Summary

• In the magical world of Encanto, each member of the Madrigal family is gifted with a unique power. Some are more useful than others, however.
• Judging how powerful a gift is in Encanto also means taking into the setting. Since the Madrigal's aren't superheroes, how useful the power is to the inhabitants of their village is also an important factor.
• While some family , like Pepa, have abilities that seem incredibly powerful on the surface, their gifts are also determined by their emotions, which limits their use somewhat.

Disney's Encanto features the Madrigal family, who live in a magical house in a secluded Colombian village, and in Encanto, powers are also a part of the Madrigal family. In the Disney animated movie, each member of the Madrigals is granted their own power with the help of a magical candle and a magical house that opens a door to their own room that is a reflection of their gifts. Mirabel is the only member of the Madrigal family to not end up with a special power, much to the family's surprise.

Though Mirabel seemingly doesn't have a power, she still helps her family, their Casita, and their community as best she can. The rest of the Madrigal family use their specific powers to help give back to the community like Luisa helping others carry belongings or moving livestock. While each power is certainly incredible, some are more useful than others. Many of these gifts are also influenced by the emotional state of the wielder, while some of the skills are actually quite dangerous. Ultimately, there's a hierarchy to the powers of the Madrigal family in Encanto, with some clearly being better than others.

10 Antonio: Talks To Animals

Voiced by Ravi Cabot-Conyers

Antonio is the youngest member of the family to gain his gifts, learning in Encanto that he can actually communicate with animals. While this is an incredibly useful ability, especially given Encanto's setting deep in the heart of Columbia where there is dangerous wildlife in abundance, it's not as powerful as many of the other Madrigal gifts (though is still impressive). A wildlife lover to the heart, Antonio is definitely enjoying his newfound abilities, but there's no telling what the limits are to them just yet.

There may be animals he simply can't talk to, or perhaps so many voices could become a bit too much. Regardless, a mastery over the animal kingdom is incredible to behold, with a brave Antonio even being able to talk down the likes of tigers, potentially protecting the village permanently from predators.

9 Camilo: Shapeshifter

Voiced by Rhenzy Feliz

While the ability to change form at will is an incredibly useful ability, it still ranks relatively lowly when compared to some of the other Encanto gifts among the Madrigal's. Camilo is one of the youngest of the Madrigal family. He was gifted with the ability to shapeshift, which he uses for all manner of jokes and pranks. It's unclear how exactly this power actually helps the rest of the community, but Camilo benefits from it.

Throughout the film, Camilo tricks the rest of his family, greets guests by mimicking them, and even manages to score a little extra food thanks to his talents. It's not really a power that the rest of the family would be jealous of, but the Encanto character definitely shows off his intelligence with his use of it. His shapeshifting is definitely a way to showcase his creativity.

8 Dolores: Hears Everything

Voiced by Adassa

Dolores' gift feels like a blessing and a curse. On one hand, she can hear absolutely everything. That's great for learning secrets, hearing gossip, and even identifying if someone is in danger. That can be a great help to those around her, with Dolores acting as a constant source of information. It's also an incredibly useful power given the setting of Encanto, since the Madrigals are the cornerstone of an incredibly tight-knit community. If there's trouble, having Dolores around means it won't escape the notice of the Madrigals, and they can act before things get out of hand for the good of the village.

She is inundated with information about everyone she knows

On the other hand, it's a huge burden for Dolores to be able to hear everything all the time. She is inundated with information about everyone she knows. Dolores is actually pretty bad at keeping a secret, which doesn't help, but what's more, with her lover out of reach, it's quite tragic that she can continue to hear him despite not being able to be with him.

7 Pepa: Controls The Weather

Voiced by Carolina Gaitan

It's no surprise that Pepa Madrigal's ability to control the weather is considered one of the most powerful gifts in Encanto, and the only reason it doesn't rank higher is the lack of control she has over it. Pepa's powers are actually both useful and incredibly impressive. She can control the surrounding weather, which means she can conjure up anything from bright sunshine to powerful tornados. In theory, this should make her one of the strongest of the Madrigals.

Unfortunately, her powers are defined by her emotional state. Pepa feels everything strongly, which results in her powers becoming unpredictable. Her ionate nature informs her every move. While she does learn to lean into that over time, there's still an erratic quality to her gift which means she even had to get married in a hurricane.

6 Abuela Alma: Keeper Of The Candle

Voiced by Maria Cecilia Botero

While Abuela is the head of the Madrigal family, and the keeper of the gifts for the other family , her power on its own isn't actually all that powerful. Encanto because of her rigid nature concerning her family, but she's also one of the most influential. Alma is the keeper of the candle that gives the rest of the family their powers. Although she doesn't technically have any gifts, she was the person to be given the miracle. She has kept that miracle safe ever since.

That means that Alma is responsible for everyone else getting their powers, which is vital for the continuation of their household. Yet her own anger, emotional pain, and lack of trust (especially for Mirabel) result in the candle dwindling, thereby endangering her family. Abuela Alma's irresponsibility might just be one of the most dangerous for the Madrigals.

5 Luisa: Super Strong

Voiced by Jessica Darrow

Another one of the gifts in Encanto that's clearly both incredibly useful and incredibly powers is Luisa's, who was gifted with textbook super strength the likes of which is seen in comic-book characters like Thor and Superman. She continues to help out the local village as much as she can, lifting everything from a farmer's donkey to somebody's house. She is seemingly never fatigued by having to shoulder all of that responsibility. All that strength brings with it a lot of pressure though.

She never gets physically tired, but the powers bring with them a mental fatigue that is difficult to overcome. Ultimately, with the right balance, Luisa has one of the best powers in Encanto, but she has to learn how to take a break as Encanto, "Surface Pressure," teaches the audience.

4 Isabela: Creates Limitless Plants

Voiced by Diane Guerrero

Mirabel and Luisa's sister, Isabela, easily has one of the most powerful gifts in Encanto - one that's ranked all the higher since, unlike Pepa, she has complete control over it. Isabela's powers are maybe even more useful than Luisa's as, with the right encouragement, she could create plants that would feed the village forever. She is limited to creating flowers and other beautiful flora at the start of Encanto. Her gifts evolve over time though.

It seems that Isabela's powers are limitless. Very much the Poison Ivy of Disney, Isabela can achieve so much with her powers, if she is allowed to fully thrive and grow without being held back, like a vine. There are definitely expectations that come with Isabela's miracle, as others initially expect her to only make pretty flowers, yet no matter what she creates, it's both stunning and useful.

3 Bruno: Sees The Future

Voiced by John Leguizamo

The endlessly rewatchable Disney film Encanto doesn't have an outright villain to speak of, but Bruno is portrayed as such in the beginning. His power of seeing the future is easily one of the most useful of the family. His prophecies could help them emotionally prepare for events, or avoid negative situations altogether. His family, however, doesn't see that.

His precognitive abilities are not ranked number one because there are so many drawbacks. No one reacts in the right way to Bruno's ability, resulting in him having to go into hiding. Despite Bruno trying to help, he's easily labeled as the bad guy, as if it's him causing events to unfold. The family shuns him, but his love for his family sees him hide among them and still keep an eye on them.

2 Julieta: Heals With Food

Voiced by Angie Cepeda

Whether it's a broken arm, a bee sting, or potentially even a dangerous illness, Julieta can actually heal everyone with her cooking. One bite of her food will solve all the physical problems that someone might have. That's definitely a power that has its place in the village. The limits of Julieta's power are never fully explored, but — given just how deep the Madrigal magic runs in Encanto — it's highly likely she could cure even advanced and potentially terminal illnesses.

In theory, no one gets sick in the world of Encanto, and life-changing injuries are nothing more than minor problems for Julieta. Although the power does require food to be on hand, with enough preparation Julieta could constantly be saving lives with a simple empanada. Of all the gifts in Encanto, it's perhaps Julieta's that is regularly the most life-changing for the inhabitants of the village.

1 Mirabel: Empowers The Family

Voiced by Stephanie Beatriz

She is the savior of the candle and the person who oversees everyone else's gifts in Disney's Encanto

Mirabel seemingly doesn't have any powers at all, but she's really the most important member of the whole Madrigal family. She enables the rest of her family to thrive, giving the house its gift while also ensuring everyone else is empowered. Mirabel might not have "magic," but she holds everyone else together when they're falling apart.

Mirabel's gift may not be a power, but without her the Madrigal family would fall apart, and the village wouldn't be able to rely on any of their amazing gifts. Her positive attitude assists in that, as does her for everyone, boosting them in unique ways. Without Mirabel no one else would have access to their miracle, as evidenced when she began to lose faith in herself. She is the savior of the candle and the person who oversees everyone else's gifts in Disney's Encanto.