In The Book of Life (2014), “El Chakal” (more commonly written just Chakal) is the film’s main villain and a legendary bandit warlord, not a hero or a god.

Who El Chakal Is

  • Chakal is a ruthless bandit king who terrorizes Mexico and especially the town of San Angel, commanding a large army of bandits.
  • He is obsessed with power and invincibility, hunting the magical Medal (Pin) of Everlasting Life that protects its wearer from death.
  • In the story’s climax, he leads an all‑out assault on San Angel, forcing Manolo, María, and Joaquín to unite against him.

Role In The Story

  • Chakal functions as the central external threat that pushes the main characters to grow: Joaquín relies on the medal to face him, while Manolo must confront him without cheating death.
  • The final battle ends with Chakal being defeated in a massive explosion after attacking the town, resolving the long‑standing fear the people of San Angel have lived under.

Name Spelling And Nickname

  • Many fans informally write his name as “El Chakal,” but official materials (credits, wikis, and villain databases) list him as Chakal without “El.”
  • The “El” is just a Spanish article (“the”), so “El Chakal” essentially means “the Chakal,” used colloquially by viewers and in some Q&A/forum discussions.

TL;DR: El Chakal in The Book of Life is Chakal, the bandit king and main antagonist who leads an army of bandits against San Angel and seeks the Medal of Everlasting Life, serving as the movie’s primary external villain.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.