Character Analysis
Woody's main foe in Andy's room isn't exactly a bad guy. Of course, he isn't exactly the nicest spud on the planet either. He's Mr. Potato Head.
We first meet Mr. Potato Head when Andy is playing with his toys. For some reason, the boy has cast Mr. Potato Head as the villainous One-Eyed Bart. We think he's onto something. Potato Head obviously loves playtime, but he's not above getting a little crabby or complaining about baby drool. He's sort of a loveable curmudgeon from Idaho.
Mr. Potato Head and Woody don't exactly clash, but Potato Head also isn't too taken with Woody's leadership skills and style. That's probably why, when Buzz Lightyear shows up, Mr. Potato Head has no issues with needling Woody about it just a bit:
MR. POTATO HEAD: Hey, a laser! How come you don't have a laser, Woody?
WOODY: It's not a laser! It's a little lightbulb that blinks!
HAMM: What's with him?
MR. POTATO HEAD: Laser-envy.
Okay, so Mr. Potato Head's sarcastic and rude sometimes, but that doesn't mean he's totally a bad apple (or should we say, potato). Yes, he does lead the revolution against Woody amongst Andy's toys, but look at it from his point of view.
Buzz falls out the window and R.C. tells the other toys that Woody pushed him. It's not a lie. That is what happened. Sure, it's not exactly what Woody intended, but Potato Head does have a pretty good grasp on the situation:
MR. POTATO HEAD Couldn't handle Buzz cuttin' in on your playtime, could ya Woody? Didn't want to face the fact that Buzz just might be Andy's new favorite toy, so you got rid of him. Well, what if Andy starts playin' with me more, Woody, huh? You gonna knock me outta the window, too?
Woody's jealous. Woody's upset that he's not the favorite anymore. Maybe Mr. Potato Head is right on here.
Of course, we know he isn't. In the end, Woody makes it back to the toys with Buzz and they all realize that Woody isn't a threat to them at all.
So, how do we know we're not supposed to hold this little lapse in judgment against Mr. Potato Head? On Christmas Day, he gets what he's finally been wishing for—a Mrs. Potato Head. That's not comeuppance for a villain. That's a happy ending for a spud who's learned his lesson.
Mr. Potato Head's Timeline