Arthur Christmas is one of a small subgenre of Santa Claus films that establishes the role of Santa doesn't belong to one man, but instead, he's part of a centuries-old lineage tied to the Claus family. The film's focus is largely on Arthur, the current Santa's youngest son, as he attempts to save Christmas after a gift delivery error means one child won't get her present. However, the story presents us with an entire family of past, present, and future Santas, each with their own outlook on the meaning of the Christmas season.
While we could choose Arthur as the best Santa here, we don't actually get to see him in the role until the very end of the film, which means that the real champion of Arthur Christmas is actually Arthur's "Grandsanta." Voiced by Bill Nighy, Grandsanta is a grouchy, slightly mad supercentenarian who hasn't been the reigning Santa Claus since the 1940s, and therefore, he still believes in the old way of doing things. His reliance on more traditional methods and his lack of understanding of the modern world means he gets into quite a bit of trouble, but his love of Christmas and classic sleigh-and-reindeer iconography make him instantly lovable. Plus, he's living proof that in order to do the job of Santa, you'd have to be more than a little bit crazy.
