Kristoff's Frozen Backstory Explained: Why He Was Raised By Trolls
Kristoff Bjorgman's (Jonathan Groff) backstory in Frozen includes being raised by trolls, but how did he come upon these magical creatures in the first place? He was first seen in the 2013 film's opening scene as a small child following an ice team with his beloved reindeer Sven. One could tell from his enthusiasm how much he wanted to be a part of the team, but the sight of Arendelle's royal family rushing by distracted him. Following their caravan, he ended up in the Valley of the Living Rock, home of the magical rock trolls. A female troll named Bulda found the adorable pair, who she quickly decided to "keep" as her own.
Kristoff and Sven's decision to stay with Bulda and the trolls is never explained in Frozen. From the opening "Frozen Heart" scene alone, it could easily be assumed that Kristoff was a relative to one of the ice harvesters. Frozen's benevolent trolls certainly would not kidnap a child (unlike the trolls found in Norse mythology), which the movie draws from. In fact, Kristoff told Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) that it was "just him and Sven" when he was adopted by trolls. Kristoff seemingly grew up among them happily and freely, and even as an adult, he valued his found family in spite of their eccentricities.
The confusion of Kristoff's backstory was cleared by Frozen's director, Jennifer Lee, in interviews. She confirmed that Kristoff was an orphan at the start of Frozen, and not related to the ice team from its opening. He always loved the outdoors, and refused to stay within the confines of the orphanage, and preferred to watch the ice harvesters or hike out in Arendelle's vast wooded landscape instead. His childhood wandering led to him meeting Sven for the first time. Kristoff being raised by the rock trolls was a product of his own curiosity leading him to them. His exact reason for staying is unknown, but it can be inferred that he would prefer their company over staying in the orphanage because of their open-air forest dwelling.
Love is one the trolls' core values, as demonstrated in the "Fixer Upper" number, and they were quick to shower young Kristoff with it. Growing up amongst them, he learned troll customs and traditions, including their coming-of-age ritual, which he continued to value as an adult. In the tie in book Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights, Kristoff took Anna, Elsa, and Olaf back to the Valley of the Living Rock to assist in such a ceremony for his close childhood friend, Little Rock. However, it is unknown whether or not Kristoff himself underwent his own rite of passage.
Despite Frozen making his emotional connection to his adoptive family clear, Kristoff's biological parents remain a mystery. They received little acknowledgement in Frozen II or any of the franchise's spin-off books, leading fans to theorize he could possibly be related to the Northuldra people seen in the sequel. They were shown to have the same affection for reindeer as Kristoff, but the question of any deeper connection was left open-ended. Much of Frozen's related media has unveiled new pieces of Anna and Elsa's backstories, and with the franchise's continued popularity, it will likely continue to expand. There is certainly room for Kristoff's origins to get the spotlight in the future.
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