Whereas Frozen focuses on how Anna and Elsa’s backstory affected them, Prince Hans’ life earlier than the film dramatically modified his conduct, too.
Content material Warning: This text discusses bodily and emotional youngster abuse.
Whereas Disney’s Frozen doesn’t discover a lot of Prince Hans’ (Santino Fontana) backstory earlier than the movie’s occasions, there’s an try and redeem him retroactively by portraying an advanced previous. Fleshing out a villain’s backstory to make them extra sympathetic might sound pointless for some antagonists, however Prince Hans is not a typical Disney villain. On this case, his backstory solely additional exhibits how he’s a subversion of his character sort, including context and nuance to his motives.
Since his debut in Frozen, Prince Hans has appeared within the novels A Frozen Coronary heart and Conceal, Don’t Really feel (A Twisted Story), the previous of which explores Hans’ backstory intimately. He additionally options in different media, together with the quick movie Frozen Fever, during which the punishment for Hans’ Disney villain actions is illustrated. All these tales develop on Prince Hans’ characterization, establishing some trace at redemption although they protect his important villainy.
Prince Hans’ Backstory Reveals His Brothers Tormented Him
One of the crucial essential features of Hans’ backstory is that he’s the youngest of 13 brothers. A Frozen Coronary heart reveals he isn’t simply missed by his 12 older brothers, however they typically bully him each emotionally and bodily. Whereas this facet isn’t explored in Frozen, the later novel discloses how Hans’ father significantly valued energy and, as such, views Hans’ therapy as a worthy show of energy by his siblings.
Moreover, Hans’ father holds a variety of contempt for his youngest son. He alienates him from familial and courtly capabilities as a result of he believes he’s weak. In consequence, Hans can solely rely on one among his siblings, Lars, as a good friend and confidant.
Prince Hans’ Backstory Does not Redeem Him (However Does Make Him Higher)
The revelation of Prince Hans’ therapy earlier than changing into Frozen‘s villain provides an comprehensible context to his conduct all through the film. As an abused youngster, he hides his character and motivations as a protection mechanism to raised mix in with these he’s round. Hans is practiced in manipulation as a result of that’s one among his few recourses when bodily outclassed by his older brothers. Moreover, he retains his chilly worldview and treats Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) poorly as a result of that is what he believes a household needs to be like, at the same time as he tries to flee the one he’s in.
Nevertheless, whereas his backstory offers audiences with a greater understanding of his nuances, it would not redeem Hans. His merciless acts are his personal. It does, nevertheless, form how Hans twists Frozen‘s villain position, changing into just like different sympathetic Disney adversaries, together with these in The Incredibles 2 and Raya and the Final Dragon. Hans’ abuse additional subverts the Prince Charming archetype in an ideal happily-ever-after kingdom whereas evaluating him with Anna and Elsa. As merchandise of adverse childhoods, all three characters are outlined not by their comparable pasts however by their reactions to them. Hans continues to be Frozen‘s villain, however he turns into a extra complicated antagonist.
