Toy Story 4 Ending Explained: How the Mid Credits and Post Credits Scenes Complete Woody's Story

Toy Story 4 found a new way to use increasingly photorealistic animation to break our hearts, but also to remind us that it's ok to feel like trash and to choose to be homeless. "That's the message you intended, right Pixar?" Joking aside, the ending carries a deeper meaning about Woody redefining his purpose, and the movie's several mid credits scenes and its post credits scene reinforce it.

Here I break down the ending of Toy Story 4 and how those in credits clips button up the story so well, including the final scene at the very end of the credits, which closes out with one of the best jokes of the film.

Gabby Gabby's rescue of a lost kid shows Woody his new purpose

In the final act, Woody and Bo Peep rescue Forky from the antique shop, but the rescue turns into more of a group team up. The movie's apparent antagonist was the doll Gabby Gabby, who believed that if she could just get Woody's functioning voice box, the girl Harmony would love her. Tragically, Harmony turned out to be rather unkind.

During the escape to Bonnie's family RV at the carnival, Gabby spots a crying lost kid, and Woody and Bo help her comfort the child. In doing so, Woody finds a new purpose, and that is what Toy Story 4 is all about. Woody's existence has always been about caring for a kid, first Andy and then Bonnie.

Woody's journey in Toy Story 4 is a metaphor for retirement

When Bonnie neglected Woody in favour of a trash toy she made herself, his new journey became about redefining himself and not being tethered to a kid. Really, it's a metaphor for retirement.

Woody's first dust bunny in the closet, which the other old toys suggested he give a name, is like a grey hair, or a new soreness you didn't have the morning before, or a new medication they want you to take for that soreness. The question the movie asks is how we let go and move on from the lifelong functions we've always had, and give ourselves a new purpose so that we don't just become obsolete.

Woody's new purpose is helping toys find their forever kids, like an adoption social worker

In Woody's case, that new purpose is helping other toys find their forever kids, like an adoption services social worker, because that's what Woody has always been best at. He knows how therapeutic a toy can be for a kid. Earlier, he mentioned how soothing Bo Peep was for Molly when she was a baby. He and Gabby both claimed to have been built in the 1950s, meaning Woody could have been sitting around for decades before Andy gave his life meaning.

Woody applies this lesson in the final scenes. He helps Gabby find a new forever kid, and he helps Forky get back to Bonnie. He also passes on his sheriff's badge to Jessie, since Jessie was the cowboy doll Bonnie preferred playing with. Without that badge, and without the pull string that gave him a voice, Woody metaphorically and literally severs his ties to any specific human and frees himself to move on.

Buzz Lightyear says goodbye with "to infinity" and Woody completes it with "and beyond," redefining those words as Woody's destiny to go beyond his familiar routine.

The mid credits scenes show Woody living out his retirement at the carnival

The mid credits scenes reinforce this deeper meaning. Woody, joined by Bo, Ducky and Bunny, frees the other toys from the carnival booth, including a pair of frog toys. One by one, Woody lives up to his retirement by reconnecting toy after toy with kids and reducing the plight of lost, neglected toys, because as we saw with Lotso, they can get pretty homicidal when left alone. They keep going until the carny turns around and finds the booth empty.

Then we get one more scene with Ducky and Bunny, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, carrying on their recurring gag of attacking the carny, this time imagining destroying the carnival with lasers from their eyes. We cut back to reveal this is just a pitch from Ducky and Bunny to Duke Caboom, voiced by Keanu Reeves, who asks if they can really shoot lasers out of their eyes. They say yes, and Reeves gives his signature "Wow."

Forky's answer to Knifey sums up the theme of Toy Story 4

The credits then pause briefly to check in with Bonnie returning from school with Jessie. It parallels Woody's earlier introduction of Forky, now with Bonnie's new homemade trash toy, Knifey. Knifey says "trash" and goes through the same kind of existential crisis Forky began the movie with, then asks, "why am I alive?" Forky responds, "I don't know."

"It's hilarious, but it's also what this movie's theme is." These toys no longer have to assume they exist purely for the joy of a child. It's on the toys themselves to define what their own purposes and destinies are.

The credits honour Don Rickles and Pixar animator Adam Burke

The credits continue and roll down to sweet tributes to the late Don Rickles, the actor who voiced Mr. Potato Head, and to Adam Burke, the Pixar animator who had passed away the previous October. Burke worked on Toy Story 3, Cars 2 and Incredibles 2.

Arctic Combat Carl finally gets his high five in the post credits scene

The final post credits scene, at the very end of the credits, closes out with one of the best jokes of the film. Duke Caboom rolls out in a play on the Pixar studio logo scene with the Luxo Jr. lamp, only now it's Duke bouncing his motorcycle on the letter I and striking midair poses.

Then, amazingly, Arctic Combat Carl returns. The Combat Carls are the G.I. Joe style action figures from the playground earlier, all voiced by Carl Weathers. They high five each other, except Arctic Combat Carl, who sadly is always left hanging. In the final seconds, though, Duke connects and finally gives Arctic Combat Carl the high five he's been so desperate for.

What are your thoughts on Toy Story 4?