History Characters / FrozenHans

* FakeUltimateHero: Downplayed in that he really is willing to do the deeds, but his motives are less noble than he likes to make people think. When Hans spills the beans on his plan, he admits that he was already planning to kill Elsa to become king, and now he plans to kill her and bring back summer so can play the part of "the hero who is going to save Arendelle from destruction", with no one knowing he just wants to kill her to further his own ambition.

[[caption-width-right:186: [[WhamLine "Oh Anna. If only there was someone out there who loved you."]]]]

** He gestures to Arendelle with a sinister smirk while singing about "finding his own place" during the song "Love is an Open Door."

** He gestures to Arendelle while singing about "finding his own place" during the song "Love is an Open Door."

** In hindsight, one should closely note that his eyebrows don't budge an inch when he smiles, showing that he's faking it. There are a few times where his expressions are real, like when he's dangling from the stairway after Marshmallow [[TakingYouWithMe tries taking him into the abyss]]. It also ties into the drastic changes in personality he demonstrates, such as suddenly perking up when Anna heads off to search for Elsa despite pleading with her not to go out alone.

** As the snow starts falling, he pulls his own coat tighter to himself but doesn't help Anna feel warmer when she's visibly shivering, another sign of his true nature.

* HisOwnWorstEnemy: Looking at how he's depicted in ''A Frozen Heart'', what stops him from the happiness he seeks isn't anyone, but himself. He could have sought happiness by getting close to Anna or Elsa, but his desperation to seek his father's approval undermines everything he worked so hard for, being sent back home in disgrace for his coup attempt in Arendelle.

** When he's punched off the boat by Anna, everyone claps at the sight when he turned out to be a two-timing backstabber. A wooden bucket falls and lands on his head just as he's thrown aboard the brig of a ship, and the French dignitary even calls him a scoundrel.

* BlackSheep: In ''A Frozen Heart''. His father and older brothers see him as this due to his reluctance in conforming to their SocialDarwinist leanings. Ironically, him being against the violence of his family made him the WhiteSheep, but his desire to [[WellDoneSonGuy appeal to his father]] [[UsedToBeASweetKid darkened him]]. Even Hans acknowledges that he's the odd one out in his family.

** A wise thing to do before attacking a borderline [[PhysicalGod Goddess of Winter]] with a sword when she knows he is coming is to mentally break her. It effectively leaves her suicidal, because being told that her sister is dead due to her own actions is her worst fear come true. Luckily, Anna isn't dead, and saves Elsa in the nick of time from his attempt to decapitate her.

** In ''A Frozen Heart'', his drive to come into power within a kingdom of his own stems from being overshadowed by his 12 older brothers, [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex causing him to]] [[DudeWheresMyRespect develop self-esteem issues]].

* FatalFlaw: In ''A Frozen Heart'', despite exploiting Anna and Elsa's flaws, he is unaware that his own weakness is [[AmbitionIsEvil ambition]]. He becomes too desperate in getting what he wants [[DidntThinkThisThrough while ignoring the consequences]] when he takes unethical routes. [[IgnoredEpiphany At times, he knows]] [[DebateAndSwitch what he's doing is wrong and even scolds himself]], yet he impulsively goes through it. Being abused by his family for his ineptitude slowly becomes the breaking point and [[WellDoneSonGuy ultimately pushes him into desperately attempting to win his distant family's respect]]. Hans corrupts his own morals while serving as his father's gofer, committing things he once hated. As such, the time he spends prepping up on going to Arendelle is wasted because he can't contain his issues and goes to the extreme of attempting regicide. Only at the end does he have a HeelRealization, but by then, he's in damage control mode as he's being sent back to the same hellhole he wanted to escape from.

** His climatic betrayal is this in ''A Frozen Heart'' because of the [[SchrodingersCanon additional backstory the book gives]]. He was on the receiving end of years of cruel pranks from most of his brothers, making him faking his romance with Anna, somebody who [[DesperatelyCravesAffection needs emotional validation]], one giant cruel prank on her in return, and his [[BreakThemByTalking verbal abuse]] of her becomes this as the book also implies that he hates the way his brothers and father treated their spouses, yet he treats his fiance cruelly once he no longer thinks it useful to manipulate her.

* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Telling Anna his plans to kill Elsa and telling Elsa that she killed Anna are both verbal forms of this trope. JustifiedTrope in Elsa's case, as [[BreakThemByTalking he's guilt-tripping her into despair so that she will allow him to kill her]].

** [[IfOnlyYouKnew Ironically, he's right about himself being able to take on Elsa]], and is able to ''almost'' succeed in killing the super-powerful Snow Queen [[ManipulativeBastard due to his willingness and ability to subdue Elsa by attacking her]] [[BreakThemByTalking psychologically]]... only for Anna [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower to prove that she's more than a match for both of them]] with an ActOfTrueLove that saves both Elsa from Hans and Anna from Elsa's [[PowerIncontinence accidentally-cast curse]]. This leads to him later being on the receiving end of this trope when he expresses surprise at Anna's survival, pointing out that Elsa froze Anna's heart. Anna rebuts this by telling him that he's the only one around with [[TheSociopath a metaphorical "frozen heart"]], having realized that because he never cared for others and always acted in pure self-interest, he ''truly'' has no love for anybody in his icy-cold heart.

** He embodies [[TheCreon Anna's]] [[SpareToTheThrone feelings of inadequacy and invisibility]], representing what she could've been if she stopped reconciling with Elsa and sought attention at all costs. They're both ignored by their older siblings, driven and active in pursuing their goals, but Hans thinks LoveIsAWeakness and focuses on his own betterment over others, while Anna makes an effort to find love again and zealously protects her sister. Taken further in the novel ''A Frozen Heart'', in which he plans to rub it in his family's faces rather than reconcile with them.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Amusingly, for a guy who was villainous in the first place. Hans comes to Arendelle with a relatively simple plot to marry into the royal family and manipulate his way onto the throne, and ends up causing the royal family to fall apart and the queen to unintentionally plunge the kingdom into eternal winter entirely by accident. This turns out to be almost the best possible situation for him, but for much of the plot he's as nonplussed as anybody — though [[IndyPloy he ultimately finds out a way]] [[OpportunisticBastard to use it to his advantage]].

* FreudianExcuse: The creators have affirmed that one thing that wasn't a lie was his [[BigBrotherBully older brothers]]' unpleasant treatment of him and how it played a role in him becoming a villain. He even downplays it as [[WorseWithContext "what [they] do"]], implying that he can't comprehend normal familial relations. By the time he's an adult, he's permanently estranged with his family.

** In spin-offs, the heroes dislike him. In ''Literature/FrozenIIAForestOfShadows'', Anna thinks of him as "villainous" and "evil", and in ''[[Literature/AnnaAndElsa The Secret Admirer]]'', he is the only person Olaf despises.

* NiceToTheWaiter: [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed.]] He's nice to a random girl that just ran into his horse, making sure she's okay and even walking onto the not-that-stable boat to help her up — and that's ''before'' he learns that she's Princess Anna. He also doesn't hesitate to hand out supplies and let the public into the palace to keep them warm. Of course, it just shows how dedicated he is to being a VillainWithGoodPublicity.

** He is also this to a lesser extent for Elsa, who fears becoming a monster, but is able to keep a grip on herself with the support of her family. While Elsa [[NiceJobBreakingItHero hurts people accidentally and fears doing so]], Hans embraces villainy and has no one to rely on for moral support. Also, while both hide key aspects of who they are, he does so to manipulate others.

** He briefly points to Arendelle while singing about "finding his own place" during the song "Love is an Open Door."

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: In ''A Frozen Heart''. Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa [[DramaticIrony are in the dark on Hans's upbringing]] as he hasn't divulged much. As he's manipulative and dishonest, they don't know if they can trust even what little he revealed about it. [[DiscussedTrope They wonder if it drove his decisions]], but ultimately state that he should be responsible for his crimes instead of blaming others.
* FreudianSlip: When Anna is asked by the Duke if she has powers as well, Hans is quick to parrot her when she describes herself as "completely ordinary", only to back-pedal and assure her that he [[BlatantLies means it in the most inoffensive way possible]]. In reality, this foreshadows how he really felt about her.

** In spin-offs, the heroes dislike him. In ''Literature/FrozenIIAForestOfShadows'', Anna thinks of him as "villainous" and "evil", and in ''[[Literature/AnnaAndElsa The Secret Admirer]]'', he is the only person Olaf does not like.

** In ''A Frozen Heart'', there are several moments where Hans second-guesses his actions, [[IgnoredEpiphany but his desire]] to be TheDutifulSon drives him to continue on.

* PrinceCharmingWannabe: Anna thinks he's the OneTrueLove she thinks he is, but he's actually a sleazeball who seeks power at all costs by being a VillainWithGoodPublicity.

** He's on the receiving end of this from Anna when he asked how she survived the icy heart curse. She points out that he's the only one with a metaphorical "frozen" heart, then sucker-punches the man without notice.

** The film's head animator compared him to a chameleon. The only difference is that instead of his appearance, Hans changes his personality to adapt to situations. To woo Anna, he fakes being a lovesick NiceGuy. To earn Arendelle's admiration, he helps them during the winter and goes to rescue their princess. To get Elsa's trust, he acts like a MoralityPet. To counter the Duke, he appears as a rude JerkAss. When confronted by Marshmallow, he appears aggressive and defeats the {{Snowlem}} by reflecting the violence back.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Simultaneously inverted and exaggerated. Hans has multiple older brothers who go beyond normal levels of sibling rivalry.

** What he turns out to be at the end, subverting the classical Disney PrinceCharming. Behind his various facades, he's an arrogant jerk who fakes his romance with Anna so he can seize the throne.

*** While both have animal companions, Sven remains on Kristoff's side to the end, but Sitron runs off during the ice castle siege, leaving the audience to wonder what happened to it. Metaphorically, both Sven and Sitron could serve as Kristoff's and Hans's respective consciences: Kristoff's persona as "Sven" is what often gets him to help others despite his own misanthropy, but Hans rarely interacts with Sitron, representing his utilitarian perspective.

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: In ''A Frozen Heart''. Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa [[DramaticIrony are in the dark on Hans's upbringing]] as he hasn't told them much. Since he's manipulative and dishonest, they don't know if they can trust even what little he has said about it. [[DiscussedTrope They wonder if it drove his decisions]], but ultimately state that he should be responsible for his crimes instead of blaming others.

** In ''Frozen Fever'', he's been [[DefeatMeansMenialLabor condemned to forced labor]] back home and his trademark white suit is quite dirty as one of his punishments involves shoveling manure at the royal stables. Just then, a sick Elsa accidentally launches a giant snowball, where it pummels him into a wagon full of RoadApples. The horses laugh at his misfortune when he's covered in horse poop. While not appearing in the ''Frozen Ever After'' dark ride attraction itself, a news article mentions that his own countrymen found it funny when the "disgraced" 13th son of the king of the Southern Isles was covered in muck.

** It's ironic for him to ask Anna whether she can trust Elsa and not wanting to see her harmed as he ''is the one'' who actually dumps Anna for his selfish political ambitions.

* MassiveNumberedSiblings: He is the youngest of thirteen princes. Growing up in the shadow of 12 older brothers is [[FreudianExcuse what darkened him]].

** It appears that Hans is a bit narcissistic during TheReveal, envisioning himself as "the hero who [saved] Arendelle from destruction". As he's estranged with his brothers, he not only craves the power he felt he deserves, he wants to [[WhosLaughingNow show his brothers that he's the one now in charge]] and rub it in their faces instead of reconciling with them.

* PrinceCharming: He invokes this trope to appeal to Anna and the people of Arendelle to [[VillainWithGoodPublicity have good PR]] so his takeover of Arendelle would be more stable. In truth, he is [[PrinceCharmless anything but charming]]. His personality subverts the classical Disney Prince, using his charm and seemingly heroic acts to easily take power.

* PutOnAPrisonBus: At the end of ''Frozen'', he is shown being jailed aboard the brig of a ship before being deported to Southern Isles.

** His line to Anna about whether she can trust Elsa and not wanting to see her get hurt is ironic. He ''is the one'' who actually betrays Anna for his selfish political ambitions.

** Deconstructed in ''A Frozen Heart''. [[FreudianExcuse Growing up in a dysfunctional household]], he's never known real love due to the harsh upbringing that encouraged SocialDarwinism and comes to the conclusion that all love does is make one look weak. When Elsa grieves over Anna, he thinks it's proof that it makes her spineless.

* MassiveNumberedSiblings: He is the youngest of thirteen princes. Growing up in the shadow of 12 older brothers is [[FreudianExcuse part of why he turned out so ruthless]].

** Gluttony: Going by the Biblical definition, he's the SpareToTheThrone of his kingdom, but [[TheRichWantToBeRicher wants to rise]] over his current status by any means possible.

** Lust: He has an insatiable desire for power and would take any path to obtain it, including murder and deceit.

** Wrath: Gets irate when Elsa escapes the prison and chases her in the ice storm. When the Duke whines that he's giving away "tradable goods" and that Anna "may be conspiring with a sorceress," he angrily threatens to charge the man with treason, causing the Duke to cower in fear.

** He embodies [[TheCreon Anna's]] [[SpareToTheThrone feelings of inadequacy and invisibility]], representing what she could've been if she stopped reconciling with Elsa and sought getting attention at all costs. They're both ignored by their older siblings, driven and active in pursuing their goals, but Hans thinks LoveIsAWeakness and focuses on his own betterment over others, while Anna makes an effort to find love again and zealously protects her sister. Taken further in the novel ''A Frozen Heart'', in which he plans to rub it in his family's faces rather than reconcile with them.

** He looks confused while trying to copy Anna's loopy personality, especially when she completes [[FinishingEachOthersSentences his line about finishing each other's - sandwiches]], and he then falsely agrees with her.

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: In ''A Frozen Heart''. Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa [[DramaticIrony are in the dark on Hans's upbringing]] as he hasn't told them much, and since he's manipulative and dishonest, they don't know if they can trust even what little he has said about it. [[DiscussedTrope They wonder if it played a role in his decisions, but ultimately conclude that he should be responsible for his crimes instead of blaming others.]]

* MasterActor: He mirrors his persona towards the person he's talking to [[ManipulativeBastard in a calculated manner]]. The creators even compared him to a [[AnimalMotifs chameleon]], and he's partially based on the concept of the Mirror in the [[Literature/TheSnowQueen original tale]]. He's so effective that many fans still think he has a secret twin or was {{brainwashed}} by the trolls at times, although these theories have been jossed. In hindsight, while there are a few times where his facial expressions are real, one should closely note that his eyebrows actually don't budge an inch. The sudden changes in personality also hint to his nature in contrast to the other characters.

* EtTuBrute: His betrayal of Anna in the climax — she thought he was her true love!

* BlackAndGrayMorality: In ''A Frozen Heart'', he starts off as an AntiVillain driven to escape the tyranny of his homeland, while simultaneously trying to please his father at all costs. But as the story progresses, the abuse brings out the worst of him and he [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis becomes very similar to his father and brothers]].
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: In ''A Frozen Heart'', he literally ''forces'' himself to think this way during his journey to take down Elsa. Whenever he begins to realize that Elsa isn't such a bad person after all or feels sorry for her, he panics and starts throwing out reasons to why Elsa ''must'' be the villain and that everything "bad" that has happened to him is completely her fault. He also quickly dehumanizes her as a "monster" so he can feel less bad when killing her.
* BlackSheep: In ''A Frozen Heart''. His father and older brothers see him as this due to his reluctance in conforming to their SocialDarwinist leanings. Ironically, Hans being against the violence of his family made him the WhiteSheep, but his desire to [[WellDoneSonGuy appeal to his father]] [[UsedToBeASweetKid darkened him]]. Even Hans acknowledges that he's the odd one out in his family.

* ClassicVillain: Represents Ambition and a little bit of Envy. Knowing that he'll never inherit his own kingdom's throne, he intends to take over Arendelle by marrying into the royal family and then killing both sisters. Although not the direct cause of the movie's main conflicts, it's his deceptions, i.e. pretending to be Anna's FalseSoulmate and giving her the push to confront Elsa over the closed gates, that trigger the plot into such direction. He also shares a number of similarities to both Anna and Elsa: like Anna, he doesn't get along with his older siblings, and like Elsa, he hides his true emotions. But while the sisters wish to reconcile with each other, Hans clearly doesn't wish to reconcile with his own family, as he's willing to abandon them to get Arendelle. While Elsa tries to control her emotions to stop herself from harming her loved ones, Hans hides his in order to manipulate others.

** The TieInNovel ''A Frozen Heart'' [[SchrodingersCanon delves into his background]] much further, and it's ''not'' good. Except for his mother and Lars, who treat him with kindness, Hans is abused and ignored by his family.

** In the film, he calls Anna "dumb" for going after Elsa in the first place, showing he never understood Anna's unconditional love for her sister, and becomes even more perplexed when Anna survives the frozen heart curse. Realizing he saw her as a mere pawn in a nasty game of political chess, Anna's rebuttal to Hans even nails it: since anything he did was so he could gain more power, he truly is incapable of loving anyone in his metaphorically "frozen" heart. A JustifiedTrope because he's had a rough and loveless childhood.

* EvilVersusEvil: With the Duke of Weselton, but it's largely downplayed since both never really know about each others' plans until the end and any fighting they do is minor. However, it's clear they don't really like one another, and each attempt to back-stab one another.
* EvilWearsBlack: Subverted. In order to throw off the audience, he wears light colors while the Duke, Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa wear darker colors.

** He is both metaphorically and literally green-eyed, as he is last in line for his kingdom's throne. It causes him to seek a throne for himself.

* {{Foil}}:
** To the Duke of Weselton. Hans is a young man who does his plans on his own and is very good at hiding who he really is. The Duke is an elderly man who orders his two henchman to follow his orders, and he is ''horrible'' at hiding his true intentions.

->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SantinoFontana (English); Erik Segerstedt (Swedish)

** In ''A Frozen Heart'', he daydreams about his father loving him, and those fantasies often involve the king taking him out to hunting, valuing his input during political meetings, naming him heir to the kingdom, and most of all, recognizing him as TheDutifulSon. However, it quickly gets overridden by a desire for power once he gets to try controlling Arendelle.

** He spends more time in his coronation clothes than his gray coat or the pictured blue shirt and pants, and yet that's the only outfit where he's never shown doing anything remotely evil onscreen.

** Justified and deconstructed. As he never bonded with his family in youth, he craves the recognition he felt he deserved and would take any shortcut that will lead him to power. While noticing his reflection through a window, he only sees his own face, which shows that he cares only about himself. He only did charitable acts [[VillainWithGoodPublicity to build public trust]]. But as pointed out by Anna in her KirkSummation to him, he is the only one with a [[TheSociopath "frozen heart."]] His selfishness keeps him from genuinely bonding with others.

* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: In ''A Frozen Heart'', once he gets his first taste of real power from controlling Arendelle in Elsa's absence, it corrupts his mind, driving him to dehumanize everyone else, manipulate others, and cling onto power at all costs.

** It appears that Hans is a bit narcissistic during TheReveal, envisioning himself as "the hero who [saved] Arendelle from destruction". As he's estranged with his brothers, he not only develops a craving for the power he felt he deserves, he wants to [[WhosLaughingNow show his brothers that he's the one now in charge]] and rub it in their faces instead of reconciling with them.

* NervesOfSteel: Hans is a pretty competent fighter, has no issue with facing down danger, and even is the one to defeat Marshmallow.

** In ''Frozen Fever'', his [[FreezeFrameBonus reaction]] is one of [[http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/38700000/Hans-frozen-fever-38752197-720-320.png being spooked out]] just as he's being pummeled into the wagon full of RoadApples by the giant snowball. The nearby horses laugh at his misfortune.

** Wrath: Has a VillainousBreakdown when Elsa escapes the prison and goes after her in the ice storm. When the Duke whines that he's giving away "tradable goods" and that Anna "may be conspiring with a sorceress," he angrily threatens to charge the man with treason, causing the Duke to cower in fear.

* SuccessfulSiblingSyndrome: In ''A Frozen Heart''. Hans often envies his older brothers, as they are favored more by the king. This desire of getting out of their shadow, alongside seeking his distant father's approval, is part of what motivates him.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: In ''A Frozen Heart''. Hans has complete disdain working with the Duke of Weselton and [[MaliciousMisnaming even snidely calls him a "weasel" behind his back]]. The feeling is mutual as they have different ideas in dealing with the eternal winter.

*** With Anna, he even has a physical resemblance to her, and like her, he also grew up feeling invisible and rejected by his older siblings. Anna never gave up on her sister, though, even when Elsa [[NotEvilJustMisunderstood cursed the kingdom and her and appeared to do so purposely]], and always remained kind. By contrast, Hans became greedy and malicious. Despite [[SuccessfulSiblingSyndrome her insecurities]] on how she compares to her older sister, Anna [[TheCreon rejects the opportunity to take Elsa's place as queen]] in favor of trying to help Elsa after Elsa runs away. By contrast, Hans thinks he ''needs'' a throne and tries to take it by force, even if it means going out of his way to kill Elsa. Anna also is able to mend the bond with the sibling who pushed her out, while Hans never mends his bonds with his brothers.

** He is also this to Kristoff to a lesser extent. While both are set up as Anna's LoveInterest, Kristoff is a NiceGuy despite his initial appearance as a detached misanthrope while Hans [[BaitTheDog is built up as someone]] who cares for others, but is actually a two-timing, duplicitous man.

*** While Kristoff is an orphan HappilyAdopted by trolls who raised him with love and genuinely cares for Anna, Hans grew up in a human family that never cared for him, causing him to become ruthless and power-hungry, and fake his romance with Anna. Plus, Kristoff has the warm love of family that Anna needs (and gets after she and Elsa are able to be together), while Hans has the cold family relationship that Anna doesn't want. Also, as they race back to the castle with Anna freezing because of the curse, Kristoff puts his hat on her head, but Hans doesn't help Anna feel warmer while she's visibly shivering, instead pulling his own jacket tighter to him.

** He psychologically torments and attempts to murder the heroines, complete with EvilGloating and BreakThemByTalking monologues in which he [[SmugSnake brags]] about having [[TemptingFate "already"]] gotten away with his EvilPlan. The ending shows nobody having a good opinion of him for what he did: the dignitaries and soldiers clap to see him receive a ShutUpHannibal punch (by Anna, whose forgiving nature is one of her defining qualities, of all characters), and the French dignitary even offers to return this "scoundrel" to his kingdom.

** In ''Frozen Fever'', he's been [[DefeatMeansMenialLabor condemned to forced labor]] back home and his trademark white suit is quite dirty as one of his punishments involves shoveling manure at the royal stables. Just then, a sick Elsa accidentally launches a giant snowball, where it pummels him into a wagon full of RoadApples. The horses laugh at his misfortune when he's covered in horse poop. While not appearing in the ''Frozen Ever After'' dark ride attraction itself, a news article mentions that his own countrymen found it funny when the "disgraced" 13th son of the king of the Southern Isles was covered in poop.

** When Elsa's powers are revealed, he asks Anna if she can trust her sister. This is the same guy who cons both Anna and the audience into thinking ''he'' is trustworthy.

** Deconstructed in ''A Frozen Heart''. From his view, the ends justify the means and LoveIsAWeakness that can be easily exploited [[FreudianExcuse due to his dark upbringing]]. He plays a long game, planning his marriage to Elsa for years, but when Anna seems to be the easy path in getting what he wants, he changes gears slightly. He doesn't hesitate to lie and bribe, and starts to dehumanize Elsa so she is viewed as a monster and so that no one questions it when he kills her, and he does everything he can to play into that narrative. He isn't hesitant to use violence if others can be easily manipulated. However, once Anna sees through his lies, she states that he is the only person with a "frozen heart."

* {{Hypocrite}}: His climatic betrayal is this in ''A Frozen Heart'' because of the [[SchrodingersCanon additional backstory the book gives]]. He was on the receiving end of years of cruel pranks from most of his brothers, making him faking his romance with Anna, somebody who [[DesperatelyCravesAffection needs emotional validation]], one giant cruel prank on her in return, and his [[BreakThemByTalking verbal abuse]] of her becomes this as the book also implies that he hates the way his brothers and father treated their spouses, yet he treats his fiance cruelly once he no longer thinks it useful to manipulate her.

** He's never known love since childhood and downplays the abuse as [[WorseWithContext "what brothers do."]] By the time he's an adult, he is fully estranged with his family and planned on inviting them over so he could rub his achievements in their faces.

** In ''Frozen Fever'', he's been [[DefeatMeansMenialLabor condemned to forced labor]] back home and his trademark white suit is quite dirty as one of his punishments involves shoveling manure at the royal stables. Just then, a sick Elsa accidentally launches a giant snowball, where it pummels him into a wagon full of RoadApples. The horses laugh at his misfortune when he's covered in horse poop. While not appearing in the ''Frozen Ever After'' dark ride attraction itself, a news article refers to him as the "disgraced" son of the king of the Southern Isles and mentions that his own countrymen found it funny when he was covered in poop.
** Not to him directly in the sequel, but he's the ButtMonkey during a game of charades the heroes play, and Elsa even destroys an ice statue of him out of spite.
** Even in the spin-off books, the heroes view him negatively with Olaf becoming upset when his name is brought up in one book.

** Callously dumping Anna to her death (and telling her that he didn't love her) and telling Elsa that she was responsible for Anna's death are indicators that he disregards the wellbeing of others, and as [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Anna, ends the movie with a "[[TheCynic frozen heart]]". The creators have stated that he is indeed a sociopath.
** Initially averted in the beginning of ''A Frozen Heart'', and deconstructed — he was sympathetic to his mother (being married to an uncaring man who encouraged cruelty in his sons), the citizens of the Southern Isles (as his father is a corrupt tyrant), Caleb's wife (who's married to a man who takes advantage of being [[ParentalFavoritism the king's favorite son]] and pays no attention to her pregnancy) and, surprisingly enough, to the people of Arendelle (for losing their king and queen). But he becomes increasingly callous and villainous as the book goes on, developing the frozen heart he was accused of having in the movie.

** What he turns out to be at the end, subverting the classical Disney PrinceCharming. Behind his various facades, he's an arrogant jerk who fakes his romance with Anna so he can be closer to the throne.

** Pride: SpareToTheThrone of his kingdom, he wants to become the ruler of any country via shortcuts. During TheReveal, he even smugly tells Anna that nobody loved her and that he'll get away with his plans.
** Gluttony: Going by the Biblical definition, he's already last in line to the throne of his kingdom, but [[TheRichWantToBeRicher wants to rise]] over his current status by any means possible.

** Lust: He has an insatiable desire for power and would take any shortcut to obtain it, including murder and deceit.
** Sloth: Unlike Anna, who doesn't take advantage of the ice storm Elsa accidentally created as an opportunity to overthrow her, he'll take shortcuts to power, which is how he exploits Anna's naivete as a GoldDigger.

** He embodies [[TheCreon Anna's]] [[SpareToTheThrone feelings of inadequacy and invisibility]], representing what she could've been if she stopped reconciling with Elsa and sought getting attention at all costs. They're both ignored by their older siblings, driven and active in pursuing their goals, but Hans thinks LoveIsAWeakness and zealously focuses on his own betterment over others, while Anna makes an effort to find love again and zealously protects her sister. Taken further in the novel ''A Frozen Heart'', in which he plans to rub it in his brothers' faces rather than reconcile with them.
** He is also this to a lesser extent for Elsa, who fears becoming a monster, but is able to keep a grip on herself with the support of her family. While Elsa [[NiceJobBreakingItHero hurts people accidentally and fears doing so]], Hans embraces causing harm and has no one to rely on for moral support. Also, while both hide key aspects of who they are, he does so to manipulate others.

** In the film, he is a hybrid of the unstable and empty types. His feigned charms hide his true intent of seizing the Arendellian throne and the internal grudge against his brothers. He [[MasterActor mirrors his persona]] towards the person he's talking to [[ManipulativeBastard in a calculated approach]]. The creators even compared him to a [[AnimalMotifs chameleon]].

* AlwaysSecondBest: In ''A Frozen Heart''. His father thinks little of his youngest son, seeing his older sons as better and ruthless. Hans agrees, and develops an [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex inferiority complex]] as a result. To counter this, Hans tries to emulate them by becoming the king's gofer before setting off to Arendelle in the hopes of eventually earning his family's admiration.

** In ''A Frozen Heart'', it's never clear if Hans actually killed anyone. He takes on tasks for his EvilOverlord father [[EvenEvilHasStandards and dislikes doing his father's dirty work]].

* BullyMagnet: In ''A Frozen Heart''. Being the easiest target for bullying, his brothers frequently picked on him as a reminder of his low status in the familial pecking order.

* ClassicVillain: Represents Ambition, and a little bit of Envy. Knowing that he'll never inherit his own kingdom's throne, he intends to take over Arendelle by marrying into the royal family and then killing both sisters. Although not the direct cause of the movie's main conflicts, it's his deceptions, i.e. pretending to be Anna's FalseSoulmate and giving her the push to confront Elsa over the closed gates, that trigger the plot into such direction. He also shares a number of similarities to both Anna and Elsa: like Anna, he doesn't get along with his older siblings, and like Elsa, he hides his true emotions. But while the sisters wish to reconcile with each other, Hans clearly doesn't wish to reconcile with his own family, as he's willing to abandon them to get Arendelle. While Elsa tries to control her emotions to stop herself from harming her loved ones, Hans hides his in order to manipulate others.
* ClothingReflectsPersonality: [[EvilCounterpart Like Elsa]], he hides his true persona via his [[ArcSymbol gloves]]. In fact, as he gloats to Anna during TheReveal, he removes his right glove to reveal his selfish side. As he [[MurderByInaction leaves Anna to die]], he puts it back on, showing that he is about to put his metaphorical mask back on for the world and pretend to be a hero mourning her death, although [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness he doesn't care at all, because has no need for her now that she's dying from the curse]].

* TheCynic: In ''A Frozen Heart''. His [[FreudianExcuse upbringing]] made him to think LoveIsAWeakness, so when Anna and Elsa reconcile with each other, it leaves him shocked.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: One of the first things he says when asked about his family is that three of his brothers pretended he was invisible for two years and even tries to downplay it as "what brothers do", suggesting the rest of his relationships with his family aren't much better and that he's even downplaying it. Jennifer Lee has confirmed he grew up without love.

* ExtremeDoormat: Starts off as this in ''A Frozen Heart''. By the time he's a young adult, [[DespairEventHorizon Hans has already given up fighting back]] against his abusive family as he thinks it just makes their physical abuse worse, so he just keeps mum, but even this encourages them, too. His father often saw him as a whiner, and [[EvenEvilHasStandards despite his objections]], regularly sent him to do horrific tasks, from beating up critics of the king to killing delinquent taxpayers.

** In hindsight, one should closely note that his eyebrows don't budge an inch when he smiles, showing that he's faking it. There are a few times where his expressions are real, like when he's dangling from the stairway after Marshmallow [[TakingYouWithMe tries taking him into the abyss]]. It also ties into the drastic changes in personality he demonstrates throughout the film, such as suddenly perking up when Anna heads off to search for Elsa despite pleading with her not to venture out by herself.
** He wears ConspicuousGloves throughout the movie, but doesn't remove them until the climax. As he leaves Anna to die, he puts his right glove back on to keep on with his charade.

* FreudianExcuse: The creators have affirmed that one thing that wasn't a lie was his [[BigBrotherBully older brothers]]' unpleasant treatment of him and how it played a role in him becoming a villain. He even downplays it as [[WorseWithContext "what brothers do"]], implying that he can't comprehend normal familial relations. By the time he's an adult, he's permanently estranged with them.

** He is both a metaphorical and a literal case, as he has emerald-green eyes and is last in line for his kingdom's throne. It causes him to seek a throne for himself.

** Even in the spin-off books, the heroes view him negatively, with Olaf becoming upset when his name is brought up in one book.

*** The Situational variety. His original intent is to leave the Southern Isles forever and prove his worth to his family, yet everything he does in pursuit of those goals has the opposite results. He also vows not to use violence willingly and be a brute like his brothers, but he has no qualms using the same tactics when things go south. This is due to [[TheCorrupter his father's toxic influence]], which corrupted his brothers after [[FreudianExcuse they underwent a similar treatment]].

* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: His design looks like the kind usually used for PrinceCharming NiceGuy characters, until you get to the third act, and you'll see that his mind totally contrasts with his appearance.

** In ''Frozen Fever'', he's been [[DefeatMeansMenialLabor condemned to forced labor]] back home and his trademark white suit is quite dirty as one of his punishments involves shoveling manure at the royal stables. Just then, a sick Elsa accidentally launches a giant snowball, where it pummels him into a wagon full of RoadApples. The horses laugh at his misfortune when he's covered in horse poop.

** Even in the spin-off books, the heroes voice their contempt of him, with Olaf reacting negatively when his name is brought up in one book.

** Also, [[SchrodingersCanon the book portrays him as]] reluctant about hastily proposing a FourthDateMarriage with Anna, wondering if he's going way too fast and how his family would react. But then, this is quickly overridden by his stubborn and single-minded goal to seize control of Arendelle.

*** The Situational variety. His original intent is to leave the Southern Isles forever and prove his worth to his family, yet everything he does in pursuit of those goals has the opposite results. He also vows not to use violence willingly and be a brute like his brothers, but he has no qualms using the same tactics when things go south. This may have been due to [[TheCorrupter his father's toxic influence]], which corrupted his brothers after [[FreudianExcuse they underwent a similar treatment]].

* ItGetsEasier: Deconstructed in ''A Frozen Heart''. He's reluctant to beat up someone who insulted the king, but as time passes, justifying the violence gets easier, yet his personal life becomes more unstable as he follows the king's orders. By the time he's in Arendelle, he's so desensitized that he resorts to his family's tactics in order to become the king of Arendelle despite having vowed not to use them.

** Justified and deconstructed. As he never bonded with his family in youth, he craves the recognition he felt he deserved and would take any shortcut that will lead him to power. While noticing his reflection through a window, he only sees his own face, which shows that he cares only about himself. He only did charitable acts [[VillainWithGoodPublicity to build public trust]]. However, as pointed out by Anna in her KirkSummation to him, he is the only one with a [[TheSociopath "frozen heart."]] His selfishness keeps him from genuinely bonding with others.

* LonelyRichKid: In ''A Frozen Heart''. Behind his daddy issues and fear of his family, Hans has no friends and few people who care for him due to his father. It was something that hurt him when he was younger. Before going through errands for his father and going on his life-changing trip, Hans legitimately wanted to meet someone and hoped that Arendelle would end his loneliness.

** Deconstructed in ''A Frozen Heart''. [[FreudianExcuse Growing up in a dysfunctional household]], he's never known real love due to the harsh upbringing that encouraged SocialDarwinism and comes to the conclusion that all love does is make one look weak. When Elsa grieves over Anna, he thinks it's proof that love makes her spineless.

** To Anna and Elsa. His [[MeaningfulName name]], which means "God is gracious", reflects his role as a mirror toward Elsa (whose own name has the meaning "God's oath") and Anna (whose name means "gracious"), and unlike the two of them, he became both ruthless and cruel.
*** With Anna, he even has a physical resemblance to her, and like her, he also grew up feeling invisible and rejected by his older siblings. Anna never gave up on her sister, though, even when Elsa [[NotEvilJustMisunderstood cursed the kingdom and her and appeared to do so purposely]], and always remained kind. By contrast, Hans became greedy and malicious. Despite [[SuccessfulSiblingSyndrome her insecurities]] regarding how she compares to her older sister, Anna [[TheCreon rejects the opportunity to take Elsa's place as queen]] in favor of trying to help Elsa after Elsa runs away. By contrast, Hans thinks he ''needs'' a throne and tries to take it by force, even if it means going out of his way to kill Elsa. Anna also is able to mend the bond with the sibling who pushed her out, while Hans never mends his bonds with his brothers.

** His role as Anna and Elsa's EvilCounterpart is fleshed out a bit more thoroughly in ''A Frozen Heart'', as some of his thoughts regarding his brothers indicate that he even plans to rub his achievements in their faces instead of reconciling with them if he did win.

** In hindsight, one should closely note that his eyebrows don't budge an inch when he smiles, showing that he's faking it. There are a few times where his expressions are real, like when he's dangling from the stairway after Marshmallow [[TakingYouWithMe tries taking him into the abyss]]. It also ties into the drastic changes in personality that he demonstrates throughout the film, such as suddenly perking up when Anna heads off to search for Elsa despite pleading with her not to venture out by herself.

** Wrath: Has a VillainousBreakdown when Elsa escapes the prison and goes after her in the ice storm. When the Duke whines that he's giving away "tradable goods" and that Anna "may be conspiring with a sorceress," he threatens to charge the man with treason, thus showing that he ''is'' quite ruthless.

* SocialClimber: His whole goal is to become king, and he's willing to kill to do it. In his MotiveRant, he explains his plan was to "marry into the throne somewhere" and that he would kill Elsa to get her out of the way.