]
** Joaquin in that scene too. [[spoiler: The last thing that he said to his best friend was that [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead he should have died instead]]... and he does.]]
* [[spoiler: It is a bit sad to think that, by the end of the film, Manolo and his new wife, Maria, are the only members of the Sanchez family left alive.]]
** [[spoiler: It gets even more sad when one realizes that ''all of our protagonists are dead'', with La Muerte preserving their memory via museum tours.]]
* [[spoiler:The apology Manolo sang to the angry spirits of all the bulls his family had killed. That the bulls' souls were able to forgive despite the anger they felt for all the injustice they suffered and were finally at peace.]]
** Especially considering the story behind it. [[spoiler: Every single one of the bulls were made to fight in the ring - involuntarily - and were killed purely for the sport of it. By the time they face off against a Sanchez in the Land of the Remembered, it's obvious that they want their revenge. The fact they were able to let go of all of their anger and hatred just by Manolo's apology is heartbreaking enough]]
** [[spoiler: The way the Bull reacts to Manolo singing a song of apology to it. It stops just short of killing him DeaderThanDead as it realizes he's apologizing to it for what his family did to its component souls, and as it realizes that his apology is a truly ''genuine'' one the flames of it's rage die out and it just looks so damn sad and ''tired''. The way it closes it's eyes as it lets Manolo touch it makes it feel as if it's souls have finally attained their long denied rest.]]

* The Land of The Forgotten. The fact that that souls are sent there once no one in the living realm remembers them is sad enough; however, it gets worse in that it doesn't matter whether or not a person was evil or good, which means that most of those poor souls probably don't deserve to even be there. Even worse...at some point or another, everyone will ultimately be part of The Land of The Forgotten except for the lucky few that manage to become absolute legends. [[spoiler: No wonder La Muerte (and Xibalba) are trying to preserve our protagonists' and their village's memory through the tour guide.]]

* How Manolo [[spoiler: dies. After being ridiculed by the town, denounced by his father, fighting with his best friend and losing the love of his life (in his point of view), Manolo asks Xibalba to [[DrivenToSuicide kill]] [[SuicideByCop him]] so he could join her.]]

* Anita Sanchez herself becomes this when you realize that despite being a bullfighter herself, she still managed to outlive her father (Carmelo), brother (Jorge), son (Luis), grandson (Carlos), and [[spoiler: temporarily]] great-grandson (Manolo). Just knowing that she had to deal with the pain of losing her entire family over the years, it's amazing that [[spoiler: it was actually cholesterol that finally did her in, and ''not'' a broken heart]].

* A tweet revealed that not only does Joaquin enjoy writing, he occasionally will write letters to his deceased father [[spoiler: This would only get worse if the speculations regarding Captain Mondragon and Chakal are true...]].

** Luckily, a different tweet has at least debunked the attached theory; however, the tweet also implied that [[spoiler: Captain Mondragon and Chakal were probably brothers...]]

* According to a snippet regarding a future project, the idea that [[spoiler: Xibalba will eventually cast a curse against the Sanchez family.]] It's open for interpretation as into why he does this, as well as[[spoiler: how La Muerte will react if he does this behind her back (especially since he'll be breaking his end of the wager of not interfering with mortals)]]

** [[spoiler: The way the Bull reacts to Manolo singing a song of apology to it. It stops just short of killing him DeaderThanDead as it realizes he's apologizing to it for what his family did to it's component souls, and as it realizes that his apology is a truly ''genuine'' one the flames of it's rage die out and it just looks so damn sad and ''tired''. The way it closes it's eyes as it lets Manolo touch it makes it feel as if it's souls have finally attained their long denied rest.]]
*** Speaking of bulls, that one bull which Manolo refuses to kill during his EstablishingCharacterMoment. We all know sparing the bull's life is the right thing to do, yet when Manolo turns to see the beast, the bovine utters a moaning bellow and shakes its head in disapproval as well. This implies that not only are the bulls aware they'll lose their lives when they are pited against bullfighters, but they're just so used to it, they ''just don't care what will happen to them next.''

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