Attempted assassination of Elsa

The attempt to assassinate Elsa was a plot orchestrated by Prince Hans as a way to end Elsa's winter and ascend to the throne of Arendelle.

Prelude
After Elsa was imprisoned in a dungeon following an assault at her ice palace, Hans paid a visit to plead with her to end the eternal winter she had unintentionally caused during her coronation. Elsa did not know how, and begged to be released from the dungeon. Hans then left the dungeon to concoct a way to end the winter.

Betraying Anna


While Hans had a meeting with the dignitaries in the castle library, Kai and Gerda came in with a freezing Anna in their arms. After Anna was handed over to Hans, the two were given some privacy, during which Anna, who had been struck by Elsa's powers in an accident at the ice palace, implored Hans to kiss her. She explained to Hans that Elsa froze her heart and only an act of true love could save her from the curse. However, just as the two were about to kiss, Hans revealed that he never truly loved Anna and was using her as a tool to usurp Arendelle. Mocking her desperation for love and willingness to marry him, he explained his plot to kill Elsa following his marriage to Anna and exited the library, leaving Anna to freeze to death.

Meeting with the Duke of Weselton and the dignitaries in the council chamber, Hans solemnly, but falsely reported that Anna died in his arms, though not before they exchanged their marriage vows. Placing Elsa responsible for Anna's "death" and with a heavy heart, Hans declared that Elsa would be sentenced to death for treason.

Confronting Elsa
Accompanied by a number of guards, Hans rushed over to the dungeon where Elsa was incarcerated, only to find her gone with a gaping hole in the back wall, just as a blizzard engulfed Arendelle. Hans then went after Elsa on his own.

Struggling through the blizzard, Hans eventually caught up with Elsa. He called to her, telling her she could not escape from what she had caused. Elsa implored Hans to take care of her sister, to which Hans responded by blaming Elsa for Anna's death. Devastated by the alleged death of her sister, Elsa broke down into tears as she mourned losing Anna, and the blizzard stopped.

Assassination attempt


With Elsa now in a vulnerable state, Hans seized the opportunity to finish her off. He unsheathed his sword and prepared for a killing blow. But just then, Anna jumped in front of Hans, and her body completely turned into solid ice. Hans' sword froze and shattered upon impact with Anna's frozen body. The force of the impact knocked Hans off his feet and rendered him temporarily unconscious.

Aftermath
As Elsa recovered, she noticed what happened and clutched onto Anna's frozen statue while sobbing at the loss of her only remaining family. But then, Anna thawed from her frozen state, having performed an act of true love for her sister that finally freed her from the icy curse. Elsa subsequently realized that love was the key to controlling her powers and was thus able to finally lift the wintry curse from Arendelle.

As Hans regained consciousness, he was approached by Anna. Hans was surprised to see Anna alive and well and asked how she survived the frozen heart curse, only for Anna to retort that he was the one with the frozen heart before punching him off the ship they were standing on. Hans was then arrested and caged aboard the brig of a French ship by the royal guards to be taken back to the Southern Isles, where he would face punishment from his older brothers.