Summary
- Elsa’s journey to Ahtohallan in Frozen 2′s ending sets up the story for Frozen 3, as it focuses on identifying the mysterious fifth spirit.
- While it is likely that Elsa is the fifth spirit, Frozen has a history of subverting expectations, leaving room for alternative possibilities.
- The plot of Frozen 3 will likely pick up from Ahtohallan, where another disturbance similar to the one that started Frozen 2‘s story will set the sequel in motion.
Frozen 2’s ending sees Elsa riding off somewhere, but the sequel doesn’t explain what this development means for her story in Frozen 3. Frozen proved a huge hit upon the original movie’s 2013 release, but no one could accuse the Disney blockbuster’s story of being too complex. A loose retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” Frozen follows a troubled princess, Elsa, and her sister, Anna, as Elsa discovers that she has magical powers days before her inauguration. By contrast, Frozen 2 had a comparatively complicated story that required a little more exposition and a lot more explanation.
While Frozen 2’s ending saw Elsa head off somewhere, it was not entirely clear where she was going or why. Elsa spent most of Frozen 2’s story journeying to Ahtohallan, a magical river that was said to hold the secrets of the past. Elsa followed a mysterious voice to the frozen center of Ahtohallan, where she learned that her ancestor, King Runeard, murdered indigenous people of the Northuldran tribes to gain access to their resources. Elsa was able to pass this knowledge on to Anna before she ventured further into Ahtohallan, and she ended up frozen for her troubles. Anna saved Elsa by destroying a dam Runeard created.
Elsa Goes Back To Ahtohallan In Frozen 2’s Ending
At the end of Frozen 2, Anna became the queen of Arendelle while Elsa pursued another destiny. Elsa presumably returned to Ahtohallan so that she could become the protector of the Enchanted Forest that surrounded the river. While Elsa was still able to visit her sister and Kristoff in Arendelle, it was implied that she will now spend most of her time in Ahtohallan. The Enchanted Forest had been in disarray until Elsa arrived, and throughout Frozen 2, she brought together the territory’s water spirit, the fire spirit, the air spirit, and the earth spirit (with Anna’s help). Thus, it was now her job to maintain this delicate balance.
Frozen 2’s heroes learned about a legendary fifth spirit who, they were told, would unite the people via the magic of nature. However, the sequel never clarified whether this was Elsa or not. It seems likely that Elsa would be Frozen 2’s famous fifth spirit, as she already brought the elements together in harmony and saved the Enchanted Forest and Ahtohallan in the process. However, there is an argument to be made that Anna was equally pivotal to this process. After all, Anna was the one who woke the earth gods to destroy the dam while Elsa was frozen in Ahtohallan.
How Elsa Going To Ahtohallan Sets Up Frozen 3’s Story
Elsa returning to Ahtohallan sets up Frozen 3’s story since the sequel can now focus on identifying who the fifth spirit is. Although Elsa’s powers make it likely that she is the spirit, the Frozen franchise has an impressive track record of successfully subverting fairy tale tropes. As such, Frozen 3’s story could prove that Anna was the fifth spirit unbeknownst to herself, or that one of the Northuldran tribespeople is secretly the fifth spirit. Either way, Frozen 3 will likely pick up from Elsa’s home at Ahtohallan, where another disturbance like the one that started Frozen 2’s story will set the plot in motion.
