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Clara Stahlbaum
Princess Clara Stahlbaum
Played by: Mackenzie Foy
- Action Girl: She's very physically active and skilled in combat (Her actress, Mackenzie Foy, is a black belt in Taekwondo).
- Brainy Brunette: She uses her wits and smarts to get things done.
- Cool Key: The key that's coveted by Clara. Beyond opening that box and revealing "Everything that you need", it's capable of activating The Engine, the machine her mother created from which the very existence of the Four Realms came. It can produce living toy soldiers, an army of which could decide the fate of the war depending upon who controls it, which is why others covet it as well.
- Decomposite Character: Her and Marie. Marie was the main character's name in the original novella, whereas Clara is her name in the ballet. Marie's brother and sister in the novella are transferred to Clara in this movie. They both share a godfather (Drosselmeyer) and in this version become queen at the end of their respective stories, though in Clara's case, it's because she inherited the title from her mother instead of the land bestowing it upon her like they did Marie.
- Did I Mention It's Christmas?: Christmas Eve only affects the story in that Clara receives the box as her recently deceased mother's final present to her, and from there is led to the key at Drosselmeyer's party that evening.
- Fatal Flaw: Clara's is her self-pity. She is only concerned with how much she misses her late mother, dismissing her father's feelings for wanting to keep up public appearances. In her quest, Clara is quick to run into danger for the mysterious key to learn its significance to Marie, putting her companions at risk.
- Fiery Redhead: She's got red hair and is quite direct and confrontational.
- Foil: To the Sugar Plum Fairy. Both are consumed with grief over the loss of Marie, and each are her "creations" in different ways. But where Clara learns to not close herself off and try to understand other people's feelings, Sugar wants to conquer the Four Realms in what amounts to a giant tantrum.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Wants to become this.
- Gratuitous Princess: The film adds a 'princess' subplot not originally in the Nutcracker story. Clara is the princess of the Four Realms because her mother was its queen before she divided her power between the regents and left for good. The evil Sugar Plum regards herself as the true princess and wants to destroy Clara as part of taking over as queen. In the end, Sugar Plum is turned back into a doll, Phillip is installed as her replacement as regent, and Clara chooses not to become queen.
- Guile Hero: Clara defeats the Big Bad by reprogramming the machine so it will fire on the position of the person activating it. She tries reasoning with Sugar Plum, but if that fails - and it does - she knows Sugar Plum will press the button and defeat herself.
- The Hero's Journey: Clara undertaking this to save the Four Realms is the core of the story.
- It's All About Me: A much more sympathetic example than most but Clara has difficulty seeing beyond her own grief about her mother's passing and doesn't quite see how much her father is suffering. She grows out of this by the end.
- It Was with You All Along: In the late going, Clara realizes that "Everything you need is inside" has a double meaning. The egg is actually a music box with a mirror, literally showing her that everything she needs (courage, skill, etc.) is inside HER. She later applies this to the remaining regents, explaining how they can rule the Four Realms on their own while she returns to the outside world.
- Jump Scare: When the Matryoshka clown appears in front of Clara's face out of nowhere.
- Lamarck Was Right: Turns out Clara inherited her mother's gift for mechanical engineering (as well as the throne of the Four Realms).
- Last-Second Chance: At the climax, Clara tries one last time to reason with the villainous Sugar Plum. It doesn't work, but Clara planned for that, rigging The Engine to turn Sugar Plum back into a toy if she activated it again.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Clara was told stories of a Magical Land by her mother, but not that it's real, much less that her mother created it and its people and was its original ruler. In fact, Marie and her husband did intend to reveal all one day but her deathly illness prevented it.
- Missing Mom: Clara's mother, Marie, passed away from a terminal illness before the action begins.
- Nostalgic Music Box: Clara finds one in that it's what the egg-shaped box she finally manages to open actually is. The nostalgia comes from it being Marie's final gift to her, serving as a reminder to her daughter that everything she needs is inside and the song it plays being meaningful to her father/Marie's husband.
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Before the Engine fires upon the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara says in a Meaningful Echo, "You were right, Sugar Plum: I am every inch my mother's daughter."
- Real Women Don't Wear Dresses: Clara isn't especially tomboyish, but she prefers studying science to attending parties, and isn't good at hair or fashion. Additionally, the hyper-feminine Sugar Plum is the selfish bad guy and the tough, pants-wearing Mother Ginger is secretly good.
- Rube Goldberg Device: Clara is working on one of these as the film opens, establishing her Gadgeteer Genius bonafides. Amusingly, she's playing a game of Mouse Trap
- Secondary Character Title: Clara is very much the protagonist, so the title counts as this.
- Secret Legacy: Clara has this. She's the princess of the Four Realms, being the daughter of their creator Marie.
- Sequel Hook: In the denouement, Clara leaves the regents in charge but promises to visit the Four Realms again.
- Sugar Apocalypse: The Fourth Realm underwent this, and Clara must now stop it from happening to the other three. Bonus points for being a Sugar Plum Fairy Apocalypse.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The tomboy to Louise's girly girl.
- Your Magic's No Good Here: The novelization says Marie's inventions such as the machine that brings toys to life wouldn't work on Earth and that The Realms' citizens would probably turn back into toys. At the end of the novelization, Clara intends to work on a way for them to be able to visit.
Philip Hoffman
Captain Philip Hoffman
Played by: Jayden Fowora-Knight
- Adaptational Backstory Change: Is a Nutcracker brought to life by Marie's magic instead of a human turned into a Nutcracker by a curse.
- Adaptational Name Change: His last name is Hoffman instead of Drosselmeyer.
- Heroes Prefer Swords: His weapon of choice is a sword.
- Mythology Gag: Phillip's last name (Hoffman) is a reference to the author of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.
- Named by the Adaptation: The Nutcracker's name is Phillip Hoffman in this version. In the original story his last name was Drosselmeyer.
- Promoted to Love Interest: Inverted. Unlike in the novella and ballet, there is no romance between Clara and Phillip.
- Protagonist Title: The titular Nutcracker.
- Race Lift: Is of African ethnicity here.
- Red Is Heroic: His coat is mostly red, he is a noble soldier and the Deuteragonist of the movie.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation: This version of the character is not Drosselmeyer's nephew.
Sugar Plum Fairy
Sugar Plum Fairy
Played by: Keira Knightley
- Adaptational Villainy: The Sugar Plum Fairy is one of the allies in the original story, but in the film, she's the Big Bad.
- Alas, Poor Villain: In the end, Sugar Plum (the actual Big Bad) was turned back into a lifeless porcelain doll as punishment for the crimes of attempted takeover of the Four Realms and treason against Clara and the other regents. Despite this, Clara briefly mourns for the loss of Sugar Plum, who wasn't only one of mother's favorite toys, but also a friend who felt hurt by her mother's supposed abandonment.
- Beauty Equals Goodness: Ultimately subverted, verging on Beauty Is Bad, as she's the actual villain, who brags to Clara that she is far more beautiful — nay, perfect — than she is, while Mother Ginger is a good, brave woman framed.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She acts all jittery and sweet and her hair is made out of cotton candy, but deep down, her heart is purely sour.
- Evil All Along: At the end of Act Two, Sugar Plum (as well as the deleted character Dew Drop), are revealed to be this, having framed Mother Ginger and her minions for all of the destruction that's happened so far. Sugar Plum intends to become queen.
- Fairy Sexy: She's played by Keira Knightley.
- Foil: To Clara. Both are consumed with grief over the loss of Marie, and each are her "creations" in different ways. But where Clara learns to not close herself off and try to understand other people's feelings, Sugar wants to conquer the Four Realms in what amounts to a giant tantrum.
- French Jerk: The Sugar Plum Fairy is an evil person who wants world domination. When Mother Ginger tries to reason with Sugar Plum, she rejects Ginger and tries to turn her into a toy anyways. Plus she betrays Clara and says that Marie "abandoned" her, which is a straight-up lie.
- Graceful Ladies Like Purple: The Sugar Plum Fairy's beautiful gown is purple.
- If I Can't Have You…: Sugar Plum was unable to accept that Marie loved her family, and especially daughter Clara, more than her world and especially her first creation, so Sugar decided she would conquer all the realms and have revenge upon Clara in the bargain.
- I Taste Delicious: Sugar Plum occasionally munches on her own cotton candy hair!
- 1-Dimensional Thinking: An egregious version. The Sugar Plum Fairy is not restrained whatsoever, absolutely knows what's going to happen when the machine fires, and could literally take two steps in any direction OR take flight, but instead of moving out of the path of the machine, doomed Sugar Plum just stands there and screams. Too Dumb to Live indeed.
- The Reveal: It's the top of the third act, the battle against Mother Ginger is about to commence, and then Clara learns too late that Sugar Plum is the real threat.
- Rewatch Bonus: Everything learned about Sugar Plum is cast in a new light now that the viewers know her true intentions from the start.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The girly girl to Mother Ginger's tomboy.
- Walking Spoiler: This is very much her role in the film.
- Winged Humanoid: Although she keeps her fairy wings retracted most of the time.
Mother Ginger
Mother Ginger
Played by: Helen Mirren
- Action Girl
- Adaptational Villainy: Mother Ginger is a cheery woman with many children in the ballet, while here she's a tyrant and the main villain. She's a sort of Composite Character, with the role of the Mouse Queen of the novella merged in hers, and on top of that it's subverted as she's Good All Along.
- And Starring: Helen Mirren gets the With credit.
- Beauty Equals Goodness: The intact three realms and their people are amazingly lovely, especially compared to the Amusement Park of Doom that is the Fourth Realm, ruled over by the now-broken traitor Mother Ginger.
- Broken Pedestal: Mother Ginger was once a good regent, but then came the destruction of the Fourth Realm, all because she was framed by Sugar Plum, who in turn becomes a serious case of this for Clara and everyone else while Mother Ginger gets her pedestal rebuilt.
- Cassandra Truth: Nobody believed her until it was too late to stop the Sugar Plum Fairy from taking control of the Engine and creating her army.
- The Cavalry: In the climax, Clara gets extra help fighting the Big Bad when Mother Ginger enters the fray.
- Circus of Fear: The skirt of Mother Ginger's Humongous Mecha doubles as a circus tent full of her minions.
- Composite Character: Mother Ginger is her ballet counterpart combined with the Mouse Queen of the novella. The mice, who together form the Mouse King, are among her many minions (and in a way are a "composite character" of their own).
- Giant Woman: Mother Ginger's mechanical is a puppet-like one.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: The Magical Land was once ruled by The High Queen, Marie, Clara's mum, but after her death Mother Ginger decided she wanted to take the crown. The result of this was the Land of Amusements' destruction, but she's still out there. Then it's revealed it was Sugar Plum Fairy who wanted to conquer all the realms. Mother Ginger was framed.
- Humongous Mecha: A giant replica of Mother Ginger, whose skirt conceals a Circus of Fear, must be braved by our heroes.
- One Bad Mother: Mother Ginger's name and role fit the bill. However, she turns out to be a subvertion, as she really was Good All Along.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Her face still looks cracked, but Mother Ginger looks absolutely beautiful when she's all dressed up for Clara's coronation.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The tomboy to Sugar Plum's girly girl.
- Walking Spoiler: Much like Sugar Plum, it's very hard to discuss her without revealing the twist at the climax.
- Weapon Specialization: Mother Ginger is quite skilled at using a whip in battle.
- Zerg Rush: Mother Ginger's giant mecha is taken down by the tin soldiers all climbing the skirts.
Drosselmeyer
Drosselmeyer
Played by: Morgan Freeman
- Adaptational Job Change: In the original story he was a Judge who tinkered with clockwork on the side although he held the post of Royal Inventor in the past, here he's still an inventor with no other profession given.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: His connection to the Nutcracker and his backstory is completely omitted.
- And Starring: Morgan Freeman gets the And credit.
- Eyepatch of Power: As in most adaptations, Drosselmeyer has an eyepatch.
- Fairy Godfather: Fills the role for Clara.
- Gadgeteer Genius: As shown by his impressive workshop of mechanical devices
- Hero of Another Story: Is implied to have visited the Four Realms in the past.
- Mysterious Past: Unlike the original tale we only get hints of his backstory.
- Mythology Gag: Drosselmeyer is often, if not traditionally, associated with owls in stagings of the ballet. Here, he has one as a pet.
- No Full Name Given: Like most adaptations he's only referred to by his last name with his full name Elias Christian Drosselmeyer not being mentioned.
- Race Lift: Is portrayed by a African-American actor.
- The Owl-Knowing One: Wise old Drosselmeyer has an owl as a pet for this reason and Mythology Gag.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation: The Nutcracker isn't his nephew here.
Hawthorne
Hawthorne
Played by: Eugenio Derbez
- Canon Foreigner: Hawthorne is the only one of the four regents who doesn't have a corresponding character in the ballet.
- I've Heard of That — What Is It?: When Clara explains that the reason she was in the kingdom was because she was looking for her Christmas present, Hawthorne exclaims, "I love Christmas!" Then he asks, "What's Christmas?"
- Plant Person: Has authority over the Land of Flowers.
- Theme Naming: Hawthorne (referring to a type of flowering tree/shrub) is the Regent of the Land of Flowers.
Shiver
Shiver
Played by: Richard E. Grant
- Casting Gag: In the last adaptation of The Nutcracker, Richard E. Grant played the heroine's father. Here he's been cast as Shiver, Regent of the Land of Snowflakes.
- Gender Flip: Shiver is a gender-flipped equivalent to the Snow Queen of the ballet, though it should be noted that some productions do add a Snow King alongside her.
- An Ice Person: The Regent of the Land of Snowflakes.
- Theme Naming: Shiver is a cool name for the Regent of the Land of Snowflakes.
- Winter Royal Lady: As the Regent of the Land of Snowflakes, is a gender-flipped version.
Ballerina Princess
Ballerina Princess
Played by: Misty Copeland
- Ballet: This is used to present the Backstory of the Magical Land to Clara, with Misty Copeland appearing as the lead dancer. Another such sequence is part of the Creative Closing Credits.
Benjamin Stahlbaum
Benjamin Stahlbaum
Played by: Matthew Macfadyen
- Family Man: He seems to be an ordinary guy who loves his family.
- Widow's Weeds: Being a widow, it's no surprise he's seen wearing a black suit.
Marie Stahlbaum
Queen Marie Stahlbaum
Played by: Anna Madeley
- Death by Adaptation: Although a minor character, she is alive and well in all other versions of the story.
- Decomposite Character: Her and Clara. Marie was the main character's name in the original novella, whereas Clara is her name in the ballet. Marie's brother and sister in the novella are transferred to Clara in this movie. They both share a godfather (Drosselmeyer) and in this version become queen at the end of their respective stories, though in Clara's case, it's because she inherited the title from her mother instead of the land bestowing it upon her like they did Marie.
- Family Versus Career: It turns out that Clara's mother had to deal with this. She had to split her time between being Queen of the Realms and raising a family in the real world.
- Fisher Kingdom: The novelization says The Realms are a mild example, having flowers spring up under her feet when she's happy and it will rain when she's sad.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Was this — in a BIG way.
- The High Queen: Marie once ruled the land. Without her, there is now discord among the regents, with Mother Ginger pitted against the other three.
- Posthumous Character: She dies before the beginning of the movie.
- Succession Crisis: With The High Queen of the Four Realms dead, Mother Ginger has turned against the other regents in hope of becoming the new queen. Only the true inheritor of the throne can save the day. In the end, Clara decides that she will return to London while the four regents — Mother Ginger (who is innocent), Phillip (who replaces Sugar Plum), Shiver, and Hawthorne — will rule together and equally.
Sweets Cavalier
Sweets Cavalier
Played by: Sergei Polunin
Louise Stahlbaum
Louise Stahlbaum
Played by: Ellie Bamber
- Cool Big Sis: She's Clara and Fritz's older sister and wouldn't have it any other way.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The girly girl to Clara's tomboy.
Fritz Stahlbaum
Fritz Stahlbaum
Played by: Tom Sweet
- Adaptational Heroism: Fritz does not fight with Clara over the nutcracker toy and damage it.
Harlequin
Cavalier
Mouse King
Mouse King
Voiced by: Charles Riley
- Adaptational Heroism: Is Good All Along.
- Creepy Good: The clowns and the mice look straight out of a horror movie, and scare Clara and Phillip quite a bit, but they're ultimately good people.
- Demoted to Extra: Is just another of Mother Ginger's minions instead of the Big Bad.
- Mythology Gag: The Mouse King is a multi-headed mouse in the novella and ballet. In this version, it's not a single organism, but the result of hundreds of mice working together as one, closer to the traditional myth where a Rat King is a hive mind of several mice with their tails tied in a ball.
- Nice Mice: Subverted with Mother Ginger's furry minions, who in the end turn out to be a double subversion, just like their mistress.
Jingles
Jingles
Played by: Prince
- Behind the Black: After Phillip and Clara's first encounter, he turns to his horse Jingles, who was apparently standing there just off-screen the whole time. Yet Clara had paid no attention to Jingles up to that point, despite the fact that given the direction she approached from and the way the guard booth was facing, the horse should have been the first thing she noticed.
