History NightmareFuel / AFrozenHeart

** Hans hates attending family gatherings as he ends up being humiliated in some manner by virtue of his status as the family's laughing stock. For example, he's nervous showing up to his mother's birthday and stands outside the door for 20 minutes. When he reluctantly appears, his father scolds him for being late, while his brothers mock him for being a MommasBoy. Rudi and Runo even toss ''glassware'' at him when he starts daydreaming. Plus, Hans finds it oddly better to SelfHarm himself by running his fingers along the rough wood splinters of an old table than the constant abuse his family heaps on him.

** God help those that are behind on their taxes — [[EvilDebtCollector they're collected forcibly]]. Hans nearly barfs while giving a detailed account of the [[IntimidatingRevenueService tax collection]] he "conducted" to the king.

** Hans hates attending family gatherings, as they always end with him being humiliated in some manner. For example, before reluctantly attending his mother's birthday, he's nervous showing up aware that he'll end up being the family's laughing stock. As such, he stands outside the door for 20 minutes. When he finally appears, his father scolds him for being late, while his brothers mock him for being a MommasBoy. Rudi and Runo even toss ''glassware'' at him when he starts daydreaming. Plus, Hans finds it oddly better to SelfHarm himself by running his fingers along the rough wood splinters of an old table than the constant emotional abuse his family heaps on him.

Note that many of these below also double as TearJerker moments:

** He believes in SocialDarwinism and often encourages his 13 sons to gang up on each other for the sake of politics, while deviations from his beliefs must be corrected forcefully. As his sons grow up, [[TheCorrupter his toxic influence]] corrodes them into becoming sycophantic enforcers doing his bidding. He demands them to follow his orders and emulate him, and it's implied [[WouldHurtAChild he even physically abused them]] when they were younger. Having been born into a family that believed in VirtueIsWeakness, MightMakesRight, MiseryBuildsCharacter, and MeeknessIsWeakness, Hans UsedToBeASweetKid who abhorred their violence towards others, but slowly becomes a power-hungry ManipulativeBastard over time. The severity of the king's beliefs in Social Darwinism has also left his older sons equally miserable as well.

** The fake "ransom note" from a certain "King Gotya," who [[FakedKidnapping "kidnapped"]] one of his brothers and would "return" him on the condition that Hans ''run around the entire castle three times in just his underwear''. He was only ''four'' years at the time.
** He also fell for the old "present in that [[CreepyBasement oddly scary room down in the catacombs]]" prank.

** Hans hates attending family gatherings, as they always end with him being humiliated in some manner. For example, before reluctantly attending his mother's birthday, he's nervous, knowing that he'll end up being the family's laughing stock. As such, he stands outside the door for 20 minutes. When he finally appears, his father scolds him for being late, while his brothers mock him for being a MommasBoy. Rudi and Runo even toss ''glassware'' at him when he starts daydreaming. Plus, Hans finds the physical pain of {{Self Harm}}ing himself by running his fingers along the rough wood splinters of an old table to be oddly better than the constant emotional abuse his family heaps on him.

** As he doesn't get along with his brothers due to ParentalFavoritism, [[ParanoiaFuel who's to say]] Caleb's legitimacy will be challenged once he becomes king, possibly triggering a SuccessionCrisis, [[TheCoup a coup d'état]] by military officers or nobles loyal to some of the sons challenging Caleb, or even worse, a CivilWar? He's also seen as an immature RoyalBrat who isn't [[TheSlacker serious about his job]] by his brothers, knowing he'll be a stupid ruler. The king's abuse of power has transformed the Southern Isles into a hellhole.

* In essence, the king only cares about [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans maintaining an iron fist over the kingdom]], leaving Hans to wonder how his father [[TheCaligula "could be so stupid."]] That his older brothers are not different from their father doesn't surprise him either — he even remembers the many times they belittled or pummeled him despite trying to find a way out. Also, whenever he felt hesitant to use violence, Hans remembers his brothers gloating about killing people and imagines being mocked for [[ARealManIsAKiller "not having the guts to do anything."]]

[[folder: Hans' Backstory]]

[[folder: Hans' Family]]

[[folder: The Southern Isles]]

** The king is a DomesticAbuser for ''almost 30 years''. It's implied she tried to object to his actions at some point in the past, but the repercussions were so harsh that she eventually gave up. One can only imagine the immense mental stress she is still undergoing after accepting her fate, giving birth to so many children, and being forced to watch her husband abuse their sons out of contempt. On top of this, Caleb's wife is [[HereWeGoAgain undergoing the same psychological abuse]] that her mother-in-law has been through.
** Despite loathing how his father and brothers abuse their spouses, Hans came off as a hypocrite by selfishly exploiting Anna's [[DesperatelyCravesAffection desire to be loved]].

* The king's BigFancyCastle. Generally mistaken for a giant, black SeaMonster by outsiders, most people think it is beautiful and jaw-dropping as it manages to flourish even in a harsh and windy environment, but Hans sees every ''inch'' of his home as an ugly prison, with his father and brothers as corrupt jail wardens.
* At the end of the novel, Hans is shown panicking when the guards drag him to be deported home without even seeing Anna and Elsa one last time. He's begging to be spared and not wanting to return to the hellhole he came from in the first place, aware [[FateWorseThanDeath what punishment]] his family will dish out on him when they get wind of his actions. As shown in ''WesternAnimation/FrozenFever'', he's now in a worse situation than before back home, having been condemned to hard labor and part of it involves shoveling horse manure. He's in a bleak and unfriendly environment compared to the lively atmosphere in Arendelle, with the royal stables alone looking sinister.
* From the looks of it, [[PoliceState the kingdom]] is an incredibly harsh place to live in, with the government being a corrupt dictatorship. Even minor problems are solved with [[DisproportionateRetribution outright violence]]. The princes (including Hans himself) also basically act as the king's musclemen. For example:

** God help those that are behind on their taxes — [[EvilDebtCollector they're collected forcibly]]. Even Hans is unnerved and nearly barfs while giving a detailed account of the [[IntimidatingRevenueService tax collection]] he "conducted" to the king.
* In essence, the king only cares about [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans maintaining an iron fist over the kingdom]], leaving Hans to wonder how his father [[TheCaligula "could be so stupid."]] That his older brothers are not different from their father doesn't surprise him either — he even remembers the many times he was belittled or pummeled despite trying to find a way out. Also, whenever he felt hesitant to use violence, Hans remembers his brothers gloating about killing people and imagines being mocked for [[ARealManIsAKiller "not having the guts to do anything."]]

** He believes in SocialDarwinism, and often encourages his 13 sons to gang up on each other for the sake of politics, while deviations from his beliefs must be corrected forcefully. As his sons grow up, [[TheCorrupter his toxic influence]] slowly brainwashes them into becoming sycophantic enforcers for him and drives them to dehumanize others. He demands them to follow his orders and emulate him, and it's implied [[WouldHurtAChild he even physically abused them]] when they were younger. Having been born into a family that believed in VirtueIsWeakness, MightMakesRight, MiseryBuildsCharacter, and MeeknessIsWeakness, Hans UsedToBeASweetKid who abhorred their violence towards others, but slowly becomes a power-hungry ManipulativeBastard over time. The severity of the king's beliefs in Social Darwinism has also left his older sons equally miserable as well.

** Hans hates attending family gatherings, as they always end with him being humiliated in some manner. For example, before reluctantly attending his mother's birthday, he's nervous, knowing that he'll end up being the family's laughing stock. As such, he stands outside the door for 20 minutes, and when he finally appears, his father scolds him for being late, while his brothers mock him for being a MommasBoy. Rudi and Runo even toss ''glassware'' at him when he starts daydreaming. Plus, Hans [[SelfHarm blatantly self-injures]] himself by running his fingers along the rough wood splinters of an old table, but feeling the physical pain to be oddly better than the constant emotional turmoil his family puts him through.

* Hans is ridiculed by his father and brothers for [[ARealManIsAKiller his unwillingness to murder people]]. Having had enough of their abuse, Hans decides that if he wants to earn their respect, then he'll have to accept whatever tasks he gets, even if it involves violence against their subjects. Fast forward three years later, [[ItGetsEasier he's a much different person]] now, having no qualms murdering Elsa or Anna in a bid to take over Arendelle.
** As with Hans, it's implied his older brothers didn't start out as mean jerks, but the king raised them to be ruthless. They now have no problem hurting others or using questionable means to get their father's respect. But because of the SocialDarwinist behavior constantly espoused by the king, they do not get along with each other, [[ManChild retain their immaturity]] even as adults, and the entire family ends up dysfunctional.
** Given that he doesn't get along with his brothers due to ParentalFavoritism, [[ParanoiaFuel who's to say]] Caleb's legitimacy will be challenged once he becomes king, possibly triggering a SuccessionCrisis, [[TheCoup a coup d'état]] by military officers or nobles loyal to some of the sons challenging Caleb, or even worse, a CivilWar? Plus, he's also seen as an immature RoyalBrat who isn't [[TheSlacker serious about his job]], as his brothers know he'll be an incompetent ruler. In fact, the king's abuse of power has transformed the Southern Isles into a hellhole.
* It's implied most of the royals don't get along with their spouses, [[HappyMarriageCharade but pretend to be happily married for social reasons]]. Noting how Caleb's pregnant wife is uncomfortable with how he ignores her, how Lars's wife Helga hates living in the Isles, and how his mother has been used to being ignored, Hans notes that most of his own family is absolutely miserable with each other.
** The king has [[DomesticAbuse blatantly neglected]] his wife for ''almost 30 years''. It's implied she tried to object to his actions at some point in the past, but the repercussions were so harsh that she eventually gave up. One can only imagine the immense mental stress she is still undergoing after accepting her fate, giving birth to so many children, and being forced to watch her husband abuse their sons out of contempt. On top of this, Caleb's wife is [[HereWeGoAgain undergoing the same psychological abuse]] that her mother-in-law has been through.

* His thoughts after being ordered by the king to beat up dissenters or delinquent taxpayers imply he secretly hates his job and [[HiddenDepths despised his father for being unnecessarily cruel towards their subjects.]] But he also fears ''[[AdultFear what could happen]]'' if he ignores the king's orders.

* It's implied the queen wants her sons to stop hurting each other, but after years of living with her tyrannical spouse, who encourages the behavior, she can barely acknowledge Hans with weak smiles. The king even mocks Hans's status as a MommasBoy, stating that "she'll be the only one who would have even noticed that [he] were missing." Also, after Hans is hit in the head with an object, Rudi and Runo cruelly tease him, asking if he's going to "run to Mommy" so that she can "kiss his boo-boo to make it all better."
* Hans is ridiculed by his father and brothers for [[ARealManIsAKiller his unwillingness to murder people]]. But having had enough of their abuse, Hans decides that if he wants to earn their respect, then he'll have to accept whatever tasks he gets, even if it involves violence against their subjects. Fast forward three years later, [[ItGetsEasier he's shown to be desensitized,]] having no qualms murdering Elsa or Anna in a bid to take over Arendelle.
** As with Hans, it's implied his older brothers didn't start out as mean jerks, but the king raised them to be ruthless, and they now have no problems hurting others or using questionable means to get their father's respect. But because of the SocialDarwinist behavior constantly espoused by the king, the 13 brothers do not get along with each other, [[ManChild retain their immaturity]] even as adults, and the entire family ends up dysfunctional.

* At the end of the novel, Hans is shown panicking when the guards drag him to be deported home without even seeing Anna and Elsa one last time. He's begging to be spared and not wanting to return to the hellhole he came from in the first place, aware [[FateWorseThanDeath what punishment]] his family will dish out on him when they get wind of his actions. As shown in ''WesternAnimation/FrozenFever'', he's now in a worse situation than before back home, having been condemned to hard labor and part of it involves shoveling horse manure. He's in a bleak and unfriendly environment compared to the lively atmosphere in Arendelle, with the royal stables alone looking dark and uninviting.

** At one point while fighting Marshmallow during the assault on Elsa's ice castle, Hans notes the {{Snowlem}} looks tame compared to his father, who is implied to have a HairTriggerTemper. Judging by the interactions with his family, Hans is ''clearly terrified'' of their wrath as he's being sent back home. Plus, when Hans thinks of becoming his father's gofer, he briefly thinks of turning back only to do another 180, believing that if he wants to earn his father's trust in going to Arendelle, then he must follow whatever orders the king may give, even if it involves violence. It ultimately causes Hans to compromise his own morals over the years and do things he once despised in the first place.