- “Hey, guys, meet the wind spirit!”
- ―Olaf[src]
Gale is a character in Disney's 2019 animated feature film, Frozen II. It is the elemental spirit of wind that dwells within the Enchanted Forest.
Background
Gale is one of four elemental spirits in the forest, the others being the fire spirit Bruni, the Earth Giants, and the water spirit the Nokk.[1] Gale—who gets its name from Olaf—is identified by leaves and other debris that sway through the air. When not in this neutral state, Gale can transform into a powerful tornado or summon extreme winds. Gale and the other spirits were once on peaceful terms with the Northuldra tribe, who made their home in the Enchanted Forest. Gale was particularly fond of a young girl named Iduna. The two would often play together in the forest. Iduna also had a special call that would summon Gale to her side.
Thirty-four years in the past, a war broke out between the Northuldra and neighboring Arendellians. The violence angered the spirits, including Gale, who turned against humanity. In the midst of the chaos, a young prince named Agnarr was injured and left unconscious. He was recovered by Iduna, who called for Gale’s assistance in rescuing him. However, the damage between the spirits and humans was still present. A curse was unleashed amongst the Enchanted Forest, which was encapsulated in an impenetrable mist. Only by rectifying the source of the conflict—a dam built by King Runeard—would the curse be broken.
Development
Gale proved to be one of the more difficult characters to visualize for the animators, as the wind does not have a physicality to it. Early visual development portrayed Gale as an ethereal being. Eventually, it was decided that Gale would interact with leaves, sticks, and debris to identify itself. A new software titled "Swoop" was created to make this possible. Swoop allowed animators to create a path that Gale would travel along, which would then be used to add leaves and other objects to identify the character's presence.[2]
Role in the film
Gale is the first elemental spirit encountered by Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf, all of whom have traveled from Arendelle into the Enchanted Forest. It sweeps up Olaf in a tornado, badly scaring him, and soon has the others in its grip as well. Elsa, however, is able to tame it and it ends up becoming quite playful, appearing as a swirl of leaves from its more hostile tornado form it first attacked them with. Gale leads Elsa and Anna to an icy sculpture of their father Agnarr being saved by their mother Iduna, allowing the sisters to eventually realize their heritage. Later, while Elsa and Anna are on their way north to find the source of a mysterious voice Elsa has been hearing, Gale reappears and leads the sisters to the wreckage of their parents' ship.
After Elsa is discovered to be the fifth spirit and saves Arendelle from the floodwaters resulting from Runeard's dam being destroyed, Gale helps Elsa recover Olaf's remains and bring them to her to reconstruct into Olaf's original snowman body to revive him.
At the end of the film, Gale visits Queen Anna in Arendelle, amusing her and the newly-promoted General Mattias with its wind; she gives Gale a letter to deliver to Elsa in the Enchanted Forest and Gale happily delivers it. After Elsa reads it with Bruni, she asks Gale if she wants to come with her for a ride, and Gale happily obliges, summoning The Nokk for Elsa to ride to Ahtohallan.
Gallery
Add a photo to this galleryTrivia
- In real-world Elemental theology, the element of air and the wind is represented through magical beings known as Sylphs (or alternatively Sylphids or Sylvestrids). These are nymph/fairy-like invisible spirits who have true forms resembling beautiful women.
- In the storybook, Anna, Elsa, and the Secret River, Gale uses its wind to lift young Anna into the air, before bringing young Elsa and Anna back to the castle and in their beds before dawn. Gale leaves a few leaves lying around, making Elsa wonder if their late-night adventure really happened or was just a dream.
- In the real world, a gale is the name of a very strong force of the wind.
External links
Gale on Frozen Wiki
References
- ↑ Spirits of Nature
- ↑ "‘Frozen 2’ Adding Elements and Creatures To Enchanted Forests and Dark Seas" (September 30, 2019).
