Quiet and reclusive, Kristoff prefers a solitary life, but after meeting Princess Anna of Arendelle, he helps her on her journey to find her older sister Elsa on the North Mountain after she freezes summer with her powers.

Buck helped to develop the moment when Anna's heart is frozen by questioning "Does it always need to be true love's kiss that solves that problem?

Songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez originally wrote a full song for him instead of the short lullaby that appears in the final film.

[6] In early drafts of the film, Anna flirted with Kristoff immediately upon their first meeting, but this was changed after Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn said that it would be confusing.

[10] During his audition, he recorded a few scenes and sang a Stephen Sondheim song "Everybody Says Don't" from Anyone Can Whistle, as Disney was searching for a voice that would work well with Bell's.

He worked on Kristoff to convey his thoughts and emotions using very few words and felt that his understated character meant that he would need to use just enough of his strength to complete the job.

Lee commented that this is best expressed in the trolls' song "Fixer Upper", which shows that despite being far from perfect, Kristoff has been raised with solid values, is there for Anna when she needs him, and also calls her out when she makes mistakes: "I think you have to be able to do that in a relationship.

[18] Groff described Kristoff's habit of expressing his emotions through Sven's voice in the Frozen song "Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" as a "weird personality quirk".

[19] Songwriter Kristen Anderson-Lopez decided that Groff should have more opportunity to sing in Frozen II, but developing a song for Kristoff proved to be a challenge due to him being a gruff, reclusive character.

He described Kristoff as a "Disney leading man with a sensitive side" and said that in Frozen II his role inverts the trope of the male character setting off on an adventure, while the female pines alone at home.

Groff noted that, although he appears at the end to protect Anna from the giants, Kristoff does not take control or steal the spotlight, but simply asks her what she needs.

For Frozen II, the Walt Disney Company made an agreement with the transnational Saami Council and the Sámi parliaments of Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

[24] He grows up to become a seasoned ice harvester and arrives at Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna at the same time as Anna, who is searching for her sister Elsa.

In the short film Frozen Fever, Kristoff (voiced by Groff) helps Elsa plan a surprise birthday party for Anna.

[28] Kristoff appears in a 21-minute holiday film along with Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and Sven, which debuted in theaters for a limited time engagement[29] with Disney·Pixar's Coco on November 22, 2017.

[35] Kristoff appears alongside Anna in the 2020 Disney short film Once Upon a Snowman, an animated retelling of the events of Frozen viewed from the perspective of Olaf.

[45] Kristoff is an unlockable character in Frozen Freefall: Snowball Fight, a match-three mobile game, which was released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in September 2015.

A comic series titled Disney Frozen: Breaking Boundaries, written by Joe Caramagna, features Kristoff, Anna and Elsa as they tackle disruptions in the kingdom.

[50] Kristoff appears alongside the other main Frozen characters in official merchandise, including board games, toys and playsets.

[52] American rock band Weezer released a cover of Kristoff's power ballad "Lost in the Woods" with a music video featuring Kristen Bell.

[56] CTV News writer Jessica Herndon wanted the flirtations between Kristoff and Anna to be more "rapturous" but said that when he teases her about getting engaged to Hans, "you can't help but love him".

[57] Soren Andersen of the Seattle Times described Kristoff as a "well-meaning doofus", highlighting the comedic impact of him repeatedly attempting to propose to Anna in Frozen II.

[60] Jackson McHenry writing for Vulture thought that Kristoff only getting half a song in the first film was "rude" and praised his subsequent power ballad as a "gift of big emotional bro energy", which he described as "an act of cosmic justice".

[61] Eric Eisenberg writing for CinemaBlend also expressed disappointment that Kristoff's only storyline in Frozen II centres on his attempts to propose, which he said "eliminates him as a presence" in the second half.

In support of this, she cited his power ballad in Frozen II, describing it as "rare portrayal of a man expressing deep, romantic feelings" and commented that his relationship with Anna is an "egalitarian partnership we've never seen before in a Disney film".

[64] Monika Bartyzel writing for The Week considered Kristoff to be the modern version of Prince Charming because he asks the viewer to question Hans's true character and the wisdom of marrying a stranger, but also adds his own humanity.

[65] Jessica Mason writing for The Mary Sue praised Kristoff's sensitive nature and supportiveness to women, describing him as "a perfect example of non-toxic masculinity".

[67] Nora Dominick of BuzzFeed responded positively to his story arc in Frozen II for being a supportive character to Anna instead of trying to protect her and echoed fan reaction calling him the "best Disney prince".

[71] Alexandra Ramos of CinemaBlend expressed a desire to see Kristoff be given more of a backstory in Frozen 3, stating that he had taken a backseat to Anna and Elsa in the previous films.

[72] Reflecting on Frozen's impact a decade after its release, Gaby Hinscliffe of The Guardian commented that Kristoff as a "not-so-alpha" character in contrast to Hans has provided a useful lesson to young boys about "who gets the girl".