Every Toy In The Toy Story Movies, Ranked

Toy Story 3 ended perfectly. Andy went to college. The toys went to Bonnie. And everybody cried. For a generation that grew up with Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and Bullseye, this was goodbye, not only to the characters whom we loved throughout our childhoods, but also to our childhoods themselves. Letting go of one's idle playthings, and trading them in for mature responsibility, was a relatable rite of passage for every teenager and young adult.

And that's why fans questioned the decision to make Toy Story 4. There was a definitive ending and a definitive arc to the larger story. What more could Pixar possibly add that could be fresh and different?

As it turned out, Toy Story 4, received near-universal acclaim from critics, and opened with $118 million in weekend U.S. ticket sales and is now closing in on $300 million worldwide. And though it neither tops its predecessor nor makes itself an indispensable part of the larger story, Toy Story 4 does progress things in a happy direction.

For as emotional as the series has been, it's also one that's filled with toys--some great, some not so great. Is Buzz or Woody better? Does anyone care about the Barrel of Monkeys? With four movies in the books, we decided to take a closer look at each and every notable toy that's appeared to date.

Here is every Toy Story toy character in the movie, ranked from worst to best. We took character development, creativity, and charisma into account, and we added in the new toys from the fourth movie. Note: there are many toys in the background that exist as sight gags or window dressing, so we tried to stick to characters who at least had lines or affected the plot, even in a small way. If this is truly the end of the road, we'll miss them all.

If you can't get enough Toy Story, you might want to pick up Minecraft, which has just added new Toy Story DLC. And yes, the character played by Keanu Reeves made the cut.

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He was the only toy in Andy's room that was so bland, no one ever bothered to give him a name.

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The Barrel of Monkeys was always ready to link up and save a hapless toy who fell out (or got knocked out!) of Andy's window.

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Crucial to Woody's old staff meetings, Mr. Mike outlived his usefulness once the number of Andy's toys started dwindling.

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One of Lotso's goons, Bookworm kept an extensive library of instruction manuals for toys that got out of line. Resetting toys to factory mode did a great job of ensuring obedience and sowing fear.

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Disfigured by Sid, Janie and Pterodactyl were stitched back together by the mutant toys. They taught Woody the dangers of judging others based upon their appearance.

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Out of all of Sid's mutant creations, these two were probably the least inspired.

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How culpable was Sid for taking apart his toys and putting them back together in odd combinations? It's not like he knew the toys were actually alive; in that case, he might have treated them better.

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Pixar pays homage to its influences and contemporaries. And Bonnie's big stuffed animal Totoro was one of the main characters of Hayao Miyazaki's anime fantasy film My Neighbor Totoro.

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They were the first of Bonnie's toys to notice that Woody left his hat at Sunnyside Daycare. As an indirect result, Woody learned about Lotso's true, evil nature, and he began plotting to save his friends from near-certain destruction.

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Played by legendary comedians Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Carl Reiner, and Betty White, these four toys are essentially retired and stayed in Bonnie's closet long after she lost interest in them. Unlike many toys, who despair at the thought of being abandoned, these four seem to be taking things well.

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Mr. Spell helped Buzz decode the license plate of the man who took Woody, which led them straight to Al's Toy Barn and the Chicken Man.

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The Bensons are Gabby Gabby's ventriloquist bodyguards. With their hinged jaws and lolling heads, they're the stuff of nightmares, falling right in the middle of that uncanny valley.

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He was a Lotso follower--an action figure that was part-pro wrestler, part-bug. He had a cool look, but not a lot of personality.

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She's Toy Story's homage to the Polly Pocket toys of the mid '90s. A police officer by trade, Giggle is Bo's closest confidante in her new life on the road.

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Another Lotso underling, Chunk had a spinning mechanism that changed his facial expression. This was a popular quirk of the Masters of the Universe toys from the late '80s and early '90s.

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Another '80s era-inspired toy, this Lotso henchman made sparks in his chest cavity when he rolled around. Sparks was Sunnyside's mechanic; he unscrewed Buzz's back so that Lotso could reset him.

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Two more Sid creations, these pastiche playthings were proof that somewhere, underneath Sid's sociopathic exterior, was a child with considerable creativity.

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Andy's pro wrestler action figure spins Woody over his head in the back of the moving van, and later pulls the lever to lower the ramp, once Andy's toys realize that Woody is telling the truth.

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There are multiple Combat Carls throughout the franchise; they change from looking like green fatigued army soldiers to special ops mercenaries. Several of them were destroyed by Sid in the first movie (and later rose up against him). And in the most recent movie, they team up with Bo on her various adventures.

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Sid's sister, Hannah, was unlucky. Her older brother decapitated all of her dolls, which meant that when she had a tea party, she made due with headless guests.

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The resident binoculars in Andy's room, Lenny spied on Sid. And at the end of the film, he spotted Buzz and Woody racing towards the moving van and alerted the rest of the gang.

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When we first saw Chatter Telephone, he was trying to warn Woody about Lotso, to no avail. Chatter later helped the toys break out of Sunnyside, even though Lotso beat him for his efforts.

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For the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, everything was civil and well-mannered until suddenly, it wasn't.

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"Look! I'm Woody! Howdy howdy howdy!"

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Buzz knew that the best way to a Troll's heart was to style her hair.

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A purple octopus and one of Lotso's henchmen, Stretch was an overqualified multi-tasker.

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She was Amy's favorite toy and The Prospector's new friend, after Woody stuck him in Amy's backpack at the airport. All things considered, he got off with a much lighter punishment than he deserved.

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Stay for the Toy Story 4's post-credits scenes, and you'll meet Knifey; Bonnie made a female counterpart for Forky. With any luck, she'll have a better time of adjusting to life than her predecessor did.

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A bouncing toy that was one-third duck, one-third human, and one-third spring, Ducky was a crucial part to the Buzz rescue mission that Woody concocted.

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This was the second scariest toy during Sid's final scene. "MAMA. MAMA. MAMA."

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In the new movie, the 3-in-1 sheep are finally given a name and an identity. As with Bo Peep, life on the road has been good to Billy, Goat, and Gruff.

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The fastest draw in the West, Andy's Etch-A-Sketch served multiple purposes, drawing everything from composite sketches to maps to fan art of Buzz-- — much to Woody's chagrin.

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The tour guide to Al's Toy Barn could spit toy history trivia in both English and Spanish.

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We discovered, much to Utility Belt Buzz's initial horror, that Emperor Zurg was his father. But thankfully, the two of them decided to bond over a game of catch rather than destroy one another.

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Another of Sid's contraptions, Legs was a pair of long, female legs that were attached to a crane with a hook attached to the end. She was a "hooker." Get it?

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The de facto leader of Bonnie's room in the new movie, Dolly is continually irritated by Woody's roundabout methods of hijacking her authority.

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When Buzz came across the new, souped-up version of himself in Al's Toy Barn, he got taken down and tied in a box by his replacement. And like Buzz in the first movie, this new "Utility Belt Buzz" also didn't know that he was a toy.

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Woody's noble, faithful steed followed in a proud tradition of animated horses, who understand conversational English and are invariably brave, loyal, and intuitive.

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Bonnie's unicorn is the least well-characterized of Bonnie's three improv buddies. Mostly, he serves an underappreciated role--as a foil for the other's toys' bickering and jokes.

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RC played a key role in the first film. Woody tried to run down Buzz with RC by using the car's remote control. And at the end of the film, Woody used RC to retrieve Buzz and race to the moving fan before it picked up speed.

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This was Lotso's eye in the sky, making sure that no toy at Sunnyside Daycare was planning an escape or a revolution. To get his friends out alive, Woody first had to incapacitate the security Monkey.

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These two new characters are carnival prizes, waiting not so patiently to be won. They're played Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key.

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The thespian of Bonnie's improv group, Mr. Pricklepants was a classically trained thespian with an British accent, who didn't want to be disturbed while he was getting into character.

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The bait-and-switch villain of the second film, The Prospector wanted to go to the museum in Japan at all costs. And if it meant he had to lie, manipulate, and chop his fellow toys into pieces to get it done, he'd do it.

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Wheezy kicked off the plot of the second movie, when Andy's mother decided to put him in a yard sale after his squeaker broke. Woody intervened, but accidentally got put in the yard sale himself. At the end of the film, Wheezy had a brand new squeaker thanks to Mr. Shark, and he sang a lounge version of "You've Got A Friend in Me" (performed by Robert Goulet).

Debut Film: Toy Story 4

Played by Keanu Reeves, Duke Caboom is a daredevil toy who was abandoned by his kid after he didn't jump as advertised in the commercials. If he wants to help Woody and his friends, he first has to overcome his personal issues.

Debut Film: Toy Story 3

Lotso's most trusted right-hand henchman was Big Baby. The two of them once belonged to Daisy, the same owner, but when Lotso was lost and then replaced by another doll, he lied to Big Baby and said that Daisy didn't want him anymore either. Big Baby had a character arc; he went from ruthless enforcer to good guy once he saw Lotso's true colors.

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Chuckles was also owned by Daisy, but unlike Big Baby, he did not fall for Lotso's scheme. He was eventually saved from Sunnyside and repaired by Bonnie, who took him home. Chuckles was the toy who told Woody about Lotso's tragic past.

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Of the three Barbies, Molly's was the most fleshed out. She fell for Ken and loved his dream house (with an entire room for trying on clothes!) but she never let it get in the way of her loyalty to her friends.

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Mr. Potato Head got his wish at the end of the first movie, when Andy received Mrs. Potato Head for Christmas. Now, they could be curmudgeonly together, and he'll never forget his angry eyes at home.

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She may not be the most evil of the Toy Story villains, but Gabby Gabby is definitely the creepiest. She wants a new voice box so a kid can finally buy her off the antique shelf, and she's willing to take Woody apart to get it. Love hurts.

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Bonnie's triceratops got the best lines. From her shushing contest with Mr. Pricklepants, to her online flirtation with the Velociraptor toy down the street (Velocistar237), Trixie was a little scattered and always happy. It's no wonder that she and Rex hit it off immediately.

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Bonnie's newest toy is her kindergarten arts and crafts project: she took popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and a spork, and stuck them together.

Forky raises all sorts of questions about this world. How do these toys "come to life?" Is it enough to stick two eyes on something inanimate? Does intent matter? But regardless, Forky had no say in it; he'd rather be trash than be Bonnie's toy. And Woody starts questioning his own existence and purpose in the process of helping Forky find his.

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"THE CLAW!" Pixar was spot-on with their characterization of the aliens, and their quasi-religious worship of the mechanism that chose them for ownership. Everything in this fictional world came down to perspective; what was fake or nonsense to one character could be taken completely seriously by another. There were varying degrees of self-awareness among these toys; for the aliens, there was absolutely none.

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Bo Peep has come a long way. Like the robots in Westworld, she grew beyond the preordained role given to her by her manufacturers, and aspired to something more. She's more human than toy at this point in Toy Story 4, and she serves as a model for Woody, who questions his responsibilities. Is he beholden to Bonnie? Or is he beholden to himself?

Debut Film: Toy Story 2

The cowgirl to Woody's cowboy, Jessie is part of the same toy set as Woody, even though they couldn't be more different. Woody is reserved and thoughtful. Jessie is effusive and impulsive. But what makes Jessie special, and what separates her from Woody and most of the other toys, is that she's experienced loss and abandonment, and she still is willing to risk her heart again by going to Andy. That makes her braver than most.

Debut Film: Toy Story 3

Along with Big Baby, Ken was the most notable Sunnyside toy who defied Lotso. He was swayed by Barbie, who he had fallen in love with. And despite what Lotso said about all Barbies being interchangeable, Ken knew better.

He later became the new co-head (along with Barbie) of Sunnyside Daycare, and they created a toy society that relied on teamwork instead of fear. Oh, and he really knew how to dress. Nice ascot, baby!

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Slinky Dog's body makes for some of the best sight gags in the franchise; when there simply aren't enough Monkeys in a Barrel, the toys use Slinky Dog to climb down from a high place or rescue a toy in need.

And like all good boys, Slinky Dog is loyal. He's always the first toy to support Woody, and he's always the last toy to give up on him. Unlike Potato Head, he's no instigator; his goal is always to create solidarity.

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The piggy bank with the sardonic sense of humor, Hamm is the most grounded member of the group. Endlessly practical (he periodically checks what he's worth on eBay) and always ready with a quip, Hamm can deliver the truth to his friends in a way that's real, but couched with humor.

He spent years playing the super villain, Evil Dr. Pork Chop, in Andy's numerous pretend scenarios.

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The unofficial head of the Sid's mutant toys, Babyface is a nightmare-inducing spider baby. A cross between an erector set and a one-eyed doll head, he's the toy that rallies the rest of the mutant toys to Woody's side. He also has the best role in the final Sid scene: he drops down on Sid's head like a massive spider, and Sid loses whatever limited composure he had left.

Debut Film: Toy Story 3

Sid was unaware of the damage he did. But Lotso knew exactly what he was doing. He ruled Sunnyside Daycare with an iron, furry fist, and manipulated his followers into believing they were as twisted as him. He left Andy's toys to burn to death in the incinerator instead of saving them when he had the chance. He tortured and interrogated toys and maintained control by pitting them against each other.

The deceptive thing about Lotso is that he wrapped this evil up in a well-cultivated Southern drawl. And that gave him cover to continue abusing his fellow toys, while projecting the image of someone who would be too nice to do so. He also smelled like strawberries, as did many of the Lotso dolls sold when the movie first came out.

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Rex is an exercise in juxtaposition. On one hand, he's a big T-Rex; on the other hand, he's plagued by anxieties, insecurities, and guilt. He's overly eager; he's constantly knocking things over in his enthusiasm as though he forgets how big he is. Rex is consistently endearing; he's one of the toys in this universe who is very much a child himself.

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It's a blessing that we had Don Rickles for as long as we did. As the voice of Mr. Potatohead, the Golden Age comedian was in rare form. The interesting thing about Mr. Potato Head is that even though he's not a villain, he's also not not a villain. He's a glass-half-empty kind of guy. He's constantly preying on Woody's insecurities and sowing discord among the other toys.

And even though he might view it as a good-natured ribbing, the other toys don't. Even the most harmonious community has at least one instigator.

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Other than our #1 pick, Buzz Lightyear undergoes the most change over the course of the movies. He starts out pompous and self-centered, and he ends as a leader — arguably a better, more present leader than Woody was. When Buzz gets a mission, he follows it all the way to the end, whether he's rescuing Woody or helping Woody remember his core principles.

Woody holds grudges, but Buzz is always faithful, always forgiving, and always there to help. To infinity and beyond.

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A vintage toy and a family heirloom, Woody is easily #1 on our list; it couldn't possibly be anyone else. For four films, Woody maintains an undying love for Andy that's rarely wavered. At times, it affects him in negative ways: by making him jealous, or making him sullen or resentful. But he always comes around in the end.

One line that still resonates is from the second film, when Woody makes the decision to go back to Andy, even though he knows he might break and he knows that Andy might lose interest in him one day:

"I can't stop Andy from growing up. But I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The bravery encapsulated in that line--to risk oblivion for a chance at love--is why the Toy Story franchise has endured for close to 25 years. We could all use a friend like Woody, who would never give up on us, no matter what.