Toys (Toy Story)

The Toys that appear within the Toy Story universe are able to animate to life.

Attributes of being a Toy[]

Toys have a unique biology, psychology and culture compared to humans.

Toys can survive a lot of damage[]

Toys have no organs, and thus can be damaged or mutilated without dying. However, an amputated limb cannot move or be controlled.
- The most noticeable example of this is when Sid decapitated a pterodactyl and Hannah's doll Janie. When they were repaired (with tape), they functioned normally.
- An exception is Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head; he is able to control his arm and both can see through their disconnected eye. This is likely because their limbs are designed to be removed.
Toys can "die" if completely destroyed.
- This is hinted at the dump's incinerator in Toy Story 3.
Toys do not show any physical aging unless made of degradable materials.
Toys can be crippled or handicapped if their "injuries" are not repaired.
- Most noticeably with Woody's arm in Toy Story 2, Wheezy with his squeaker, Big Baby with his eye, and Lotso with his leg.
Toys cannot develop disease, and do not hunger or need to eat.
- Despite this, Bullseye was licking Al's cheesy hand when Al was asleep on the couch.
The mentality of a toy cannot be damaged and toys cannot receive brain damage.
- However, electronic toys can have their mentality altered if they are hacked or manipulated.
  - This is seen with Buzz in Toy Story 3.
Toys feel no physical pain when injured.
- There are some inconsistencies to this however: most noticeably when Woody (in Toy Story 1) and Ducky (in Toy Story 4) have their fingers and toes crushed by Buzz's deplorable spacehelmet.
The repair on a toy can still be amateurish but still allow the toy to act like as if it weren't damaged.
- This is seen when Hannah's doll Janie and Sid's pterodactyl having their heads taped back together, allowing them to move again.
Toys can use limbs and makeshift bodyparts from other toys even if they clearly do not belong to them. A toy can be decapitated and then placed onto almost any other toy or remains of a toy. The head of the toy still keeps its original personality.
- This is seen with Sid's Mutant toys.

Biology unique to certain Toys[]

A toy designed to break apart can move its amputated limbs and they can function normally.
- This is seen many times with Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. Mrs. Potato Head can still look through her eye even when separated miles away, as seen in Toy Story 3.
  - Also, this means that some toys can change their bodies, as seen when Mr. Potato Head used a tortilla and later a cucumber as a substitute for his plastic "potato" body.
An electronic device that is classified as a toy can perform some computer-like functions. However, video games, TVs and computers do not classify as toys.
- This is seen with Mr. Spell.
A "game-like" toy has mastered his function at speeds and skills no human is capable of doing.
- For example, Etch A Sketch can draw a detailed revolver in less than 2 seconds as seen in Toy Story.
A toy that is designed to be the leader of the set of toys he's involved in will automatically become their leader.
- This is seen best with Sarge and to some degree Woody.
A hollow toy can use itself as storage for objects.
- This is seen with Mr. Potato Head, who can open a door on his butt to store his accessories and other small objects. Hamm can also store objects, but is designed to hold coins.
Toys that represent a popular fictional character might initially have the personality of said character and not realize that he's a toy.
- Even when toys know they are toys, their relationship with another fictional character within their franchise is normally similar to how it's universally depicted.
  - This is obviously seen with Buzz and Zurg.
  - This is why many toys believe that Ken and Barbie naturally love each other.
- It is very common for toys to not develop the same personality as the character they represent. It can be argued that toys change their personalities over time from their experiences.
  - Stinky Pete clearly is different from his "bumbling idiot" personality from his TV show.
  - This is also seen with Lotso and Chuckles.
  - Rex, despite being a T-Rex, is friendly and shy. He is also friendly to Trixie, a Triceratops (which was prey for a T-Rex in real life).
Remote controlled toys can be controlled by others who command the remote and apparently cannot resist it.
- This is obviously shown with RC.

Other traits[]

Toys only share some organs with humans or at least mimic their traits like having senses (smell, sight, hearing, touch, taste) and intelligence.
- Toys cannot defecate, reproduce naturally, sweat or bleed.
  - Mr. Potato Head "defecating" in his shoes at the airport in Toy Story 2 doesn't count.
  - However, toys can still develop romantic relationships.
- Toys can still be ticklish: Woody admits to this in Toy Story 2 while playing with Jessie.
Battery-powered toys cannot move if their batteries die; however, they can still function otherwise.
- This is seen with RC in Toy Story.
Toys can still be alive even if they represent non-toy objects.
- This is most noticeable with RC. Real cars cannot animate themselves because they are not toys.
Containers for toys do not act like toys unless they function as part of the toy or playset.
- This means Buzz's spaceship box is not a toy and acts like ordinary cardboard.
Board games do not classify as toys, nor do their pieces unless the pieces look like toys.
- For example, checker pieces and the checker board are not toys.
Objects not designed for kids are not toys.
- For example, Sid's rocket.
Decorations are not toys unless they can function as toys.
- This is most noticeable with Bo Peep. She and her sheep are decorations of a lamp, but are removable and thus can double as toys.
Toys normally enjoy being played with except if they are getting damaged, misused or beaten by their owners.
- Some toys may prefer to be preserved: like becoming a museum piece or a collectible. It is possible for some toys to hate the idea of being played with by children if they consider it a threat, like how Stinky Pete thought that he would be damaged and destroyed by a violent owner or just thrown out when the owner got too old.

"Rules" of being a Toy[]

Toys do have the ability to move but must keep their identity a secret from society. Because of this, the toys have demonstrated actions or rules that most follow. These rules can only be broken under certain conditions, mainly keeping the identity of "living toys" a secret to human society.

Whenever a human is in the same room or location, you must remain still[]

Woody and Sid's Toys rebelling against Sid is the only intentional violation of this act as only Sid saw it and his delinquent personality would make it difficult for anyone else to believe what he witnessed. Hannah clearly didn't believe Sid since he was in a panic at the time.
- So if Toys are forced to animate in front of humans, they must be able to make it difficult for the witnesses to be believed.
A human can be tricked into believing that you still are acting like a toy if you do mechanical or electronic functions, like rephrasing a prerecorded dialog. Some toys can move if they are programmed to move automatically.
- Woody was allowed to say his quotes as if his string has been pulled or to make people think he's malfunctioning.
Toys must remain still even when being abused, as seen with Sid or the Sunnyside toddlers and babies.
- Toys cannot defend themselves from being killed.
  - This is why Woody almost allowed a truck to flatten him at the Dinoco station in Toy Story.
  - This is why Woody allowed Sid to burn his head with a magnifying glass.
Toys can animate themselves if humans are too far away or cannot clearly see the toys.
- This is why Woody and Buzz could drive RC in a populated suburban neighborhood while trying to catch up to the moving van.
If a human has their back turned, the toys can make subtle movements, but must try to stay in place and must return to being still when being looked at.
- This was best seen shortly after Al woke up unexpectedly. Woody, while Al was still somewhat drowsy from being woken up unexpectedly after the TV channel was changed, briefly snuck a glare at Jessie's case and the remote being nearby.
Animals are allowed to see the toys animated since they cannot communicate with humans.
- This was first seen with Scud, Sid's dog in Toy Story. This is later shown in Toy Story 2, this time with Buster, Andy's dog, who is able to listen to Woody's commands perfectly as if he was his pet.
Toys cannot talk to a human directly.
- This is why Woody could not call Andy on his cell phone in Toy Story 3.
If humans do not see or identify the toy, it can still move or talk.
- This is why Andy's toys could cover themselves with traffic cones in order to cross the street in Toy Story 2.
- This is why Slinky could bark at a girl at the airport, because she didn't see the toys before Slinky scared her away.
- Mr. Potato Head suggested this when trying to get in Al's apartment building by stacking themselves up and deliver a pizza
Toys can use human objects when the humans are not using them as long as it looks like it was never used.
- This includes video games, computers, TVs, phones, pencils, paper, rope, cars or basically anything else.
Toys can make a mess, damage objects, or even break the law if humans cannot find evidence that the toys did it.
- A noticeable example is the damage Andy's toys did in Toy Story 2: crashing cars, spilling bouncing balls in Al's Toy Barn, and stealing a Pizza Planet car.
In Toy Story 4, Buzz Lightyear declined all three of the suggestions that Ducky and Bunny proposed for how to get the key, as the execution of any one of the three plans would require a major violation of the rule (jumping or scaring Margaret).

Try to return to the last place you were last time[]

A toy must make it look like it wasn't moved after the humans temporarily leave.
- An exception is if the toy cannot physically return to this spot or reach it.
  - As seen in Toy Story when Buzz couldn't return to Andy's room after being accidentally knocked out the window.
- Another exception is to pretend that you fell from your spot.
  - As seen when Al woke up from a nap, Woody had to pretend that he fell from his glass box instead of trying to retrieve his arm from Al.
A toy that is shelved or put away for long periods of time can move out of the place when alone, but must always return and stay even if it's for several years.
- This is seen in Jessie's flashback in Toy Story 2, and the intro of Toy Story 3.
Toys in "mint condition" and "never removed from their box" can still break out of their box, but it is expected for them to stay in the box.
- This is why Woody and Jessie were surprised to see Stinky Pete outside his box.
- Utility Belt Buzz claims that all other Buzz Lightyears in Al's Toy Barn are "in hyper-sleep." Belt Buzz forces escapee Buzzes back into their boxes, though due to his delusion was sidetracked by Andy's Toys. It's unknown if Belt Buzz returned to Al's Toy Barn.
Toys are allowed to repair or clean themselves if humans don't notice the change or come to the conclusion that someone else cleaned or repaired them.

Toys cannot leave their owners[]

This rule is one of the main factors to why toys stay with cruel and abusive owners, like Sid.
- There are many exceptions to this rule, as seen when Al's toys defect to Andy's toys.
  - However, in this example, Al thought that the airport lost his toys, and so no suspicion was put on the toys.
If a toy believes that they are forgotten or abandoned, they could leave since their owner won't care or remember them.
- This is seen when Sarge leaves Andy's home in Toy Story 3.
- Lotso was able to convince Big Baby and Chuckles that they were abandoned when Daisy bought a new Lotso doll and didn't recover her toys from the picnic place.
- It's unknown if Zurg or Utility Belt Buzz ever returned to Al's Toy Barn.
If a toy knows they are abandoned they will not try to return to their owner despite the heartbreak.
If a toy is stolen, they normally would try to return back home despite their new ownership.
- This is seen when Woody tries to return to Andy's ownership when stolen by Al or accidentally donated to Sunnyside.