Summary

• The Santa Clauses reveals the fate of the E.L.F.S., the elite elf team from the original Santa Clause movie, who were too good at their jobs, resulting in no crime in the North Pole for 20 years.
• The E.L.F.S. played a crucial role in the first Santa Clause film, helping Santa escape from jail and save Christmas, but they have changed over the years and are now down to just one member.
• The E.L.F.S. lost their funding and are now glorified security guards instead of an elite squad, marking a sad decline for the once-important figures at the North Pole.

Disney's The Santa Clauses reveals what happened to the E.L.F.S during its first season, finally filling in a key question from The Santa Clause franchise almost three decades after the original Tim Allen movie's debut. The return to the North Pole and the continuation of the story of Scott Calvin's time as Santa directly build on the original Santa Clause trilogy, with Tim Allen once again leading the cast. Disney's 2022 Santa Clause spinoff show further explores many concepts that were previously introduced and abandoned. This included The Santa Clauses bringing back the elite elf team known as E.L.F.S. — the Effective Liberating Flight Squad.

When The Santa Clause originally introduced the E.L.F.S., the group was portrayed as some of the most important figures at the North Pole. That is why it became so odd that Santa and Bernard never called upon the team again in future movies. The Santa Clauses bring the E.L.F.S. back through an appearance by their last member. The show reveals the reason why the E.L.F.S. never returned is that they were too good at their jobs. The last remaining E.L.F.S. member says there has not been any crime in the North Pole in 20 years, which is roughly how long after The Santa Clauses takes place.

Why The E.L.F.S. Were So Important In 1994's The Santa Clause

Without The E.L.F.S. Scott Calvin Couldn't Have Escaped Jail

The E.L.F.S. played a pivotal role in 1994's The Santa Clause, as they were called upon to save Scott Calvin — the brand-new Santa Claus — after he was arrested. Thanks to their portrayal as an elite extraction and combat unit, fully equipped with jetpacks and more, Scott's son Charlie Calvin worked with the E.L.F.S. to take on the cops that put Santa behind bars. It was only thanks to their help that Santa was able to break out of prison after being accused of kidnapping Charlie to save Christmas. As a result, Scott's first Christmas as Santa would have been ruined if it was not for the help that the E.L.F.S. provided.

How The E.L.F.S. Have Changed In The Santa Clauses

Time Hasn't Been Kind To The Elite Elf Squad

Despite their heroic efforts during Scott Calvin's first night as Father Christmas, The Santa Clauses showed that the E.L.F.S. had changed considerably over the years. The once full team of elves is now down to just one remaining member, who appeared in season 1, episode 3, "Into the Wobbly Woods." The unnamed E.L.F.S. leader from The Santa Clauses on Disney+ reveals the last several decades have not been kind to the team.

The elf's eye patch does tease the E.L.F.S. had been involved in some other adventures that none of the Santa Clause movies or The Santa Clauses have time to show. He even hints at the long unseen history of the E.L.F.S. by saying, "I'm too old for this shift." One of the more heartbreaking changes for the E.L.F.S. in The Santa Clauses comes from their updated backstory. The leader mentioned that they had been "de-fudged" after the group lost its fudge funding. This comes as part of their new directive where they are now glorified security guards instead of an elite squad.

Coupled with the dwindling Christmas spirit, the E.L.F.S. did so well at preventing crime from flourishing in the North Pole that they were essentially de-funded, resulting in them losing the ability to keep multiple members. As a result, The Santa Clauses' lone E.L.F.S. member marks a sad reveal of what happened to the team after 1994.