"Don't even think of taking over for me again!"

—Santa Claus

Santa Claus, known as Sandy Claws to the residents of Halloween Town, is a character in Kingdom Hearts II. He is the leader of Christmas Town and is constantly asked questions about Christmas by Jack Skellington.

Story

Between Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts II

Six years prior to the Heartless invasion of the Destiny Islands, Riku convinced Sora there was no such thing as Santa. Sora then told everyone that he did not believe in Santa, who removed Sora from the "nice" list as a result.

At some point, Jack Skellington gave Santa some trouble by attempting to get involved with Christmas^[1], which involved Lock, Shock and Barrel.^[2]

Kingdom Hearts II

When Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrive in Halloween Town, Jack asks them to accompany him to Christmas Town to get Santa's blessing on taking over Christmas for the year, as well as to protect him from the Heartless. They find Santa in his workshop, where he informs a shocked Sora that the Keyblade wielder is not on the "nice" list due to telling his friends seven years earlier that he didn't believe in Santa; however, he reassures Goofy and Donald that they are still listed.

Later, Santa is kidnapped by Oogie Boogie under the orders of Maleficent, who plans on turning Santa into a Heartless. Sally saves Santa from Oogie Boogie, while Sora and company battle the villain. After Oogie's defeat, Santa tells Jack that he should concentrate on Halloween, and Santa should concentrate on Christmas. Before the group leaves, Santa tells Sora to give Riku his best wishes, professing his belief that the two friends will reunite someday.

During Sora's second visit, Santa's presents get stolen by Dr. Finkelstein's Experiment. He helps Jack make decoy presents to attract the Experiment, as well as a larger decoy for Jack and company to hide in. After they defeat the Experiment and retrieve the original presents, Santa Claus decides to give Jack a taste of what it's like to deliver them. When Jack finishes delivering presents, Santa takes back his sleigh and brings forth beautiful snow drops as a present to those in Halloween Town.

Design

Santa Claus is an elderly, rotund man dressed in a faded red, white fur-lined coat closed with a darker red belt. His very tiny hands are covered by black gloves that also have white fur lining. His feet and legs, though usually hidden by his coat, are even smaller than his hands, and covered by black boots. He also wears a pair of dark beige underwear decorated with holly leaves and berries, grouped together in triangular patterns of three leaves and berries. His hat is also red and lined with white fur, and ends in a white fur ball. The hat itself is quite long and thin. Santa has white hair and eyebrows, and a very long, thick beard that nearly reaches the floor. His cheeks and bulbous nose are faintly pink, as are his lips.

Personality

Santa is a jolly, fun, caring, and good individual who adores children. As evidenced by his "naughty" and "nice" lists, he is also wise, fair and thoughtful. However, when he deals with Halloween Town, he becomes much more serious. He is strict with his duties when it comes to Christmas and not afraid to scold those who misbehave. Santa does eventually grow to respect Jack, as evidenced when he allowed Jack to ride his sleigh, while kindly explaining that it would not be appropriate for Jack to perform Christmas duties.

Origin

While Santa Claus has been a famous Christmas icon for years, this version of Santa debuted in Tim Burton's Disney 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas. In the film, Jack orders Lock, Shock, and Barrel to kidnap Santa Claus so that Jack can take over Christmas. However, instead of taking Santa to their lair as Jack requested, the trio brings him to Oogie Boogie. Sally, who doesn't like Jack's idea of taking over Christmas, is worried about Santa and wants to save him, but ends up being captured by Oogie Boogie as well. Later, Jack hurries back to Halloween Town to save Santa and Sally. After Oogie Boogie is defeated, Jack apologizes to Santa, who then leaves to fix Christmas. He flies around the world and delivers real presents to all the children. He and Jack also wish each other Merry Christmas and Happy Halloween as Santa brings snow to the Halloween Town.

Gallery

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  Santa Claus with his Reindeer.
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  Santa Claus's journal portrait in Kingdom Hearts II.
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  Santa Claus's journal portrait in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX.
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  R+ Assist card featuring Santa Claus in Kingdom Hearts χ[chi].
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  SR Assist card featuring Santa Claus in Kingdom Hearts χ[chi].
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  SR Assist card featuring Santa Claus with his Reindeer in Kingdom Hearts χ[chi].
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  SR+ Assist card featuring Santa Claus and Jack Skellington in Kingdom Hearts χ[chi].

Notes and references

• Entelechy
• Halloween Town
• Disney characters
• Kingdom Hearts II characters

• Featured articles