Attempting to escape their tragic existence could lead to their annihilation, so, instead, they’re trapped playing a game of survival that they know they are going to lose. But the characters are essentially stuck between a toy chest and a hard place. Suddenly, Lotso and Stinky Pete aren’t villains, they’re revolutionaries trying to opt out of a raw deal in their own way and helping others see the foolishness of their existence. Woody isn’t just jealous and petty when Andy begins to favor Buzz, he’s genuinely afraid Andy will deem his existence unnecessary. They look to humans like merciless gods, desperately hoping to stay in the favor of their owner.

What does this mean for Woody and the rest of Andy’s beloved toys? They live more or less with constant Stockholm Syndrome, accepting a life of slavery due to fear of being destroyed. So it’s safe to assume the toys of Toy Story are aware they would face a similar fate. Does that name sound familiar? That’s because he is one of Toy Story’s writers. He didn’t end up working on the film, but the late Joe Ranft co-wrote it. Don’t think this applies to the Toy Story universe? The Brave Little Toaster was initially pitched by John Lasseter, the guy who directed Toy Story. And for a glimpse into what the toys are afraid of, look no further than another animated classic based on the secret lives of inanimate objects: The Brave Little Toaster.ĭuring the chilling song “Worthless,” Toaster and his brave friends are forced to face a grim reality: once they are of no use to humans, they will be destroyed. Maybe the humans would learn to co-exist happily, but maybe not. In Pixar’s world, they are completely at the mercy of us, so they do what they think will make humans most happy by pretending to be inanimate objects.

This is why the toys won’t reveal themselves to humans. In Toy Story 2, Jessie and Stinky Pete explain to Woody that if toys are placed into storage they’re essentially banished to an eternity of torment. Is this a survival instinct? Did something happen that made them disappear? This seems to have something to do with the fact that toys rely on the joy of humans to live. The more interesting and darker question is why does every toy instinctively knows to hide the fact that they are alive from humans? Even Buzz, who at the start of Toy Story believes himself to be a real space explorer, freezes every time Andy enters the room. We the viewer are never told exactly how the toys come to life, but their origin doesn’t really matter. The disturbing implications that come with this realization are nothing short of horrifying, and essentially reverses everything you thought you knew about the films. And yet they live in servitude to humans, gladly giving up any sense of control over their own lives in order to bring children joy. As such, they, as much as humans, deserve to have complete control over their own lives. They feel joy, sadness, relief, fear, anger, jealousy, and, most of all, love. These toys are living beings with the same emotional capacity as humans. Yes, this is the impetus for the action in the entire Toy Story universe. While this is all horrific, none of it compares to the fact that the Toy Story are alive. Remember Sid? That horrible brat who abuses toys for fun? Or Stinky Pete, the prospector who threatens Woody’s life in order to ensure he’s never played with again? And let’s not forget about Lotso, the self-loathing teddy bear who wants all toys to share his morbid death wish? He’s behind what’s the most legitimately terrifying moment in the franchise, where, in Toy Story 3, the gang is headed to the furnace.

As you’re well aware, Pixar doesn’t shy away from populating the Toy Story world with creepy stuff.

Sid from toy story 3