Top 10 Most Hilarious Buzz Lightyear Moments
#10: “Falling with Style”
“Toy Story” (1995)
When we first meet Buzz, it’s fair to say he’s not fully in touch with reality. He believes he’s a real Space Ranger who can actually fly. Sadly, we can’t think of any astronauts who took one small step for toys and one giant leap across a child’s bed. Luckily, his delusion provides plenty of amusement as he insists that his wings are fully functional. He certainly puts on quite the spectacle, so it’s no wonder he instantly wins the other toys’ admiration. But we have to side with Woody on this one. It turns into a brilliant running gag throughout the movie, ending with a satisfying twist conclusion. We guess Buzz was right all along…sort of!
#9: “Buzz, I Am Your Father”
“Toy Story 2” (1999)
As if one Buzz Lightyear wasn’t iconic enough, the second film introduces an updated space toy — now with an added utility belt. This creates some hilarious chaos which we’ll return to shortly. However, one of the funniest moments sees Buzz 2.0 face off against the evil Emperor Zurg. Lightyear uncovers a life-altering truth in a joke intended for older audiences, which calls back to one of the most famous plot twists in film history. Funnier still, we later check back in with father and son, who are now bonding while playing catch. Something tells us we wouldn’t get this kind of hilarity from Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
#8: “Sad, Strange Little Man”
“Toy Story” (1995)
After a little mishap sends Buzz falling with style out the window, the toys turn on Woody. Luckily, the Space Ranger doesn’t get too far, and the unlikely duo reunites in Andy’s mom’s car. But it turns out that Buzz on planet earth isn’t as forgiving as he might’ve been in his home world. Their subsequent fight is hilarious, but it comes to a grinding halt when the car drives off without them. Woody is left fuming while Buzz calmly delivers this amusingly eloquent insult, improvised by Tim Allen. Apparently, it made the final cut since the animators found it even funnier than what was originally scripted. It has since become one of the franchise’s most quotable lines, for good reason.
#7: Buzz Questions Sid’s Medical Credentials
“Toy Story” (1995)
Much of the comedy in the first movie comes from Buzz’s refusal to believe that he’s a toy. But a tumultuous visit to Sid’s home slowly brings him back down to earth. The toys witness the twisted kid playing surgeon with one of his sister’s dolls. And as Woody knows, Andy’s next-door neighbor has a penchant for playing Dr. Frankenstein. While the cowboy looks panicked, Buzz has a more pragmatic view of their predicament. His keen senses tell him that Sid, a child, probably isn’t a qualified medic. It’s such a comically dry retort, especially given what’s at stake. It’s also perhaps the most grounded comment we’ve heard him utter so far.
#6: Buzz Gets Excited
“Toy Story 2” (1999)
After Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye are saved from becoming museum exhibits, the trio head back to Andy’s room. The new additions are thrilled to be part of a family again. And there’s one toy in particular who’s especially happy to have Jessie around. Buzz gets adorably flustered by the redheaded cowgirl, and his feelings are reciprocated. However, their moment is cut short by a canine crisis. Jessie flies into action, sailing across the room, much like Buzz did in the first film. And the spaceman’s excitement is visibly evident. This joke might have gone over your head if you were just a kid when “Toy Story 2” came out. But at least now you understand why older audiences found Buzz’s reaction so entertaining.
#5: Meeting Utility Belt Buzz
“Toy Story 2” (1999)
While searching for Woody in Al’s Toy Barn, Buzz stumbles across a section of Buzz Lightyear toys. He ends up in an altercation with Utility Belt Buzz, which gives him a priceless taste of what he was like in the early days. The same toy who once believed he could fly and shoot lasers is now completely unphased by his counterpart’s threats. Only he gets a little tied up by their meeting. Adding to the amusement is the fact that his friends can’t even tell that he’s been replaced. Later, new Buzz tries to convince the gang that he’s the real deal, but our Space Ranger settles the argument with one simple maneuver. Well, two Buzzes are better than one.
#4: First Impressions
“Toy Story” (1995)
They say you only get one chance at making a first impression. Needless to say, Buzz comes across a little spacey. After his so-called crash landing on Andy's bed, he begins to assess his surroundings. It’s delightfully amusing to hear him dictate commentary on the new turf into his arm, especially because it’s clear that he isn’t exactly impressed. The toys, except Woody, are charmed by this out-of-touch spaceman, and who can blame them? He's barely been in Andy's room for five minutes, and he's already entertained, amused, and impressed us. Woody hoped the novelty of the new arrival would wear off, but it persisted "to infinity and beyond."
#3: Buzz’s Inner Voice…Box
“Toy Story 4” (2019)
By “Toy Story 4”, we’d come a long way since the time Buzz believed he was a real Space Ranger. But following a conversation about inner voices with Woody, he has a slight setback. He seems to have missed the “inner” part, and starts believing that his front buttons are his conscience. He spends the rest of the movie turning to the automated voice whenever he’s in a pickle. Often, the advice is actually sound enough to get him out of scrapes. But that only makes it more hilarious every time. Buzz’s desperate attempt to find answers by continuously pressing buttons without being discovered by the humans are guaranteed to make you laugh aloud. Wouldn’t we all love an outer inner voice?
#2: Mrs. Nesbitt
“Toy Story” (1995)
When Buzz finally sees that he can’t fly, he falls into a bit of a slump. Sid’s sister, Hannah, finds him on the ground and takes him to her tea party. Woody then finds his buddy dressed up, being called Mrs. Nesbitt, and going hard on the Darjeeling tea. And it certainly seems like the beverage has had anything but a calming effect on the ranger. The melancholic toy amusingly breaks down, briefly forgetting who he really is. Woody slaps him out of it, and they swiftly exit, only for Buzz to hilariously relapse once again. Despondent, he begs his friend for some kind of validation. Hey, to be fair, it’s a great hat.
#1: Spanish Buzz
“Toy Story 3” (2010)
Lotso and his cronies reset Buzz to use him as a pawn in their evil deeds. This admittedly leads to some pretty funny moments. However, it gets even more hysterical when the gang tries to restore him, accidentally setting him to Spanish mode. This version of Buzz is passionate, fiery, and quite the dancer. He also provides plenty of hilarity, especially during his melodramatic rescue mission where he saves Jessie from the trash. He has no recollection of any of this later on, but Jessie’s learned a handy new trick. Buzz might be back to his usual self, but his Spanish alter-ego peaks through when “Hay Un Amigo En Mi” starts to play.