Kristoff (Disney)

Kristoff Bjorgman^[1] is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 53rd animated feature Frozen (2013). He is voiced primarily by actor Jonathan Groff.

Kristoff is an iceman living together with his reindeer companion Sven. Albeit preferring a solitary life, he helps Princess Anna of Arendelle to find her older sister Elsa in the North Mountain.

Development

Origins and conception

In the early development, Kristoff was originally Kai as in Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, but later he was designed as combination of Kai and the robber girl.

Voice

He is primarily voiced by Jonathan Groff.

Physical appearance

Kristoff is tall, rugged, handsome, and in his early twenties. His build is a distinct variation on most Disney heroes. He has broad shoulders, large hands and feet, and a muscular build. He is significantly larger than Anna and over 6' tall when he stands up straight (as shown by the fact that he bends over to get through the front door of Wandering Oaken's Trading Post & Sauna). His build is a realistic consequence of his rough life as a mountain-dwelling ice harvester.

Appearance

Frozen

Kristoff is the first major character to appear in the movie, and is introduced during "Frozen Heart", as an eight-year-old orphan boy with his baby reindeer, Sven, who becomes his best friend. He is trying to mimic the harvest ice like grown-up icemen do. Later that night, Sven is pulling him through the woods when the two horses belonging to the royal family of Arendelle ride past him at speed while transporting Anna to the trolls. Kristoff becomes intrigued as one of them is leaving behind a trail of ice (as that horse is carrying a distraught Elsa). From a distance, Kristoff watches as Pabbie, leader of the trolls, heals Anna's head. At the same time, one of the female trolls Bulda adopts Kristoff as her own child.

13 years later, Kristoff grows to be an ice harvester who lives in the mountains near Arendelle. He is briefly seen in Arendelle selling ice while the camera tracks through Arendelle prior to Elsa's coronation. Kristoff is not seen again until Anna shows up at Wandering Oaken's Trading Post & Sauna on her search for Elsa. Kristoff arrives moments after Anna shows up, covered in snow, seeking to purchase carrots for Sven and climbing rope. From him, Anna knows that the blizzard in Arendelle comes from the North Mountain. Anna assumes that is where Elsa is hiding. However, he is thrown out of the store for calling Oaken a crook. Anna buys all of Kristoff's items and urges him to take her on a trip up the North Mountain. Kristoff is reluctant to help her at first but eventually gives in.

As Anna and Kristoff head for the North Mountain, Kristoff is incredulous learning about her whirlwind engagement to Hans. The conversation is cut short when their sled is attacked by hungry wolves. Although Anna, Kristoff and Sven escape by jumping over a chasm, the sled falls to the bottom of the ravine and explodes (much to Kristoff's sadness and dismay, as he just paid it off). The next day, they meet Olaf, an anthropomorphic snowman unknowingly created by Elsa, who leads them the rest of the way to Elsa's ice castle. Kristoff waits outside while Anna tries to persuade Elsa to go back to Arendelle in order to put an end to the winter inadvertently created by Elsa but fails, and accidentally gets hit in the heart. Kristoff manages to rush Anna to Pabbie, but Pabbie says only "an act of true love" can save her. Thinking it is a "true love's kiss" from Hans, they head back to Arendelle. At the castle gate, he sadly hands Anna over to Hans.

On the way back into the mountains, Sven attempts to push him back to Arendelle, but he refuses, thinking it is selfish to fulfill his love instead of letting Anna be saved by Hans. However, a giant snowstorm appears over Arendelle, prompting him to return. There he eventually finds Anna, but then he has to watch Anna freeze solid as she chooses to sacrifice herself, saving Elsa from being killed by Hans. Moments later Anna revives, as self-sacrifice counts as "an act of true love" which he is overjoyed by.

In the end, he gets a new sleigh from Anna, and the two share a kiss.

Frozen Fever

In the short film Frozen Fever Kristoff helps Elsa plan a surprise birthday party for Anna. While taking Anna on a birthday treasure hunt throughout the kingdom, Elsa comes down with a cold and unknowingly creates little snowmen called "snowgies" with each sneeze, which create trouble for Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf.

Once Upon A Time

Kristoff appears in the fourth season of Once Upon a Time played by Scott Michael Foster. Two years after the event of Frozen, Kristoff is engaged to Anna and is shown as an acquaintance of David from the Enchanted Forest.^[2] Shortly after Anna leaves for the Enchanted Forest, Kristoff spies on Hans and his brothers after discovering that they have an army outside of Arendelle and learns that Hans is looking for an urn that can trap Elsa. Leading Elsa to the urn, he is held hostage by Hans until Hans inadvertently releases the Snow Queen.

Frozen holiday special

Kristoff will appear in a Frozen holiday special along with Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and Sven, scheduled to air on ABC in 2017.^[3]

Theme parks

From July 5 to September 1, 2014, as part of 'Frozen' Summer Fun show at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Anna and Elsa will appear in a horse-drawn sleigh making their way down Hollywood Boulevard, alongside Kristoff and skaters, skiers and ice cutters in the Anna and Elsa's Royal Welcome section. The sisters will also make appearances in For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, where they are joined by royal historians to retell the history of Arendelle; and "Frozen" Fireworks Spectacular alongside Kristoff and Olaf, a fireworks display set to the music of Frozen.^[4][5] Officially starting January 7, 2014, Kristoff began making appearances alongside Anna and Elsa at Disney California Adventure in "For the First Time in Forever – A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration" in Hollywood Land as part of the park's "Frozen Fun" event.^[6][7]

Reception

Collider.com writer Matt Goldberg commented that Kristoff was "slightly less interesting than his love-interest (Anna)", but the cuteness of Anna and Kristoff’s relationship compensates the defect.^[8]

References

External links

• Official character page