History TearJerker / DragonballZ

* In the Majin Buu Saga episode 237, after Vegeta knocks Trunks unconscious so he can fight Buu alone Goten, understandably confused, freaks out and demands why he did it. This might just be mostly due to the voice acting, but as soon as he gets to "Why did you hit him? Why did you hurt him?" ALWAYS gets to me. Just how innocent he is and how confused he is really comes out there.

** Yamcha's death. Especially since Krillin actually goes over and confirms he's dead. You see Puar crying against the TV, calling out to him... and then the POV switches to a shivering, pale, almost [[HeroicBSOD BSOD-ing]] Bulma. Her scream of despair as she breaks down in Muten Roshi's arms is tear jerking.

* One rather understated moment, when Krillin agrees with Goku that he and Gohan should leave the battlefield. Krillin takes one last moment to lament their losses again. In the anime, as Krillin mentions how hard everyone fought, we see a shot off all the fallen warriors...save Chiaotzu, who's iconic hat is all that's left of him.

--> '''Vegeta''': Trunks... Bulma... I do this for you. And yes, even for you, Kakarot.

* Bruce Faulconer helps to create a particularly heartbreaking one with one of Mr. Satan's conversations with Super Buu. In it, Super Buu has completely forgotten who Hercule was and has been consumed by the evil that's taken hold on him. Hercule is desperately trying to get Super Buu to remember who he once was by reminding him of his promise to not kill anymore, as well as how much he loved Bee, only for Super Buu to maniacally laugh in his face. Sad in both versions, but it was Bruce's music that really drives home how completely and utterly destroyed Buu's kindly side has become, as well as the sense of loss and desolation throughout the whole conversation. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmXFtZ-jvzE See here.]]

* In episode 104, Vegeta has a flashback of back when he still worked for Frieza. After being insulted and ridiculed by Freiza, Zarbon and Dodoria instead of praised for their work on a recent assignment. He Nappa and Raditz later talk and Nappa demands to know why Vegeta insists on idly taking such insults, considering they've come to suspect Freiza was responsible for his father's death and the destruction of their home planet. While Vegeta explains that he already knew that. He turns his back on the pair, claiming he doesn't care about his past, only wishing to become strong enough to overthrow Frieza and rule the universe. However, the pained look on his face seems to suggest otherwise.

** The moment leading to Tien's HeroicSacrifice in the battle against [[TheDragon Nappa]] certainly fits in. As the battle gets intense, an injured Tien sees his friend Chiaotzu, who has already died, saying sorry for not being strong enough, and then fades away. Then he regains the strength to stand on his feet and say, "Chiaotzu, I won't let your sacrifice be in vain, I promise! This Saiyan goes down right now... or I'll be...with you again soon!" A montage is then shown of the times they had together, and it ends with Tien firing his last one-armed {{Ki|Attacks}}koho at Nappa, which only damaged parts of his armor, and a few scars, before the triclops passes away.

* Despite Vegeta, allowing himself to be turned evil again being extremely selfish. Selling his soul to bridge the gap between himself and Goku, killing a stadium full of innocent people, and allowing Buu to be revived by his actions. It's still easy to feel sorry for him. As he explains in episode 231 of the anime, even after years of living on Earth with the Z fighters, he's still confused why people would be kind to each other, calling the heroes weak for being [[LoveIsAWeakness sentimental]]. He's still behaving much like the man who kidnapped him and murdered his father all those years ago. It's easy to forget underneath all that badassary that there was a little boy stolen from his father and forced to live a life chosen for him by someone else, and it's sad to see Vegeta just can't fully escape Frieza's influence.

* Goku's HeroicSacrifice against Raditz was the very first Tear Jerker in Z that showed just how DarkerAndEdgier Z was and considering how dark the Piccolo Daimao arc was that's saying something.

** In the filler episode "The Strangest Robot", Gohan discovers an ancient probe robot in a cavern underground. After Gohan reactivates the robot, it tells him not to disturb it, but reconsiders when the boy starts to cry and, reluctantly, watches over him, as Gohan is still a child dependent on others. Gohan tries to dig the robot out of the ground but the unstable cavern begins to crumble around the two, and the robot sacrifices itself to send Gohan back to the surface, being smashed in the collapse. In the dub, the Robot's last words are telling Gohan to be strong. Tears streaming down his face, Gohan overcomes his sorrows, walking away back into the desert.
** In the filler episode "A New Friend", while hiding in a cave he discovers he's not alone as a Dinosaur is with him, luckily its a vegetarian and is wounded. Gohan helps it heal up getting it food and puts a salve on its wound like Goku taught him. So you think Gohan's made a friend right? Wrong: Another Dinosaur, this one a T-Rex, shows up and attacks the other one. Gohan tries to save him but gets knocked out by the T-Rex. When he comes to his senses, he sees the bones of the other Dinosaur as the T-Rex had eaten him. Seeing the tears form in his face over what happened really gets you.
** One of the most heartbreaking fillers would have to be the one when Gohan washes up on a beach and is found by the local [[HeartwarmingOrphan orphans]], titled "Escape From Piccolo". The episode is adorable in that Gohan makes friends with many children his own age for probably the first time in his life. But just as Gohan gets comfortable with his new friends, some people from the local foster home come to take the kids away. Gohan then meets the leader of the kids, [[AFatherToHisMen Pigero]] and helps him protect the orphans. One of the adults tries to tell them that if they come with them, they will go to a place where they will get new clothes and hot meals, but Pigero believes that she is lying and tells her off. Later that night, Gohan explains he still has a mother, and was on his way to see her before he met them. Much to his surprise, the other children tell him it doesn't really matter to them whether he's an orphan or not. When Gohan tells them where his house is, they all come up with a plan. The next day when the adults leave the van, they are immediately bombarded with rocks. With the men distracted, Pigero commandeers it, then signals to Gohan and the others. They all pile in just as the police show up. Pigero orders the kids to scramble and they all rush to get away, but they are surrounded. While kids are grabbed they fight to keep from being taken. Unfortunately, it's not enough as the police soon overwhelm all of the kids except for Gohan, who barely manages to free Pigero. Then poor Pigero, [[BeingGoodSucks considering the future of the other orphans, grabs Gohan and they escape in a stolen police-car and drive away with tears in his eyes, to the betrayal of the other kids.]] After they've escaped Gohan demands to know why Pigero left the others behind. Pigero tells him his reason is [[IDidWhatIHadToDo because he cannot provide enough for them and that maybe the people from ''the home'' can do more for them.]] After he drops Gohan off, Pigero drives away as he sets off to start a new life. It may have only been a single filler episode, but ''good God''.
** And later on, he finds out he's near home and rushes up the road a smile on his face and sees his house and his Mother inside. He wants to go in and hug Chichi who he hasn't seen in half a year but slowly he realizes what he has to do, his smile fading he turns and runs away from home, just missing his mother, who sensed him for a moment. After a distance, he discovers Piccolo looking down on him and tells him that there will be nothing left if the Saiyans are not stopped and Gohan knows this, abandoning his chance at a normal life so he can protect her.
* The ending to the filler episode "Trouble on Arlia". Vegeta and Nappa kill the tyrant King Moai and Atla, the Arlian who'd tried to befriend the pair is reunited with his wife Lemlia. But as he and Nappa leave, Vegeta almost absentmindedly decides to destroy the entire planet. Just as Atla and Lemlia are reunited no less. Talk about a DownerEnding.
* In the manga and Kai during the break from the Saiyan battle, Piccolo's grief to Gohan only lasted for one moment, too short to be tear-jerking but in the original anime where this is expanded, Piccolo berates Gohan for panicking behind a rock when a good opportunity to attack Nappa while he was defenceless presented itself. While Krillin defends him by saying he's only six years old at that point, and the fact he's even on the battlefield is remarkable enough. Piccolo at that point denounces Gohan as a coward, declares he's wasted all that time training him, refuses Gohan's request to train him in a three-hour break, and finally dismisses him. Krillin tries to call Gohan back as he walks off, and Piccolo won't even face him. However, Piccolo sadly contemplates that he already taught Gohan everything he knows, and maybe as cruel and harsh he was being, that was his way of deciding that Gohan was probably better off going home. Granted the scene was ruined by MoodWhiplash and Nappa's comically [[{{Jerkass}} dickish]] behavior, but apparently in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, it's shown that Gohan's guilt for coming up short back then still affected him.

*** This is even more moving in ''Dragon Ball Kai'' considering that Chiaotzu '''knew''' that he couldn't defeat Nappa and that he had been revived with the Dragon Balls once, and wouldn't be able to be revived again, but the real moving moment is what Chiaotzu says right before he dies:

** The moment leading to Tenshinhan's HeroicSacrifice in the battle against [[TheDragon Nappa]] certainly fits in. As the battle gets intense, an injured Tenshinhan sees his friend Chiaotzu, who has already died, saying sorry for not being strong enough, and then fades away. Then he regains the strength to stand on his feet and say, "Chiaotzu, I won't let your sacrifice be in vain, I promise! This Saiyan goes down right now... or I'll be...with you again soon!" A montage is then shown of the times they had together, and it ends with Tien firing his last one-armed {{Ki|Attacks}}koho at Nappa, which only damaged parts of his armor, and a few scars, before the triclops passes away.

---->'''Nappa:''' ''(to Piccolo and Krillin)'' At least you didn't uselessly self-destruct like that [[TakeThat Pokémon.]]\\
'''Tenshinhan:''' You stupid... ugly... Son of a bitch. His name was Chiaotzu! '''KIKOHO!'''

*** It's even sadder in the dubs. In English (Ocean dub, kept by Funimation until Kai) version, especially one of Piccolo's last lines: "Gohan, you're like the son I never had," while in the Latin American Spanish dub he actually says "I love you" to Gohan.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/222-91_large_5613.jpg]][[caption-width-right:250:[[HeroicSacrifice "Goodbye to you all. Bulma... Trunks... and yes, even you,]] [[WorthyOpponent Kakarot."]]]]

----

* Poor #18's absorption is worse than her brothers, with everyone (save Vegeta, the jerk) trying their hardest to protect her. Even Trunks, who knew her better as the sadistic, AxCrazy version from his BadFuture, only thought about protecting her, only for all his and the others' efforts to amount to nothing.

** Later after Super Buu had absorbed Gotenks and Piccolo, preparing to kill Gohan that he spent physically and mentally torturing, Hercule and Bee try to stop him [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption in spite of being mere mortals to a being stronger than gods]]. Super Buu's reaction is to give them a cold stare of indifference before trying to kill them callously. [[MoralityPet In spite of Good Buu's earlier influence preventing him from doing so earlier]]; Super Buu after gaining more power from his absorptions that whatever influence of good he had was completely suppressed at this point.

** [[spoiler: It wins, leading to a mass murdering, gluttonous brute, who, after absorbing Piccolo, gets Gohan ''real'' nasty in [[BreakThemByTalking Breaking Him by Talking]]; and later reverts to its omnicidal maniac self, one wonders if the Good Buu is being forced to experience this with no way of preventing this.]]

* Let's not forget about Buu turning Chichi, of all people, into an egg and killing her by stepping on her while her son, Goten, watches in horror. Whether you like Chichi or not, it's very traumatizing and horrifying for someone so young as him. May also count as AlasPoorScrappy for those that despised Chichi.

** Let's meditate on this for a minute. Vegeta is saluted by the narrator as one of Earth's greatest warriors. Vegeta, who came to Earth intent on destroying it. Spent almost 3 sagas there as essentially a refugee with no permanent ties, including his son and the boy's mother. To go from the amoral conquering protege/hostage of a psychotic tyrant to a man giving his life for a planet he'd never acknowledge out loud had become his home... that is a transformation as remarkable as any form of Super Saiyan.

* The moment Gohan realizes that things have gotten out of control and that he should have heeded his friends pleas and urgings to destroy Cell when he had the chance.

* Hey what about over protective mom Chichi? Most people after Gohan unintentionally KO-ed the camera's via powering up the [=SSJ2=] couldn't watch any further. Chichi on the other hand had an crystal ball that could let her see what was happening. How do you think it felt for her to watch her precious little boy temporarily turned into an torture-loving sadist?
* Vegeta's UnstoppableRage after Cell kills Future Trunks, followed immediately by his effortless beating by Cell and Gohan taking a blast for him, which left the only warrior strong enough to stop Cell badly injured. Realising that the [[ILetGwenStacyDie death of Trunks]] [[ItsAllMyFault and impending Doomsday]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone were all due to his reckless decisions]], Vegeta sincerely apologises to Gohan.

* When Trunks returns to the future, he explains to his mother all that happened, and Bulma was saddened to learn that despite their efforts, Goku ended up dying in that world anyway, just as it was in their own. But it's cathartic to see the efforts paid off nonetheless, as both Trunks' and Goku's timelines is finally free from the Androids and Cell.

** In a series where DeathIsCheap, the fact that #16 '''''[[DeaderThanDead WAS NEVER REVIVED]]''''' because, as a fully mechanical android, he didn't classify as being alive to begin with hits very hard.

* The speech Goku gives when trying to get Vegeta to fuse with him:

** One of the most heartbreaking fillers would have to be the one when Gohan washes up on a beach and is found by the local [[HeartwarmingOrphan orphans]], titled "Escape From Piccolo". The episode is adorable in that Gohan makes friends with many children his own age for probably the first time in his life. But just as Gohan gets comfortable with his new friends, some people from the local foster home come to take the kids away. Gohan then meets the leader of the kids, [[AFatherToHisMen Pigero]] and helps him protect the orphans. One of the adults tries to tell them that if they come with them, they will go to a place where they will get new clothes and hot meals, but Pigero believes that she is lying and tells her off. Later that night, Gohan explains he still has a mother, and was on his way to see her before he met them. Much to his surprise, the other children tell him it doesn't really matter to them whether he's an orphan or not. When Gohan tells them where his house is, they all come up with a plan. The next day when the adults leave the van, they are immediately bombarded with rocks. With the men distracted, Pigero commandeers it, then signals to Gohan and the others. They all pile in just as the police show up. Pigero orders the kids to scramble and they all rush to get away, but they are surrounded. While kids are grabbed they fight to keep from being taken. Unfortunately, it's not enough as the police soon overwhelm all of the kids except for Gohan, who barely manages to free Pigero. Then poor Pigero, [[BeingGoodSucks considering the future of the other orphans, grabs Gohan and they escape in a stolen police-car and drive away with tears in his eyes, to the betrayal of the other kids.]] After they've escaped Gohan demands to know why Pigero left the others behind, Pigero tells him his reason is [[IDidWhatIHadToDo because he cannot provide enough for them and that maybe the people from ''the home'' can do more for them.]] After he drops Gohan off, Pigero drives away as he sets off to start a new life. It may have only been a single filler episode, but ''good God''.

* Despite Vegeta, allowing himself to be turned evil again being extremely selfish. Selling his soul to bridge the gap between himself and Goku, killing a stadium full of innocent people, and allowing Buu to be revived by his actions. It's still easy to feel sorry for him. As he explains, even after years of living on Earth with the Z fighters, he's still confused why people would be kind to each other, calling the heroes weak for being [[LoveIsAWeakness sentimental]]. He's still behaving much like the man who kidnapped him and murdered his father all those years ago. It's easy to forget underneath all that badassary that there was a little boy stolen from his father and forced to live a life chosen for him by someone else, and it's sad to see Vegeta just can't fully escape Frieza's influence.

* Everything leading up to Vegeta's death against Fat Buu. EVERYTHING

* In the Majin Buu Saga, after Vegeta knocks Trunks unconscious so he can fight Buu alone Goten, understandably confused, freaks out and demands why he did it. This might just be mostly due to the voice acting, but as soon as he gets to "Why did you hit him? Why did you hurt him?" ALWAYS gets to me. Just how innocent he is and how confused he is really comes out there.

** Gohan's understandable distress at thought of his own mother trying to kill him.