Reasons to like Camilo Madrigal! (That don’t have to do with hotness or gender!)
I saw a few TikToks, and several more comments in various other places, that were basically slamming people who like Camilo. Calling them “yt girl simps” and stuff like that. I don’t like when people do that in fandom- you’re allowed to like whatever character you want to! No matter if that character is “overrated” or “just a side character.” So, from one of those “yt girl simps” to the fandom, here’s a list of all the reasons I personally like Camilo! And no, none of them have to do with him being hot and/or me having gender envy.
Let’s go!
1. He has identity issues! While this wasn’t explored in the film, Camilo was intended to be a “teen who doesn’t quite know who they are yet.” That started to resonate with me even before I saw Encanto for the first time! I love characters with identity issues. I have plenty identity issues of my own- I think everyone does at some point- and seeing a character who has identity issues and shapeshifting abilities is really relatable for a lot of people like me, who wish they could just try on different personalities and even appearances until they find the one that fits them.
2. He breaks a lot of stereotypes! The “shapeshifting trickster” character archetype is present in a lot of mythology! From the concept art of Camilo, we see that the filmmakers were at first going to lean more heavily into the evil/mean side of this trope. But the version we saw in the film has a caring heart under that ruana! We see him in the town watching an exhausted mother’s baby for her, he helps José with the decorations as soon as Abuela asks, he’s the one outside greeting the guests at Antonio’s party…Camilo may be a little mischievous, but he clearly cares deeply about the people in the encanto.
3. He’s good with people! Camilo seems to know just how to act around each person and how to make them happy. He greets each person differently during “Colombia, Mi Encanto”- a hug for Osvaldo, a kiss on the cheek and a respectful “Señora” for the elderly lady, and a high-five for Cecilia. He also knows how far he can take his teasing without crossing any lines- at most, Félix and Isabela seem vaguely annoyed with his shapeshifting. He never comes off as mean or mocking, just a playful kid trying to make people smile.
4. He loves his family! Camilo may not have much screen time, but it’s obvious that his family is one of the most important things to him. He and Julieta hold hands before Antonio gets his Gift, and she also has her arm around him. When Antonio gets his Gift, Camilo’s one of the people most visibly excited- shouting, pumping his fist, snapping his fingers. He also has his arm around Antonio in the picture Mirabel keeps in the nursery. He’s very gentle with Mirabel in “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”, even if he is trying to scare her. He brings his mother tea after the ruined proposal to try and calm her down- “It’s okay, Mamí. Deep breath in, deep breath out.” He’s one of the family members who go for the candle and/or Mirabel when Casita falls. And right after that, you can hear him say the line “My powers. They’re gone. I don’t- what about Antonio? What is he gonna do?” He immediately switches focus from himself to his little brother. Camilo may be just a side character, but he’s very devoted to his family.
5. He’s playful! Camilo’s fifteen, but a lot of fifteen-year-olds and even younger are portrayed in media as being already mature in most ways, and they rarely play. Camilo isn’t like that- his second scene during “Welcome to the Family Madrigal” shows him playing ball and shapeshifting to do so. One of the coloring pages for the movie also shows him playing ball with Casita! He clearly enjoys teasing his papí and Isabela, and even when he’s trying to scare Mirabel with his frightening portrayal of Bruno, his facial expressions when he’s back in his own form show that he’s having the time of his life doing it. He even adds a dramatic flair to a lot of his shapeshifting moments with a spin and a whirl of his ruana- it’s been confirmed that he doesn’t have to do that to shapeshift, which means he just does it because it’s fun! I know I like acting like a kid sometimes even though I’m nineteen- that’s why Disney movies are so important to me in the first place. Camilo perfectly captures that energy- he acts like a kid because at heart he still is!
6. He’s not perfect! Camilo isn’t coordinated and graceful every time he’s on scene. He can be a little awkward and clumsy- he stumbles back into the table and spills hot tea on himself when Pepa accidentally shocks him, he tries to spin a shovel and fumbles it during “All of You” (and then looks around to make sure nobody saw him drop it), and he doesn’t seem to be in full control of his powers yet, either. He’s so surprised by Dolores telling him about Bruno’s vision that he starts coughing and shapeshifting uncontrollably until he lands on a distorted version of himself- and from Félix’s “Camilo, fix your face” we can gather that this isn’t the first time that’s happened. He also shifts himself into having a baby head and hands on an adult body, twice, when the magic starts fading (once even with a mustache!) Everyone’s clumsy and awkward sometimes, and it’s nice to see that reflected in a character onscreen.
Overall, Camilo’s an amazing character just like the rest of the Madrigal family. It isn’t fair to dismiss all the people who like him as just maniacal “yt girl simps” with a crush on a cute boy. At the end of the day, you don’t know why someone might relate to a certain character, or what they’re going through that makes them get attached to that character. And you know what? Even if someone does just like Camilo because they think he’s hot or they have gender envy for him, why does it matter? It’s not hurting you. It’s not hurting anyone. Let people like whatever characters they like!