Pele renders Mermaid syntax to SVG with zero dependencies, offering 6× smaller bundle size and up to 500× faster performance than Mermaid.js. It supports all diagram types from Mermaid 12.1.0 and allows real-time theming via CSS variables without re-rendering. Users can customize colors, fonts, and surfaces using properties like --pele-bg, --pele-fg, and --pele-line.
The tool adapts layout for small screens and scales diagrams responsively. Pele is designed for seamless integration: import the render function, pass Mermaid syntax, and insert the returned SVG into the DOM. It is open source, originally developed for Obsidian to enable fast, theme-matched diagram rendering, and named after Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing