Because the new Disney animated movie Encanto revolves around the magical Madrigal family's attempts to solve the mystery behind why their Casita is falling apart before it is too late, the film features characters who demonstrate intelligence both through the intellectual investigation into the mystery and emotional intelligence as they navigate complicated familial relationships.
Some of the characters, such as the goofy Agustín or the young and inexperienced Antonio, may not be the most academically intelligent but still possess exceptional emotional intelligence while characters, like Abuela Alma, are clearly smart even if they can be cold and distant at times. A few select characters, such as Isabela and Mirabel, even manage to possess both of the two areas of intelligence.
Agustín
Unlike some of the other members of the family, Agustín has a carefree and easy-going attitude that allows him to just enjoy life. He has no gift but tries to encourage Mirabel to learn to accept herself for who she is.
While he has a goofy demeanor and makes some questionable choices, someone continually finding ways to get stung by bees even though he is allergic, there is wisdom in his advice and Mirabel comes to realize that his perspective is correct over the course of the film.
Antonio
As the latest member of the Madrigal family to receive a gift, Antonio is a young and inexperienced kid. By virtue of his age, he does not have the same education or maturity as some of the other characters in the film.
However, even though he may be young, Antonio has a strong intuition and is often well-informed thanks to his uniquely Disney connection with his animal sidekicks. This allows him to discover that Bruno is living in the walls even though the rest of the family has been unaware of it for years.
Abuela Alma
As the matriarch of the family and one of the founders of the town, Abuela Alma is an incredibly influential figure in the community. She must continually demonstrate intelligence as she leads both her family and the town, constantly solving problems and making difficult decisions.
For all of his intelligence and experience, Abuela Alma often lacks emotional intelligence. Her harsh criticisms and stern attitude negatively affect her family and make her an unlikable Disney character for much of the film before she eventually realizes the error of her ways.
Pepa
Because Pepa's ability to control the weather is tied to her emotions, she is much more of an emotional character than she is an intelligent one. Most of her scenes involve her trying to control her emotions rather than thinking her way through situations.
Pepa generally tends to make smart decisions such as finding a partner whose demeanor helps balance her out and reign in her emotions. She does make the mistake of thinking that Bruno caused the negative prophecies to happen, but aside from that large mistake, she mostly makes smart choices.
Luisa
Because of Luisa's incredible physical strength and ability to perform impressive feats, her family does not always value her intellect and emotion as much as they value her physicality. But just because the family does not recognize it does not mean that she is not an intelligent character.
Luisa is one of the first members of the family to figure out that something is wrong and she is able to help Mirabel's investigation by giving her the idea to investigate Bruno's room. She is one of the most likable characters in Encanto because she is an intelligent and well-rounded character who is more than just her gift.
Isabela
As the golden child of the family, Isabels is expected to constantly be perfect and always make the right choices. The family pressures her to always be smart enough to know what to do and how to act.
Because of this, she feels obligated to do what has the appearance of being the smart thing, such as accepting Mariano's marriage proposal, even when it is not what she wants to do. She is a smart and deep-thinking character who learns to start thinking about her own wants and needs as well.
Julieta
Despite being Mirabel's mother, Julieta does not have a large role in the film but she does make a strong impression as she uses her maternal wisdom to try to teach her daughter to love herself the way she is instead of always wishing she had a gift.
The audience does not get to see much of Julieta, but she provides some of the best advice in the film. She is also smart enough to see Mirabel falling into the same pattern and confronts Abuela Alma to try to prevent history from repeating itself.
Dolores
With the ability to hear everything from miles away, Dolores is constantly aware of what the family and townspeople are saying. Because of this, everyone depends on her to be the source of information and gossip.
She is the most well-informed character in the film, taking in everything everyone else is saying. She is able to use this knowledge to help the family prepare for Mariano's proposal and to give Mirabel the idea to talk to Luisa about the house following apart. She is the most knowledgeable character and she knows how to use that information to the family's benefit.
Bruno
Having disappeared years prior, Bruno is a mystery for much of the film. However, once Mirabel finds him, she quickly realizes that he is not who she expected him to be. He is not a typically powerful Disney villain but rather someone who was smart enough to see how his actions were affecting the family.
While everyone else believed that he was the cause of the negative prophecies coming true, he was smart enough to figure out that he was just the messenger and was willing to sacrifice himself for them.
Mirabel
Because Mirabel does not have a gift like the rest of her family, she is overlooked and underestimated, making her a great underdog character. But because she has no gift to fall back on, she is forced to use her wits and intellect to solve the mystery.
Over the course of the film, Mirabel proves to possess both traditional intellect, using her problem-solving skills to investigate what is wrong with Casita, as well as emotional intelligence as she helps her siblings learn to let go of the pressure they are feeling. Because of these abilities, she's able to help her family and herself by the end of the film.