For nearly three decades, the ‘Toy Story’ franchise has introduced memorable villains who directly threatened Woody, Buzz, and their friends. Previous films rarely left audiences guessing about the villain. Characters such as greedy collectors and manipulative daycare rulers stood firmly in opposition to the toys.
The upcoming sequel introduces LilyPad, a smart tablet voiced by Greta Lee, as the newest obstacle facing Bonnie’s toys. Yet director Andrew Stanton insists audiences should not view the device as a traditional villain. According to Stanton, LilyPad’s intentions are far more complicated than they initially appear.
Threatening Bonnie’s Toys With Existential Crisis In ‘Toy Story’
The conflict begins when Bonnie gets a modern LilyPad, a smart tablet she cannot stop looking at. As Bonnie starts to prefer playing on the tablet, her toys find themselves pushed aside. As the toys were designed for playtime only, they realize they are obsolete to the girl they love.
For toys whose entire purpose revolves around playtime, the situation creates an existential crisis. The challenge is not physical danger but irrelevance.
Co-director McKenna Harris has explained that the story reflects a reality many families already recognize: children increasingly turn to digital devices rather than traditional toys at younger ages.
As many children now get smartphones at younger ages than ever before, the toys face a new competition they didn’t have back in the early days of the franchise.
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Not Evil But Good-Intentioned Character
Despite being a threat to the toys and Bonnie’s life as she used to know it, LilyPad was created with good intentions and won’t be perceived by viewers as a villain.
At least not in the traditional sense of the term. As director Andrew Stanton explains, there aren’t any parents who give a kid something harmful.
“Lily means well, like all good villains,” director Andrew Stanton stated. He went on to describe the character, “She’s got s— to get done, and if somebody’s in the way, then she has to deal with it. Technology has usurped play-time in real life. Lily is representative of what we’re up against … When tech comes in, it wins. It happens to adults and kids. It just wins. So that was the more interesting slant to take: there’s no competition.”
This belief is reflected in LilyPad’s personality. As Stanton stated, LilyPad aims to do what is best for Bonnie. Just like Woody and Jesse do. That means LilyPad actually wants Bonnie to be happy and healthy.
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Moving Beyond The “Technology Is Bad” Argument
By presenting LilyPad as well-intentioned, Pixar avoids turning ‘Toy Story 5’ into a simple warning about screens and modern devices.
The filmmakers have deliberately avoided framing the story as a battle between good old-fashioned toys and evil technology. Instead, the narrative appears focused on finding a balance between digital entertainment and imaginative play.
“Kids and adults have more agency than they probably want to take,” Stanton added. “It’s all about providing an experience that makes them decide, ‘Oh, I liked doing that. I liked reading the book instead of moving my finger down the screen.’ Mischievously, the more [kids] think that their toys are alive, by watching this movie, maybe we’re contributing somewhat to the goodness of all this.”
That approach allows the film to tackle a contemporary issue without reducing it to a straightforward moral lesson. Technology is not presented as the enemy.
Rather, the story examines how children, parents, and even toys navigate a world where both traditional play and digital experiences occupy important spaces.
When ‘Toy Story 5’ arrives in theaters, audiences can expect a story that treats its newest threat with more nuance than any previous antagonist. LilyPad may challenge Woody and the gang, but according to Stanton, the character is trying to help Bonnie, not harm her.
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