Top 10 Saddest Animated Movie Moments

The Top Ten
1 The incinerator scene - Toy Story 3

It honestly shocked me when I saw it. The toys are just trapped. Lots abandoned them, and there's no way out. It's nearly impossible to get out.

They know they're going to die and seem to accept their fate. They get saved at the last second, but still!

The incinerator scene.

Probably the most shocking one minute of the animation industry ever.

2 Setsuko's death - Grave of the Fireflies

I'm afraid this might go below the list as not many people saw the movie, but Mufasa's death is nothing in front of this. This masterpiece, as realistic as it is, makes you wonder if there exists any humanity, and of course, doesn't answer that question.

This is by far the saddest movie ever.

"Grave of the Fireflies" may be one of the greatest films ever made, and it certainly is one of the most depressing. This movie was so powerful I was truly emotionally impacted for two weeks after watching it. Studio Ghibli truly reached its height with this film.

Do be warned: This film is absolutely devastating, and it may be too much for some viewers. But for those who can handle this movie, I strongly encourage them to watch this masterpiece of a film.

"Why do fireflies have to die so soon?"

3 Bing Bong fading away - Inside Out

"Take Riley to the moon for me."

It just reminded me of all the beautiful, inspiring things that you create for yourself disappearing.

Bing Bong fading away was the only scene I cried for in years.

4 "Married Life" - Up

Ellie had a dream to see that waterfall and have kids, but then she suffers a miscarriage, and that was pretty dark and sad. And the waterfall? She was saving up all that precious money but had to use it on other things and wouldn't even get mad about it.

In the end, she doesn't see the waterfall because, you guessed it, she dies. Sad...

Sure, Inside Out, Toy Story 3, The Lion King, and maybe Frozen/Big Hero 6 had some really touching moments. But nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to how heartfelt the first 11 minutes of Up are. So it should be number 1, guys.

5 Sully says goodbye to Boo - Monsters, Inc.
6 Beware the Wheelers - Return the Oz
7 Little Foot’s Mother Dies - The Land Before Time

This is hands down the saddest scene ever in a kid's animated movie. No others can top this.

And to add insult to injury, at one point in the film, Little Foot thinks his shadow is his mom. What the heck is wrong with you, Don Bluth?

8 Hector fading away - Coco
9 "When She Loved Me" - Toy Story 2

"When She Loved Me" was so touching and true! We just can't stop blaming ourselves after that.

10 Stoick gets shot by Toothless - How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Contenders
11 Andy giving away his toys - Toy Story 3

Andy giving away his toys, and when Woody waves to him and watches him go... Amazing.

I cried so hard when Andy said that Woody had been his pal for a long time.

12 The girl loses happiness and sadness - Inside Out
13 Mufasa's death - The Lion King

I feel very strongly about this topic. Mufasa's death is the most heartbreaking, tragic, and depressing scene in movie history. It deserves the #1 spot.

This must be the saddest thing ever. Watching Simba cry and trying to wake his dad up is heartbreaking.

14 Buzz finds out he's just a toy - Toy Story

When Buzz finds out he's just a toy, and when Woody admits it to Buzz, it's a powerful moment.

15 Very Good Advice - Alice in Wonderland
16 Alice's tearful lament being lost in the middle of nowhere in Wonderland - Alice in Wonderland
17 "Family means no body gets left behind" - Lilo and Stitch
18 Mama Coco remembers her father - Coco

Coco's ending has to be the saddest and happiest ending in all of movie history.

This isn't higher? WHY? It's so heart-wrenching and touching!

Why isn't this one higher? It made me tear up!

19 Hans betrays Anna - Frozen
20 Tadashi dies - Big Hero 6
21 SpongeBob and Patrick die - SpongeBob Movie

I remember when I first saw this movie on TV when I was about five years old. This scene utterly destroyed me. SpongeBob, a mostly optimistic and happy character, talks about how he and Patrick won't be able to get out of the situation alive.

As the music slowly starts to creep in, SpongeBob and Patrick sing their final song with the thought of it being the end of their lives. I could only imagine how kids reacted to this in theaters. To me, this scene is extremely underrated for what it provides.

How this isn't higher on the list is beyond me. I couldn't imagine how all the kids in the theater felt when watching this scene.

22 Naoko appears after her death - The Wind Rises
23 The Iron Giant's sacrifice - The Iron Giant
24 Nick's flashback - Zootopia

OMG, he was such a cute kid, and this movie deals with some serious issues.

25 Death of Optimus Prime - Transformers the Movie (1986)

When this happened in the theater, you heard so many kids crying. Parents were walking their kids out after this since they were so devastated.

Scarred thousands of kids in movie theaters back in '86. This should be much higher on the list.

One of the saddest moments in movies. I do not care what anyone says.

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