History TearJerker / GuiltyGear

** Aria finally moves on, as Jack-o' acknowledges to Sol that she won't be coming back.

** '''Sol Badguy dies.''' To be more specific, the identity that Frederick Bulsara had built up over the last century as an InvincibleHero bounty hunter. He is declared killed in action in order to stop the current world from being destroyed by I-No, but this allows him to finally settle down with Jack-O', now fully aware of her identity as Aria, as regular humans after Asuka removes their powers from them.

** Jack-O', or ratehr Aria Hale, is fully brought back when she finally remembers and acknowledges her love for Frederick.

** Zato's theme, ''Let Me Carve Your Way'', describes how deep down, Zato yearns for the lost memories of his previous life. Why? Because even though he doesn't know how evil and insane he was back then, he still loved Millia with all his heart. And now because of his resurrection, he's lost his emotions in addition to his memories, except his love for Millia. Yet, because he has no emotions, he doesn't understand why she drives him forward. The end portion also suggests that, if he doesn't like what he finds out about his past, he will still always love Millia no matter what and continue supporting her.

** I-No's [[KilledOffForReal death]]. She is finally able to come to terms with what she is in her final moments as I-No. As her current form dies at the hands of Frederick Bulsara, she uses the last of her power to effectively be reborn as Megumi once more via switching places with her, allowing Megumi to take I-No's place in the present and granting her fellow time traveler's wish, as well as fulfilling her dream of giving at least one person a happy future. A heart-wrenching yet satisfying end to one of the legendary villains in fighting game history.

** I-No's, [[KilledOffForReal death]]. She is finally able to come to terms with what she is in her final moments as I-No. As her current form dies at the hands of Frederick Bulsara, she uses the last of her power to effectively be reborn as Megumi once more via switching places with her, allowing Megumi to take I-No's place in the present and granting her fellow time traveler's wish, as well as fulfilling her dream of giving at least one person a happy future. A heart-wrenching yet satisfying end to one of the legendary villains in fighting game history.

** I-No, who is Axl's former girlfriend Megumi, is finally able to come to terms with what she is in her final moments as I-No. As her current form dies at the hands of Frederick Bulsara, she uses the last of her power to effectively be reborn as Megumi via switching places with her, allowing Megumi to take I-No's place in the present and granting her fellow time traveler's wish, as well as fulfilling her dream of giving at least one person a happy future.

** The music that plays during this scene, ''The Name of Heaven'', doesn't help matters either. It's an emotional ballad about finally experiencing true freedom and eternal bliss.

** I-No, who is Axl's former girlfriend Megumi, is finally able to come to terms with what she is in her final moments as I-No. As her current form dies at the hands of Frederick Bulsara, she uses the last of her power to effectively be reborn as Megumi via switching places with her, allowing Megumi to take I-No's place in the present and granting her fellow time traveler's wish, as well as fulfilling her dream of giving at least one person a happy future.

** The music that plays during this scene, ''The Name of Heaven'', doesn't help matters either. It's an emotional ballad about finally experiencing true freedom and eternal bliss.

** I-No's theme, ''Requiem'', is a dramatic and bombastic tune normally, but the lyrics describe I-No's true motivations behind her actions. Beneath her two-faced personality is a deeply hurt woman who only wanted to use her powers to create a bright future for all of humanity, but the more she used her powers the more disaster and tragedy she caused. The numerous alternate futures she created eventually drove her to despair and insanity, to the point where she's all but given up on her ideals.

** Zato's theme, ''Let Me Carve Your Way'', describes how deep down, Zato yearns for the lost memories of his previous life. Why? Because even though he doesn't know how evil and insane he was back then, he still loved Millia with all his heart. And now because of his resurrection, he's lost his emotions in addition to his memories, except his love for Millia. Yet, because he has no emotions, he doesn't understand why she drives him forward. The end portion also suggests that, if he doesn't like what he finds out about his past, he will still always love Millia no matter what and continue supporting her.

** Faust's theme at first is a standard heavy metal track, but during the chorus changes to a more melancholy melody with lyrics that are unusually somber. It mixes in a sense of dread fitting to his sudden insanity, but also hints at Faust struggling with himself. In addition, the lyrics are both deranged and very depressing, with copious amounts of distorted, dual-toned [[MetalScream Metal Screams]] that give the impression that Faust is struggling with his own identity. Lastly, after the 2nd verse, the song suddenly cuts to a quiet, sad-sounding ballad.
** His new voice and dialogue doesn't help either. Gone is the jovial, funny doctor we all came to know. In his place is a depressed, broken shell of a man that is very noticeably losing his humanity. And whatever turned him into...''that'' has left him unable to speak anything but sentence fragments of things he used to say. He has become the same type of being as that of a character from ''Guilty Gear's'' sister series ''Franchise/BlazBlue'': Arakune. And all his attempts to retain the person he used to be fail tragically, as shown in his Respect where he pulls out a flower and tries to give it to his opponent, but it withers, causing poor Faust to cry.

* Jack-O', once finally ready to merge with Justice and resurrect Aria, finds herself unable to do so. Why? Because the parts of Aria still in Justice have been tormented by the [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone memories of the atrocities she unwillingly committed]] during the Crusades. And there's no guarantee she won't remember it once she's properly resurrected either.

** His new voice and dialogue doesn't help either. Gone is the jovial, funny doctor we all came to know. In his place is a depressed, broken shell of a man that is very noticeably losing his humanity. And whatever turned him into...''that'' has left him unable to speak anything but sentence fragments of things he used to say. He has become the same type of being as that of a character from ''Guilty Gear's'' sister series ''[[Franchise/BlazBlue]]'': Arakune. And all his attempts to retain the person he used to be fail tragically, as shown in his Respect where he pulls out a flower and tries to give it to his opponent, but it withers, causing poor Faust to cry.

** Hearing his new voice makes it worse. The wacky doctor we all knew is truly gone, replaced by a depressed and ''broken'' shell of a man who sounds like he's completely lost the will to live.

** Faust's theme at first is a standard heavy metal track, but during the chorus changes to a more melancholy melody with lyrics that are unusually somber. It mixes in a sense of dread fitting to his sudden insanity, but also hints at Faust struggling with himself. In addition, the lyrics are both deranged and very depressing, with copious amounts of distorted, dual-toned [[MetalScream Metal Screams]] that give the impression that Faust is struggling with his own identity. Lastly, after the 2nd verse, the song suddenly cuts to a quiet, sad-sounding ballad.

!!Drama CD

!!''Guilty Gear 1, X, and XX''

* Sol's ending in the first game. This is the moment that establishes Sol's characterization as a ByronicHero, and kickstarts the plot of the series. A mortally-wounded Justice furiously demands to know why Sol, a Gear, is immune to her mind control abilities as a Commander Gear. Sol reveals he is the Prototype Gear, and Justice's last words are her realizing that Sol is the man she once knew as Frederick, and wishing that she, him, and That Man could be together again . With those words, a shocking and tragic revelation dawns upon Sol - Justice might somehow be Aria, his former lover, and he has just killed her, losing her for a second time.[[note]]Note that the original [=PS1=] release is a ''lot'' more vague on all this, invoking no names, and had people speculating as to the relationship between Sol, Justice, and That Man for the better part of fifteen years. It was ''Xrd'' that clarified a number of points, though the Accent Core version filled in one or two details.[[/note]] Enraged, Sol swears to find That Man and beat some answers out of him.
--> ''Sol, the Guilty Gear, stared at his bloodstained hands and prayed... prayed for the soul of the grotesque sacrifice lying at his feet.''
** Ever thought this could be any sadder? Justice's story mode ending in Accent Core Plus is this exact scene, same lines of dialogue and all, but now with voice acting.

-->'''Raven''': [[GoMadFromTheIsolation "No one... no one can recognize me!"]]

* ''Side Red'' has a very, very tragic end where a very young Ky dies horribly after [[LastStand fighting a horde of Gears alone]] [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl to save]] a woman named [[ManipulativeBitch I-No.]] Sol similarly hacks his way through but arrives too late. Ky struggles to breathe and talk and begged Sol to take his place as the next leader of the Holy Knights while Sol is beginning to cry. Ky drops dead and we hear Sol screaming his name. Later on, we see Sol honoring Ky's wishes when acts as the order's leader for the following years. *Sniff*

** Other fans see this scene as {{Narm}} because's of Sol's cry and the choice of BGM.

--> '''Sol''': ''Answer me one thing! Valentine... She looked as if she were a living copy of Aria...! No, she herself was Aria... Bastard, was that your doing too?'' \\

!!Guilty Gear 1, X, and XX

!Guilty Gear 2: Overture (and Short Stories)

!!Guilty Gear Xrd

!!Guilty Gear Strive

** A later scene shows a character only shown from the legs down standing over [[spoiler: the remains of Bedman's body]] before teleporting away. The character's legs have the same markings as Bedman's. [[spoiler: So either Bedman was able to resurrect himself, only his spirit remains...or the character was in fact ''Delilah'', coming across what was left of the brother who just wanted to see her again. The latter is currently the most likely possibility, as the English localization says in the text box for character names "A girl" when the mystery character appears. However it's also possible that it's a gender-ambiguous pronoun in the original Japanese, since it is quite easy to do that over there.]]

-->[[spoiler: '''Johnny''']]: "[[DisappearedDad Pops...]] [[PleaseWakeUp Wake up... it's still the afternoon...]]"
-->[[spoiler: '''Elphelt''']]: "No, [[AbusiveParents Mother]], please! Stop! I-I can't...!"

-->[[spoiler: '''Sin''']]: "Wait, what're you...? No! [[spoiler: Mom!]]"
-->[[spoiler: '''Baiken''']]: "I remember that face! [[DarkAndTroubledPast I REMEMBER!!]]"
* TheStinger of ''Revelator''. [[spoiler:That Man is finally unmasked as Asuka R. Kreutz, Sol's old [[VitriolicBestBuds Vitriolic Best Bud]] and partner in the Gear Project, and it seems like they have no reason to fight now that Aria's been saved... except they both know they're [[IveComeTooFar well beyond the point of talking it out]]. There's too much history for just words at this point. Even Sin notes the air of tragedy to the situation. Also, while Sol's words seem like he's finally eager to settle the score once and for all, his tone of voice is noticeably softer and calmer. Even though both men have finally come to terms now that the truth has been revealed, they've fully committed and accepted that this is simply the way it ''must'' be, without exception.]]

** And then the After Story DLC added alongside the ''Rev 2'' update makes his backstory even sadder. After gaining his abilities, he began WalkingTheEarth helping people as a MessianicArchetype figure. His immortality and RealityWarper abilities were revered by all, and soon they began viewing him as a god. Unfortunately, because of that, the people he helped relied on him too heavily and as such were not willing to help themselves in his absence. They began blaming and eventually hating Raven for any misfortunes that occurred while he was away. That's when he realized, in his own words, that in the end he was nothing more than a "glorified repairman". [[spoiler: Raven tells this to That Man, or rather Asuka R. Kreutz, as he's putting his plan to fight Sol into motion, admitting that he considers Asuka a true friend for being the one who gave him a reason to live after being lost in despair for so long.]]
* Jack'O, surprisingly, is the center of one in her Arcade Mode: [[spoiler: when she and Raven are confronted by Sol, Ramlethal and Sin. After winning against Sol, she agrees to remove her mask and tell him who she is, and as she explains her origins as a Valentine and one of Aria's halves, she goes from her usual silly and child-like persona ''to her more serious and mature one, staying as such for the rest of the talk''}. Hell, Jack'O even apologizes to Sol because she cannot remember him clearly, then says that she still can feel some of Aria's emotions in her, telling her how important Sol was in her past life as such. Aside of being quite the WhamEpisode in the story, it's a huge SugarWiki/SheReallyCanAct moment for Creator/HiromiIgarashi, whose acting is ''perfect''.]]

* ''Side Red'' has a very, very tragic end where a very young Ky [[spoiler:dies horribly after]] [[LastStand fighting a horde of Gears alone]] [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl to save]] a woman named [[ManipulativeBitch I-No.]] Sol similarly hacks his way through but arrives too late. [[spoiler:Ky struggles to breathe and talk and begged Sol to take his place as the next leader of the Holy Knights while Sol is beginning to cry. Ky drops dead and we hear Sol screaming his name. Later on, we see Sol honoring Ky's wishes when acts as the order's leader for the following years.]] *Sniff*

** And if you're wondering how this could get any sadder, Dizzy is also present in ''Side Red''. But this isn't the Dizzy you know. This is a Dizzy who's been totally broken by humanity's hostility towards Gears and has ended up just like her mother Justice, hating humans and wanting nothing more than to see them all dead just so that Gears can have a chance at existing. It's both chilling and heart-wrenching to hear that sweet girl acting the complete opposite of how she does in the main series. [[spoiler: And with -REVELATOR- revealing that, yes, Sol is her father, it retroactively makes the Drama CD's ending even more tragic. Sol was forced to kill his lover Aria, and now ''he has to kill his own daughter''.]]

* Sol's ending in the first game. This is the moment that establishes Sol's characterization as a ByronicHero, and kickstarts the plot of the series. A mortally-wounded Justice furiously demands to know why Sol, a Gear, is immune to her mind control abilities as a Commander Gear. Sol reveals he is the Prototype Gear, and Justice's last words are her realizing that Sol is the man she once knew as Frederick, and wishing that she, him, and That Man could be together again . With those words, a shocking and tragic revelation dawns upon Sol - [[spoiler:Justice might somehow be Aria, his former lover, and he has just killed her, losing her for a second time]].[[note]]Note that the original [=PS1=] release is a ''lot'' more vague on all this, invoking no names, and had people speculating as to the relationship between Sol, Justice, and That Man for the better part of fifteen years. It was ''Xrd'' that clarified a number of points, though the Accent Core version filled in one or two details.[[/note]] Enraged, Sol swears to find That Man and beat some answers out of him.

* Ky's story post ''Accent Core'' as narrated by the short stories. [[spoiler:He and Dizzy were living happily and expecting their first child, until the Conclave summoned him and practically "volunteered" him to be their puppet king of Illyria. When he declined, they told how they ''know about Dizzy.'' In Sol's story, Ky was even described as someone who looked really unhealthy and stressed. When Sol was beating Ky after a heated meeting, Ky and Dizzy's toddler son, Sin (the cause of said beating; bringing the kid into the world just made the lives of Sol '''and''' Ky harder as far as the bounty hunter was concerned), pleads with Sol to stop hurting his dad, since he knows Dizzy cries when such things happen; Ky cries at the scene, and Sol couldn't bring himself to continue. Later on, Ky and Dizzy lets go of their beloved child and entrusts him to [[ParentalSubstitute Sol]] for his own safety.]]
* The scene where Sol is inside Valentine's fortress. [[spoiler: Imagine killing the remnants of your dead girlfriend all the while hearing her voice around you- angry, happy, crying or saying ''I love you.'' Once Sol defeats her, they call each other by their real names.]]

** What's worse, right before That Man [[VillainousRescue sends Sol out of the now-sealed off Backyard]], Sol's conversation with That Man has the latter allude to [[spoiler:Justice's death at Sol's hands back in the first game]]. Therefore, Sol's lot in life is such: [[spoiler:Your lover is converted into what is intended to be the next step in human evolution (heavily implied to be a unwitting conversion at that) but loses her memories in the process and is subsequently horrified by the evils mankind is capable of, turning against her creators and causing 100+ years of genocide in which Japan is all but wiped off of the map. And who has to put her down? You do, using the powers you gained from also being converted against your will. Five years later, you have to do the same to her pitiable clone, who spends most of the game acting like a dutiful child running errands for her "Mother" and later breaks down, going into a maddening rage once she fails at that task.]]

* The heartwarming moment with Sin and Ramlethal when they look up at the night sky is interrupted by Bedman, who makes his entrance by [[spoiler:killing the puppy Ramlethal was caring for, all to teach her the meaning of the word "replacement" and show her that she is unique. He creates a new puppy for Ramlethal, bearing the same likeness as the original, but unlike the first puppy it doesn't bite her. Ramlethal notices and points out that it's not the same as the one she grew to care for, nearly having a breakdown. Even Bedman himself is shaken at what he had to do.]]
* Both ending themes count as this when you factor FridgeBrilliance into the equation. [[spoiler: Both songs are actually about Sol pining away for [[TheLostLenore Aria]] and lamenting about how he could [[YouCantGoHomeAgain no longer bring back the past]]. In fact the end theme for the console version, ''Icarus'', seems like just any generic sad song about shattered dreams and a lost love at first until you reach Story Mode and are treated to a flashback where Aria asks Sol if he ever wondered how it felt to be like a bird, and instead gets treated to a short debate between Frederick and That Man on the merits of idealism and romanticism vs. realism and stoicism. The man likely never got over how much of a hardcase he had been to a woman who was [[GenkiGirl simply trying to get him to open up and dream]], and is now merely living out his days filled with regret.]]
** Revelator's ending theme, Freesia, is even worse. [[spoiler: Even though he knows full well that he's met a lot of people who do care for him over his 100+-year-long life, Sol still isn't willing to open up, and still feels absolutely miserable without Aria. The fact that this ending theme can happen right after his ending, where Jack-O' reveals that she, for all intents and purposes, IS Aria, truly maximizes the heart-wrenching factor of the song. And then it goes beyond even that when, thanks to revelations later on in the story, the song can also apply to Aria herself. She isn't willing to merge with Jack-O' and come back to life because of her regret over what the Universal Will made her do as Justice.]]

* [[spoiler: The Kiske family reunion. Every moment of it. Dizzy is finally brought back after years of being sealed, and Sin finally calls Ky "Dad" for the first time.]]
* [[spoiler: Three words: ''Ky getting shot''. One of the most powerful scenes in the entire story, even before TheReveal that he survives because he's now part-Gear.]]
* Elphelt's fate. [[spoiler: After being stopped by Sol, she begins to disappear. Despite being shielded by Absolute Defense: Felion, Sol continues punching at it in order to jog her memory and bring the Elphelt that they all know back. After coming to her senses, she attempts to self-destruct as her last act of having free will, but is stopped by Ramlethal, who finally gains emotions and tells her to hold out hope that they will save her. With tears in her eyes, Elphelt ascends into the sky and vanishes, saying she will do her best.]]
* [[spoiler:The flashback of the destruction of Japan. ''No one was happy''. The scientist who'd be known as That Man turned Aria into the Justice that destroyed Japan because of desperation that an unknown force is coming out from Japan and would wipe out humanity. We saw how That Man sounded full of anguish as he overrode the command for Justice to unleash the Gamma Ray on Japan, and in the end [[IDidWhatIHadToDo apologized for what he had to do.]] Compounding on this, Aria, internally, for all her later bluster as Justice was utterly devastated at the damage she caused.]]

* Elphelt's Episode Mode story in ''Revelator''. Full stop. [[spoiler: At first, it seems like she's forgotten everything and has returned to her original programming of finding true love, but being forbidden by the Universal Will to actually fall in love. In her sub-boss fight, it's revealed that all of her experinces from the 1st fight onwards have been a simulation. She is presented with a simulation of Sol that acts absolutely nothing like him, until Bedman decides he has had enough of Ariels' simulation and pleads with Elphelt in a heartfelt manner to not wake up from the dream-state she's in. Elphelt doesn't listen, and when she wakes up, '''she is inside of Justice, acting as her core'''.]]
* Axl's predicament in ''Revelator''. [[spoiler: In his Arcade Mode story, he finds out that both he and I-no, who are time travelers, aren't even human. They're beings called "magical foci" which are formed in the Backyard from people's deepest desires, and have the ability to change the course of the future. Because of their immense, world-altering power, they are seen as "errors" by the Backyard. Jack-O' then reveals to him that he cannot go back to his own timeline, because that possibility no longer exists. The current world has rendered it impossible, and if he does decide to do something to change that, then the current world will be destroyed - erased from the flow of time and overwritten by Axl's decision. He spends the entirety of Story Mode in a deep depression, completely lost on what to do until the very end, where he chooses the current world over his dream of seeing his girlfriend Megumi again. He bursts into tears as he saves Sol.]]
* Ramlethal's [[spoiler: DisneyDeath halfway through the story]]. She and Sin go off to investigate a town which they know is likely a trap. [[spoiler: And they are right. A massive Gear spawns right on top of them and is about to self-destruct. Ram orders Sin to leave and she attempts to leave after him, only to find a defenseless girl which she grabs but then is stopped by one of [[BigBad Ariels's]] EliteMooks, so she instructs Lucifero to take the girl away. Because of this she is unable to outrun the explosion and is only able to give a [[WhenSheSmiles smile]] before the explosion overtakes her. What makes this worse is that this HeroicSacrifice was all in vain, the girl was just a clever illusion created by Ariels, who then mocks Elphelt for even having the idea that emotions makes them better people]].
** Result: [[spoiler: Ramlethal's presumed death leaves Sin ''[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness emotionally wrecked]]'', despite him hiding it later on. When the final battle begins, he ''loses it'' and [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil explodes in rage]] at Ariels for using her own daughters as tools.]]
* Also, the confrontation between Sol and [[spoiler:That Man. Sol had his ''suspicions'' before, but he now has to confront the fact that he absolutely, positively did kill Aria when he took down Justice. It's actually Ky who helps him through it, and the ''scream'' of anguish can still be heard from outside the walls of the Illyrian Palace.]]
* [[spoiler: As of ''Revelator'', '''Bedman's entire existence'''. He and his sister were born with a condition that caused their minds to accelerate and grow at a rapid pace, but this rendered their bodies ill and frail because they couldn't keep up with the speed at which their minds processed information. To save their lives, their parents had no other option but to put them into a permanent state of sleep. Their minds, however, had accelerated to the point where they could potentially kill people from the dream world, because the dream world is, in fact, the Backyard. The Universal Will found him and lured him into becoming her pawn in exchange for the Absolute World. He was tricked into believing that the "Absolute World" meant that he could see his sister again and be able to leave a lasting mark on reality without the need for killing. Ariels used him as her personal assassin, but he continued rolling with it because the ends justified his means. His entire motivations are then shattered by Robo-Ky, and he is defeated by Venom. He declares his intentions to use his remaining life to tend to the victims, but Ariels reveals her deception in a sickeningly cruel fashion, and reveals that the Absolute World is one in which all of humanity is destroyed and replaced with her "perfect humans". Bedman flies into a rage at his betrayal and the weight of his sins finally dawning on him, and defiantly but futilely tries to defeat Ariels. He then dies by turning into stone and crumbling away, regretfully crying that he has to atone.]]

!Drama CD

!Guilty Gear 1, X, and XX

!Guilty Gear Xrd

!Guilty Gear Strive

** The trailer music for Faust at first is a heavy metal rendition with fittingly deranged lyrics, but halfway through changes to a more melancholy melody with lyrics that are unusually somber. It mixes in a sense of dread fitting to his sudden insanity, but also hints at Faust struggling with himself.

* Ky's story post ''Accent Core'' as narrated by the short stories. [[spoiler:He and Dizzy were living happily and expecting their first child when the government calls him and practically "volunteered" him to be their puppet king. When he refused, they told how they ''know about Dizzy.'' In Sol's story, Ky was even described as someone who looked really unhealthy and stressed. When Sol was beating Ky after a heated meeting, Ky and Dizzy's toddler son, Sin (the cause of said beating; bringing the kid into the world just made the lives of Sol '''and''' Ky harder as far as the bounty hunter was concerned), pleads with Sol to stop hurting his dad, since he knows Dizzy cries when such things happen; Ky cries at the scene, and Sol couldn't bring himself to continue. Later on, Ky and Dizzy lets go of their beloved child and entrusts him to [[ParentalSubstitute Sol]] for his own safety.]]

* Faust's redesign is not only terrifying, but also really sad and depressing when you think about it. That lovable, crazy bag-headed doctor who always seemed to be in high spirits you once knew? Gone. It's very clear that Faust has seen better days. He's traded in his doctor's uniform for that of a surgeon's, which evokes his very tragic backstory as Dr. Baldhead. His entire body looks like it's in awful shape, like at any moment he could just suddenly fall apart at the seams. Quite literally in fact, because upon closer inspection his body has a bunch of stitches in it. It's also horribly emaciated and skinny, looking like it's been stretched WAY out of proportion. His entire character model is framed in shadow regardless of the stage's lighting, giving off very gloomy vibes. He walks like a zombie, seemingly aimless and without purpose. Even his moveset has taken on a much darker turn. He no longer cheerfully pops in through doors made out of thin air or swims through solid ground. Instead, he morphs into scarecrows and ''eats the opponent alive'' before releasing them through a plain-Jane dimensional hole. Whatever happened to Faust in-between games, it's not pretty.