Disney’s Encanto is already tragic with Pedro Madrigal’s death, but the film could’ve made the moment even worse. Instead, Alma Madrigal (María Cecilia Botero and Olga Merediz) received a miracle on the night her husband died. Pedro Madrigal gave up his life to try to protect Alma, their newborn triplets, and his village from marauders in a moment of sacrifice. Alma cries out in grief after Pedro’s death, and the Colombian wilderness seems to give her an enchanted candle and a sentient house for protection. After the triplets get older, they even receive magic powers that they use to help their community.

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The Madrigals’ miracle shapes the entire film. After losing Pedro, Alma becomes protective of the miracle and constantly fears losing it. Because of this, her relationship with granddaughter Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) becomes strained. Mirabel never received a magical gift like the rest of her family, and Alma is fearful that it’s a sign that the Madrigals are losing their power. If they lose their power, Alma fears they’ll lose their protection.

Encanto nearly makes a tragic moment in the film even worse. In the movie, Pedro has a final moment with Alma before sacrificing himself. He gazes into Alma’s eyes and tells her everything will be alright just with a look. Pedro’s look tells Alma their family will thrive and survive according to the script. It’s undoubtedly sad, but Jared Bush, one of the film’s directors, said (via Twitter) that it could’ve been even sadder. According to Bush, “There was a version where she had the babies AT the river and they were born the same moment Pedro died.” But, the Encanto director added, “We uh… we didn’t go with that.” And changing Pedro Madrigal’s tragic death was ultimately the right decision.

Encanto almost took its Pedro moment from tragic to utterly devastating. In Encanto, Pedro and Alma meet their triplets before the former meets his demise. Having the triplets born before the family has to flee allows Pedro to have one final moment with his kids before saying goodbye. However, if the babies were born at the same time as Pedro’s death, it would leave Alma lying vulnerably with marauders closing in and babies on the way. Pedro would never know his children, and Alma’s story would be instantly more cataclysmic.

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Additionally, the Encanto fan theories would be out of control. With so much symbolism in Encanto, including butterflies constantly appearing to represent change, viewers latch onto anything to look for meaning. One of the most popular Encanto theories even sprung up out of Mirabel simply wiping her hands on her clothes. Killing off Pedro when the babies arrive would be a mistake. With Pedro’s death coinciding with the babies’ births, theories would undoubtedly connect the events. And with that, the Encanto tragedy would become a disaster.

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Bill Bradley
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Bill is an experienced reporter who’s covered entertainment and fandom since 2014. He’s done everything from unearthing the discarded Game of Thrones pilot script in a library in Texas to finding out why Steve left Blue’s Clues. He also enjoys eating Taco Bell and drinking chocolate milk.

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