So, Is Zurg Buzz Lightyear's Dad, Or What?

Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 5 is out in theaters. That, coupled with Father's Day having passed, got me thinking about a topic related to the franchise: Is Zurg really Buzz Lightyear's dad?

Evil Emperor Zurg is first mentioned by Buzz in the first Toy Story film, and we got a glimpse of him as a video game character and as a toy in Toy Story 2. The reveal of him being Buzz's father was meant to be a fun reference to Star Wars. Later on, the Lightyear movie did not confirm this bit of info. And yet, Toy Story 5 has a line of dialogue where Zurg is still referred to as the father of Buzz Lightyear. (This is not really a spoiler; it’s kind of just a fun line. But if you want to read my spoiler review of Toy Story 5, go check that out here.)

Some fans have their theories about the Lightyear movie, which is presented as a 1995 movie that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy we see in the first Toy Story. In that film, the revelation is that Zurg is a much older Buzz Lightyear from an alternate timeline. At first, the young Buzz thinks it’s his dad, since his dad would look similar to this older Buzz. This was definitely a wink to the audience from the team behind the film, which opted to try something different and less predictable. Yes, we see this alternate Buzz in a large mechanical Zurg suit, though fans have theorized that there is a real Zurg out there for whom this suit is actually meant, and that this perhaps could fit with the lore of Zurg being Buzz’s father. Since Lightyear underperformed at the box office, however, it does not seem like a sequel film confirming any of this is likely. But I ended up on a different train of thought as to how it can be a fact that Zurg is Buzz’s dad, and the Lightyear movie can still work as an in-universe 1995 movie within the Toy Story timeline.

I have always thought Toy Story 2 is set only a year after the first film, given Andy’s sister Molly hasn’t grown much. Though I have seen people say it is two years after. So your mileage may vary on whether there was too quick of a turn-around time for the making of an in-universe Lightyear sequel film with a reveal of a Zurg who is Buzz’s father. But what if there was no sequel film? What if the film did not perform as well in-universe either, and yet the Buzz Lightyear toys themselves sold very well?

With success in merch sales, perhaps those in charge of the brand would have then pivoted to a different medium. Kids love playing with Buzz Lightyear toys, so it is logical to think that they would also enjoy playing a Buzz Lightyear video game. Yes, we know for sure that there is such a game by the time Toy Story 2 starts. And here’s the thing: Zurg looks so different from the robot suit we see in the Lightyear movie. And Buzz in the video game more closely resembles the toy than the movie character. Now, the toy could not have been too detailed of a resemblance to the film, and since the toy sold so well, of course the video game developers would want to lean toward emulating the toy. And it would probably be easier to work with that design in the video game anyway.

And while all of this seems to have been set in motion by the Lightyear movie, the plot of the video game does not really feel like a one-to-one adaptation of the movie. It feels somewhat like a different universe altogether. If the Lightyear movie itself was not a success, then why would those behind the video game even want to try the exact same thing? Of course they would try doing it their own way. We never see Rex finish playing the video game in Toy Story 2, but one can imagine that, had he gotten further, the game would have had this revelation that Zurg is Buzz’s father. This would have been the game’s attempt at trying not to be predictable for those who have seen the film, and perhaps also its attempt to preserve the twist of the film for those who have not seen it. There are also Star Wars toys in Toy Story 4, so they probably tried brainstorming and hit a dead end settling on an “I am your father” type of reveal. But they had the freedom to create their own lore for the game. A different continuity that does not have to adhere to what’s established in the film.

The Zurg toy we see at Al’s Toy Barn is not based on the movie; it is based on the game. So that lore of Zurg being Buzz’s father is built into him. And the Buzz’s with utility belts are inspired by the game as well.

One can even go a step further with the 2D animated Buzz Lightyear of Star Command film and series. This feels somewhat different from the game, and for sure different from the film with its set of supporting characters. If the 1995 film was a flop like I theorized, that does not discount the possibility of making the animated series. For example, in our world, Osmosis Jones flopped, and yet was followed by an animated series, Ozzy & Drix.

For a brand like Buzz Lightyear that is gaining steam as a toy and as a video game, it makes sense that the powers that be would want to give it another shot, this time as an animated series, making it different from the theatrical film since that did not do so well. Zurg’s design would more like the video game since that sold well, but would not necessarily have to adhere to the lore of the video game. There is an episode where Zurg says he is Buzz’s father but then turns out to be lying.

I imagine those behind this animated version of Buzz Lightyear were able to change stuff how they saw fit as well. Animators who had ideas for aliens and robots and what have you could add them to this universe. It is also amusing to think there might have been some sort of licensing agreement with Pizza Planet in order to include the little green aliens, allowing them to cross over with Buzz.

So yes, the animated iteration could be very different from the film. We have seen examples of this with franchises like Ghostbusters. The animated series The Real Ghostbusters is its own universe. The animated Jumanji series isn’t the same world as the film. The animated Men in Black series does not quite fit with the films.

The more I think about it, the more I am reminded of the different iterations of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Comics, animated shows, live-action movies, etc. Different continuities, some similarities, some different backstories. The same situation could be true of Buzz Lightyear.

So why have Toy Story 5 include a line simply boiling it down to Zurg being Buzz’s father? Out of universe, it is probably due to more people having seen Toy Story 2 than having seen Lightyear. In-universe, it is just easier to say than, “Zurg is a future version of Buzz from an alternate timeline using a huge mech suit,” and all the convoluted details. If we stay with the Ninja Turtles comparison, it is easier to say, “The Shredder is Oroku Saki,” than to say, as is the case in one universe, “The Shredder’s suit is actually kind of a mech suit controlled by a criminal named Ch’rell, a member of the Utroms, an alien race of little blobs who kind of walk on little tentacle-looking-things.” One explanation is simply easier to say than the other. Especially when the characters are in a hurry to accomplish an important goal. Zurg being Buzz’s dad is true in at least one continuity, and for all we know is the most popular Zurg backstory in-universe, even if it is just a Star Wars reference.

To be fair, I do not expect that the people at Pixar have all these details in mind when it comes to Buzz and Zurg’s relationship. They might not even think about all this that much. But I just find it fun to kind of go through this type of mental exercise and see just how neatly it can fit. That is part of the fun of being a Toy Story fan: thinking outside the box.