20 Most Iconic Christmas Movie Characters, Ranked

The 20 Most Iconic Christmas Movie Characters, Ranked Image via Universal Pictures By  Diego Pineda Pacheco Updated  9 minutes ago Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel. A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated. Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point. Sign in to your Collider account follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Christmastime is just around the corner; so, as is tradition, people are starting to watch and re-watch their favorite Christmas movies, from modern gems like Klaus to older classics like Home Alone, from movies that give off cozy winter vibes to ones that are much different from what you'd expect from a film set in Christmas. Whatever the case, these films never fail to light up homes during these lovely December days.

Wholesome, heartwarming, and an awful lot of fun, Christmas movies tend to be populated with a bunch of interesting characters and their complex relationships with the season. From Klaus' delightful interpretation of the character of Santa Claus to the master strategist Kevin McAllister from Home Alone, Christmas characters tend to be iconic audience favorites. Some are much better known than others, but they're all an awful lot of fun.

20 Art the Clown

'Terrifier 3' (2024)

David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown in Terrifier 3.Image via Cineverse

The fact that the Terrifier franchise has dipped its bloody toes into Christmas should prove horrifying for the faint of heart. Terrifier 3 is undeniably a Christmas film through and through, and as a result, Art the Clown has officially become the scariest character of any Christmas movie. Every generation gets their own most iconic slasher villain, and Art is arguably this one's.

It definitely helps that Terrifier 3 is the best Terrifier movie thus far, and much of that comes from the fact that Art is at his best here. The killer is at his most brutal, sadistic, intimidating, and—frankly—darkly funniest in Terrifier 3, and if anything, his Christmas spirit is nothing if not contagious. He may be an ultra-powerful chainsaw-wielding serial killer, but he's no Grinch.

19 Billy Mack

'Love Actually' (2003)

Image via Universal Pictures

Funny, lighthearted, and very British, Love Actually is one of the best romantic comedies of all time. This cult classic celebrates the joy and love of Christmastime, and it does so by exploring the different stories of many different characters played by a tremendously stacked cast. This includes Bill Nighy, whose performance as the rock-and-roll legend Billy Mack made him an international superstar.

Nighy is magnetic as Mack, whose success in making a number-one Christmas single doesn't feel nearly as triumphant as his realization that what really matters in life—and especially during the holidays—are one's loved ones. Over the years, people have come to realize that most of Love Actually's characters are actually pretty sucky people, but Billy Mack? He's an icon from head to toes.

18 Arthur Claus

'Arthur Christmas' (2011)

Arthur (voiced by James McAvoy) holding handwritten letters on his hands in Arthur Christmas.Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

There are plenty of criminally underrated Christmas movies, and Arthur Christmas is among the most delightful. Aardman's second computer-animated feature, but significantly different from the studio's other works, it's a unique take on Santa and the North Pole that works wonderfully. It's warmhearted and infectiously funny, and a great watch for the whole family to enjoy.

The film's creativity and originality are genuinely clever, its high-tech take on the Claus family offering a story that feels fresh throughout. Arthur is a phenomenal protagonist, kind and pure of heart without being naive. His growth arc is both believable and deeply compelling, and the way the film celebrates his empathy as a heroic trait without ever turning him "tougher" makes his character stand out as well.

17 Willie T. Stokes

'Bad Santa' (2003)

Billy Bob Thornton smoking a cigarette in a Santa costume in Bad Santa.Image via Miramax

Everyone loves a sweet family-friendly Christmas classic, but every now and then, every adult goes through a cynical period. And to satisfy the craving for a cynical Christmas film, there's nothing wrong with a raunchy comedy about a misanthropic conman posing as Santa to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. Bad Santa is one of Billy Bob Thornton's most iconic film roles, and his Willie T. Stokes is a legend among Christmas movie characters.Willie is definitely not a role model, nor is he even particularly likable, but there's something about his anti-heroic behavior that's hard for viewers to resist. He's a complex, morally layered man with a poignant core, and he single-handedly makes this one of the most re-watchable R-rated Christmas movies ever. Without ever feeling obnoxious, he's the perfect vehicle for the movie's critique of consumerist Christmastime culture.

16 Scott Calvin

'The Santa Clause' (1994)

Tim Allen in the Santa suit in The Santa Clause.Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

There's no shortage of Disney Christmas classics out there, but The Santa Clause is one of the best. It's good old-fashioned pro-Christmas cinema, but executed with so much heart and flair—and featuring Tim Allen delivering one of his most iconic performances—that it's easy not to care that there are some clichés here and there.

The movie is often really funny, but its heart comes from Scott Calvin's endearing arc. Watching him go from a sardonic, self-absorbed man to becoming fully deserving of the Santa Claus mantle is a real treat, and Allen sells that redemption arc tremendously well. Santa Clause may not be a perfect film, but Scott Calvin is undeniably iconic and deeply likable.

15 Clark Griswold

'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' (1989)

Clark Griswold wearing a Santa hat and looking intently in National Lampoon's Christmas VacationImage via Warner Bros.

Clark Griswold from the Vacation movie franchise is perhaps Chevy Chase's most iconic movie character, and that's largely thanks to the beloved classic National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. In it, the Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas vacation predictably turn into a big (and rather amusing) disaster.

The glue that holds one of the 1980s' best comedies together, Clark isn't always the most likable guy, nor is he the smartest, but that's precisely where his charming qualities—and the movie's humor—come from. His ability to stay optimistic even in the face of the most hilariously absurd (yet unfortunate for him) situations is exactly what makes him such a comfort Christmas film character.

14 Ralphie

'A Christmas Story' (1983)

Peter Billingsley as Ralphie before getting pushed down the mall Santa's slide in A Christmas StoryImage via MGM

For many families, watching A Christmas Story every December is a can't-miss tradition, and the movie is so endearing that it's hard to blame them. It's a comedy set in the 1940s, about a young boy named Ralphie Parker who attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun is the perfect Christmas gift for him.

At its core, A Christmas Story is purely a film about childhood memories, and Ralphie is the perfect vehicle for that theme. He's an innocent daydreamer who just wants to get a chance to pose as a cowboy, even if his parents are afraid that he'll shoot his eye out with the BB gun he so desperately wants. He's not a perfect kid—which kid is?—, but he embodies a childlike wonder and love for Christmas that should be enough to cheer anybody up during the holidays.

13 Kris Kringle

'Miracle on 34th Street' (1947)

Kris Kringle hugs Susan in 'Miracle on 34th Street'Image via 20th Century Studios

Beautifully charming, sentimental, and funny, Miracle on 34th Street has proved over the years that it's able to disarm even the most cynical viewers. It's the story of a nice old man named Kris Kringle who's hired by a divorced New York mom (this latter character generating the most baffling outcry in 1947) to play Santa Claus at Macy's, but she's startled by his claim to be the real deal. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer defends him in court by arguing that he is, indeed, Santa.

The movie is shamelessly sentimental, but it's so effortlessly able to sneak its way into viewers' hearts that instead of feeling saccharine, it feels like one of the sweetest films ever made—Christmas classics or otherwise. Kris is the embodiment of kindness, positivity, and Christmas cheer, and though the movie has been remade multiple times (the most noteworthy being the 1994 version with Richard Attenborough playing Kris), no portrayal has ever lived up to the one in this movie.

12 Frosty

'Frosty the Snowman' (1969)

Frosty leading a group of kids in 'Frosty the Snowman'.Image via Rankin/Bass

The animated TV short Frosty the Snowman is less than half an hour long, but that was more than enough to cement the playful titular character as one of the most iconic Christmas characters ever. Inspired by Gene Autry and Cass County Boys' 1950 song of the same title, it's the tale of a living snowman and a little girl who struggle to elude a greedy magician who's after the snowman's magic hat.

Those who grew up watching Frosty will no doubt have a delightful sense of nostalgia around it, but even those who have never seen the short ought to watch it at least once in their lives. Generous and kind, Frosty himself is a character as sweet as he is entertaining, which makes this TV short film a must-watch every December.

11 Klaus

'Klaus' (2019)

tall animated man with thick white beard looking down at blond manImage via Netflix

Despite only having been out for a few years, Sergio Pablos's Klaus has already become part of many families' Christmas checklists. One of the best family movies on Netflix, it's the story of a town's new mailman and how he befriends an old toy maker called Klaus. Together, they work to transform the cynical townspeople's view of the holidays in creative and moving ways.

When it comes to iconic Christmas characters, Santa Claus simply can't be beat. He's the very representation of Christmastime, and there have been many great movie adaptations of him. However, arguably, no portrayal of the character is as amazing as that of Klaus, which encapsulates the magic of Santa and gives him a unique personality and backstory. He may not yet be as ingrained in the public consciousness as other festive movie characters, but in time, there's no room for doubt that he will be.

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