Surprisingly Dark Reddit Theory Might Change How You See Encanto Completely

Encanto is a good choice to watch when you feel down and in need of some magic in your life. However, it turns out that even a light-hearted movie can be dark if you think about it too much.

The movie tells a story of the Madrigals — a family that traditionally boasts magical abilities after a miracle saved the grandmother from imminent death during the war. Since then, every family member would receive their own magical gifts (aside from Mirabel) from the ability to control weather up to the power to foresee the future.

It's nice to observe the Madrigals having fun with their magical skills until you think about the actual purpose of those skills. A Reddit theory suggested that the family magical gifts were in fact meant... for war.

"I thought it that way because I feel bad for some of the gifts that it became a curse (Dolores, Pepa, and Bruno). So, I believe that the gifts given to the Madrigals could be a preparation in case another war broke off," the theory's author Not_OrdinareeGae said.

Indeed, things could take a dark turn if the Madrigals were forced to use their powers to protect themselves from invaders once again. After all, a lot of family members are true fighters: Dolores, for instance, could have been forced to become, quite literally, a soldier.

Instead of working out their family issues, the Madrigals could discover themselves in the middle of another bloody clash, and the movie might as well have ended with a couple of deaths.

Luckily for them (and for us), Encanto chose a more peaceful way to deliver an important message. Even if the family magic was initially designed for war, the Madrigals not only managed to survive without fighting anyone, but also resolved their inner disputes and kept the family together.