Character sheets for the animated film Klaus (2019).
ALL SPOILERS ARE UNMARKED. Read on at your own discretion.
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Main characters
Jesper Johanssen
"What am I supposed to do? Stay forever in this little town, hanging out with an old woodsman, surrounded by crazy people and never wanting anything more?"
Voiced by: Jason Schwartzman (English), Quim Gutiérrez (Spanish), Sebastian Yatra (Latin American Spanish), Kōki Uchiyama (Japanese), Józef Pawłowski (Polish)
A spoiled, lazy postal service worker who's sent to Smeerensburg by his father to get his act together or else be cut off from his wealth for good.- Accidental Hero: He definitely didn't set out to break down the walls between the Krums and Ellingboes when he spun the tale of Klaus, only delivering toys to get the children to write more letters so he would be able to leave Smeerensburg. But the various myths that end up spinning out from his and Klaus' secret toy deliveries wind up inspiring the children to be kind of each other after feuding for so long. His heroism loses the "accidental" part after his Character Development.
- Alliterative Name: Jesper Johanssen.
- Almighty Janitor: While Klaus gets the deserved credit of making the toys, it is Jesper who delivers the toys and does all the things the children find magical, such as being able to slide down fireplaces and never being seen. More so, Jesper later embellishes Klaus' actions and behaviors, such as making up the Naughty List on the spot. While this added to Klaus' magical image, it was actually based on what Jesper did out of revenge on a kid who was malicious towards him (giving him coal instead of a toy).
- Anti-Hero: At the very least, he begins as one: he's lazy and egotistic, and most of his actions in Smeerensburg are initially motivated by selfish desires. Gradually, he loses this streak and becomes more generous and genuinely kind.
- Babies Ever After: He and Alva are shown to have a son and daughter by the movie's end.
- Beard of Sorrow: Grows a stubble during the many fruitless months of trying to find anyone in Smeerensburg willing to send letters.
- Big Guy, Little Guy: Alongside Klaus, Jesper is definitely the Little Guy.
- Birds of a Feather: With Alva, as both never wanted to be in Smeerensburg and clearly just want out of the place first chance they get. However, with the presents and Klaus, they eventually find reasons to stay.
- Blue Is Heroic: His postman uniform is Prussian blue, and he eventually becomes a braver and kinder man as the movie goes on.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Despite deliberately fluking every single part of his training like kicking down fragile packages down a staircase, he proves to be an extremely competent postman once he gets motivated.
- Butt-Monkey: Is at the end of a lot of Amusing Injuries when he comes to Smeerensburg. Mogens especially takes joy in watching Jesper go through the wringer when he tries to get the people to write letters.
- Camp Straight: He's rather flamboyant, seen enjoying treatments and thinking of how he misses silk sheets, and becomes involved romantically with Alva.
- Character Development: Jesper begins as a lazy, selfish Manchild thinking that if someone does a nice thing for someone, they're only doing it for their own benefit. His time in with Klaus, Alva, and Márgu transform him into a hard-working, mature, caring man who believes in Klaus' "a true act of good will, always sparks another" philosophy.
- Character Tics:
- Jesper has a tendency to touch his face when in thought, either by rubbing his temples or scratching his nose.
- He's also very easy to startle, and often tumbles and falls when that happens.
- The Chew Toy: During his time in Smeerensburg, he is subjected to a fair share of Amusing Injuries.
- City Mouse: He was complaining about his position before even reaching Smeerensburg just because he had to drive himself to the island ferry in a rickety cart.
- Deadpan Snarker: Often makes snide remarks, and the "deadpan" part gets dropped when he's in real distress (i.e., rather often).
- Effeminate Voice: He speaks in a tenor voice complete with a very campy inflection, which goes hand in hand with his flamboyant mannerisms and initial spoiled attitude.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: More like selfish than evil, but for the first part of the movie, he has a tough time believing anyone would want to do something for others without gaining something in return, believing that the kids just wanted more toys, the adults…something, even just hanging birdhouses would have to come from a demented state. He grows out of this.
- Fat and Skinny: Skinny to Klaus' fat.
- Good Parents: In the movie's epilogue, he's kindly, respectable father of his and Alva children.
- Hairstyle Inertia: Other than neater bangs and some gray hairs, his hairstyle remains the same in the last leg of the epilogue.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Averted for the majority of the film, where he's actually motivated by the promise to be able to leave Smeerensburg, and didn't actually care about bringing joy to the kids or helping to repair the town. Played straight however, when he eventually becomes the mask, and genuinely becomes hard-working, caring, selfless, and perfectly willing to put his own life on the line just to save the day.
- Happily Married: To Alva in the epilogue.
- Hidden Depths: It's not explicitly pointed out, but Jesper's not a half-bad artist, as shown in his "6,000 Letters" scoreboard and his Christmas pitch drawings. At the very least, he knows how to give simple doodles some flair and color.
- I Choose to Stay: Decides to stay in Smeerensburg after he and Klaus make it a better place.
- Idle Rich: What his father fears he will become, given that Jesper saw no reason to work for a job until he was under threat of being cut off.
- Intergenerational Friendship: Forms one with Klaus, who's probably old enough to be his grandfather, and also with Márgu, who's young enough to be his daughter (or at least a very, very little sister).
- It's All About Me: Throughout over half the movie, Jesper is self-absorbed and thinks little of helping others unless there's something in it for him. He gets better.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: At the beginning he starts out as a Spoiled Brat and is only doing the work in Smeerensburg so he can get out sooner. However, as the movie progresses, he gets some Character Development and genuinely wants to make the people there happy.
- Large Ham: He is very exuberant and flamboyant in his mannerisms, and it's clear that Jason Schwartzman had a real kick out of performing his voice.
- Lean and Mean: More self-absorbed and petulant than outright malicious, but he starts off being rather dismissive of the kids and isn't above intimidating local bullies with tall tales if he thinks they deserve it. Subverted after he Took a Level in Kindness and became a father himself.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: With Alva. Especially at the beginning, Jesper was a spoiled rich boy who enjoyed spa-like activities and is quite effeminate. Alva, on the other hand, is a rough and aggressive fishmonger.
- Missing Mom: His mother doesn't appear once in the movie.
- Motor Mouth: Is prone to babbling, especially when he's nervous. Him frantically rushing to loose all the locks from Mr. Spendelberg's front door in order to escape is a prime example.
- My God, What Have I Done?: When he pulls the cloth off of a decorative shelf that Klaus and his late wife made, Jesper realizes that he unintentionally hit a sore spot for Klaus.
- Nice Guy: Becomes a fully-fledged one at the end of his character arc, where he's respectful, jovial and friendly, without looking down on anyone.
- Official Couple: With Alva, at the end.
- Politically Incorrect Hero: His response to a little Saami girl speaking to him in her native language is to tactlessly reply "What's wrong with her mouth?" He grows out of it.
- Puppy-Dog Eyes: Attempts to pull off the "Little Jespie" act to convince his father out of sending him away. Needless to say, it doesn't work.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: His father assigns him to work at Smeerensburg, where no mainland postman has lasted for very long.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: He is the talkative, somewhat egotistical red to Klaus' stoic, gentle blue. Ironically, Jesper wears blue and Klaus wears red.
- Riches to Rags: He's forced out of his pampered life in Isaksdal into a ramshackle post office in the middle of an isolated arctic island, and the transition is anything but easy for him.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The easily rattled Sensitive Guy used to being pampered to Klaus's gruffer Manly Man who is an expert woodsman. However, that's on the surface. Underneath, they both switch the roles due to their personalities, especially before Jesper's Character Development, as he starts off as selfish and not emotionally intelligent, the exact opposite of Klaus.
- Spanner in the Works: Alva notes that he tends to complicate things when he shows up. His plan to get Smeerensburg writing letters for gifts ends up derailing the town's feud. More directly, when he tries to save a sled of toys from the Krums and Ellingboes, which was actually a decoy set up by Klaus and Alva, he nearly gets himself and Klaus killed. On the other hand, Jesper being willing to save the decoy without knowing that it was a decoy earns Klaus and Alva's trust in him back.
- Spoiled Brat: To a point; he's not so much uncivil to other people as whiny, entitled, and useless. Jesper's father is Postmaster General of the Royal Postal Academy, which gives him this attitude, as that affluence also supported what sounds like a pretty lavish social life back home. Again, he gets better.
- Spoiled Sweet: For all his whininess and rich kid entitlement, he's a generally affable guy who's polite to the help and will offer you a cappuccino. About the worst thing he ever really does is get slightly dismissive with the kids, and at the height of his desperation, try to con one out of a penny.
- Sweet Tooth: The kids' start leaving out cookies for Klaus because they believe he's the one eating them, but it's actually Jesper who likes them.
- Took a Level in Idealism: His belief system has changed from a jaded "Everybody's out to get something" to a more optimistic "A true act of good will always sparks another".
- Took a Level in Kindness: By the end of the film, he drops his solipsistic streak as he becomes more compassionate and learns the value of hard work.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Downplayed with Alva. Jesper isn't ugly but is more cartoonishly cute while Alva is conventionally attractive.
- Uptown Guy: He falls in love with and marries Alva, a schoolteacher of modest means.
Klaus
Voiced by: J. K. Simmons (English), Luis Tosar (Spanish), Joaquín Cosío (Latin American Spanish), Tesshō Genda (Japanese), Wiktor Zborowski (Polish)
A man living in the woods outside Smeerensburg who Jesper finds out makes toys and offers to deliver them for free.- Actually Pretty Funny: Finds it hilarious that a child claimed to see his sleigh flying through the air pulled by magical reindeer. And the rest is history.
- Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: After he dies, and only coming back to the mortal plane on Christmas Eve.
- Badass Santa: Huge and strong enough to bend iron bars with his bare hands (although the name "Santa" is never actually used in the movie, and Klaus is merely a human who inspired the legend...at first).
- Baritone of Strength: The most physically imposing character in the film is also voiced by J. K. Simmons, an actor with a deep voice.
- Beard of Sorrow: Although it's not explicitly stated, Klaus did grow his long, lush beard after his wife's death, and years of solitude.
- Big Guy, Little Guy: Klaus is the former to Jesper in spades.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: His are very thick and dark.
- Came Back Strong: Dying causes him to become the magical Santa Claus we all know him to be.
- Cool Old Guy: A noble, kind-hearted old man who, by the way, can split timber in half with his bare hands and is a very skilled carpenter and craftsman.
- Cope by Creating: After the death of his beloved wife, with no children to tend to, he resorted to making birdhouses in her memory.
- Dark Is Not Evil: He's dressed in dark colors during the beginning, but he's considerably gentler than you would expect.
- Defrosting Ice King: Starts out as a grumpy, lip-locked loner but warms up to Jesper over the course of the story.
- Deity of Human Origin: Becomes one when his time comes, not even leaving behind a body and returns once a year to fulfill his duty. And see his old friend Jesper.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: Greatly in his flashback to his marriage to Lydia, and only to a small degree some years after the first Christmas delivery; in the latter, Klaus' hair has completely grayed out, showing that his age is catching up with him.
- Face of a Thug: When they first encounter each other, Jesper mistook him for a serial killer.
- Fat and Skinny: Fat to Jesper's skinny.
- Friend to All Children: Klaus has Jesper deliver toys to children in order to second hand see the joy that lights up their faces. Justified, as he and his late wife wanted to start a family with lots of children but could never conceive any.
- Friend to All Living Things: Not only does Klaus love children, he builds birdhouses for birds, and he's able to tame the reindeer to pull the wagon by feeding them.
- Gentle Giant: He's capable of bending iron bars out of place and ripping foot-wide-cut logs in half with his bare hands. But he is soft-spoken, has a rapport with animals and has a soft spot for children, not to mention being a skilled toymaker despite his frame.
- Go Out with a Smile: At the end of the movie when he walks towards the light, he's wearing a smile on his face as he closes his eyes and vanishes.
- Grumpy Old Man: He starts out like this, before finding meaning to his life through Jesper. Even J.K. Simmons points out how his character is the antithesis of the jolly Santa Claus we all know.
- Happily Married: He dearly loved his late wife Lydia, and it's implied that her spirit still watches over him as the wind surrounding their old barn.
- The Hermit: He lives all alone, at least a day's travel, away from the denizens of Smeerensburg. Justified, as he and his late wife wanted to live "away from it all" (meaning the feud).
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Even in his younger days he was easily three times the size of his wife Lydia.
- Humble Hero: He's pretty content with living in his simple cottage and building birdhouses, having not a selfish bone in his body. The closest thing he has to ambition is to make toys for children for the sake of kindness and generosity.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: He has deep blue eyes that symbolize his kindness.
- Intergenerational Friendship: Forms a close partnership with Jesper that lasts to the end of his living years. Then after dying, he still takes time out of his annual trip to visit Jesper at the latter's home.
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: It's usually difficult to see because of his beard, but he has a very pronounced chin.
- Large Ham: He has his moments, especially when excited.
- Manly Tears: The memory of his late wife Lydia and the foiled plans of starting a family with her makes Klaus misty-eyed, as it would any man who has a heart.
- Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: Jesper starts off thinking Klaus is a reclusive ax murderer, then a big scary grudge-holder due to Klaus being The Stoic. Over time, he realizes he's a Friend to All Living Things.
- Nice Guy: Kind-hearted, humble and sincere, he's a firm believer that "a true selfless act always sparks another".
- Not So Above It All: He cannot hide his excitement when he and Jesper race through the woods with the reindeer in front. He defrosts from here.
- The Quiet One: He's not the most talkative person. At first he hardly says much at all, but he gradually becomes more talkative as he opens up to Jesper.
- Red Is Heroic: At one point, the Saami people bestow him a red outfit as a show of their thanks - it shares a resemblance with the traditional red outfit worn by Santa Claus in most popular media.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: He is the stoic, gentle blue to Jesper's talkative, somewhat egotistical red. Ironically, Klaus ends up wearing red while Jesper wears blue.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The quiet, world-weary Manly Man to Jesper's easily rattled Sensitive Guy used to being pampered. However, their personalities due a switcheroo — Klaus is more emotionally vulnerable and intelligent while Jesper isn't until he changes.
- Signature Laugh: "Ho Ho Ho!" What more would you expect from the man who would come to be known as Santa Claus?
- Stealth Hi/Bye: For someone his size, Klaus is a master of this, able to appear out of nowhere without making a sound.
- Suddenly Shouting: He raises his voice when Jesper reveals his intended family tree, showing that he was once married and wanted to have children.
- The Stoic: He scarcely says much and rarely wears his emotions on his sleeve.
- Took a Level in Cheerfulness: After Jesper's arrival and delivering toys to children with him, Klaus comes to terms with his wife's death and chooses to live out the rest of his years in happiness, knowing that he has friends.
- Top-Heavy Guy: He has a great build and stout little legs that carry him.
- Trauma Button: Don't expose the decorative shelf he made with his wife, or question him about it.
- When He Smiles: At first he is rather emotionless and Jesper ends up being pleasantly surprised when he hears his laughter.
The Krums
General
- Brains and Brawn: The Krums are the Brains to the Ellingboe's Brawn, lampshaded when Mrs. Krum openly wonders how they never defeated such dullards.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: They all have black hair and dress in cool greens and blues.
- Creepy Child: The snowman quartet that Jesper meets early on in the film, especially the little girl who seems particularly carrot-happy. Subverted when they're shown to be just as excited about the toy deliveries as the rest of the kids, and they're later seen decorating a giant, happy snowman in the town square.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Other than Mrs. Krum and her closest followers, they turn out to be great neighbors once the feud starts to calm down.
- Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: None of them would look out of place in an Addams Family lineup.
- Fat and Skinny: Most of the adult Krums are slimmer and lankier than their Ellingboe counterparts.
Mrs. Krum
"Do you know what this is, little boy? This... is tradition!"
Voiced by: Joan Cusack (English), Elena de Maeztu (Spanish), Gabriela Gómez (Latin American Spanish), Hanna Śleszyńska (Polish)
The leader of Krum clan, who staunchly opposes Jesper and Klaus trying to bring happiness into Smeerensburg.- All There in the Manual: Her name is "Tammy".
- Appeal to Tradition: She is the staunchest advocate for the continuation of the Krum-Ellingboe feud.
- Big Bad: She is the most staunchly against Smeerensburg losing its hateful ways and, unlike the dense Mr. Ellingboe, plots to undo the goodwill Klaus' toys are spreading.
- Dark Is Evil: She is dressed in dark blue from head to toe, and is a black-haired Krum.
- Deadpan Snarker: She frequently makes dry quips when something particularly stupid unfolds around her.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Mrs. Krum appears to genuinely love her son, Olaf, and never shows any sort of abusive tendencies towards him.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: She finds the notion of peace between the Krum and Ellingboe clans to be absurd, unable to let go of her resentment for the Ellingboes.
- Evil Is Hammy: Parodied; when she attempts giving a dramatic speech, she's cut off by Mr. Ellingboe. When she tries again, she gets upset because Mr. Ellingboe ruined the mood.
- Evil Matriarch: She serves as the leader of the Krums and is the most determined to keep the feud and ruin Christmas for the sake of tradition.
- Evil Old Folks: She is very clearly of advanced age and clearly rotten to the core.
- Excessive Evil Eyeshadow: She has dark patches around her eyes that add to her sinister appearance. They might also be Creepy Shadowed Undereyes because of her old age and miserable demeanor.
- Fat and Skinny: She's the Skinny to Mr. Ellingboe's fat.
- Faux Affably Evil: Not too much, but it's clear that she managed to convince Jesper's father of his son's alleged success, which means she needed no small degree of charm to make it work. She's also the type to pretend she's not too mad the little Krum boy "disrespected [his] heritage" and played with a Ellingboe girl, but it's there all the same.
- The Grinch: She and Mr. Ellingboe are not happy to see the joy Jesper and Klaus bring to the children of Smeerensburg, to the point of sending an angry mob with Torches and Pitchforks to attack them and destroy their toys in the trailer.
- Hypocrite: She is willing to call a truce with Mr. Ellingboe just so that they can continue their feud after Jesper and Klaus are taken out of the picture. Mr. Ellingboe even lampshades the weirdness of her plan.Mr. Ellingboe: So, we must join together in peace to help stop this... peace?
- Improvised Weapon: She uses her cane in rather inventive ways during the climax.
- Jerkass: She is by far the most unpleasant and deliberately malevolent character in the whole movie.
- Karma Houdini: She doesn't really get any punishment for her evil plot. There is a shot of her and Mr. Ellingboe looking unamused at Olaf and Pumpkin's wedding, but that's it.
- Laser-Guided Karma: That being said, she and Mr. Elligboe are now forced to end the very feud they desperately wanted to keep alive, and forced to live as in-laws after their children marry.
- Lean and Mean: She is a thin, short woman who's rotten to the core.
- Manipulative Bitch: She discovers that Jesper needs 6000 letters mailed at his post office before he can leave the island. At that point, Jesper doesn't want to leave anymore, but Krums and Ellingboes want him gone. So she has her goons write the remaining number of letters, then throw them onto the boat carrying the mail from Smeerensburg without Jesper knowing, so that Jesper's task will be completed and his father will come to take him away.
- Milking the Giant Cow: Does this melodramatic pose before suggesting the truce.
- Miniature Senior Citizens: She's ancient-looking, and her hunched-over posture emphasizes her crooked nature.
- No Name Given: Downplayed; her first name "Tammy" is never said in the movie.
- Only Sane Woman: Well, wisdom is not the right word for it given she is an incredibly wicked woman who wants to keep a feud going just because it is tradition. But between her and Mr. Ellingboe, she's obviously the schemer.
- Pet the Dog: She didn't break or take the frog toy from the small Krum boy. He was seen playing with it later in the movie with the same Ellingboe girl from before.
- Surrounded by Idiots: Often finds herself in this predicament. She lampshades this when Mr. Ellingboe constantly asks her about what she's talking about when she plans.Mrs. Krum: How have we never defeated you?
Mrs. Krum: (when Mr. Ellingboe is about to ask what she meant by "one down, one to go") If you ask me who right now, I swear!
Olaf
"(excited wheezing)"
Voiced by: Sergio Pablos
Mrs. Krum's son and enforcer.- Being Evil Sucks: He comes to this realization when he rescues Pumpkin from falling to her death.
- Big Ol' Unibrow: It's quite bushy, at that.
- The Brute: He and Pumpkin serve as this for their respective clans.
- The Dragon: Serves this role for the Krum clan.
- Evil Laugh: Downplayed. When Mrs. Krum utters an interesting plan, he lets out a wheeze, complete with a dopey grin.
- Minion with an F in Evil: He does follow Mrs. Krum's orders, but off the clock, he's more than willing to rescue an Ellingboe falling to her death.
- Official Couple: Becomes one with Pumpkin.
- The Speechless: He has no spoken dialogue, in contrast to Pumpkin, who is at the very least capable of pronouncing one word.
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: While he towers over most of Smeerensburg, he's still smaller than Pumpkin.
- What You Are in the Dark: Despite spending the majority of the movie as his mother's Dumb Muscle henchman, he goes out of his way to save Pumpkin from falling off the cliff, which causes the two to fall in love.
The Ellingboes
General
- Brains and Brawn: They are the Brawn to the Krum's Brain, being bigger and stronger, best personified by Pumpkin being larger then her counter-part Olaf on the Krum side.
- The Bully: One Ellingboe boy isn't the nicest to Jesper, and his unkindness is not forgotten when Jesper almost delivers a present to his house.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: All of them have red hair and dress in warm browns and reds in contrast to the Krums.
- Fat and Skinny: While most of the adult Krums are tall, thin, and wiry, the Ellingboes tend to be shorter and stouter in contrast.
- Fiery Redhead: There's more than a few hot-headed Ellingboes out there. Special mention goes to the spearmen on the sleigh.
- Hot Blooded Sideburns: Quite a few Ellingboe men sport these.
Mr. Ellingboe
"Centuries of glorious hatred passed down through generations!"
- Voiced by: Will Sasso (English), Juan Luis Rovira (Spanish), Leszek Filipowicz (Polish)
- Appeal to Tradition: As head of his clan, he is a strong advocate for the feud to continue. When Mrs. Krum suggests a truce, he is at first shocked.
- Bad Boss: When his sled is about to fall off a cliff, he uses the head of his own henchman to stop it from going over.
- Demoted to Dragon: Pre-truce he was seen as being even with Mrs. Krum, but once the truce was on he seemed to take orders from her.
- Doting Parent: He's affectionate to his daughter, Pumpkin, to the point of spoiling her.
- Dumbass Has a Point: While proven to be the dumber of the two, Mr. Ellingboe is the one to point out that Mrs. Krum's idea for them to team up against a common enemy is antithetical to their goal of perpetuating their Irrational Hatred of each other.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He loves Pumpkin. Just about everything he says to her is endearment or praise.
- Evil Old Folks: He appears to be around the same age as Mrs. Krum.
- Expy: His design bares a remarkable likeness to The Mayor of The Nightmare Before Christmas, from his body-type, bumbling personality, orange color motif and iconic top-hat.
- Fat and Skinny: In case you haven't noticed the tropes listed out below, he's the Fat to Mrs. Krum's Skinny.
- Fat Bastard: A morbidly obese, unpleasant, bumbling lout.
- Fat Idiot: He's most certainly not one of the brightest characters in the film.
- The Grinch: He and Mrs. Krum are not happy to see the joy Jesper and Klaus bring to the children of Smeerensburg, to the point of sending an angry mob with Torches and Pitchforks to attack them and destroy their toys in the trailer.
- Jerkass: Like Mrs. Krum, he's a rude, petty jerk, even though his stupidity makes him more innocuous than her.
- Karma Houdini: Like Mrs. Krum, he doesn't really get any punishment for conspiring with her evil plot. There is a shot of him and Mrs. Krum looking unamused at Olaf and Pumpkin's wedding, but that's it.
- Laser-Guided Karma: That being said, he and Mrs. Krum are now forced to end the very feud they desperately wanted to keep alive, and forced to live as in-laws after their children marry.
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: Inverted; he does have a very prominent chin, but is by no means benevolent.
- Laughably Evil: His stupidity usually provides good comic relief.
- No Name Given: Subverted; His first name is revealed as Axel when Mrs. Krum offhandedly calls him by it.
- Stupid Evil: He's rather dense, to Mrs. Krum's endless frustration.
- Toothy Issue: He has a prominent snaggletooth in his lower jaw.
Pumpkin
"Mine..."
Voiced by: Sergio Pablos
Mr. Ellingboe's thuggish daughter.- Acrofatic: She is heavy but also quite agile when riding the tiny sled during the Chase Scene.
- All There in the Manual: Subtitles list her real name as "Magdalone", though not even her father calls her by this.
- Being Evil Sucks: When Olaf rescues her, she refuses to partake in the feud any longer.
- Brawn Hilda: A mannish female character from the north.
- The Brute: She serves this role to the Ellingboes.
- Clothing Reflects Personality: Her dress and hair arranged in pigtails make Pumpkin look like an enormous young girl rather than a grown woman, and she is spoiled by Mr. Ellingboe. She wears a more mature style when she weds Olaf however.
- Daddy's Girl: Is constantly doted on by her father, despite the fact that she is a large, violent, behemoth of a Womanchild.
- Disney Villain Death: Subverted when Olaf rescues her.
- The Dragon: She's the main henchwoman for her father, Mr. Ellingboe.
- Minion with an F in Evil: While she follows Mr. Ellingboe's orders to a fault, she is not all that mean; moreover, she puts Jesper's hat back on when she puts him down, and even adjusts it so that it fits.
- Official Couple: Becomes one with Olaf.
- One-Word Vocabulary: The only thing she always says is "Mine."
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Mr. Ellingboe's Brawn Hilda daughter is only referred to as "Pumpkin".
- Perpetual Frowner: Is constantly scowling. The only time she is seen smiling is during her wedding to Mrs. Krum's son, Olaf.
- Rescue Romance: She falls in love with Olaf after he saves her life.
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: With her being the largest person in Smeerensburg, this is a given when she marries Olaf.
- When She Smiles: The only time she's seen smiling is at her wedding with Olaf.
Other characters
Alva
"What happened was, I took a teaching job in a place where people don't send their kids to school!"
Voiced by: Rashida Jones (English), Belén Cuesta (Spanish), Cecilia Suárez (Latin American Spanish), Chie Nakamura (Japanese), Anna Dereszowska (Polish)
A woman who moved to Smeerensburg wanting to teach the children in the town and hopefully run a more successful school.- Ambiguously Absent Parent: In her graduation picture, she's flanked by a pair of nuns instead of parents.
- Babies Ever After: She and Jesper are shown to have a son and daughter by the movie's end.
- Badass Teacher: Once she gets her bearings, she uses her own savings to buy supplies for the schoolhouse and basically refurbishes it all by hand. And even though it was meant as a front, she shows a lot of courage in standing up to the town mob when they come to destroy the Christmas toys.
- Birds of a Feather: Both she and Jesper never wanted to be in Smeerensburg and clearly just want out of the place first chance they get. However, with the presents and Klaus, they eventually find reasons to stay.
- Broken Ace: Alva wanted to be a teacher more than anything. But since the Ellingboes and Krums don't want their children "mingling with their sworn enemy's spawn", she grew bitter and instead became a fishmonger so she could earn enough money to start anew far, far away from Smeerensburg.
- Broken Bird: Commentary describes her as someone whose light was snuffed out at one point during her time in Smeerensburg.
- Character Development: Alva's first appearance shows how much of a Broken Bird Smeerensburg has made her. Once children start showing up to her school, her attitude brightens up considerably.
- Cool Teacher: Her students absolutely adore her.
- Costume Evolution: At the start of the movie, she has on a disheveled dress and her hair is a mess. Since she can't teach in Smeerensburg, she's miserable and just wants to get away. However, after Jesper and Klaus start giving the children toys and they start coming to learn, Alva cleans herself up and even buys herself a new dress, signaling her hope being restored.
- Cunning Linguist: Her knowledge of other languages as a teacher comes in handy when Jesper has her act as a translator for the little Saami girl, Márgu. By the end, it's visually implied that Jesper has also become fluent in the language, when he's shown speaking to the Saami alone after Klaus disappears without the use of a translator.
- Cynicism Catalyst: For her, it was the realization that education is the last thing on Smeerensburg's mind.
- Deadpan Snarker: Very sharp-tongued and wry, even after becoming a Nice Girl. When Jesper points out to her that her school was lacking something.Alva: Oh, yes! Oh thank you, thank you! I knew I was forgetting something. Children!
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She starts off as a jaded woman who's had to fend for herself in a hostile island town for five years, but she slowly lets her defenses down as she achieves her calling as a teacher.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: At the start, Alva's hair is in a bird's nest, signifying her miserable state in Smeerensburg. However, once children start coming to learn, she neatens up her hair and ties it back in a low ponytail, which also signifies her restored faith.
- Friend to All Children: Once Alva gains students who want to learn from her, she is very polite and gentle to them. She also helps Márgu write a letter when Jesper brings her in late at night.
- Good Parents: Even though we didn't see her interacting with her and Jasper children, given her husband interactions with them, we can say that she's as kind to them as well.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Has blond hair and genuinely wants to open a school to give the children in town a better education.
- Happily Married: To Jesper in the future.
- I Choose to Stay: Decides to stay in Smeerensburg after seeing the kids genuinely wanting to learn and the other changes Jesper and Klaus made in the town to improve it.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She may be hostile and bitter when we first come across her, but it's eventually revealed that her heart is very much in the right place and that she is very polite to her pupils once she lets her guard down. Becomes a full-on Nice Girl by her defrosting, despite also retaining her Deadpan Snarker tendencies.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: With Jesper. Alva is more aggressive and rough than the pampered and effeminate Jesper.
- Ms. Fanservice/Unkempt Beauty: She's a very beautiful, cute and lovely young woman, even with messy hair in a bird's nest and in a ragged dress.
- Nice Girl: After her passion for teaching is rekindled she's shown to be sweet to the kids and others in the town, despite also retaining her Deadpan Snarker tendencies.
- Official Couple: With Jasper, at the end.
- Prim and Proper Bun: In the epilogue where she's shown as a mother of two.
- Restored My Faith in Humanity: At seeing her students truly want to learn in her school, she starts to believe once more in her dream to be a teacher.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Needless to say, she looks a lot more appealing when she dresses up in her teacher's uniform.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: She starts to bond with Jesper around the time he begins pulling an honest effort to deliver joy to the residents of Smeerensburg. Even after the reveal of his true motives, she can see from his efforts to save (what he thought were) the toys that he means well now.
- Took a Level in Cheerfulness: Alva starts off as a jaded, grump due to her years in Smeerensburg. Once the children show a genuine interest in learning, her personality significantly brightens up.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Because of the years she spent in Smeerensburg, Alva was notably cold and brusque when she met Jesper. However, by the end, she's openly nice and kindhearted.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Downplayed with Jesper. Alva is more conventionally attractive than Jesper, but he doesn't classify as straight up "ugly" but more cartoonishly cute.
Mogens
"Folks around here only have one thing to say to one another, and they're getting their point across pretty well without mail."
Voiced by: Norm Macdonald (English), Pablo Adán (Spanish), Óscar Gómez (Latin American Spanish), Wojciech Żolądkowicz (Polish)
The captain of Smeerensburg's ferry.- Deadpan Snarker: As is part and parcel when Norm Macdonald is concerned.
- Everyone Has Standards: He gets a kick out of seeing Jesper suffer... but even he thinks seeing Jesper looking miserable leaving after Smeerensburg has become much brighter is depressing.
- The Gadfly: He's not above tempting Jesper to ring the "Welcoming Bell" that incites the Krums and Ellingboes to fight, just to mess with the new guy. According to Alva, Mogens does this with every postman that's sent to Smeerensburg.
- Hot Blooded Sideburns: Inverted. He may have sideburns, but he's as deadpan as he could ever be.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may be a snarky troll, but it's implied that he too is proud of Jesper for coming such a long way.
- Mr. Exposition: Explains the town to Jesper.
- Not-So-Badass Longcoat: His duster is quite shoddy, in sync with his rugged appearance.
- One-Hour Work Week: Mogens seems free to annoy Jesper and/or loaf around whenever he wants. At one point, Jesper asks if he even has a job, to which he tells him he technically is doing his job by checking to see if Jesper has any outgoing mail he needs to ferry to the mainland. It most likely has to do with so few people coming to and going from Smeerensburg.
- Perma-Stubble: He is always shown having a five o'clock shadow on his chin.
- Sarcasm Failure: Mogens very happily needles Jesper about not having any letters to deliver; but then when Jesper not only has letters to deliver but a huge amount of them, the captain is at a total loss for words.
- Shipper on Deck: A rather smug one for Jesper and Alva. He sarcastically describes them as a blossoming romance when Alva roughs Jesper up and makes an immature kissy expression when the couple shares an onscreen kiss.Mogens: Ah, young love. Takes me back, you know. The intense looks, the palpitation of the heart. The whimpering and the soiling of the pants? No, I can't relate to so much.
- Smug Smiler: He is rarely seen without a half-lidded grin on his face.
- Stereotype Flip: As a heavily-built sailor, Mogens initially appears to be coarse and unrefined, but he quickly turns out to be a smooth-talking Deadpan Snarker.
- Troll: He is so horribly jaded from all his time in the town that the only thing he can do to entertain himself is torment Jesper.
Márgu
[unsubtitled Saami].
Voiced by: Neda Margrethe Labba
A young Saami girl who lives in a settlement close to Smeerensburg.- Bilingual Bonus: She speaks in unsubtitled Saami.
- Cheerful Child: She is a sweet, rather giggly girl.
- Childish Tooth Gap: She has a noticable gap in her front teeth.
- The Cutie: She's almost disarmingly adorable.
- Determinator: Despite Jesper not understanding her and not being willing to help her at first, she keeps coming back to his place in the hopes of getting her toy. Fortunately for her, her determination pays off once Jesper starts working through his character development.
- Does Not Speak Common: All of her dialogue is in Saami.
- Free-Range Children: She is seen sitting on Jesper's porch when he returns at night.
- Good Parents: In contrast to the townsfolk, Márgu's parents are delighted at her receiving a toy and enjoy watching her play with it.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She's as sweet as an apple and has blonde hair.
- I Got Bigger: By the 12 year Time Skip, Márgu went from a pint-sized cutie to a tall, beautiful woman.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: Márgu has blue eyes and is a kind, innocent little girl.
- Intergenerational Friendship: She eventually becomes friends with Jesper, even though he doesn't really understand her language.
- Morality Pet: Serves as one for Jesper. He starts off as dismissive of her as any other kid, but her cheerfulness and tenderness is what helps bring out the good in him. After helping to translate and write her letter, he comes to care about her, and his investment in her happiness helps kickstart his Character Development.
- Primary-Color Champion: Like the rest of her people, Márgu wears an outfit of red, yellow, and blue. And she's one of the most kindhearted characters in the film. Truth in Television as these colors are used a lot in traditional Saami clothing.
Postmaster General Johanssen
"That boy needs a wake-up call, Sergeant. And who knows? Some day, he might even thank me for it."
Voiced by: Sam McMurray (English) (uncredited), Rafael Azcárraga (Spanish), Miłogost Reczek (Polish)
The postmaster general and Jesper's father.- Abusive Parents: Inverted; it's Jesper who abuses his father's good will to see him progress in society, and is a lazy, solipsistic hedonist from the get-go.
- Authority Sounds Deep: To emphasize his role as postmaster, he is played by an actor with a notably deep, commanding voice.
- Badass Longcoat: Wears very long jackets and dusters to emphasize his dignified appearance.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The film only refers to him by rank, and his family name can be inferred from Jesper announcing his full name. His first name is unknown.
- Good Parents: Is shown to be a strict but ultimately loving and fair parent, especially impressive considering his son is not an easy person to deal with early on. Furthermore, when Jesper decides to stay in Smeerensburg, his father is nothing but supportive of him.
- Laziness Callout: At the beginning of the movie, Johansson calls out Jesper for purposely squandering his postman training to continue living as a rich spoiled man under his care, before giving his son the ultimatum of getting 6000 letters stamped in the dangerous town of Smeerensburg or be disowned and spending the rest of his days in the gutter.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: They couldn't be further apart. General Johanssen is serious, mature and values hard work. His son, Jesper, is sillier, immature, and does everything he can to get out of work.
- Parents as People: Seeing that Jesper isn't willing to work on himself and silence his ego, General Johanssen assigns him to establish a postal office in Smeerensburg within a year, or be cut off from his inheritance as punishment for his lack of effort, which goes to show that he's had enough of Jesper's frivolity. Ultimately, he wants his son to be the best man he can be.
- So Proud of You: After seeing how much Jesper has changed in Smeerensburg, he hugs him and lets Jesper stay in the town.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Downplayed. They both have rangy physiques with big noses and long, thin faces, but General Johanssen has broader shoulders, a more pronounced chin and brown hair.
- Tough Love: It's obvious he doesn't want to send Jesper to Smeerensburg but seeing that all other methods have failed to steer him off his lazy ways, it's clearly a last resort. Thankfully it ends up working out for the best.Sergeant: Sir, I'm all for discipline but... Smeerensburg? Isn't that a bit excessive?
Jesper's Father: (sighs) That boy needs a wake-up call, Sergeant. And who knows? Someday he might even thank me for it. - Tranquil Fury: It's fairly easy to tell he's not happy about Jesper's laziness and careless attitude, but he never raises his voice or makes extreme gestures; he stays calm all along.
- Wacky Parent, Serious Child: Inverted. General Johanssen is hard-working, serious and professional, while Jesper is selfish, frivolous and hedonistic.
Drill Sergeant
"Sorting and filing: total failure. Carrier pigeon care and handling: abysmal performance. Transport of fragile merchandise: worst on record."
Voiced by: J. K. Simmons (English) (uncredited), Pedro Tena (Spanish)
The drill sergeant of the Royal Postal Academy, who oversees the progress of all the cadets and has a really hard time dealing with Jesper.- Drill Sergeant Nasty: He's tough, hot-tempered and very stringent.
- Everyone Has Standards: As much as he doesn't like Jasper, when Postmaster General Johanssen gives Jesper the Smeerensburg ultimatum, the sergeant voices his concern that it's a bit much, given the city's status as a feud-ridden slum.
- Grumpy Growler: A cantankerous, feisty man with a fittingly gruff voice.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: He appears to be very quick to anger once something goes south; given that he's dealing with an arrogant, spoiled Jesper, it's far more understandable.
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: He has a very prominent chin.
- No Indoor Voice: As is par for the course for a Drill Sergeant Nasty, he rarely lowers his voice.
- Top-Heavy Guy: His legs are absolutely puny in comparison to the rest of his torso.
Lydia
- Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: It's implied that her spirit lives on in the wind surrounding the old barn. Fittingly, Klaus says that she loved birds, and the magical wind is often seen passing through the birdhouses he makes in her honor.
- Friend to All Living Things: According to Klaus she loved birds, and for this reason he makes birdhouses in her honor.
- Happily Married: She and Klaus dearly loved each other, and hoped to have a big family of their own.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: She was about as petite (in comparison to Klaus) as Jesper.
- Law of Inverse Fertility: She and Klaus wanted to have lots of children to raise but many years went by without a single child being born, all but implying that she's infertile.
- The Lost Lenore: It's clear that her husband still misses her very much, pretty much shutting himself from human contact after she died.
- Mrs. Claus: She was married to the man who will become Santa Claus.
- Posthumous Character: It's been long since she passed away, and she's only spoken about by Klaus.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Her spirit in the wind urged Klaus to help Jesper with the toy delivery, and because of that, Klaus agreed.
- The Voiceless: The only notable character without a voice actress.
