My favorite thing about the movies is how everybody thinks michael soft and they stay tryna undermine his power. And then this fukkker strikes like a cobra/rattlesnake and got everybody scrambling.

GOAT character on film.
The flashbacks with Deniro as Vito show that he was the exact same way. He was the only child that inherited that gene.
If you watch the second one, peep the symbolism.
How when Mike embraced Fredo he always hugged him as if he was his father rather than his younger brother.
Michael was ice cold. Certain scenes you can see the frost coming out of his mouth.
Fredo in the fukked up creaky chair.
How both godfathers started off with parties, 1 was a celebration of family and culture, part two the family was breaking slowly, nobody knew the songs, the culture and attachment to the old country was waning.
Keep your friends close but your enemies closer was the theme that was shown repeatedly.