Toy Story Characters Who Completely Disappeared

When Pixar's "Toy Story" hit theaters in 1995, few could have predicted that Andy's lovable crew of playthings would still be on the big screen more than two decades later. While the adventures of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, and the rest of the toys elicited smiles, laughter, and even tears from audiences far and wide, the secret ingredient was that they were there for Andy when he needed them most, more than plastic – they were family. The "Toy Story" series has always excelled at making viewers reflect back upon their own favorite childhood toys with fondness, and any marketing executive will tell you that if you can connect with the audience in a nostalgic, personal way that harnesses the fondness most of us have for childhood, you're going to have a successful interaction.

One thing Andy's playroom toys have always been aware of, if never quite prepared for, is change. Kids grow up, and with growth comes new perspectives and the dissolution of old attachments. 

So, in a key "Toy Story 3" sequence when the toys face uncertainty as Andy prepares to leave for college, Woody tries to console his crew before the reality sinks in. "No one's getting thrown out, okay?" Woody says. "We're all still here. I mean, yeah, we've lost friends along the way." 

That sweet acknowledgement pays tribute to the playroom's fallen soldiers — because no matter how much a child loves their toys, no matter how tightly a few key ones might be clung to, there will always be others that get tossed into a bag for Goodwill on a random weekday, simply because Mom is sick of tripping over it. Andy, and later Bonnie, love the key toys — Woody, Buzz and the gang — but other, lesser-known denizens of their playrooms disappear without acknowledgement from the series, perhaps because there are often years between the "Toy Story" installments. 

So, whether these little plastic people were sold in garage sales, junked by a spring-cleaning mother, or simply lost, it's worth employing some of that nostalgia to look back on them with fondness. Whatever the fates of these toys may have been, let's take a moment to remember several "Toy Story" supporting stars who captured our hearts for a moment then got "lost along the way," if only to say: You've got a friend in me.

Anyone who's ever attempted to make pictures using the classic toy Etch A Sketch knows it can be pretty tricky to use its boxy, one line, old-school interface to make a nuanced drawing. Nevertheless, Etch A Sketch in "Toy Story" never seemed to have a problem whipping up near photo-real images on his own screen. despite being non-verbal, Etch would use pictures to emote or communicate with the rest of the crew, and felt like the perfect companion to anyone making a presentation (how handy would Etch be in a boardroom? Or a TED Talk?). But although they were friends, Etch turned on Woody rather quickly when he thought the cowboy was out to eliminate Buzz. Etch even joined the rest of the toys angered by Woody, complicit in tossing him out of the moving truck.

In the second film, Etch was seen helping Buzz and the other toys construct a map to Al's Toy Barn in order to rescue Woody from the greedy toy dealer. While Etch never embarked on any of the adventures, he was always there with a happy sketch to greet the toys when they return. He wouldn't have been much help anyway, as Etch had to waddle on both of his corners in order to even move — after all, the toy company never put legs on an Etch A Sketch. When Andy returned home from camp, he was surprised to discover the toys on his bed, complete with Etch bearing a "Welcome home, Andy" message on his screen. 

Sadly, by the time "Toy Story 3" came around, Etch was nowhere to be seen. Since Andy was heading off to college, perhaps he was replaced by an iPad — but let's just hope none of Andy's new classmates caught him trying to open a fresh web page by vigorously shaking the tablet up and down.

Aptly named Wheezy, this squeaking penguin managed to — at one time — be a beloved toy of Andy's. In the early moments of "Toy Story 2," however, his squeaker broke leading Andy's mom to make an empty promise to fix the toy while placing him out of reach on a shelf to collect dust. While his mother's intentions may have been pure, the only problem she solved was calming Andy's fears in the moment, and sadly, Wheezy was forgotten. The sweet-singing penguin's story became a warning to the other toys — never stop doing what a toy is supposed to do, or you may just find yourself exiled to the shelf.

By the end of "Toy Story 2," Wheezy's story seems to have a happy conclusion. Another toy, Mr. Shark, found the penguin an extra squeaker and repaired him. Happy for the safe return and a newfound voice, the penguin grabs Mike (the microphone) and begins singing "You've Got a Friend in Me." 

Sadly, by "Toy Story 3" Wheezy has pulled an Irish goodbye. Woody acknowledges Wheezy as one of the toys they've lost over the years due to yard sales and spring cleaning, indicating that he's probably struck on someone else's shelf these days. Whatever his fate, here's hoping Wheezy still has a song in his heart and a wheeze on his lips.

One of the first toys we see in the original "Toy Story" appears when Woody yells that the "coast is clear" — it's Lenny, a pair of wind-up, wide-eyed binoculars. Much like Etch and Mike, Lenny is a functional toy, and his raison d'etre is frequently employed to help his playroom compatriots.  

Sometimes, it's difficult for a toy to see what's going on in the big outside world, so it was always helpful to have Lenny around. The quirky toy helped Woody and Buzz spy on Sid the neighbor, so they could document every one of his deranged misdeeds in a sort of "Rear Window" for G-rated audiences. While Lenny was always loyal to Woody, he too turned on the cowboy when it seemed like Woody had eliminated Buzz while holding the space ranger's severed arm.

Lenny made another appearance in "Toy Story 2," but this time he didn't speak. He was used by the toys to watch the garage sale, witnessing Al grabbing Woody and absconding with the cowboy back to his toy store. In "Toy Story 3" Lenny made a brief appearance, alongside other toys who had disappeared, in a heart-tugging home video of Andy when he was younger that opens the film. The implication was clear: Lenny had moved on to enable some other playroom peeping tom. 

Perhaps the earliest computer Andy owned, Mr. Spell did exactly as his name implied. He would spell words, and then repeat them. While Mr. Spell's screentime is rather limited, he seems like a very helpful guy. 

He's acknowledged in the first film by Woody for putting on the "plastic corrosion awareness" meeting, and in "Toy Story 2" Woody instructs Buzz to ensure that all toys attend Mr. Spell's seminar on "what to do if you or a part of you is swallowed." In essence, he seem like HR for the playroom gang.

Mr. Spell later became crucial in solving the mystery of Al's identity. After the toy dealer stole Woody, Buzz employed the computer toy to determine different possibilities for the toy dealer's license plate (LZTYBRN) in order to find Woody. Eventually, Buzz inputted the possibility of Al's Toy Barn (as seen on a commercial) into Mr. Spell. This epiphany led the crew to the toy store on a mission to retrieve Woody. 

Sadly, the Spell was broken in "Toy Story 3," when the toy computer was nowhere to be seen. For those watching only the theatrically-released films, his fate would be a mystery. However, in the 2020 Disney+ short "Forky Asks a Question: What is reading?" Mr. Spell does have a brief cameo — and since he is seen interacting with Forky, that would confirm his safety (and as important in this world, continued playability for a child) after the events of "Toy Story 4." Quite likely, Mr. Spell was among the toys donated to Bonnie — even if he had been missing from action for a spell.

Rocky is reflective of a specific time in the '90s, when it felt like both troll dolls and unrealistically-muscular action figures were all the rage. 

The character doesn't ever speak in the films, so little is known about his personality. But he can be seen "working out" alongside Buzz, using toys as weights, and helps out in little ways like supplying the tape Buzz needs to repair his ship. Later on, Rocky put his muscles to use when Woody attempted to save Buzz by using the RC car. The other toys thought Woody tossed the RC car out of the moving fan maliciously, and during the rescue Rocky picked up Woody, spinning him over his head and slamming him into the wall. If not for the happy series of coincidences that followed, Rocky could've really upended Woody's shot at saving Buzz.

Rocky was glimpsed briefly in "Toy Story 2," but doesn't do all that much. He did witness Al's theft of Woody at the yard sale, yet was not part of the group that went after the long-lost cowboy. At the end of that film, he could be seen celebrating during Wheezy's musical performance. The wrestler also made a brief appearance in the opening home video portion of "Toy Story 3" that depicted Andy when he was younger, but never seen again in the rest of the movie.

So, where did Rocky go? Like most '90s toys, he seems a bit outdated now — but perhaps Andy's mom made a couple bucks selling him as a vintage toy on eBay.

By far the most obscure toy on this list, Hockey Puck only received mere seconds of screen time. 

When Mr. Potato Head showed Hamm his Picasso face, the piggy bank stared back blankly, uttering: "I don't get it." The hot-headed Potato then berated Hamm (he was voiced by Don Rickles, after all) for being uncultured, angrily turning to another toy and asking: "What're you lookin' at, ya hockey puck?" before storming off. Of course, the throwaway line was a reference to Rickles' trademark putdown, as well as his 1975 star-studded home video release "Buy This Tape, You Hockey Puck."

In the "Toy Story" world, of course, the hockey puck punchline is literally directed at a hockey puck. So, the Hockey Puck simply shrugs, and is never heard from again.

"Don Rickles was a comic genius, and here at Pixar we were honored to also call him a friend," Lasseter said in a statement when Rickles passed away in 2017. "The wit, personality, and incredible timing he brought to Mr. Potato Head lit up the character and made him an essential part of the 'Toy Story' ensemble. Even though Mr. Potato Head's facial features fell off in every 'Toy Story' movie his heart never left him — that was because of Don. We will miss him tremendously."

While several other lesser-known toys from the series disappeared without much pomp and circumstance, Hockey Puck at least got his moment in the sun. He likely joined his lesser-known pals in a yard sale or spring-cleaning event — but without a doubt, he was inserted into the franchise as a tribute to the legendary, fearless funnyman who even once had the guts to once play a prank on Frank Sinatra. That alone makes him a toy worth remembering.

The Playskool microphone/tape recorder came in handy any time Woody needed to rein in the troops. Mr. Microphone — or Mike, as he was typically called — played a key role in the ecosystem within Andy's room. Woody, being Andy's favorite toy, helped the rest of the toys stay in line and out of trouble. When he'd call a meeting, Mike was there to amplify Woody's voice for all the toys in the room to hear. At the end of "Toy Story 2," he joined Wheezy in a celebratory musical number, providing the Penguin a microphone to sing "You've Got a Friend in me."

But by "Toy Story 3," Mike was nowhere to be seen. He didn't even appear in the home videos of Andy's younger days. It's possible that he was donated, sold, or scrapped sometime after the events of "Toy Story 2." After all, he is a toy meant for significantly younger children, and Andy was beyond Playskool age by the end of that second film. These days, perhaps he's on tour with a rock band, his microphoning abilities cranked up to 11. 

Most '90s kids remember when little troll dolls were popular — and the rest of us undoubtedly recall the more recent renaissance of the "Trolls" franchise. The hook may have been their wild moldable hair, which came in a variety of colors. 

Andy had at least one of these troll dolls in his possession, as any '90s kid would. In the early moments of the first "Toy Story" movie, a pink-haired troll is seen during Andy's playtime with the toys. After the crew is greeted by the new Buzz Lightyear, that same troll receives a proper hair combing from the space ranger. The troll does make brief appearances in "Toy Story 2" among the other toys, but never does anything of significant consequence.

In "Toy Story 3," multiple trolls are seen acting as orphans being threatened by the evil One-Eyed Bart (Mr. Potato Head), during a fun playtime sequence depicting young Andy's colorful imagination. While it's possible that the pink-haired troll was among the many multiple hostage trolls in Andy's imagination (we see the doll laying on the floor when viewing the playtime through the lens of the home video) that particular troll was never seen again. While there were other troll dolls at Sunnyside Daycare, the pink-haired troll that Andy owned was not among his remaining toys in the present-day of the threequel. 

As was the case with real-life troll dolls, they were all largely interchangeable. As for the pink-haired troll, she was likely eliminated during the sale/cleaning purge that took place between "Toy Story 2" and "Toy Story 3."

The RC car played a pivotal role in returning Woody and Buzz to Andy in the climactic moments of the first film. Without RC car, the rest of the "Toy Story" universe would have never existed as we know it. After Buzz and Woody fell behind from the moving truck, the RC car was their ticket to catching up with the vehicle. After the help of a boost from the rocket strapped to Buzz's back, the toys thankfully made a safe return to Andy's possession. The car would make one more appearance again in "Toy Story 2," but was one of many toys no longer around at the start of "Toy Story 3."

"Toy Story 4" began with a flashback that took place several years prior to the events of the rest of the film, showing the toys enacting an emergency rescue operation to save the RC car from being swept away by the rain. He was mistakenly left outside, and the scene led to another revelation: Bo Peep had been donated. Cruelly enough, nothing more is ever mentioned of the RC car — assuming all that rain didn't damage his electronics, perhaps RC was sold or donated prior to "Toy Story 3."

Originally owned by Bonnie in the world of "Toy Story," Chuckles made his debut in "Toy Story 3." A sullen clown, Chuckles tells Woody the story of how he and Lotso, the controlling bear at Sunnyside Daycare, came to be. In the past, Chuckles and Lotso were owned by another child, but they were forgotten during a road trip and became lost toys. After returning home, they found that the child had replaced Lotso with a new version of the bear. Broken by the betrayal, Lotso eventually became the dictatorial ruler of the toys at Sunnyside, while Chuckles fell into Bonnie's possession.

The sad clown had a crucial moment in the franchise, revealing the truth behind Lotso's past. After that, the character seemingly disappeared from Bonnie's toy collection in "Toy Story 4." 

If you're a fan of Chuckles, you might want to take a look at "Hawaiian Vacation," a 2012 short that gives "Toy Story" fans a brief glimpse of the clown. Since it is unclear at which point in the timeline this event occurred, however, it's hard to tell whether Chuckles is still out there in the world, bumming little kids out with his big floppy shoes and bigger broken heart. Since the clown was nowhere to be seen in the "Toy Story 4," his status is murky.

Another toy from the original film that apparently never saw Andy grow to be a young buck bound for college was the robot. He never played a pivotal role in the series, but was often glimpsed in crowd shots of the toys as they gathered for meetings and conversations. If appearances are to be believed, he became fast friends with Buzz Lightyear; at one point, he could be seen standing on his head so Buzz could use his treads as an exercise treadmill. The robot would even help Buzz repair his ship, and it just feels right for a spaceman and a futuristic-looking robot to be buddies. In "Toy Story 2" the robot was once again primarily filler, present when all the toys meet and discuss events like the yard sale or Woody's kidnapping, but without anything to say.

While he does appear in the home video at the start of "Toy Story 3," Robot is no longer a part of Andy's old possessions when the film picks up and he's headed off to college. It's apparent that the robot was another casualty of the great toy purge that apparently took place before "Toy Story 3." The robot may not have held a key role in the film, but he is certainly remembered for his consistent appearances within Andy's room and, perhaps, a fleetingly ironic similarity to one of Pixar's other creations: WALL-E.

Fans of the animated Japanese film "My Neighbor Totoro" likely recognized a fun cameo appearance by the titular, fluffy woodland spirit in "Toy Story 3." In an interview with MTV at the time, Pixar head John Lasseter stated, "We do little homages in our films, and we thought it was a very appropriate homage to let [Miyazaki and his film company] Studio Ghibli know how much they mean to us." Lasseter and Miyazaki are apparently beyond mere admirers of each other, also close friends in the industry despite a language barrier.

In "Toy Story 3," Totoro was among Bonnie's toys in the film who were eventually joined by Andy's donated toys in the end. Totoro didn't have much input into the overall plot of the film, but had screen time in several scenes, including an end-credits sequence where he juggled the aliens. Totoro didn't return in "Toy Story 4" due to licensing, according to the director and producers. Much like the rest of the playroom gang, it seemed like he had gone off to find more adventures.