Disney not only creates vibrant animated movies but also tells significant stories that evoke a wide range of feelings. It can be a
funny film that makes you happy and laughs or a fantastical movie that gives you a sense of suspense and curiosity. Or there are sad moments that you get caught up in and start crying uncontrollably. As the famous Walt Disney quote “life is composed of lights and shadows," we wouldn't be able to appreciate happiness if we hadn't experienced difficulties.
Whether you cry out of sadness or out of joy, those moments take us away and touch the deepest parts of our emotions. Each teaches us lessons and adds up to more unforgettable moments in our memory. Let's take a journey through a number of
Disney movie heartbreaking scenes that make you want to grab the tissues immediately.
#1 When Dumbo visits his mother
Source: Dumbo
Although "Dumbo" is filled with uncomfortably sad moments, the most heartbreaking scene is when Dumbo visits his mother, Jumbo, after she has been imprisoned in a carriage to take to another facility. Jumbo can't go near the window for a face-to-face moment with her child since she is shackled. Instead, she reaches her trunk through the bars and cuddles him for a few minutes, knowing that it could be the last time she gets to rock Dumbo to sleep.
#2 When Ian tries to make sure his brother can see their dad
Source: Onward
In the movie "Onward," Ian Lightfoot and his elder brother Barley undertake a challenging mission to bring their father back to life, even for just one day. Time is quickly running out, and Ian realizes that even though he misses his father and never got to meet him, Barley has always served as a role model for him.
On the other hand, Barley never got to say goodbye, and it's weighed on his heart for a long time. As an act of real love for his brother, Ian stays behind to fight off the dragon so Barley can finish bringing back their dad and finally say goodbye to him, thus giving up his own chance. This powerful moment between brothers is enough to make anyone cry.
#3 When Miguel plays a song for his great-grandmother
Source: Coco
Determined to save Hector's legacy and repair his family's relationship with music, Miguel travels back to the Land of the Living and plays the song that Hector used to sing to Coco when she was a young girl. The entire family (and every spectator) bursts into tears of pleasure as the old grandmother sings along and smiles for what seems like the first time in years.
#4 When we follow Carl and Ellie's devastating love story
Source: Up
The opening sequence of the film "Up" first gives the impression that it is a picture-perfect love story: Carl meets his wife Ellie when they are young and they fall in love instantly; they later get married, own a home, and start their amazing life together. However, all of their marital bliss abruptly changes when they discover Ellie is infertile. Worst of all, the two had already set up a baby room in their house when they received this news. But the most heartbreaking scene is Carl living alone after Ellie passes away due to an undetected fatal illness.
#5 When Tod's owner leaves him in the woods
Source: The Fox and the Hound
"The Fox and the Hound" is about Tod and Copper, a fox and a hound who become friends as children but drift apart as adults after realizing their species are enemies. Tod struggles to understand this, and his relentless determination to remain close friends with Copper gets him in a lot of trouble. At one point, Copper's owner gets angry at the fox for trespassing and chases after him with a gun. Due to this, the fox's owner decides to let Tod go free in the wilderness to fend for himself. The heartbreaking scene that follows shows the poor fox sitting alone in the woods while it watches its owner drive away, unaware that it has been abandoned.
#6 When Hiro watches videos of Tadashi in the workroom
Source: Big Hero 6
In "Big Hero 6," is about Hiro, a 14-year-old genius who must face a super-criminal while grappling with the death of his elder brother Tadashi. He joins forces along the way with a group of college students and Baymax, a medical robot created by his late brother. He tries to take out Baymax's medical chip and reprogram him to harm the person who killed his brother because of the retaliation. But he changes his mind after watching the recordings of Tadashi that the kind robot shows him.
#7 When Baymax sacrifices himself to save Hiro
Source: Big Hero 6
Baymax becomes one of Hiro's closest friends and one of the only remaining connections he has with his departed brother. Sadly, while rescuing a pilot, Baymax sacrifices himself to give Hiro's ship enough power to escape. Even though Hiro pleads with him, the robot reminds him that he was programmed by Tadashi to help people, no matter the cost. The scene is a reflection of Tadashi's earlier in the movie when he sacrificed himself to save his professor from a burning building.
#8 When Marlin and Coral are attacked
Source: Finding Nemo
During the opening scene of the film, a fierce barracuda unexpectedly strikes Marlin and Coral as they are settling into their new home with their soon-to-hatch eggs. Marlin is knocked out during the tragedy, and when he awakens, he discovers that Coral and almost all of their future children have been slain. Despite being helpless after the horrible carnage, Marlin does manage to locate one last egg, Nemo. And he immediately cares for Nemo with his entire love.
#9 When Ray sacrifices his life for his friends
Source: The Princess and the Frog
Ray is a kind-hearted, quirky firefly who says he loves a star named Evangeline. When they arrive in New Orleans, although Tiana and the prince successfully escape, the villain's sidekick treads on Ray, ending his life. In his dying words, instead of fighting death, Ray expresses his happiness at finally being with his love in the heavens. This moment becomes even more heartfelt when, during the burial, his family and friends look up to see that there's a new star next to Evangeline.
#10 When Kerchak accepts Tarzan
Source: Tarzan
Tarzan is a man raised by gorillas after his parents died. As he grows up, he meets other people for the first time and he tries to connect with them while remaining loyal to the family that raised him. But this made the gorilla chief Kerchak think his choice to assimilate with humans was the ultimate betrayal. Despite Tarzan's effort to maintain peace between the two species, a violent battle between gorillas and men happened. Finally, Kerchak is fatally shot and he uses his last breath to name Tarzan the new leader of the gorillas, and finally calls him his son to everyone's surprise. Kerchak finally understood that it didn't matter that they were different species, they were always a family.
#11 When Goofy and Max struggle with their relationship in Max's teenage years
Source: A Goofy Movie
In "A Goofy Movie," Goofy and his adolescent son Max embark on a cross-country road journey. The moment where Goofy thinks back to when Max was young and wasn't afraid to confess his feelings for him is the most moving moment of the film. Just as Goofy was about to sleep, Max handed him a nearly empty cup of soup, in which he used the letters of noodles to spell out "Hi Dad" as he did as a child. Goofy is moved to tears by the simple act because it showed him that despite his son's tendency to distance himself from him, he still appreciated his dad.
#12 When Riley runs away
Source: Inside Out
"Inside Out" explores the feelings of Riley, an 11-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when her family moves from Minnesota to California. When Riley tries to find her way in the new city, Joy and Sadness continue to disagree over how to handle the change. Disgust, Anger, and Fear are left in charge of Riley's every action when Joy and Sadness are pulled out of headquarters during a quarrel, which causes chaos in Riley's life. Riley acts irrationally, lies, and even steals money from her mother's handbag as her mental health deteriorates as a result of Anger taking over. Each of these deeds makes Riley leave her home and attempt to run away back to Minnesota. The preteen has so much unexplainable agony, and it's heartbreaking to see that her parents don't know what's going on with her.
#13 When Bing Bong sacrifices himself
Source: Inside Out
Bing Bong is Riley's imagined childhood buddy. When he and Joy fall into the memory hole, they desperately try using a magical wagon to catapult themselves back to the long-term memory bank. When Joy tries to escape, Bing Bong suddenly jumps out of the wagon and vanishes from recollection. Although his sacrifice helps Joy in saving Riley, it was a tragic loss for the audience. The moment is even more painful since it symbolically represents how Riley needs to let go of certain parts of her childhood to make room for new joy.
#14 When Riley finally comes to terms with her emotions
Source: Inside Out
After blocking Sadness from changing Riley's core memories, Joy finally lets her manage her mood. Riley now regrets her choice to flee and then begs the bus driver to turn around so she may get back home. It turns out Riley needed to be sad to understand the changes in her life and maintain her familial connections. The moment she walks through the door, she immediately falls into her parent's arms and bursts into tears.
#15 When Jessie's backstory is revealed
Source: Toy Story 2
In "Toy Story 2," Jessie reveals that Emily was her previous owner who abandoned her. What follows is a tearful flashback sequence that's heightened by Sarah McLachlan's heart-wrenching song "When She Loved Me." Her story also serves as a sobering reminder that all children grow up, and sometimes that means leaving once-important things behind.
#16 When all the toys grab hands and accept their fate is heartbreaking
Source: Toy Story 3
In "Toy Story 3," Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the team grapple with Andy's decision to go to college. They choose to give life at a daycare a try. But discover that the place is run by a spoiled teddy bear named Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear, they run away. However, their escape route takes them to the landfill, where they get trapped inside the incinerator. Toys get pulled closer to the flames, they join hands with one another and accept that their fate is inevitable.
#17 When Woody waves his arm at the end of the film
Source: Toy Story 3
After the toys return to Andy's room, Woody enters the storage box alongside the other toys. Woody writes the word "donate" on the side of the box just before his owner enters the room. When Andy sees the label, he takes his treasured toys to a young girl named Bonnie, the daughter of a family friend, instead of bringing them up to his attic. Though Woody committed to sticking with Andy, his sudden change of heart ends up being the greatest move for everyone. In addition to giving the toys the chance to make another child happy, it forces Andy to realize that it is time to let go of his childhood. When Andy is getting into his car, Bonnie takes Woody's arm and waves at him. The expression on Andy's face as he waves back is really heartbreaking.
#18 When Anna sacrifices herself to save her sister from the evil Hans
Source: Frozen
When Hans is trying to kill Elsa to take over the throne. Anna jumps in front of Hans's sword to save Elsa right as she freezes solid from her frozen heart. Elsa cried over her cold body. When Anna's frozen heart begins to melt, it becomes clear that the act of true love she needs to save herself is not romantic love, but love from her own sister.
#19 When Elsa learns all about her parents
Source: Frozen 2
The main plot of "Frozen 2" revolves around Elsa's search for information about her ancestors and the source of her own magical abilities. After a distant voice beckons her, the elemental spirits awaken and threaten her kingdom. Elsa explores the Enchanted Forest with Anna, Olaf, and Kristoff in search of a solution that would allow her to save the world. Elsa and Anna make the shocking discovery that their parents died while looking for answers about Elsa's powers. Overcome with guilt, Elsa sends her sister away and starts her own dangerous journey to the river Ahtohallan.
#20 When Quasimodo had to endure public humiliation
Source: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Quasimodo is a man who lives in isolation inside the bell tower of Notre Dame cathedral. When he sneaks out of the tower and joins the Festival of Fools, he unintentionally becomes the winner of the "Ugliest Mask" contest. But when the crowd discovers that Quasimodo's physical deformities are real, they tie him up and throw tomatoes at him. And that's not even the worst part: The entire time this mortifying charade is happening, Frollo, his guardian, watches without protecting him.
#21 When Bambi is left stranded in the woods after his mother dies
Source: Bambi
Although much of the film consists of Bambi's exploration of the peaceful forest, everything turns tragic when his mother urges him to run away and never look back when a hunter approaches. After running for a while, an off-screen gunshot rang out, but Bambi continued to run at her mother's command. When he finally reached safety and returned to find his mother, the poor fawn had no idea that she had been killed. Bambi walks around in the snow alone, calling out for his mom to no avail.
#22 When Moana is reunited with her grandmother for a few fleeting moments
Source: Moana
Determined to help her people, Moana set out to cross the long sea without finding the answer. Just before her journey, her Gramma Tala fell ill and used her last moments to give her niece a necklace containing the heart of the island goddess Te Fiti. She tells her that it's her destiny to restore the heart and bring harmony to the islands. Later, when Moana was on the verge of giving up, her grandmother's spirit reappeared and gave her the strength to continue.
#23 When Nani struggles to explain why they will not be a family
Source: Lilo and Stitch
In "Lilo and Stitch", Nani takes care of her younger sister, Lilo, after their parents passed away in a tragic accident. But when Lilo decides to adopt a mischievous alien named Stitch as a pet, it becomes difficult for the sisters to keep showing up to their social worker. After a near-drowning incident causes Stitch to panic and behave aggressively towards Lilo, Nani realizes that she may have to give up custody of her sister. That same evening, the sisters sit in a hammock while Nani struggles to explain why this might be their last night together as a family. Not knowing what to say to Lilo because she was too young to really understand what was going on, Nani hugged her sister and sang a solemn verse of the Hawaiian song "Aloha Oe" before releasing two flowers into the wind, symbolizing their sad goodbye.
#24 When Mufasa was killed by his own brother, Scar
Source: The Lion King
After luring Simba into a treacherous wildebeest, Scar warns Mufasa, fully aware that he is leading him into a trap. Although Mufasa successfully brought Simba to safety, he still struggled to climb out of the canyon and begged his brother for help. Instead, the sinister and jealous Scar mercilessly threw the King. When Simba ran to his father's lifeless body, he cried out for help, but it was too late - the King was dead. In addition to betraying Mufasa, Scar gaslights Simba into believing that he was responsible for Mufasa's death.
#25 When Lewis his biological mother abandoned him at the orphanage
Source: Meet The Robinsons
Lewis is an orphaned boy genius named who desperately struggles with self-confidence after being rejected by many adoptive parents. Determined to meet his biological mother, he invents the memory-scanning machine for the science fair, but it gets stolen. After that, he meets Wilbur and joins a time-traveling adventure to get his invention back and stop the villain from changing his fate. After saving his future family, Lewis travels to the past and witnesses his biological mother abandon him at the orphanage. Even though his goal for the entire movie was to travel through time and stop this moment from happening, he decides to back away at the last second. Lewis finally learned to accept his destiny and the life he was given because he knew his future had a lot in store for him. The emotional scene is followed by a heart-melting happy-ending montage set to the song "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas.
#26 When Sully has to say goodbye to Boo at the end of "Monsters, Inc."
Source: Monsters, Inc
Mike and Sully accidentally bring Boo, a human child, into the monster world and form an unlikely bond with the little girl.After several huge twists, Sully returns Boo safely to her room. Their goodbye is utterly heartbreaking, especially because Boo is far too young to understand what's happening. After they share a tearful hug, Sully returns to the monster world and watches Boo's door get shredded so that he can never visit her again.