‘Encanto’ Fan Theory We’re Not Talking About: Dolores Having a 2nd Gift
Dolores Madrigal can hear a whole chorus from a mile away. What’s really surprising, though, is that she has a way of hearing (and being next to) seemingly everything. Here’s what we know about this character from Disney’s Encanto.
Dolores from ‘Encanto’ has the gift of superhuman hearing
Gift or no gift, Mirabel is just as special as the other members of her family. Disney fans met this character, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz, in the original animated film Encanto. There, Mirabel was tasked with protecting her family’s miracle and learning more about her estranged Tío Bruno.
Each member of this family has one defining gift. Well, besides Mirabel, who unfortunately didn’t get a door/magical power during her candle ceremony. Dolores, the eldest of Mirabel’s cousins, is known for her superhuman hearing abilities.
She uses her power to help her family, sometimes hearing secrets in the process. Thanks to her magic, Dolores knew that Bruno still lived in Casita. According to some fan theories, though, this member of the Madrigal family had a second gift ignored by Abuela.
Does Dolores from ‘Encanto’ have a secret, second gift?
In “The Family Madrigal,” Mirabel introduces the amazing, magical members of her extended family. That includes her cousin Dolores, who can hear a pin drop. Later in the song, this character says, “my cousin Dolores can hear this whole chorus a mile away,” with Dolores far away from Casita on a mountain. Then, fans noticed something strange about this character.
“Twenty seconds later, Dolores is back to tell the kids that Mirabel has no gift,” one Reddit user noted. “That means she ran/fell a mile in 20 seconds. That’s 180 miles per hour or 289.68 kilometers per hour average speed.”
“And yes,” they continued. “I’m aware that the mile may be an exaggeration or that she may have fallen off of the mountain to go faster, but even so, Dolores would have to travel impossibly fast to make it.”
Even during “All Of You,” Dolores pops up surprisingly quick when Mirabel is chatting with Mariano.
It’s not confirmed by the Encanto creators if Dolores has super speed in addition to her superhuman hearing. Still, some viewers made references to Dash from Disney and Pixar’s The Incredibles, who’s known for being extra fast.
‘Encanto’: What if Mirabel had a gift?
There are also plenty of fan theories surrounding Mirabel’s gift-lessness. One viewer suggested that Mirabel actually did have a gift.
“Here’s my theory that’s kind of half serious, half joke: Mirabel DID get a gift, but Casita noticed that Alma was making too much of a spectacle out of the ceremonies and putting too much pressure on those with gifts, so it decided ‘she gets a gift, but you don’t get to know about it.’ Hence, no door,” one Reddit user wrote.
The gift is that Mirabel can teleport through space and time with one catch — there has to be music somewhere nearby. Mirabel’s power could’ve, potentially, helped her save Casita and gave Abuela a newfound appreciation for everyone’s gifts.