- “No, Anna I belong here. Alone. Where I can be who I am without hurting anybody.”
- ―Elsa to Anna
Elsa was the daughter of Agdar and Idun, older sister of Anna, and queen of Arendelle. Elsa was born with the powers to manipulate ice and snow and used them to entertain her sister. However, Elsa's lack of control resulted in her living in fear of hurting anyone with her powers and as a result, she spent the majority of her life shut out from the world. Though it pained her greatly to do so, Elsa also saw it necessary to distance herself from Anna.
After her powers were exposed and nearly caused great harm to a number of people, Elsa fled Arendelle to ensure such an incident never occurred again. In spite of her self-imposed exile, Elsa found peace, finally able to experiment with her powers without the fear of causing harm. Ultimately, through her sister's persistent efforts, Elsa discovered the key to controlling her powers and finally rekindled her relationship with Anna.
Elsa was born on the winter solstice to King Agdar and Queen Idun. When Elsa was three years old, Anna was born and the two grew to be the best of friends. At an unspecified time before her eighth birthday, Elsa discovered that she had the ability to produce ice and snow and used her powers to enhance her play with Anna.
One night, eight-year-old Elsa found herself being shook awake by Anna, who could not sleep due to the northern lights and wanted to play. Though Elsa initially insisted they sleep, she excitedly got up when Anna suggested building a snowman. The two stealthily set out for the spacious Great Hall, where Elsa used her magic to cover the room with ice and snow, to Anna's delight. The sisters immediately tasked themselves with what they set out to do by building a snowman, whom Elsa christened Olaf. The two continued to play, skating about and even sliding down a snowy hill.
However, their innocent night-time excursion took a deadly turn. Anna began to leap from one snowy heap to another, encouraging her sister Elsa to use her magic to take her to greater heights. But as Anna jumped faster and faster, Elsa found herself struggling to keep pace. When she slipped on the icy floor while Anna was in mid-leap, Elsa desperately fired a bolt of ice magic in an attempt to cushion Anna's fall; in Elsa's haste, the beam was poorly aimed and struck Anna in the face, sending her to the floor unconscious. Worrying for Anna's safety, Elsa cried for her parents, while her escalating fear caused her powers to act uncontrollably, covering the walls of the Great Hall with ice.
After briefly struggling to open the frozen doors, Agdar and Idun arrived. While Agdar remarked that Elsa's powers were getting out of control, Idun checked on Anna, concerned that she was "ice-cold." Agdar went to the library and found a book containing an image of a troll using healing magic along with a map to the Valley of the Living Rock. Without further ado, the family departed for the valley on horseback; Elsa's fear resulted in the formation of a trail of ice.
At the valley, the trolls greeted their visitors, surprised upon realizing it was the royal family. The elderly ruler of the trolls, Pabbie made his way over and examined Anna. Though Anna's state seemed critical, Pabbie noted that it was fortunate Anna had not been struck in the heart and that healing her head would be a relatively simple task. After Agdar urged Pabbie to do whatever necessary, the elderly troll proceeded to remove Elsa's magic, even going so far as to modify Anna's memories of her sister's powers as a precautionary measure. To her family's relief, Anna smiled, indicating that she was all right.
Pabbie then turned to Elsa and warned her that her powers would only continue to grow and that if she did not learn to control them, they would be dangerous. Agdar assured Pabbie that Elsa could learn to control them and decided that until then, the castle gates would be locked and Elsa's contact with people would be limited, including with Anna. Agdar had the two separated and moved Elsa and her belongings to a new room. Though Elsa sadly watched her sister before locking herself within her new room, she realized the necessity of the situation and accepted it.
Hidden from the world
Though Anna would try repeatedly to spend time with her, Elsa always turned Anna away. In the years that followed, Elsa's only direct contact with others was through her parents. When Elsa accidentally froze her window while gazing out at the freshly fallen snow, Agdar decided to give Elsa a pair of gloves in the hopes they could stifle her powers. He worked constantly to help her attain control, even teaching her a mantra: "Conceal it, don't feel it. Don't let it show." However, in spite of the gloves, Elsa's powers continued to manifest themselves and when she accidentally froze a portion of her room, Elsa was horrified at the increasing potency of her abilities and even refused her parents to come close, fearing she would hurt them.
When Elsa was eighteen, Agdar and Idun had to depart on a two-week journey; Elsa formally curtsied them as they left, but worried about her powers, she questioned her parents about the necessity of their voyage. After expressing his faith that Elsa would be alright, Agdar and Idun departed. However, the two monarchs perished during their journey, their boat capsized during a storm at sea; devastated by this loss, Elsa remained hidden in her room during her parents' funeral, her emotions resulting in the room being completely overtaken by ice. Though Anna tried once more to reach out to her sister, Elsa merely sat behind the door in despair, now truly alone.
Three years after the passing of Agdar and Idun, Elsa was finally of age, and ready to embrace the responsibilities of being a queen. In honor of Elsa's coronation, the castle gates would be open for the entire day to accommodate the representatives from other kingdoms who had come to pay their respects.
Having hid from the world for so long, Elsa was apprehensive about the day due to the potential risk her powers would be exposed. She practiced grasping the orb and scepter in the library while she gazed at a portrait of her father's coronation, repeating their mantra to calm her nerves. Though she froze the candlestick and ornament with which she was practicing, Elsa proceeded to tell the guards to open the gates and after reminding herself the gates would only be open for a day, she headed to the chapel to be crowned.
At the chapel, Elsa was crowned by the bishop and before being formally ordained as queen, Elsa was required to grasp the orb and scepter. However, as she moved to take the items, the bishop stopped her, reminding her to first remove her gloves. Her nerves threatening to overwhelm her, Elsa did as she was told, lifted the items, and turned to face the crowd, her bare hands causing the orb and scepter to acquire a layer of ice. Increasingly worried about her powers being noticed, Elsa barely allowed the bishop enough time to finish his statement and hastily replaced the items with her gloves. Regaining composure, Elsa turned to face the rejoicing crowd, giving a small smile.
Following the ceremony, everyone headed into the Great Hall for the post-coronation festivities where they danced and ate. After Kai introduced them to the guests, Elsa and Anna found themselves standing next to each other and unsure of what to say, they both exchanged surreptitious glances. However, Elsa finally greeted her sister and though Anna was taken aback, they slowly eased into a comfortable conversation.
This reunion was interrupted by Kai, who introduced the two sisters to the Duke of Weselton, who represented Arendelle's closest trading partner and wanted to offer Elsa her first dance as queen. Elsa politely refused the Duke's offer, stating she did not dance, and suggested that the Duke dance with Anna. Before Anna could protest, the Duke pulled her away and after Anna looked at her desperately, Elsa silently apologized with a wave.
As Anna continued to dance with the Duke, Elsa watched from afar, amused at her sister's predicament. When Anna finished the dance and returned to her side, the two of them briefly poked fun at the Duke. Anna commented that she wished the castle could always be this vibrant and though Elsa agreed, she caught herself and interjected that it was not possible. Anna asked why but Elsa interrupted, saying "it just can't." When Anna excused herself, Elsa sadly watched her sister go.
Her powers revealed
After a while, Elsa found Anna making her way through the crowd and was introduced to Hans, whom she acknowledged with a subtle nod. Their previous conversation forgotten, Anna happily informed Elsa of her intentions to marry Hans. Shocked by her sister's announcement, Elsa firmly told Anna that there would be no marriage and requested a private audience.
However, Anna refused and promptly told Elsa that if she had an objection, she should address them together. Relenting, Elsa told Anna that she could not marry a man she had just met. Though Anna continued to argue, going so far as to question Elsa's knowledge of love, Elsa asserted that she would not bless the marriage and turned to a guard, telling him the party was over and that the gates were to be closed.
Elsa turned to walk away, but Anna frantically reached for her, removing her glove. Afraid that she would be unable to contain her powers, Elsa reached for the glove but Anna held it away and told Elsa she could not live in isolation anymore. Though it pained her to say it, Elsa curtly suggested that Anna leave. As Elsa turned away again, Anna began to loudly question her, wanting to know what she had done to deserve this treatment. Elsa tried to keep her sister quiet, but Anna continued her outburst and demanded Elsa reveal her fears.
Her patience wearing thin, Elsa whirled to face Anna, gesturing angrily with her hand, causing ice spikes to erupt across the floor. Immediately regretting losing control of her temper, Elsa slowly realized she had nearly hurt the party-goers and left the room, hoping to find temporary solace in the courtyard. To her horror, the citizens of Arendelle had gathered in large numbers, hoping to catch a glimpse of their new queen.
Elsa knocked into a fountain while backing away and her hand touched its edge, causing the water to freeze the water solid, to the shock of the citizens. The situation only escalated when the Duke came into the courtyard, demanding someone stop her; Elsa pleaded with the Duke to keep his distance but accidentally shot a blast of magic, causing him to slip and call her a "monster." Glancing around at the fearful crowd, Elsa decided to flee Arendelle, despite Anna's attempts to convince her otherwise. As she raced across the fjord, she accidentally froze it and cast a spell of winter weather over the entire kingdom.
Alone, but free
After she ran well into the night, Elsa found herself at the North Mountain. Initially, she brooded over her loneliness and her failure to conceal her powers. However, realizing that she was too far away to hurt anyone, Elsa began to experiment with her powers, embracing that aspect of her being that she had tried to keep hidden for so long.
Though she started out with simple blasts of snow, Elsa slowly gained more confidence and rebuilt Olaf and constructed an icy staircase to help her cross a gorge. Wishing to test her limits, Elsa stamped her foot and generated a massive snowflake; building upon this hexagonal base, Elsa caused the snowflake to rise with ice beams, and built walls, archways, and a glistening chandelier as she ascended.
Wishing to live out her days alone in her new palace, Elsa resolved never to return to Arendelle and in a symbolic renunciation of her past, she threw away her crown, let down her hair, and created a new dress made of ice. With the sun rising, Elsa stepped out onto a balcony and illuminated by the light of dawn, she reveled in her new-found freedom.
Though Elsa was determined to live alone, Anna still managed to find her. When she heard her sister enter the ice palace and call out her name, Elsa went to greet Anna and gave her a gleaming smile. Struck by the beauty of Elsa's new look, Anna wasted no time in complimenting her sister. Thanking her sister, Elsa seemed to welcome Anna's presence, informing her that prior to leaving Arendelle, she had never known the extent of her capabilities. However, Anna began to ascend the steps to reach her sister, Elsa slowly backed away, due to her ever-present fear of hurting Anna. Elsa insisted that Anna leave as her place was in Arendelle, but Anna argued that it was where Elsa belonged too. Refusing to yield, Elsa asserted that her place was away from the kingdom, free to be who she was without endangering anyone.
At that moment, Elsa was astonished to Olaf entering the ice palace of his own accord. With Olaf present, Elsa reminisced on her happy childhood with Anna but the memory of the accident overwhelmed her and with her fleeting smile replaced by a look of sorrow, Elsa turned away from Anna. But Anna refused to relent and pursued Elsa up the steps, fervently insisting that they could make things right.
Elsa continued to maintain that Anna return home and acknowledged her self-imposed exile as necessary act to protect everyone. However, Anna revealed to Elsa that everyone was already suffering since she had cast an eternal winter over the kingdom, adding that she needed to return to restore summer and alleviate everyone's suffering. Horrified at what her magic had wrought, Elsa despaired once again, referring to her powers as a "curse"; as Elsa's panic increased, her powers began to swirl out of control until in an emotional outburst, Elsa released the magic as an icy blast that struck Anna in the heart.
Whirling around at the sound of Anna's cry of pain, Elsa gasped at her sister's kneeling form but had little time to process what had happened as Kristoff rushed in to help Anna to her feet. Scared by the appearance of another individual that she could hurt with her powers, Elsa demanded that they leave immediately. However, Anna remained resolute in staying until Elsa agreed to accompany her, saying they could figure out what to do together. Seeing no other alternative, Elsa used her powers to animate a massive snow monster, Marshmallow, who immediately tasked himself with expunging the trespassers.
With Anna gone, Elsa tasked herself with controlling her powers, reverting back to the mantra her father had taught her. However, her efforts were fruitless; as she paced back in forth throughout her palace, her emotional state caused ice spikes to grow from the walls and ceiling, transforming Elsa's pristine palace sanctuary into yet another prison.
The next morning, at dawn, Elsa realized that Hans had arrived at her palace with a battalion of guards from Arendelle and the Duke of Weselton's thugs. She watched Marshmallow ambush the the group but was seen by both of the Duke's thugs; as they charged up the ice staircase to reach the palace doors, Elsa turned and fled to the top floor of the palace but they managed to keep pace and trapped her, readying their crossbows.
Scared, Elsa begged to be left alone but one of the Duke's thugs fired an arrow; lifting her arms instinctively to shield herself, Elsa was able to create an ice wall that stopped the arrow just inches from her face. The thugs tried to reposition themselves for another attempt on Elsa's life but Elsa was now spurred into action and defended herself with her magic. Realizing it was them or her, Elsa fought with intent to kill, pinning one thug against the wall with a cage of spikes, threatening to impale his neck. Turning to the other thug, Elsa first disarmed him with an ice blast and then generated a wall of ice; despite the thug's best efforts to resist, the wall pushed him through the balcony doors, inches from toppling over the edge to his death.
When Elsa was mere moments from giving into her rage, Hans intervened and begged Elsa to stop, telling her not to act like the monster everyone feared she was. Realizing the truth in Hans' words, Elsa stopped her assault on the thugs, but the one pinned to the wall managed to lift his arm and prepared to fire a bolt at Elsa. Catching sight of this movement, Hans rushed to the thug and disrupted his aim, diverting the arrow to the ceiling where it struck through the ice chandelier hanging above Elsa. As the chandelier came crashing down, Elsa desperately tried to get out of the way but the force of the collision caused her to fall and faint.
Later, Elsa awoke and found herself in a dark dungeon. Noticing a window, she tried to rush over and confirm what Anna had said about an eternal winter but found herself pulled taut by giant shackles resembling metal gloves chained to a wall. Straining against her restraints, Elsa managed to glance out the window and was horrified to see Arendelle frozen solid, with more ice and snow continuing to accumulate on the icy landscape.
At that moment, Hans entered with a torch; Elsa turned to the prince and asked why she was brought back to Arendelle. Though Hans replied that he could not allow the men to kill her, Elsa insisted her presence in Arendelle put everyone at risk and asked for Anna. However, Hans revealed that Anna had not yet returned from the mountains, causing Elsa to look to the storm in concern.
Hans pleaded with Elsa to stop the winter weather and restore summer but Elsa desperately told him that she had no control over her powers and that it was imperative she be freed; seeing the urgency in Elsa's eyes, Hans said he would do what he could and turned to leave the room. Distressed, Elsa heard cracking and looked down to her shackles, realizing they were starting to freeze over.
With her emotional state worsening, Elsa looked with horror as the storm outside began to intensify; she glanced around her cell and realized it was icing over. Trying to free herself and escape Arendelle, Elsa pulled at her shackles. Suddenly, she heard the sound of approaching guards and pulled with increased urgency; however, the ice had froze the doors shut, providing Elsa enough time to free herself. The weight of the ice eventually became too cumbersome and the walls of the cell slowly crumbled, enabling Elsa to escape outside. Freed from the dungeon, Elsa ran out into her storm and across the fjords, but ventured blindly due to the snow and winds.
Elsa continued to struggle to navigate through her own storm but was approached by the dark shadow of Hans. Though Elsa tried to flee from Hans, the prince told her she could not escape the circumstances. Turning to face him, Elsa implored Hans to take care of Anna, but was informed by the prince that her sister had returned frail and cold and that Elsa had froze her heart. Elsa's fears were confirmed when Hans stated that despite his best efforts, Anna succumbed to the curse, turned to ice, and perished. Realizing what she had done, Elsa sank to her knees, emotionally distraught. The swirling storm suddenly ceased, the snow suspended in mid-air by Elsa's grief.
With Elsa's back turned, Hans unsheathed his blade and slowly advanced on the grieving queen, preparing to strike her down. However, before the blade made contact, Anna threw herself between Elsa and Hans, and with a final scream of defiance, she froze to solid ice. Alarmed at the sound of her sister, Elsa whirled around and was devastated upon seeing Anna's frozen form. Elsa caressed her sister's face and her sorrow overwhelming her, Elsa hugged Anna and cried. Around her, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf mourned along silently. The citizens and dignitaries gathered at the castle walls bowed their heads in silent acknowledgment of Anna's sacrifice.
But then, Anna's form began to thaw and the princess emerged alive and well; sensing movement, Elsa gazed up into Anna's face and with a mix of astonishment and relief, she embraced her sister, moved by Anna's sacrifice. Understanding dawned upon Olaf and the snowman commented that Anna's sacrifice was an act of true love and had thawed her frozen heart.
The Great Thaw
Elsa took a moment to process Olaf's statement and came to the conclusion that "love will thaw." Realizing love was the key to controlling her powers, Elsa looked to Anna and confidently raised her arms, lifting the ice and snow into the heavens. Gathering the mass of snow into an enormous snowflake, Elsa spread her hands and scattered the snowflake, leaving a warm, summer sky. After demonstrating her new-found control over her powers, Elsa happily turned to Anna, who expressed that she always knew Elsa was capable of thawing Arendelle. When she noticed Olaf starting to melt in the heat, Elsa reacted quickly and produced a personal flurry for him to stay cool.
The peaceful and happy atmosphere was interrupted by the sound of Hans, who had been knocked off his feet from the force of striking Anna's frozen body. To Elsa's surprise, Kristoff started to step over to Hans, intent on teaching him a lesson. However, Anna stopped Kristoff and chose to personally deal with Hans by punching him in the face, sending him into the waters of the fjord below. Overtaken by happiness, Elsa embraced her sister once more.
With Arendelle restored to peace, Elsa returned to her duties as queen and had Hans and the Duke of Weselton sent back to their homelands and had Kai inform the Duke that Arendelle would no longer do business with "Weasel Town." She also helped Anna purchase a new sled for Kristoff and bestowed him with the title of "Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer."
Elsa also had the gates opened and the whole village was brought inside the courtyard where Elsa had created an ice rink. When Anna commented that she liked the open gates, Elsa assured her that they were "never closing them again." She then used her magic to create a pair of literal ice skates for Anna, who was entranced by their beauty. Then, amidst Anna's insistence that she did not skate, Elsa playfully pulled her sister along and with Olaf's help, she coached Anna. Enjoying the return of summer, the two sisters happily skated amongst their friends and neighbors, grateful to be reunited at last.
Elsa was an outwardly calm and composed individual; she always thought out her words and actions with an almost cold and calculating precision, taking great care to never reveal her emotions. To some, she appeared very detached and even unsociable, though in truth, she was very much capable of acting playfully, as when she joked with Anna about the Duke of Weselton.
However, within this reserved exterior, Elsa concealed a great deal of guilt and was incredibly burdened by her magical abilities. Above all else, Elsa longed for the company of her sister Anna but she was heavily traumatized by the incident in which Anna nearly perished due to her powers. As such, Elsa tried her best to suppress her abilities; to some degree, she recognized that her powers were tied to her emotions and thus, Elsa chose to adopt a guarded and withdrawn demeanor. Despite the way she shut people out, Elsa genuinely cared for others and felt it was her responsibility to keep her distance and ensure everyone's safety.
Nonetheless, Elsa's choice to erase her true self by acting like the perfect child her parents envisioned had a heavy toll on her. She feared herself greatly, even to the point where she refused her parents' contact, concerned that her powers could lash out accidentally. Rather than confronting problems head on, Elsa turned away from unpleasant situations in very much the same manner she chose to ignore herself.
When she nearly hurt innocent people at her coronation party, Elsa reached her breaking point and felt she no longer had any place in Arendelle, deciding to flee the kingdom. Due to the fact she had always shut herself from others, Elsa was not particularly struck by the loneliness of her self-imposed exile, but rather saw it as a chance at liberation. For the first time in her life, she openly embraced her abilities and appreciated herself for who she was; determined to remain happy, Elsa chose now to escape her painful past, resolving never to return.
Determined to reside in peace, Elsa became far more liberal regarding the usage of her powers. When Anna refused to leave, Elsa turned to her abilities, and created Marshmallow to physically expel her sister from the palace. And when the Duke of Weselton's thugs provoked her, after some initial hesitation, Elsa reacted with deadly force. However, Anna's revelation that Elsa had plunged Arendelle into winter would cause Elsa to regard her powers with revulsion once more. Elsa's reversion to her old perceptions of herself was only made worse when Hans told her she had froze Anna's heart, resulting in her death.
Ultimately, Anna's unconditional love was able to dispel Elsa's fear. When Anna sacrificed herself to save Elsa from Hans' sword, she was able to reverse the effects of Elsa's curse and thawed out. Realizing that love was the warmest feeling of all, Elsa suddenly understood how to control her powers and was able to restore summer to Arendelle. Though it had taken her many years, Elsa was finally able to appreciate herself without compromising her relationships with those she cared about.
Elsa was born with the magical ability to produce and manipulate ice and snow. Though she would struggle to control her powers for many years, Elsa still was capable of great feats despite her limited knowledge. Even at the age of eight, Elsa was capable of freezing the entire floor of the Great Hall with just a touch of her foot. She also produced enough snow to make a snowy hill large enough for her and Anna to slide down. Pabbie noted that Elsa's power would only continue to grow, an observation which proved true as Elsa was capable of freezing the entire fjord in the middle of summer. Elsa was also able to construct an entire palace for herself after she fled Arendelle.
Elsa used her powers to perform a wide variety of techniques, such as the rapid creation of ice structures like sheets, spikes, and walls. Her magic could be used to propel herself across an icy surface. Elsa could also create snow creatures and imbue them with life, enabling them to move of their own accord. Elsa's powers appeared to extend to the manipulation of winter weather, as she was able to generate a blizzard with powerful gusts of wind and create a small snow cloud for Olaf to stay cool. Elsa also stated that she wasn't bothered by the cold, indicating her powers afforded her resistance to frigid air; she was seen rushing out into her own blizzard wearing a dress made of ice without appearing to exhibit any signs of discomfort. And though she didn't intend to do so, when Elsa struck Anna in the heart with her magic, she started a process that would end with her sister becoming an ice statue. The resulting statue was made of such compact ice that it was not only able to resist a blow from Hans' sword, but also shattered the blade into many pieces.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of Elsa's powers was their dependence on Elsa's emotional state: when Elsa was calm or felt love, her powers were completely in control and were capable of great beauty. However, when Elsa was agitated or scared, her powers were unstable and were dangerous to those around her. Despite their instability, Elsa's powers were especially potent when she felt fear; with sheer instinct alone, Elsa was able to intercept an arrow speeding at her with a wall of ice. Elsa was also able to create a massive snowstorm even while her hands were shackled. However, when she felt love, Elsa was able to completely reverse the effects of her winter spell and brought back summer in mere moments.
Elsa demonstrated herself to be an incredibly fast learner; despite facing two armed thugs and having no formal training, Elsa was able to defeat and nearly kill both men with her magic. And despite not using her magic for a long time, Elsa was able to gather enough confidence after producing a few blasts of snow to build an ice staircase and an entire ice palace. Elsa also was able to magically weave herself a new dress and cape.
Even though she had magical powers, Elsa appeared to be physically formidable as well; she had enough endurance to run well into the night from Arendelle all the way to the North Mountain.
Elsa also possessed a degree of artistic skill as she was able to base an entire palace design on a snowflake. In fact, Elsa repeatedly showed herself using the same snowflake design; it appeared not only on the palace floor but also on the palace doors, ice chandelier, and even in Anna's frozen form. In another showcase of her artistic skill, Elsa froze the water in the courtyard fountains into an intricate design.
- Main article: Elsa's relationships