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Based on my internal knowledge and the web search results, I can provide specific details about where Elsa goes at the climax of Frozen II and why:
At the climax of Frozen II, Elsa goes to Ahtohallan, a mythical river said to explain the past, which holds the secret of Elsa's powers. This is a glacial realm that serves as the "river of memory" from the lullaby her mother used to sing.
She encounters and tames the Nøkk, the water spirit who guards the sea to Ahtohallan, and travels across the Dark Sea to reach this frozen glacier. Leaving her friends behind, Elsa crosses the Dark Sea to Ahtohallan (with a little help from a kelpie called Nokk).
Elsa journeys to Ahtohallan for several critical reasons:
Following a mysterious voice: Elsa discovers that the voice calling to her is the memory of young Iduna and that her powers are a gift from nature because of Iduna's selfless saving of Agnarr.
To uncover the truth about her family's past: Venturing into the most dangerous part of Ahtohallan, she learns that the dam was built as a ruse to reduce Northuldran resources because of Runeard's contempt for the tribe's connection with magic, and that he began the conflict by murdering the Northuldran leader in cold blood.
To understand her identity as the fifth spirit: She learns that she is actually the fifth spirit of the forest, connecting the other four.
The climactic moment occurs when Elsa continues to follow the ghostly soldiers until she reaches a great pit. This is the point at which she should have turned back, but instead she decides to jump into the pit to follow them - at which point she becomes overwhelmed by the memories and turns to ice.
Elsa relays this information to Anna before freezing solid, which in turn causes Olaf to fade away from existence. This dangerous venture into the deepest part of Ahtohallan is what triggers the climactic crisis that Anna must resolve by destroying the dam, ultimately saving both Elsa and the kingdom.
The journey to Ahtohallan is thus central to the film's resolution, as it provides the truth needed to heal the ancient conflict between Arendelle and the Northuldra people.
The summary focuses heavily on Elsa's journey to Ahtohallan but underemphasizes that Anna's decision to destroy the dam is the critical climactic action. Anna, believing Elsa is dead and seeing Olaf disintegrate, must choose between protecting Arendelle or doing what is morally right. This represents the film's emotional and narrative climax, not just a consequence of Elsa's freezing.
While the query asks about 'the main character,' Frozen II deliberately features dual protagonists. The directors have confirmed that both Elsa and Anna together represent the fifth spirit—a bridge has two sides. This structural element is important for understanding the film's climax.
The summary describes what happens but doesn't capture the film's thematic message: 'you have to acknowledge the sins of the past to undo the damage they've done, but dwelling in the past too much will leave you stuck in it.' This is why Elsa freezes when she goes too deep.
At the climax of Frozen II, the protagonist Elsa travels to Ahtohallan, a mythical glacier described as a 'river of memory' that holds all knowledge of the past. To reach it, she crosses the Dark Sea after encountering and taming the Nøkk, the water spirit that guards the entrance. Elsa goes to Ahtohallan for several interconnected reasons: she is following a mysterious voice that has been calling to her (later revealed to be the memory of her mother, Iduna), she seeks to understand the origin of her magical powers, and she needs to uncover the truth about the ancient conflict between Arendelle and the Northuldra people. At Ahtohallan, Elsa discovers she is the fifth spirit—a bridge between humanity and the four elemental spirits—and learns the dark truth that her grandfather, King Runeard, built a dam as a deceptive gift to weaken the Northuldra's resources and murdered their leader in cold blood, sparking the conflict. However, Elsa ventures too deep into Ahtohallan's dangerous core, and the memories overwhelm her, causing her to freeze solid. Before freezing, she sends this crucial information to her sister Anna via an ice sculpture. Anna, believing Elsa is dead and witnessing Olaf disintegrate (since he exists through Elsa's magic), faces the film's true climactic moment: she must choose to destroy the dam to right past wrongs, even though this will unleash a flood toward Arendelle. Anna's moral choice to destroy the dam represents the resolution of the climax, ultimately freeing Elsa from her frozen state and allowing her to save Arendelle from the resulting flood. Both sisters are essential to the climax—Elsa discovers the truth and embodies the bridge between worlds, while Anna takes the definitive action that resolves the generations-long conflict.