History Characters / Frozen

* KickTheDog: Eleven of Hans' brothers never get tired making Hans miserable for not living up to the king's cruel expectations. For example, he’s visibly afraid of attending his own mother’s birthday for five minutes, because even a short amount of time with his entire family always ends in a debacle, and as such, he idly stands outside the door for twenty minutes preparing himself. And when he does finally enter the room, he ends up becoming the laughing stock of his family, as his father scolds him for being excessively late and daydreaming.

* NiceGuy: Prince Lars Westergaard appears to lack anything that made Hans's brothers awful. He does not appear to be violent, he doesn't seem as obsessed with earning their father's admiration and he actually wanted to help Hans find a wife and leave their abusive home for good.

* ParentalNeglect: Hans' father chooses to be distant and neglectful of him, coldly dismissing him as a "weakling" and incompetent coward who doesn't know how to fight back, giving him little to no attention at all while doting on his older sons, especially Caleb. Also, Hans being against his family's violent methods of controlling the kingdom made him the proverbial BlackSheep of the family. So in his view, [[TheSocialDarwinist the strong should pick on the weak]], and [[TykeBomb Hans being forcibly "toughened up in the Westergaard mold" by his brothers at a young age]] is a sign of "good politics and strength", claiming that Hans should "learn a thing or two" from his brothers.

* TheSocialDarwinist: In ''A Frozen Heart'', Prince Hans's father simply and coldly regards his youngest son with utter disgust and contempt, comparing him to a "weakling" and an idiotic coward who couldn't stand up to the abuse he and his older sons throw at Hans. To him, any of his thirteen sons displaying a softer side is a sign of weakness, so it must by countered by forcing them to be "toughened up in the Westergaard mold", that is, to be [[TykeBomb forcibly indoctrinated from a young age that the strong have a right to pick on the weak]]. And from his POV, Hans being against his family's violent methods of controlling the kingdom has made him the BlackSheep of the Westergaard clan. To counter his youngest son's weak nature, he encourages his older sons to bully and torment Hans at his expense, which to him is a "sign of strength", and believes it's all "good politics" so Hans could be forced to use his family's methods of controlling the subjects, [[EvenEvilHasStandards despite what Hans has to say or object]]. By the end of ''A Frozen Heart'', [[TheCorrupter his father's corrupting]] [[GreaterScopeVillain influence]] has slowly poisoned Hans into becoming an unfeeling and ruthless man, driving him to dehumanize everyone (including Elsa, Anna and the Duke of Weselton) in his quest for power.

* SpoiledBrat: All but one of Hans's brothers were pampered and doted on by their father for how useful they were to him. Caleb in particular seems to be worst, due to being the oldest and the king's favorite son. Hans and Lars see him as a largely irresponsible slacker, ignoring his pregnant wife for his father's attention and treating the idea of running the kingdom like a game.

* MeaningfulName: Weselton is frequently mispronounced as 'Weaseltown' throughout the movie. Fittingly, the Duke is a rather weaselly and spineless character. Even Hans refers to him as a "weasel" behind his back.

** When he goes to his father's study room in the hopes of becoming his errand boy, Hans is visibly afraid to go to inside, because even a brief meeting always ended in disaster, with the king yelling at Hans to get out whenever he deemed Hans had staying too long in his presence, and so he stands outside the door for some time, mentally preparing himself while pacing back and forth. Hans briefly thought about turning back, but he then shakes his head, believing that if he wants to earn his father's respect, then he would have to follow his orders. And when his father assigns him his first job by "silencing" a peasant who was bad-mouthing the king, it's clearly visible in Hans' POV that he's regretting it.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: He tells Anna about how his brothers were terrible to him, but the book reveals they were much worse than just ignoring him. All but one of them were physically and emotionally abusive to him [[DisproportionateRetribution just for being the youngest]] and his father dismissed him as a nuisance. The only people who weren't cruel to him were his mother and the good brother Lars, but they were unable to stop the torment. Even Hans acknowledges that he feels being the odd one out in his large family.

* IgnoredEpiphany: ''A Frozen Heart'' depicts two big moments where he almost [[HeelRealization realizes what he's doing is wrong]], but desperation for freedom and respect from his family make him take the wrong choice.

* IveComeTooFar: In ''A Frozen Heart'', when Hans momentarily feels guilt over his actions when he tells Elsa that Anna is dead, he immediately gets over it, as he's already so close to his goal of being free from his father

* AbusiveParents: The King is an emotionally abusive man who encourages violence and frequently makes his lack of respect for his youngest son blatant, going so far to encourage his older sons to physically abuse Hans. It's implied that he stripped Hans of his noble privileges after his failed takeover of Arendelle and penalized him to shoveling manure in the royal stables.

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: The king always regarded all of his twelve older sons as superior to Hans, who actually seems to agree with this. His brothers were more effective, more skilled and more capable of wooing eligible maidens than he was. It's one of his driving factors for his plans in Arendelle, to prove he can claim a throne more effectively by himself. And even after sullying the Westergaard name in Arendelle, Hans' father still coldly regards him as a [[DisappointedInYou disappointment in his eyes.]]

* DisappointedInYou: The king never gets tired of routinely telling Hans how much of a disappointment he was, is, and will remain as one in his eyes. Even after sullying the Westergaard name in Arendelle, his father still views him as this. And with the exception of Lars, all of Hans's older brothers share their father's sentiment of their youngest brother.

* HateSink: Not even Hans regards his father and most of his brothers in the most positive light.

* KickTheDog: Hans' brothers never get tired making Hans miserable for not living up to the king's cruel expectations.

* ISuck: In ''A Frozen Heart'', Hans tries to make self-deprecating jokes about how he's the runt of the litter and tries to laugh it off, but there’s always a hint of sadness in his voice that only Lars notices.

* BigBrotherWorship: While it's debatable if he wants to earn the respect of his brothers aside from leaving their shadow, ''A Frozen Heart'' reveals he does genuinely admire Lars, the third oldest of his siblings, if just for being the only brother to show him any humanity. Also, he often daydreams what it's like to be Caleb, the oldest of his siblings.

* ParentalNeglect: In ''A Frozen Heart'', Hans is practically forgotten by his father, who is very distant with him, giving him little to no attention at all while doting on his older sons. [[WellDoneSonGuy Despite Hans' best efforts to please him]], he views his youngest son with nothing but utter contempt, viewing him as a "weakling" who doesn't know how to fight back at the taunts, pranks, etc. his brothers throw at him.

** On another note, the Southern Isles is the complete opposite of Arendelle. While Arendelle seems to be a democratic monarchy whose queen and princess are open and friendly towards their people, the Southern Isles is an exceptionally totalitarian PoliceState run by a stone-hearted and violent tyrant whose wrath knows no bounds, treating his subjects like cannon fodder and his sons as his enforcers.

* ParentalFavoritism: Though the king favors all of his twelve older and more useful sons, he seems to dote over his oldest son Caleb (who's next in line to the throne), while coldly regarding his "weakling" youngest son Hans as a throwaway and useless spare. To rectify this, [[WellDoneSonGuy Hans]] slowly decides to become his father's gofer and errand boy in the hopes of being recognized as a dutiful and prodigal son.
* ParentalNeglect: Hans' father chooses to be neglectful of him, coldly dismissing him as a "weakling" and incompetent coward who doesn't know how to fight back. Also, Hans being against his family's violent methods of controlling the kingdom made him the proverbial BlackSheep of the family. So in his view, [[TheSocialDarwinist the strong should pick on the weak]], and [[TykeBomb Hans being forcibly "toughened up in the Westergaard mold" by his brothers at a young age]] is a sign of "good politics and strength", claiming that Hans should "learn a thing or two" from his brothers.

* TheConfidant: Lars was the only person Hans ever felt comfortable with when it comes to the nightmare of living in the Southern Isles, the emotional damage he suffered and the fear of never getting to meet someone. Lars assisted him in many things, from knowing about how Hans would spend hours at the pier to clear his head, to trying to set Hans up to meet Princess Elsa for a potential marriage. Unfortunately, his influence was severely limited, likely due to their father not accepting such actions.

* TykeBomb: Downplayed, but Hans was raised by [[AbusiveParents an abusive man]] who believed that [[TheSocialDarwinist the strong should pick on the weak]], and was often [[BigBrotherBully beaten up and bullied by his older brothers]] for failing to meet his family's harsh standards of ruling their kingdom. From his perspective, any son who doesn't live up to his expectations must be "toughened up to the Westergaard mold". To rectify this, [[WellDoneSonGuy Hans]] slowly decides to become his father's errand-boy in the hopes of being recognized as a dutiful and prodigal son.

* AloofBigBrother: While Lars was the only brother whom Hans could feel a little close to, he never got along with the other eleven, as they follow their father's view of preying on the weak, and therefore, see him as their [[ExtremeDoormat punching bag]]. When he tells Anna that three of them pretended he was non-existent for two years, he tries to downplay and dismiss it as "what brothers do", but the look on his face clearly and visibly indicates that he's upset.

* BigScrewedUpFamily: Hans' family can be accurately described as one, big dysfunctional family: his parents are too neglectful to spend time with him, while his older brothers, who are too rowdy and neglectful of their wives, choose to bully him just because he's the youngest.
* TheConfidant: Lars was the only person Hans ever felt comfortable with when it comes to the nightmare of living in the Southern Isles, the emotional damage he suffered and the fear of never getting to meet someone. Lars assisted him in many things, from knowing about how Hans would spend hours at the pier to clear his head, to trying to set Hans up to meet Princess Elsa for a potential marriage.

* DisappointedInYou: The king never gets tired of routinely telling Hans how much of a disappointment he was, is, and will remain as one in his eyes. Even after sullying the Westergaard name in Arendelle, his father still views him as this.
* TheDreaded: Both Hans and the citizens of the Southern Isles are terrified of the scope of King Westergaard's wrath, as he's known to use DisproportionateRetribution to forcibly control the kingdom and brutally suppress any criticism levied on him. A peasant is bad-mouthing the king? [[PoliceState They're]] [[DystopianEdict brutally]] [[DeadlyEuphemism "silenced"]]. Anybody behind on their taxes? [[EvilDebtCollector A prince is sent down to forcibly strong-arm and shake down delinquent taxpayers]]. Anybody refusing to pay their taxes? [[CrushingThePopulace The government kills those on the spot who refuse to do so as a warning to others]]. A farmer fails to to meet their production quota? [[DisproportionateRetribution The army confiscates their livestock and burns their farm down to the ground]]. Anybody causing an international incident or committing a crime? [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil The king condemns them to slavery or hard labor]].

** The king is an apathetic and stone-cold man who generally regards his youngest son with utter contempt, dismissing him as an incompetent coward and useless "weakling" who couldn't stand up to the taunts they throw at him, while regarding his wife as an object whose job is to produce more heirs for the kingdom. To him, any of his thirteen sons who doesn't live up to his high but harsh expectations, must be "toughened up to the Westergaard mold" by being physically and emotionally abused.

** King Westergaard is very much the polar opposite of King Agnarr. While Agnarr loved both his daughters unconditionally, Westergaard only favored his sons who were most loyal and useful to him, while treating his youngest son as a nuisance. While Agnarr genuinely loved Iduna, Westergaard is at best indifferent to his wife. While Agnarr forced Elsa and Anna to separate from each other for their safety, Westergaard allowed and encouraged his sons to torment Hans out of contempt and cruelty. And while both are responsible for a child developing depression, Agnarr only wanted to keep Elsa and Anna safe, Westergaard is unfeeling to Hans.

* InadequateInheritor: Hans and Lars don't agree with their father doting on Caleb, first in-line for the throne, seeing him as an irresponsible manchild who ignores his family and doesn't take being the future king of the Southern Isles with any seriousness.

* KickTheDog: They never tire making Hans miserable for not living up to the king's cruel expectations.

* SpoiledBrat: All but one of Hans's brothers were pampered and doted on by their father for how useful they were to him. Caleb in particular seems to be worst, due to being the oldest and the king's favorite son. Hans and Lars see him as largely irresponsible, ignoring his pregnant wife for his father's attention and treating the idea of running the kingdom like a game.

* AloofBigBrother: He reveals to Anna that he was neglected by his family due to being the very last in the line of his kingdom's succession. His brothers are generally implied to have made him feel inferior. In fact, three of Hans' older brothers pretended he didn't exist ''for two whole years''. WordOfGod supports his stated backstory that he grew up without love and ''A Frozen Heart'' confirms this.

** As a whole, the Westergaard clan is this to the trolls. While the trolls were Kristoff's adopted family who treated him with love, the Westergaards are Hans's biological family that treated him like a monster.
** On another note, the Southern Isles is the complete opposite of Arendelle. While Arendelle seems to be a democratic monarchy whose queen and princess are open and friendly towards their people, the Southern Isles is an exceptionally totalitarian PoliceState run by a stone-hearted and violent tyrant whose wrath knows no bounds and treats his subjects like cannon fodder.

* JerkAss: Hans' father and brothers, sans one, are even bigger assholes than Hans himself, given the way they treat him and the abusive manner they run the kingdom, and the blatant way they ignore their wives. It's suggested that Hans may have picked up some of their abrasive habits to emulate them, and to elevate himself as a dutiful sibling and prodigal son.

* FatalFlaw: He has two big weaknesses:
** [[StubbornMule A stubborn desire]] [[WellDoneSonGuy to seek the approval of his neglectful family]]. It's clearly stated in ''A Frozen Heart'' that they are outright abusive and neglectful towards him, not to mention Hans being the ExtremeDoormat and BlackSheep of the Westergaard clan, causing him to become a WellDoneSonGuy. His original intent was to escape from the Southern Isles for good and prove his worth to his family, and yet everything he did in his reckless pursuit of those goals had the exact opposite (and disastrous) results. Add in to the fact that he sees [[ManipulativeBastard people as objects]], [[CrapsackWorld thinks that it's a dog-eat-dog world out there]] [[TheSocialDarwinist with only the fittest surviving]], and [[LoveIsAWeakness views love as an exploitable weakness that's relegated to the weak-willed (namely Elsa and Anna)]], really shows how warped his POV had become over the years, [[EvilCannotComprehendGood rendering him unable to understand or even experience love]] thanks to a [[TykeBomb harsh upbringing]].
** [[TheDeterminator Desperation]]. For all of Hans's skills at taking advantage of people's weaknesses, he ends up being unable to realize his own weakness gets the better of him every time. The plan he and Lars concocted was simple: meet Elsa, bond with her, get her interested in marrying him and he's earned his one-way ticket to escape from his family forever. The only drawback? He is ordered by his father to only stay in Arendelle for one day. However, he ends up trying to take the route he thinks would be quicker and easier every time it presents itself. Originally to go after Elsa, he suddenly bumps into her younger sister Anna, and goes for her since she's more naive and lovesick, thus making her more likely to want to marry him after a few hours, but Elsa refused to bless their marriage and ordered the party over to make him leave, making Hans realize he may have to "[[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident stage an accident]]" for her. Anna then goes to bring her sister back and leaves Hans in charge, quickly accepting her offer as it gave him a chance to lead a kingdom, but he completely forgot that if Anna were to die then no one would be able to stop Elsa's winter. Near the end, Elsa accidentally struck Anna with her magic, so instead of being honest with her in a way that will at least make him look like a decent person, he chooses to break her heart and leave her to die without actually making sure she's dead before moving on with his plans. So in the end, all his plans, his chance to actually find love or friendship with either of the sisters, and his desire for a new life were destroyed because he was too stubbornly determined to be [[WellDoneSonGuy his father's favorite son]] and be free from his home.

* WellDoneSonGuy: ''A Frozen Heart'' reveals that he is this taken to extremes, and serves as his FatalFlaw. His father often regards him as an annoyance who whines about his brothers bullying him, even if Hans's brothers often bully him in very violent ways. It's suggested his father encourages this out of his dislike of "weakness". Despite this, Hans often daydreams about having a loving and caring father, even as an adult, and is forced to use violence against his father's subjects in order to gain respect despite his objections. To rectify this, Hans slowly decides to become his father's errand boy in the hopes of being recognized as a dutiful and prodigal son. His drive to be a king, even if he must do terrible things to Anna and Elsa, stems from an obsession with being something worthwhile to his dad. Even his mirroring of people's personalities was something he picked up from his father, who encouraged this behavior so Hans could get what he wants. Yet, even after following all of his father's orders before setting off to Arendelle, Hans's father has only just begun to respect his youngest son, as he only gives Hans one day to return home. To say that Hans has daddy issues is putting it mildly.

* {{Plot Triggering Death}}s: Their deaths at the beginning of the film are why Elsa has to become Queen at the young age of 21, kicking off the plot.

* StrongFamilyResemblance: Iduna looks almost identical to Elsa, with a darker hair.

** [[WellDoneSonGuy A stubborn desire to seek the approval of]] [[ParentalNeglect his extremely distant father]] [[BigBrotherBully and abusive older brothers]]. It's clearly stated in ''A Frozen Heart'' that they are outright abusive and neglectful towards him, not to mention Hans being the ExtremeDoormat and BlackSheep of his family. His original intent was to escape from the Southern Isles for good and prove his worth to his family, and yet everything he did in his reckless pursuit of those goals had the exact opposite (and disastrous) results. Add in to the fact that he sees [[ManipulativeBastard people as objects]], [[CrapsackWorld thinks that it's a dog-eat-dog world out there]] [[TheSocialDarwinist with only the fittest surviving]], and [[LoveIsAWeakness views love as an exploitable weakness that's relegated to the weak-willed (namely Elsa and Anna)]], really shows how warped his POV had become over the years, [[EvilCannotComprehendGood rendering him unable to understand or even experience love]] thanks to a [[TykeBomb harsh upbringing]].

** [[WellDoneSonGuy A desperate desire to seek the approval of]] [[ParentalNeglect his extremely distant father]] [[BigBrotherBully and abusive older brothers]]. It's clearly stated in ''A Frozen Heart'' that they are outright abusive and neglectful towards him, not to mention Hans being the ExtremeDoormat and BlackSheep of his family. His original intent was to escape from the Southern Isles for good and prove his worth to his family, and yet everything he did in his reckless pursuit of those goals had the exact opposite (and disastrous) results. Add in to the fact that he sees [[ManipulativeBastard people as objects]], [[CrapsackWorld thinks that it's a dog-eat-dog world out there]] [[TheSocialDarwinist with only the fittest surviving]], and [[LoveIsAWeakness views love as an exploitable weakness that's relegated to the weak-willed (namely Elsa and Anna)]], really shows how warped his POV had become over the years, [[EvilCannotComprehendGood rendering him unable to understand or even experience love]] thanks to a [[TykeBomb harsh upbringing]].

* FatalFlaw: Desperation. For all of Hans's skills at taking advantage of people's weaknesses, he ends up being unable to realize his own weakness gets the better of him every time. The plan he and Lars concocted was simple: meet Elsa, bond with her, get her interested in marrying him and he's free from his family forever. The only drawback being he can only stay in Arendelle one day. However, he ends up trying to take the route he thinks would be quicker and easier every time it presents itself. He goes for Anna since she's more naive and lovesick, thus making her more likely to want to marry him after a few hours, but Elsa refused to bless their marriage and ordered the party over to make him leave, making Hans realize he may have to "[[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident stage an accident]]" for her. Anna goes to bring her sister back and leaves Hans in charge, quickly accepting her offer as it gives him a chance to lead a kingdom, but he completely forgot that if Anna were to die than no one would be able to stop Elsa's winter. Anna is dying from Elsa's magic, instead of being honest with her in a way that will at least make him look like a decent person, he chooses to break her heart and leave her to die with out actually making sure she's dead before moving on with his plans. All his plans, his chances to actually find love or friendship with either of the sisters, and his chance for a new life were destroyed because he was too determined to be [[WellDoneSonGuy his father's favorite son]] and free from his home that he desperate enough to [[UsedToBeASweetKid become a villain]]. He's now hated both in and ''out'' of the Southern Isles for because of his desperation.

* FatalFlaw: Desperation. For all of Hans's skills at taking advantage of people's weaknesses, he ends up being unable to realize his own weakness gets the better of him every time. The plan he and Lars concocted was simple: meet Elsa, bond with her, get her interested in marrying him and he's free from his family forever. The only drawback being he can only stay in Arendelle one day. However, he ends up trying to take the route he thinks would be quicker and easier every time it presents itself. He goes for Anna since she's more naive and lovesick, thus making her more likely to want to marry him after a few hours, but Elsa refused to bless their marriage and ordered the party over to make him leave, making Hans realize he may have to "[[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident stage an accident]]" for her. Anna goes to bring her sister back and leaves Hans in charge, quickly accepting her offer as it gives him a chance to lead a kingdom, but he completely forgot that if Anna were to die than no one would be able to stop Elsa's winter. Anna is dying from Elsa's magic, instead of being honest with her in a way that will at least make him look like a decent person, he chooses to break her heart and leave her to die with out actually making sure she's dead before moving on with his plans. All his plans, his chances to actually find love or friendship with either of the sisters, and his chance for a new life were destroyed because he was too determined to be [[WellDoneSonGuy his father's favorite son]] and free from his home that he desperate enough to [[UsedToBeASweetKid become a villain]].

* BlatantLies: "I would never shut you out." Now, shutting her ''in''...

* TheDreaded: Both Hans and the citizens of the Southern Isles are terrified of King Westergaard's wrath.

** Regardless of how he got it, he ''does'' do a pretty good job running the kingdom once given the chance, diverting resources from the castle that could've gone toward digging in his own power base and instead using them to help the freezing citizens, and letting nothing stand in his way to make sure they're well cared for.

* ManipulativeBastard: He has very little direct impact on the plot, and doesn't need it to pull off his plan - he's very good at manipulating people in minor ways to push them where he needs them to go and it’s totally calculated. When he noticed how naive Anna is, he plays that up to seduce her. He helps the kingdom to gain their trust, and when Anna reveals she's dying, he says she's dead just to get other people to follow him in killing Elsa. From his twisted perspective, people are only a means to an end, considering the fact that he sees it as a [[CrapsackWorld dog-eat-dog world out there]] and that only [[TheSocialDarwinist the fittest survive]], thanks to his harsh upbringing. He plays a long game, planning his marriage to Elsa for years, but when Anna looks like the more likely path to getting what he wants, he changes gears slightly. Hans doesn’t hesitate to lie and bribe, and starts to dehumanize Elsa so she is viewed as a monster so that no one questions it when he kills her, and he does everything he can to play into that narrative. He consciously mirrors people, showing them what he thinks they want to see, and he sees no reason to use violence if you can use other methods of getting people to do what you want. He’s a master of reading people and he nearly gets everything he’s aiming for.

* IgnoredEpiphany: ''A Frozen Heart'' depicts moments where he almost has HeelRealization, but desperation for freedom and respect from his family make him take the wrong choice.

** Also, even Hans felt slightly hesitant about agreeing to a FourthDateMarriage with Anna, wondering if he's going way too fast and how his family would react -- his father would call him an idiot, while Lars would say that this was done too hastily. But then, these self-doubts are quickly overridden by his goal to seize control of Arendelle.

-->'''Kai''': Your majesty, the duke of Weaseltown.\
-->'''The Duke''': ''Weselton''!

'''The Duke''': ''Weselton''!

-->'''Kai''': Your majesty, the duke of Weaseltown./
-->'''The Duke''': ''Weselton''!

'''The Duke''': ''Weselton''!

* AristocratsAreEvil: His Machiavellian plans to dominate Arendelle's economy place him firmly in this trope. However, his ruthlessness pales in comparison to the thoroughly treacherous and cold-hearted Prince of the Southern Isles, Hans Westerguard.

* BerserkButton: Mispronouncing it as "Weaseltown".
-->That's ''Weselton'' to you, thank you very much!

* DecoyAntagonist: The Duke of Weselton and his guards are set up to be the primary villains from first sight, what with the "exploiting" quote [[spoiler:and the guards trying to kill Elsa]], but [[spoiler:Hans, who seemed to be Anna's love interest,]] eventually takes over as the main antagonist.

* BenevolentMageRuler: The movie is basically the story of how she becomes one, and the hard road to mastering both her magical talent and the responsibilities of a Queen (with help from the most adorable little sister ever).