Seeing Through Shape and Motion: Stylization and Character Depiction in Netflix's Klaus

21.11.2025 Written by: Eszter Schmidt

Here we are it is nearly December and the festive season is finally kicking in. As most of us already are in the mood for hot chocolate, mulled wine, ginger breads and most importantly Christmas classics, I jumped into slightly festive investigation.

In this study, we will analyze the animated movie Klaus (2019) distributed by Netflix focusing on characters’ depiction. The movie presents the traditional vibe of a Christmas story, but the audience receives a ‘New Christmas Classic’ (The SPA Studios, 2019). 

Jesper, one of the protagonists, is being sent to Smeerensburg to be the new postman, where he finds himself in the middle of the town’s generations-long feud between two families. On his way, trying to work himself out of the town, he befriends the grumpy toymaker Klaus, and their story takes a big turn. 

The movie was directed by Sergio Pablos and his company, The Spa Studios, in 2019. Their production revived hand-drawn animation by blending the traditional 2D technique with modern lighting and texturing (Desowitz, 2019). The revolutionary technique took the limitations of traditional animation to higher levels. They created a world that is both stylised and greatly dimensional. 

Stylisation: Creating a Storybook World

What defines the visual identity of Klaus is stylisation. The film’s hand-drawn characters are placed into painterly environments with the help of lighting systems that simulate 3D depth while also preserving the flexibility of 2D linework (Couch, 2019; Desowitz, 2019). This method allowed the creators to design characters with the expressive distortions of traditional animation, but at the same time, they felt tactile. 

Fig. 1. Jesper's character stylization, Klaus, Netflix & The Spa Studios (2019)

In Klaus, stylisation makes the setting feel like a moving picture book. Shapes simplify or distort to emphasise emotion. The lines can vary in thickness to draw attention to expressive features. Characters blend into the environment with the illustration (Couch, 2019; Desowitz, 2019). Stylisation becomes both aesthetic and narrative.

Fig. 2. Jesper in the forest, Klaus, Netflix & The Spa Studios (2019)

Character Depiction

Exaggeration plays an important role in the movie’s visual storytelling. The characters’ expressions and silhouettes often break the theory of physics and anatomy to intensify emotional clarity (Ping Pong The Animation, 2014; Hyde et al., 2013). Jesper, for example, walks with an exaggerated elasticity. His limbs are stretched, his shoulders are dramatically high, and his facial expressions powerfully change from panic to joy. His reactions are animated and extreme with hisbulging eyes, jaw dropping, and limbs swinging. These exaggerations convey his internal state, like fear, excitement, and frustration. They communicate their personality instantly and turn exaggeration into a storytelling tool (Ping Pong The Animation, 2014; Hyde et al., 2013).

According to Hyde et al. (2013) and Herhuth (2018), in animation, embodiment is constructed. Jesper’s and Klaus’s every gesture, posture, and movement is designed to express their character’s mental state.

Jesper’s portrayal reflects nervous behaviour and physical instability. He trips, slips and bends in exaggerated poses. His portrayal demonstrates his spoiled and immature nature. As his personality develops, his body gets more balanced. His postures become stronger and calmer. His physical evolution symbolises his personal transformation. While his initial comical portrayal works well, there might be a risk of undermining his transition from caricature to a true protagonist as this happens visually and emotionally too suddenly (Hyde et al., 2013; Herhuth, 2018).

Fig. 3. Alva, Klaus & Jesper (left to right), Klaus, Netflix & The Spa Studios (2019)

Klaus’s embodiment contrasts with Jesper’s. His figure is heavy and solid, and his movements are controlled and confident. His massive body indicates physical strength and his emotional heaviness. However, the limited movements inhis posture and gestures suggest vulnerability (Hyde et al., 2013; Herhuth, 2018). While his depiction is very effective, it may reinforce silhouette stereotypes rather than conveying a more complex character psychology.

The stage of aesthetic choices plays an important role in character design (Animation of the Art Industry, 2012). In Klaus, every character’s eyes are designed to communicate emotion with clarity. The eyes are larger and more stylised, enabling the animators to use the iris size and lid shape to signal little emotional shifts (Smith & Neff, 2017).

Fig. 4. The protagonist Jesper, Klaus, Netflix & The Spa Studios (2019)

Jesper’s eyes are wide and mobile. They are exaggerating his anxiety and enthusiasm. Klaus’s eyes are much smaller and often shadowed beneath his brow. They suggest mystery and emotional reserve. On the other hand, Alva’s eyes are narrow, and they seem to soften as she moves from cynicism to care. Expressive eyes can communicate clearly, and with the help of well-structured stylisation, intensify emotions (Smith & Neff, 2017).

Another powerful storytelling tool is proportion (Animation of the Art Industry, 2012). The film lines up most of its characters with exaggerated body proportions and shapes, which can communicate their personality, age and even theiremotional tone (Animation of the Art Industry, 2012). Klaus has a large upper body, a triangular silhouette, and very bighands. These characteristics are usually linked to strength and protectiveness. His body proportions contrast with his delicate hobby of making toys and suggest his hidden, gentle nature. 

  Fig. 5. Jesper's character development, Klaus, Netflix & The Spa Studios (2019)

Jesper is tall and thin, with elongated limbs and a narrow torso. His silhouette looks fragile compared to Klaus’s solidity. It is worth mentioning the two clans in the town, the Ellingboes and Krums. Their angular, harsh shapes and heavy coats reflect rigidity, and their proportions can suggest their stubbornness (Animation of the Art Industry, 2012).

Motion in Klaus differentiates characters just as effectively as shape or color. Each character’s movement is carefully planned and structured to communicate a personality (Herhuth, 2018; Hyde et al., 2013). Jesper’s motion is loose, bouncy, and often frantic. His squash-and-stretch exaggeration emphasises his comical uncertainty (Ping Pong The Animation, 2014). Klaus moves heavily and confidently. His slow movement, gestures and controlled breathing reinforce his personality and emotional state. 

Fig. 6. The Ellingboes and Krums, Klaus, Netflix & The Spa Studios (2019)

The town’s children move with lightness and curiosity, often skipping rather than walking. The movement of the feuding families is stiff and angular (just like their body proportions), and this is reinforcing the town’s initial hostility (Herhuth, 2018; Hyde et al., 2013).

Conclusion

The movie demonstrates how animation’s tools, stylisation, exaggeration, and constructed embodiment can create character depictions with different personalities (Desowitz, 2019; Hyde et al., 2013; Herhuth, 2018). Through careful design decisions, the animated movie transforms characters into expressive symbols and with their appearances, theycommunicate narrative meaning. Although the movie successfully tells the story of the characters’ transformation, it misses the opportunity to include more racially diverse representation.

Reference

Couch, C. (2019) Stylized visual worlds in modern animation. [Online] Available at: https://www.animationstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Couch-Stylized-Visual-Worlds.pdf (Accessed: 5 January 2026).

Desowitz, B. (2019) ‘Klaus and the revival of hand-drawn animation’, IndieWire. [Online] Available at: https://www.indiewire.com/2019/11/klaus-netflix-animation-1202191360/ (Accessed: 5 January 2026).

Ping Pong The Animation (2014) The application of exaggeration to convey believability: case study. [Online] Available at: https://ir.uitm.edu.my/112948/1/112948.pdf (Accessed: 5 January 2026).

Hyde, K.L., Carter, E.J., Kiesler, S. and Hodgins, J. (2013) ‘Perceptual effects of damped and exaggerated facial motion in animated characters’. [Online] Available at: https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~jdtam/Documents/Hyde-FG2013-PerceptualEffectsFacialMotion.pdf (Accessed: 5 January 2026).

Smith, H.J. and Neff, M. (2017) ‘Understanding the impact of animated gesture performance on personality perceptions’. [Online] Available at: https://www.ics.uci.edu/~majumder/vispercep/gesturepersonality.pdf (Accessed: 5 January 2026).

Furniss, M. (2012) Animation: Art and industry. Indiana University Press. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/herts/detail.action?docID=1977963 (Accessed: 05 January 2026). 

Herhuth, E. (2018) ‘The animated will: Intelligent movement and embodied intentionality in character animation’, Animation Studies. [Online] Available at: https://journal.animationstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-advanced-pdf/1/eric-herhuth-the-animated-will-intelligent-movement-and-embodied-intentionality-in-character-animation.pdf(Accessed: 5 January 2026).

The SPA Studios (2019) Our work / Klaus, The SPA Studios. Available at: https://thespastudios.com/en/our-work-klaus(Accessed: 9 January 2026).

Images

Figure 1. Failes, I. (2021) Here’s what made the 2D animation in ‘klaus’ look ‘3D’, befores & afters. Available at: https://beforesandafters.com/2019/11/14/heres-what-made-the-2d-animation-in-klaus-look-3d/ (Accessed: 21 November 2025). 

Figure 2. Mayorga, E. (2020) Netflix’s ‘Klaus,’ Nickelodeon’s ‘taina and the Amazon’s guardians’ top 3rd Quirino Awards, Variety. Available at: https://variety.com/2020/film/awards/netflix-klaus-nickelodeon-taina-and-the-amazons-guardians-3rd-quirino-awards-1234692363/ (Accessed: 21 November 2025). 

Figure 3. Jmamenn (2022) Klaus Review: Animated April, In Their Own League. Available at: https://intheirownleague.com/2022/04/22/klaus-review-animated-april/ (Accessed: 21 November 2025). 

Figure 4. Nicolaou, E. (no date) This new Netflix movie says Santa is a ghost (so maybe don’t tell your children), Klaus On Netflix Is An Instant Christmas Classic Review. Available at: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/11/8719182/klaus-netflix-christmas-movie-review-santa-ghost (Accessed: 21 November 2025). 

Figure 5. Klaus (2019) - character design (no date) Living Lines Library. Available at: http://livlily.blogspot.com/2019/12/klaus-2019-character-design.html (Accessed: 21 November 2025). 

Figure 6. (No date a) How ‘klaus’ uniquely combines CG lighting techniques with traditional 2D animation | animation world network. Available at: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/how-klaus-uniquely-combines-cg-lighting-techniques-traditional-2d-animation (Accessed: 21 November 2025).