Frozen: 8 Reasons Why Prince Hans Is Actually Disney's Lamest Ever Villain

7. The Link To The Main Character Is Too Weak

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Villains are strongest when they have a solid link to the main character: Scar is Mufasa's brother and Simba's uncle, creating the intriguing situation of a family at war with itself. This is a trope that is often seen in classic stories €“ think Snow White, or in Hamlet upon which The Lion King was based €“ and which plays on the feelings of family rivalry that so many viewers experience in their own lives. Other links in Disney films include that of the cruel guardian/mentor (Frollo to Quasimodo), the jealous suitor (Gaston to Belle), the corrupt advisor (Jafar to Jasmine and the Sultan), and the outcast troublemaker (Maleficent and Ursula). Frozen's Prince Hans, on the other hand, has no strong link with the protagonist Anna. Sure; they were engaged at one point, but that was after a one-day romance that was sneered at from the start, even in the notoriously uncycnical Disney universe. The lack of gravitas in the formative moments of their relationship mean that when Hans reveals his true nature it carries no real emotional heft; he is simply a guy who has taken off a handsome mask to reveal an ugly face underneath. We don't feel sad, we don't feel scared - we barely even know the guy. If Anna and Hans' romance had been mature and fleshed out then it could have stood for a devastating turn of events, but the link between the characters is so lightweight that it's really difficult to care too much.

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Matthew Chard is a writer who has lived and worked across Australia, USA, South Africa, UK, Cambodia and Tanzania. When not writing articles he can be found working on his next novel, traveling, in the surf, or listening to David Bowie while wearing red Spider-man underpants.