Frozen: Coming to the Defense of Hans

I watched Frozen II recently, and honestly, I was disappointed.

The makers of Frozen II promised the audience a redemption arc of Hans, the good guy who turned out to be the villain in the first movie.

Instead, Hans continued to get shaded on, and it was obvious that the makers of this film wanted us to continue to hate Hans. This creation of such a bias is incredibly unfair. Pause and think for a moment: before the plot twist, Hans displayed the characteristics of someone who could lead the people of Arendelle. In his character, lies a deeper lesson that should be taught to children about good leadership qualities in today’s world.

Although Hans’ actions for obtaining the throne of Arendelle were malicious, Hans would have been a great ruler of Arendelle because he demonstrated responsibility and maturity. Before I move forward with my main points, the reality that Hans was the villain needs to be confronted.

Hans was the good guy until he betrayed Elsa and Anna. It was terrible of Hans to try and kill Elsa and Anna in one fell swoop to obtain the throne. Most importantly, he destroyed the ship between him and Anna.

However, just because Hans was a bad guy does not mean he was a bad leader. By examining his temporary leadership of Arendelle, we have many characteristics and examples that show Hans’ ability to lead effectively.

The first attribute is responsibility. When Anna ran off to find Elsa, Hans was put in charge to oversee the kingdom. He stepped up to this position without hesitation and showed that he could handle it. An example of this was seen when the Duke of Weselton scolded Hans for giving away items to aid the people.

The duke suggested that Elsa was a sorcerer and was plotting with Anna to destroy everyone, and Hans quickly rebuked him saying, “Do not question the princess. She left me in charge, and I will not hesitate to protect Arendelle from treason.” This quote expressed Hans’ dedication to his obligation.

When Hans had sole control, he understood the chain of command and followed it. He administered Anna’s orders without question and chastised those who tried to take over or go against them.

As children mature, it is important that they learn to become responsible to take charge over their own actions to learn to become independent.

Along with responsibility, Hans showed that he was mature and emotionally stable. In Frozen I, instead of managing the kingdom, Elsa ran away and hid in her ice palace on her first night as the queen.

Time and time again, Elsa let her stress and anxiety control her powers. This emotional instability showed that Elsa could not rule Arendelle and was even a threat to it. In comparison, we saw Hans make the big decisions with careful consideration such as participating in the relief efforts in response to Elsa’s winter and deciding to mount a rescue mission of Anna.

Looking at these circumstances, Hans was mentally prepared to lead the kingdom.

Adolescents should learn that being mature and having mental resilience for any situation will help them endure eventually, whether it is in their future career or any social situation.

It is clear Hans would have been a great ruler of Arendelle. Maybe not all of Hans’ decisions were great, but that does not mean we should totally disregard his character.

Hans exhibited excellent leadership attributes that should be taught to children. Responsibility and maturity are just a few of those characteristics.

So, parents, the next time you watch Frozen I with your children, point out the good leadership qualities that Hans has. Teach them about responsibility and maturity.

By doing this, they will become more prepared for adulthood in the future.