King Agnarr is a minor character in Disney's 2013 animated feature film Frozen and its 2019 sequel. He was the ruler of Arendelle, who had been crowned at a young age after the sudden passing of his father. In the years that followed, Agnarr would marry his childhood friend Iduna, with whom he fathered two daughters, Elsa and Anna.
Background[]
Prince Agnarr was born to King Runeard and Queen Rita. He was often accompanied by his personal guard, Lieutenant Mattias. At 14 years old,[2] Agnarr accompanied his father on an expedition to the Enchanted Forest, north of his kingdom, where a celebration was to be held to honor the unity between Arendelle and the Northuldra tribe. Agnarr was enraptured by the elemental spirits that dwelled within the forest, referring to the atmosphere as “magical”. Suddenly, a war broke out between the Arendellians and the Northuldra, during which Runeard was killed. This caused the normally peaceful spirits to turn against the humans that had brought violence to their land. Agnarr was knocked unconscious in the midst of the chaos, but was rescued by a mysterious girl and safely returned to Arendelle. With his father dead, Agnarr would be crowned as the new king.
In the years that followed, Agnarr befriended a commoner named Iduna. The two fell in love and eventually married, making Iduna the Queen of Arendelle. Unbeknownst to Agnarr, Iduna is actually a Northuldran and was the girl that rescued him on the day of his father’s death. Because of the kingdom's negative feelings towards the Northuldra, Iduna kept her heritage a secret for many years.
Agnarr and Iduna’s oldest daughter Elsa was born with the power to control ice and snow. Neither Agnarr, Iduna, or their second-born daughter Anna possessed magical abilities of their own, singling Elsa out from the crowd. As Elsa would discover later in life, her powers were a gift from the spirits of the Enchanted Forest in gratitude for Iduna’s selfless act of rescuing Agnarr in her youth.
Personality[]
Judging by how he presents himself, Agnarr is learned, kind, powerful, and diligent. His personality is further explored in the novel A Frozen Heart, where it is revealed that Agnarr had the tendency to spoil his daughters, and had a difficult time legitimately punishing them when they misbehave.[3] Whenever he loses his temper, Iduna was able to calm his nerves.
Agnarr's primary concern was his daughters. He was willing to make large sacrifices to ensure their safety. He was acceptant of his elder daughter, with or without magic, fearing not her powers but rather the hardships that may befall Elsa, and Anna to an extent, should they remain unchecked. In fact, he appeared optimistic that she would one day learn to control her abilities, meaning that the drastic isolation was only temporary.
As a child, Agnarr was fascinated by magic, due in large part to having witnessed the spirits of the Enchanted Forest and the Northuldra. After the war between Arendelle and the Northuldra, which resulted in the spirits ruthlessly turning their magic against humanity, Agnarr developed a deep-rooted fear of magic. He pegged the Enchanted Forest as dangerous and warned his daughters that its nature was not to be taken lightly. This fear would later influence Agnarr’s parenting, regarding his handling of Elsa’s powers. Despite this, Agnarr did accept Elsa's powers and his desire to handle and help Elsa control her powers were out of devotion and love. Agnarr wanted to be the best father to his daughters and not like the kind of parent his own father was to him in his childhood. However, over the years, Agnarr came to realize that his decision to keep his family isolated only drifted them apart as Elsa grew extremely fearful of herself and her powers while Anna became lonely and started craving for other people's affections. After years of confinement, Agnarr had enough of keeping his daughters isolated where he and his wife decided to search for Ahtohallan to find answers on Elsa's powers, not only to help her, but to reunite her and Anna, which sadly led to his and his wife's deaths.
Name[]
The king's name was not in the film's credits but is written in the Runic alphabet on his memorial stone markers. According to that, his name is Agðar[4] (English: Agdar/Agnarr).
- The King's Name: Agðar can be anglicized as Agdar. Agðar is a male form of Agða, a short form of Agatha, meaning 'good, honorable.' Agdar is a popular name in Norway. The name Agdar means 'brave warrior' in Norse and from Greek agathos, meaning 'good'.
- Due to the Runic alphabet, the king's name can also be read as Akðar or Akthar. Some believe it could be the name Akhtar, which means 'star' and 'good luck'. The latter name is found in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as well as Iran as a surname thus making it unlikely to be the given name of a Nordic King.
In the books Frozen: 5-Minute Frozen Stories and A Frozen Heart, his official name is roughly the same as the translation, though slightly anglicized as Agnarr.[5][6] Agnarr's name was finally confirmed by the filmmakers in Frozen II, where he is called Agnarr by his father and Lieutenant Mattias, with the latter calling him by name several times.
Appearances[]
Frozen[]
In the middle of the night, Elsa and Anna sneak into the Grand Hall to create a winter wonderland for their enjoyment. During their playtime, Elsa accidentally strikes Anna in the head with her powers, rendering the latter unconscious. Agnarr and Iduna quickly arrive onto the scene upon hearing Elsa's distress call. Agnarr uncovers a map leading to a valley inhabited by magical, healing trolls. The king of the trolls, Grand Pabbie, cleanses Anna's body of all magic, including memories of magic, meaning Anna will have no memory of Elsa's powers. Pabbie then informs the royal family that, while Elsa's magic is beautiful, she must learn to control it and not let fear consume her; should she do otherwise, horrible events may occur. Agnarr nevertheless assures his wife that Anna will be protected, and Elsa will eventually learn to control her abilities.
Having taken Pabbie's saying of "fear will be your enemy" literally, Agnarr limits Elsa's contact with others by separating her and Anna and reducing the castle staff. He also locked the castle gates, limiting contact between the castle and the outside world. As the years pass by and Elsa grows, Agnarr works with Elsa to better control her abilities, teaching her to conceal her powers by concealing her emotions. To further help, Agnarr instructs Elsa to wear gloves, and coins the mantra, "Conceal it, don't feel it, don't let it show", which Elsa would carry into adulthood.
Ten years later, Agnarr and Iduna are to set off on a two-week sea voyage. During a storm, they are drowned at sea by monstrous waves. Anna and all the people of Arendelle mourn their deaths (a portrait of the royal couple is draped over with a black sheet of fabric), but Elsa does not attend the funeral. Due to the untimely tragedy, Elsa's training was left incomplete, her powers still mostly out of her control.
Agnarr appears later in the film; in a painting of his own coronation seen hanging in the library of the castle when Elsa was trying to control her powers, and again when Prince Hans betrays Anna in order to take over the kingdom. He and Iduna are indirectly mentioned when Kristoff asks Anna during their argument over Anna getting engaged to Hans after just meeting him, "Didn't your parents ever warn you about strangers?" to which Anna replies (rather uncomfortably), "Yes, they did." while slowly moving away from him.
Olaf's Frozen Adventure[]
Agnarr and Iduna briefly appear in Elsa's flashback during the reprise of "Ring in the Season". When Anna asks Elsa if their family has any holiday traditions, the only instance that Elsa could recall was the annual ringing of the Yule bell, although Anna pointed out that the Yule bell ceremony was more for the kingdom, rather than something personal to their family.
Frozen II[]
Agnarr first appears in the prologue, as he tells the girls the story of an enchanted forest he saw in his youth. He recounts the war that had broken out between Arendelle and the Northuldra tribe, during which his father fell to his death, and how the fighting angered the spirits of the forest. He also recalls being rescued by a mysterious figure and returned to Arendelle safely where he was crowned king. Agnarr explains that the forest was sealed off by an impenetrable mist, meaning Arendelle is safe. However, he warns his daughters that the past has a way of returning and that they must be prepared to face it when it does.
Years later, Elsa awakens the spirits of the forest. Grand Pabbie warns them that Arendelle will have no future unless the wrongs of the past are corrected. Elsa and Anna journey to the Enchanted Forest, where they discover that the mysterious figure that saved Agnarr was actually Iduna. They also learn that Agnarr and Iduna’s final voyage was an attempt to find Ahtohallan to learn more about Elsa’s powers, a discovery to Elsa's guilt.
Upon finding Ahtohallan, herself, Elsa learns that the war between Arendelle and Northuldra resulted from the actions of King Runeard, who tried to destroy the forest’s magic using a dam and colonize the Northuldra. Elsa and Anna are able to reveal the truth and destroy their grandfather's dam. This pacifies the spirits and restores peace between the Arendellians and the Northuldra. To symbolize the unity between the two, a statue of a young Agnarr and Iduna is erected in Arendelle's square.
Other appearances[]
Agnarr briefly appears on an advertisement in Ralph Breaks the Internet, when Ralph is bombarded by numerous pop-up ads.
Live-action appearances[]
Once Upon a Time[]
The King appears in live-action form in the first episode of the fourth season, portrayed by Oliver Rice. When Elsa exhibits powerful and dangerous ice powers, he and his wife travel to the nearby land of Misthaven to find a wizard to get rid of her magic. While returning home, the ship is caught in a maelstrom.
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
Frozen[]
Olaf's Frozen Adventure[]
Frozen II[]
Once Upon a Time[]
Miscellaneous[]
Trivia[]
- Many fans have noted that Agnarr bears a striking resemblance to Walt Disney in his younger years.
- It should also be noted that like the King, Walt had two daughters, Diane Disney and Sharon Mae Disney.
- In the Frozen book illustrations, Agnarr has dark hair, but in the movie, he has light hair.
- In Frozen: Live at the Hyperion, Agnarr briefly returns as a spirit watching over his reunited daughters, during the finale.
References[]
External links[]
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de:König Agnarr
pt-br:Rei Agnarr