Who is this Hans? (I)
This will be the first of a series of posts analyzing Prince Hans’ character of Disney’s Frozen. Almost eight years have passed since Frozen was released and the fandom is divided, having very different feelings and views on the character.
Important note: For this analysis I will only consider the movie. I’m leaving the book “A frozen heart” out, since the author Elizabeth Rudnick had absolutely no indication or extra information from the creators when she developed Hans’ backstory and thoughs in the novel. She was just given the script, so she had even less information on the character than the audience, since she allegedly hadn’t watched the movie when she wrote “A frozen heart”.
Villain? Prince? Unredeemable monster? Redeemable jerk? As Olaf’s question remind us, we don’t really know who Hans is. Unlike the other main characters, we don’t know about his backstory and, more important, thoughs, feelings and motivations during the film. It’s hard to tell, since the Hans we see at the beggining of the movie doesn’t seem the same we see at the end.
It’s even more difficult when you consider Hans’ role in the plot. Usually the villain’s actions affect the plot a lot. In Frozen, they don’t. Hans could have perfectly have kissed Anna, his kiss not working because it was just a crush and not true love, and then decided to kill Elsa as the only way to end the eternal winter curse that was menacing the lives of the whole kingdom.
Considering this, Hans’ villain twist comes out as unnecesary. While many in the fandom like it and even consider Hans one of the best Disney villains, others (myself included) find the “he was evil all along” explanation unsatisfactory. The first group would highlight some “hints” of the southish prince’s evil nature through the movie but, from my point of view, these hints are pretty weak, as they seem to be there only if you’re watching the movie with your “Hans-is-evil” glasses on.
Besides that, the creators of Frozen have repeteadly said it’s not a movie about “good versus evil” but “love versus fear”. Elsa herself was changed from an evil witch to a young queen with magical powers she can’t control quite well. And it works perfectly fine. Adding a “surprise evil villain” seems so out of place.
So let’s begin this analysis with Hans’ voice actor’s input, Santino Fontana:
A Disney Prince, but more than a Disney Prince? He is many things? And no one is really what they seem?
Ok, this doesn’t help much. To be a Disney Prince, he made some wicked stuff in the movie, didn’t he?
Let’s ask the trolls (because, apparently, in Arendelle when people doesn’t know what to do they ask the trolls).
So could this be Hans’ case?
Everyone? So that includes Hans? That’s what’s it’s all about? Do you guys mean the movie?
They said eveyone. So let’s give it a try.
It is possible the events in Frozen to make sense without Hans being evil? Just a classic Disney Prince who was “mad or scared or stressed”? Let’s rewatch Hans’ parts and see if this theory makes sense.
Who is this Hans? (II)
Who is this Hans? (III)
Who is this Hans?(IV)
Who is this Hans? (V)
Who is this Hans? (VI)
Who is this Hans? (VII)
Who is this Hans? (VIII)
Who is this Hans? (IX)
Who is this Hans? (X)
Who is this Hans? (XI)
Who is this Hans? (XII)
Who is this Hans? (XIII)
