This is a topic that has been bothering me for a while now: How much physical damage can a toy take until it is truly considered “dead”? There are some implications with the fear of the incinerator in Toy Story 3 and explosives in Toy Story.
It’s pretty obvious that toys are susceptible to physical pain and there are many onscreen instances of this. With regards to death, however, Combat Carl is the only toy depicted in the original film that was killed. Obviously, toys have a certain point where they cannot withstand a certain amount of pain, resulting in their demise. The fact becomes a lot questionable with the concepts of dismemberment, fall from extreme heights, and battery replacement.
Dismemberment
Regarding dismemberment, the Mutant toys are a perfect example for this particular subtopic. Each part of the newly made Mutant is formed from two or more other toys. Even though the method of torture used on each toy varies, I think that the mutants are given new life by the remaining limb or head that is placed on the new base. Originally, I would have said head but Legs is among the many toys where this would not be the case. Then comes Combat Carl who is in a slightly extreme variation of dismemberment.
For starters, Combat Carl was blown to pieces by dynamite. The scattering of his various parts implies that he did not survive Sid’s torture. Unlike the other methods of torture used by Sid, his head is separated from his limbs as a result of the explosion. It can be inferred that his head is used again for Jingle Joe, potentially reanimating him in a Frankenstein-esque manner.
Falling From Heights
The next section is falling from heights. Both Toy Story 1 & 2 depict Buzz Lightyear and Zurg, respectively, falling from large heights with mild to moderate physical damage. Buzz only losses his left arm after his fall as he tumbles down the stairs. It could be argued that the fall might have prompted mental damage, most of which was caused by his realization that he was a toy. This thought is further supported by Zurg’s change in personality after Rex knocks him off the elevator in the second film. The dented horn on his head and change in attitude reflects that while toys aren’t severely impacted by certain heights physically, they can be impacted mentally.
Battery Replacement
This subtopic I’m pretty confused by since Toy Story has many toys that are sentient without the use of batteries. The only reason why this came up was because of one character:
RC is depicted in the first Toy Story to have the dual ability of free roaming by himself and the potential to be under the control of another user. Fast forward to the moving van scene, RC is susceptible of losing battery which prompts him to gradually close his eyes. While this can be interpreted that he loses the ability of movement, does this mean that certain toys are more dependent on battery power to live than others?
Sorry if this is a bit long but with Toy Story’s 20th Anniversary in a few months, we can pass some time debating about unclear topics. I’m open for any other subtopics or alternate points I may have neglected to mention.