- 2 months ago
Some cartoons are more than just laughs — they hit us right in the feels with moments of loss, sacrifice, and heartbreak. From loyal dogs waiting for their owners to tragic goodbyes and tough life lessons, these scenes remind us that animated stories can be deeply moving. Get ready to revisit chapters filled with bittersweet emotions and tearjerking tales that left audiences reaching for the tissues.
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00:00Look! This clipping! This was you, Simon! Before the war!
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo!
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the saddest scenes in animated TV shows.
00:11We'll be getting into spoilers for various cartoons, so consider this your warning.
00:15Well, I'm just afraid he'll miss her.
00:18Then you can miss her together.
00:22Number 20. Mr. Wynn Sends Mai to America.
00:25Hey Arnold!
00:26Parents often have to make tough decisions for their children,
00:29and the sacrifice that Mr. Wynn had to make for his daughter is no exception.
00:33In the episode Arnold's Christmas, we learn about Mr. Wynn's backstory.
00:37We discover that while the Vietnam War was going on,
00:40he tried leaving the country with his daughter Mai for the United States.
00:43I beg the soldier, please, please take us.
00:47Help us find a new life.
00:49But he could not.
00:50He said there was only room for one of us.
00:53Unfortunately, though, there wasn't enough space on the helicopter for both of them,
00:57so he could only send Mai and not himself, too.
01:00He had to give up seeing his own daughter,
01:02but in doing so, he guaranteed that she would have a better life.
01:05Though the sacrifice is sad,
01:06it makes Mr. Wynn's inevitable reunion with Mai worth it in the end.
01:10Father?
01:12Mai?
01:12I can't believe it.
01:18Mai?
01:19Is it really you?
01:20Number 19.
01:21Kenny Dies of an Illness, South Park.
01:24One of the best running gags in this show is how Kenny McCormick always finds a way to get killed off.
01:29Yet for as many times as he's danced with death,
01:31the episode Kenny Dies has arguably his most emotional send-off.
01:35Danny and Kyle have always sort of been two best friends, you know?
01:38I don't know if I ever told you this, Kenny, but I kind of always thought you were my best friend.
01:46When Kenny is left bedridden with a terminal illness,
01:49he asks for Stan to be with him for his final moments.
01:52Stan, however, is reluctant to go to the hospital
01:54because seeing Kenny in his current condition hurts too much.
01:57And when Stan finally musters the strength to go,
01:59Kenny's sadly already dead.
02:01Hey, Kenny!
02:02Oh no.
02:09This is one of those surprisingly complex moments that takes the cartoon down a different direction.
02:14Instead of the normal comedy we're used to, we get an up-close look at grief.
02:18Number 18.
02:20The Fallout of Rose Quartz's Secrets, Steven Universe
02:23Secrets are risky business because they have the power to shatter relationships.
02:27And as it turns out in the episode Rose's Scabbard,
02:29Steven's mother, Rose Quartz, had quite a few secrets.
02:33But Rose didn't have a lion.
02:35It seems like her stuff in there.
02:37No, Rose didn't have a lion, because if Rose had a lion, I would have known about it.
02:42Rose kept many things secret, even from us.
02:45In fact, when Pearl discovers that Rose hid things from the gems, she takes it personally.
02:50She and Rose were close friends and fought by each other's side.
02:53So learning that Rose Quartz kept secrets from her felt like a betrayal.
02:56Everything I ever did, I did for her.
03:00Now she's gone.
03:02But I'm still here.
03:03It also forced her to look at things differently.
03:06And this understandably led to Pearl feeling pretty glum throughout the episode.
03:10Even though Steven eventually cheered her up, the sadness that she experienced was painful to see.
03:15Number 17.
03:16The Death of Bunny, The Powerpuff Girls
03:18Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup gained a new addition to their family with their sister Bunny.
03:23But the fourth Powerpuff Girl had a troubled life.
03:25She was born with genetic abnormalities, which meant that unfortunately she wouldn't live too long.
03:30Even though she got off to a rocky start, she used what little time she had left to fix her mistakes and save her sisters and all of Townsville.
03:45But while she defeated the Powerpuff Girls' enemies, her body slowly failed her, and she soon died in an explosion of light.
03:52Bunny never got a fair chance at life, but she did what she could do to help her family.
03:57As such, her death was mourned by both the Powerpuff Girls and the fans.
04:01Oh, it's so sad. I can't take it.
04:07Number 16.
04:08The Truth About Donnie's Parents, The Wild Thornberries
04:11Sometimes the most comedic characters have the most tragic pasts.
04:15Take Donnie Thornberry, for example.
04:17He was usually a fun, loose cannon type of character, but several flashbacks revealed his much darker past.
04:23His biological parents worked as wildlife conservationists who were attacked by animal poachers.
04:28The poachers wanted to harm the orangutans that Donnie's parents grew close to.
04:32And though the parents put up a fight, it'd be a losing battle.
04:35They saved the orangutans from the two wicked men, but lost their lives.
04:44After his parents' deaths, Donnie spent time living with the orangutans before getting adopted by the Thornberries.
04:50The flashback sequence completely changes how we see Donnie.
04:53I think we know now, more than ever, we're meant to take care of Donnie.
04:58It's kind of a miracle that he's so light-hearted after suffering an unimaginable tragedy like this.
05:04But thankfully for him, he never let that pain define him.
05:07Number 15.
05:08The Clone of Mary Jane Evaporates, Spider-Man
05:11It shouldn't be difficult to see how losing the love of your life can be incredibly traumatizing.
05:16And Peter Parker had that exact experience happen in the final season of the 90s Spider-Man cartoon.
05:21In a shocking plot twist, Mary Jane is revealed to be a clone who spends her last moments alive becoming a puddle of water.
05:27If any part of me is anything like the real Mary Jane Watson, she loves Peter Parker within anything in the world more than anything.
05:39Not only does this mean that Peter's wife slipped through his fingers, but she wasn't even his actual wife since she was a clone.
05:45What happens to the original Mary Jane then?
05:47Would Spider-Man ever find her again?
05:49These questions ran through the heads of every fan watching.
05:52What happened to you, Mary Jane?
05:54I can't go on without knowing.
05:57Not as Spider-Man, not as anyone.
05:59The dramatic revelation not only killed off a major character, but also sent Spider-Man through a whirlwind of emotions.
06:06Number 14.
06:07Waiting for the Train, Tom and Jerry
06:09Falling in love can be the greatest experience on Earth, but losing love could destroy you.
06:14That's exactly what happened to both Tom and Jerry in Blue Cat Blues.
06:18When the cat and mouse lose their respective girlfriends, they end up incredibly depressed.
06:23Well, that's the story.
06:26The story of a cat with a broken heart.
06:29They're actually so distraught that they find themselves sitting on train tracks waiting for a train to come hit them.
06:34If you thought this was a little bit dark for a kid's cartoon, you weren't wrong.
06:38Everybody was thrown off by the horrifying implication that Tom and Jerry willingly took their own lives.
06:43It's truly sad to think that this iconic duo could end up like this.
06:47Normally, it's just Tom, or occasionally Jerry, who loses, but this time, they both lost.
06:52With every bit of her true blue, ever-loving heart.
06:59Number 13.
07:06Beatrice's Funeral, BoJack Horseman
07:08The relationships that we have with family aren't always perfect, and BoJack knows that all too well,
07:13considering his strained relationship with his mother, Beatrice.
07:16When she finally passes, BoJack delivers a eulogy at the funeral.
07:20Live the full life, that lady.
07:22Just all the way to the end, which is now, I guess.
07:26It's a wild ride that speaks of the highs and lows of his past,
07:30and also about the importance of churros, if you can believe it.
07:33He reflects about his last moments with his mom, and it's hard not to be affected.
07:37It's the last thing she said to me.
07:39I see you.
07:40Not a statement of judgment or disappointment.
07:43Just acceptance and the simple recognition of another person in a room.
07:47At the core, this is a speech where BoJack has to come to terms with who his mother was as a person.
07:51Well, actually, who she was as a sentient narcissist with alcohol use disorder talking horse,
07:57but never mind, you know what we mean.
07:59Number 12.
08:00The Monarch Reunites With His Dad
08:02The Venture Brothers
08:03Despite easily being one of the show's greatest villains,
08:06the Monarch also worked pretty well as the superhero the Blue Morpho.
08:09Speaking of Blue Morpho, the original was Monarch's father, who was believed to be dead.
08:14However, a shocking plot twist revealed that he was actually alive,
08:18having been resurrected as a brainwashed robot.
08:20But when a chance encounter allows the OG Blue Morpho to be reunited with his son,
08:24he regains his humanity for just a moment.
08:30Unfortunately, the scene turns to chaos,
08:32and though the Monarch sees his dad one last time,
08:34their reunion is ultimately bittersweet.
08:37It's hard not to feel bad for the Monarch.
08:39He should have had more time with his father,
08:40but sadly, it just wasn't meant to be.
08:43Daddy?
08:47Number 11.
08:49Ace's Death
08:49Justice League Unlimited
08:51The DCAU had all sorts of emotional moments that made it a standout amidst superhero cartoons,
08:57but nothing hits like this scene from Epilogue.
08:59As the Justice League tries stopping a dangerous telepath named Ace,
09:03they learn that her health is extremely unstable.
09:06When she goes, the psychic backlash could kill everyone in range of her powers.
09:10That's a distance measured in miles.
09:12She essentially has the power to create catastrophic amounts of destruction if she isn't taken out of the equation.
09:18While Batman agrees to solve the problem, he does it in an unconventional way.
09:22He shows Ace empathy and warmth in her final moments, sitting with her as she dies.
09:27They got their weapon.
09:29I got cheated out of my childhood.
09:32I know what that's like.
09:34You do, don't you?
09:35It's easy to think of Batman as a dark creature of the night,
09:38but this tearjerker of a scene reminds us of his humanity.
09:41Good luck trying to watch this without crying.
09:43Number 10.
09:43Considering the sometimes crude nature of Family Guy,
09:59this emotional moment came as a huge shock to viewers.
10:03As Stewie and Brian are setting up for a game of hockey,
10:06Brian is unexpectedly hit by a car while Stewie watches helplessly.
10:10God, Brian!
10:11Oh my god!
10:14The Griffins rush Brian to the vet, but his injuries are too serious.
10:18He thanks the family for a wonderful life and tells them he loves them before passing away.
10:23I'm sorry.
10:24He's gone.
10:25Thankfully, the show revived Brian two episodes later,
10:28but his death really brought on the tears with its surprising poignancy.
10:32I couldn't live without you, so I came back from the future to save your life.
10:36Number 9.
10:38Spongebob Loses Gary, Spongebob Squarepants.
10:41Gary, Gary, Gary, Gary, Gary, Gary, Patrick, I can't find Gary.
10:50This show has definitely dealt some emotional blows before,
10:53from Spongebob almost dying due to pie,
10:56to Sandy's heartbreaking homesickness.
10:58However, its saddest moment is when Spongebob loses his beloved snail, Gary.
11:08After Spongebob forgets to feed him, Gary runs away from home.
11:12A devastated Spongebob searches all over Bikini Bottom, fearing his beloved snail is gone forever.
11:18As he puts up posters and apologizes publicly, the song Gary Come Home plays in the background,
11:24reflecting Spongebob's sorrow and tugging at the audience's heartstrings.
11:28Please come home, cause I miss you, Gary.
11:33Gary, come home.
11:35The episode has a happy ending when Spongebob and Gary are reunited,
11:39but Spongebob's panicked search is sure to strike a chord with anyone who's ever lost a pet.
11:44Gary, your purring is making it hard to forget you.
11:47Gary! Oh, Gary!
11:51Number 8. Rick Almost Takes His Own Life.
11:54Rick and Morty.
11:55Rick and Morty definitely doesn't shy away from darker themes,
11:59but this moment really highlights the troubled nature of its titular mad scientist.
12:04But I know how it goes with us.
12:06I lose who I am and become part of you.
12:09Because in a strange way, you're better at what I do without even trying.
12:12After Rick is dumped via letter, he returns home and retreats to his lab.
12:17Unfreezing a deformed creature, he comforts it,
12:20then puts it out of its misery with a death ray.
12:22Are you afraid of me now?
12:25Rick then intends to use the death ray on himself,
12:28but thankfully passes out before it powers up.
12:31The scene is a real gut punch for the audience,
12:34and serves as a grim reminder that Rick's mind,
12:36while brilliant, is a very dark place.
12:39I wanna feel, run away with me now.
12:44Number 7. Pops' Sacrifice. Regular Show.
12:48Pops! Show yourself, coward!
12:51I'm here!
12:52Regular Show is known for its relatable characters and 80s references,
12:56but it's also known for having one of the most bittersweet series finales in cartoon history.
13:02This can't work, Pops! The minute you let me go,
13:05I'm gonna blast you into nothing!
13:07I know, so I'm not going to let go.
13:11Rigby, Mordecai, and their friends are caught in an epic space battle with Anti-Pops,
13:16the powerful evil brother of the jolly, kind-hearted Pops.
13:19Realizing it's the only way to save his friends and the universe,
13:23Pops sacrifices himself.
13:25Don't worry, Mordecai and Rigby.
13:27I know you're sad, but I promise this is a happy ending.
13:31Take care of each other. Goodbye.
13:34After the battle, the gang returns to Earth,
13:36and they raise a statue in honor of Pops,
13:38while David Bowie's Heroes plays in the background.
13:42I'll be king!
13:46It broke our hearts to lose such a beloved character,
13:49but at least he went out as he wished, protecting those he loved.
13:53Number 6.
13:54Homer and his mother are separated again.
13:57The Simpsons.
13:58Well, there's my ride.
14:00The underground awaits.
14:02After believing his mother has been dead for over two decades,
14:05Homer discovers she's alive.
14:07Mom?
14:08Homer?
14:13I thought you were dead!
14:14I thought you were dead!
14:16As it turns out, his mother Mona was identified,
14:19while attempting to destroy Mr. Burns' germ warfare laboratory,
14:23and had to go into hiding to keep her family safe.
14:30I'll miss you, Homer.
14:32Mona and Homer are reunited,
14:34but their happiness is sadly cut short
14:36when Mr. Burns tips off the FBI to Mona's whereabouts,
14:40and she has to go back into hiding.
14:42At least this time I'm awake for your goodbye.
14:45Oh, Homer.
14:47Remember, whatever happens,
14:49you have a mother,
14:51and she's truly proud of you.
14:53After they're separated once again,
14:55he sits on the hood of his car
14:56to quietly watch the stars as the credits roll.
15:00Number 5.
15:01Janice's illness.
15:02Why Charlie Brown?
15:04Why?
15:04The teacher told us you were in the hospital.
15:07Your fever must have been really awful.
15:09Well, it wasn't just the fever.
15:12I have cancer.
15:13We often turn to cartoons to escape reality,
15:16but sometimes they touch on
15:18the most tragic aspects of real life.
15:21In the peanut special,
15:22Why Charlie Brown? Why?
15:23We meet Charlie and Linus' new classmate and friend, Janice.
15:27Janice starts to feel sick and is hospitalized,
15:30where she's diagnosed with leukemia.
15:32My blood has cancer in it.
15:34Are you going to die?
15:36Good grief, Charlie Brown.
15:39What kind of question is that?
15:40Due to her aggressive chemotherapy treatments,
15:43the young Janice loses her hair
15:44and is made fun of for it.
15:46Hey, look at this!
15:47Sovaldi!
15:52You blockhead!
15:54What's the matter with you?
15:56Linus steps in to stop the torment
15:57in an incredibly emotional scene
15:59sure to shatter even the hardest of hearts.
16:02Would you like to go through what she's gone through?
16:05Think about it!
16:06Or don't you ever think about anything!
16:08The special ends on a happy note,
16:11but this all-too-realistic story
16:13is an emotional sucker punch from start to finish.
16:15Number 4, I Remember You, Adventure Time.
16:28This!
16:29You took this picture!
16:31You scribbled all over it!
16:34Hmm?
16:37Oh, oh!
16:37Are they good lyrics?
16:39I'll get the keyboard!
16:40The Ice King started out as Adventure Time's main antagonist,
16:43but this episode reveals his tragic backstory
16:46during a duet with Marceline.
16:49Marceline?
16:50Is it just you and me in the wreckage of the world?
16:54That must be so confusing for a little girl.
16:58Years before the series,
16:59the Ice King,
17:00then simply known as Simon Petrikov,
17:02rescued a scared young Marceline
17:04in the catastrophic fallout of the Mushroom War
17:06and kept her safe.
17:08Unfortunately, their life together could not last,
17:11as the crown that grants the Ice King his powers
17:13and immortality,
17:14also strips him of his memory and sanity.
17:17This magic keeps me alive,
17:19but it's making me crazy,
17:22and I need to save you,
17:24but who's going to save me?
17:26His curse is viewed as a metaphor
17:27for bipolar disorder and Alzheimer's disease.
17:30Anyone who has loved a person
17:32who struggles with mental illness
17:33can relate to the emotions Marceline expresses
17:36as she sings with him.
17:37Please forgive me for whatever I do.
17:41Well, I don't remember you.
17:45Number 3.
17:46Chucky remembers his mom, Rugrats.
17:49Sometimes I dream about having a mom, though.
17:52It's always the same dream, too.
17:54We're always outside,
17:56and there's lots of grass
17:57and flowers.
18:00We didn't expect to learn quite so much
18:02about love and loss
18:03from a show about toddlers.
18:04In this episode,
18:05the babies prepare for Mother's Day.
18:07Chucky doesn't understand
18:09why he doesn't have a mom to give a gift to,
18:11but he recalls having a mom in his dreams.
18:14Look, everybody!
18:16It's the lady I told you about
18:18from my dreams!
18:20After realizing his dad
18:21is the bestest mom ever,
18:23Chucky finds a picture
18:24of the woman from his dreams
18:26and gives the picture to his dad, Chaz,
18:28as a Mother's Day present.
18:29Hi, little guy.
18:31Did you and your friends have fun?
18:33A mournful Chaz explains to Chucky
18:35that his mom passed away
18:36when he was very young
18:37and takes him out to the garden
18:39to show him the beautiful flowers she planted.
18:41All those flowers?
18:43She planted those.
18:44She used to love to come out here
18:46and play with you.
18:47Chucky realizes he didn't simply dream up his mom.
18:50He remembered her all along.
18:52See, guys?
18:53I do have a mom.
18:55She's right here in the flowers.
18:57Happy birthday, my son.
19:06If only I could have helped you.
19:09Given that Avatar The Last Airbender
19:11is considered one of the greatest cartoons of all time,
19:14it's no surprise that the writers
19:16knew how to make us tearbend.
19:18The vignette The Tale of Iroh
19:20follows the kind, wise Iroh
19:21as he helps strangers around Ba Sing Se.
19:24While it is always best to believe in oneself,
19:27a little help from others
19:29can be a great blessing.
19:31He then journeys to the top of a hill
19:33and sets up a birthday memorial
19:35to his son Luten,
19:36who tragically died during the failed siege
19:39of the city where Iroh now resides.
19:41Iroh honors his son by tearfully singing
19:43as the sun sets in the distance.
19:45Leaves from the vine
19:48Falling so slow
19:52Like fragile tiny shells
19:56Drifting in the form
19:58This moment is made even more poignant
20:00by the fact that Iroh's longtime voice actor Mako
20:03passed away before the episode aired,
20:06and the episode is dedicated in his honor.
20:08Brave soldier boy
20:12Comes marching home
20:16Before we unveil our top pick,
20:22here are a few honorable mentions.
20:24The loss of a friend
20:25Superman the Animated Series
20:27Superman can stop just about anything,
20:29but even he can't stop death.
20:31Goodbye, old friend.
20:32In the end,
20:35the world didn't really need a Superman.
20:39Just a brave one.
20:43Darth Vader and Ahsoka's confrontation
20:45Star Wars Rebels
20:47Ahsoka thought that she could bring
20:48Anakin Skywalker back.
20:50Unfortunately, she was wrong.
20:52I won't leave you.
20:54Not this time.
20:55No.
21:02Then you will die.
21:08Robin's Trauma
21:09Teen Titans
21:10Robin believed he had Slade beat,
21:12yet the villain continued to haunt him
21:13inside of his mind.
21:15What happened?
21:17You are hurting me.
21:19Slade ran right by you.
21:21How could you let him get away?
21:22But, Robin.
21:24There was no one there.
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21:43Number 1.
21:44Seymour waits for Fry
21:46Futurama
21:47I won't be gone long, Seymour.
21:49Just wait here till I come back.
21:50This episode starts with Fry
21:52finding artifacts from his old workplace,
21:54including his perfectly preserved dog, Seymour.
21:57I recognize all this stuff.
21:59Petrified sausages?
22:01Oh, Mr. Vitale?
22:02And that's...
22:03Ah!
22:04Through a series of flashbacks,
22:05we see Fry find a homeless Seymour
22:07and feed him,
22:08creating a powerful bond between them.
22:11Aw, poor little guy.
22:13You look like you haven't eaten in a month.
22:15Here, but if Mr. Panucci asks,
22:17your name is Seymour asses.
22:18In the process of cloning
22:20and restoring Seymour,
22:21Fry finds out that the dog lived
22:23for 12 years
22:24after Fry was cryogenically frozen.
22:26Fry assumes Seymour lived a happy life
22:28after he disappeared
22:29and stops the cloning process.
22:31Tragically, the audience learns
22:33that Seymour actually waited for Fry
22:35to show up to work
22:36every single day for 12 years
22:38before he died of old age.
22:41Seymour's unwavering loyalty
22:43and Fry's lack of understanding
22:45create the perfect storm
22:47to give us
22:47the most heartbreaking cartoon moment
22:50of all time.
22:51If it takes forever
22:54I will wait for you
23:00Are there any other animated gut punches we missed?
23:03Share all of the feels down in the comments.
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