Pixar's Toy Story has touched the lives of children and adults alike with its groundbreaking animation, witty writing, and relatable characters. As diehard Disney fans know, the story focuses on how toys come to life when humans are not around. After four movies, a lot of viewers have come up with Toy Story fan theories and examined the philosophical wonders of what makes a toy come alive, what defines a toy, and ideas about the plot.
All big-name series and movies have their fan theories, but Toy Story in particular has a ton of them. On websites like Reddit, some theories even caught the attention of the film creators. From individual characters to metaphors, the wildest ones are dissected.
Updated on September 12, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: With four movies under its belt and countless beloved characters, Toy Story has won the hearts of the Disney and Pixar world. The tale of Woody, Buzz, and friends and the adventures they find themselves a part of are some of the best in the Disney fandom. Thanks to streaming, Toy Story fans have rewatched the franchise countless times, which has spiraled into varying Toy Story theories. From connecting universes to Forky’s addition to the franchise, Reddit is the place to be for Toy Story conspiracy theories.
The Toys Were Never Alive
One Reddit theory, proposed by user Kingzilla2000, brings up the idea that Toy Story could be more like The Lego Movie in that their actions and story are actually in the imagination of their owner(s). If this theory were true, it would quickly fix any plot holes the films have had such as why Buzz freezes like other toys despite not thinking he is a toy in the first movie.
Kingzilla2000 added a note at the end of the theory: "I have to admit, I don't think the filmmakers were really thinking of this idea, so I don't think this theory is true, but It's fun to think about."
The Toys Don’t Come Alive Until They’re Played With
As aforementioned, this is a rather popular theory to ease a few glaring plot holes. Mr.Nstalgia explained their theory about the toys coming to life at the hands of their owners. “I think that the toys don't come alive (awake) until they are physically handled by an owner, after that they are aware but take on the persona of how they are made.”
The Redditor gave examples like, “Buzz is a space ranger doll thus he believed he was a space ranger, Forky being made from scraps and trash thus he thought he was trash…” Toys don’t realize they’re toys until configuring with the other toys.
The Presence Of Forky
Forky had some hilarious quotes in Toy Story 4, but he was also the reason that Woody became distant with his family of toys.
Silolam had a few theories on Forky’s character, one being that he was imaginary. The Redditor elaborated “If Forky was made out of trash, and became alive, in that case, every drawing that Bonnie or Andy had ever made would be alive too, and that's not the case.” With that being said, they finished by saying, “Woody is the first one to touch the stuff that would become Forky, so Woody must had visualize how he must look. Woody was the one who, in his mind if you could, created Forky first, or at least the idea of Forky, and he is the one that want, the most, for him (Forky) to help Bonnie to feel good.” Because of this, Forky was actually an imaginary friend and not a fork.
Toy Story Was In The Same Universe As Tim Allen’s Home Improvement
Home Improvement was a mega sitcom in the ‘90s that lasted for eight seasons and starred Toy Story’s Tim Allen.
13370and0 shared a still from Toy Story that appeared to have a Home Improvement Easter egg with the “Binford tool box.” While interesting, this could mean the two are in the same universe. While some Redditors claimed this was just an egg and not a theory, Chazzlabs brought up a good point. “By putting an object into your movie that is branded with the logo of some company, fictional or otherwise, aren't you explicitly including that company as a part of that universe?” For all fans know, Tim the Tool Man could have been Andy’s neighbor.
Andy's Dad Is Dead
Many Toy Story theories relate to a character that is never seen in the movies. There are a few Easter eggs directed toward Andy's mom, but what about his dad? Andy's dad is never present nor mentioned, and fans have a lot of theories as to why. One of the popular theories is that his father died. While many have mentioned this on Reddit, one user, JustATypicalGinger, outlined the fact that they think this theory is true due to which kind of toys Andy likes the best.
They wrote, "Andy has clearly attached himself to Woody and Buzz, in all of the 'play' scenes they are clearly strong adult male figures, one could almost call them fatherly." This could be why Andy looked up to them so much.
Sid Become A Garbage Man To Save Toys From Being Trashed
Sid was one of Toy Story's evilest villains in the first movie, but no one knew what happened to him afterward. Most Toy Story fans think Sid makes a cameo appearance in Toy Story 3 as a garbage man. A mind-blowing theory in relation to this fact came from a real-life garbage man on Reddit under the username, londongarbageman. The user mentioned that a big perk to their job is finding things like toys.
After finding so many toys that are about to be trashed, Sid could have had a change of heart. Now, let's imagine you're a guy who just learned that inanimate objects are alive. What job would you get? Sid isn't f***** up and working a crappy job. He's trying to save them. He is trying to save the toys. He picked the one kind of job where you can rescue those things."
The First Movie Is A Metaphor For Andy's Mother Re-Marrying
Reddit user, EatBooks, commented on the theory about Andy's dad being dead with a mind-blowing theory of their own. "I figured the first Toy Story movie was a metaphor for Andy's mother re-marrying, maybe even the actual story as filtered through Andy's play time," they wrote.
They continued writing, "Woody represents his biological father, someone sturdy but visualized as a roaming cowboy. Buzz represents Andy's stepfather, a shiny, cool, new dad, one that makes Woody seem dangerously out of date." It's a smart, well-thought-through theory that adds to the specialties of Toy Story characters.
The Toys Are Immortal
Other popular theories among Toy Story fans relate to what defines the beginning and end of a toy's life. Reddit user, nameless88, suggests that there is no way toys can die outside of being crushed or incinerated.
"The toys in Toy Story are immortal. They can't die. I mean, they can be crushed or incinerated, but they will never die of old age," they wrote. They continued by writing, "They will outlive every owner they have, the story of Andy growing up and leaving their lives will continue at nausea until the last of humanity is gone, or the toys have all been incinerated." The biggest supporting piece of this evidence is Sid's toys from the first movie still "living" despite being injured.
Andy's Dad Was A Cop
Another theory about the identity of Andy's dad is that he was a cop. This explains more about why Woody and Buzz would be his favorite toys. Because Andy played so much with them, Woody and Buzz had one of Disney's best friendships. Not only could they fill in a fatherly role for him, but they are figures that play a major role in law enforcement.
SumoJoe wrote, "I've always thought that Andy's dad was a cop who was killed in the line of duty. Not only is he attached to two male toys, but both represent some form of law enforcement."
Woody Belonged To Andy's Dad
Yet another theory about Andy's dad is that he was the previous owner of Woody. This theory gives another reason why Woody is a favorite toy. Because Woody was viewed as a secondhand toy, he may as well have been his dad's. Ian078 wrote, "[Woody] was the favorite toy of Andy's dad, the handwriting on the boot of Woody isn't of Andy, his the handwriting of Andy's dad when he was a kid."
Woody's behavior towards Andy is also much like a father figure, as he wants to protect him and make him happy. This could be because Woody knows that is what his previous owner would have wanted. This also adds an extra emotional element to the third movie since Andy gives Woody away to Bonnie, which was the perfect Toy Story finale.
Jessie Once Belonged To Andy's Mom
In the second movie, Jessie the cowgirl comes into the picture. She had one of the saddest moments in Toy Story 2 when she told the story of her former owner named Emily neglecting her, which tainted her views on having an owner. BerylliumExtract theorized that Emily is Andy's mother.
Evidence that supports this theory included what viewers see of Emily and Andy. "It really does look like a larger version of Jessie's, and it just so happens that we know that Emily had a hat just like it. So maybe the hat is a hand-me-down from Andy's mom, who had it back 'when she loved me,' and Jessie doesn't recognize an aged-up Emily," the Redditor wrote.
Mr. Potato Head Is Not A Singular Entity
Mr. Potato Head's anatomy has sprung many questions as well as theories from fans. His body parts all keep moving despite their detachment, and it appears he can feel the parts as well — even when they are a long distance away.
Reddit user Primetime22 theorized that Mr. Potato Head's various parts can each have a mind of their own with different personalities and the mouth is their leader. "My theory is that all of his parts move and think independently, but they all take the lead of the one barking orders: his mouth. (And in a way, that's appropriate for Potato Head: he thinks with his mouth)," they wrote. This is a fun theory for a beloved character.