At one point in the previous film, Stinky Pete asks Woody quite the armor-piercing question: "Will Andy take you to college?" The film answers that when, after looking at Buzz and Woody, Woody gets relegated to Andy's "college" box.
Which is then followed by Barbie's hilarious epic Kirk Summation: "Jessie's right! Authority should derive from the consent of the governed, not from threat of force!"
Also followed by Ken: "Everyone, listen! Sunnyside could be cool and groovy if we treated each other fair. It's Lotso! He's made us into a pyramid, and he put himself on top!" By all rights, Ken being in his underwear while giving this speech (since Barbie ripped his clothes earlier) should have been Narm, but thanks to masterful storytelling and voice acting from none other than Batman himself, it's downright awesome.
The toys' plan for escape from The Alcatraz. It was a multilevel success for the entire team - a combination of several smaller, brilliant plans - and even when an unexpected factor is thrown in (Buzz almost alerting Lotso before becoming Spanish and thinking he's a real space ranger, Mr. Potato Head losing his tortilla body, Lotso and his goons intervening right at the trash chute) they still manage to work around it one way or another and eventually escape the daycare without leaving anyone behind.
Keep in mind the fact just seconds before Lotso was pushing around Big Baby and yelling his supposed Straw Nihilist spiel about how all toys are nothing more than trash inevitably designed to face the dumpster. Big Baby didn't just fight back against Lotso, after finding out he used him, he immediately exposed Lotso as a cowardly, hypocritical liar who doesn't believe his own bullshit, throwing him to his supposed fate kicking and screaming.
Given that Mark Hamill was one of the actors considered to voice Lotso, we could've seen Luke Skywalker being tossed down to his demise by his abused henchman to save the hero (Woody).
Woody:As much as any kid ever loved a toy.*tosses the locket to Big Baby*
Even more awesome when you consider that Woody's actions in the first film could have ended with him going down the same dark path.
Watch the subtle reactions between Lotso's minions as this occurs. While they're too scared to defy him, you can tell Woody has exposed Lotso entirely as a fraud in their eyes.
The aftermath of the incinerator scene really sets the seal on his Character Development. While Hamm and Slinky are understandably itching to get back at Lotso for what he did, Woody just washes his hands of Lotso in disgust and says this:
Woody: Forget it, guys. He's not worth it.
Ah, hell, every second of the confrontation at the dumpster is incredible. The sheer level of emotional intensity in this scene makes you want to cheer (Jessie throwing Lotso's offer back in his face, followed by Woody reducing him to a Villainous Breakdown with a few simple words), cry (Big Baby realizing that his owner never stopped loving him, with a little, heartbroken "Mama?"), and maybe even laugh a little (Ken being in his underwear while giving a Rousing Speech), and all of it works perfectly. But really, would you expect anything less from Pixar?
When Woody and Buzz go back to save Lotso in the Garbage Magnet scene. But it's not just because they're successful at it and it's also definitely not because he lives. No, it's because they actively knew at that point that he was the villain and he had tried to have them thrown away, and yet they still risked their lives to save him with NO hesitation at all. That kind of heroism deserves a spot on this page.
Lotso getting his much deserved comeuppance by being tied up to a garbage truck, presumably forever. Congrats, Lotso!You deserved it!
Spanish Buzz opening the garbage chute by running in circles up the corner of the wall, leaping to the handle, hooking it under his legs and then falling backwards, all in about five seconds.
It's even better than that. The reason he did it? He thought Woody was flirting with Jessie and he wanted to impress the Cowgirl. Give that man a cigar.
Small moment, but Rex and Hamm managing to tackle and pin Brainwashed!Buzz counts as one. Buzz may be the most competent combatant out of the toys, but when the two Big Guys of the group rally together and use their strength, Buzz can be kept down.
Woody escaping Sunnyside all by himself. Something, it's implied, no toy has ever been able to do before without getting caught by Lotso's goons and hurled in the dumpster...but Woody is a veteran toy and a master of escapes. They're no match for him. (Though to be fair, he escaped during the day, when the monkey isn't watching...still, though. Especially, because it looked like the Janitor was gonna catch him until it turned out the Janitor just saw a spot to clean.)
