History TearJerker / FateZero

** [[spoiler:Rider asking Waver Velvet to be his "retainer," with Waver professing his undying loyalty to Broskander.]]

** Not quite a Tearjerker, but Kirei's brief-but-unmistakable reaction when [[spoiler: Kiritsugu looks right through him]]. For someone who rarely responds to anything besides physical pain and ''schadenfreude'', it's telling that he doesn't derive any joy from seeing [[spoiler:Emiya Kiritsugu broken]]. If anything, it reminds us that Kirei, despite having fully embraced his inner nature, still retains his humanity.

** Being TheStoic, distant, cruelly practical Magus that he is, you wouldn't think Kiritsugu would be able to inspire this with one sentence. However, his realization that "Ilya weighs less than that Walther" (the Walther being his sniper rifle) and his reaction to this simply convey despair and depression and hopelessness far better than anything else ever could.

* Numerous occasions. [[spoiler: Lancer's shock and grief at being betrayed, Berserker's final moments with Saber, Saber herself - there are too many to count.]]
** Lancer's [[spoiler: betrayal deserves a special mention here. In the previous episode, he'd just proven himself to be probably the most heroic Servant thus far, willingly giving up one of his Noble Phantasms and strengthening a future opponent to stop a kaiju from killing thousands of people who will never know his name. Then in this one, he was actually winning his duel with Saber - watch the positions when he and Saber have their weapons at each others' throats. Saber is already fully extended, but Lancer still has reach - that is, Saber can't do anything, but Lancer just needs to step back and extend his arms and he'd have stabbed Saber in the throat. Then Kayneth activates his command spell. What follows is the tragic screaming of a knight who just wanted an honorable battle and probably the best summation of the Grail War - nothing less than hell on earth.]]
** Kariya Matou's farewell to Sakura after having just been infested by Zouken's insects in an effort to prevent Sakura from having to take part in the [[FateStayNight Fifth War]]. "It seems I've already lost [a bit] to the bugs inside me. I guess I'm not as strong as you..."

* The final conversations in the series, between [[spoiler:Emiya Kiritsugu and Shirou Kiritsugu, and the full conversation between Shirley and Kiritsugu from Kerry's childhood.]]

** Lancer's [[spoiler: betrayal deserves a special mention here. In the previous episode, he'd just proven himself to be probably the most heroic Servant thus far, willingly giving up one of his Noble Phantasms and strengthening a future opponent to stop a kaiju from killing thousands of people who will never know his name. Then in this one, he was actually winning his duel with Saber - watch the positions when he and Saber have their weapons at each others' throats. Saber is already fully extended, but Lancer still has reach - that is, Saber can't do anything, but Lancer just needs to step back and extend his arms and he'd have stabbed Saber in the throat. Then Kayneth activates his command spell...]]
*** [[spoiler: Actually, saber isn't fully extended, her arm's roughly at an 20 degree angle or so]].

* One of the last scenes in the fourth novel, Kiritsugu [[spoiler:having his [[TheNeedsOfTheMany methods in saving people]] brutally deconstructed by Angra Mainyu, which not only reveals [[KillEmAll how exactly the Grail is planning to grant his wish]]; it forces Kiritsugu to experience (and in some cases, ''re''-experience) killing everyone he ever loved and cared about. The kicker, though, is when the Grail reveals what Kiritsugu's true, hidden desire is- to live a happy life with Irisviel and Ilya, a wish that he sacrificed to save the world... and then Kiritsugu proceeds to reject the Grail, which involves shooting the hallucination of Ilya in the head and strangling what's more or less an Avenger-possessed Irisviel, and "she" "dies" cursing him. His last words to her before she dies? "I will save the world". His last words to ''Ilya''? "Daddy loves Ilya too... I swear, no matter what happens, that's true..."]]

-->[[spoiler:The Azoth dagger, which had been a proof of love and trust, slipped between two ribs to pierce Tokiomi’s heart.]]

LightNovel/FateZero. As the {{prequel}} to VisualNovel/FateStayNight [[ForegoneConclusion we automatically know that this series]] [[DownerEnding would not end well]]. Here are some of the occasions where this plays out during and after the war.

LightNovel/FateZero. As the {{prequel}} to VisualNovel/FateStayNight [[ForegoneConclusion we automatically know that this series]] [[DownerEnding would not end well]].

LightNovel/FateZero. As the {{prequel}} to VisualNovel/FateStayNight [[ForgoneConclusion we automatically know that this series]] [[DownerEnding would not end well]].

** Not quite a Tearjerker, but Kirei's brief-but-unmistakable reaction when [[spoiler: Kiritsugu looks right through him]]. For someone who rarely responds to anything besides physical pain and ''schadenfreude'', it's telling that he doesn't derive any joy from seeing [[spoiler:Emiya Kiritsugu broken]].

** Allow me to reiterate: [[spoiler: He decided to save the woman he loves, who tortured him while he was helpless and was planning to leave him for Lancer, who was going to leave her anyway. True love indeed. ]]

* One of the last scenes in the fourth novel, Kiritsugu [[spoiler:having his [[TheNeedsOfTheMany methods in saving people]] brutally deconstructed by Angra Mainyu, which not only reveals [[KillEmAll how exactly the Grail is planning to grant his wish]; it forces Kiritsugu to experience (and in some cases, ''re''-experience) killing everyone he ever loved and cared about. The kicker, though, is when the Grail reveals what Kiritsugu's true, hidden desire is- to live a happy life with Irisviel and Ilya, a wish that he sacrificed to save the world... and then Kiritsugu proceeds to reject the Grail, which involves shooting the hallucination of Ilya in the head and strangling what's more or less an Avenger-possessed Irisviel, and "she" "dies" cursing him. His last words to her before she dies? "I will save the world". His last words to ''Ilya''? "Daddy loves Ilya too... I swear, no matter what happens, that's true..."]]

* One of the last scenes in the fourth novel, Kiritsugu [[spoiler:having his [[TheNeedsOfTheMany methods in saving people]] brutally deconstructed by Angra Mainyu, which reveals that not only [[KillEmAll how exactly the Grail is planning to grant his wish]], it forces Kiritsugu to experience (and in some cases, ''re''-experience) killing everyone he ever loved and cared about. The kicker, though, is when the Grail reveals what Kiritsugu's true, hidden desire is- to live a happy life with Irisviel and Ilya, a wish that he sacrificed to save the world... and then Kiritsugu to proceeds to reject the Grail, which involves shooting the hallucination of Ilya in the head and strangling what's more or less an Avenger-possessed Irisviel, and "she" "dies" cursing him. His last words to her before she dies? "I will save the world". His last words to ''Ilya''? "Daddy loves Ilya too... I swear, no matter what happens, that's true..."]]

* In the penultimate episode of the anime, Kariya's [[spoiler: death. His body finally gives out from the strain of the worms and he just sort of...falls over. Alone in a dark basement, and no one really cares.]] The fact that he appears to be ''smiling'' makes it even worse.

** The tense confrontation between [[spoiler:Waver and Archer, where Waver stands up to Archer, proclaims his duty to Iskander to live, and ''earns Archer's respect'' before being left alone to break down and mourn over his fallen friend with ManlyTears]] Doubles as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.

** Allow me to reiterate: [[spoiler: He decided to save the woman he loves,who tortured him while he was helpless and was planning to leave him for Lancer,who was going to leave her anyway. True love indeed. ]]

*** Notch it UpToEleven when [[spoiler:TheReveal of Berserker's true identity takes place,]] and plunges Saber into a serious HeroicBSOD. Seeing/reading about her breaking down [[spoiler:Even as Berserker delivered a vicious NoHoldsBarredBeatdown]] brought this troper close to breaking down as well.

*** [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone What.....have I...]]

** Kariya Matou's farewell to Sakura after having just been infested by [[CompleteMonster Zouken's]] insects in an effort to prevent Sakura from having to take part in the [[FateStayNight Fifth War]]. "It seems I've already lost [a bit] to the bugs inside me. I guess I'm not as strong as you..."

-->[[spoiler:The Azoth dagger, which had been a proof of love and trust, slipped between two ribs to pierce Tokiomi’s heart.]]

* YourMileageMayVary, but Kotomine Kirei [[spoiler:''begging'' Kiritsugu to let Angra Mainyu be born]]. It comes off as Kotomine's last attempt to reconcile the path he's tried to follow with his own nature, before he embraces it wholeheartedly.

* Tokiomi, after a heartfelt farewell in which he entrusted Kirei with, essentially, the Tohsaka's future, [[spoiler:is murdered by Kirei, who's conspiring with Gilgamesh, and results in his wife suffering brain-damage.]] The anime precedes it with a PetTheDog moment with Aoi and Rin, while the light novel features has Tokiomi say: