Toy Story Theory May Explain Why Buzz Lightyear 'Freezes' If He Thinks He's Real
Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) is an integral part of the "Toy Story" franchise, even though he spends much of the first movie totally unaware he's an actual toy. He runs around acting like a real space ranger while Woody (Tom Hanks) and the rest of Andy Davis' (John Morris) toys watch on in confusion. Still, despite believing himself to be the one true Buzz Lightyear, Buzz still takes caution around humans, freezing like all the other toys when they come around — something that has led to speculation among "Toy Story" fans.
Given his confidence that he's a space ranger, why would Buzz freeze like the other toys do around humans? According to u/EstablishmentWild263 on Reddit, there's a good reason for this that doesn't compromise his assertion that he's not a toy. "I think the reason Buzz freezes like the other toys is because he thinks he's on an alien planet, and humans like Andy are the aliens, and in order to stay safe he freezes when in their presence," they wrote, highlighting that when Buzz first emerges from his spaceship-shaped box, he thinks he has crash-landed on another world.
This theory makes a lot of sense and doesn't trample on Buzz's arc throughout "Toy Story," going from a delusional "space ranger" to a toy who's accepting of his place in life. As pointed out by another Redditor, there could even be another layer to his decision to freeze.
Does Buzz really fear humans?
The assumption here is that Buzz Lightyear freezes while on an "alien planet" because he's trying to defend himself. He sees humans as giant threats to his survival, so he tries to avoid their wrath by freezing up and not drawing attention to himself. This theory does indeed hold water, but in the eyes of Redditor u/Frapplo, it's not fear that causes Buzz to freeze. "Buzz freezes not out of fear, but out of compassion," they commented, using other information shared by Buzz in "Toy Story" as evidence of this.
According to Buzz, his arm laser — which we know is nothing more than a red light bulb affixed to his forearm that lights up and makes noise when a button is pressed — is capable of dropping a human being with ease. However, he feels that doing so would be a gross misuse of his equipment. Redditor u/Frapplo posited that Buzz follows something similar to the Prime Directive of "Star Trek" fame: a code set forth by Starfleet that expressly forbids interference in outside cultures and civilizations. This is supported by Buzz's comment about revenge being against the moral rules of his home planet.
Though it takes some convincing, eventually, Buzz Lightyear accepts that his laser doesn't work, he can't fly, and he's just a toy. Now he doesn't freeze because he thinks he's on another planet full of dangerous aliens. He does so because it's just what toys do.