- “Maybe I don't have a magic touch
And maybe I don't have a talent as such
Just this heart with much too much to share
So I'll never be the heir, but I'm more than just a spare”
- ―Anna, from the deleted song "More Than Just the Spare"
Princess Anna of Arendelle (pronounced Ah-na) is the protagonist of Disney's 2013 animated feature film Frozen. She is the youngest daughter of Arendelle's previous monarchs, Agnarr and Iduna, and the younger sister of the Snow Queen, Elsa. Fearless and devoted, Anna embarks on a perilous journey to save her kingdom from an eternal winter, and mend the broken bond between herself and her sister.
Anna is loosely based on Gerda, the protagonist of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Snow Queen".
Background[]
Official Description[]
- Anna is more daring than graceful and, at times, can act before she thinks. But she's also the most optimistic and caring person you'll ever meet. She longs to reconnect with her sister Elsa, as they were close during their childhood. When Elsa accidentally unleashes a magical secret that locks the kingdom of Arendellein an eternal winter, Anna embarks on a dangerous adventure to make things right. Armed with only her fearlessness, a never-give-up attitude and her faith in others, Anna is determined to save both her kingdom and her family.
Voice[]
Anna's voice actress, Kristen Bell, served as one of the prime inspirations for the character. The filmmakers, as well as Bell, wanted a heroine different from the trademark princesses of Cinderella and Belle; one who was clumsy, socially awkward, and constantly spoke before she thought. Anna's supervising animator, Becky Bresee, noted she took much of Anna's animated movement from Bell's facial expressions and rhythm when she recorded the lines.[3]
Personality[]
- “A character who is willing to stand beside you and stand up for what's right. Her sister was born with a condition that's shaped a world where Anna doesn't belong.”
- ―Paul Briggs
Unlike her older sister Elsa, Anna is optimistic, energetic, awkward, and generally far from elegant. She is also free-spirited and garnered an extrovert mentality after years of living within the confines of the castle gates. As a result, she is quick to make friends, and craves affection and companionship, though this can also act as her greatest flaw, as she can sometimes be too trusting towards strangers—an issue brought to attention with the introduction of the secretly malevolent Prince Hans.
However, while gregarious, Anna's most valued asset and the true object of her affection is her relationship with her sister. Since childhood, Anna has been attached to Elsa and greatly admired her elegance and unique abilities. Throughout most of the film, Anna is also the only individual to express faith that Elsa was not a monster. This is in contrast to the Duke of Weselton, Kristoff, as well as the entirety of Arendelle's populous, who were all notably skeptical towards Elsa's benevolence, and feared what she was capable of. Against all these odds, however, Anna remained hopeful, and fiercely assured that Elsa's true nature was gentle and caring; so much so, that she willingly threw herself into the dangerous terrains of the mountains to retrieve her sister from exile, only armed with the belief that the strength of their bond would be enough to motivate Elsa to return. This is an example of Anna's powerful sense of hope and optimism. She relies on these traits to carry her through her hardships, and though she still faces overwhelming struggle, her buoyant mentality ultimately led to the restoration of both her kingdom's welfare, as well as the relationship with her sister.
It should be noted that, despite her optimism, Anna has also struggled with her self-confidence, on occasion. The lack of explanation regarding her enforced separation from Elsa would lead Anna to believe that she was the issue, and that Elsa simply wanted nothing to do with her. As time would go on, she would begin to fall into a toxic state of mind that manifested itself into an unhealthy need for companionship (again, brought into light through her relationship with Hans). This would also explain why she is so quick to find romance, as "For the First Time in Forever" shows that she's looking for someone to act as her companion, no longer wanting to be alone. She also quotes lines such as "It's just me" and "No, I'm completely ordinary", which also indicates her low opinion of herself.
Anna also tends to act before she thinks, and can be rather impulsive and quick-tempered at times, which causes quite a bit of trouble. Throughout the film, she made several imprudent decisions as a result of this trait, such as accepting Hans' suspiciously hasty marriage proposal despite barely knowing him and provoking the beastly Marshmallow despite his ferocious size and power grossly outweighing her own. She can also be quite stubborn as she initially refused to accept the possibility that Hans was not her true love, despite the valid criticisms regarding the idea from Elsa and Kristoff. Furthermore, she repeatedly went against Kristoff's deterrents (such as letting him face a pack of wolves alone while she remained quiescent—all meant to keep her out of harm's way) throughout their adventure. Balancing this out is the fact that Anna is rather fearless, quick-thinking, and highly skilled in self-defense, allowing her to overcome various challenges, including those caused by her own lack of impulse control. She held her own against Marshmallow (despite their difference in assets), a pack of wolves, and was solely responsible for the downfall of Hans, following his villainous reveal.
In the end, despite her numerous flaws, Anna is an extremely sweet, selfless and loving character. Numerous times throughout the film, she puts the safety and well-being of others before her own, showing great loyalty and admiration for her friends and family, most notably with Elsa. In terms of personality, all these factors and more, make Anna one of the most diverse Disney characters of all time.
Physical appearance[]
At 18 years of age during the original film, Anna sports a slender figure and a fair complexion. She has turquoise blue eyes, rosy cheeks, thin lips, long strawberry-blonde hair mostly tied into two braided pigtails, bangs down her forehead and a dusting of freckles (a trait that she shares with Elsa, although due to being slightly older, Elsa appears to have fewer freckles than Anna); her face is also slightly rounder than Elsa's. When she wears sleeveless dresses, it is shown that she has some freckles on her shoulders in addition to the ones on her face. She had a platinum blonde streak that matches Elsa's hair color on the right side of her hair, due to an accident in which she was struck by Elsa's magic during childhood.
All of her outfits have rosemaling, reflecting the movie's Norwegian setting.
In her coronation dress, Anna wears a black sweetheart bodice with off-the-shoulder dark green straps and rose, teal, blue and purple prints on it, and has greenish-gold trim, a black satin-laced necklace with a bronze pendant of Arendelle's symbol, an olive drab pleated skirt with sashes consisting of the following: asparagus centers with pink, crimson, dark olive green, olive drab, and blue prints on it between cream sides and dark green pleats, both cream petticoat and frilly knee-length pantalettes, white stockings, and a pair of black ballet shoes. She wears her hair in a bun, and a part of her hair is braided and used as a headband, a green comb-shaped barrette with a couple satin ribbons green and chartreuse attached to the back of her hair, and dark pink lipstick. She also wears a teal cape with a cyan bow as a clasp for the cape, sapphire oval-cut hem with azure line, blue dots on each cut, and small sapphire dots all around the cape.
The winter outfit that Anna acquires at Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna is a traditional Norwegian clothing called "Bunad", and the design consists of a medium-length, dark blue skirt consisting of a lavender round-cut lining with points, with each rose and periwinkle print similar to a rose around the skirt on each point, and each periwinkle bush-like print on each of its round edges with a black bodice with gold trim and green, red, yellow and purple rose prints on it, a light blue long-sleeved blouse, and black heeled leather boots with gold linings and magenta soles. She also wears a magenta bonnet with purple lining, lavender fluff, and matching white print on the back, a pair of blue mittens with navy blue palms, and a detachable magenta cape with a matching cap, purple linings, and small Byzantium tassels on the edge of the cape with a silver brooch consisting of a pair of hearts with gray prints attached to her cape and magenta lipstick. On occasion, she wears a pair of crystal clear ice skates.
After Anna's heart is frozen, her hair turns silvery-white. After she is thawed, her hair returns to its original state without the platinum blonde streak.
In Anna's summer attire, her hair is once again in braided pigtails without her streak, and she sports a timber wolf wrist-length blouse with light blue vertical linings, a pinafore dress consisting of both a light gray bodice with green linings, vertical gray hairlines, and four green buttons placed vertically on the bodice with black hairline laces attached, a dark gray skirt with a light gray lining, crimson, green and lavender flower prints all around on it, and lavender, green and olive drab bush-like prints between each flower prints. She also dons a white petticoat, a pair of matching heeled leather boots with gold linings and brown soles, the same color and shape of the brooch, and, on occasion, the same color ice skates.
In Frozen Fever, Anna wears her hair in the same style she wore at Elsa's coronation but with a yellow sunflower attached to the back of the bun with three ribbons hanging down (in the colors of dark green, light green and teal). She wears a black bodice which has olive, crimson, green and orange prints on the front with chartreuse linings and a light chartreuse blouse that has a red and gold brooch in the middle. On top of this, Anna has an apple-green, sleeveless, cropped gilet (with teal, dark green, brown, orange and chartreuse rosemaling on the front and back), a teal skirt with yellow, olive and brown sunflower prints with darker teal stalks and leaves, with smaller olive, dark teal and purple designs between each sunflower and a small, dark teal leaf design on the left, middle part of the skirt. Above the sunflower is a wavy, looping yellow line with light teal dots above each loop. She wears light olive stockings, pale olive-yellow petticoats, black ballet flats, a friendship bracelet and dark pink lipstick. Elsa used her powers to change this dress by adding sunflowers to her bun and skirt using crystalline ice and creating a hidden ice petticoat to make the skirt more voluminous.
Abilities[]
- “We know what her superpower is: her superpower is love! She saves the day with love.”
- ―Chris Buck
Unlike Elsa, Anna was born without magic, thus lacking any sort of enchanted abilities; she relies solely on fearlessness and optimism to guide her through perilous situations. According to directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, Anna's "super power" is the strength and purity of her loving heart.[5] Because the love she harbored for her sister was so powerful, Anna managed to successfully navigate through a death-defying journey through the Norwegian wilderness, facing off against cursed weather conditions, supernatural beings, and the elements of nature, itself. It was her devotion towards Elsa, and refusal to view the latter as a villain, that would ultimately lead to the resurrection of their familial bond, the thawing of Elsa's "frozen heart", and the salvation of the kingdom of Arendelle.
Quite notably, however, Anna has exhibited examples of above-average physical strength, and has proven herself to be quite powerful in this regard; she doesn't seem to notice, as she has accidentally caused physical pain to characters such as Kristoff (when she nonchalantly threw a bag of carrots to the mountain man, but with far more force than intended) and Olaf (when she made an attempt to gently insert his carrot nose onto his face, only to jab it in forcefully and giving the snowman a "head rush" by mistake) as a result of underestimating her own strength. During "For the First Time in Forever", she was seen dancing with and subsequently flinging a bust with ease. During a wolf attack, she held her own, using Kristoff's lute to smack one of the wolves away from the sled - which had brutal results for the wolf. The most noteworthy example of Anna's physical capacity is perhaps following the climax of the film, where the princess punched the traitorous Prince Hans off a ship, with a substantial amount of force strong enough to send the prince flying off of his feet.
Anna also has an incredible amount of endurance in harsh winter conditions, as she was able to navigate through post-blizzard terrains with a simple cloak and ball gown for over twenty-four hours or so, without too much negative effect other than some initial discomfort towards the unexpected cold. Following the purchase of her winter gear, she seemed entirely unaffected by the weather and only fell into the danger of freezing to death due to the frozen curse accidentally placed upon her heart by Elsa in the midst of her journey, as its power froze the princess from the inside, out.
Appearances[]
Frozen[]
The Beginning[]
- “The sky is awake, so I'm awake. So, we have to play!”
- ―Anna to Elsa
At a young age, Anna and Elsa enjoyed their lives as princesses, spending most of their time using Elsa's powers over ice and snow to create winter wonderlands for their enjoyment whenever they pleased. One night, young Anna walked over to Elsa's bed and begged to play as she was too wide awake to sleep. Elsa playfully brushed her sister off until it was suggested they build a snowman, to which Elsa delightfully agrees. The sisters head into the castle's throne room and create a winter field of snow, enjoying their time with plenty of merriment until Elsa, out of a sudden frustration, accidentally strikes Anna in the head with her magic, rendering her unconscious and turning a streak of her hair platinum blonde where struck. Horrified, Elsa calls for their parents, King Agnarr and Queen Iduna, who rush onto the scene. Agnarr looks through the royal library, and is able to find a map to a valley inhabited by magical trolls capable of saving Anna.
Elsa, Agnarr, Iduna, and the unconscious Anna travel to the valley, where Pabbie, the king of the trolls, informs them that they're lucky Anna wasn't hit in the heart, for it can be fatal. Fortunately, Pabbie is able to cure the unconscious princess; though to do so, he removes every ounce of magic from the child's body, including memories of magic, thus obliterating any knowledge she once held of Elsa's abilities. Before the royal family departs, Pabbie advises that they take precaution with Elsa's powers as they, despite being a beautiful gift, can be extremely dangerous if not controlled.
To further ensure their safety, Anna and Elsa were forced to be separated, and citizens were kept outside the castle walls. Years went by, and with that, the friendship Anna and Elsa once shared. Throughout the years, Anna spent most of her days running throughout the castle halls, playfully, and spending practically all of her time alone or with her parents. Even so, she constantly made attempts to reconnect with Elsa but was shut out each time. The constant denial drove Anna to believe that her sister despised her, leading the former to eventually cease in trying to rekindle their bond. One day, however, while out on the sea, the king and queen were killed in a powerful storm, as their ship was sunken after being struck by monstrous waves. The terrible news devastated Anna, and the young princess tried to reunite with her sister, who was now the only family she had left, once again, needing her love and comfort to get through the tragedy. However, as always, Elsa remained in her room, even during the monarchs' funerals, leaving both of the royal sisters to mourn the loss of their parents and move on from the tragedy alone.
Coronation Day[]
- “This is so nice! I wish it could be like this all the time.”
- ―Anna to ElsaThree years later, Elsa had finally reached the age where she was eligible to be crowned Queen of Arendelle. The entire kingdom was abuzz in preparation, completely joyous for their soon-to-be queen; visiting royalty from all walks of life also attended, with kingdoms such as the Southern Isles and Weselton sending representatives in honor of their countries. Within the castle, Anna couldn't have been more excited as she witnessed the windows and doors open for the first time in years, servants and valets preparing the castle for the nightly ball, and the castle gates being scheduled to open for the very first time since her childhood. Not only that, the princess also expressed her hopes to finally find a companion, as a means to escape her lonely life. That longing for a companion soon became a longing for romance. Though she believed the idea of someone caring for her to be somewhat impossible, she was willing to take the chance to find such an individual, now that the opportunity was provided.
The second the gates are finally opened, Anna rushes out and explores her kingdom, roaming about the streets and catching glimpse of all the visitors. Suddenly, she bumps into a horse owned by the handsome Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. Though initially angered by the clumsiness of the stranger, Anna soon settles down upon catching sight of the prince's sharp looks, immediately becoming smitten. After introducing themselves, Anna and Hans become acquainted, and apparently hit it off, only to be interrupted by the coronation bells announcing that Princess Elsa's crowning is to take place. Anna forcefully rushes off in response, shyly bidding farewell to Hans as she does. At the chapel, Anna stands by her sister's side during the crowning and acknowledges Hans' presence in the crowd by giving a cute wave, confirming their new friendship. After the crowning has commenced and Elsa officially became queen, a ball in her honor is held that night.
At the ball, Anna and Elsa stand side by side near the thrones, watching over the warm crowd. With Elsa leading the way, the sisters exchange their first conversation in what appears to be quite some time. Flustered, at first, Anna's interaction with her sister brings quite the delightful feeling to the princess, and seeing Elsa so happy instead of serious and reserved boosts Anna's confidence, prompting her to continue on with the conversation before they're interrupted by their steward Kai, who introduces the snide Duke of Weselton. The Duke offers Elsa her first dance as queen, though she politely declines, instead playfully volunteering Anna. The two head off into a comical dance scene and in during which, seeing Anna innocently flustered by the Duke's over-the-top dancing skills, Elsa couldn't hold back a chuckle, causing Anna to feel just as whimsical about the entire matter. Afterward, Anna returns by Elsa's side, commenting on how well things have been going through the day, and expresses her wish to have such a carefree and open lifestyle remain. Unfortunately, all at once, Elsa's smile fades away and she reluctantly denies Anna's wishes, though fails (and refuses) to explain why so.
Blind Love[]
- “I've never met someone who thinks so much like me!”
- ―Anna and Hans
Saddened, Anna walks off, on the verge of tears, just when she bumps into Hans once again, who offers a waltz. Anna agrees, and the romantic dance soon leads to a date around the city. Anna and Hans spend the evening bonding and getting to know one another, finding out they have a lot in common from interests to sibling relationships. Overjoyed to have someone whom she can finally open up to and connect with, Anna falls in love with Hans, finally believing she'll no longer live the painful life of a loner; apparently, Hans returns the blossoming affections. The two become so close that, by the end of their date, Hans proposes, which Anna immediately agrees to. The newly engaged couple return to the ballroom to ask for Elsa's blessing. Elsa refuses to grant her blessing on such a marriage, telling Anna that she can't marry someone she just met, which leads to a heated argument—Anna openly questioning Elsa's right to speak on love, referring to the years of the queen's supposed disinterest in their own relationship. Feeling hurt and seeing things becoming emotionally out of hand, Elsa orders the party to end and the gates to be closed, which Anna immediately causes a heartbroken uproar over, not wanting to spend her life alone and within the castle again after all those years of loneliness and despair.
Elsa's Powers Revealed[]
- “What are you so afraid of?!”
- ―Anna to Elsa, moments before the latter's powers are revealed
The confrontation between the sisters becomes larger and larger until, out of blind anger, Elsa accidentally shoots massive ice spikes from her hand, nearly striking the guests, including Anna, thusly revealing her powers to the whole kingdom. Horrified by what she's done and the reaction it received, Elsa flees the ballroom. Despite her confusion, Anna follows behind in an attempt to stop her; Hans and the Duke of Weselton do the same. Elsa manages to escape the castle grounds and retreats into the fjords, accidentally placing a curse upon the kingdom as she does by trapping the land in an eternal winter. As snow flurries fill the sky, the Duke of Weselton goes into panic, exclaiming that Elsa must be stopped. He orders his men to go after Elsa, only to be halted by Anna, who volunteers to go after Elsa, herself, claiming that her sister is no monster and responsible for the chaos—having pushed Elsa to anger in the first place. Hans tries to stop her from heading into the storm, believing it's too dangerous, but Anna reassures him of Elsa's harmlessness.
After leaving Hans in charge of the kingdom during her absence, Anna makes her leave on her horse, aimlessly traveling through the winter woods through the course of an entire day. She eventually loses her horse and ruins her clothes in the process, but fortunately stumbles upon a humble establishment owned by the equally humble Oaken, who happens to have one winter outfit in stock.
Anna Meets Kristoff[]
- “Only one crazy enough to be out in this storm is you, dear. You and this fellow.”
- ―Oaken to Anna, referring to KristofJust as she's about to purchase her new outfit, a rugged mountain man named Kristoff arrived, coming from the North Mountain. According to Kristoff, the source of the peculiar winter comes from the North Mountain, giving the hint to Elsa's location. With this information, Anna knew Kristoff could help guide her to her destination, but after insulting Oaken, the mountain man is kicked out of the shop, unable to purchase the goods and carrots he was hoping for. Anna, however, decides to pay for Kristoff's items, hoping he'd agree to take her to the mountains once the generous deed was realized. After receiving his mountain equipment and carrots for his reindeer (and best friend) Sven, Kristoff eventually agrees, and the trio rides out into the night in search for the Snow Quee
Along the way, Kristoff inquires Elsa's reasoning for covering the land in eternal winter, and Anna explains the situation with Hans. This causes Kristoff to call the princess out, finding it ridiculous that she became engaged to someone she met that day, doubting Hans is her actual true love. Before their conversation continues, however, the trio are attacked by savage wolves. Fortunately, they're able to escape the pack, but the only bit of cargo to make it out of the chaos were Sven's carrots. Kristoff's sled, and most of everything in it was destroyed. Feeling guilty, Anna offers him a new sled, as well as all of the other items that were destroyed. She additionally releases Kristoff from his bind, understanding that the mountain man likely doesn't want any part of the adventure from that point. Knowing Anna would die should she continue her journey alone, Kristoff agrees to carry on with the mission, much to Anna's surprise and delight.
Meet Olaf[]
- “Olaf? That's right—Olaf!”
- ―Anna, upon remembering Olaf.
The next morning, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven come to a point where they're able to view Arendelle from a distance and see that the curse has truly taken effect, completely freezing the once beautiful kingdom. Kristoff has his doubts on Elsa reversing the curse, but Anna remains positive, having all the faith in her sister one could possibly hold. And with that, they continue on, coming across a grove beautifully covered in snow and ice, surprising Anna with its gorgeousness. There, they encounter an enchanted snowman, which sends Anna into panic, though she simmers down upon realizing that he's harmless. On top of that, the snowman is actually Olaf, a snowman Anna and Elsa built as children; he explains that Elsa brought him to life and that he knows her whereabouts. The little snowman also mentioned his fascination for summer, and because of his dream to experience it, he doesn't hesitate to lead the team to Elsa's ice palace.
Frozen Heart[]
Upon arriving at the palace, Anna is stunned by the sheer beauty that Elsa's powers hold. She advises Kristoff and Olaf to wait outside, wanting alone time with her sister and enters the palace with hints of anxiousness. Inside, Elsa presents herself in a shimmering gown made of ice, shocking Anna with her newfound look of freedom. The princess apologizes for the coronation incident, and though Elsa apparently bears no ill will, she still advises that Anna leaves, feeling it is still unsafe for the two to be together. Anna believes otherwise, assuring her sister that her powers are nothing to fear and that they can overcome the challenges they may cause, together. While touched by the sentiments, Elsa refuses again, prompting Anna to reveal the urgency regarding the eternal winter that has overtaken the land and must be lifted. Elsa is stunned by the news and begins to panic, her mind racing with guilt and dread towards her actions, causing her powers to spiral out of control, once more—this causes the Snow Queen to accidentally strike Anna yet again, though this time, in the heart. With neither of the sisters realizing the danger, Anna continues with her persistence, but Elsa is at a loss for patience; she creates a hulking snowman to forcibly remove Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf from the palace.
The snow monster (named Marshmallow by Olaf) chases the friends out and away from the palace, warning them not to come back. After reaching safety, Kristoff notices Anna's hair turning white, and deduces its origin to tie back to when Elsa struck her in the heart.
The Cure[]
- “But only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.”
- ―Grand PabbieThankfully, Kristoff believes he has a solution and leads the gang to the Valley of the Living Rock, where the trolls reside. Upon their arrival, Kristoff's adoptive mother, Bulda immediately assumes Anna to be her son's girlfriend; when the two deny any romance, Bulda and the trolls try to convince them otherwise, telling them they're meant for each other. In during which, Anna learns much about Kristoff, including various quirks and a softer side that he often keeps under wraps. Though Anna initially finds the situation to be awkward and uncomfortable, she comes to find enjoyment in learning Kristoff's hidden traits, particularly finding amusement in the mountain man's covert humbleness. Anna also learns from Bulda that, though people can make the wrong choices out of fear, anger, or anxiety, if shown love, their compassion and love will be displayed just as vividly, in return. Bulda was referring to Kristoff, but with the events that had transpired, Anna's mind traces to Elsa, slowly beginning to understand her sister's side of the dilemma.
Eventually, the trolls arrange an entire wedding, but before it's complete, Anna nearly faints and loses balance as more of her hair turns white and the curse increases in power, but Kristoff catches her and informs the trolls she's freezing cold. Pabbie returns after sensing strange magic in the land and sadly tells the friends that Anna is in grave danger, upon discovering just what that magic is. Although he's powerful, the old troll is unable to restore her health. However, he states that "an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart", and this act is the only solution capable of saving the princess' life. Bulda believes the act of true love would be "a true love's kiss," having Kristoff suggest they head back to Arendelle for Anna to receive a kiss from Hans.
The Tyranny of Hans[]
- “I was wrong about him. It wasn't true love.”
- ―Anna to Olaf about Hans
Meanwhile, back at Elsa's palace, Hans and a group of soldiers arrives, believing Anna is somewhere within the icy walls in Elsa's clutches. They manage to successfully storm in and capture the Snow Queen, but obviously, fail to find the princess. Even so, the team takes Elsa back to Arendelle and imprisons her by orders of Hans, just before Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf arrive in the kingdom, greeted by the servants who've been desperately searching for the princess. Though he's greatly saddened to leave her side, Kristoff leaves the kingdom with Sven after Anna is taken into care. She reunites with Hans in the castle library, and quickly informs him of all that happened, telling him that she needs an act of true love to thaw her frozen heart, which would be true love's kiss. Hans refuses to kiss the princess, and reveals that he had been using her to become king of Arendelle; it turns out that Hans planned on wooing and marrying Anna, becoming next in line for the throne, and once that was complete, he would murder Elsa to be immediately crowned king. With Anna's death on the rise, and Elsa was being deemed a threat to the citizens of Arendelle, none of that was necessary, and the kingdom is practically his for the taking. Anna tries to stop him but is far too weak. With a smirk, Hans locks the princess inside the library, leaving her humiliated and helpless as the rest of her hair turns completely white and her freezing heart starts to overtake her body.
In the dining hall, Hans informs the dignitaries of Anna's supposed death and blames Elsa for the murderous crime. He also claims that he and Anna married just before she died in his arms, legally leaving Arendelle in his hands. As his first order as ruler, he charges Queen Elsa with high treason and sentences her to death.
Anna's Awakening/Finding Kristoff[]
- “I need to get to Kristoff!”
- ―Anna to OlafIn the dungeon, Elsa manages to escape her prison, but her fearful emotions cause an icy curse to overtake the castle, dropping the temperatures even lower, thus causing Anna to die much faster. Just then, Olaf arrives and immediately begins aiding to Anna. The snowman successfully lights a fire at the fireplace, despite Anna fearing he'll melt, to which Olaf explains he doesn't care about his own life as long as Anna is safe. Confused as to why Anna's still in pain, Olaf asks the whereabouts of Hans, having Anna reveal his treachery. Nevertheless, Olaf decides to merely come up with an alternative act to save the princess, but feeling defeated, Anna claims she doesn't know what love is any longer. Olaf rectifies her problem by teaching her that real love is putting someone else's need before your own, using Kristoff as her example, as he has ignored his true feelings in favor of Anna's happiness, believing Hans was her true love, as well. In that moment, Anna realizes that Kristoff is the one she must share true love's kiss with, and she and Olaf rush out to find him just as the icy curse surrounding the castle reaches full power, eventually forming into a blinding blizzard outside.
From the outskirts of Arendelle, Kristoff and Sven are able to witness Elsa's blizzard beginning to overtake the castle. Fearing Anna may be in danger, the duo rush towards the city to rescue her. All the while, Anna and Olaf are able to escape the castle, make it into the courtyard, and eventually the fjord. Unfortunately, a powerful gale blows Olaf away, leaving Anna to fend for herself, as her curse continues to take effect, rendering her weak and vulnerable. Meanwhile, Kristoff and Sven rush through the raging blizzard, as well, and are soon also separated. Despite the blinding storm raging about, Kristoff eventually hears Anna's faint cries for help and follows her voice. Not too far from them, Elsa is in the midst of trying to escape Arendelle to prevent further destruction upon the city. However, Hans follows and confronts her, needing her dead to put an end to the winter, though he maintains his benevolent appearance to successfully manipulate the queen into bestowing her trust.
An Act of True Love[]
- “No!”
- ―Anna's final words, while preventing Hans from killing Elsa
Hans tells the Snow Queen that escaping all of the damage she had caused is futile, though Elsa only implores Hans to take care of her sister in her absence. At the mention of Anna, Hans reveals that the former returned from the mountains weak and cold, with claims that the queen froze her heart, and despite his efforts to save her, it was too late. He accuses Elsa of killing her own sister, and in response, the Snow Queen breaks down in despair. The storm comes to a sudden halt, which clears the way for Anna and Kristoff. As they rush toward one another, Anna hears a sword being drawn a short distance away. In horror, she realizes Hans is preparing to kill Elsa. After one last look at Kristoff, Anna sacrifices her own chance of survival by rushing the opposite direction, towards Elsa and Hans. Just before Hans delivers the death blow on the Queen, Anna jumps in between them, with a hand outstretched to stop him. She freezes solid completely, with the ice of her fingers shattering his sword.
The impact knocks the prince onto the ground, unconscious. Just as Anna's dying breath is lost, Elsa notices what has happened; breaking down in sorrow around her younger sister's frozen body. Kristoff, Olaf and Sven arrive shortly at the scene and mourn the loss of the princess with Elsa, along with the dignitaries and guards, who witness the powerful scene from the castle balcony. But soon thereafter, Anna thaws from her frozen state, beginning around her heart, as Anna's ultimate sacrifice for Elsa has constituted an act of true love.
The Great Thaw[]
- “I knew you could do it.”
- ―Anna to Elsa after Elsa has thawed Arendelle
Elsa is relieved and overly joyous that Anna is alive and well, surprised that Anna has sacrificed herself for her. With Olaf explaining that an act of true love will thaw a frozen heart, Elsa realizes that love is the key to controlling her powers, and finally lifts the icy curse from Arendelle. As Hans struggles to his feet, Kristoff tries to attack Hans, but Anna confronts him instead for his betrayal by berating him for his frozen heart and punching him in the face, so hard that Hans falls off the ship they were standing on, into the water below. Anna and Elsa share another hug again, rekindling their sisterly bond. As the sisters hug, Anna looks lovingly towards Kristoff, showing that she reciprocated his romantic affections.
Following these events, Elsa is once again accepted as queen—Hans and the Duke of Weselton are deported, Olaf and Sven enjoy summer together, and Anna buys Kristoff his promised new sled. Upon informing him that Elsa had named him "Official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer", he attempts to decline both the sled and the title, too modest to accept, but Anna points out that this is a direct order from the queen. This leads to a kiss of gratitude, which officially begins the blossoming romance between the young couple.
Meanwhile, Elsa brings joy to the kingdom by reopening the castle gates and inviting the citizens into a newly created ice skating rink to commemorate Arendelle's new era. Anna joins in the festivities and is touched by Elsa's vow to never close the gates again. The sisters then reprise the whimsical moments of their childhood by taking part of the celebration, with Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven by their side.
Frozen Fever[]
In the animated short, taking place nearly a year after the events of the film, it is Anna's 19th birthday, and Elsa has plans to make it absolutely perfect in hopes of rectifying the hardened past the sisters were forced to endure. Within the castle, Anna oversleeps but is soon awakened by an elated Elsa. Explaining her plans to make her sister's birthday an enjoyable, memorable one, Elsa bestows her first gift; a new dress, embodying the bright, colorful aura of spring. Once fully dressed, Elsa leads Anna throughout the castle and kingdom, following a trail of string with various checkpoints leading to several gifts: a clock, flowers, a bracelet, a fishing pole and more. As Anna happily follows her elder sister, she notices her sneezing and sniffling and takes note that a medical attention is in need of providing. Nevertheless, Elsa assures she's fine, and the day continues.
With time, however, Elsa falls into a delirious haze. After leading Anna to the top of the city's clock tower at the end of the string, Elsa nearly falls off the ledge, only to be rescued by Anna, who decides to put the day on hold in order to care for her sister.
With Elsa finally admitting she has a cold, the sisters return to the castle as the queen apologizes to Anna for ruining her perfect birthday, to which Anna assures that Elsa didn't ruin it and she just needs to rest in bed. They then enter through the castle gates, only to find Olaf, Kristoff, Sven and several citizens, as well as miniature baby snowmen, within the courtyard and announcing a surprise party. Ecstatic, Anna is greeted by her guests and receives her birthday cake from a loving Kristoff.
Following a spectacular birthday celebration, Anna helps Elsa into bed and thanks her for the most wonderful day and the best birthday present she could ever ask for: Elsa letting her take care of her.
Olaf's Frozen Adventure[]
Ralph Breaks the Internet
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Printed media[]
Anna & Elsa: Sisterhood is the Strongest Magic[]
This series of stories follows the adventures of Anna and Elsa after the events of the film. Most of the tales focus on the sisters rebuilding the bond they've once shared, including Memory and Magic, where an eager young troll claims to have the power to restore the memories of Anna that Pabbie erased after the childhood incident. However, a reluctant Elsa doesn't take kindly to the idea.
In The Secret Admirer, Anna reveals herself to be an aspiring matchmaker, and leaps at the opportunity to pair Elsa off with a love interest after the latter received gifts from an anonymous admirer.
Anna Takes Charge looks into Anna's capabilities as sovereign of Arendelle, as she is left to rule the kingdom while Elsa is away for a period of time.
Miscellaneous stories[]
The novel A Frozen Heart delves into the internal thoughts of both Anna and Hans, during the course of the original film, specifically pertaining to their overall relationship, in addition to their backstories and motivations.
A Year with Elsa & Anna (and Olaf, too!) features a flyer released during Anna's birth; the inscription reveals that to commemorate Anna's birth, Agnarr and Iduna held a kingdom gathering in the castle courtyard, where they presented a days-old Anna for the first time to the public from the castle balcony.
Disney Princess[]
Anna, along with Elsa, were originally planned to join the Disney Princess franchise as the twelfth and thirteenth Princesses respectfully. The two were even given two-dimensional art, similar to those of Rapunzel and Merida. However, with the financial and critical success of their movie, the two are currently the stars of the Frozen franchise, rendering it unnecessary to include the two in another major franchise.
Despite this, the two have been commonly featured alongside members of the franchise in merchandise and media. They were referenced in the show Sofia the First. In "The Secret Library", a cold wind and ice droplets are shown in the secret tunnel, alongside other references to all the other Disney Princesses. Later, in "The Secret Library: Olaf and the Tale of Miss Nettle", Olaf is summoned by the Amulet of Avalor, due to the powers of Miss Nettle. It is implied by Olaf, however, that without Miss Nettle's intervention, Anna would have been summoned, as aside only Disney Princesses have been summoned by the amulet.
The two were also included in the updated version of "The Glow", a Disney Princess song.
Inside of Shanghai Disneyland's Enchanted Storybook Castle, wall carvings of the official Disney Princesses are prominently displayed; Anna and Elsa are featured among them.
Inside of the book Going to Disneyland: A Guide for Kids and Kids at Heart is a page dedicated to the Disney Princesses, which features Anna as the twelfth member.
Trivia[]
- At one point, Anna was going to be named Greta, loosely after Gerda, the original heroine of The Snow Queen.
- She may also be based on the Summer Witch, whom according to some adaptations of The Snow Queen, is the title Queen's sister.
- According to Jennifer Lee, Anna was born on the Summer Solstice,[8] and was 18 during Frozen,[9] while the events of Frozen Fever also confirm her birthday taking place roughly a year after the film, making her 19 years old by that time. Her birthday is not celebrated on the Summer Solstice every year, necessarily, as that date differs. But she was born on the day that the Summer Solstice happened for that specific year (e.g. 1821).
- Anna's name means "gracious" or "full of grace". Ironically, Anna is more bubbly and daring than graceful.
- Anna, being the younger sister, has two braids in her hair; while Elsa, the oldest, has one.
- Anna's name is pronounced as the Norwegian "Ah-Na," as opposed to the usual American pronunciation "Anne-ah."
- She is shown to be ticklish at the beginning of her film as a child, as shown when she and Elsa slide down the snow, which Anna giggles yelling "Tickle bumps!"
- Anna is mostly seen wearing green and magenta, while Elsa wears blue. Green and magenta represent spring and summer as well as her cheerful and optimistic personality.
- Anna sings the most out of all the characters of Frozen.
- The two parts of Anna's body that Elsa accidentally hurt with her ice powers, her head and her heart, mirror the two parts of Kai's body that were hit by the broken shards of the Devil's mirror in the original Snow Queen fairy tale: the eye, distorting the way he see things, and the heart, making him resentful to others. Ironically, Elsa takes on Kai's role in the film.
- Although Elsa is based on Kai, Anna receives ice skates from Elsa, mirroring how Kai also received ice skates from the Snow Queen.
- When in warm weather, Anna wears outfits which look similar to her winter outfit, but with green coloring.
- Anna's winter outfit shares uncanny similarities with Elsa's coronation gown, perhaps symbolically marking how she has gained maturity:
- Detachable magenta cape.
- Adorned bodice with a V-shaped waistline (black on Anna, and teal on Elsa).
- Bluish gloves/mittens (that they eventually took off).
- Tight fitting sleeves (black on Elsa, and light blue on Anna).
- According to Frozen: The Essential Guide, one of Anna's favorite desserts is krumkake — a thin waffle-like cookie shaped like an ice-cream cone and stuffed with sweet fillings.
- According to the book A Frozen Heart:
- Anna's dreamed about ballroom dancing since she was little.
- Anna is uncontrollably giggly when she's happy.
- Anna's always been a romantic. Elsa's always been practical.
- Anna and Elsa have a "super sister promise".
- Elsa's tutor is named Erlinger. He tutors Anna too. Supposedly history.
- Cook makes Anna eat artsoppa (pea soup), but doesn't complain when Elsa promises something special.
- Anna likes to treat Elsa's magic like it's their little secret, even if people already know about it.
- Elsa was taken out of Anna's room while Anna was unconscious from the accident.
- Anna pulls on the platinum blonde streak of hair. She doesn't actually like it and thinks it's out of place and not supposed to be there.
- Anna had one childhood friend from Elsa who she met a few months before the accident: A daughter of a dignitary named Rani, who lives on a tropical island. She gave Anna a book with a hundred short stories about her homeland in it.
- Anna's horse is named Kjekk.
- Anna accidentally sprained the wrist of the Dignitary of Somewhere. Her father told him not to be mad and that that was just her way of saying hello.
- Anna had tried convincing her parents to let her go with them on their trip.
- Agnarr pinches Anna's cheek to help cheer her up.
- In Sofia the First, Anna is mentioned by Olaf in the episode "The Secret Library: Olaf and the Tale of Miss Nettle".
- In Zootopia, a little elephant girl wearing an outfit resembling Anna's trademark winter outfit can be seen wandering around in Tundratown.[10]
- During renovations of the Walt Disney Animation Studios building, beginning in 2014, Anna was one of the character silhouettes featured on the wall mural.
- anna and her sister elsa is a member of the disney princesses and included in the lineup.