Summary

• The first Toy Story movie introduced the concept that toys can come to life in the presence of humans, but this idea is never explored further in the sequels.
• The toys in Sid's bedroom, who are tormented by their owner, suffer in silence because they lack leadership and a clear escape plan.
• Despite the successful revelation of the toys' true nature in the first movie, there are no other instances in the franchise where the toys reveal themselves to humans.

The Toy Story franchise started in 1995, and there's a scene in the first movie that raises issues with all of its sequels. Toy Story lore is quite basic considering the movies are about sentient toys, but the hugely successful franchise heavily addressed a major part of the canon in the first movie and then never explained it any further in later installments. One scene in Pixar's feature-length debut is one of its most iconic and yet demands answers that never came. However, that doesn't mean there isn't a certain amount of logic behind the in-universe event.

There are currently four confirmation of Toy Story 5 means the franchise is set to expand yet again. The film series is Pixar's longest-running property and will have been in existence for 31 years by the time the fifth movie is released in 2026. The movies are very character-focused and don't tend to focus too much on the finer details of the canon of the Toy Story universe. While this approach usually doesn't present any problems, there's still one loose end from the franchises' first entry.

Sid's Confrontation Proves The Toys Can Come To Life At Any Time (But Choose Not To)

Woody helps Sid's toys overwhelm their owner in the first Toy Story movie

The main piece of worldbuilding in Toy Story comes from the fact that the toys come to life and essentially have their own existence and routines when they aren't being played with. It's never clearly stated whether the reflex to "play dead" is involuntary or if it's a conscious decision every time a human is near. The main piece of evidence that suggests the toys are capable of coming to life in the company of humans comes at the end of 1995's Toy Story. The scene shows Woody speaking directly to Sid while the villain's tortured toys surround their owner.

When Buzz Lightyear is introduced in the first Toy Story movie, he isn't aware he's a toy, yet still becomes inanimate whenever Andy is near, which implies the reflex is not entirely voluntary.

While it makes for a thrilling sequence, it begs the question of why it's not a feat that's ever repeated. It's understandable that the toys would seem to have an unspoken agreement not to have their secret discovered, but concealing the information often comes at the expense of their well-being or even their lives. Sid's confrontation scene proves that, when done carefully, even the best Toy Story characters unveiling their true nature can reap huge rewards. No one will ever believe Sid if he tells anyone else what he saw, and as a result, the toys come out on top.

There's 1 Possible Explanation Why Sid's Toys Suffered In Silence

Sid's toys may have been too afraid to try and escape

The fate of Sid's playthings is a direct result of their refusal to share their secret. However, there may be a reason for their stubbornness. Soon after Woody arrives in Sid's bedroom, it's clear the ominous crew lacks clear leadership, or at least it becomes obvious after the initial wave of terror. As such, Sid's victims had no plan of how to escape their shared doom and opted instead to default to their inert states. Woody's presence galvanized Sid's toys due to the cowboy's innate leadership skills. So, it's only with Woody's assistance that a plan can be formulated.

It's also possible that fear was keeping Sid's toys in line. Had they confronted Sid without a proper escape strategy, the toys may have feared that their twisted captor would have conducted further dismemberments and experimentation on them in the name of discovery, but also just sheer malevolence. Woody didn't just provide authority, he also gave the other toys the courage to stand up for themselves.

There Were Other Moments In The Toy Story Sequels When Coming To Life Would Have Helped (But It Didn't Happen)

The movies' toys could have used the same routine from Sid's confrontation at any time

Woody's success in the first Toy Story movie should have encouraged him to use similar gambits in later films. However, Sid's downfall is the only instance in the franchise where the toys reveal themselves to a human character. As a result, the toys find themselves in various scenarios from which they could have easily escaped by simply dropping the act of being normal playthings. For instance, the final act of Toy Story 2 features Woody trying to escape from being shipped to Japan to sit forever in a museum with his Woody's Roundup co-stars.

There is a frustrating moment in the first sequel where Woody, Bullseye, and Jessie are all free of their boxes and hear Al coming down the hall. Instead of using the warning to conceal themselves somewhere in the room, Jessie and Bullseye return to their packaging and Woody flops to the ground where he stands. Regardless, as in all Pixar movies, the heroes still come on top. While the strategy would have risked Al discovering the secret of all the toys in the Toy Story franchise, the first movie had already proven this was still a viable option.

The first four Toy Story movies are available to stream on Disney+. Toy Story 5 is slated for a 2026 release.