Why Elsa Is More Popular Than Anna

Why Elsa is More Popular Than Anna

We all probably have already seen Frozen 3000 times already and have heard “Let it Go” double that. We have already seen Elsas walking around on Halloween night. I counted 26 when I just went out of my house. I seldom saw an Anna on the street amongst the mass of ice blue dresses.

Out of my friends whom I saw the film with, we unanimously chose Anna as our favorite. My parents as well loved her. When I met so many other people professing their love for Elsa over Anna, I was shocked at first. Then I saw it. Elsa had the magic, the song, the power and the beauty that any person would dream of. Despite Anna being more present throughout the film and saving her sister and the rest of Arendelle, Elsa remains the breadwinner in terms of merchandise sales and popularity. The question we ask is why? 

For Children:

Younger children prefer Elsa to Anna due to her ostentatious “Let It Go” sequence. She makes a beautiful castle out of ice and an enviable dress. In addition, she fought Hans and his crew with her ice paying attention to those who prefer action.

She is the definition of society’s standards of beauty, resembling the Barbie doll that many girls play with. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, a symmetrical face and a slim body. She also sports a gorgeous dress. Many children are exposed to this classic style of beauty opposed to “exotic beauty” that is often associated with Jasmine or Pocahontas or kawaii culture associated with numerous Disney characters. As a child, the most advertised characters tended to be Cinderella, Ariel and Aurora, all having one or more of these traits. Anna on the other hand is referred to as a “natural beauty”, wearing little makeup and a simpler dress. She also has ginger hair in two braids, associating herself with more of the cute aesthetic.

She has the magical powers the enamored so many of my school friends and younger family members. Anna is the normal one.

My best friend’s little sister likes Anna more as she is “funny and nice”, but she wants to be Elsa because of her powers as a monarch, ice witch, and an older sister. It is interesting to note that Anna is the relatable role model while Elsa is seen as this thing to aspire to for many young girls. Many young girls want to be Elsa because of her supposed perfection. Many do not see her faults in her personality when they watch the film because younger children generally do not pay attention to the storyline and character development like older children do.  When visiting Disney World over the summer, one girl told her sister that Elsa was the mean one and Anna was the nice one.

This is probably why we see so many little girls dressed as Elsa.

For Teenagers and Adults:

Many teenagers and adults a like face common things like depression, mental illness, shyness, and personal differences that make them want to hide their identity. Many feel akin to Elsa as she is locked up and forced to “control” her powers. “Let it Go” was an empowering song to many of these people.

 Elsa has the beauty and the power that makes her seem like a mysterious “femme fatale”, and an emotionally strong person due to her glamorous appearance. She does not have interest in men, making her appear stronger to people. Nowadays, a woman falling in love is synonymous with becoming dependent on a man and not feminist. This is not necessarily true, as romantic feelings do not make a woman or man weaker in character. This is generally a criticism for Disney, as many princesses end up with a partner somewhere in the film. When both partners (when they are a man and woman) are equally dominant in their relationship and support each other it is feminist. This is opposed to a person simply being a romantic interest. This is something we see in Tangled as both Rapunzel and Flynn save each other. Anna and Kristoff both work to save Arendelle. This “I don’t need a man” idea is what makes people love Elsa.

Many people also find Anna similar to Rapunzel and Ariel for her optimism and naivety, which makes Elsa unique and attractive in this respect.

That is not to say teenagers and adults do not find Elsa better for the same reasons as children. Most people cosplay as Elsa because of her gorgeous dress. Although I prefer Anna, I was thinking about dressing in Elsa’s coronation gown because of how grand it was.