Looking for the correct Toy Story movies in order? Good news — this is one of the rare franchises where you don’t have to untangle a messy timeline. Release order and chronological/story order are the same thing here, so you can watch the films in the order they came out without missing a beat. The one wrinkle is Lightyear, a spinoff that sits outside the main continuity entirely. Created by John Lasseter and Pixar, the franchise has grossed billions worldwide, won multiple Oscars, and helped launch the entire era of computer-animated filmmaking. Here’s your quick-answer table, followed by everything else you need to watch it right.
Quick Answer: Toy Story Movies in Order
| # | Film | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toy Story | 1995 | John Lasseter |
| 2 | Toy Story 2 | 1999 | John Lasseter |
| 3 | Toy Story 3 | 2010 | Lee Unkrich |
| 4 | Toy Story 4 | 2019 | Josh Cooley |
| 5 | Toy Story 5 | 2026 | Andrew Stanton |
Callout: Since release order and chronological order match perfectly for the main saga, you can watch 1 through 5 straight through without worrying about flashbacks or timeline jumps.
Toy Story Movies in Order: The Complete Watch Guide
1. Toy Story (1995)
The one that started it all: Woody, a pull-string cowboy, has to learn to share the spotlight with Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger action figure who doesn’t know he’s a toy. Behind the scenes, this was the first fully computer-animated feature film ever made, a genuine gamble for Pixar and Disney at the time. It’s still one of the tightest, funniest scripts in the franchise. The friendship it builds between Woody and Buzz becomes the emotional spine of everything that follows, setting up years of sequels built on their bond.
2. Toy Story 2 (1999)
Woody gets stolen by a toy collector and discovers he’s a valuable piece of vintage merchandise with his own TV show history. It’s a sequel that famously almost didn’t happen the way fans remember it — Pixar scrapped and rebuilt much of the film in under a year after early cuts weren’t working. Jessie the cowgirl and Stinky Pete enter the picture here, adding new emotional stakes around being loved versus being collected. That question of value and belonging carries directly into the tone of the next film.
3. Toy Story 3 (2010)
Andy is headed to college, and the toys face the very real possibility of being donated, thrown out, or forgotten. It’s widely considered one of Pixar’s most emotionally devastating films, and it earned an Oscar for Best Animated Feature along with a Best Picture nomination — rare air for an animated sequel. The Sunnyside Daycare arc introduces new characters and a genuinely tense back half. It also gives Andy a proper send-off, which is exactly why Toy Story 4 had to find an entirely new lead.
4. Toy Story 4 (2019)
Woody, now with a new kid named Bonnie, has to figure out where he fits when his usefulness starts to fade — especially once Bo Peep re-enters his life with a very different outlook on toy purpose. Director Josh Cooley took over after years as a Pixar story artist, and the film leans harder into Woody’s internal journey than any prior entry. It was originally pitched as a lower-stakes short story before growing into a full feature. Its ending reshuffles the core group entirely, which is exactly what Toy Story 5 has to reckon with.
5. Toy Story 5 (2026)
Set a few years after Toy Story 4, this entry pits Woody, Buzz, and Jessie against a new threat: technology. A tablet character named Lilypad arrives in Bonnie’s room with her own ideas about what playtime should look like, forcing the toys to confront a screen-first generation of kids. Andrew Stanton, an Oscar winner and longtime Pixar veteran, directs alongside co-director McKenna Harris — his first time steering a Toy Story film. Randy Newman returns to score his fifth entry in the franchise, tying the film musically back to 1995.
Do You Need to Watch Toy Story 4 Before Toy Story 5?
Yes. Toy Story 5 picks up directly on the character shakeup from Toy Story 4, including Woody’s changed living situation and Bo Peep’s status, so skipping it will leave real gaps in what’s happening emotionally.
Minimum viable watch order (if you’re short on time):
- Toy Story (1995) — for Woody and Buzz’s core relationship
- Toy Story 3 (2010) — for Andy’s goodbye and the emotional turning point
- Toy Story 4 (2019) — required setup for Toy Story 5
- Toy Story 5 (2026) — the current finale
How many Toy Story movies are there?
There are six Toy Story movies including Lightyear. The main series features Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), Toy Story 4 (2019), and Toy Story 5 (2026). Lightyear (2022) is a spin-off origin story about Buzz Lightyear, set in the universe of the films the toys watch.
All Toy Story Movies in Order of Release Date
Here is the list of Toy Story films in order, they were released.
Main series:
1. Toy Story — November 22, 1995
2. Toy Story 2 — November 24, 1999
3. Toy Story 3 — June 18, 2010
4. Toy Story 4 — June 21, 2019
5. Toy Story 5 — June 19, 2026
Spin-off films:
1. Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins — August 8, 2000
2. Lightyear — June 17, 2022
Short films:
1. Lamp Life — January 31, 2020
2. To Fitness And Beyond — January 22, 2021
Animated series:
1. Toy Story Treats — 1996
2. Buzz Lightyear of Star Command — October 2, 2000 – January 13, 2001
3. Toy Story Toons — June 24, 2011 – September 14, 2012
4. Forky Asks a Question — November 12, 2019 – January 10, 2020
5. Fluffy Stuff With Ducky And Bunny — January 22, 2021
Television specials:
1. Toy Story of Terror! — October 16, 2013
2. Toy Story That Time Forgot — December 2, 2014
How Many Lightyear Movies Are There?
There is currently just 1 Lightyear film. It’s a standalone 2022 spinoff, not a sequel, and it isn’t part of the same continuity as the toys in Andy and Bonnie’s rooms.
Lightyear in the Toy Story Timeline
Lightyear is framed as the in-universe sci-fi movie that a young Andy watched in 1995, which inspired his Buzz Lightyear toy — it isn’t a prequel to the “real” Buzz’s backstory. You don’t need to watch it to understand any of the mainline Toy Story movies in order, and it has zero direct plot connection to Toy Story 5. Think of it as an optional side story for fans rather than required homework.
1. Lightyear — June 17, 2022
What’s Next for the Franchise?
As of now, Toy Story 6 has not been officially greenlit. Disney and Pixar typically wait to confirm a new entry until well after the previous film’s release and reception are in, and that’s exactly where things stand following Toy Story 5’s June 2026 debut. Based on the franchise’s historical production timelines, most industry watchers estimate any future sequel would realistically land no earlier than 2029 or 2030 — but treat that as speculation, not a confirmed date, until Disney says otherwise.
FAQ
Is Toy Story 5 the last movie? No confirmation either way. Toy Story 4 was also treated as a possible ending at the time, and Pixar hasn’t ruled out a sixth film — it just isn’t announced yet.
Do I need to watch the movies in order? Yes, for the fullest emotional payoff. Since release order and chronological order match for this franchise, watching 1 through 5 in sequence is the simplest and most rewarding approach.
Is Lightyear connected to the main Toy Story movies? Not directly. It’s presented as the fictional movie that inspired Andy’s toy, not a canon prequel to the toys’ actual story.
What order should I watch the Toy Story movies in? Watch them in release order: Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4, then Toy Story 5. That’s also the correct chronological order, so there’s no need to rearrange anything.
Now that you’ve got the full Toy Story movies in order, all that’s left is a rewatch — and maybe a box of tissues for Toy Story 3.
Related: Animation, Family, Adventure, Comedy, Pixar
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