Elsa Never Trusted Hans Opinion/Headcanon

I have already made an analysis that shows just how much Kristoff and Elsa have in common, including how their reactions to Anna’s engagement to Hans are very similar. And while I already explained how Kristoff had a distrust for Hans based on this (even though they never officially meet), I wanted to do a follow-up to show how Elsa feels the same way.

Like Kristoff, Elsa’s shocked reaction to the rushed engagement refers to her practical, serious nature. She knows and does not believe that love can happen in a very short amount of time. To Anna, love is all about romance. It is like a fairy tale, where the man and woman flirt and dance. It is easy to recognize and happen. But to Elsa (and Kristoff), love is complicated and deep. It is enduring and does not happen quickly. It is largely about sacrifice and putting the needs of others before your own. While she does not appear to be interested in romance or marriage, she knows that falling in love takes time because of getting to know someone. I’m sure Elsa also understands that there is a lot more to marriage than just a “happily ever after.” She knows that it is a very big commitment and people can only be happy in a marriage if they know each other well and are compatible.

Anyway, even though Elsa has some brief moments with Hans, because of her practical beliefs, and like Kristoff, I don’t believe Elsa ever trusted Hans. Now when she learns of the engagement, just based on his proposal, I definitely believe that she did not think Hans was evil. However, because his proposal is very impulsive (and more so because Anna accepted), I am sure that Elsa was a little suspicious of him and questioning his true motives. Because the couple only just met that day, she believed that Hans likely did not love Anna as much as she (Anna) thought he did. Even though I don’t think Elsa realized that Hans wanted to take over her kingdom, I do think she thought that Hans wanted to marry Anna for the wrong reason, that he was merely taking advantage of her, and that he was just using her for his own possible selfish gain.

Elsa does not distrust people in the way Kristoff does, but her refusal to bless the marriage shows that she does not take trust in new people lightly. Although she does object because she worries about her secret being exposed, it is also because of Anna’s safety and well-being. She knows that Anna can be naïve and impulsive, so she worries that Anna could be setting herself up for a big disappointment, or even bigger trouble, because of her easy and immediate trust in Hans.

I even have a hunch that Hans quickly suspected that Elsa did not trust him based on her dialogue. Her puzzled announcement of “Marriage?” along with when she says, “You can’t marry a man you just met” made Hans realize that Elsa was more realistic than Anna. All of this, along with her flat-out refusal to give her blessing, told him that he was not going to easily (if at all) deceive and manipulate Elsa like he had already done so well with Anna.

Kristoff and Elsa both were never given a good reason to trust Hans. Even though are very alike regarding their practical natures, they don’t balance each other well as a couple. But this is how they both balance with Anna, who does need a voice of reason now and then, with Kristoff as the love interest and Elsa as the best friend.