Taking place 3-years after the events of Frozen, the sequel, Frozen II (2019), finds Elsa going on a journey of self-discovery as she tracks the voice she hears like a siren’s call, making her way across the land and awakening the elemental spirits in the process.
The then-Queen of Arendelle eventually makes her way to Ahtohallan, a mystical river, and in a glacier there learns that she is the fifth spirit.
Whose Voice That Elsa Heard?
Across the course of Frozen 2‘s runtime, it’s left rather ambiguous just who (or what) the voice belongs to. Is it Ahtohallan, a spirit, or Elsa herself?
When she reaches the glacier, Elsa learns the truth about herself and her family: Elsa is the fifth elemental spirit, and her powers were gifted to her because her mother so selflessly saved Agnarr (who would go on to become Elsa’s father).
At this stage of the movie, it’s suggested that the voice Elsa hears is Iduna’s, but it has been open for debate. Many fans have argued that, since Elsa is the fifth spirit, then the voice she hears is really her own.
It is Iduna’s Voice
Disney and the makers of Frozen 2 have put an end to the debate, however, by confirming that the voice really is Iduna’s. In Into The Unknown: The Making of Frozen II – a behind-the-scenes documentary on Disney+, charting the development of the film – there is a lot of discussion about the voice Elsa hears.
In episode 3, Frozen 2‘s co-director Jennifer Lee confirms that a decision has been made: “We all agreed definitively, we’re going to answer that the voice is the mother.”
Alongside this came the addition of Iduna’s vocals into the song “Show Yourself”, the climactic musical number that accompanies Elsa’s self-discovery, with songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez working in both the voice’s call (the “Ah”s heard throughout) and the lullaby Elsa and Anna’s mother sings at the beginning of Frozen 2.
So, what do you all think about this revelations guys?