Toy Story 3 - Characters & Cast

To protect his toy family and fulfill his duty to Andy, while eventually learning that "being there for a child" can mean a new child.

Woody evolves from being obsessively focused on staying with Andy to realizing that his greatest service is to ensure the toys stay together and find a new child to love. He transitions from a personal possession to a legacy-builder.

To keep the toys together as a unit and support Woody's leadership, even when his own identity is compromised.

Buzz undergoes a literal identity reset (into Demo Mode and then Spanish Mode), which serves as a comedic yet high-stakes subplot. He eventually regains his true self, reaffirmed by his bond with the gang.

To maintain absolute control over Sunnyside and prove that love is a lie to justify his own bitterness.

Lotso does not have a redemption arc. He remains a victim of his own past trauma—being replaced by his owner, Daisy—which curdled into a nihilistic belief that all toys are trash.

To successfully transition to college while ensuring his toys are taken care of, rather than simply discarded.

Andy grows from a boy who clings to his past into a young man capable of passing on his most cherished treasures to the next generation, completing his journey into maturity.