The vast, colourful cast of characters in the Toy Story franchise is a huge part of what makes the movies so enjoyable. From fan favourites like Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Jessie, to Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head and their adopted Alien children, every character brings something unique to the Toy Story universe.
But alongside the main cast, Toy Story also has a huge number of smaller characters who don’t always get the same amount of screen time, yet somehow manage to steal every scene they appear in.
For this list, I’ve decided to focus on some of the more underrated side characters, rather than the obvious choices like Hamm, Rex or Bo Peep. These are the characters that might only have a few moments on screen, but still leave a lasting impression.
Here are 10 of the best side characters in Toy Story:
Sarge & Bucket o’ Soldiers
As someone who spent most of their Saturday mornings growing up playing with toy soldiers and recreating epic battles across the living room floor, it’s no surprise that I have to include Sarge & the Bucket o’ Soldiers in my list! I really love the concept of the toys having their own personal army and the opening scene in Toy Story, where the soldiers spy on Andy’s birthday party, is just pure cinema! I’m a bit gutted we’ve not seen them since Toy Story 3 and even that was pretty much a farewell to the characters, but nevertheless, they are one of the best side character groups in the franchise.
Barrel of Monkeys
Based on the real life toy by Milton Bradley, Barrel of Monkeys actually appears in all four Toy Story movies. I really love how Pixar used a board game and created ‘toys’ from it to bring it to life for the Toy Story films. Their hooked arms actually serve a lot of purpose in the Toy Story universe too, whether that’s attempting to rescue Buzz or to save RC. The “Death by Monkeys” scene in Toy Story 3 is genius too and a great example of how a child’s imagination can run wild.
Chunk
Toy Story 3 introduced us to a huge number of characters, and Lotso’s henchmen crew provide some of the more interesting minor characters in the movie. One of my personal favourites is Chunk, a rock-like monster from Sunnyside Daycare. He is the epitome of a tough guy goon, providing the muscle for Lotso while also delivering some great comic relief – one of his best lines is: “He ain’t the sharpest knife in the…uh…place where they keep the knives!”.
Rocky Gibraltar
Rocky Gibraltar is another character based on a real-life toy; the collectible Wrestling Superstars figures made by Hasbro. The character features fairly prominently in Toy Story – I love the “Strange Things” sequence in the movie where he works out with Buzz and then helps him repair his ship with the tape dispenser. We don’t see much of him outside of the first Toy Story, albeit a few scenes in Toy Story 2, but he’s a character who really stands out for me.
Peas-in-a-Pod
A really unique set of characters, the Peas-in-a-Pod first appear in Toy Story 3 as one of Bonnie’s toys. I really love the concept of there essentially being three individual characters coming together to create one collective character and the Peas-in-a-Pod tie in works really well for this. They have a few funny interactions with both Woody and Mr Potato Head in Toy Story 3, but only have a minor appearance in Toy Story 4. Fingers crossed we see them again in Toy Story 5!
Lenny
Lenny is one of my favourite side characters in the Toy Story franchise, mainly because I had my own Lenny action figure way back in the late 90s which brings me so much nostalgia just thinking about! Lenny actually plays a fairly big role in Toy Story and then a bit of a smaller role in Toy Story 2, often acting as the eyes for the toys. I really love Lenny and Woody’s relationship in the first movie too, they really seem like good pals.
Hockey Puck
Very much the definition of a minor character, Hockey Puck is only seen briefly in Toy Story after Mr. Potato Head grouchily asked him what he was looking at, to which he just shrugged. Little is known about what happens to the character after that, he is not seen in the moving van later in the movie or in any subsequent Toy Story features. Despite the limited screentime, I think this is just such a fun minor side character and the fact we never see him again other than that one scene where he has beef with Mr Potato Head, make Hockey Puck even more of a mystery!
Mr Pricklepants
Another of Bonnie’s existing toys we were introduced to in Toy Story 3, Mr Pricklepants is pretty iconic as far as side characters go! Sporting a William Shakespeare-esque accent, Mr Pricklepants serves as a nice change of pace from some of the more excitable toys that Bonnie has. I also love the fact that Mr Pricklepants is voiced by former James Bond star Timothy Dalton – how cool is that! Interestingly, John Hopkins will voice the character in Toy Story 5.
Combat Carl
Combat Carl action figures appear in various forms throughout the Toy Story franchise. First, in the first Toy Story movie, Sid famously explodes a Combat Carl figure with a firecracker. In the short Toy Story of TERROR!, a Combat Carl figure and a 4-inch one called Combat Carl Jr both appear, voiced by Carl Weathers. Then in Toy Story 4, three Combat Carl Jr.s assist Bo Peep – this time voiced by Ernie Hudson. Combat Carl is based on G.I. Joe action figures and whilst they often only have minor roles, I really love the continuity to the ‘Combat Carl’ brand in the Toy Story franchise.
Buster
Of course, no side character list would be complete without a dog featuring! Andy’s dog Buster actually has a really great character arc over the course of the movies. Right at the end of Toy Story, Andy receives Buster as a Christmas present, much to the concern of the toys. By the time Toy Story 2 rolls around, Buster is an integral part of the toy group, with Woody even being able to train him. By Toy Story 3, Buster is old and a little chubbier than he was as a puppy – the scene where he falls asleep and falls on Woody will always make me chuckle!
Whilst it’s unlikely that we will see Buster again, he definitely goes down in my list of best boys in the Pixar universe.
In all honesty, this list could have been 30 of the best side characters in Toy Story, but I tried to keep this as concise as possible and based on my personal preference!
What characters would you add to this list? Who do you want to make an appearance in Toy Story 5? Let me know in the comments.
Steamboat Charlie 