Lightyear (2022) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Time passes faster due to time dilation, a real physics concept where traveling at near-light speeds causes time to move slower for the traveler compared to those left behind. When Buzz tests the hyperspace fuel for just four minutes, four years pass on T'Kani Prime. Each subsequent test adds another four years, causing decades to elapse on the planet while Buzz experiences only minutes.

• time dilation
• hyperspace fuel
• relativity
• time travel

Zurg is revealed to be an older version of Buzz from an alternate timeline. After successfully testing the hyperspace fuel, this alternate Buzz was pursued by Burnside. He escaped and used time dilation to travel back, adopting the identity of Zurg to steal more fuel from his younger self and attempt to prevent the mission from ever occurring.

• zurg twist
• alternate timeline
• buzz lightyear
• villain reveal

Buzz is driven by his determination to complete the mission and find a way home for the colony. Despite knowing time will pass, he views each test as necessary progress. His unwavering commitment to the mission overrides his awareness of the personal cost, as he believes finding a habitable planet for humanity is more important than his own personal stakes.

• buzz motivation
• mission
• hyperspace testing
• determination

Alisha ages and dies naturally because of the time dilation effect. While Buzz spends only minutes or hours testing the hyperspace fuel at near-light speeds, decades pass on T'Kani Prime. Over the course of Buzz's 62 years of testing, Alisha grows old, builds a family with her wife Kiko, sees her son grow up and get promoted, and eventually passes away from natural causes.

• alisha hawthorne
• death
• time passing
• aging

Buzz destroys the hyperspace fuel because he recognizes that if Zurg succeeds in getting more fuel and traveling back in time, it would cause catastrophic consequences, potentially erasing the entire timeline and everyone in it. By destroying the only remaining sample, Buzz prevents Zurg from manipulating time further and forces a confrontation where Zurg is ultimately defeated.

• hyperspace fuel
• destroy
• zurg
• stop villain

Buzz chooses to stay because his priorities have shifted. After losing Alisha, seeing the colony flourish, and forming new bonds with Izzy (Alisha's granddaughter), Mo, Darby, and Sox, Buzz realizes his purpose is no longer just finding a new planet, it's protecting the home they've already built. He reassembles the Space Ranger Corps to defend T'Kani Prime.

• buzz decision
• stay
• space ranger corps
• t'kani prime

Izzy Hawthorne is Alisha Hawthorne's adult granddaughter. When Buzz returns from his final hyperspace test, he discovers that 22 years have passed and Alisha has passed away. Izzy, now an adult defense force member, is the descendant of his closest friend and commanding officer. She becomes a key member of his new team.

• izzy hawthorne
• alisha granddaughter
• family connection

The colony decides to stay because they successfully built a laser shield to protect themselves against the hostile creatures that attacked them earlier. Commander Cal Burnside informs Buzz that the colony has chosen to construct this defense system, making the original mission to find a new habitable planet seem unnecessary to the colonists.

• laser shield
• colony
• defense
• stay

In the post-credits scene, Zurg is shown drifting seemingly lifeless through space after his ship was destroyed. However, his eyes suddenly flicker to life, indicating he survived the explosion and hinting that he may return in future stories.

• post-credits
• zurg survives
• sequel tease

Commander Cal Burnside warns Buzz against further tests because the colony has already decided to stay on T'Kani Prime with their new laser shield defense. Additionally, Burnside represents authority and caution, advising against what seems like a reckless pursuit given the enormous time cost each test incurs.

• cal burnside
• warning
• authority
• colony decision

Sox is assigned by Buzz to help stabilize the fuel mixture while Buzz continues testing. After decades of work during Buzz's time-jumping experiments, Sox finally succeeds in improving the fuel's composition, enabling it to reach faster-than-light speed. Sox becomes an essential member of Buzz's new team.

• sox
• robot cat
• fuel stabilization
• help

The hostile lifeforms that Buzz and his crew encountered when they first arrived at T'Kani Prime continue to be a threat. During the 22 years Buzz is away testing the fuel, these creatures attack the colony, forcing the colonists to build a laser shield for protection. This attack sets up the Zurg conflict as the robots arrive to combat this threat.

• hostile creatures
• attack
• colony
• zyclops