Mr. Potato Head

“*The Potato Heads, Mr. and Mrs. You've gotta keep 'em together 'cause they're madly in love.*”
―Andy shows Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head to Bonnie.
**Mr. Potato Head** is one of the supporting characters in the Disney/Pixar *Toy Story* films. He is a moody crabby humpty dumpty-like toy based on the Playskool toy of the same name. He was a minor antagonist in the first film but later a supporting tritagonist in the other films. He was thought to be the main antagonist of the first film but this was to reveal the first film's real main villain later on.

Name: Mr. Potato Head

Family: Mrs. Potato Head (Wife)

## Background

### Origin

A potato-shaped toy, his patented design allows him to separate his detachable parts from his body by removing them from the holes on his body. He also has a compartment on his lower back to store extra appendages. He is the only toy shown to be capable of retaining control over his parts even if they are several centimeters/inches away from his main body, most likely because his toy is designed to be taken apart, unlike many other types of toys. For example, he can still see if his detachable eyes are removed through the eyes, of course, as well as being able to move his hands and legs if they are detached.

### Personality

Potato Head is a rather cynical Mr. Potato Head doll, of the common design of Playskool. Andy often casts him as a villain in his games, which seems to be the reason he can be so cynical and irritable, being cast as the bad guy so often. Although he's sarcastic, cynical, rude and has an acerbic point of view, deep down he has a heart of gold, he loves his wife and is prepared to go to limitless lengths to save his friends. In the second movie, when Woody was kidnapped, he showed some shock and later he showed some sadness when Woody refused to go back with Andy's Toys. Head appears to be partners with Hamm as they are seen high-fiving each other whenever something exciting or victorious happens.

Despite being antagonistic in *Toy Story*, Potato Head becomes much more amicable after the arrival of Mrs. Potato Head.

In the original story pitch for *Toy Story*, he had largely the same personality as the final film, with his cynicism also being highlighted by his remarking, regarding Buzz potentially falling into the street after Woody pushed Buzz out of the window, deliberately in this version that "Buzz ain't going to Pizza Planet now!" He was also shown to be very defensive of his fellow toys, as evidenced by his telling Woody, after the latter viciously insulted Slinky Dog and threatened to throw him off the bed for not willing to obey him in throwing them off the bed, that he might as well throw him off as well, with Hamm and Rex joining in.

## Appearances

### *Toy Story*

Mr. Potato Head first appears in *Toy Story* playing One-Eyed Bart. After Andy leaves his room, Potato Head wakes up to find a number of his parts scattered to the floor Molly has earlier drooled on him, and also smashed him apart, also expressing irritation that Andy has had to place him in Molly's crib during their playtime, as he is supposed to be only playable for children of ages three and up. He then shows Hamm his messed-up face with all his facial pieces except the mustache in wrong slots, pretending to be Picasso, but Hamm has no idea, and Potato Head berates Hamm for being uncultured.

When Woody holds a staff meeting, Potato Head asks if they have to hold hands when Woody tells everyone to get a moving buddy. Potato Head points out that Woody is, of course, not worried when he tells everyone not to panic when Andy's birthday has been moved to that day, only for Slinky to speak up to Potato Head when he has complained about that. And when Slinky is not looking, Potato Head takes off his mouth and kisses his butt, while Slinky keeps talking. When Woody sends Sarge and his Green Army Men, Potato Head prays for Andy to get a Mrs. Potato Head.

During most of the first film, Potato Head is very rude, unfriendly and mean to Woody, mostly because he's jealous of Woody being Andy's favorite toy. For example, when he becomes fascinated with all the features of the Buzz Lightyear action figure that Andy has received for his birthday, Mr. Potato Head also makes fun of Woody by accusing him of not having a laser like Buzz, describing Woody's sampled voice like a car ran over it, and suggesting an attic as a special place Andy will have for Woody.

One evening, after Woody accidentally knocks Buzz out the window, Mr. Potato Head is quick to accuse Woody of being a jealous toy killer, and interrogates him if he will do the same to Mr. Potato Head if Andy started playing with him more, and leads a mutiny with the other toys to attack Woody. But before the toys can do so, they all retreat when they hear Andy approaching the room. While Andy searches the room for Buzz, Mr. Potato Head quietly gets Woody's attention and has Etch draw a hangman noose, threatening to hang Woody before Andy leaves with Woody.

That night, when Andy and his mom return home, Mr. Potato Head, along with Hamm, is feeling somewhat content when he learns about Woody's disappearance, as he has continued to admit Woody's guilt in the window incident.

Later the next morning, Woody throws a string of christmas lights from Sid's house to Andy's house, Slinky catches them, but Mr. Potato Head snatches the lights away, and labels Woody a liar after he tells the other toys have they forgot of what he did to Buzz. Woody then tries to convince the toys to let him get back by pretending that Buzz is with him using Buzz's severed left arm, but Mr. Potato Head remains suspicious of what Woody is actually doing and asks Woody what's he trying to pull. When Woody accidentally blows his cover by showing Buzz's arm, Mr. Potato Head snaps at Woody, calls him a murdering dog, and tells him he hopes Sid will break his voice box, as the toys back away from the window, leaving Woody depressed and stranded in Sid's house.

On the night before the moving day, it was shown that Rex was his moving buddy, but only because everyone else was picked. Rex sticks his head out of the box to gasp for air, making Mr. Potato Head grumpy and wonder why they became moving buddies.

The next morning, during the move to Andy's new house, Woody tosses RC out of the moving truck onto the street to rescue Buzz, and Mr. Potato Head, thinking that Woody is trying to kill another toy, rallies the other toys to ambush Woody and toss him overboard. During the ambush, Woody hits Mr. Potato Head with RC's remote, causing his left ear and entire face parts to fall off, and his mouth says, "Toss him overboard!" after Woody tries to explain to the toys that they need to save Buzz. However, when Bo Peep reveals that Woody was telling the truth, after the other toys see Woody and Buzz are on RC, Mr. Potato Head realizes his mistake, and is horrified and guilty at what he had done. He attempts to compensate by holding onto Slinky's tail so Slinky can help Woody, Buzz and RC back into the truck. It fails however, but Woody and Buzz use Sid's rocket and toss RC back to the van, the toys move out of the way as RC crashes into Mr. Potato Head, sending his pieces flying in all directions.

At the end of the film, Mr. Potato Head is overjoyed to hear Molly receiving a Mrs. Potato Head as her christmas present. When the toys congratulate Mr. Potato Head, he remarks that a better shave, so he takes off his mustache.