We ranked Pixar's 'Toy Story' movies – and one hits hardest

You've got a friend in Woody. And Buzz Lightyear. And Jessie. And Slinky Dog. And, of course, Forky.

Since the original film in 1995, the "Toy Story" movies have become the stalwart franchise of Disney's Pixar animation studio, entertaining generations with their tales of toybox shenanigans but also wrecking audiences emotionally with their signature heartfelt scenes. They've even spawned a movie-within-a-movie spinoff with "Lightyear."

First, the playthings of young Andy and later little Bonnie, the crew led by cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and spaceman Buzz (Tim Allen) have looked out for their kids as well as each other. And in their latest adventure, "Toy Story 5" (in theaters now), those dudes plus spitfire cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) face a new existential threat with the introduction of high-tech tablet Lilypad (Greta Lee).

So how does it compare with the other "Toy Story" movies? We're going to infinity and beyond definitively ranking all six franchise films. (Everything other than "Toy Story 5" is streaming on Disney+.)

6. 'Lightyear' (2022)

Chris Evans (aka Captain America) is a pretty good Buzz Lightyear. Sox is maybe the coolest cat robot. And kudos for that meaningful LGBTQ+ moment. The rest of this straightforward sci-fi action tale – essentially, the movie Andy loves that spawned the Buzz action figure – is decently spiffy but not completely worthy of the "Toy Story" brand. This Buzz origin story is Pixar's meta version of “Star Wars,” with a cosmic “Bad News Bears” vibe, a couple of existential crises (which is a "Toy Story" staple) and a bunch of pesky alien vines.

5. 'Toy Story 4' (2019)

A "Toy Story" that deals in adventure, fun debuts (Keanu Reeves' Duke Caboom!) and happy reunions before piling on a deluge of feels. After Andy hands over his toys to young Bonnie, Woody's not as beloved as he once was. When he and Forky (Tony Hale), a spork with a death wish, get left behind in a family RV getaway, Woody reconnects with old love interest Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and runs afoul of freaky doll Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks). Meanwhile, Buzz needs to be rescued when he gets himself stuck as a carnival prize.

4. 'Toy Story 3' (2010)

How you feel about this one depends on how much you prefer to be psychologically rattled to your core. Teenage Andy is getting ready for college and his toys wind up getting sent to Sunnyside Daycare, where seemingly chummy Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear (Ned Beatty) runs the show. In one of Pixar's most epic heel turns, Lotso is actually a diabolical villain who runs a toy prison, essentially, and the toys' escape attempt eventually leads to Woody and Co. facing their potential doom in an incinerator. Sure, they make it out OK, but man, you're never the same.

3. 'Toy Story 5' (2026)

Jessie takes the reins in the newest installment, which smartly takes the franchise into the Internet era. Bonnie gets a tablet computer named Lilypad (Greta Lee), who helps connect the girl with friends but is a smarmy menace to our beloved "Toy Story" gang. Woody and Buzz deal with her while Jessie gets taken to the former farm home of her first owner, Emily. Jessie faces her longtime abandonment issues but also makes a new friend in Smarty Pants (Conan O'Brien), a scene-stealing potty-training toy who's the best thing since Forky.

2. 'Toy Story' (1995)

The first movie won us over with humor, heart and a focus on making Woody and Buzz frenemies for life. Woody is Andy's preferred toy until the kid gets a Buzz Lightyear at his 6th birthday party. The two butt heads and Woody knocks Buzz out of a window, turning the other toys against the vintage cowboy. But these rivals get on the same page when sadistic youngster Sid toy-naps them, Buzz figures out that he's not actually a real space ranger in an emotional scene, and Woody and Buzz take flight in the adventure's rocket-powered climax.

1. 'Toy Story 2' (1999)

Like "The Empire Strikes Back," the rare sequel that's better than the original, thanks to the debuting Jessie lending a needed girl-power spunk to the franchise while also deepening its tear-jerking potential. When Woody is stolen by a toy collector, he finds out he's part of a gang of toys based on a 1950s Western puppet show and is being sold to a Tokyo toy museum. Though Stinky Pete turns out to be a ne'er-do-well, Jessie is a valuable new pal who reveals her own trauma from being donated by her kid. That sort of character depth, plus one heck of a rescue mission involving Buzz, a pizza truck and some weird little aliens, puts "Toy Story 2" on a shelf of its own.