In this study, we have investigated the effects of Cr dopant on the sintering and electrical properties of ZnO-$Sb_2O_3$ (ZS) ceramics for varistor application. Spinel phases including $alpha-$ and $eta$-type was formed at ZS system and $alpha$-spinel was stabilized by Cr doping in ZS system. Densification of ZS and ZSCr system was retarded to $1000^{circ}C$ by the formation of spinel at $800^{circ}C$. The morphology and its distribution of spinel phases in ZS system was homogeneous but disturbed by Cr doping. In ZSCr the densification of ZnO compared with ZS system was more retarded by low concentration of Zn interstitial defects induced by Cr doping in addition to the effect of spinel phase formation. The defects in each system were identified as attractive coulombic center (ZS: 0.13 eV, ZSCr: 0.12 eV) and singly charged oxygen vacancy $V_0^{cdot}$ (ZSCr: 0.33 eV). In all ZS and ZSCr system have week varistor behavior by the formation of double Schottky barrier at grain boundary but its stability of barrier was very sensitive to sintering temperature.