The cast of the Rankin/Bass special and its sequels.
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Titular Character
Frosty the Snowman
"Happy birthday!"
Voiced by: Jackie Vernon (1969-1979), John Goodman (1992), Bill Fagerbakke (2005)
The loveable snowman brought to life with a magic hat.
- Actor Allusion: Legend depicts him, a character voiced by Bill Fagerbakke, as good friends with a character voiced by Tom Kenny. One doesn't need to live in a pineapple under the sea to know which show this is homaging.
- Adaptational Badass: Frosty Returns depict him with a greater deal of skill than before, including being able to teleport in and out using winter storms themselves!
- Adaptational Sympathy: The original story only put him in harms way via getting melted by the sun's heat. Rankin-Bass put him not just in the sun's crosshairs, but made him the target of an evil magician trying to steal his hat and make himself rich.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Similar to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, while Frosty's original design wasn't ugly. He originally wore boots, gloves, and looked like a generic snowman
◊ alongside lacking pupils◊. The Rankin/Bass adaptation gave him a much friendlier and cuter design which extends to Frosty Returns by Bill Meléndez. - Ambidextrous Sprite: Frosty's corncob pipe tends to switch between whether it sits on the left or right corner of his mouth, depending on which way he's facing.
- Ask a Stupid Question...: When taking a train up north in a refrigerator car, Frosty sees Karen is sneezing and shaking. He Lampshades this trope word for word when he realizes what he asked.Frosty: Are you cold, Karen? Now that's a silly question. You wouldn't be sneezing if you weren't cold.
- Art Evolution: Frosty's Winter Wonderland depicts him as a bit more plump, with a slightly taller hat and with a distinctive orange and yellow scarf. For Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July, he's depicted with this design in stop motion, albeit with his hat painted to match his scarf. When he appears in Frosty Returns he uses a more rotund design with a pink nose and a polka-dotted bowtie, but he no longer carried a broomstick, and his hat lacked a flower. For The Legend of Frosty the Snowman, he uses his original 1969 design, though he mostly discards the broomstick. Most modern merchandise uses his original design, but alternates between giving him a red scarf, one based on Frosty's Winter Wonderland, or just lacking a scarf overall (not to mention whether or not he has his corn cob pipe).
- Animate Inanimate Object: Originally lifeless, he comes to life when the magic hat was placed on his head.
- Badass Adorable: For such a friendly-looking guy, Frosty has undoubtedly earned the title of "Fastest Belly Whopper in the World." He can also lead a mean parade.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Frosty mentions to Karen that he had been "meaning to take off a little weight anyway" when he enters the greenhouse to warm her up. Thanks to Hinkle, he does lose weight...all of it, as he melts into a puddle.
- Big Fun: Big and round, and really funny, especially in Legend, where he's voiced by Patrick Star himself.
- Big Good: Being a jolly, happy soul, he has his moments.
- Born of Magic: The jolly, happy soul only came into existence after a vaguely humanoid-shaped lump of ice crystals was topped with an inexplicably magical top hat. (Though it's possible the consciousness already existed inside the hat, and only needed a sufficient vessel.)
- Character Catchphrase: "Happy birthday!" Said every time he comes to life, for no apparent reason. Even the rest of his species does the same thing.
- Character Development: After coming to life, he knows little about how life works beyond being a snowman. As the sequels progress, Frosty not only has become a father and a husband, but he's developed a lot more knowledge in regards to the human world.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He may not be the smartest guy around (what with him just coming to life and all), but he can belly whop across entire sets of hills effortlessly to get away from the bad guys if he has to.
- Deal with the Devil: After Rudolph willingly allows his nose to remain extinguished to prevent Frosty and his family from melting, the snowman decides to make one with Winterbolt to give up his hat (well, after the wizard planted the idea in his head) in exchange for the restoration of his friend's nose. Winterbolt eagerly accepts the deal, knowing full well he doesn't have the power to restore the nose. Not that poor Frosty knew that, as Winterbolt gleefully lampshades.
- Death Glare: Gives one to Pankley in Legend when he reveals what took him so long to get back to Evergreen. .
- Determinator: He goes to great distances to get to the North Pole before he melts, but he'll go even further, even if it risks his own life, to prevent Karen from freezing first.
- Disney Death: He can melt in hot weather, but he cannot die permanently; he is made from Christmas snow, and a nice, cold winter breeze can return him to as he was before.
- Dumbass No More: By the time of Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, he's managed to grow out of his inability to count, which he even lampshades. Frosty Returns even shows him as being a lot more streetwise compared to how he started out. The Legend of Frosty the Snowman puts him somewhere in the middle of those depictions, showing him as good natured and somewhat naive, but knowledgeable enough to help the children of Evergreen through their personal problems.Frosty: Seventy six. Boy, I remember back when I could only count to four. Ah, those were the good old days.
- Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones: Frosty is a nice guy who befriends children and shows no grudges towards his enemies like Hinkle, Jack Frost, or Mr. Twitchell, who all redeem themselves in the end. He shows nothing but anger towards Principal Pankley for locking him up for years, something not even Winterbolt earned.
- Family Man: Frosty deeply values his wife and children, so much so that he initially refuses to let them go down to the seashore and help Rudolph save the circus, concerned that all of them will melt in "ten seconds flat." He spends nearly the entire time worried they'll melt when Santa fails to arrive on time, and when Winterbolt arrives, begs him to extend the amulets to keep them alive. When he even gives his hat to Winterbolt in the hopes the wizard will restore Rudolph's nose, he sings a goodbye song hoping his family will keep him in their hearts.
- Fatal Flaw: Frosty doesn't have a mean bone in his body (well, at least until Pankley, and not that he even has bones mind you), and that can get him in serious trouble. He doesn't quite see a threat from either Hinkle, Jack Frost, or Winterbolt until they cross some sort of a line, and even then he still doesn't treat them with any sort of hostility. This has worked in his favor for most of them, as Hinkle, Jack Frost, and Mr. Twitchell all undergo a Heel–Face Turn thanks to his kind heart inspiring others to follow in his footsteps, but neither Winterbolt or Pankley are given such a turn, and he even bargains with the former to try and relight Rudolph's nose, thinking he could help his friend out in spite of the fact that Winterbolt caused the whole mess in the first place.
- Friend to All Children: No matter where he goes, the children love Frosty and treat him as a dear friend. In fact, it was the children that suggested the idea of (and even helped build) him having a wife. Not only that, but it's through Frosty's kind heart that helps the children of Evergreen to finally let loose and have fun after spending years under the strict leadership they've spent their entire lives.
- Friend to All Living Things: In addition to the humans he interacts with, the animals he encounters always act friendly around him, and he in turn treats them the same way.
- Four-Fingered Hands: Has four fingers, but somehow sprouts a fifth when attempting to count to ten.
- Gallows Humor: When he steps into the greenhouse, the heat starts to melt him a bit faster than he expected.Frosty: Stay in here much longer, and I'll really make a splash in the world!
- Glad I Thought of It: Stuck out in the woods and in desperate need to get himself to the North Pole and Karen back home, Frosty hears out Hocus Pocus' suggestion to find help, leading to this exchange:Frosty: Hocus. We've got to find someone to get Karen home before she freezes. And me to the North Pole before I melt! But who?Hocus digs into the ground for snow, grabs a stick like a bayonet, and starts acting like a soldier.Frosty: No! Not the Marines!Hocus then starts acting regal.Frosty: No! Not the President of the United States! (Hocus starts to act annoyed.) Oh, they were both swell ideas, but we've got to find someone nearby.Hocus then uses the snow to make a beard, and starts acting jolly.Frosty: Yeah! Santa Claus! That's a great idea! Why didn't I think of that before?Hocus taps his hind paw, unamused.
- Good Parents: As Milly and Chilly's father, he raises the two with great care, always putting their needs before his own. He hated to disappoint them by not letting them go with Rudolph to save the Circus by the Sea, but he wouldn't ever let his children melt in the summer heat.
- Happily Married: To Crystal, who's existence helps brings him out of the funk he was in, and has continued to show his gratitude for having a wife by always being there for her when she needs him.
- Has a Type: Justified since his wife was literally built to his exact specifications.
- Hat of Power: "That old silk hat", which brought him to life.
- Heart Drive: Exaggerated. The magic hat brings Frosty to life when placed on his head; if it is taken off, he reverts to inanimate form, which is why he doesn't want Hinkle to get his hands on it. Though this is averted a few times, such as when Crystal kisses him.
- Heroic BSoD: Experiences one in Winter Wonderland when he becomes lonely upon being alone outside for long and the children decide to make him a wife. Unfortunately, he continues to experience this for a time when Crystal fails to come to life. At least not until he gives her a gift of unconditional love, which brings her to life.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Frosty willingly goes inside a hot greenhouse to warm up Karen, knowing he might melt (though his initial plan to stay inside for a minute is thwarted when Hinkle traps him there and melts him for a time). Later, he gives up his hat to Winterbolt in the hopes the wizard will relight Rudolph's extinguished nose.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Rudolph. He completely trusts the reindeer and is encouraging of his friend, and he in turn supports Frosty in a similar manner. They're so tight nit, that Rudolph is even willing to allow his nose to be extinguished forever and let his reputation get destroyed if it meant the Frosty family wouldn't melt. In spite of being helpless in the situation, the snowman can't help but feel touched at the gesture, even to the point he's willing to give up his hat to Winterbolt just to hopefully get his friend's nose relit again.Frosty: What can I say, Rudolph? You're a true pal.
- Hidden Depths: Despite Frosty knowing little about the human world upon being brought to life, he does at least known enough to be wary of the sun melting him into a puddle, even knowing exactly what a thermometer is.Frosty: Is there a thermometer around here?Karen: Over there on the window. Why?Frosty (upon seeing the thermometer go up): Oh, I was afraid of that. The thermometer's getting red. I hate red thermometers.Karen: Why is that, Frosty?Frosty: 'Cause when the thermometer gets all reddish, the temperature goes up. And when the temperature goes up, I start to melt! And I when start to melt, I get all wishy-washy!
- An Ice Person: The Legend of Frosty the Snowman shows he can make things out of snow and ice, such as skates and a skating pond. He can also shape things out of snow, including an exact replica of himself.
- Iconic Outfit: His hat, of course. His scarf, to a lesser extent, though whether or not that's used depends on the merchandise it's featured in.
- I'm Melting!: If he is exposed to hot conditions long enough, he suffers this.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: Gains these whenever he's brought to life, showing how good of a snowman he is.
- Interspecies Friendship: He's a living snowman who's friends with several humans, a lot of wild animals, and a red-nosed reindeer.
- Is This a Joke?: After coming to life, he thinks it's some joke since snowmen don't normally come to life.
- Literal-Minded: Initially. Justified at first since he did just come to life.Traffic Cop: Oh! You want a ticket, wise guy?Frosty: I'd love one! To the North Pole, please!
- Living Snowman: And like in his special, he's brought to life by his magic hat, but can't survive in warm weather without using an amulet Winterbolt gives him and his family.
- Logical Weakness: Snow is frozen water, so putting him in intense heat over freezing temperatures would melt him into a puddle.
- Losing Your Head: The Legend of Frosty the Snowman has him literally taking his head off a few times. Not that it bothers him much, since his Heart Drive is inside of his hat, and it's more important it stays on than his head.
- Meaningful Name: His name, Frosty, stems from the fact he's made of a "frosty" substance.
- Namedar: He somehow knows the names of whoever he spends time with, shown as when he already knew Karen's name even though she didn't introduce herself to him when bringing him to life. In Legend, he even knows the names of the Sklarew brothers, and can tell them apart as well.
- Nice Guy: He's a very friendly snowman, and a "jolly, happy soul" indeed.
- Oblivious to Love: Evidently, he had no idea about romance until his friends suggested he get a wife to heal his lonely heart.Frosty: What a neat invention!
- Odd Friendship: With Rudolph, a talking reindeer with a red nose. Both have bonded over how they've both experienced concerns about being misfits, and are as close friends as you can get.
- One, Two, Skip a Few: His first attempt at counting to ten.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When Frosty isn't happy, you know something's wrong. In Winter Wonderland, he's depressed due to being so lonely, even his friends Lampshade how miserable he sounds. Frosty Returns has him enter a panic when he sees Summer Wheeze instantly get rid of all the snow. Then, in Legend, he looks pissed when he glances at Pankley for locking him up for God knows how long, whereas he never held animosity towards the other bad guys, even a monster like Winterbolt.
- Papa Wolf: Frosty may be just a simple snowman, but he will not hesitate to help out those he cares for. He willingly puts himself at the risk of melting when he notices Karen is far too cold, and even attempts to stop Hinkle from extinguishing the fire out of concerns for her safety. He even goes inside a steaming hot greenhouse to warm Karen up, knowing full well it could melt him (well, at least for a few minutes, but Hinkle makes that almost permanent for him). He also acts in the best interests of his children when, much to their disappointment, he has to turn down helping Rudolph save a struggling circus simply because they'll melt in the summer heat.
- The Power of Love: How he brings his wife Crystal to life, and how she in turns does the same when Jack Frost swipes his hat temporarily.
- Properly Paranoid: When he and his family travel down south with Rudolph to help a struggling circus, Frosty spends most of the trip fearing that they will melt by the time the fireworks show ends, as Santa never arrived to pick them up and whisk them home. Of course, he has plenty of reason to be this way, since the amulets Winterbolt gave them end at that exact time (though neither he or anyone else know that it's all part of Winterbolt's plan to take control of the North Pole). By the time everything's over, he's practically had enough and wants to head home first thing.
- Protagonist Title: The series is primarily about him, of course.
- Sarcasm-Blind: Since he's nice towards everyone he meets, he can't seem to understand sarcasm. When the traffic cop threatens him with a ticket, he assumes he can use it to go to the North Pole.
- Sealed Good in a Can: His fate in The Legend of Frosty the Snowman, thanks to Principal Pankley. When he comes back to Evergreen to visit his old friend Mayor Tinkerton, the young Pankley steals his hat and locks him in a chest out of jealousy over the attention Tinkerton was being given. He manages to escape after several years, if not longer.
- Single Specimen Species: Played this straight to begin with, then averted it with the sequels. He was the only living snowman in existence until he gained a wife and two children (not to mention the snow parson who married him to his wife).
- Snowlems: An architectural example of this.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: It's downplayed, but he is able to communicate with Hocus Pocus on some level.
- Sudden Eye Color: Normally he is drawn with standard black eyes, but his stop motion appearance gives him blue eyes, as do the rest of his family.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Hermey from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, acting in the capacity of Rudolph's best friend, fellow misfit, and confidant (even singing "We're A Couple Of Misfits" with him).
- Teleportation: Can teleport in and out of blizzards, although this is only depicted in Frosty Returns.
- Temporary Bulk Change: In ''The Legend of Frosty the Snowman', this happens after rolling down a hill with Walter.
- Took a Level in Cynic: It's downplayed, but by the time of Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, he's far more cautious when it comes to venturing outside the North Pole, and is initially forbidding of his family to go down to the seashore simply because they'll melt in the hot summer sun. Even with Winterbolt's amulets, he spends nearly the whole trip worrying about Santa not arriving to pick them up and rush them back home. He's become a bit more of a Deadpan Snarker too.
- Took a Level in Dumbass: In the first four specials, Frosty evolves from a simple-minded snowman to a smarter and more mature Family Man. For whatever reason, his portrayal in The Legend of Frosty The Snowman (his most recent film) is much closer to the simple-minded snowman he was in the original special.
- Unusual Euphemism: According to him in Frosty Returns, the definitions of upset are, "waking up and finding out somebody forgot to give you a belly button," and, "finding out someone stole your nose to play foosball."
- Unwitting Pawn: In Winterbolt's schemes to reclaim the North Pole.
Frosty's family
Crystal
Voiced by: Shelley Winters
Frosty's wife.
- Happily Married: To Frosty, who built her specifically so he could have a wife. Considering the song "Everything I've Always Wanted" shows that she's grateful for all she's been through with her husband, the two couldn't be more happier.
- Pink Means Feminine: Wears a pink apron. Averted in Christmas in July, where it's replaced with an orange apron.
- The Power of Love: How Frosty brought her to life and in turn, how she revives him when Jack Frost manages to steal his hat.
- Put on a Bus: Is not seen or mentioned in Frosty Returns or The Legend of Frosty the Snowman.
Chilly and Milly
Voiced by: Eric Hines (Chilly), Steffi Calli (Milly)
Frosty's twin children.
- Early-Bird Cameo: In Frosty's Winter Wonderland during the musical number "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" as Frosty and Crystal are imagining life as a newlywed couple moments before getting married. Their snowchildren, Milly and Chilly make a brief appearance before making their proper debut in the 1979 crossover movie Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July.
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference: In Frosty's Winder Wonderland they are depicted with beady eyes unlike Frosty and Crystal who are given pupils. Both of them were redesigned in Christmas in July where they are given pupils.
- The Dividual: They're always seen together.
- Odd Name Out: Milly is the only one of the snow family whose name is not based on winter phenomena.
- Put on a Bus: Similar to their mother Crystal, Milly and Chilly are never seen or mentioned after Christmas In July.
Allies
Karen
"We saw Frosty come to life, didn't we?"
Voiced by: June Foray (original airing, some vocal effects), Susanne Davidson (reruns)
The leader of a group of schoolchildren who built Frosty and helps him get to the North Pole.
- Deuteragonist: Has the second major role after Frosty.
- Exposed to the Elements: She wears a coat that exposes her legs, though it doesn't seem to bother her until she's in the refrigerator car.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Has blonde hair and is one of the main heroes.
- Idiot Ball: Maybe it wasn't a smart idea to travel with a talking snowman in a refrigerator car on a northbound train when, unlike said snowman who needs to stay cold, she could actually freeze to death.
- Kick the Dog: On the receiving end of this trope thanks to Hinkle. Not only does he put out a fire Frosty had the animals build her to keep her warm, but she's forced to watch him melt in a greenhouse when the magician locks him inside.
- Missing Child: A little girl getting lost in the woods and almost freezing to death.
- Red Is Heroic: Her winter gear is red, and she wears a red dress underneath.
- Rollerblade Good: She is good at speedskating which fits her tomboyish personality.
- Tomboyish Ponytail: Her usual hairstyle.
Hocus Pocus
Professor Hinkle's rabbit.
- Bunnies for Cuteness: He's often featured alongside Frosty in advertising, helping to cement the snowman's status as a Friend to All Living Things.
- Hidden Depths: In spite of being a simple rabbit, he's a skilled communicator with other animals and Santa, can understand Frosty perfectly, and can come up with some pretty clever strategies.
- Pull a Rabbit out of My Hat: He is the rabbit that lives in Professor Hinkle's hat, but he isn't the most cooperative when it comes to pulling off that trick.
- Rascally Rabbit: When it comes to being Professor Hinkle's assistant, he's not all that helpful.
- Righteous Rabbit: Once Frosty comes to life, Hocus Pocus dedicates his life towards helping the snowman get home, ensuring his former master doesn't steal the hat.
- Stock Animal Diet: He only eats carrots apparently, as Hinkle threatens not to give him any if he doesn't stay in the hat.
Santa Claus
Voiced by: Paul Frees (orignal special), Mickey Rooney (Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July)
The legendary hero of Christmas, who travels all over the world in one night to deliver toys to the good children of the world, and an ally to Frosty and Karen.
- As You Know: He understands Hocus Pocus perfectly, since, according to the narrator, he speaks a fluent rabbit.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Santa is the ultimate Big Good, but heaven help if you get on his bad side. Hinkle learns the hard way that being evil means you aren't getting any Christmas presents from old Saint Nick.
- Big Good: Tries to see goodness in everybody, even after he hears that Professor Hinkle made Frosty melt. Sure enough, he's on good terms with Hinkle after he fulfills his promise to be nicer to Frosty.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He's completely absent in Winter Wonderland, in spite of the special opening at the North Pole where he's based. Averted for Christmas in July, where he plays a prominent role, but Played Straight for Frosty Returns and Legend, where he's completely absent.
- Don't Touch It, You Idiot!: He warns Hinkle that touching Frosty's hat will result in him never getting any Christmas presents as long as he lives.
- Friend to All Children: As is typical of Santa, when he sees poor Karen sobbing after Frosty melts, he walks right over and assures her that Frosty isn't gone for good.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Calms Karen down after Frosty melts. He reassures her that he'll be fine because he was made of Christmas snow, and he turns out to be right. When Hinkle tries to get his hat back, Santa lays it down on him. He then gives Karen a ride home on his sleigh.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Considerably nicer than his first Rankin-Bass appearance in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964).
- Tranquil Fury: He gets Hinkle to stop trying to steal Frosty's hat in the most gentle way possible.Santa Claus: If you so much as a lay a finger on the brim, I'll never bring you another Christmas present so long as you live.Hinkle: Never?Santa Claus: Never.Hinkle: You mean... no more trick cards, or magic balls, or—Santa Claus: No. More. Anything.Hinkle: Oh, that's not fair! I mean, we evil magicians have to make a living, too.Santa Claus: Now, you go home and write "I am very sorry for what I did to Frosty" one hundred zillion times. And maybe—just maybe, mind you—you'll find something in your stocking tomorrow morning.
- Writing Lines: His preferred method of punishment for Hinkle: making him write "I am very sorry for what I did to Frosty" one hundred zillion times.
- You Are Too Late: He arrives at the greenhouse and finds Frosty has melted, with Karen sobbing over his remains. He looks solemnly over the puddle that was once the snowman, accepting he didn't get there in time. But then...Santa Claus: Too late? Why, nonsense!
Holly DeCarlo
Voiced by: Elisabeth Moss
A lonely girl and aspiring magician who befriends Frosty and helps him stop Mr. Twichell's scheme to ruin winter.
- Friendless Background: She initially has no friends, except for Charles.
- Girlish Pigtails: Her usual hairstyle.
- Graceful Ladies Like Purple: Her winter gear is predominantly purple.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Karen from the original special, in that both are young girls befriended by Frosty, who in turn helps them when they need it most.
Charles
Voiced by: Michael Patrick Carter
Holly's best friend and assistant for her magic acts.
- Only Friend: The only friend of Holly, though they argue sometimes.
Tommy Tinkerton
Voiced by: Kath Soucie (as a child), Burt Reynolds (as an adult)
The son of Mayor Tinkerton who joins forces with Frosty to show his father the magic of winter.
- Character Narrator: He narrates the events of the story as a mature adult.
- The Unfavorite: Mayor Tinkerton starts out favoring Tommy's brother Charlie, until Charlie gets into a fight, and Tommy becomes his dad's favorite.
Sara Simple
Voiced by: Tara Strong
A classmate and Tommy's love interest.
Walter Wader
Voiced by: Kenn Michael
Tommy's next door neighbor.
- Abusive Parent: Sort of. His mother does care about him but she's not a particularly nurturing one. She can be quite strict and even domineering over him. This explains why Walter is so scared of her and why he is such Nervous Wreck with a lot of anxiety.
- Character Development: Thanks to Frosty, Walter helps to overcome his anxiety and conquer his fears.
- Comically Missing the Point: When he first meets Frosty who shouts his signature "Happy birthday!" phrase after bringing him back to life, his response is, "But it's not my birthday."
- Freudian Excuse: Walter is a Nervous Wreck but this likely is because of the control his domineering mother has over him.
- Nervous Wreck: Tends to be scared of almost anything, even his own mother.
Charlie Tinkerton
Voiced by: Jeannie Elias
Tommy's stuck-up older brother.- Break the Haughty: Having his number one badge taken away from him.
- Broken Pedestal: Initially idolizes his father, but after encountering Frosty begins to realize just how flawed and overly strict he is.
- Took a Level in Kindness: After meeting Frosty, he remains a bit gruff but lightens up considerably and actively works to help the town rather than being a bully.
Sonny, Sully, and Simon Sklarow
Voiced by: Tara Strong (Sonny), Grey DeLisle (Sully and Simon)
A trio of brothers who are always upbeat.
Antagonists
Professor Hinkle
"I must get that hat! Think nasty, think nasty, think nasty!"
Voiced by: Billy De Wolfe
Described as "The Worst Magician in the World," Hinkle goes out of his way to steal Frosty's hat in the hopes of using it to make himself rich off of its magical properties.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: While he makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in The Legend of Frosty the Snowman (via a flashback), he's notably friendlier and not mean compared to the original special being portrayed as a slightly grumpy but ultimately loving father.
- Affably Evil: He may refer to himself as an evil magician and attempted to both freeze Karen and melt Frosty, but prior to Frosty being brought to life, there was nothing to indicate that he'd be so malicious. This line in particular sells how much of a commoner he really is in spite of his sins."I mean, we evil magicians have to make a living, too!"
- Agent Scully: In the original special, he feigns this to the children, wanting them to no longer bother with thoughts about Frosty coming to life so he can take the magic hat for himself. In The Legend of Frosty the Snowman, he genuinely believes this, as he tells his son that magic doesn't actually exist when he tries to tell his father about Frosty's existence.
- Big Bad: Of the original show.
- Butt-Monkey: And how. For starters, he's absolutely terrible at his job, to the point he gets trampled by the school children he was supposed to entertain the moment the school bell rings, then his hat (which has been shown to have magical properties) gets stolen not once, but twice, by his rabbit. He tries to get it back, but ends up jumping off a train, tumbling down onto a tree head first and getting buried in ice and snow, virtually exhausts himself trying to catch up to a belly-whopping Frosty, then Santa practically threatens to never bring him any more Christmas presents as long as he lives if he lays so much as a finger on Frosty's hat.
- The Cameo: Appears in The Legend of Frosty the Snowman in a flashback sequence, showing him once more as the previous owner of Frosty's hat.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Takes pride in referring to himself as evil, even to Santa of all people.
- Death by Adaptation: Implied by Legend, as his lack of presence in the present day indicates he had passed away some years beforehand.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: After having spent most of the film trying so hard to get Frosty's hat back, only for Santa to have to threaten to never bring him any more Christmas presents to get him to back off, Hinkle is able to get a new hat - albeit after he writes "I am very sorry for what I did to Frosty" one hundred zillion times as proof of his repentance. He's seen happily marching along with the rest of the town when Frosty joins them in the Christmas parade, with a new hat, no less. He later goes on to have a kid, and while it's shown he does make a few mistakes, the two still go on to have a happy relationship.
- Easily Forgiven: Downplayed, as he went through plenty of injury, and had to write "I am very sorry for what I did to Frosty" one hundred zillion times to prove his repentance, but Frosty doesn't hold anything against him, nor does Karen for him nearly freezing her to death or making her watch her best friend melt before her eyes.
- Epic Fail: Hinkle is described as just about "The worst magician in the world," and it shows. The moment he appears to show the children his magic act, he almost immediately bungles it and makes quite a mess.
- Failed a Spot Check: While walking down the street shortly after reclaiming his hat, Hocus Pocus runs off with his prize and leaves a wreath on his head. He doesn't notice it until sometime later, at which point he frantically darts for the train station and boards an outbound freight to get his hat back from Frosty.
- Greed: Arguably his main form of motivation. When he discovers the hat has magical powers, he goes to any lengths to get it back from Frosty, as he thinks it will "Make [him] a millionaire magician."
- Glory Seeker: Part of his motivation to get his hat back is so he can become famous.
- Heel–Face Turn: Makes one of these at the end of the special (though Santa has to threaten him with no more Christmas presents to make this happen).
- I Reject Your Reality: Despite having seen Frosty come to life for himself, he deliberately refuses to acknowledge this to the kids, presumably because now that the hat is magic and he wants to be a "millionaire magician" above everything else.
- Laser-Guided Karma: He spends the entire special trying to get Frosty's hat, which ends with him melting the snowman alive. Once Santa shows up, he hands him an ultimatum: touch the hat, and no more Christmas presents.
- Named by the Adaptation: Implied in Legend that his last name is Tinkerton, though he goes unnamed in the special itself.
- Related in the Adaptation: The young boy in the blue, striped sweater is presented as just one of Karen's many classmates whom Hinkle interacts with, but largely ignores. In Legend, that kid is presented as his son, future Mayor Tinkerton.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: It's implied that his lack of belief in magic ultimately did this to all of Evergreen, as his doubts that magic was real sunk in hard on his son when his friend Frosty disappeared and never came back. This caused the poor boy to leave little room for fun in his life, thus, when he became Mayor of the town, it was a relatively neat, but otherwise boring and mundane place to live.
- He almost ended up doing this to the ENTIRE Rankin-Bass universe. When he lost his hat and it ended up on Frosty, the snowman was brought to life, discovering that his hat possessed great magic. The subsequent journey for Frosty to get to the North Pole led him to being taken there by Santa Claus, whom, unbeknownst to anyone, was being targeted by the villainous King Winterbolt, who sought to get rid of Santa so he could "reclaim" his place as ruler of the North Pole. As such an attempt was thwarted by the Lady Aurora Borealis giving a certain reindeer a glowing red nose to help guide Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve, both he and Frosty would end up in the wizard's crosshairs. All of this nearly results in Winterbolt getting his hands on Frosty's hat and almost creating an army of snowmen he would have undoubtedly used to conquer everything, all because Hinkle was such a lousy magician.
- Verbal Tic: He has a tendency to repeat single words or phrases in groups of threes, or occasionally twos. Such phrases include, "messy, messy, messy," "naughty, naughty," "silly, silly, silly," "think nasty, think nasty, think nasty," and, "busy, busy, busy."
- The Voiceless: He doesn't speak at all in Legend, with his only "dialogue" being read out loud by Tommy while reading the comic detailing Frosty's origin.
- Would Hurt a Child: Hinkle's desperation to reclaim Frosty's hat leads him to willingly extinguish a fire that was keeping Karen warm, just hours after Frosty had narrowly kept her from freezing to death.
Jack Frost
Voiced by: Paul Frees
The one who helps bring the winter's wonders to the world each season, Jack becomes extremely jealous of all the attention Frosty is getting from the children, leading him to try and destroy the snowman.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Most versions of Jack Frost, including the one that Rankin Bass themselves would make, are depicted as a good natured figure with a kind heart and a gentle soul. This Jack is a jealous being who would happily end a sentient snowman's life if it meant he would get more attention from the children. It becomes subverted when he reforms, making him closer to other depictions.
- Attention Whore: Once Frosty returns to town, Jack becomes jealous of the attention being paid to Frosty, scheming to take Frosty's magic hat back and regain his status as the favorite.
- Big Bad: Of Frosty's Winter Wonderland. At least at first.
- The Bus Came Back: He returned in Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July to help revive Frosty and his family when they melted in the heat.
- Defrosting Ice King: When Jack attempts to disrupt the wedding, Frosty and Crystal ask if he would be the best man, to which he eagerly replies that he's always been the best man. He helps to extend the winter, until Parson Brown reminds him that spring is one of nature's promises, and he takes a vacation , preparing to return the following winter.
- Failed a Spot Check: When he thinks he steals Frosty's hat, the blizzard he makes is so intense, he doesn't realize he took a horse's hat until after he was well and far away. Once he looks at it, he thinks Frosty tricked him.
- Green-Eyed Monster: And boy how. He's so jealous that Frosty is love and adored by the children that he goes out of his way to try and get rid of him for good.
- Heel–Face Turn: Frosty and Crystal get him to invoke one when they ask him to be the best man at their wedding. He's so touched by the gesture that he happily accepts. He even later returns the gesture when he revives Frosty and his family after they melted following the death of Winterbolt.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: He makes a big blizzard to swipe Frosty's hat. All it does is obscure the fact he took a hat from a horse instead of a talking snowman.
- It's All About Me: Jack thinks he's far better than Frosty simply because he's the one who brings winter every year. However, his ego ends up putting off the children, who prefer the nicer and more humble Frosty. All this does is make him even madder.
- Never My Fault: When he realizes he swiped a horse's hat instead of Frosty's, he blames the snowman for tricking him, not realizing his own blizzard made it impossible to see he grabbed the wrong one.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: After his Heel–Face Turn, he makes the winter last longer so Frosty and Crystal could stay with the children longer. While he didn't mean any harm by it, his actions nearly stuck the town in an eternal winter until Parson Brown pointed out that he was upsetting the delicate balance of nature. Jack realized his mistake and left with Frosty back to the North Pole.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Assuming this Jack Frost is the same one from his own special, then he would definitely qualify. The Jack from that special was a kind man and an overall hero, while this Jack was an egoistical jerk that wanted attention for himself. However...
- Took a Level in Kindness: By the time he returns, he brings the Frosty family back to life without hesitation.
Mr. Twitchell
Voiced by: Brian Doyle-Murray
A crooked businessman who just invented a new instant-snow remover called "Summer Wheeze," who's determined to be crowned the king of Beansborough's annual winter carnival.
- Bad Boss: It's not really shown too much, but he does send one of his board members down a trap door when they warn him of the potential environmental damage Summer Wheeze could cause.
- Bald of Evil: Aside from a few hairs, he's practically this trope in spades.
- Big Bad: Of Frosty Returns.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: His company manufactures a spray capable of eliminating snow instantaneously, but he's largely doing it to bolster his own ego and profits, regardless of whatever environmental damage it may incur. He even drops board members who disagree with him down a trap door! At least until the end, when he reforms and starts making sleds.
- Heel–Face Turn: According to the narrator, he permanently shut down production on Summer Wheeze and instead made sleds.
- Laser-Guided Karma: He tries to ram a truck full of Summer Wheeze into the path of a parade in Frosty's honor, only to drive into a frozen lake.
- Tempting Fate: He openly dares Mother Nature to try and stop him from eliminating snow using Summer Wheeze, which he nearly succeeds at until Holly convinces the town they need to keep the snow around. The narrator even lampshades it by pointing out he was no match for Mother Nature.
Principal Pankley
Voiced by: Larry Miller
The Principal of Evergreen's elementary school and a strict disciplinarian, who believes that the rules must be followed and enforced down to the letter. When Frosty the Snowman comes to town and starts encouraging the children to stray away from these rules, he becomes so incensed at the chaos, until he sees an opportunity to seize power and run things his way...
- Bald of Evil: Continuing the trend of Frosty's villains lacking hair, Hinkle is shown as balding.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Break so much as one minor rule and he'll throw the book at you.
- False Friend: Though he acts like Mayor Tinkerton's confidant and friend, he's really a backstabbing schemer who threw him to the wolves when it appeared he couldn't keep things under control.
- Green-Eyed Monster: He was the one who locked up Frosty's hat because he couldn't stand all the attention that Mayor Tinkerton was getting from the snowman.
- Hate Sink: Unlike with Hinkle, Jack Frost, or Mr. Twitchell, all of whom were silly villains who were shown to at least be redeemable, Pankley has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He acts with such strict demeanor that he can't stand anyone breaking even the slightest of rules, schemes to take the position of his "friend" as Mayor, and essentially tricks poor Walter into murdering Frosty so he can finally be rid of the snowman once and for all (not to mention that he was the one who initially sealed Frosty up all those years ago, simply out of jealousy.) He's not as bad as, say, Winterbolt, but he's definitely the worst of Frosty's villains. To put it in perspective, he never once showed anger at Hinkle, Jack Frost, Mr. Twitchell, or even Winterbolt, but one look at Pankley, and he had a Death Glare on him that could give Lady Tremaine a run for her money.
- Ink-Suit Actor: He resembles his actor Larry Miller quite a bit.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While he's clearly in it for the power, and wants every rule followed to the letter, Evergreen's citizens do acknowledge his point that, ever since Frosty came around, Mayor Tinkerton has failed to reign in some of the more rowdy behavior that was far too disruptive.
- Laser-Guided Karma: After the children successfully rescue Frosty, the snowman reveals why he took so long to come back to visit. Cue the citizens of Evergreen piling snowballs on Pankley as he tries to dart out of there.
- The Starscream: After days worth of the children acting unruly, Pankley takes the opportunity to convince the town to let him take over as mayor of Evergreen, as Mayor Tinkerton had failed to reign in the kids. He even takes Tinkerton's beloved clipboard from him!
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Once Frosty and the others pelt him with snowballs, he isn't seen again for the rest of the movie, implying he was driven out of town.
Adult characters
The Traffic Cop
Voiced by: Paul Frees
The local police officer in charge of maintaining traffic in the town.
- Delayed Reaction: He gets this when he stops Frosty the first time, then again in Frosty's Winter Wonderland, when he realizes Frosty has a wife now.
- Failed a Spot Check: He fails to recognize that Frosty is a living snowman, and then again when he doesn't realize that he got married.
- Flat Character: There's not too much personality to him, aside from him being stern with whoever he stopped, and getting surprised when he realizes whom he was talking to.
- iSophagus: Arguably the Trope Codifier, he swallows his whistle when he realizes that he was talking to a living snowman. Then, in Frosty's Winter Wonderland, he does this again when he realizes Frosty has a wife.
- Officer O'Hara: He speaks with an Irish Accent.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: When Karen tells him that Frosty just came to life, he lets them go without any trouble.
- Seen It All: Attempts to invoke this trope when he encounters Frosty for the second time, claiming that nothing else surprises him anymore. It ends up being subverted when he realizes Frosty has a snow wife.
- Took a Level in Kindness: When Frosty encounters him again, he's not quite as stern as he was the last time, and even is touched to see the snowman got married...until he realizes he got married and promptly swallows his whistle again.
Parson Brown
Voiced by: Dennis Day
The town's local preacher.
- Glasses Pull: He has a nice pair of glasses, and does this when he first spots the people (or rather, snow people) he's been asked to marry.
- Loophole Abuse: When he's brought to marry Frosty and Crystal, he refuses, since he's only allowed to marry humans. Ergo, he invokes this trope to create a Snow Parson, who can legally marry them.
- Musical Theme Naming: He's named after the "Parson Brown" heard in the song "Winter Wonderland".
- Nice Guy: Befitting of his position, he's a gentle and soft spoken fellow.
- Preacher Man: He is "Parson" Brown after all.
- What the Hell, Hero?: He's a bit more gentle about it than this trope usually plays out, but he does criticize the children for allowing winter to continue on for months, as it upsets the delicate balance of nature.
Lil DeCarlo
Ms. Carbunkle
Voiced by: Andrea Martin
An elementary school teacher in Beansborough, who's not particularly fond of the constant snows the town experiences.
- Apathetic Teacher: Downplayed, but her interest in teaching is clearly starting to wain a bit, since she falls flat asleep during Charles' presentation.
- Grumpy Old Woman: She's not the meanest person in the world, but she certainly isn't too pleasant to deal with inside or outside of the classroom.
- Stern Teacher: Even outside of the classroom, she's not the most personable woman in the world. When the class starts ranting on about not wanting to have any snow days, she has to maintain order quickly.
Ms. Carbunkle: Where do you think you are, MTV?
- Vague Age: It's not clear how old she really is, but she's clearly old enough to be worried about all the snow shoveling she's doing will affect her health.
Mayor Tinkerton
Voiced by: Tom Kenny
Tommy Tinkerton's father and the Mayor of Evergreen, who brought Frosty to life all those years ago. When the snowman disappeared, he lost all faith in magic and turned towards the rules instead, creating a safe, but rather dull town to live in.
- Actor Allusion: As with a certain cartoon, a character played by Tom Kenny ends up as friends with a big, lovable, excitable guy played by Bill Fagerbakke.
- Companion Cube: His clipboard.
- Heel Realization: The events of Legend ultimately cause him to realize how neglectful he has been towards Tommy, and that he let his lack of faith in magic make things a lot worse for everyone. He seems to have learned his lesson, as the town is a lot happier by the time spring rolls around.
- Lawful Stupid: Not to a lethal extent, but his desire to ensure that the rules are followed down to the letter have turned Evergreen into a very beautiful, but rather dull and unexciting place to live.
- Mourning an Object: A non-lethal example, but when Pankley takes his beloved clipboard, Tinkerton slumps into a deep depression.
- Parental Neglect: While he's not doing so intentionally, he heavily favors his son Charlie over Tommy, often ignoring the latter until Charlie gets into a fight at school, at which point Tommy becomes more heavily favored in his eyes. It's implied this is the result of having Professor Hinkle as a father.
- Related in the Adaptation: In the original special, there was a young boy with a blue sweater and dirty blonde hair who attended the same school as Karen, both of whom bore witness to the embarrassment of Professor Hinkle's poor magic. Legend reveals that this boy was Hinkle's son (although it should be noted that the original special didn't make it clear if there was any relation).
- Ultimate Authority Mayor: Of Evergreen.
Narrators
Jimmy Durante
Voiced by: Jimmy Durante
The narrator of the original special.- As Himself: Unlike with Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman for Rudolph, Durante plays himself.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: While this was obvious given his capacity as narrator, he outright tells the viewers watching that, when Hocus Pocus steals the magic hat from Hinkle, he was entirely right in doing so because the hat belongs to Frosty and the children, not the magician.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He doesn't return to his narrating duties for the sequel, as Durante retired from acting in 1972.
- Dark Reprise: He solemnly sings the titular song when Frosty is melted into a puddle.
- Ink-Suit Actor: Looks like Durante to a tee.
- Narrator: Serves in this capacity for the original Frosty the Snowman.
Andy Griffith
Voiced by: Andy Griffith
The narrator of Frosty's Winter Wonderland.- As Himself: Features in the special as this, and not as another character.
- Ink-Suit Actor: Nails Griffith's look down pat.
- Interactive Narrator: Downplayed, as he only does it once, but when the children lament about not being able to bring another snowman to life and missing Frosty, he comes out and sings to them how Frosty promised to come back.
- Narrator: Serves in this capacity for Frosty's Winter Wonderland.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Jimmy Durante from the original special.
Jonathan Winters
Voiced by: Jonathan Winters
The narrator of Frosty Returns, who travels around to towns via snowflake.- As Himself: Is credited by his name.
- Book Ends: The special opens with him riding a snowflake to Beansborough, calling it a "nice town, plenty of parking space, with lots of coco." When it ends, he says the exact same thing about his next stop, Winnipeg.
- Ink-Suit Actor: Captures Winter's essence perfectly.
- Interactive Narrator: He gets the plot in motion by humming Frosty the Snowman to Holly while she's looking for her hat, pointing out its position atop the titular snowman's head.
- Narrator: Serves in this capacity for Frosty Returns.
- Punny Name: His last name is Winters, and the special he's narrating is about winter.
- Trademark Favorite Food: He absolutely loves hot coco, and is seen drinking a huge mug of it at one point.
