Top 10 Heartbreaking Farewells in Animated Movies

Losing a beloved pet is like losing a member of the family - and it’s those heartstrings that the filmmakers of “All Dogs Go to Heaven” play on here. After Charlie sacrifices himself to save the little girl Anne-Marie, he visits her bedside to say one last farewell. But, to save tears, Charlie plays the whole thing down like he’s just going on a trip and will be back soon, which makes the obliviousness of Anne-Marie all the more saddening. The soft-spoken Anne-Marie gives Charlie a hug, says she loves him and nods off back to sleep before he ascends to heaven. That reflection in Charlie’s eyes. Oh jeez, here we go.

It’s easy to shrug off Baymax’s robotic voice as aloof and goofy, especially when he’s drunk. But when his own self-sacrifice is on the table, you sit up and listen. At the end of movie, Hiro and Baymax are stuck in a portal that’s about to close and trap them forever. Baymax, being the legend that he is, suggests that he sacrifice himself to save Hiro. Okay, so the idea of that alone is sad, but it’s the way Baymax connects with Hiro that really gets us going. After essentially acting as a surrogate older brother for Hiro - after his real brother Tadashi passed away - Baymax reminds us that just because someone is gone, doesn’t mean that they aren’t still with us.

The “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise blew everyone away when it kicked off in 2010. And the glue holding it all together is the loving relationship between teenager Hiccup and his dragon Toothless. In the third movie of the franchise, Toothless finds a mate, Light Fury, and the two grow close, to the point where Hiccup realises his old friend will be better off with his own kind. Tears are shed, hugs are had, and the few moments of silence that follow really hit home. But it’s not just Hiccup saying goodbye here. Everyone says goodbye to their dragons, and collectively mourn as they fly away. “Game of Thrones,” eat your heart out.

A room full of emotional robots - how sad can that really be? Well, you watch the slowly dissipating light fade from Optimus Prime’s eyes and tell us you’re not in bits. Optimus Prime is like James Bond, John McClane or Captain America. He’s the hero who always comes out on top, no matter what. And that’s why this moment hit moviegoers and Transformers fans hard. After being mortally wounded, Optimus lies talking to his Autobots and slowly drifting away - but not before passing on his power of the Matrix of Leadership to his comrade Ultra Magnus and delivering some of his famous wisdom. Autobot funeral procession, transform and roll out.

Okay, so you know when we mentioned Mufasa earlier? Well, here’s our pick for a child and parent goodbye, which is arguably even more heart-breaking. In the land of the dinosaurs, you’ve got to watch your back, which the young Apatosaurus Littlefoot learned first hand when attacked by a T-Rex. During the attack, his mother intervenes but is severely injured, leaving Littlefoot to search for her in the cold, wet landscape. When he eventually finds her, he expects her to just get up and carry on, but it grows increasingly clear that she’s losing the battle to stay alive. The naivety and innocence of Littlefoot here is agonising.

Another robotic tearjerker next, but just because this hero is made of metal, doesn’t mean its goodbye is any less soul-crushing. When 9-year-old Hogarth befriends a robot, the two become inseparable, but it doesn’t take long for sceptics to try and destroy the giant. With a missle haphazardly launched into the air and heading for the town of Rockwell, there is only one thing that can stop it - and it’s voiced by Vin Diesel! Realising it has to be the hero, the giant says its child-like goodbyes to Hogarth, before blasting into the air - with a deflated Hogarth leaving him with an “I love you.” You really are Superman! Godspeed.

What is it with animals? They know just where to get us. “The Fox and the Hound” is one of Disney’s greatest animal triumphs, with more emotional ups and downs than most. With cute, old Widow Tweed adopting a young fox called Tod at the beginning of the movie, all seems well. But when a hunter sets his sights on Tod, old lady Tweed realises that to protect her beloved fox, she will have to let him go. The car journey into the woods... feel like it lasts forever. And Tweed’s face slowly sinks as she reminisces about the good times with Tod, before leaving him in the woods, all alone. The looks they exchange combined with the lyrics of "Goodbye May Seem Forever" - wow.

We’re getting into dangerous, Niagara Falls-level tears next, so grab a fresh box of tissues. Throughout “Monsters Inc.,” it’s impossible to know if Sully is ever going to fully open his arms to Boo, the young playful child from the human world. But at the end, we get to see just how much they mean to each other. After Sully tucks her into bed and leaves through the closet, it’s clear that Boo doesn’t fully understand what’s happening. Shuffling out of bed, she joyfully bounces to the closet door only to realise… Sully is gone. Her face sinks, and so do our hearts.

Happy childhood memories are a thing of beauty - but “Inside Out” reminds us that growing up is an important and necessary part of life. In this scene, Riley’s childhood imaginary friend Bing Bong tries to help Joy escape the dreaded memory dump, fearing they’ll be forgotten forever. But it soon becomes clear that one of them will have to stay behind, and it’s left to the fuzzy, candyfloss-layered Bing Bong to save the day. The soft, playful voice of Richard Kind is enough to get us going, but the realisation that this moment signifies the fading of Riley’s innocence and child-like imagination, makes it pack an even more emotional punch.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Baby Mine
“Dumbo” (1941)

The Wedding
“The Little Mermaid” (1989)

Gramma Tala
“Moana” (2016)

John Smith & Pocahontas
“Pocahontas” (1995)

We all had our favorite toys as kids. And just like Andy, we probably grew a little teary when it came to letting them go. At the end of “Toy Story 3,” Andy is heading off to college and gives a box of his favorite play things to young Bonnie. Initially hesitant, Andy sees how much joy they bring to her, and decides to pass them on. But not before we are treated to a glimpse of the Andy we all remember from the first movie, as he runs around playing with the toys and introducing Bonnie to the numerous different characters. In this scene, we all kind of grew up and went off to college. But at least it was one helluva send-off.