Prepare to grab the tissues for a rollercoaster of emotions! Join us as we explore those unforgettable kids' TV episodes that tugged at our heartstrings. These poignant moments delve into themes of loss, nostalgia, and separation, shaping countless childhoods. From touching goodbyes in "Amphibia" to the tear-jerking melody in "Avatar: The Last Airbender," these scenes showcase how animated series can deliver deep, universal messages. Which moment hit you the hardest? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the episodes of kids shows
00:11that still give us all the feels. For this list, we won't be including primetime animation made
00:17primarily for adults. It's all right, Chucky. Don't be scared.
00:23Number 10, Goodbyes, Amphibia. Disney Channel's coming-of-age fantasy follows a group of young
00:29friends who are thrown into a mysterious world of amphibian creatures who take them in as their
00:34own. Goodbye, HP. Thanks for taking me in. I'm so lucky to call myself a planter. I'm the lucky
00:41one, Anne. I'm so blessed to have a granddaughter like you. The Friends' heroic adventures come to
00:47an end when they are transported back to the real world. But the show's masterstroke, or fatal error,
00:53depending on what fan you talk to, is how normal their lives become afterward. The Friends eventually
00:59become less close, the way so many people do as they grow older. So what have you been up to?
01:04Still doing that webcomic? I read a few chapters. It's awesome. Ciao. Thanks. It's doing pretty well
01:11online. Protagonist Anne is profoundly changed by her experiences, but she ends up back home and leads
01:17a relatively normal, if unexciting, life. It's a real-life lesson made palatable for a young audience.
01:24Change can be difficult, but it's how we grow. It can be the hardest thing to realize you can't
01:31hold on to something forever. Sometimes, you have to let it go.
01:36Number 9. Steven and Pearl. Steven Universe. Pearl may be a superhero powered by magical gemstones,
01:44but even she has a breaking point. Pearl, you have to tell me what's wrong.
01:50Sometimes, you even sound like her. In the Season 1 episode, Rose's Scabbard,
01:56she struggles with memories of her friend Rose, who gave her life to bring a son into the world.
02:01The pain of a lost loved one is hard, and Rose's son, Steven, is a constant reminder of the gem Pearl
02:08once knew. What was mom like? She was courageous, and brilliant, and beautiful.
02:16Yeah, lift it backwards. Sometimes, you look so much like her.
02:20He does what he can to make her feel better. Once he tells her how great she is,
02:24Pearl's eyes begin filling with tears. Well, I think you're pretty great.
02:29It's one of those moments that defines exactly why people became so enamored with the show.
02:39Number 8. Terra's Reappearance. Teen Titans.
02:46The original series ends with the reappearance of Terra, a teen titan who died in an earlier season.
02:54Beast Boy is haunted by this, and the episode ends with him confronting this new version of Terra at
03:01school. Are you gonna keep running away from me? I'm not running from anything. Go home. Not until
03:07you talk to me. You can't keep following me. This causes him to also confront the reality that all
03:14things, including people, change. Although she claims not to remember their adventures together,
03:19their last interaction is simultaneously moving and frustrating, taking on a larger meaning that
03:25carries far outside the show. Things change, Beast Boy. The girl you want me to be is just a memory.
03:31What starts out as a fantastical mystery turns into a thematic way to talk about nostalgia,
03:36loss, and grief. Number 7. Pikachu Leaves. Pokemon. Ash and Pikachu are the unbreakable duo.
03:45Their partnership has defined the entire Pokemon franchise. But in season one of the original
03:50series, there was a moment where the two might be separated forever.
03:54I think it's the best thing in the world for Pikachu to be here with its own kind.
04:01Here with its own kind.
04:03Stumbling upon a group of wild Pikachu in the forest, Ash wonders if his pal might be happier with his own
04:08kind. He tries to leave him behind, and we're treated to the saddest 90s montage we've ever seen.
04:14You're my best friend. Do anything for you.
04:24Do we ever really believe their adventures are over? No, of course not. But once Pikachu comes
04:29bounding back to Ash and the music swells, it's hard not to absolutely lose it.
04:34Pikachu!
04:35Number 6. The Ice Age. Dinosaurs.
04:47With their fourth season, the anthropomorphic dinosaurs at the heart of this Jim Henson sitcom
04:53suddenly get very serious.
04:55Considering the thickness of the cloud cover, scientists predict it may be tens of thousands
04:59of years before the sun shines over Pangaea again.
05:03The original series finale goes against the grain of the half-hour format, where all the
05:08characters' problems are neatly wrapped up at the end. Corporate greed and environmental neglect
05:13inadvertently brings about a series of events that lead to a deadly Ice Age.
05:17Daddy was put in charge of the world, and he didn't take real good care of it. And now
05:22it looks like there won't be much of a world left for you or your brother and sister to live in.
05:27As snow falls outside, the family hunkers down for what is effectively their apocalypse.
05:32It's a sobering and strangely humorless ending about humanity's own foibles when it comes to making
05:38money and tapping out the planet's natural resources.
05:41This is Howard Handupme. Good night. Goodbye.
05:49Number 5. I Remember You. Adventure Time.
05:52This Cartoon Network fantasy series gained a following among adult viewers, too.
05:57And a lot of that was due to its deeply emotional storytelling.
06:00In one unforgettable episode, the Ice King series' long villainy suddenly comes into heartbreaking focus.
06:06Hold on. Do you like me?
06:11Of course I do, you old jerk!
06:13It is revealed that his mind was scrambled by his crown, leading him to forget his former life.
06:19The moment when he and Marceline turn his apology note into an impromptu song is pure waterworks.
06:25Marceline, is it just you and me in the wreckage of the world? That must be so confusing for a little girl.
06:34Even when confronted with his past, he still doesn't understand.
06:38Anyone who knows what it is to watch a loved one experience Alzheimer's, dementia, or mental illness can recognize the parallels.
06:45This magic keeps me alive, but it's making me crazy.
06:50And I need to save you, but who's going to save me?
06:54Number 4. Mr. Nguyen's Story
06:56Hey Arnold.
06:58For its Christmas episode, the Nickelodeon cartoon series opened up Arnold's world, and the world of its young audience.
07:05The episode sees Arnold connecting with his neighbor in the boarding house, a Vietnamese immigrant named Mr. Nguyen.
07:11There was a war in the North, and every day, the fighting was coming closer and closer.
07:18I knew this would not be a good place for my child to grow up.
07:22He gave up his daughter for adoption during the Vietnam War, and has not seen her since.
07:26The story brought the realities of a real-life war into young viewers' homes.
07:31But the ending, when Arnold and Helga are able to reunite Nguyen with his daughter Mai for Christmas.
07:36Father?
07:38Mai?
07:39I can't believe it.
07:42The network challenged the episode, but ultimately, it was allowed to air with some specifics about the war itself removed.
07:49It doesn't matter. The moment the two are reunited is a real tearjerker.
07:53Everyone, this is Mai, my daughter.
07:56Hello, everyone.
07:58Merry Christmas, Mr. Nguyen.
08:00Number 3. Chucky's Mom. Rugrats.
08:03Chucky Finster is raised by his single father, Chaz, throughout most of the series.
08:07His friends wonder why his mom is not around.
08:10Don't you remember ever having a mom?
08:13Nope. Sometimes I dream about having a mom, though.
08:17The end of the show's Mother's Day episode provides the answer.
08:21As Chucky and his dad go through a box of his mother's belongings, we learn she passed away due to illness.
08:26We hear Chucky's mom recite a poem she wrote for him before her death, and he realizes that his mother isn't really gone.
08:33When a gentle wind blows, that's my hand on your face.
08:37And when the tree gives you shade, that's my sheltering embrace.
08:41She's always with him.
08:43It's a reality many kids could relate to, and a lesson for those who hadn't.
08:47See, guys? I do have a mom. She's right here in the flowers. And in the clouds.
08:55Number 2. Farewell, Mr. Hooper. Sesame Street.
08:59The citizens of Sesame Street found all sorts of ways to impart real-world social messages to its impressionable audience.
09:06When Will Lee, the actor who played kindly shop owner Mr. Hooper, passed away in real life, the show honored him with a lesson for its young viewership.
09:16Wow, that's beautiful, Big Bird. Really nice.
09:19Oh, thank you.
09:22Wonderful.
09:24Well, I can't wait till he sees it.
09:26Big Bird tells his adult neighbors that he has a sketch for Mr. Hooper for when he gets back.
09:31Even adults aren't immune to Big Bird's confusion over Hooper's death.
09:35He doesn't quite understand what's happened.
09:37Mr. Hooper died. He's dead.
09:41Oh, yeah. I remember.
09:43Well, I'll give it to him when he comes back.
09:46It's only with the help of his neighbors that he can grasp that Mr. Hooper isn't coming back.
09:51Its writers consulted with child psychologists and experts in child development to portray a very realistic and palatable version of grief.
10:00We can all be very happy that we had a chance to be with him.
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10:22For an animated fantasy show, Avatar consistently moved through emotional territory that showed the real emotional pain and trauma caused by war.
10:46In the beloved episode, The Tales of Ba Sing Se, Uncle Iroh remembers the son who died in a long-ago war.
10:53Leaves from the vine, falling so slow, like frazzled tiny shells.
11:04Sitting under a tree, he sings the song Leaves from the Vine in remembrance.
11:09Devastating as it is already, this segment of the episode also has a very sad meta story.
11:15Brave soldier boy, comes marching home.
11:24The episode was the swan song of Iroh's voice actor, Mako, his last before he passed away of cancer in 2006.
11:32Did these moments have you reliving some traumatic TV moments?
11:36Let us know in the comments.
11:37I would like to tell you what I often told you when you were much younger.
11:43I like you just the way you are.
11:45Do you agree with our picks?
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11:53We'll see you next time.