Frozen 2: Ending Explained!
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VOICE OVER: Emily - WatchMojo
WRITTEN BY: Nick Spake
Let's venture into the unknown with Frozen II ending explained. Several loose ends from the first film were given clarity in this sequel. At the same time, this second chapter also asks a few new questions that still have us lying awake at night.
In “Frozen II,” our heroes venture “Into the Unknown,” where several loose ends from the first film are given clarity. At the same time, this second chapter also asks a few new questions that still have us lying awake at night. Welcome to MsMojo and today we’ll be discussing the ending of “Frozen II.”
Following a strange voice, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf are taken to the Enchanted Forest where a group of Arendellian soldiers and the native Northuldra tribe have been trapped for over 34 years. Searching this mystical land overrun with elemental creatures, Elsa and Anna learn that their parents were sailing to Ahtohallan to uncover the secrets of Elsa’s ice powers. Although she never directly told her daughters about Ahtohallan, Queen Iduna did drop a few hints in the song “All Is Found.” Just as Iduna foreshadowed, Elsa is led to “a river full of memory” with a voice guiding the way. Of course, Iduna also said, “dive down deep into her sound, but not too far or you'll be drowned,” which is exactly what happens to Elsa.
With Elsa frozen in Ahtohallan, Anna concludes that the dam Arendelle supposedly gifted to the Northuldra was actually part of a ruse to betray them. The sins of the past thus emerge as the film's true villain, requiring a new generation to correct the errors of their predecessors. Anna realizes that the only way to restore balance is to destroy the dam, although it’ll wipe out Arendelle in the process. Fortunately, Elsa is unfrozen in time to save Arendelle after the dam is broken. Not only is balance restored, but it finally becomes clear to Elsa where she needs to be.
The four elements are represented through the characters we meet in the Enchanted Forest and its surroundings. Bruni the salamander is the Fire spirit, the Nøkk is the Water spirit, Gale is the Wind spirit, and the rock giants are Earth spirits. Elsa turns out to be the fifth spirit, and along with Anna, they form a bridge between humanity and magic. With Elsa accepting her role as protector of the forest, Anna steps up as queen of Arendelle. Change isn't always easy, but it’s clear that everyone is where they belong… for now. While no official announcement has been made yet, it’s only a matter of time until Disney green-lights “Frozen III.” So, what exactly does this ending mean for our heroes going forward?
Although “Frozen II” provided a bit more insight into King Agnarr and Queen Iduna, there are still some gaping holes in their love story. As we see in flashbacks, King Runeard, Agnarr’s father, ignited a war between the Northuldra and Arendellians. Iduna, a Northuldran, saved Agnarr’s life during this conflict, and together they escaped the forest before it’s closed off. For this act of bravery, nature grants Iduna’s first-born daughter with the gift of ice magic. Aside from a brief flashback where a young Iduna finds Agnarr reading a book, though, we don’t know much about their courtship.
Agnarr tells Anna and Elsa that he doesn’t know who saved him that day. This implies that Iduna hid her heritage from Agnarr, leaving the Enchanted Forest in the past so she could start a new life in Arendelle. Did Agnarr ever figure out that his wife was Northuldran or that she was the one who saved him? Did Iduna ever consider returning to the Enchanted Forest to free her people? For that matter, what exactly happened between the Northuldra and Arendellians during those 34 years? Agnarr recalls seeing his father falling to his death, but could Runeard have survived somehow? Perhaps Elsa will fill in the blanks as she further explores the Enchanted Forest, Ahtohallan, and what lies beyond.
Speaking of parents, we still don’t know why Kristoff and Sven were on their own before meeting the Rock Trolls. “Frozen II” may have dropped some clues about Kristoff’s backstory, however. Maybe Kristoff’s parents were part of the Northuldra, but fled from the Enchanted Forest shortly before the mist blocked it off from the rest of the world. Somewhere down the line, they had Kristoff, but never told him about their heritage due to the bad blood between Arendelle and the Northuldra. Considering that the Forest has a large reindeer population, this would explain why Kristoff possesses such a strong connection to Sven.
By the way, Kristoff proposes to Anna at the end of “Frozen II,” but we never see their wedding. “Frozen III” may kick things off with the couple tying the knot, but would that make Kristoff the King of Arendelle? If so, what does that mean for his ice business?
Of course, what we’re really interested to see is how Anna will adjust to her newfound responsibilities as Queen of Arendelle. Throughout these two films, we’ve seen Anna evolve from a codependent princess to an independent leader who’s willing to make significant sacrifices. In the first movie, Anna throws herself in harm’s way to save Elsa’s life. In this sequel, Anna chooses to break the dam. In both cases, though, there’s still a happy outcome with no negative repercussions. The next logical step in Anna’s character arc is to see her make a sacrifice that remains permanent, marking a major turning point in her road to maturity.
“Frozen III” could also take Elsa to more mature places. In the first film, Elsa learns to let others in after years of shutting her sister out. In the sequel, she has to re-learn that a bit, but goes on a journey to accept herself, finding that her magic was never a curse, but rather a gift. Now that we’ve seen her learn the importance of family love and self-love, maybe the next film will revolve around Elsa finding romantic love – possibly with a Northuldran. The question is if she will be more drawn to Ryder or Honeymaren?
In addition to learning the origins of Elsa’s powers, “Frozen II” also reveals that her life is directly tied to the creatures she creates. This causes Olaf to flurry away when Elsa freezes - and presumably dies. Thankfully, water has memory, and Elsa is thus able to bring Olaf back after she’s unfrozen. In a post-credits scene, Olaf recaps the movie for Marshmallow and the Snowgies from “Frozen Fever.” Although they weren’t seen throughout the film, Marshmallow and the Snowgies also probably melted when Elsa perished. Does that mean Elsa is basically like the Night King?
If there’s one downside to the ending of “Frozen II,” it’s that it seemingly debunks the fan theory that Anna and Elsa’s parents were on their way to Rapunzel and Eugene’s wedding when they got lost at sea. It’s also safe to say that they didn’t make it to a nearby island where Iduna gave birth to Tarzan. Their ship clearly isn’t at the bottom of the ocean waiting to be found by Ariel either. While this may disappoint some conspiracy theorists, the ending nevertheless feels like the next right thing for the “Frozen” franchise.
Who knows what other changes these characters will face as they grow older. Considering that the past two films have touched upon winter, summer, and fall, we wouldn’t be surprised if spring is just around the corner. In any case, this may’ve been a happy ending, but it would seem “Frozen” is still far from happily ever after.
Following a strange voice, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf are taken to the Enchanted Forest where a group of Arendellian soldiers and the native Northuldra tribe have been trapped for over 34 years. Searching this mystical land overrun with elemental creatures, Elsa and Anna learn that their parents were sailing to Ahtohallan to uncover the secrets of Elsa’s ice powers. Although she never directly told her daughters about Ahtohallan, Queen Iduna did drop a few hints in the song “All Is Found.” Just as Iduna foreshadowed, Elsa is led to “a river full of memory” with a voice guiding the way. Of course, Iduna also said, “dive down deep into her sound, but not too far or you'll be drowned,” which is exactly what happens to Elsa.
With Elsa frozen in Ahtohallan, Anna concludes that the dam Arendelle supposedly gifted to the Northuldra was actually part of a ruse to betray them. The sins of the past thus emerge as the film's true villain, requiring a new generation to correct the errors of their predecessors. Anna realizes that the only way to restore balance is to destroy the dam, although it’ll wipe out Arendelle in the process. Fortunately, Elsa is unfrozen in time to save Arendelle after the dam is broken. Not only is balance restored, but it finally becomes clear to Elsa where she needs to be.
The four elements are represented through the characters we meet in the Enchanted Forest and its surroundings. Bruni the salamander is the Fire spirit, the Nøkk is the Water spirit, Gale is the Wind spirit, and the rock giants are Earth spirits. Elsa turns out to be the fifth spirit, and along with Anna, they form a bridge between humanity and magic. With Elsa accepting her role as protector of the forest, Anna steps up as queen of Arendelle. Change isn't always easy, but it’s clear that everyone is where they belong… for now. While no official announcement has been made yet, it’s only a matter of time until Disney green-lights “Frozen III.” So, what exactly does this ending mean for our heroes going forward?
Although “Frozen II” provided a bit more insight into King Agnarr and Queen Iduna, there are still some gaping holes in their love story. As we see in flashbacks, King Runeard, Agnarr’s father, ignited a war between the Northuldra and Arendellians. Iduna, a Northuldran, saved Agnarr’s life during this conflict, and together they escaped the forest before it’s closed off. For this act of bravery, nature grants Iduna’s first-born daughter with the gift of ice magic. Aside from a brief flashback where a young Iduna finds Agnarr reading a book, though, we don’t know much about their courtship.
Agnarr tells Anna and Elsa that he doesn’t know who saved him that day. This implies that Iduna hid her heritage from Agnarr, leaving the Enchanted Forest in the past so she could start a new life in Arendelle. Did Agnarr ever figure out that his wife was Northuldran or that she was the one who saved him? Did Iduna ever consider returning to the Enchanted Forest to free her people? For that matter, what exactly happened between the Northuldra and Arendellians during those 34 years? Agnarr recalls seeing his father falling to his death, but could Runeard have survived somehow? Perhaps Elsa will fill in the blanks as she further explores the Enchanted Forest, Ahtohallan, and what lies beyond.
Speaking of parents, we still don’t know why Kristoff and Sven were on their own before meeting the Rock Trolls. “Frozen II” may have dropped some clues about Kristoff’s backstory, however. Maybe Kristoff’s parents were part of the Northuldra, but fled from the Enchanted Forest shortly before the mist blocked it off from the rest of the world. Somewhere down the line, they had Kristoff, but never told him about their heritage due to the bad blood between Arendelle and the Northuldra. Considering that the Forest has a large reindeer population, this would explain why Kristoff possesses such a strong connection to Sven.
By the way, Kristoff proposes to Anna at the end of “Frozen II,” but we never see their wedding. “Frozen III” may kick things off with the couple tying the knot, but would that make Kristoff the King of Arendelle? If so, what does that mean for his ice business?
Of course, what we’re really interested to see is how Anna will adjust to her newfound responsibilities as Queen of Arendelle. Throughout these two films, we’ve seen Anna evolve from a codependent princess to an independent leader who’s willing to make significant sacrifices. In the first movie, Anna throws herself in harm’s way to save Elsa’s life. In this sequel, Anna chooses to break the dam. In both cases, though, there’s still a happy outcome with no negative repercussions. The next logical step in Anna’s character arc is to see her make a sacrifice that remains permanent, marking a major turning point in her road to maturity.
“Frozen III” could also take Elsa to more mature places. In the first film, Elsa learns to let others in after years of shutting her sister out. In the sequel, she has to re-learn that a bit, but goes on a journey to accept herself, finding that her magic was never a curse, but rather a gift. Now that we’ve seen her learn the importance of family love and self-love, maybe the next film will revolve around Elsa finding romantic love – possibly with a Northuldran. The question is if she will be more drawn to Ryder or Honeymaren?
In addition to learning the origins of Elsa’s powers, “Frozen II” also reveals that her life is directly tied to the creatures she creates. This causes Olaf to flurry away when Elsa freezes - and presumably dies. Thankfully, water has memory, and Elsa is thus able to bring Olaf back after she’s unfrozen. In a post-credits scene, Olaf recaps the movie for Marshmallow and the Snowgies from “Frozen Fever.” Although they weren’t seen throughout the film, Marshmallow and the Snowgies also probably melted when Elsa perished. Does that mean Elsa is basically like the Night King?
If there’s one downside to the ending of “Frozen II,” it’s that it seemingly debunks the fan theory that Anna and Elsa’s parents were on their way to Rapunzel and Eugene’s wedding when they got lost at sea. It’s also safe to say that they didn’t make it to a nearby island where Iduna gave birth to Tarzan. Their ship clearly isn’t at the bottom of the ocean waiting to be found by Ariel either. While this may disappoint some conspiracy theorists, the ending nevertheless feels like the next right thing for the “Frozen” franchise.
Who knows what other changes these characters will face as they grow older. Considering that the past two films have touched upon winter, summer, and fall, we wouldn’t be surprised if spring is just around the corner. In any case, this may’ve been a happy ending, but it would seem “Frozen” is still far from happily ever after.
