The characters featured in Santa Claus is Comin' to Town.
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Santa Claus and Friends
Kris Kringle/Santa Claus
Kris Kringle
Voiced by: Mickey Rooney
Santa Claus
The legendary Christmas hero and giver of toys to all the good children of the world.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (which is set in the same continuity as this special) featured him as being a bully to Rudolph and disapproving of his nose. Here, he's nice to a fault, with not a bad bone in his body.
- Alliterative Name: His adoptive family name him Kris Kringle.
- Badass Santa: He's not only trained by the best toymakers in the world, but also the local animals. Best described by the Burgermeister.Burgermeister Meisterburger: He climbs like a squirrel, leaps like a deer, and is as slippery as a seal!
- Big Good: Comes with the territory of being Santa. He only wants to deliver toys to the children of Sombertown so they can have fun and not be so miserable.
- Doorstop Baby: How he was found, first by the Burgermeister, and then by the Kringles. Fortunately, the latter ends up raising him after the former won't have anything to do with him.
- Forgotten First Meeting: Neither he nor the Burgermeister recognize one another in the former's adult years. Justified on both ends because Kris was a baby then, and the Burgermeister is a Child Hater who forgot about his would-be-charge just as quickly as he ordered him gone.
- Friend to All Children: One of his main reasons for giving toys to the children of Sombertown is because he didn't want them to be so glum just doing chores all the time.
- Friend to All Living Things: The woodland creatures not only saved him as a baby, but they taught him everything he knows about surviving in the wilderness. As such, he befriends practically every animal he meets.
- Happily Adopted: He was raised by the Kringles, and loves and supports them all the way.
- Iconic Outfit: His red suit, which was a gift from his mother.
- Ink-Suit Actor: He's a spitting image for a young Mickey Rooney.
- It Began with a Twist of Fate: Had Burgermeister Meisterburger not sent him off to the orphan asylum and raised him as his own kid, he never would have become Santa Claus.
- Loved by All: Subverted. While the kids think Santa is loved by everyone, S.D. Kluger points out that most everyone loves him.
- Manly Facial Hair: When he's rendered an outlaw, he grows one out. He jokingly justifies it by pointing out that being a Kringle practically required it.
- Nice Guy: A defining trait of his, Kris has an unquestionably good heart. He takes in a lost Topper, convinces both Miss Jessica and the Winter Warlock to undergo a Heel–Face Turn, and is named "Santa" because of how nice he is.
- The Power of Love: How does he convince Miss Jessica and Winter Warlock to become better? He acts out of the kindness of his heart, giving them gifts for no reason other than he wants them to have something nice.
- Santa Claus: To be expected, considering.
- The Scapegoat: Meisterburger brands him an outlaw for the horrific crime of delivering toys, when the reason Sombertown is so miserable is because of his rule.
- Took a Level in Cynic: By the time of The Year Without A Santa Claus, a bad cold leaves him sour, and makes him believe that the world has forgotten about him. It takes Mrs. Claus to snap him back to his old self.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: By the time of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, he acts a lot less kind to both the elves and Rudolph. He returns to his old self much later.
- You Don't Look Like You: He's far different from his original Rudolph design, looking much pudgier, with a longer beard, and with pupils and irises instead of blank, black eyes. He gets somewhat slimmed down for his appearances in The Year Without A Santa Claus, keeping the same basic principles of the previous design, but more streamlined.
Ms. Jessica
Miss Jessica/Mrs. Jessica Claus
Voiced by: Robie Lester (Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town), Shirley Booth (The Year Without A Santa Claus)
Mrs. Claus
A schoolteacher in Sombertown, who initially thinks toys are frivolous. That all changes when Kris Kringle gives her a china doll she's always wanted, and it's from there that a romance is born.
- Cool Old Lady: As Mrs. Claus in the sequels, she shows that Santa isn't the only one who keeps the North Pole running smoothly. Heck, the whole plot of The Year Without A Santa Claus kicks off when she sends Jingle and Jangle to go and prove there's still Christmas Spirit out in the world, and helps save their butt when things go south.
- A Day in the Limelight: The Year Without A Santa Claus makes her the main protagonist, having to step up to plate when her husband falls ill.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She's initially stuffy and pompous when Kris meets her, but one china doll gift later, and she warms up to him.
- Fiery Redhead: She has a full head of red hair and a burning passion in her heart, especially when she first meets Kris.
- Formerly Fit: Even before her old age, she’s shown to have grown rather round years after being a slender woman for the main plot.
- Freudian Excuse: It's implied her stern attitude towards toys stems from her parents never letting her have a china doll when she was younger.
- Happily Married: In this special and all the others that follow, she is shown as fully devoted to Santa as his wife.
- Heel–Face Turn: She's initially all for Meisterburger's ban on toys, until Kris gives her the toy she's always wanted, and she turns around quickly.
- Hot Teacher: She has a nice, shapely figure and is a schoolteacher.
- "I Am Becoming" Song: "My World is Beginning Today", which she sings when she decides she wants to be with Kris.
- Letting Her Hair Down: During "My World is Beginning Today", she undoes her bun and lets her long hair flow.
- Ms. Fanservice: Downplayed given that this is a children's special, but she does have a noticeably attractive figure that her dress highlights.
- Mrs. Claus: What she becomes after she marries Kris.
- Named by the Adaptation: Her first name is Jessica, which makes her one of the first iterations of Mrs. Claus to have a first name.
- Nice Girl: After her Heel–Face Turn, she's unquestionably sweet, especially to Kris.
- Walking Spoiler: It's impossible to discuss her role in this special without mention she's Mrs. Claus.
Tanta Kringle
Tanta Kringle
Voiced by: Joan Gardner
Santa's adoptive mother, and the queen of the Kringle elves, who hopes they can one day be world renowned toymakers again.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: She's completely absent from any of the other specials.
- Good Parents: She raises Kris with the kind of love and care that would make any child lucky to consider her their mother.
The Kringles
The Kringles
Voiced by: Paul Frees
A group of elves that were once renowned toymakers to the king, who raised Santa to adulthood and taught him everything he knows about making toys.
- The Dividual: They're always seen together, and act and speak in the same manner.
- Family Theme Naming: All of the Kringle brothers names rhyme with one another: Dingle, Tingle, Zingle, Wingle, Bingle.
- Flat Characters: There's not really much to them aside from being toymakers.
Topper
Topper
A lost penguin who Santa befriends.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He isn't seen in any of the specials after this.
- Hidden Depths: He demonstrates an adept skill at strategy, as he comes up with the idea for Kris to go down chimneys when he can't get into anyone's house.
- Line-of-Sight Name: Kris decides to call him Topper when he mumbles the word just after meeting the penguin.
- Misplaced Wildlife: He's a penguin from the South Pole who winds up far north. Justified due to him getting lost.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: He's so damn adorable, especially with his little scarf.
- Undying Loyalty: To Kris for taking him under his wing.
- The Unintelligible: He only honks, which even Kris has a bit of trouble understanding.
The Winter Warlock
The Winter Warlock
Voiced by: Keenan Wynn
Click here to see the Winter Warlock before his redemption
A miserly, old warlock who lives atop the Mountain of the Whispering Wind, that winds up becoming an ally and friend to Kris when he shows him kindness.
- Affectionate Nickname: He refers to the toy train he's given as a "choo-choo".
- The Atoner: Even after Kris reforms him, Winter still proclaims that he's an evil menace, lamenting over the fact that it's so difficult to change from bad to good. After Kris' Pep-Talk Song, however, he fully embraces being good.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: He's a loyal friend and ally to Kris because he was the first person to show him kindness.
- Berserk Button: Don't trespass over the Mountain of the Whispering Wind. He drops this once he becomes good.
- Brought Down to Normal: He loses his magic about halfway through the special, just as Kris is being arrested by the Burgermeister. By the end of it, he gets all his powers back.
- Chekhov's Gun: When he loses his powers, he has a few mementos left in his pocket, including magic feed corn that makes reindeer fly. Upon bringing it up, it gives Jessica the idea to give it to Kris's reindeer friends.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He's absent in any of the sequels.
- Cool Old Guy: Once he becomes good, he's a kind, grandfatherly figure to Kris, even teaching him how to use magic.
- Defrosting Ice King: Literally, as Kris's act of kindness causes his icy heart to melt and allow him to change his outlook from bad to good.
- Disproportionate Retribution: He plans to have Kris and Topper strangled to death by trees for trespassing over his mountain when it's literally the only way to get back home.
- The Dreaded: At the start of the special, he's so feared by the Kringles, they dare not try to cross the Mountain of the Whispering Wind lest they stir his wrath, even though their toys are stockpiling. To their good fortune, Kris showing him kindness changes that and allows them to be neighbors.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He's utterly floored when Kris says he wants to give him a present, as no one's ever wanted to give him anything before.
- Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: Before his Heel–Face Turn, he cracks a joke about the tree monster's bark being worse than their bite, which makes him laugh pretty hard.
- Evil Laugh: After Kris gives him the slip, he lets one out when he declares Kris is to meet his end on his way home.
- Failed a Spot Check: When Kris was a baby, he was being taken to the Orphan Asylum after the Burgermeister refused to take care of him. The sleigh he was being carried on broke away and he ended up on the Warlock's territory. The animals quickly hid him under a pile of sticks—and somehow the Warlock failed to notice.
- Freudian Excuse: It's implied he's such a mean old Warlock because he never had any friends.
- Good Counterpart:
- To Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July antagonist Winterbolt. Both are powerful magic users that are winter-themed, but Winter Warlock starts off a villain before an act of kindness makes him a good guy, while Winterbolt is an unrepentant Hate Sink who stays a villain throughout.
- In the special itself, he's also one to the Burgermeister, since both live nearby to Kris and are unpleasant Jerkasses when he first meets them. Unlike the Burgermeister, who Kris gives a toy and giddily plays with it until he's told his breaking his own toy ban and goes back to being a dictator, the Winter Warlock happily undergoes a Heel–Face Turn and becomes a friend to Kris when he sincerely proves how much of a nice guy he is by giving him a toy for the first time in his life.
- Heel–Face Turn: Makes one when Kris gives him a toy train.
- The Hermit: Starts off as this before Kris befriends him. Then the other Kringles move in so they can be closer to Sombertown.Winter Warlock: Oh, I'm crowded! But at least I'm loved!
- Heroic BSoD: When his powers stop working, he slinks into a funk and feels so useless. He snaps out of it when Jessica uses his magic feed corn to get the reindeer to fly, allowing them to free everyone from prison.
- Ink-Suit Actor: He looks like Keenan Wynn if he was a wizard.
- Jerkass: Before his Heel–Face Turn, he's more than happy to kill any trespasser that comes over his mountain.
- Nice Guy: Once he makes his Heel–Face Turn, he's a giddy, kindhearted wizard.
- Noodle Implements: He carries around a short circuited wand, a dried up magic potion, the stubs of a hundred or so candles, and a small handful of magic feed corn. That last one turns out to be the key to escaping prison.
- Redemption Demotion: Implied. As a villain, he was a powerful sorcerer. After Kris sways him to the good side, his powers stop working on him. Eventually, he does get them working again.
- Running Gag: Everyone calling him "Mr. Warlock" and him politely asking to be called "Winter" instead.
- Self-Deprecation: After his redemption, he has a tendency to take potshots at himself for allegedly being a failure, even considering how impressive it was that he stopped being evil. Even once he's proven wrong, he damns himself by faint praise.Winter Warlock: I'm not such a loser after all!
- Sinister Schnoz: Prior to his Heel–Face Turn, his nose is a pointy as an icicle, and he's got the personality to match.
- They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!: Initially insists everyone refer to him as Mr. Warlock. When he becomes nice, he asks them to call him just Winter.
- Vocal Evolution: When he's in his evil form, he speaks with a gravely, nasty voice. Once he turns good, he starts speaking more softly.
The Reindeer
The Reindeer
Santa's team of eight reindeer, who were given the ability to fly.
- Adaptational Badass: These mighty deer are known as Santa's Sleigh Team, but never before had they been used to jailbreak all of Santa's friends out of prison.
- The Cameo: Rudolph is briefly seen when the reindeer are introduced. S.D. Kluger reminds the kids, "That's another story".
- A Day in the Limelight: The Year Without a Santa Claus would have Vixen (who's inexplicably a fawn), Dasher, and Blitzen play major parts in the story.
- Hero of Another Story: Rudolph, who shows up very briefly. S.D. Kluger says this almost exactly about him.
Special Delivery Kluger
Special Delivery Kluger
Voiced by: Fred Astaire
Special Delivery Kluger, better known as S.D. Kluger for short, is the North Pole's local mailman, and a good friend of Santa's. He also operates in this capacity to the Easter Bunny, having aided in his rise to prominence.
- Actor Allusion: He breaks out in a few dance moves only Astaire's feet could have pulled off.
- Adaptational Expansion: The Easter Bunny Is Comin' To Town reveals more about his backstory, including how he was an orphan in Kidville.
- Adaptational Job Change: In this special, he's a mailman. In The Easter Bunny Is Comin' To Town, he's still a mailman, but he's also a train engineer.
- Adaptational Origin Connection: The Easter Bunny Is Comin' To Town reveals he grew up in the very town where the Easter Bunny became a big name.
- Breakout Character: Downplayed, as he only got one other special to appear in, but at the very least, he's the only other Rankin-Bass celebrity narrator to appear outside of his original special.
- Ink-Suit Actor: He's pretty much Fred Astaire in animated form.
- Narrator: Tells both Santa's and the Easter Bunny's origin story to a group of children in this capacity.
- Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: While he's often addressed as S.D. Kluger, the fact that his first and middle initials are Special and Delivery raises some questions about his parents' naming decisions. Although the reveal in The Easter Bunny is Comin' to Town that he was an orphan who grew up in a town run by orphaned children might explain it: maybe he was named by the other kids when they decided to make him their mailman.
Sombertown
Burgermeister Meisterburger
Burgermeister Meisterburger
Voiced by: Paul Frees
The miserly ruler of Sombertown, who hates children so much, he enacts a law to ban toys when he trips on one and breaks his foot.
- 0% Approval Rating: It's clear no one in town likes him, and only tolerate his presence because they're too glum to do anything with him. When he dies off, he's quickly forgotten about.
- Amusing Injuries: When he gets hurt, it always gets Played for Laughs. The initial injury that causes the plot to begin with? He comically trips down the stairs, complete with goofy sound effects to go along with it.
- Arch-Enemy: To Kris Kringle when he starts delivering toys to Sombertown against his wishes. He also considers toys to be this.
- Bad Boss: He's not very caring or kind towards Grimsley, but unlike a lot of other examples, he at least has some respect for him.
- Bad People Abuse Animals: When he has Kris trapped, the Kringle tries to make a run for it. He gets him to surrender when he reveals he has his guards ready to sic themselves on poor Topper.
- Bald of Evil: He only has some of sideburn to his name. Otherwise his head is mostly hairless as much as his heart is empty.
- Berserk Button: Toys, children, defying his whim...all of these and more will land you in his crosshairs.
- Big Bad: Of Santa Claus is Comin' To Town.
- Bond Villain Stupidity: Meisterburger tries to stop Kris from delivering toys in increasingly drastic ways, but Kris outsmarts him each time. By the third time, he decides the only way to stop this is to arrest Kris's family, which he should have done much sooner.
- Butt-Monkey: He spends much of the special being hurt by toys or his own carelessness.
- Card-Carrying Villain: He doesn't describe himself as being evil, but he qualifies for this trope considering how remorseless he is for the horror he inflicts on his own people.
- Child Hater: Deconstructed hard. He hates kids so much, he refuses to take in young baby Claus. This bites him in the ass when he dies without an heir.
- Confirmed Bachelor: He has no wife to his name, which is confirmed when he dies out and takes his lineage with him.
- Create Your Own Hero: All of Meisterburger's problems would have never occurred had he taken Kris when he found him as a baby. Because he couldn't be bothered, that same baby grew up to be the biggest thorn in his side.
- Dark Reprise: His Villain Song, "No More Toymakers to the King" is one for "The First Toymakers to the King."
- Delayed Reaction: He's riding his wheelchair through Sombertown to witness everything under his new "No Toys" law, and assumes everyone is glum. He does notice the kids playing with toys, but initially thinks nothing of it. But then he realizes they're breaking the law and quickly has his guards prepare to arrest them all.
- Department of Redundancy Department: His declaration to outlaw toys sees him declare toys as illegal, immoral, and unlawful (and anyone found with a toy in his possession shall be placed under arrest and thrown in the dungeon).
- Disproportionate Retribution: He puts all of Sombertown under a "No Toys Allowed" rule because he tripped on one and broke his foot.Burgermeister Meisterburger: A toy?! As I suspected. I HATE toys! And toys hate me! Either they are going, or I am going, and I am certainly not going, Grimsley!
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Dies offscreen near the end of the special, presumably of old age. No one misses him.
- Dystopian Edict: Enforces a ban on toys across Sombertown, which makes the kids glum and the adults afraid for their lives.
- Evil Counterpart: To Kris. While Kris wants to deliver toys to Sombertown so the kids can be happy, Meisterburger wants toys outlawed from town because he tripped on one and broke his foot. Kris eventually becomes the beloved Santa Claus, adored by (most) everyone, while Meisterburger is Hated by All, and dies off, being forgotten about in the process.
- Evil Cripple: He spends most of the special being heartless and wandering around in casts and wheelchairs because he keeps hurting himself.
- Evil Is Hammy: He's both a Large Ham and a Hate Sink rolled into one.
- Evil Is Petty: You wouldn't ban toys and make the poor kids suffer for tripping on a toy unless you were as petty as Meisterburger.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Paul Frees provides such a voice for such a despicable character.
- Evil Will Fail: Kris doesn't beat the Burgermeister through any other action other than his own kindness, which results in him becoming Santa Claus and a legend to the entire world, while all the cruel and despicable Burgermeister ends up with is a dead lineage and no one bothering to remember him when he passes on.
- Fat Bastard: He's seen munching on a turkey leg when he's first introduced, indicating he's quite well-off to afford luxurious meals—and he's just as equally heartless towards everyone.
- Fatal Flaw: His hatred of children. Not only does this land him the first "rebellious" denizens to challenge his rule (or at least he sees it that way), but his lack of an heir winds up doing in his entire lineage.
- Felony Misdemeanor: Heaven help if you're some unlucky kid he catches playing with toys, lest you find yourself inside a jail cell.
- Forbidden Holiday: His toy ban keeps Christmas out of Sombertown until his demise.
- Fun-Hating Villain: He will not tolerate seeing kids having fun playing with their toys, and is more than happy to lock them in jail if he catches them.
- Germanic Depressives: He's a fun-hating, iron-fisted old codger with a strong German accent.
- The Grinch: His hatred of toys and the future Santa Claus lands him squarely in this category.
- Grumpy Old Man: It's not clear how old he is, but considering his hair is grey and he's never in a good mood, this qualifies.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Given his bombastic personality, it's of little surprise that it takes a small amount of effort to set him off.
- Hate Sink: Aside from comically injuring himself, he has no redeemable qualities to him whatsoever. The Bumble and Professor Hinkle from the previous Rankin-Bass specials at least had some likable traits and both underwent a Heel–Face Turn, but Meisterburger never takes any opportunity to change, and dies out as a result.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: Kris gives him a yo-yo and he immediately starts having fun for the first time in what seems like a long time. But then Grimsley points out he's breaking his own law, and he immediately goes back to full dictator mode.
- Ignored Epiphany: He bans toys, but when Kris gives him a yo-yo, he actually starts having fun for once in his life. It seems like he finally realizes the joy such things bring to kids, but then Grimsley points out he's breaking his own law. After that, he stays a Jerkass.
- Insane Troll Logic: He not only thinks toys are out to get him, but he has this little gem to say when he catches Kris giving toys to the kids:Burgermeister Meisterburger: You? How dare you! You are obviously a nonconformist, and a rebel!Kris Kringle: Rebel? Me?
- The Irredeemable Exception: Noteworthy in that most Rankin-Bass Christmas special villains redeem themselves in a fashion or so. The Burgermeister stands out by ultimately having no redemption or forgiveness in the story and instead he quietly dies offscreen, forgotten by all, with no one sorry to see him go.
- Jerkass: Every time this guy is on screen, all of his lines ooze with disdain towards everyone that isn't him.
- Jerkass Has a Point: He banned all toys because he tripped on one and broke his leg. While he had no excuse to ban toys, it really was careless for anyone to leave a toy where somebody could trip on it.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Kris gives him a yo-yo as a gift, and he starts playing with it like a giddy child. But then Grimsley points out he's breaking his own law, and he immediately reverts back to his jerk self.
- Kaiserreich: He has his regime set up this way, complete with his soldiers wearing Prussian helmets and him having a thick German accent.
- Kick the Dog: After he arrests Kris and his allies, Jessica begs him to let them all go. He won't, so she promises they'll never bother him again. He has this to say in response:Burgermeister Meisterburger: Bah! What good are your promises? Goodbye! Good luck! And good riddance!
- Killed Offscreen: He dies without any fanfare, and his regime collapses along with him.
- Lack of Empathy: He really doesn't give a shit about how anyone in Sombertown feels. In fact, he'd rather they stay glum and depressed.
- Large Ham: He bellows out every line with a gusto.
- Laser-Guided Karma: The guys spends the entire special being a jerk, treating kids with utter disdain, and is fighting a war against one man for delivering toys to his town. He dies off without an heir, and his entire lineage falls apart.
- Loony Laws: He has a ban on toys over Sombertown enacted. Kris even lampshades this trope when he hears about it.
- Malicious Slander: He starts a manhunt for Kris and his friends when they escape from prison to keep him from coming back to Sombertown and ensure he can never deliver toys again. It fails.
- Meaningless Villain Victory: He manages to finally catch Kris and put an end to his toy deliveries, but it almost immediately falters when Jessica is able to help everyone escape. From there, Kris goes on to become Santa Claus, blossoming into the legend he's known as, while the Burgermeister dies and loses any control he had in stopping Kris.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: He rules over a German village, has a thick German accent, maintains order using his personal armed guards, changes the rules to suit his own liking, and burns toys just to teach the children a lesson for defying him—the latter of which was a common tactic the Nazis used to burn books that went against their teachings. Considering the special was released on the 25th anniversary of the end of World War II, this may not be a coincidence.
- Never My Fault: When Kris gives him a yo-yo, he starts playing with it until Grimsley points out he's breaking his own law. Rather than admit he was at fault, he claims he was bamboozled by Kringle and orders his arrest. He also bans toys for tripping on one rather than admit he was careless in where he was walking (though to be fair, the kid who left it there should have made sure he picked it up beforehand).
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: He orders Grimsley to deliver the abandoned baby Claus to the orphan asylum rather than raise it himself. That baby grows up to be Santa Claus, the man who brings joy and happiness to the world, all because he delivered toys to a town that Meisterburger ruled with an iron fist, and spent day and night trying to stop him from doing so.
- No Sense of Humor: Not once does he crack any jokes—all the humor he delivers comes from him injuring himself.
- "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer:Burgermeister Meisterburger: Toys are hereby declared illegal, immoral, unlawful, and anyone found with a toy in his possession shall be placed under arrest, and thrown in the dungeon. No kidding!
- Not So Above It All: He giddily plays with a yo-yo Kris gives him, bragging about how he used to be able to do all kinds of tricks...at least until it's pointed out he's breaking his own law.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: Given how much he hurts himself the entire special, and spends most of it getting outsmarted by Kris, he proves he's far from incompetent when he takes off the kid gloves and immediately shuts down the Kringles' operation in a single day. Then he burns the kids' toys to remind them he's in charge.
- Orcus on His Throne: Downplayed and Justified, as he does get involved somewhat, but Meisterburger's constant injuries force him to have Grimsley and his guards carry out his toy ban.
- Pain to the Ass: During another toy roundup, he neglects to see that he knocked a tin soldier with a very pointy rifle onto his wheelchair. When he sits down, he's sent flying into the air.
- Perpetual Frowner: Well, what did you expect? He is easily upset, stubborn, and hates anyone standing in his way or stopping things from going his way, he's almost not in a good mood, mostly they give him a hard time whenever they meet, and he mistreats everyone, bossing them around so much which makes him mad, he's always getting mad at them and giving them a hard time whenever they fail and not do his jobs right.
- Persona Non Grata: His final fate, as Sombertown quickly forgets about him and moves on after he croaks, even officially lifting his toy ban.
- Redemption Rejection: What makes him stick out compared to Bumble and Hinkle is, unlike those two, he doesn't make a Heel–Face Turn. Bumble at least was defanged and had Yukon to set him on the straight and narrow, and Santa had to threaten Hinkle with no more presents to get him to stop chasing Frosty, but Meisterburger? Kris gives him a toy to be nice, and while he does have fun at first, he almost immediately has him arrested when it's pointed out he's breaking his own law.
- Running Gag: He spends half the film injuring himself more and more.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Anytime he doesn't like something, he immediately enacts a law against it. Breaks his foot by tripping on a toy? Ban toys! Guy delivering toys sneaks into unlocked houses at night? Bans people from unlocking their doors at night! Guy sneaks in through chimneys? Nightly inspections!
- Skewed Priorities: He spends more time trying to stomp out toys than he does ruling his town, though its Justified because he wants everyone to be glum and unhappy, especially the kids.
- Staircase Tumble: His outlawing of toys began with him slipping on a wooden duck toy, resulting in him falling down the stairs of city hall.
- Starter Villain: For Santa Claus in his early years.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: The fact he goes to such extreme lengths to get rid of toys qualifies as this trope. Who else would burn them in front of the kids instead of just confiscating them?
- Ultimate Authority Mayor: In spite of being just the mayor of Sombertown, he acts more with the authority (and personality) of a dictator.
- Vague Age: He looks old, but it's not clear how old.
- Villain Ball: He manages to arrest Kris and all of his allies except for Jessica, whom he doesn't bother jailing at all. This bites him in the ass when she's able to get some magic feed corn to the reindeer, and they bust everyone out.
- Villain Song: He sings "No More Toymakers to the King".
- Would Hurt a Child: More so emotionally scar them for life and arrest them if they dare to defy his will than actually hurting them, but the fact he's a Child Hater makes this very plain. He even torches an entire pile of confiscated toys in front of the kids to remind them who's in charge.
Grimsley
Grimsley
Voiced by: Paul Frees
Burgermeister Meisterburger's hapless and loyal second-in-command of the armed forces.
- The Dragon: He acts as this to the Burgermeister.
- Evil Brit: He has a British accent, and is unquestionable in his efforts to enforce the Burgermeister's regime.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: He winds up bringing down his boss's regime when he neglects to make sure a sleigh he's towing to the orphan asylum stays close by him. The string breaks, the sleigh is carried upwind, and that baby winds up being raised by toymakers, growing up to be Santa Claus.
- Undying Loyalty: He will always carry out the Burgermeister's orders without hesitation.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Nothing is mentioned of his fate when Burgermeister dies and falls out of power.
- Yes-Man: Anything the Burgermeister wants, Grimsley gets for him, no questions asked.
Sombertown Guards
Sombertown Guards
Voiced by: Various Actors
Burgermeister Meisterburger's troops, who carry out his will.- The Guards Must Be Crazy: Given how easily Santa slips by them, they aren't the smartest bunch of guards around.
- Surrounded by Idiots: How they get to keep their jobs even though they repeatedly fail to catch Kris is anyone’s guess.
Children of Sombertown
Children of Sombertown
Voiced by: Various Actors
The local children of Sombertown, all of whom are stuck under Burgermeister Meisterburger's oppressive "No Toys" rule.
- The Eeyore: They're all pretty glum when the Burgermeister swipes their toys, at least until Kris shows up with a fresh batch.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: At least one of these kids left their toy ducky on the stairs leading into city hall. Meisterburger winds up tripping on it, causing him to ban toys as punishment.
Sombertown Citizens
Sombertown Citizens
Voiced by: Various Actors
Sombertown's denizens, who are as grouchy and sour as ever.- The Eeyore: Like with their children, they're always glum and in a bad mood.
- Jerkass: None of the adults are very pleasant when Kris arrives to visit.
- Took a Level in Cheerfulness: As the years go by, the citizens of Sombertown become more accepting of Santa Claus and more disapproving of the Burgermeister’s “No Toy” rule.
