Movie(s): Frozen (2013), Frozen II (2019)
First Appearance: Frozen (2013)
Voiced by: Idina Menzel
With, according to John Travolta at least, the wickedly talented Adele Dazeem (actually Wicked stage veteran Idina Menzel) providing both her speaking voice and her impressive singing pipes, Elsa was originally going to be a more traditional take on the Snow Queen. Instead, she's part of a sister sibling duo with Kristen Bell's Anna that made for a hugely successful animated movie. Elsa's troubled, isolated initial existence gives way to a bold, thoughtful ruler and someone who never needs a prince to save them.
Stroke of genius
Song 'Let It Go' (by Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who won an Oscar for it) not only changes Elsa's path but changed her entirely storyline. Oh, and it became a huge earworm.
Fun fact
With 420,000 strands of computer generated hair, Elsa has 15 times more strands than Rapunzel. Take that, tower-dweller!