Michael Corleone from The Godfather trilogy is one of the most complex and fascinating characters in cinema history. He is introduced as the strait-laced son of Don Vito Corleone but is eventually drawn into the family business and becomes a ruthless mafia boss.
As fans watch the progression of Michael through the films, fans see some of the dark things he is capable of. He does not hesitate to punish his enemies and shows little remorse for doing so, even when they are close to him. Here are some of the worse things Michael Corleone ever did.
Threatening To Kick Connie Out Of The Family
Connie Corleone has an interesting relationship with Michael which changes a lot over the course of the three films. In Godfather Part II, Connie has grown resentful of Michael and his cold demeanor while Michael shows little patience for her behavior.
When she shows up at a family gathering with her new boyfriend and announces she wants to get married, Michael is not congratulatory. With her fiancé in the room, Michael orders Connie to dump him or she will not be welcomed as part of the family.
Giving The Family To Vincent
In Godfather Part III, fans see an older and frailer Michael. He is also riddled with guilt for the things he did. However, he doesn't seem to learn much from his mistakes. When he looks to retire, he eventually names Vincent, the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone, as the new head of the family.
As soon as Vincent is named as Don Corleone, he orders the murders of their enemies, just as Michael did. Michael handed the family over to another violent man who will further destroy what Vito Corleone built.
Attacking Kay
When fans first meet Michael, he is living a happy and simple life with his girlfriend Kay. As he finds himself back in the family business, he holds on to Kay, marrying her and having children with her, in an attempt to hold onto that past life.
As Michael sinks deeper into darkness, his relationship with Kay suffers and she begins to see him as a monster. She finally reveals she had an abortion to prevent the Corleone lineage from continuing further. Michael attacks her with such fury that he seems to become the monster she feared he was.
Killing Sollozzo And McCluskey
This is the moment Michael really turns to the dark side and there is no coming back. Following the attempted assassination of Vito Corleone, his sons make a plan for revenge and to keep the family strong.
Michael decides he will be the one to kill the rival gangster Sollozzo and the corrupt cop McCluskey who were responsible for the attack. While these two men are far from innocent, the fact that Michael chose to be the one to kill them suggests he was always capable of such things.
Killing Carlo
Carlo is another person who probably got what he deserved but it further cemented the fact that Michael sold his soul when he took over the family. Carlo was Connie's abusive husband who sold out Sonny to the rival gangs, resulting in his murder.
Michael meets with Carlo and tells him he knows he sold out the family. As Carlo pleads for mercy, Michael calmly tells him that he isn't going to kill his brother-in-law, but Carlo is out of the family. As Carlo leaves, Michael's men attack him and strangle him to death.
Cutting Kay Out Of His Life
After Kay reveals the truth of what she thinks of Michael, their marriage goes beyond the point of reconciliation. However, even though he knows she is a better parent to their children than he is, he refuses to give them up to her.
When Michael is gone, Connie sneaks Kay into the house just so she can see her children. When Michael comes home and finds her, he doesn't say a word to his former wife and simply closes the door on her.
The Baptism Massacre
One of the most iconic moments in movie history also serves to cement Michael's legacy as a cold-blooded man. During the baptism of Connie and Carlo's son, Michael orders the murders of several of the family's enemies.
Seeing Michael's emotionless expression as the religious ceremony proceeds intercut with scenes of the various gangsters getting murdered is unsettling and shows that Michael will always put business above all else.
Blackmailing The Senator
At the beginning of The Godfather Part II, Michael has full control over the family's business, and he proves he is not a man to be underestimated. This is something that Senator Geary learns pretty quickly after trying to extort, then insulting Michael.
Michael then blackmails the senator by staging it to look like he killed a prostitute he was with. While blackmailing a corrupt man might not seem so bad, Michael did so by killing an innocent girl. Everyone else Michael killed was part of the crime life, but this girl was just a pawn.
Killing Fredo
Fredo is the tragic figure of the Corleone family. Though he is Michael's older brother, Fredo is passed over for a position of power because he is weak and not too sharp. As Michael's plans grow more ambitious, Fredo tries to make a move for himself only to accidentally sell out Michael.
When Michael finds out about the betrayal, he confronts Fredo and forgives him. But that forgiveness doesn't go too far as he soon orders the murder of his older brother. It is a moment that forever tarnished Michael.
Failing His Father's Legacy
Vito Corleone was not an innocent man. He murdered and intimidated, as was necessary in his line of business. However, The Godfather Part II gives insight into this man and how his son Michael betrayed everything he stood for.
Vito became the criminal he was all to protect his family. Fans see that he attempts to make peace with the other families and seeks no revenge out of a desire to protect his family. Michael always puts the family business above the actual family and destroys Vito's legacy in the process.