The Soldiers are the overarching antagonists of Disney's 2021 animated feature film Encanto. They were a group of corrupt Colombian soldiers responsible for the death of Pedro Madrigal, the patriarch of The Madrigals.
Decription[]
The soldiers are never truly seen in person. They were shown in a flashback as shadowy figures riding on horseback with swords. What is known is that they are completely ruthless, having destroyed a village and presumably killed murdered several people for as-of-yet unknown reasons, and even chased after those who managed to survive and flee.
Feature films[]
Encanto[]
Before the events of the film, Pedro Madrigal and his wife Alma were living in peace in a Colombian village with their newborn triplets, Julieta, Pepa and Bruno. However, tragedy struck when the soldiers attacked the village with torches, resulting in several houses being burned down and several people supposedly murdered, an act witnessed by a horrified Pedro and Alma from a distance. The Madrigals are then forced to evacuate from the village and flee towards the mountains with several survivors, but then they see the soldiers charging up towards them in the river they're crossing. To ensure the safety of his family and the survivors, Pedro bravely sacrifices himself to the soldiers, much to Alma's complete grief. Following Pedro's death, a candle that Alma held onto became enchanted with magic, causing an explosion that blows the soldiers away. They were never seen again since then and are presumed deceased as a result of the explosion.
The magic candle also creates a new sentient house called Casa Madrigal for the Madrigals to live in for decades, and allowing a new village to be created in the presence of the Casita to protect them from any threat. However, their actions have left a traumatized Alma unable to cope with her grief over Pedro's death, leading her to rely solely on the magic to protect her family. Also, due to her unwillingness to explain to the family what happened to Pedro, Alma made it her business to ensure that her family remained useful and appreciated by the community by putting pressure on them on how to use their magic gifts to serve the village, unknowingly causing emotional harm. Several members developed and harbored anxieties, insecurities, and (from Alma showing favoritism) resentments — Bruno and Mirabel notably becoming ostracized from being unable to meet Alma’s expectations — causing the family’s magic to gradually weaken. Ultimately, a heated, emotional argument between Alma and Mirabel leads to the collapse of Casa Madrigal and for the Madrigal family to lose their gifts. However, after a brief talk with Mirabel, Alma finally explains the events before reconciling with Mirabel and the rest of the Madrigal family, restoring the Casa Madrigal and the family members' gifts.
Trivia[]
- The soldiers' attack on the village serves as an allegory for Colombia's real-life history of armed conflicts and political violence that the country suffered ever since the 1960s. The war the soldiers were fighting in is implied to be the Thousand Days' War, a civil war that lasted from 1899 to 1902 between liberal rebels and conservative government forces. It is unknown if the soldiers were rebels or government loyalists.