Luisa struggles with her gift earlier than the rest of the Madrigals in Encanto due to both high expectations and doubts about her powers and worth.

All of the Madrigals lose control over their powers during Encanto, but Luisa begins losing her powers first, before any of her other family members, and there's a possible reason as to why that is. Encanto centers on the Madrigals, a Colombian family that received a miracle after being forced to flee their village. This miracle gave all but one child in the family a magical gift. However, as the miracle weakens in the film, some of the Madrigals’ gifts start acting up. For example, Camilo begins shapeshifting randomly, and Dolores has to plug her ears to block her enhanced hearing.

Luisa, one of the third generation of Madrigals, as well as one of the older sisters of the main character, Mirabel, starts to lose her powers earlier than the rest of the family. While talking with Mirabel, Luisa confesses that she had briefly felt “weak” during their cousin Antonio’s party, around the same time that Mirabel saw cracks forming in their house. Soon after, the light on Luisa’s magic door to her room begins flickering. In addition, Luisa starts to struggle to lift heavy objects that were normally light to her, such as a large potted plant and the family's piano.

Luisa losing her powers first may seem strange given that she was neither the first nor the last member of the Madrigal family to receive her gift, meaning that there was no distinct pattern. However, according to a fan theory (via Reddit), Luisa’s struggles relate to Encanto’s theme. Throughout the movie, the Madrigals have to learn to value each other for themselves, rather than solely for their gifts. Due to this, Luisa’s powers begin weakening in response to the extent of others’ expectations of her as well as because of her own doubt about her worth within the family.

Luisa may have started losing her gift first due to others having the highest expectations for her powers. While all of the Madrigals work for their community, Luisa’s super strength requires her to constantly perform manual labor for the whole town. During Luisa and Mirabel’s short walk together, neighbors ask Luisa to perform chores everywhere they go, without ever asking her how she is doing. For example, Luisa collects donkeys, moves buildings, and even promises to reroute a river. This shows how not only the Madrigals but the community as a whole often value Luisa for her power above her as a person. With such high expectations, Luisa’s powers would easily be the first to crack under the pressure.

In addition, Luisa may have begun to resent her powers, seeing them as the only thing that makes her valuable to her family. During her song, “Surface Pressure,” Luisa admits her feelings, singing “I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service.” Due to this need to constantly work to prove herself, Luisa never takes a break despite desperately needing one. This may have led to her seeing her powers as a burden rather than a gift. As Luisa begins doubting herself, her powers are shaken as well, making her the most susceptible to the weakening of the Madrigals’ magic. While all of the Madrigals ultimately lose their powers during part of Encanto, Luisa struggles with her gift first due to expectations and doubts surrounding her powers.

Next: Encanto 2 Theory Suggests Mirabel Will Finally Get Her Own Room