Lightyear Accidentally Creates A Major Toy Story Universe Plot Hole

Without diving too deep into the “Lightyear”-sized rabbit hole the film has created in terms of “Toy Story” canon, it stands to reason that if “Lightyear” is what got Andy and so many other fictional “Toy Story” children into neurotic space dolls, then toys of other “Lightyear” characters would have surely been produced in that universe. Sox in particular would have surely been the perfect holiday gift and companion toy for the Buzz Lightyear dolls. I mean, come on, he’s an adorable robot cat. 

Whatever your feelings about “Lightyear,” the “Toy Story” franchise, or Disney as a whole, I think we can all agree that Sox has an undeniably cute character design that readily lends itself to mass toy and merch production. Just look at how Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) became such a hit for both “Mandalorian” fans and people who didn’t even watch the show but couldn’t resist the tiny green dude’s charm.

In “Lightyear,” Sox serves as Buzz’s kitty companion, which makes him a pretty important character. Wouldn’t Andy have wanted a Sox toy to accompany his Buzz doll? In terms of continuity and neatly fitting “Lightyear” into the fictional reality of the “Toy Story” universe, it just doesn’t make sense. If “Lightyear” is such a hit in that world (while it remains lukewarm in this one), why would only Buzz and Zurg toys be produced? Zurg isn’t even cute. And for that matter, why weren’t toys of any other “Lightyear” characters produced in-universe? What in-universe explanation could there possibly be? Did Disney and Pixar’s fictional in-universe counterparts fail to see the monetary value in creating toys of the entire space crew?