Frozen 2 revealed that Elsa is the Fifth Spirit — but not the first. Frozen 2 expands on the lore and people of Arendelle and delves into the franchise's elemental magic. One of these new developments is that Elsa's powers stem from nature and that she is the final piece to reunite all the land. A Disney+ short entitled Myth: A Frozen Tale shows that Elsa wasn't the first iteration of this entity, and sheds some light on the history of the elemental spirits.
On a quest to uncover more about her past, Elsa, joined by Anna, Sven, and Olaf, travels to the Enchanted Forest. They encounter the indigenous Northuldra people and a section of Arendelle's army who have been trapped there by a magical mist. Elsa, led by a mystical call, continues on to the glacier Ahtohallan where she discovers the history of Arendelle and the nature of the curse. In the process, she also learns that she's the "bridge" that connects the magical realm and the human world.
Myth: A Frozen Tale is told as a bedtime story, exploring the inception of the original four elements — water, earth, air, and fire — in Fantasia-inspired animation. Spirits like Bruni (fire), Nokk (water), Gale (wind), and the Earth Giants rule the land, working together to maintain balance. It is only after the Fifth Spirit arrives — and the dam that signifies a divide between the people of Arendelle and the Northuldra is destroyed — that peace is achieved.
What Is The Fifth Spirit?
In Frozen lore, the Fifth Spirit is quite literally defined as the "human spirit." Little is known about the first Fifth Spirit, only that he or she appears sometime after the human race does and after the four original spirits are born. The Fifth Spirit does not seem to include the whole human species, but one particular person. Upon the existence of the Fifth Spirit, the world celebrates in "dazzling harmony." Yet, when the human element loses its way, the other elements cannot function properly. The Fifth Spirit has to find its "rhythm" again so the elements can return and restore balance between the worlds.
What Does The Fifth Spirit Mean To The Frozen Franchise?
The Fifth Spirit is a compelling, if not convoluted, concept for the Frozen franchise. It would make sense if Myth was alluding to the war between Arendelle and Northuldra, since that's when the elements became dangerous — but it doesn't connect with Elsa's newly-found title as the sole Fifth Spirit in Frozen 2, nor does it make seem like any time has passed since the first four elements were born. While Myth inadvertently creates a plothole around the Fifth Spirit's origins, it's a good indication of where the third movie may lead. Since Elsa has abdicated her throne, perhaps she will do more investigative work with the Northuldra people on the legend of the Fifth Spirit and how many have come before her. Did all the spirits before her have magical powers? Is the Fifth Spirit somehow passed down through Elsa and Anna's lineage, or is a spirit picked at random? It would be beneficial for the story to flesh out such an important part of Elsa's life and establish the history of the Fifth Spirit.
With Elsa living in the Enchanted Forest and Anna now Queen of Arendelle, it'll be interesting to see how the rest of this narrative unfolds in the Frozen universe. The Fifth Spirit seems to be a crucial element of the storyline now, based on Myth's subject matter and the majority of the plot of Frozen 2. Whether it will receive a satisfying answer in future movies remains a mystery.