Favorite Characters: Mirabel Madrigal (Encanto)

*Spoilers.*

I’ve done plenty of Disney-related posts over the years, and it’s no secret that I have a lot of affection for many of the Disney princesses and princes. In most of the Disney Princess movies, the songs are the initial way into my heart, but the characters themselves quickly win my love as well. While Mirabel isn’t part of the Disney Princess club, she does belong to a smaller group of non-princess, still-totally-awesome Disney characters, a la Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The first thing we learn about Mirabel is that she loves her family. In the movie’s opening number, she eagerly tells a group of kids the story of the “fantastical and magical” Madrigals, all of whom have a special gift that they use to help the whole village. It’s not until the very end of the song that we get the reveal on why Mirabel is the odd one out: she’s the only one in the family line without powers.

That gets Mirabel down, understandably. It’s hard for her to stand on the side and watch her incredible family marvel the crowd with all the amazing things they can do. In particular, she struggles to be friendly with her “perfect” sister Isabela, who’s not just magical but also beautiful, graceful, and loved by all. When Isabela looks down her nose at her, or when Abuela not-so-subtly makes her feel like she’s just getting in the way, Mirabel longs to be recognized and respected like the rest of the family is.

However, those feelings of disappointment and loneliness don’t take away from the love she has for them. She adores her big, bustling Casita and is forever working to contribute her part. Mirabel works so hard to be a part of everything that’s going on, to be helpful. Part of it is her desire to prove that she matters too, but it’s also just because of how much she wants to make the lives of those around her better. The first of Mirabel’s many serious rock-star moments in the film comes when she reassures her younger cousin Antonio about his upcoming ceremony, helping him feel better about the prospect of receiving his gift. On a day that’s painful for her, both because it reminds her of her own failed ceremony and because it means Antonio will be moving forward and leaving her behind, she finds it in herself to be happy for her cousin, painting a beautiful picture of what the new chapter of his life is going to be like.

Mirabel is tuned in. She notices when people are troubled or hurting, so maybe that’s why she’s the one who first sees Casita starting to crack, threatening the family’s magic. And once she’s seen that something’s wrong, she’s dogged in her efforts to find out what that is and try to stop it. Her quest calls on all of her own non-magical gifts. Her determination in the face of others not believing her and Abuela trying to forbid her from digging deeper. Her bravery in confronting the secrets surrounding Tío Bruno. Her smarts in investigating and trying to put all the clues together. Her empathy in seeing the hurt in others, even those who’ve hurt her in return. It’s a huge undertaking, and to her horror, things seem to get worse before they get better, but in the end, she’s the only one who can save the magic and start to mend what’s broken in her family.