Elena of Avalor

Elena of Avalor
Genre	Adventure Fantasy Musical
Created by	Craig Gerber
Based on	Sofia the First by Craig Gerber
Voices of	Aimee Carrero Jenna Ortega Chris Parnell Yvette Nicole Brown Carlos Alazraqui Emiliano Diez Julia Vera Christian Lanz Jillian Rose Reed Joseph Haro Jorge Diaz Keith Ferguson Joe Nunez
Theme music composer	John Kavanaugh Craig Gerber
Opening theme	"Elena of Avalor" by Gaby Moreno
Ending theme	"Elena of Avalor" (instrumental)
Composer	Tony Morales
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	60 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Craig Gerber Jamie Mitchell
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company	Disney Television Animation
Original release
Network	Disney Channel Disney Junior
Release	July 22, 2016 (2016-07-22) – present

Elena of Avalor is an American computer-animated adventure television series that premiered on Disney Channel on July 22, 2016, and moved to Disney Junior on July 14, 2018. The series features Aimee Carrero as the voice of Elena, a young Latina princess.

Plot

Teen princess Elena Castillo Flores has saved her magical kingdom of Avalor from an evil sorceress and must now learn to rule as its crowned princess. Elena's adventures will lead her to understand that her new role requires thoughtfulness, resilience, and compassion, the traits of all truly great leaders. Since she is only 16 years old, she must follow the guidance of a Grand Council, composed of her grandparents, older cousin Chancellor Esteban, and a new friend, Naomi Turner. Elena also looks to her younger sister, Isabel, her friends, wizard Mateo, and Royal Guard lieutenant, Gabe, a spirit animal named Zuzo, and a trio of magical flying creatures called Jaquins for guidance and support.

Episodes

Main article: List of Elena of Avalor episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
1	25		July 22, 2016 (2016-07-22)	October 1, 2017 (2017-10-01)
2	24		October 14, 2017 (2017-10-14)	June 1, 2019 (2019-06-01)
3	28		October 7, 2019 (2019-10-07)	August 23, 2020 (2020-08-23)

Characters

Main

• Princess Elena (Aimee Carrero) is the 16-year-old, later 17 year old, then 18 year old Crown Princess of Avalor who is the daughter of King Raul and Queen Lucia. She has difficulty taking advice and often does things she wants to do without listening to others. When she was trapped inside a magical amulet by Shuriki following her parents' premature death, she gained the ability to make her royal scepter glow, she can also see spirit animals and ghosts for the Day of the Dead every October. In "The Magic Within", she gains new magical powers after falling into a well full of magical crystals, which channel through her emotions.
• Princess Isabel (Jenna Ortega) is the younger sister of Princess Elena who is also an inventor. Both are the daughters of the late King Raul and Queen Lucia.
• Zuzo (Keith Ferguson) is a mysterious and wily spirit fox that acts as a link between the human and spirit worlds. In "A Day to Remember", it is shown that Elena can call him by saying his name three times.
• Naomi (Jillian Rose Reed) is a girl who is Elena's best friend, the daughter of Captain Turner, and a member of Elena's Grand Council.
• Jaquins are a race of creatures that resemble jaguars with the wings and feathers of macaws. They come from the realm of Vallestrella where they train to help guard Avalor from various threats.
  • Skylar (Carlos Alazraqui) is a fun-loving male Jaquin and the son of King Verago.
  • Migs (Chris Parnell) is a practical male Jaquin, who succeeds Zephyr as Chief of the Jaquins of Avalor.
  • Luna (Yvette Nicole Brown) is a loud and brash female Jaquin who joined the guard.
• Gabe (Jorge Diaz) is Elena's close friend and captain of the Royal Guard, which he joined on the day that Elena became crown princess.
• Mateo (Joseph Haro) is the royal wizard and Alacazar's grandson who is another one of Elena's close friends.
• Chancellor Esteban (Christian Lanz) is Elena and Isabel's boastful maternal cousin and Chancellor of Avalor who is part of Elena's Grand Council. His mother was the sister of Queen Lucia and they were the daughters of Luisa and Francisco. Unaware to anyone, he and his old friend Victor Delgado secretly helped Shuriki invade Avalor and he desperately desires to keep this secret out of fear of being rejected by his family. His secret is eventually exposed in "The Magic Within", leading Elena to imprison him for his betrayal, but manages to escape along with the Delgado family and is now currently working with Ash. In "Captain Mateo", he gains magical powers that are similar to Elena's. In "Dreamcatcher", he finally lets go of his past (due to Elena no longer accepting him as a family member) and becomes a sworn ally to Ash and Zopilote.
• Armando (Joe Nunez) is a frazzled castle servant who helps Elena on her journey to the throne.
• Francisco (Emiliano Díez) is Elena, Isabel, and Esteban's maternal grandfather. He is part of Elena's Grand Council.
• Luisa (Julia Vera) is Elena, Isabel, and Esteban's maternal grandmother. She is part of Elena's Grand Council.

Supporting

• Captain Daniel Turner (Rich Sommer) is the harbor master and Naomi's father.
• Higgins (Mikey Kelley) is a member of Avalor's Royal Guard. He regularly serves as Chancellor Esteban's personal assistant and confidante.
• Doña Paloma (Constance Marie) is the magister of the trading guild, she is described by Esteban as the most important leader in Avalor. In "Navidad", it is revealed that Doña Paloma owns an emporium. By season 3 she becomes Esteban’s replacement on the Grand Council.
• Carmen (Justina Machado) is the co-owner of Cafe Angelica and the sister of Julio who works as a chef.
• Julio (Jaime Camil) is the co-owner of Cafe Angelica and the brother of Carmen.
• Jiku (Lucas Grabeel) is the leader of the small magical creatures called The Noblins, who are known to transform into dogs and turn anything into gold.
• Marlena (Gaby Moreno) is a singer and Mateo's family friend.
• Mingo, Zoom, and Estrella (Desmond Gerber, Maximus Riegel, and Gia Lopez) are the three baby Jaquins and Migs's children.
• King Joaquín (Echo Kellum) is the Ruler of the Kingdom of Cariza.
• Nico (Wilber Zaldivar) is Skylar's younger brother.
• Ciela and Avion (Jenna Lea Rosen and Lincoln Melcher) are young Jaquins and Nico’s friends.
• Chief Zephyr (Jess Harnell) is the leader of Avalor's Jaquin Clan.
• King Verago (André Sogliuzzo) is the King of all the Jaquins and the father of Skylar and Nico.
• Dulce (Rosie Perez) is Migs’s mate and the mother of Mingo, Zoom, and Estrella.
• Quita Moz (Cheech Marin) is a sun bird and oracle that lives in Vallestrella.

Villains

• Shuriki (Jane Fonda) was the evil sorceress who had been the cause of Elena's 41-year imprisonment in the Amulet of Avalor and the killer of Elena and Isabel's parents, King Raul and Queen Lucia. She took over Avalor with the secret help of Esteban and Victor Delgado. She was defeated in "Elena and the Secret of Avalor", and Elena took her rightful place as Avalor's Crowned Princess. Unfortunately, Shuriki went into hiding in a cottage in distant Avaloran lands and has been secretly working with Victor and his daughter Carla, whom she has been teaching powerful magic to in exchange for their help in taking back the kingdom. However, in the Season 2 special, "Song of the Sirenas", Shuriki is finally killed off for good by Elena, who used the Scepter of Light to finish her off.
• Fiero (Héctor Elizondo) is a Malvago. Long ago, Fiero was supposed to be the next Royal Wizard. However, King Raul appointed Alacazar instead, making Fiero angry. Fiero became an evil wizard looking for revenge. In "Spellbound" he goes to Mateo's Royal Wizard coronation to steal a magic book called the Codex Maru. But he was turned into a statue by Mateo. However, he was revived in "Rise of the Sorceress" by Shuriki and the Delgados and joined forces with them to take back the kingdom. In the "Song of the Sirenas" special, however, in a clash between Fiero and Mateo, the malvago is turned into a statue once again by Mateo, freeing Avalor from the malvago once more.
• Orizaba (Eden Espinosa) is a moth fairy that appeared in "The Scepter of Light" where she tried to plunge the kingdom into darkness with the Eye of Midnight, but Elena managed to defeat her and destroy the Eye forever. She returns in "Finding Zuzo" where she captures Zuzo and attempts to steal his magic stripes in order to return to the mortal world and get revenge on Elena but is once again defeated after stumbling over the skin of a banana, causing her to fall into a pit of lava where she is forever gone into oblivion.
• Troyo (Grant George) is an evil magical coyote who appears in the episode, "Flight of the Jaquins". Long ago, he used to go around tricking people into doing bad stuff for him so he could be King of the Jungle. For this, the Jaquins kicked him out of the jungle. He captures two young Jaquins to force Chief Zephyr to make him King of the Jungle. But was defeated by Skylar and his brother Nico by trapping him with his own trap. He is then tied up in gold vines by the Noblins and taken away. He returns in "The Race for the Realm" where he joins forces with Shuriki after freeing Cruz from imprisonment and leaves the group in "A Tale of Two Specters". He reappears in "Father-in-Chief" where he captures Chief Zephyr and Mingo and attempts to turn them into butterfrogs, but is foiled by Elena and friends and he himself is turned into a butterfrog instead.
• Victor Delgado (Lou Diamond Phillips) who was the son of the royal treasurer until the day he and Esteban conspired together to help Shuriki take over Avalor. However, Victor and his family were banished from Avalor by Shuriki for years until Elena took the kingdom back. In "King of the Carnaval," Victor and his daughter Carla returned and tried to steal the jewels from the royal treasury until they were stopped and banished by Elena. Victor and Carla returned in "Elena of Avalor: Realm of the Jaquins" where they steal a powerful jewel from the Jaquin realm and free Marimonda, in the end Victor and Carla are revealed to be working for Shuriki to help her take over Avalor again in exchange for making them Malvagos. In "Song of the Sirenas", after Shuriki has been finally killed off by Princess Elena and Fiero is turned back into a statue by Mateo, Victor and Carla escape with Cruz, Vestia, and the jewel of the Scepter of Night and are currently still on the loose. After he and Carla are abandoned by Cruz and Vestia (due to Victor constantly insulting Cruz), they are later reunited with Ash, Victor's long lost wife. In "Not Without My Magic", after reconciling with Ash, he shows her the Scepter of Night's Jewel, who then plans to use it to take over Avalor alongside her husband and daughter. In "Naomi Knows Best", he is captured after a failed attempt to steal Elena's magic while Ash and Carla escape, vowing to rescue him later. In "The Magic Within", he and his family escape with Esteban's help, but he and Carla are abandoned by Ash due to her refusing to let go of her obsession of power (with the latter being turned into a statue in the process), leaving them to be recaptured.
• Carla Delgado (Myrna Velasco) is the daughter of Victor Delgado. She has spent time undercover in the Avalor palace as Rita, and is reunited with her long-lost mother in "Snow Place Like Home". In "To Save a Sunbird", she is captured by Elena when attempting to rescue Victor. In "The Magic Within", she and her parents escape with Esteban's help, but she and Victor are abandoned by Ash due to her refusing to let go of her obsession of power, leaving them to be recaptured.
• Marimonda (Noël Wells) is an evil mythical forest sprite who appeared in the special, "Elena of Avalor: Realm of the Jaquins." She is released by Victor and Carla Delgado and sent to Avalor to destroy it with her vines. Elena manages to catch her by trapping her in a magic jar and sent back to the Jaquin realm.
• Cruz (Mario Lopez) is a Jaquin who was next in line to be the new chief of Avalor's Jaquin clan. He first appeared in "A Spy in the Palace," his major role was in "Shapeshifters" where Chief Zephyr takes away his position due to him not listening and refusing to learn. Angered, he locks Chief Zephyr in a cave and frames Elena and her friends for his disappearance. Elena managed to free Zephyr and clear her name, then she helped catch Cruz and lock him up for treason. Cruz swore he would return with the help of his sister. He returns in "The Race for the Realm" (having been freed by Troyo), where he and Vestia join forces with Shuriki. As of "Song of the Sirenas", after Elena killed off Shuriki and Mateo turned Fiero back into a statue, Cruz and his sister escape with Victor and Carla Delgado with the Scepter of Night's Jewel in their possession. He and Vestia abandon Victor and Carla in "Snow Place Like Home" due to Victor constantly insulting him and later redeem themselves in "Not Without My Magic".
• Vestia (Diane Guerrero) is a Jaquin and the twin sister of Cruz. She and her brother join forces with Shuriki in "The Race for the Realm" after Troyo breaks Cruz out of prison. As of "Song of the Sirenas", after Elena killed off Shuriki and Mateo turned Fiero back into a statue, Vestia and her brother escape with Victor and Carla Delgado with the Scepter of Night's Jewel in their possession. She and her brother abandon Victor and Carla in "Snow Place Like Home" due to Victor constantly insulting Cruz and later redeem themselves in "Not Without My Magic".
• Duke Cristóbal (Javier Muñoz) is Elena's cousin and the ruler of Nueva Vesta who appears in the Season 2 special, "Song of the Sirenas". He is later revealed to be in allegiance with Shuriki, having agreed to help her take over Avalor in exchange for gold. After Shuriki's defeat, he is captured and arrested for betraying his own family.
• Malandros are evil shapeshifting dolphin-like creatures who are known enemies to the sirenas. They first appear in "The Tides of Change". When Daria is reluctant to make peace with the humans, she makes a deal with the Malandros to prevent the signing of the peace treaty between humans and sirenas, only for the Malandros to double-cross her and take over the sirenas' kingdom after destroying all the coral alarms used to keep the Malandros away. Elena and her friends manage to help the sirenas defeat the Malandros by repairing one of the coral alarms, which drives them away.
• Ash Delgado (Grey Griffin) is Victor's wife and Carla's mother who is a Malvago. She reunites with her family in "Snow Place Like Home" and it's revealed in "Not Without My Magic" that she was training to be a Malvago for several years. She and Victor keep arguing over her not returning to the family for years (Victor's side) and him not waiting for her with Carla (Ash's side), but they reconcile when Victor shows Ash the Scepter of Night's Jewel. Ash then decides to use it to become the most powerful Malvago in the world and overthrow Princess Elena alongside Victor and Carla. In "Naomi Knows Best", she works with her family to steal Elena's magic but are foiled, resulting in the Scepter of Night's Jewel being destroyed and Victor being captured. She is eventually captured in "The Magic Within", but she and her family manage to escape with Esteban's help. When Victor and Carla finally decide not to help her anymore, she abandons her family and leaves with Esteban. In "Captain Mateo", she works with her mentor Zopilote to help teach Esteban (who eventually becomes and ally to them in "Dreamcatcher") how to use his new magical powers.
• Sanza (Taye Diggs) is a rogue green jaguar spirit guide who first appears in "Flower of Light" where he attempts to destroy the portal that connects the human and spirit world and bribes Felicia and Guillermo into helping him. Although he succeeds, Elena and friends manage to restore the portal with Felicia's help. He is then captured and arrested by Zuzo.
• Zopilote (Tony Shalhoub) is Ash's mentor who trained her how to be a Malvago and first appears in "Sister of Invention". He can transform into a vulture. In "Captain Mateo", he and Ash help train Esteban (who soon becomes an ally in "Dreamcatcher") with his newly acquired magical powers.

Production

The series' creator and executive producer Craig Gerber said: "It was very important to us that, since we were doing a show with a kingdom inspired by Latin American culture, that we get that right. Even though it's a fairytale world, there are things that feel very authentic." Story editor Silvia Olivias stated: "We have cultural consultants help us every step of the way. They read everything from the premise all the way through the final draft." On the show's music, Latin music consultant Rene Camacho said: "The styles of music we're using overall — it's all Latin-based, it's very festive." Consultant Diane Rodriguez stated that the series "has this visual element that's so evocative, it takes the look of the Latino culture, of the Americas, almost to another level." In June 2016, the music video for "My Time" was released. The series was renewed for a second season on August 11, 2016. The series was renewed for a third season on February 13, 2017. The second season premiered on October 14, 2017.

On September 17, 2019, it was announced that the third season will premiere on October 7, 2019.

Broadcast

The debut episode "First Day of Rule" was distributed on-demand on June 20, 2016 by Rogers TV in Canada. Disney scheduled the online release in the United States for July 1, 2016. An episode of the series aired as a sneak peek on Disney Channel in the UK and Ireland on July 15, 2016, and more episodes aired later in the year. A television movie titled Elena and the Secret of Avalor, which shows the origins of the series, premiered on November 20, 2016.

Home media

Home media is distributed by Disney.

Elena of Avalor home video releases

Season		Episodes	Years active	Release dates
				Region 1
	1	25	2016–17	Volume 1: Ready to Rule (episodes 1-4): December 6, 2016 Volume 2: Elena and the Secret of Avalor (episodes 5-8 + "Elena and the Secret of Avalor" (TV film)): February 7, 2017 Volume 3: Celebrations to Remember (episodes 9, 11, 14, 16-18): September 12, 2017 Volume 4: Realm of the Jaquins ("Realm of the Jaquins"): August 7, 2018
	2	24	2017–19	Volume 4: Realm of the Jaquins ("Three Jaquins and a Princess" and "Shapeshifters"): August 7, 2018
	Adventures in Vallestrella	5	2017	Volume 4: Realm of the Jaquins (All shorts): August 7, 2018
	Scepter Training with Zuzo	5	2018
Special features
Volume 1: Ready to Rule (Region 1): 'Projection scepter' Volume 2: Elena and the Secret of Avalor (Region 1): 'Jaquin mobile', and 'Music video: "My Time"' Volume 3: Celebrations to Remember (Region 1): 'Elena locket'

Reception

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per season of Elena of Avalor

Season	Episodes	First aired		Last aired		Avg. viewers (millions)	18–49 rank
		Date	Viewers (millions)	Date	Viewers (millions)
1	25	July 22, 2016 (2016-07-22)	2.22	October 1, 2017 (2017-10-01)	1.08	1.40	TBD
2	24	October 14, 2017 (2017-10-14)	1.18	June 1, 2019 (2019-06-01)	TBD	0.82	TBD
3	13	October 7, 2019 (2019-10-07)	TBD	TBA	TBD	TBD	TBD

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
2017	Annie Awards	Best Animated TV/Broadcast for Children's Audience	Episode: "A Day to Remember"	Nominated
	Writers Guild of America Awards	Animation	Craig Gerber (episode: "First Day of Rule")	Nominated
2018	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film)	Yvette Nicole Brown	Nominated
	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special	Jennifer Trujillo and Brian Mathias	Won
2019	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Preschool Children's Animated Series		Nominated
		Outstanding Performer in a Preschool Animated Program	Steve Buscemi, as Saloso	Nominated
		Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special	Jennifer Trujillo	Won
		Outstanding Sound Editing For A Preschool Animation Program		Nominated
		Outstanding Music Direction And Composition		Nominated
		Outstanding Original Song In A Children's Or Animated Program	"Fallin' Like a Rock"	Nominated

External links

• Official website
• Elena of Avalor at IMDb