Frozen is a story about two sisters. Elsa was born with the power to make ice and snow. After she hurts her little sister Anna by accident, she spends her childhood shut away, scared of what she can do. On the day Elsa is crowned Queen of Arendelle, the secret comes out, and she flees into the mountains. Without meaning to, she leaves the kingdom locked in an eternal winter. Anna goes after her, joined by a mountain man, his reindeer and a snowman who loves summer.
Walt Disney Animation Studios released Frozen in 2013 and Frozen II in 2019, both directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. The cast is small compared with most Disney franchises, but it has a lot of layers: the royal family, Kristoff's troll family, the people of Arendelle, and, in the sequel, the Northuldra and the elemental spirits of the Enchanted Forest. This guide goes through each group, then gives the voice cast and a full A–Z list of names.
- Studio
- Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Directors
- Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
- Films
- Frozen (2013), Frozen II (2019)
- Shorts
- Frozen Fever, Olaf's Frozen Adventure, Once Upon a Snowman
- Inspired by
- Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen
- Next
- Frozen III, scheduled for 2027
Main characters
These five carry both films. If you're looking for "the Frozen characters" for a party, a costume or a quiz, these are the ones.
Elsa
Queen of Arendelle · The Snow Queen
Elsa is the older sister, born with magic over ice and snow. Her parents tell her to "conceal, don't feel," and she grows into a careful, frightened young woman who keeps everyone at arm's length, Anna most of all. Her coronation-day escape and the song "Let It Go" made her the face of the franchise. In Frozen II she follows a mysterious voice north to learn where her powers come from, and ends the film as the protector of the Enchanted Forest.
- Voice
- Idina Menzel
- Age
- 21 in Frozen, 24 in Frozen II
Anna
Princess, later Queen of Arendelle
Anna is the younger sister, and she has no powers. Elsa shut her out without explaining why, so she grew up lonely, which helps explain why she gets engaged to a man she met that same day. She is impulsive, funny and stubbornly loyal, and the first film is really her story: she crosses a frozen country to bring her sister home. In Frozen II she becomes the steady one, and at the end she takes the throne.
- Voice
- Kristen Bell
- Age
- 18 in Frozen, 21 in Frozen II
Olaf
Living snowman
Olaf is the snowman the sisters built together as children. Elsa brings him to life during "Let It Go" without noticing. He is innocent, cheerful and fascinated by summer, with no idea what heat does to snow. He's the comic relief, but the films keep handing him their kindest lines about love. In Frozen II he goes through a small existential crisis about growing up.
- Voice
- Josh Gad
Kristoff
Ice harvester · Royal Ice Master and Deliverer
Kristoff is a gruff ice seller from the mountains, raised by the trolls after he was orphaned. He agrees to guide Anna up the North Mountain mostly because she's ruining his business. He's awkward with people and much better with reindeer, and he becomes the steady, honest partner Hans only pretended to be. Frozen II gives him a running subplot about proposing to Anna, and a power ballad, "Lost in the Woods."
- Voice
- Jonathan Groff
Sven
Kristoff's reindeer
Sven is Kristoff's reindeer and best friend. He has the personality of an excitable dog and a weakness for carrots. He doesn't talk, but Kristoff "voices" him in a silly bass, and the two have whole conversations that way. In both films he is braver and smarter than he looks.
Villains and antagonists
Frozen's real antagonist is fear, Elsa's fear of herself. But the first film also has two human schemers, and the second has a villain who's been dead for decades.
Prince Hans
Prince of the Southern Isles
Hans is the youngest of thirteen brothers. He arrives for the coronation and charms Anna into a whirlwind engagement. It turns out to be a plan to marry into a throne he'll never inherit at home, and his reveal flipped the old Disney "love at first sight" formula on its head. He's sent back to his brothers in disgrace at the end.
- Voice
- Santino Fontana
Duke of Weselton
Visiting dignitary · Trade partner
The Duke is a small, fussy man who wants to exploit Arendelle's trade. The moment Elsa's powers are revealed, he calls her a monster. He's less dangerous than Hans and mostly there for comedy, especially his insistence that his duchy is Weselton, not "Weaselton." By the end of the film Arendelle stops trading with him.
- Voice
- Alan Tudyk
King Runeard
Elsa and Anna's grandfather
Runeard is the former king of Arendelle, and Frozen II slowly reveals his secret. He built a dam in the Enchanted Forest as a supposed gift to the Northuldra, but it was really meant to weaken them, and he started the conflict that sealed the forest in mist. Undoing his wrong drives the sequel's ending.
- Voice
- Jeremy Sisto
Royal family and the people of Arendelle
King Agnarr
Elsa and Anna's father
Agnarr loves his daughters and means well. His advice to hide Elsa's powers shapes her whole childhood. Frozen II shows him as a boy, rescued in the Enchanted Forest by a mysterious stranger.
- Voice
- Maurice LaMarche (Frozen), Alfred Molina (Frozen II)
Queen Iduna
Elsa and Anna's mother
Iduna sings her daughters the lullaby about Ahtohallan that sets up the sequel. Frozen II reveals she was Northuldra, the girl who saved young Agnarr, and that both parents died at sea searching for answers about Elsa.
- Voice
- Jennifer Lee (Frozen), Evan Rachel Wood (Frozen II)
Oaken
Owner, Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna
Oaken is a cheerful, enormous shopkeeper who sells Anna winter gear at summer prices. His "Yoo-hoo!" and his sauna-full family made him a fan favourite after a single scene.
- Voice
- Chris Williams
Kai and Gerda
Castle servants
Kai and Gerda are the royal family's loyal household staff. They have been with the sisters since childhood, and they're quietly present at every big castle moment.
Halima
Arendelle local
Halima is the woman Lieutenant Mattias left behind when he marched into the forest. Their reunion is one of Frozen II's small, sweet payoffs.
Trolls and magical creatures
Elsa's magic isn't the only strange thing in Frozen's world. The rock trolls raised Kristoff, and Elsa's powers create creatures of their own.
Grand Pabbie
Troll elder
Pabbie is the wise old troll who heals young Anna after Elsa's accident and removes her memories of the magic. He's also the one who warns that only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.
- Voice
- Ciarán Hinds
Bulda
Kristoff's adoptive troll mother
Bulda is warm and pushy, and she leads the trolls' matchmaking number "Fixer Upper," which tries to marry Anna and Kristoff off on the spot.
- Voice
- Maia Wilson
Marshmallow
Elsa's snow guardian
Marshmallow is the huge snow monster Elsa creates to throw unwanted visitors off her mountain. He's terrifying when angry, and a post-credits scene shows his softer side.
- Voice
- Paul Briggs
Snowgies
Tiny snowmen
The Snowgies are mischievous little snowmen that pop out every time Elsa sneezes in the short Frozen Fever. They end up living with Marshmallow in the ice palace.
Frozen II: the Northuldra and the Enchanted Forest
The sequel takes the cast north into the Enchanted Forest, a land sealed in mist for 34 years. Trapped inside are two groups who were once at war: the Northuldra, a reindeer-herding people who live in harmony with nature, and a company of Arendelle soldiers.
Honeymaren
Northuldra
Honeymaren is thoughtful and observant, and she quickly grasps what Elsa might be. She tells Elsa the legend of a fifth spirit that bridges people and magic, and gives her one of the film's warmest moments of real friendship.
- Voice
- Rachel Matthews
Ryder
Northuldra · Honeymaren's brother
Ryder is Honeymaren's eager brother, who has never seen the world outside the mist. He bonds with Kristoff over reindeer and helps him plan his proposal.
- Voice
- Jason Ritter
Yelana
Northuldra leader
Yelana is the guarded leader of the Northuldra. She doesn't trust anyone from Arendelle, which is fair given its history, until Elsa and Anna prove they want to set things right.
- Voice
- Martha Plimpton
Lieutenant Mattias
Arendelle royal guard
Mattias was King Agnarr's personal guard and has been trapped in the forest with his soldiers for 34 years. He's dignified and loyal to the crown, and he sees a lot of Agnarr in Anna. He becomes her ally when she makes the hardest call of the film.
- Voice
- Sterling K. Brown
The elemental spirits
The forest's magic comes from four elemental spirits, and Elsa has to earn each one's trust. Together they are why the forest was sealed, and the key to reopening it.
Gale
Wind spirit
Gale is a playful gust that sweeps the heroes around on arrival. Olaf names it, and it ends up helping rather than hindering.
Bruni
Fire spirit
Bruni is a tiny salamander whose panic sets the forest ablaze. Once Elsa calms it with a snowflake, it becomes her clingy, adorable companion.
The Nokk
Water spirit
The Nokk is a horse made of water that guards the Dark Sea. Elsa has to tame it to reach Ahtohallan, in the film's most striking sequence.
Earth Giants
Earth spirits
The Earth Giants are colossal stone figures who sleep in the hills and walk only when roused. They are central to the climax at the dam.
The voice that keeps calling Elsa north belongs to Ahtohallan, the glacier river of memory from Iduna's lullaby. It's sung by the Norwegian singer AURORA. The film's answer to the "fifth spirit" legend is Elsa herself: the bridge between the people and the magic.
Frozen voice cast
Most of the main cast came from Broadway or television comedy, which is why Frozen's songs are written as character moments rather than pop singles.
| Character | Voice actor | Films |
|---|---|---|
| Elsa | Idina Menzel | Frozen, Frozen II |
| Anna | Kristen Bell | Frozen, Frozen II |
| Olaf | Josh Gad | Frozen, Frozen II |
| Kristoff | Jonathan Groff | Frozen, Frozen II |
| Hans | Santino Fontana | Frozen |
| Duke of Weselton | Alan Tudyk | Frozen |
| Oaken | Chris Williams | Frozen |
| Grand Pabbie | Ciarán Hinds | Frozen, Frozen II |
| Bulda | Maia Wilson | Frozen |
| King Agnarr | Maurice LaMarche / Alfred Molina | Frozen / Frozen II |
| Queen Iduna | Jennifer Lee / Evan Rachel Wood | Frozen / Frozen II |
| Lieutenant Mattias | Sterling K. Brown | Frozen II |
| Honeymaren | Rachel Matthews | Frozen II |
| Ryder | Jason Ritter | Frozen II |
| Yelana | Martha Plimpton | Frozen II |
| King Runeard | Jeremy Sisto | Frozen II |
For more on how animated roles get cast, and why studios lean on stage singers, see our voice acting guide and the voice actors directory.
What the characters are really about
Frozen took the classic Disney princess setup and flipped the ending. The "act of true love" that saves Anna isn't a kiss from a prince. It's Anna throwing herself in front of a sword for her sister. Each character shows a different side of love and fear:
- Elsa is what happens when love is expressed as hiding. Her parents protect her by teaching her to be afraid, and both films are about her unlearning that.
- Anna loves openly and recklessly. The first film punishes her for trusting too fast, then rewards her for never giving up on Elsa.
- Hans is the fairy-tale prince as a con man. He's a warning about mistaking charm for character.
- Kristoff is the opposite of Hans: slow to trust, but honest. In Frozen II he waits patiently while Anna sorts out her priorities.
- Frozen II widens the lens to inherited wrongs. The sisters learn their family's comfort was built on an injustice, and the film's answer is to "do the next right thing," even when it costs something.
If you like heroines whose main relationship isn't a romance, Moana and Encanto are the closest relatives in the Disney catalogue, and our guide to female protagonists traces the wider trend.
Watch order and where to start
- Frozen (2013) — start here. Everything in the sequel depends on it.
- Frozen Fever (2015) — a seven-minute short about Anna's birthday that introduces the Snowgies.
- Olaf's Frozen Adventure (2017) — a holiday featurette about the sisters' missing family traditions.
- Frozen II (2019) — the sequel, set three years later.
- Once Upon a Snowman (2020) — a short that retells Olaf's first day alive, best watched after both films.
Frozen III is next. Disney has confirmed it and dated it for 2027, but story details are still under wraps. For the rest of the studio's casts, browse our Disney characters hub or the alphabetical Disney and Pixar characters A–Z.
All Frozen character names A–Z
A
- Agnarr — King of Arendelle, the sisters' father
- Ahtohallan — river of memory (Frozen II)
- Anna — princess, later queen
B
- Bruni — fire spirit (Frozen II)
- Bulda — troll, Kristoff's adoptive mother
D–E
- Duke of Weselton — antagonist (Frozen)
- Earth Giants — earth spirits (Frozen II)
- Elsa — Snow Queen
G–H
- Gale — wind spirit (Frozen II)
- Gerda — castle servant
- Grand Pabbie — troll elder
- Halima — Arendelle local (Frozen II)
- Hans — Prince of the Southern Isles
- Honeymaren — Northuldra (Frozen II)
I–K
- Iduna — Queen of Arendelle, the sisters' mother
- Kai — castle servant
- Kristoff — ice harvester
M–O
- Marshmallow — Elsa's snow guardian
- Mattias — lieutenant (Frozen II)
- The Nokk — water spirit (Frozen II)
- Oaken — shopkeeper
- Olaf — snowman
R–S
- Runeard — former king (Frozen II)
- Ryder — Northuldra (Frozen II)
- Snowgies — tiny snowmen (Frozen Fever)
- Sven — reindeer
Y
- Yelana — Northuldra leader (Frozen II)
Frequently asked questions
What are the names of the main Frozen characters?
The five leads are Elsa, the Snow Queen; her younger sister Anna; Olaf, the talking snowman; Kristoff, the ice harvester; and his reindeer Sven. Prince Hans and the Duke of Weselton are the villains of the first film. Frozen II adds Lieutenant Mattias, Honeymaren, Ryder, Yelana and the elemental spirits, including the fire salamander Bruni.
Who is the ice queen in Frozen?
Elsa. She is born with the power to create ice and snow, becomes Queen of Arendelle at the start of the first film, and is often called the Snow Queen, a nod to the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale that inspired the story. At the end of Frozen II she hands the crown to Anna and stays in the Enchanted Forest.
What is the snowman's name in Frozen?
The talking snowman is Olaf, voiced by Josh Gad. Elsa builds him as a child with Anna, then brings him to life without realising it during "Let It Go." The giant snow guard at her ice palace is a different snowman, Marshmallow, and the tiny snowmen from the short Frozen Fever are the Snowgies.
Who is the main character of Frozen, Elsa or Anna?
Anna is the protagonist of the first film: the story follows her journey to bring Elsa home, and it's her act of love that saves the day. Frozen II puts more weight on Elsa's search for the voice calling her north. Most fans treat the sisters as joint leads.
Who voices Elsa and Anna?
Idina Menzel voices Elsa and Kristen Bell voices Anna in both films and the shorts. Josh Gad voices Olaf and Jonathan Groff voices Kristoff, and Groff also sings Sven's "lines" in Kristoff's duets with his reindeer.
Is there going to be a Frozen 3?
Yes. Disney announced Frozen III in 2023 and has scheduled it for late 2027. Plot and new characters haven't been officially revealed, so treat anything you see online about the story as rumour until Disney confirms it.