Elsa created Olaf during "Let It Go" in Frozen, but Disney has now explained the meaning behind Olaf's origins, connecting him more closely to Elsa and Anna's relationship and the power of water memory in the series. Olaf (Josh Gad) is the breakout character of Frozen, with the snowman becoming hugely popular with both adults and especially children, which has led to him becoming the subject of some Frozen shorts.

The latest of these is Disney+'s Once Upon a Snowman, which was designed to show Olaf's origins and what happened to him in the immediate aftermath of being created by Elsa (Idina Menzel), before he was found by Anna (Kristen Bell), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), and Sven in Frozen. The short sees Olaf wandering the woods, trying on several different noses (since the shop was out of carrots), and being chased by wolves, who of course want him for his sausage-nose. It's the kind of light-hearted, funny adventure that kids will love, but while it doesn't explore too much of Olaf's actual creation on the surface, it does offer some hints at the deeper reason for it.

Related: Frozen 2: What Happens to Olaf When He Melts

The end of the short sees Olaf hugged by the wolf - after letting him eat his nose - which makes him realize that he loves "warm hugs", and that in turn leads him to remember that he is Olaf, the snowman created by Anna and Elsa many years ago. Olaf's memory of this is important, as it also links in with a previous short in the franchise, Olaf's Frozen Adventure. That sees Elsa and Anna despondent over the fact that they don't have any Christmas traditions. When Olaf goes on a mission to learn of Arendelle traditions and ends up lost in the woods, the sisters have to go searching for him. In doing so, they realise that Olaf is their Christmas tradition; building the snowman was what helped bring the sisters together, and he's what kept them that way even when they were apart.

Olaf in Once Upon A Snowman

This means that when Elsa created Olaf while singing "Let It Go", while she was trying to do what the titular song says, she was actually keeping a core part of herself alive and connected to her family. As revealed in Olaf's Frozen Adventure, every Christmas Anna would send Elsa gifts, with pictures, cards, and carved ornaments of Olaf. Frozen 2 showed that water has memory (which makes Olaf's origins tie further still into the larger franchise), then Elsa creating Olaf in "Let It Go" is her manifesting those buried moments so that she remains tethered to Anna. This is hammered home in Once Upon a Snowman with Olaf remembering how he was created the first time around and who he really is, since his memories come from Elsa herself.

The bond between Elsa and Anna is central to Frozen's themes, and while the shorts are mostly designed to keep the franchise alive and appeal to younger viewers, they do continue to build upon that core tenet. Olaf is a comic relief character, but his origins also reveal his true importance to the sisters. Elsa was revealed in Frozen 2 to be the fifth spirit, serving as the bridge to the other elemental spirits, but Olaf is arguably even more important, as he's effectively the bridge between Anna and Elsa.

Next: Frozen 2: Disney Confirms Who The Voice Elsa Hears Belongs To