Created by directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush, Mirabel is depicted as an imperfect, quirky, emotional, and empathetic 15-year-old[2] girl who is the only member of the Madrigal family who does not receive a magical gift.

The film's draft plot depicted her desperately searching for a gift, but the character's motivation was adjusted to a desire to be noticed, which was deemed more relatable for the audience.

Mirabel's relationship with her family has been the subject of discussion among therapists and immigrant groups, who related to the ways in which she deals with generational trauma.

[5] Howard and Bush discussed Latin American culture at length with Juan Rendon and Natalie Osma, who had worked with them on the making-of documentary Imagining Zootopia.

[3] Rendon and Osma are from Colombia; they drew upon their personal experiences with Colombian culture in their discussions, which caused Howard, Bush, and Miranda to focus their research on that country.

[7] The directors challenged the animators to make Mirabel distinctive from prior Disney female heroes; she had to be both capable and imperfect but not merely clumsy.

[13] One version of the film featured Mirabel narrating until the start of the third act, in which Abuela Alma's point of view would be shown; this concept was scrapped because it was regarded as too distracting.

Howard and Bush, however, insisted on making her sound more mature; they considered she had to take care of herself most of the time because her family is full of "stars".

Espinosa Uribe influenced several aspects of Mirabel's characteristics, including her curly, black hair, large eyeglasses, and gestures.

[21] Velasquez and the film's character technical director Xinmin Zhao looked for real-life references across "the whole studio" for Mirabel's hair and were inspired by Castro Smith's curls.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women from the region usually dressed in white tops with needlework, long skirts, and matching petticoats.

[25] Design work was not linear; Disney artists repeatedly moved between different stages to iteratively improve the character.

Look-development artist Jose Luis "Weecho" Velasquez "virtually stitched all the embroidery by hand" on a computer to build the texture of Mirabel's skirt.

A primary theme of the film, according to Bové, is perspective; Mirabel's glasses are a deliberate choice to highlight that concept.

The Madrigals make a doorknob bearing an "M" for Mirabel to place into the front door, causing Casita to be restored, and the family regains their powers.

[39] Funko Pop released a set of four-inch (10 cm) vinyl figurines of Madrigal family members, including Mirabel, in January 2022.

[43][44] In April 2022, the Madrigal family and the song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" were incorporated into the "It's a Small World" attraction through numerous projections.

As of April 5, 2022, early ideas for the Main Street Electrical Parade's 14 grand finale stories included Mirabel and Antonio.

According to Screen Daily, Mirabel radiates warmth in caring for her younger relatives and acting as the family's emotional glue.

[47] For Denver Post, John Wenzel stated that Mirabel, as well as Moana (2016) and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)'s titular characters, signified more independent Disney heroines.

[50] Brian Truitt, writing for USA Today, singled out her awkwardness, humor, and heart, commenting that these elements made her "quite [an] enjoyable character to watch on a journey of identity and acceptance".

[Her comedic skills from her work as Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn Nine-Nine are] put ... to dandy use here, with quirky line readings and a playful wit that's biting but never mean.

Critics have found Beatriz's voice work for the character magnificent,[54] terrific,[55] perfectly cast,[56] spectacular,[57] excellent,[58] spirited,[59] and exceptional.

[63] Psychology Today stated that despite attempting to use "positive self-talk" at the start of the film, Mirabel's sense of self-worth and belonging is harmed by her lack of powers.

[65] According to USA Today, many Latino millennials wanting to end generational trauma hope to do what Mirabel does: confronting the problem's source and the person who is causing pain.

"[67] Marcela Rodriguez-Campo, a Colombian academic, believed that casting Mirabel, a non-white, mestiza heroine, as the primary character was a crucial decision.

However, Camilo Garzón expressed concern that when a non-white figure is inspirational, there is a risk that the character may become representative of a whole culture, as was the case with Moana and Coco (2017).