King Hans of the Southern Isles is the primary antagonist of Disney’s “Frozen”. While he is presented at the start as a charming partner for Anna, his true motives are revealed later in the film.
He smoothly entered the royal circle in Arendelle, where Elsa and Anna live, gaining everyone’s trust. After Elsa’s powers put Arendelle into an eternal winter, she flees the kingdom. While Anna goes after her sister, Hans is left to manage the crisis.
His true intentions are later revealed, and he is exposed as wanting to take over Arendelle by killing Elsa and Anna. He attempts his plan but is thwarted by Anna and her trustworthy allies.
This is mainly caused by how he was raised. Hans grew up in a large and wealthy family, making it really easy to be overlooked since childhood. He told Anna that he had 12 brothers and grew up abused and ignored. His desire for power and influence could have been him wanting to escape the old tradition of living under the shadow of his numerous siblings. Instead of just seeing his so-called evil side, we can consider how his questionable decisions have been influenced by his past.
His tactics were also very strategic. He meticulously planned his interactions with Anna, using affection and charisma to draw her in. Anna, who rarely received love and attention growing up (as it all went to Elsa), fell for his tricks as she finally felt wanted. His ultimate goal to seize control of Arendelle demonstrated his willingness to do whatever he could for personal gain.
His betrayal can be seen as a reaction to feelings of injustice. While he is described as a villain in the plot, Hans’s intentions were likely rooted in a desire for recognition from the people around him.
Finding Hans’s other side offers insight into how it takes time to understand someone’s background; something we should do before judging them. People may justify their abnormal actions when they feel wronged or overlooked, causing them to just act on their own will without thinking of others.
In my opinion, I feel like Hans is almost off the hook. As someone who is a chronic people pleaser, I can relate to how he strives for others’ approval and how his desire for recognition shapes his choices. One thing holding me back from feeling that he is fully innocent is his intention to kill Elsa and Anna. They never really did anything to him, and he had no reason to want to finish both of their lives just to seize Arendelle.
Image Credit by Egor Kamelev
He smoothly entered the royal circle in Arendelle, where Elsa and Anna live, gaining everyone’s trust. After Elsa’s powers put Arendelle into an eternal winter, she flees the kingdom. While Anna goes after her sister, Hans is left to manage the crisis.
His true intentions are later revealed, and he is exposed as wanting to take over Arendelle by killing Elsa and Anna. He attempts his plan but is thwarted by Anna and her trustworthy allies.
This is mainly caused by how he was raised. Hans grew up in a large and wealthy family, making it really easy to be overlooked since childhood. He told Anna that he had 12 brothers and grew up abused and ignored. His desire for power and influence could have been him wanting to escape the old tradition of living under the shadow of his numerous siblings. Instead of just seeing his so-called evil side, we can consider how his questionable decisions have been influenced by his past.
His tactics were also very strategic. He meticulously planned his interactions with Anna, using affection and charisma to draw her in. Anna, who rarely received love and attention growing up (as it all went to Elsa), fell for his tricks as she finally felt wanted. His ultimate goal to seize control of Arendelle demonstrated his willingness to do whatever he could for personal gain.
His betrayal can be seen as a reaction to feelings of injustice. While he is described as a villain in the plot, Hans’s intentions were likely rooted in a desire for recognition from the people around him.
Finding Hans’s other side offers insight into how it takes time to understand someone’s background; something we should do before judging them. People may justify their abnormal actions when they feel wronged or overlooked, causing them to just act on their own will without thinking of others.
In my opinion, I feel like Hans is almost off the hook. As someone who is a chronic people pleaser, I can relate to how he strives for others’ approval and how his desire for recognition shapes his choices. One thing holding me back from feeling that he is fully innocent is his intention to kill Elsa and Anna. They never really did anything to him, and he had no reason to want to finish both of their lives just to seize Arendelle.
Image Credit by Egor Kamelev