Encanto is a 2021 American computer-animated musical fantasy comedy movie. The narrative of Encanto centers on the Madrigals, a remarkable family living in the Colombian mountains in a hidden enchanting place called the Encanto. All of the Madrigal children, with the exception of Mirabel, possess special powers courtesy of Encanto’s magic.
List of the Encanto Characters of the Madrigal Family and their Gifts
1. Abuela Alma: Candle Keeper
- Age: 75 Years old
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Voiced By: María Cecilia Botero and
Olga Merediz
When Abuela Alma, the family matriarch, her husband Pedro, and their young triplets – Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno were caught in an armed conflict, they were forced to flee and abandon their home. However, Pedro was killed before they could reach safety. Following the tragedy, the candle Alma carried with her turned magical, granting her the miracle of a sentient Casita, which blessed her family with powers and abilities.
Without the gift of Alma Madrigal’s first miracle, none of the magic in “Encanto” would exist. She is responsible for the village’s existence as well as the sentient Casita. Alma is very important to the story of Encanto because she is accountable for everything as the Madrigal family’s matriarch. Every member of her family receives gifts of different kinds, just as the magical flame gives Abuela the gift of safety.
When she lost her husband, Pedro, the candle lit up magically and built the enchanted village in which they all live. Alma Abuela is the Guardian of the magic, and although she almost lost it all because she lost sight of what was most important, she and her granddaughter Mirabel were able to fix it all.
2. Antonio Madrigal: Communicates with Animals
- Age: 5 Years old
- Zodiac Sign: Pisces
- Voiced By: Ravi Cabot-Conyers
Antonio Madrigal is Felix and Pepa’s youngest son and the newest member of the Madrigals to get a magical gift in Encanto. In the story, Antonio has the power to communicate with animals, and the animals appear to obey his instructions. For example, he can ride a jaguar and tell it not to eat Bruno’s rats.
This gift also comes in handy when Antonio communicates with Bruno’s rat companions. He can also finally order the donkeys to stay in one place so Luisa doesn’t have to chase them down every day.
Antonio’s gift has a lot of potential, as proven by the fact that he instantly starts talking to a jaguar. With just one discussion, a dangerous animal is transformed into a friendly animal who no longer poses a threat to the village. As Antonio grows, he may be able to harness this power in many more ways. In “Encanto,” he’s just a child having fun with his new animal friends, which is also helpful to Antonio as he appears to be more lonely than the rest of his family. He prefers to spend his time with Mirabel, who is also somewhat of an outcast. Antonio’s gift of communicating with animals guarantees that he will never be lonely again.
The animals cheerfully carry Antonio wherever he wishes to go, and they also help Mirabel and Antonio in their efforts to safeguard the family magic. Although he doesn’t appear much in the film, he is Mirabel’s best buddy and becomes one of her closest allies in her quest to save Casita and the family magic.
3. Bruno Madrigal: Clairvoyance
- Age: 50 Years old
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Voiced By: John Leguizamo
Bruno Madrigal is Alma and Pedro’s son, and the brother of Julieta and Pepa. Bruno, who has the ability to see the future, is perceived more like a cursed person than an important seer. While the village is a fantastic place to live, challenges sometimes occur in people’s daily lives. As a result, when neighbors seek Bruno’s advice on their future, he sees more than rainbows and butterflies.
Most people regard Bruno with scorn, as though he causes tragedy rather than simply foreseeing it. This doesn’t go down well with Alma’s plans for a perfect village. In fact, the village has a whole choreographed song called “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” that details all of the troubles his predictions bring.
After experiencing a painful vision about Mirabel and Casita, Bruno goes into hiding in an attempt to shield the Madrigal family from the impending doom his vision could bring because he also appears to be having difficulty comprehending his visions. In fact, his confusion drove him to spend a decade hiding within the walls of the house.
While Bruno’s gift may seem like a burden, it is extremely useful to the villagers, whether they realize it or not. His visions aided Mirabel in her mission to save the magic. Knowing the critical events in life might help people prepare for what’s to come, potentially averting the type of tragedy Alma had to flee from. Bruno is misunderstood. Perhaps they’ll do better in the future. Until then, Bruno will live with the great responsibility that comes with his gift.
Bruno can see into the future, but he has certain requirements. According to the story, he needs a wide space to experience visions, and accessible spaces are difficult to come by when Mirabel mistakenly destroys his bedroom.
4. Camilo Madrigal: Shapeshifting
- Age: 15 years old
- Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
- Voiced By: Rhenzy Feliz
Camilo Madrigal is the eldest son of Pepa and Felix. He shapeshifts into other people at will, which comes in handy for his pranks and acquiring additional helpings of food at dinner or when he transforms into a scary version of Bruno.
While his skill is largely for fun, it does have certain uses; for example, he can shapeshift into someone taller to reach something high above. However, it does not appear to benefit anyone else, family or otherwise, because Camilo does not develop any superhuman talents as his body shapeshifts. For example, if Camilo had transformed into Luisa, he would not gain Luisa’s powers.
Disney’s behind-the-scenes look at the film, Art of Encanto, indicates that Camilo can also shapeshift into animals, but the film never shows this. He is instead shown using his gift for fun throughout the film. While the locals appear to enjoy it, he isn’t doing anything else to support his town. He enjoys a comparatively carefree life compared to the rest of his family.
Camilo, like most of the characters in “Encanto,” was created to be relatable. According to Good Morning America, the directors drew inspiration for the Madrigals from their own families. For Camilo, the co-director Charise Castro Smith explained that they wanted to portray a character who doesn’t quite know who they are yet and is taking on a number of different personas. This makes his abilities exciting from a storytelling standpoint but not the most valuable to the village, at least not yet.
5. Dolores Madrigal: Enhanced Hearing
- Age: 21 years old
- Zodiac Sign: Gemini
- Voiced By: Adassa
Dolores Madrigal is Pepa and Felix’s daughter. She demonstrates her super hearing multiple times, proving that she can hear conversations through walls and buildings. She also suspects Bruno Madrigal is still around after hearing her uncle hidden behind the house’s walls.
Dolores also uses her gift to inform the family of Mariano’s impending marriage to Isabela, her cousin. She must have found it difficult to be the family’s informant about the marriage because she is also in love with Mariano.
Dolores is a constant source of knowledge for everyone around her, making it impossible for her to keep a secret. This is shown when Mirabel and her father are overheard discussing Bruno’s vision of the future, which places Mirabel in the center of Casita’s impending destruction.
Dolores can’t help but tell the entire family what she heard during dinner, thereby causing chaos. However, Dolores’ super-hearing encourages honesty in the village and allows her to act as an extra form of security. This is especially essential because the community was founded as a shelter from violence.
Her inability to keep a secret implies that everyone’s private business will quickly become family news. Dolores, according to Mirabel, can hear things “a mile away,” and since she has never left the village of Encanto, the hearing may be stretched even further.
Dolores’ gift makes her particularly sympathetic to Bruno. Everyone else doubts him and blames him for their misfortunes, but when Mirabel inquires about her enigmatic uncle, Dolores describes him with compassion and sympathy. She understands the great responsibility that comes with looking into the future, possibly because her own super-hearing weighs on her in a similar way.
Despite her good intentions, Dolores is unable to make much use of her gift. It’s useful for planning dinner parties, and it lets her know where Bruno is before the others do, but… that’s about it. She might turn her super-hearing into super-action with a little more resolve.
6. Isabela Madrigal: Plant Creation
- Age: 22 Years old
- Zodiac Sign: Virgo
- Voiced By: Diane Guerrero
Isabela Madrigal is Julieta and Agustin’s daughter. She has the ability to grow plants out of thin air, but her skills were restricted to decorating. She keeps their town green and bright by decorating the casita for major events. Isabela is forced to create only beautiful flowers because of Abuela’s demands, even creating flower curtains around her bed that are subtly confining. Isabela, with Mirabel’s help, ultimately acts like her true self, growing edgy plants and changing her “perfect” appearance.
During the song “What Else Can I Do?” Isabela produces Strangling Figs, demonstrating her ability to grow fruit-bearing plants. And she does it all while dancing around, proving that her Madrigal family’s powers do not necessarily cause her bodily strain. With her gift, Isabela has the potential to create an endless food supply for the people of Encanto.
Isabela’s abilities have the potential to become nearly infinite. Most impressively, she could use her abilities to ensure that the town had greenery all year long – in her hands, there would never be a food shortage, and the village will not be limited to the growing season. However, while Isabela has immense potential, we never get to see what she’s truly capable of.
She was just starting to push herself when the movie ended, but we believe there is more about her to be explored. Fortunately, she eventually comes to accept both Mirabel and the full extent of her powers, confirming Bruno’s prophecy that her gift would only become stronger.
7. Julieta Madrigal: Healer
- Age: 50 Years Old
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
- Voiced By: Angie Cepeda
Julieta Madrigal, Alma’s daughter, is a chef who uses food to heal people. She is the mother of Isabela, Luisa, and Mirabel. Her gift is extremely useful when it comes to her husband, Agustin. Because her husband is allergic to bees, he requires a steady supply of Julieta’s healing food to keep him from swelling up from bee stings. All of the Madrigals, as well as the villagers, appear to be in great health thanks to her extremely beneficial gift.
She even uses an arepa to immediately heal Mirabel’s injured hand. Her healing food, however, has its limitations. Julieta can mend broken bones and cure diseases, but she can’t change things that are inherent in people. For example, Jared Bush revealed via Twitter that Julieta’s cuisine would not fix Mirabel’s eyesight because her spectacles are a part of who she is.
She’s a calming presence in the Madrigal household, especially since her warmth and kindness come not only from her nature but also from her magical gift.
Julieta is the polar opposite of her mother in many ways. She represents the village’s trust in the power of kindness rather than the miracles themselves. During the times Mirabel felt distraught, Julieta remains steadfast in her belief that her daughter is as unique as any of her relatives.
Julieta has likely saved the town from needing any actual doctors, as she appears to be capable of treating any injury or illness, no matter the severity. While the film never mentions it, Julieta’s abilities may be able to save people’s lives one meal at a time.
8. Luisa Madrigal: Super Strength
- Age: 19 years old
- Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
- Voiced By: Jessica Darrow
Luisa Madrigal is Julieta and Agustin’s oldest daughter. She literally carries the weight of the world, in this case, the village, on her shoulders as she is frequently called upon to transport donkeys, move pianos, reroute rivers, and even repair houses. Though Luisa temporarily loses her strength in Encanto and occasionally gets crushed emotionally under the weight of her responsibilities, her powers do not appear to have a clearly defined limit. Throughout the story, Luisa moves enormous objects like bridges, quickly lifting them no matter what point of the object she is holding. But that is only the beginning of her Strength.
Encanto reveals that Luisa can literally move mountains. She also sings in “Surface Pressure” that she can flatten one of the hardest materials on earth, diamonds. Luisa appears to have limitations, as do the other Madrigals but Encanto does not show what these limits are.
Despite her immense physical strength, she is compassionate and always eager to use her abilities to help her family and community. The community seems to rely on her more than any other Madrigal, making her one of the Madrigal family members with the most useful gifts.
While she never seems to get tired physically, Luisa is psychologically exhausted from shouldering all of these responsibilities. This is evident in her song “Surface Pressure,” which details the arduous responsibilities Luisa feels obligated to accept. She practically and metaphorically carries the weight of the entire community on her shoulders.
Luisa realizes towards the end of “Encanto” that she does not have to take on every potential responsibility just because she is strong. While this discovery is beneficial to Luisa’s mental health, it does not reduce how beneficial her power has been to the town. Furthermore, unlike her younger sisters or cousins, Luisa has complete control over her abilities and has mastered how to use her gifts. Moving forward, she would have to strike a balance between helping others and taking care of herself. If she can master how to balance helping others and caring for herself, she could become one of the most powerful figures in the community — but for now, she seems to be quite content with where she is.
9. Mirabel Madrigal: Brings Back The Miracles
- Age: 15 years old
- Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
- Voiced By: Stephanie Beatriz
Mirabel Madrigal is Julieta’s youngest daughter. The casita does not appear to have given her any magical abilities. This makes her feel like the Madrigal family’s least important family member, as her main talent appears to be playing the accordion and according to Isabela and Abuela, getting in the way. Her family loves her, but because of her lack of magical abilities, they tend to be aloof toward her.
Aside from Antonio, who was yet to receive his gift at the start of the story, and the husbands who are married to the Madrigal daughters, Mirabel feels like the odd family member. It doesn’t help that many locals, particularly children, continually point out her unusual lack of gift.
However, Mirabel turns out to be the most magical of all; her ability to communicate with the casita supports her in her effort to save the family’s home, and her generosity and optimism allows her to inspire her siblings who feel suffocated by their abilities. She teaches Isabela how to grow cactus and express herself colorfully, while simultaneously teaching Luisa that it’s alright to be sensitive and that helping others comes after first taking care of yourself.
Mirabel is consistently shown to be helping her family throughout the story. She assists Isabela in realizing she is more than just a “miss perfect.” Mirabel helps Antonio when he feels too anxious to receive his own gift. She helps Luisa when she notices her powers dwindling. When the miracle vanishes, leaving the Madrigal family powerless and the Casita in ruins, Mirabel encourages them to rebuild the traditional way – without magic.
Mirabel’s gift is to support her family and to remind Alma of what really matters. After she accomplishes all of these, her family’s powers and the Casita are restored. While Alma may have been the channel for the first miracle, it is Mirabel who saves it and makes it a symbol of love.
10. Pepa Madrigal: Weather Control
- Age: 50 years old
- Zodiac Sign: Aries
- Voiced By: Carolina Gaitan
Pepa Madrigal is Alma’s daughter, as well as Julieta and Bruno’s sister. She is also the mother of Dolores, Camilo, and Antonio. Her gift allows her to control the weather, but it is also sensitive to her emotions. This is because whenever she’s overwhelmed or sad, a storm cloud appears above her head. This cloud grows in size as her feelings grow stronger. When talking about her brother Bruno to her niece Mirabel, she tells how her wedding day began with a beautiful cloudless sky. However, when Bruno made mention of rain, that was all she could focus on, and it resulted in a hurricane. However, when she is happy, the weather is Sunny and bright.
Pepa is frequently focused on controlling her emotions and thinking only about positive things, especially at Alma’s request. Although she is having a hard time doing that as she is quite erratic.
While her gift appears to be useful, Pepa’s emotional control is poor, and she frequently summons a thunderstorm at inconvenient times. It would be more useful if she could manage it regardless of her mood.
Furthermore, one of the film’s directors, Jared Bush, stated via Twitter that Pepa would be unable to prevent natural disasters such as storms. She may try, but her weather-controlling abilities appear to be limited at the moment. Fortunately, by the end of the film, Pepa has discovered a way to control the storm raging within her by embracing her feelings rather than suppressing them.
The Encanto Characters Receive their Powers as Gifts
At age 5, the Madrigal children receive their magical abilities, and in their honor, a large celebration is held at the Casita. Luisa possesses tremendous strength, Isabela can grow flowers, Bruno can see the future, Pepa can change the weather, Julieta’s food can treat illnesses, Antonio can talk to animals, Camilo is a shapeshifter, and Dolores has super hearing.
The family also makes use of their abilities to help others. Although Mirabel and Abuela Alma does not have any special gifts, they serve as the catalysts of the family’s miracle and the development of the superhuman abilities in their loved ones.
