“You’ve Got A Friend In Me.” That Randy Newman song from the original Toy Story is more than just the most famous hit from a soundtrack. It worked as a common theme spanning all four entries into the franchise. The driving force behind each film is friendship, especially the one between Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
When Woody first met Buzz Lightyear, jealousy filled him as he lost his position as Andy’s favorite toy. But after an adventure together, they bonded and became as thick as thieves. Since then, their relationships with each other and the other toys have been filled with plenty of great friendship moments. We’ve compiled the best of them here, including the events of Toy Story 4.
Woody: Risking His Life To Save Wheezy
One consistent threat throughout the Toy Story franchise is the fact that Woody will do whatever he can to save another toy. It happened with Buzz in the first, Jessie in the second, the whole gang in the third, and Forky and Bo Peep in the fourth. But another, less-talked-about toy was saved by him in Toy Story 2.
When Woody’s arm rips early in the film, he gets put on a shelf where he stumbles upon Wheezy, a penguin toy with a broken squeaker. Andy’s mom takes Wheezy to a yard sale and Woody leaps into action. Even with a damaged arm, he heads down to the sale to save his buddy. Woody succeeds, but this act leads to him getting stolen by a vintage collector.
Buzz: Accepting Fate
Arguably the most memorable moment in Toy Story 3 comes as the toys are trapped in a garbage incinerator. They frantically try to climb their way to safety as they inch closer and closer to the fire. Buzz is the one who realizes that this is a futile effort. When asked what to do, Buzz takes Jessie’s hand to brace themselves for the worst.
The other toys all follow suit, but Woody is last in line. He’s scrambling to the top when he notices that everyone else has stopped. Buzz offers him his hand as well, and after a brief staredown, Woody takes it. There’s no dialogue, but Buzz helps Woody to accept that this is the end and as long as they’re together, it’s okay. They ultimately survive and remain together.
Woody: Saving Buzz From Sid
During the first Toy Story, Buzz and Woody both end up in the clutches of Sid, Andy’s toy-torturing next door neighbor. Sid had a penchant for mutilating toys, ripping them apart, melting them, and strapping them to rockets. He gets his biggest rocket ever in the mail and plans to use it on Buzz, who was already in a rough patch after realizing he wasn’t a real space ranger.
Woody could just go back home without Buzz. He’d be back as Andy’s favorite toy, even if the rest of the group wouldn’t accept him. However, Woody sticks around to save his new friend. With the help of some of Sid’s old experimented toys, they scare the kid off. Woody goes as far as to speak to Sid, which is something toys never do with humans in the series. It’s enough to set Buzz free and get back to Andy in the nick of time.
Buzz: Going After Woody & Forky
The main plot of Toy Story 4 sees Woody desperately attempt to rescue Forky, a spork turned into a toy by Woody’s kid Bonnie. While it seems like Woody does this to make sure Bonnie is happy, there’s a more selfish side to it. He feels lost without a real purpose, so he becomes obsessed with this.
When Woody goes out after Forky and they don’t return to Bonnie’s family in time, the rest of the toys look to Buzz for leadership. Listening to his inner voice, Buzz decides to jump out of the RV to search for them. This is a bold thing he does out of pure friendship. Buzz has no way of knowing where Woody is within the five miles since he jumped out of the car, yet he goes after him anyway.
Woody: Returning To Sunnyside
It seems to be a trend of this franchise to have Woody separated from most of the group. During Toy Story 3, the cause comes when he is chosen by Andy to go to college with him. The rest of the toys feel abandoned and sneak into a donation box, heading to Sunnyside Daycare. Woody is against the idea and leaves to be with Andy after an argument. He even refuses to shake hands with Buzz.
Woody ends up with Bonnie, who takes him home. Before Woody can make it back to Andy’s, he finds out how shady things are at Sunnyside. Despite being told that escaping Sunnyside is almost impossible and despite his argument with the gang, Woody risks it all to go back and save everyone. That includes helping to reset Buzz after the Sunnyside group brainwashed him.
Buzz: Journey To Al’s Toy Barn
The first Toy Story focuses on Woody’s journey to save Buzz after he knocks him out of the window. The script is flipped for Toy Story 2. Woody is kidnapped by the owner of Al’s Toy Barn. Buzz fails to reach him before Al drives away, but uses a feather that falls out of the car and the license plate to discover the identity of the perp.
Buzz figures out that Al’s Toy Barn is around 20 blocks away from Andy’s house. Without hesitating, Buzz sets out on a seemingly impossible mission to save Woody. He even says, “Woody once risked his life to save mine, and I couldn’t call myself his friend if I wasn’t willing to do the same.”
Woody: Getting Buzz Out Of His Depression
The scene in Toy Story where Buzz Lightyear finds out that he’s a toy and not a real space ranger is a sad one. We watch as he tries to fly and fails, losing his arm in the process. When we next see him, he is part of a tea party run by Sid’s sister and she calls him Mrs. Nesbit. He is so depressed that he’s given up and even admits that he’s now simply Mrs. Nesbit and not Buzz Lightyear.
Again, this is a case where Woody could’ve left Buzz at Sid’s mercy. He was ready to give up, and even if they got him back to Andy, this would’ve been a much different Buzz. But Woody takes the time to snap him out of his funk. He brings the real Buzz Lightyear out of him and reminds him that Andy thinks he’s special because he’s a toy, not a space ranger.
Buzz: Reminding Woody Of Who He Is
Speaking of the trip to save Woody, it leads Buzz to Al’s apartment. When he arrives, he and the rest of Andy’s toys set out to bring Woody home. They’re stunned to find out that Woody actually wants to stay and be shipped off to a museum in Japan with Jessie, Bullseye, and the Prospector.
Buzz accepts Woody’s decision and is ready to leave, but gives him some advice before heading out. He reminds Woody that he is a child’s plaything and how special he is to Andy. It’s a tremendous inverse of what Woody told him during the first movie. Buzz’s reminder of what truly matters ends up changing the cowboy’s mind. They’re able to come together to defeat the treacherous Prospector and get back to Andy.
Woody: Saving Jessie
Toy Story 2 is Woody’s shining hour. Most of the movie is dedicated to him and his story. Woody learns that he was part of an old hit TV show. His gang consisted of himself, Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete the Prospector. Woody convinces Bullseye and Jessie to be one of Andy’s toys, but Stinky Pete prevents it, as he just wants to live in a museum.
That leads Woody and the rest of the gang to stop the Prospector and rescue Jessie. Though they take out Stinky Pete, Jessie remains in trouble. She’s trapped in a suitcase on a plane taking off. The other toys look ready to go home, but Woody doesn’t quit. He finds a way onto the plane and helps Jessie escape to find a new child to love her.
Buzz: Encouraging Woody To Go Off On His Own
Throughout Toy Story 4, Woody feels like he has nothing left to do. He helped Andy grow up and was the leader of the gang, but he isn’t a favorite of Bonnie’s. When he runs into Bo Peep, he is shocked to see that she is thriving as a lost toy off on her own with no ties to a child.
At the end of the movie, Woody gets Forky back to Bonnie and is about to rejoin the gang. But he hesitates. Buzz instantly catches on and gives Woody the encouragement he needs. Buzz tells Woody that Bonnie will be okay without him. Though he had issues finding his voice as a leader, Buzz is fully prepared to take on that role with Woody gone because he knows that it’s what’s best for Woody. It’s a beautiful moment showcasing how far their friendship goes. To infinity and beyond.
