For many, the most memorable thing about Disney's smash hit Frozen is "Let It Go," an infectiously
addicting song that's beloved by children and bemoaned by parents. Among the many other
frosty and fantastical things that have made the female-centric 3D animated film such a
success is the magic of its two leading sisters — literally.
In the first Frozen, Arendelle Princess Elsa possesses magical abilities that give her
the power to create and control ice and snow. But when a young Elsa accidentally hurts her
younger sister, Anna, the King and Queen overreact a bit. They wipe Anna's memories, force Elsa
to suppress her powers, and cut the two young girls off from the public — and each other.
After their parents are lost at sea, Elsa steps into the role of ruler before accidentally
revealing her powers to the court, earning the scorn of her subjects. She flees, builds
herself an ice castle, and — in the process — unintentionally puts Arendelle under a
cloud of eternal winter. Anna sets out to find her sister and is joined by an iceman
named Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and a cheerful and fast-talking snowman named Olaf, who was
brought to life by Elsa's powers.
"Hi everyone. I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"
The film was praised for its messages about female agency and sisterhood, but it also
left viewers with one major question: If Elsa had powers, why didn't Anna? Frozen doesn't
tackle that, but in its heavier-themed sequel, Frozen 2, Disney gets a little closer to the
truth. When Elsa hears a voice calling to her one night, she follows it and accidentally
awakens four powerful elemental spirits. She and her squad set out to make things right
with the elements, a quest that reveals the origins of Elsa's powers and her magical connection
to her mother.
In a flashback, Anna and Elsa's father, King Agnarr, recounts how he came into power, laying
the groundwork for the powerful reveal about Elsa's power and her mother, Queen Iduna.
As the story goes, when a treaty between their grandfather and the neighboring tribe of Northuldra
falls apart, a battle ensues that kills the king and angers the elemental spirits — Earth,
Fire, Water, and Air — of the Enchanted Forest. The spirits disappear, trapping everyone
still alive inside the forest. Only young Agnarr makes it out with the help of an unidentified
savior.
When Elsa, Anna, and the others venture out to find the source of the mysterious voice
in Frozen 2, Elsa winds up at Ahtohallan, believed to be a mythical river. She discovers
the River Ahtohallan completely frozen, which really makes it more of a glacier. This glacier
supposedly contains all explanations of the past. At Ahtohallan, Elsa learns that the
voice is an echo or memory of her mother, who was both attuned to the elements and the
mysterious hero who saved her father when he was young.
Elsa learns that her powers are a gift from nature for her mother's selfless act of protecting
her father, after flying him to safety with the help of the air elemental. What's more,
Elsa can do more than just command the elements. The powers her mother was once so frightened
by are proof that she's, in fact, the fifth elemental — a personification of humanity's
balance with nature. Elsa's icy powers connect her to her mother, to the North, and the world's
magical creatures, including the Earth Giants and the other elements.
It's now clear that Elsa is more like her mother, but who does Anna — Iduna's second
child — take after?
One of the bigger criticisms of Frozen 2 was how vaguely it touched on the mythology of
its universe, and, ultimately, how little it answered about Anna's magical relationship
to her parents. Remaining vague about Anna makes sense, at least from a business perspective,
as it preserves some narrative space for future movies. That points to the first reason Anna
might not have powers like Elsa — we just haven't seen them yet. There are still things
up in the air about Iduna's relationship to the elementals and even Elsa's powers, so
it makes sense that Disney may be holding off another big reveal to help gin up enthusiasm
for a third installment following Frozen 2's billion-dollar box office haul.
Beyond sequel potential, it could just be the movie playing into a whole host of tropes,
including mismatched sibling pairs. Anna and Elsa's personality profiles are already in
opposition, and Elsa could be considered the physically stronger sibling due to her powers.
Maybe Anna's power will be something more brainy?
There's a third possibility out there, as well, and that is that both Anna and Elsa
represent the balance between nature and humanity. Elsa is the physical manifestation of the
link between humans and the magical elementals, while Anna is radically human. Within their
relationship, Elsa represents the magic of their world, while Anna represents the non-magical
people that also inhabit it. Like their parents — and like nature — Anna and Elsa are
the balance needed to keep the peace.
Any of these theories could explain Anna's lack of powers, but with no clear answer from
the film, fans will just have to wait to see if Disney delivers the goods in a third Frozen
movie.
"Awwww, but I still have so many questions!"
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