Kristoff

> You'll warm up to me.
>       —Kristoff to Elsa

**Kristoff** is a character on ABC's *Once Upon a Time*. He débuts in the first episode of the fourth season. He is portrayed by guest star Scott Michael Foster.

Kristoff is based on a character of the same name from the Disney film, *Frozen*.

## History

### Before First Curse

Kristoff becomes engaged to Anna, whose sister is Queen Elsa of Arendelle. As their wedding approaches, an unexpected mystery arises concerning the two sisters' deceased parents as it is discovered they died on a voyage not to the Northern Isles, but to a place called Misthaven. Anna, without telling Elsa, books a solo trip to the exact location. On her insistence, Kristoff stays behind to keep Elsa company. Only after Anna has boarded the ship for the journey, Elsa turns to Kristoff for answers when she cannot find her sister. At first, he bluffs badly, and then confesses where Anna truly went. Despite that Elsa rushes off to the harbor, the ship has already set sail. Kristoff reassures her that Anna will be all right, but Elsa argues that her sister doesn't know how dangerous Mist Haven is, even though she herself hasn't heard of such a place. He then explains that she might know it as what the inhabitants call it, which is the Enchanted Forest. *("A Tale of Two Sisters")*
Elsa, worried for her sister's safety, sends scouts to find her to no avail. Kristoff, on the other hand, is confident Anna can take care of herself. Elsa considers going after her sister, but Kristoff convinces her that the kingdom needs their Queen. Once Elsa receives word that Prince Hans and his brothers intend to seize Arendelle, Kristoff offers to sneak into the Southern Mountains and spy on the princes. She insists, as the ruling Queen, on dealing with the matter herself, but Kristoff ignores her decision. At a campsite, he overhears the princes' plan to get rid of Elsa by entrapping her in an a magic urn. After relaying this information to her, Kristoff once again proposes that he handle the situation by destroying the urn. Elsa decides to go with him, so they travel to a cave at the North Valley where the item is located. Though he hastens her to do away with the relic, Elsa curiously regards the ancient words on the urn, which may have information about others like her. As Kristoff continues to insist against her idea, she firmly refuses to smash the vase. Just then, Hans and his three brothers surround them. Elsa counters with ice magic, but Hans threatens her with Kristoff's life. Desperate, she promises the urn to Hans, and then apologizes for not listening to Kristoff earlier. Putting her trust in him, Elsa tells Kristoff that after she is gone, he must find Anna and save Arendelle. Smugly, Hans remarks that a monster like Elsa shouldn't rule Arendelle, and he uncaps the urn. A white liquid pours out, but while all three believe the substance will trap Elsa, the Snow Queen arises from it instead. Having taken insult to Hans' previous comment, the Snow Queen turns him into an ice statue while the prince's brothers flee. The Snow Queen, though at first wary of Kristoff, is reassured by Elsa that he is an ally. *("Rocky Road")*
In the stables, Kristoff tries feeding carrots to Sven, but he moodily refuses. Exasperated, he wonders aloud what is wrong with him, considering carrots are his favorite, and then chucks one in Sven's food bin. From the entrance, Anna, having returned from the Enchanted Forest, replies that perhaps Sven missed her. Happily, Kristoff embraces her in a hug and they kiss. Anna relates what she learned in the Enchanted Forest, which is her parents actually went there out of fear of Elsa's powers and desperate to find a way to be rid of them. She shows him a box, capable of absorbing magic, that her parents wanted to use to take away Elsa's magic. When he asks what she intends to tell Elsa, a teary-eyed Anna admits she is unsure. *("The Apprentice")*
After learning that the Snow Queen, Ingrid, is her aunt, Anna relates her doubts about the woman's authenticity to Kristoff. He sees nothing wrong with Ingrid, but she persistently believes something is off. When she makes plans to seek out Grand Pabbie for answers, Kristoff agrees to cover for her and keep watch over Elsa. Kristoff talks about Anna's decision to withhold the truth, concerning what her parents did in the Enchanted Forest, from Elsa until the time is right, which he supports. Unbeknownst to either, Ingrid eavesdrops on the conversation. *("Family Business")*
Conspiring to drive the two sisters apart, Ingrid casts the spell of shattered sight on Anna. This unleashes the girl's inner darkness and, overpowered with hatred for Elsa, Anna seals her in a urn. As Anna is released from the spell's enchantment, a furious Ingrid moves to choke her only to be stopped by Kristoff. Wielding his ice pick, he slowly approaches to defend Anna while Ingrid mocks him as a "noble hero". Ingrid, consumed with disgust, remarks how the two are looking at her like a monster. Kristoff warns her to let Anna go, but Ingrid turns the couple into frozen statues as Arendelle itself also ices over. *("Smash the Mirror")*

### After Second Curse

Thirty years later, Arendelle unfreezes. Kristoff and Anna are freed from ice imprisonment, but quickly find themselves threatened by Hans, who declares himself as the kingdom's new ruler and tries to arrest them. At first, Kristoff passively allows them to arrest him before he and Anna fight their way out. After escaping, they figure out a plan to find a wishing star; something Anna had read about in her mother's diary that has the power to grant a wish. She remembers the journal stated her parents tracked the item to a man named Black Beard, so they go to the Enchanted Forest to bargain with him for the wishing star, which they hope to use to find Elsa. Once the deal is sealed, the couple become surrounded by Hans and his brothers; revealing Black Beard has been working with them. Kristoff and Anna, with their hands tied, are sentenced to death by Hans and dumped into an coffer. As Anna insists her sister will escape the urn and reclaim the kingdom, Hans sneers that thirty years have already passed. The coffer is then shut and thrown into the sea, which sinks and fills with water. Kristoff frees himself and Anna from the binds, but she, out of fear they will die, begins reciting her marriage vows to him. He insists they won't be married until they are out of danger. Due to the power of Elsa's belief in finding her sister, and her possession of the wishing star, the coffer is transported to the shores of Storybrooke where the siblings reunite. With no way to stop Ingrid's imminent spell over the townspeople, they head to the sheriff station where Kristoff is cuffed just before the curse approaches. When the spell cloud infiltrates the building, its mirror shards breach Kristoff's eyes as a helpless Anna watches. *("Fall")*
Under the curse's influence, Kristoff calls David a stable boy after the latter insults him as an iceman and mocks his profession of selling ice. When Regina arrives to pick a fight with Mary Margaret, she magically sends Kristoff and Anna to "where they came from", but this only returns them to the beach where they first arrived due to the wishing star's power. He announces his intent to swim home to Arendelle, though Anna reasons it's unlikely they came through a one-way portal. In frustration, Kristoff vents his annoyance at the complications in his life such as having a sister-in-law who can set off eternal winter and Anna's aunt who wants to kill everyone. Additionally, he blames Anna for delaying their wedding by thirty years while she concedes that the first few weeks were her fault, but everything else was Ingrid's doing. As he takes off his boots in preparation for swimming, Anna trips over a bottle and knocks him out cold with it. When the glass shatters, she finds a scroll inside with a shocking confession from her mother. Stunned, Anna begins shaking Kristoff awake, but he remains unconscious, so she runs off to find Elsa and Emma. The scroll's revelation ultimately convinces Ingrid to stop the curse at the expense of her own life. *("Shattered Sight")*
At the town line, Elsa tears down the ice wall, but remnants of Ingrid's magic still remain; making it impossible for anyone to re-enter Storybrooke after leaving. Having lost track of time, Kristoff and Anna suddenly recall they forgot to tell Elsa about Hans conquering Arendelle. Once they reveal this, Elsa, too, urgently wishes to return home. Unable to find a portal to take them home, the Arendelle natives and Emma regroup at the diner. Hook, seemingly with Mr. Gold's help, reveals to Emma the presence of a door to Arendelle hidden in an abandoned mansion. After some farewells, Elsa goes into the portal as Kristoff and Anna follow in. Arriving in Arendelle, the two sisters regain the kingdom from Hans' control. As peace resumes, Kristoff and Anna make final preparations to get married. *("Heroes and Villains")*

## Trivia

* The ABC series’ describes him as, "This handsome, hearty, salt-of-the-earth ice cutter spent most of his life alone (unless you count his reindeer). He has a sometimes-gruff demeanor that can hide his deep love for Anna and her sister Elsa. When we first meet Kristoff on *Once*, he is adjusting to life at the castle — including sleeping indoors for the first time in his life".
* The name "Kristoff" is of Old Greek origin, and means "bearing Christ". It is a variant of the name "Cristopher", which has the same meaning.

## References

1. ↑ http://tvline.com/2014/06/07/once-upon-a-time-season-4-casting-frozen-elsa-anna-kristoff/
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.babynamespedia.com/meaning/Kristoff
3. ↑ http://www.behindthename.com/name/christopher