Repository: pydata/xarray

Issue:
Differing behaviour between `sel` and `drop_sel` for MultiIndexes
### What happened?

There appears to be differing behaviour between `sel` and `drop_sel` for MultiIndexes where the index contains a mix of types (i.e str, int). With `drop_sel` raising and error and `sel` behaving as expected.

### What did you expect to happen?

The DataArray to be returned with the element matching the index dropped. 

### Minimal Complete Verifiable Example

```Python
# /// script
# requires-python = ">=3.11"
# dependencies = [
#   "xarray[complete]@git+https://github.com/pydata/xarray.git@main",
# ]
# ///
#
# This script automatically imports the development branch of xarray to check for issues.
# Please delete this header if you have _not_ tested this script with `uv run`!

import xarray as xr
xr.show_versions()
# your reproducer code ...
import numpy as np

# Create a DataArray with a Multiindex with mixed types.
arr = xr.DataArray(
    np.arange(6).reshape(2, 3),
    coords=[("x", ["a", "b"]), ("y", [0, 1, 2])],
)
stacked = arr.stack(z=("x", "y"))


# Select a single item using the multiindex
selected_stack = stacked.sel(z=("a",0))

# Try and delete an item using the multiindex
dropped_stack = stacked.drop_sel(z=("a",0))
```

### Steps to reproduce

A run of the MCVE (`uv run issue.py`)

### MVCE confirmation

- [x] Minimal example — the example is as focused as reasonably possible to demonstrate the underlying issue in xarray.
- [x] Complete example — the example is self-contained, including all data and the text of any traceback.
- [x] Verifiable example — the example copy & pastes into an IPython prompt or [Binder notebook](https://mybinder.org/v2/gh/pydata/xarray/main?urlpath=lab/tree/doc/examples/blank_template.ipynb), returning the result.
- [x] New issue — a search of GitHub Issues suggests this is not a duplicate.
- [x] Recent environment — the issue occurs with the latest version of xarray and its dependencies.

### Relevant log output

```Python
/data/users/aled.owen/.cache/uv/environments-v2/xarray-drop-sel-7f718ae04b721fc0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/xarray/core/dataset.py:6086: PerformanceWarning: dropping on a non-lexsorted multi-index without a level parameter may impact performance.
  new_index = index.drop(labels_for_dim, errors=errors)

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/data/users/aled.owen/.cache/uv/environments-v2/xarray-drop-sel-7f718ae04b721fc0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pandas/core/indexes/base.py", line 3812, in get_loc
    return self._engine.get_loc(casted_key)
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "pandas/_libs/index.pyx", line 167, in pandas._libs.index.IndexEngine.get_loc
  File "pandas/_libs/index.pyx", line 196, in pandas._libs.index.IndexEngine.get_loc
  File "pandas/_libs/hashtable_class_helper.pxi", line 7088, in pandas._libs.hashtable.PyObjectHashTable.get_item
  File "pandas/_libs/hashtable_class_helper.pxi", line 7096, in pandas._libs.hashtable.PyObjectHashTable.get_item
KeyError: np.str_('0')

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/data/users/aled.owen/repos/ao-scratch_worktrees/main/scripts/xarray_drop_sel.py", line 29, in <module>
    dropped_stack = stacked.drop_sel(z=("a",0))
  File "/data/users/aled.owen/.cache/uv/environments-v2/xarray-drop-sel-7f718ae04b721fc0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/xarray/core/dataarray.py", line 3364, in drop_sel
    ds = self._to_temp_dataset().drop_sel(labels, errors=errors)
  File "/data/users/aled.owen/.cache/uv/environments-v2/xarray-drop-sel-7f718ae04b721fc0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/xarray/core/dataset.py", line 6086, in drop_sel
    new_index = index.drop(labels_for_dim, errors=errors)
  File "/data/users/aled.owen/.cache/uv/environments-v2/xarray-drop-sel-7f718ae04b721fc0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pandas/core/indexes/multi.py", line 2438, in drop
    loc = self.get_loc(level_codes)
  File "/data/users/aled.owen/.cache/uv/environments-v2/xarray-drop-sel-7f718ae04b721fc0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pandas/core/indexes/multi.py", line 3059, in get_loc
    loc = self._get_level_indexer(key, level=0)
  File "/data/users/aled.owen/.cache/uv/environments-v2/xarray-drop-sel-7f718ae04b721fc0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pandas/core/indexes/multi.py", line 3410, in _get_level_indexer
    idx = self._get_loc_single_level_index(level_index, key)
  File "/data/users/aled.owen/.cache/uv/environments-v2/xarray-drop-sel-7f718ae04b721fc0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pandas/core/indexes/multi.py", line 2999, in _get_loc_single_level_index
    return level_index.get_loc(key)
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^
  File "/data/users/aled.owen/.cache/uv/environments-v2/xarray-drop-sel-7f718ae04b721fc0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pandas/core/indexes/base.py", line 3819, in get_loc
    raise KeyError(key) from err
KeyError: np.str_('0')
```

### Anything else we need to know?

Looks to be linked to the array conversion here where this changes the type trying to be index: 

https://github.com/pydata/xarray/blob/b5e4b0e025feff9f1d16014bb3b6d1f7156ca83b/xarray/core/dataset.py#L6079

Need to look usage of [`pandas.Index.drop`](https://pandas.pydata.org/docs/reference/api/pandas.Index.drop.html) and [`pandas.MultiIndex.drop`](https://pandas.pydata.org/docs/reference/api/pandas.MultiIndex.drop.html) to understand implications of this conversion before proposing a fix.


### Environment

<details>

INSTALLED VERSIONS
------------------
commit: None
python: 3.13.5 | packaged by conda-forge | (main, Jun 16 2025, 08:27:50) [GCC 13.3.0]
python-bits: 64
OS: Linux
OS-release: 5.14.0-570.46.1.el9_6.x86_64
machine: x86_64
processor: x86_64
byteorder: little
LC_ALL: None
LANG: en_GB.UTF-8
LOCALE: ('en_GB', 'UTF-8')
libhdf5: 1.14.6
libnetcdf: 4.9.3

xarray: 2025.10.2.dev13+gb5e4b0e02
pandas: 2.3.3
numpy: 2.3.4
scipy: 1.16.2
netCDF4: 1.7.3
pydap: 3.5.8
h5netcdf: 1.7.2
h5py: 3.15.1
zarr: 3.1.3
cftime: 1.6.5
nc_time_axis: 1.4.1
iris: None
bottleneck: 1.6.0
dask: 2025.10.0
distributed: 2025.10.0
matplotlib: 3.10.7
cartopy: 0.25.0
seaborn: 0.13.2
numbagg: 0.9.3
fsspec: 2025.9.0
cupy: None
pint: None
sparse: 0.17.0
flox: 0.10.7
numpy_groupies: 0.11.3
setuptools: None
pip: None
conda: None
pytest: None
mypy: None
IPython: None
sphinx: None
</details>

Discussion hints:

Solution patch:
diff --git a/xarray/core/dataset.py b/xarray/core/dataset.py
index a5a958ddcbe..e02e82404b6 100644
--- a/xarray/core/dataset.py
+++ b/xarray/core/dataset.py
@@ -6065,6 +6065,8 @@ def drop_sel(
         Data variables:
             A        (x, y) int64 32B 0 2 3 5
         """
+        from xarray.core.dataarray import DataArray
+
         if errors not in ["raise", "ignore"]:
             raise ValueError('errors must be either "raise" or "ignore"')
 
@@ -6076,7 +6078,11 @@ def drop_sel(
             # is a large numpy array
             if utils.is_scalar(labels_for_dim):
                 labels_for_dim = [labels_for_dim]
-            labels_for_dim = np.asarray(labels_for_dim)
+            # Most conversion to arrays is better handled in the indexer, however
+            # DataArrays are a special case where the underlying libraries don't provide
+            # a good conversition.
+            if isinstance(labels_for_dim, DataArray):
+                labels_for_dim = np.asarray(labels_for_dim)
             try:
                 index = self.get_index(dim)
             except KeyError as err:


Test patch:
diff --git a/xarray/tests/test_dataset.py b/xarray/tests/test_dataset.py
index cee8f2c82f2..630bfea46c5 100644
--- a/xarray/tests/test_dataset.py
+++ b/xarray/tests/test_dataset.py
@@ -2980,6 +2980,21 @@ def test_drop_multiindex_level(self) -> None:
             actual = data.drop_vars("level_1")
         assert_identical(expected, actual)
 
+    def test_drop_multiindex_labels(self) -> None:
+        data = create_test_multiindex()
+        mindex = pd.MultiIndex.from_tuples(
+            [
+                ("a", 2),
+                ("b", 1),
+                ("b", 2),
+            ],
+            names=("level_1", "level_2"),
+        )
+        expected = Dataset({}, Coordinates.from_pandas_multiindex(mindex, "x"))
+
+        actual = data.drop_sel(x=("a", 1))
+        assert_identical(expected, actual)
+
     def test_drop_index_labels(self) -> None:
         data = Dataset({"A": (["x", "y"], np.random.randn(2, 3)), "x": ["a", "b"]})