The new animated musical film Encanto takes a fairly unique approach for a Disney movie by featuring a cast of main characters that all come from the magical Madrigal family who use their powers to help the people of the nearby town.
While many of the characters have gifts that make them likable, such as Isabela's grace and ability to make flowers bloom or Julieta's power to heal people's wounds with her food, other characters endear themselves to the audience through their personalities like Luisa's relatable struggle to be strong for her family and Mirabel's heart and humor.
Abuela Alma
As the matriarch of the Madrigal family, Abuela Alma is the head of the family. It was her cry for a miracle after Abuelo Pedro's death that caused the magic candle to appear. However, she loses sight of the real gift, her family, and ends up hurting Bruno and Mirabel in her attempts to protect the magic candle.
With her stern attitude and harsh words, Abuela Alma comes off as a pretty unlikable Disney character for most of the movie despite her good intentions. She is ultimately redeemed in the end and becomes more likable, but she spends most of the movie as the least likable main character.
Pepa
As a good candidate for one of Disney's most powerful characters, Mirabel's emotional aunt Pepa has the gift of controlling the weather with her emotions, often drastically causing rain, wind, or sunshine unintentionally as her feelings change. She does her best to maintain a composed and sunny disposition, but she does not always succeed.
Pepa's gift makes for some fun moments in the movie, such as when is trying to control her emotions while Mariano is trying to propose to Isabela. Her relationship with the easy-going and fun-loving Félix also makes her more likable. However, she is not in the movie enough to show a greater depth to her character beyond this one running gag.
Agustín
Mirabel's father Agustín is a goofy but affable character. Because he married into the Madrigal family, he does not have a gift, but he has learned to be comfortable with who he is and does not envy those who do have gifts.
One of the funnier running jokes in the movie involves Agustín repeatedly swelling up as a result of an allergic reaction to bee stings, including once while Julieta does not have her powers to heal him. He is a kind and caring character that tries to comfort Mirabel since he can identify with her struggle.
Isabela
Mirabel's sister Isabel has the ability to make flowers bloom wherever she goes. This helps establish her as the picture of perfection and earns her the status of golden child of the family, causing Mirabel to resent her.
While this perfect exterior can cause Isabel to be off-putting at times, this facade is just a brave face that she puts on for the rest of the family. Once she admits how she truly feels and lets go of the need to be perfect, she reveals herself to be a sympathetic and likable character.
Julieta
As Mirabel's mom, Julieta is a kind and compassionate character who is always looking out for others, using her magical abilities to make food that heals people's ailments. She does her best to comfort Mirabel and make sure she feels loved and accepted even without a gift.
Julieta cares about her daughter enough to stand up to Abuela Alma and try to convince her to stop being so critical of Mirabel. She does not have a large role in the movie, but her selfless actions and caring attitude quickly make her one of the more likable characters in the movie.
Dolores
Pepa's daughter Dolores has the gift of enhanced hearing. Because of this, she is able to hear everything that everyone in the house and town says, making her the go-to source for gossip and information.
As a result of her enhanced hearing, Dolores is often a soft-spoken observer, leading to a hilariously understated line delivery that makes her one of the funnier characters in the movie. She is understandably tired of living on the sidelines and finally gets her chance to chase romance at the end of the film.
Antonio
Mirabel's young cousin and roommate Antonio is the latest member of the Madrigal family to get a gift, gaining the ability to speak to animals. He is an innocent and good-natured kid who loves and looks up to Mirabel.
His fear leading up to the gift ceremony and his insistence that Mirabel holds his hand during the process shows his vulnerability and youthful innocence. He is not the deepest or most fleshed-out character, but he brings a youthful energy and fresh appreciation for his gift to the family.
Bruno
Mirabel's mysterious uncle Bruno was believed to have run away but has actually been living in the walls of Casita. With only the rats to entertain him, he has developed some strange habits such as assuming different personas and watching a makeshift form of television that involves using the rats as the actors.
Bruno is one of the funniest Disney characters in recent history and his kind personality defies Mirabel's expectations. Additionally, it is revealed that he left because he did not want his prophecies to be used against Mirabel. He was willing to sacrifice his life and live in isolation because of his love for his family.
Luisa
On the surface, Mirabel's sister Luisa is strong and unshakable. However, she reveals that she is struggling with all of the pressure that the family puts on her and she feels as though she has to carry the weight of the world on her own.
Luisa also wrestles with the feeling that she would be worthless without her gift. This vulnerability makes her an incredibly sympathetic and relatable character. She is a supporting character who deserved more screen time considering how compelling and likable her character is.
Mirabel
Because she does not have any gifts like the rest of her family, Mirabel constantly struggles with feeling like an outsider. She loves her family but feels like a disappointment and wants to be as talented and special as the other Madrigals.
Mirabel's journey to find acceptance makes her an endearing and easy-to-root-for underdog. She has a quirky sense of humor and has some of the funniest moments in the movie, such as her parody of the song "The Family Madrigal" as she climbs up the stairs in Bruno's room. Her love for her family, longing for acceptance, and journey of self-discovery make Mirabel the most likable character in Encanto.