Yelana

Yelana is a supporting character in Disney's 2019 animated feature film Frozen II. She is the unspoken leader of the Northuldra. Yelana is fiercely protective of her family and community, but is known to soften when people show an understanding of nature and their environment.
==Background==
Following the death of their previous leader at the hands of King Runeard, Yelena rose as the new head of the Northuldra. As her reign began after the Northuldra and Arendellian war, thirty-four years of Yelana's rule took place in a time in which the Enchanted Forest was encapsulated by an impenetrable mist. Alongside the imprisoned Northuldra were a small group of Arendellian guards, led by Lieutenant Mattias. As neither side knew who truly instigated the war that resulted in the forest's curse, Yelena was wary of the Arendellians and had a longstanding rivalry with Mattias. The two sides were nevertheless forced to live in a stalemate.
==Role in the film==
Yelena first appears when the Northuldra and Lieutenant Mattias' battalion of Arendellian royal guards confront Elsa and her party. Honeymaren commands Anna to lower her weapon, to which Mattias responds by ordering Honeymaren to lower her own. She steps in, questioning Mattias' tone, much to the latter's annoyance. Elsa uses her magic to protect herself and her friends, which surprises her and Mattias. They learn from Olaf that Elsa and Anna are of Arendellian royalty and that Elsa possesses ice magic. Yelana questions why nature would reward a person of Arendelle with magic, with Mattias proposing that it may be compensation for the actions of the Northuldra. Yelana defends her people, claiming that they never would have attacked first. Elsa explains that her mission may save the forest, but Yelana is hesitant to trust her as the Northuldra only trust nature.
Just then, the Fire Spirit sets the forest ablaze, prompting Yelana to evacuate her people. However, Elsa is able to tame the spirit with her ice magic, much to the shock of her and the others. She then learns that Elsa and Anna's late mother, Queen Iduna, was a Northuldran. The Northuldra are happy to welcome Elsa and Anna as members of their tribe, with Yelana leading the ceremony. Elsa promises to free the forest but is unable to continue her journey that night as the Earth Giants are roaming. Yelana invites Anna, Elsa, and their friends to stay with their tribe until morning. When the Earth Giants approach the Northuldran camp—much to Yelana's confusion—Elsa decides to leave immediately so as not to attract the spirits. Anna and Olaf join her, leaving Kristoff and Sven behind.
The next day, Yelana walks in on Kristoff's proposal meant for Anna, which she flatly declines. She informs him that the princess and the queen had left and advises him not to follow as they were long gone by that point. Nevertheless, she awkwardly invites Kristoff to join the Northuldra on their travels west to the Lichen Meadows.
Following these events, Elsa discovers the truth behind the Northuldran and Arendellian war, learning that it was instigated by King Runeard, who plotted to colonize the Northuldra and drain their magic with a dam that was built in the forest. Elsa passes the truth to Anna, who uses the strength of the Earth Giants to destroy the dam, thus lifting the curse on the forest. Yelana and Mattias are together when the forest is finally freed. They both recount how long they have been trapped before walking out into the open world with their arms linked, symbolizing the end of their feud and the start of their friendship. Shortly after, Elsa returns and relays the events of her journey to Ahtohallan to Yelana and Honeymaren. Honeymaren invites Elsa to stay with the Northuldra in the forest, to which Elsa agrees, as she has also discovered that she is the fifth spirit of the forest.
==Gallery==
===Screenshots===
File:ThreateningMyPeople.jpg|"Threatening my people, Lieutenant?" Yelana makes her first appearance.
File:MattiasAnnoyed.jpg
File:InvadingMySpace.jpg
File:CheekyMattias.jpg
Frozen2-animationscreencaps.com-4188.jpg
Frozen - Newcomers.png
WhereDidYouGetIt.jpg
Frozen II - Yelana.png
Frozen II - Honeymaren, Ryder and Yelana.jpg
Lieutenant Mattias with Yelana.jpg
Frozen2-animationscreencaps.com-10408.jpg
Frozen2-animationscreencaps.com-10433.jpg
===Miscellaneous===
Magical Guide Yelana.jpg|Image of Yelana from The Magical Guide
WelcomeHome.jpeg
File:Yelana Concept Art.jpg|Concept art of Yelana
File:Characters 3.jpeg
==Trivia==
*Yelana bears a striking resemblance to the previous Northuldra leader, sharing similar hairstyles, hair color, and skin tone. The status of their relationship is unknown, however.
*Her name means "bright" in Russian.
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Disney characters
Category:Animated characters
Category:Elderly characters
Category:Females
Category:Frozen characters
Category:Characters in the Disney animated features canon
Category:Adults
Category:Heroines
Category:Scandinavian characters