History TearJerker / HaloReach

* Kat [[spoiler: getting killed by a lucky Covenant shot.]]

*** For what it's worth... That Field Marshal is probably the same one you fight at the end of ''The Pillar of Autumn.'' It won't bring her back, but... killing him gives you, if not some small amount of Schadenfreude, then at least satisfaction.

**** [[ItGotWorse Even worse,]] right after the new [[spoiler:Covenant fleet appears, Six]] lands, wounded on re-entry. With nothing but a pistol, s/he makes it up a hill and spots a large city, mostly smoldering, with a huge Covie ship floating above, while some of the most heart-wrenching music in the entire series plays [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBsHTZYtb3A (Up to 1:28 on this vid.)]] YMMV on this, but this moment nearly caused a Heroic BSOD for me.

** If you have subtitles on, [[ItGotWorse it only goes downhill from there.]] NOBLE Team are not the only ones in that bunker. As shown by the subtitles, civillians have gone in earlier to escape the glassing. They try and comfort each other, but realistically, they're probably terrified for their lives, even as they soothe their companions. When the team is extracted, no one else is there. Make of that what you will.

** If you have subtitles on, [[ItGotWorse it only goes downhill from there.]] NOBLE Team are not the only ones in that bunker. As shown by the subtitles, civillians have gone in earlier to escape the glassing. When the team is extracted, no one else is there. Make of that what you will. They try and comfort each other, but realistically, they're probably terrified for their lives, even as they soothe their companions.

* Understanding of the ''Halo'' universe will have some Fridge Tearjerker. Dr. Halsey's hostility towards the [=SPARTANs=]'s was engendered by suspicion, since they weren't "her" [=SPARTANs=]. Her attitude change is tearjerking stuff, especially her final farewell to Noble Six.
* This would belong under Nightmare Fuel, but such a page doesn't exist, so I feel like it belongs here in the meantime. The Covenant. The [[CannonFodder Grunts]] are still cowardly who run, the [[TheBrute Brutes]] are still savages, the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Elites]] are still sword-wielding samurai aliens, and the Jackalsare still moving cover, but there's something about the redesign with the Covenant species that makes you seem...puny. It's almost like you're finally realizing that the Covenant are more than just bumbling [[AliensSpeakingEnglish comical armies]]. Hell, [[GrossUpCloseUp the Elite that roars at Six]] in WINTER CONTINGENCY; the Elites did not have those menacing teeth at Alpha Halo or the Ark!

* Understanding of the ''Halo'' universe will have some Fridge Tearjerker. Dr. Halsey's hostility towards the [=SPARTANs=]'s was engendered by suspicion, since they weren't "her" [=SPARTANs=]. Her attitude change is tearjerking stuff, especially her final farewell to Noble Six.

* [[HeroicSacrifice "Negative, Sir. I have the gun."]] Followed by, [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture "This is the Pillar of Autumn. We're away...and The Package is with us."]]

* "You're on your own, Noble. [[spoiler: Carter]] out." '''(BOOM!)'''

* TearJerker: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7peRIR9qS0Y&feature=related The last level]]. [[spoiler: Reach is covered in dust, fog, and ruins. Painfully beautiful piano music plays. Six stands tall, and watches the Covenant destroy the planet. He/she gets ready for his/her last stand. It's the end of the Halo saga. As the gameplay begins, the title rolls in: ''There'll Be Another Time..."''.]] [[SandInMyEyes Don't look at me like that, I'm just sweating from my eyes.]] And if you're not overcome with ManlyTears, you ''will'' be by the time you've watched the final cutscene.

* "I'M READY! HOW ABOUT YOU?" Sayonara, ya crazy bastard...

*** [[spoiler:And then, directly after Jorge sacrifices himself to destroy the ship and tosses you off on your gravity propelled trip to terra, you look to the right to see that his sacrifice is rendered pointless as the [[OhCrap ENTIRE DAMN COVENANT FLEET pops out of slipspace]], filled to the brim with ships exactly like the one that was about to 'cleanse the taint' all by its lonesome. It was enough to propel this Troper into a 2 hour funk, curled up in a corner and crying. [[FreemansMind Because what do you do when something that big wants to kill you?]] It was made worse by my building hope that, maybe, we can defy canon! Maybe we can save Reach and survive and save them all!... Well, Troper, [[BeyondGoodandEvil you were wrong. Completely and utterly wrong.]] [[HeroicBSOD There's nothing you can do. There's nothing anyone can do.]]]]

** [[spoiler:"I looked up at the sky and saw the last traces of the Pillar of Autumn as she escaped into the heavens. I gazed out at the barren landscape where my fallen brothers lay. I was alone. Covenant drop ships were beginning to swarm around me, I could hear shouts and roars of Elite soldiers approaching in the distance. Death seemed inevitable at this point. There was no escape. No, I thought. This is not my time to die. As I grabbed my rifle, I told myself, "There'll be another time..."]]
- Youtube comment

* TearJerker: The last level. [[spoiler: Reach is covered in dust, fog, and ruins. Painfully beautiful piano music plays. Six stands tall, and watches the Covenant destroy the planet. He/she gets ready for his/her last stand. It's the end of the Halo saga. As the gameplay begins, the title rolls in: ''There'll Be Another Time..."''.]] [[SandInMyEyes Don't look at me like that, I'm just sweating from my eyes.]] And if you're not overcome with ManlyTears, you ''will'' be by the time you've watched the final cutscene.

**** [[ItGotWorse Even worse,]] right after the new [[spoiler:Covenant fleet appears, Six]] lands, wounded on re-entry. With nothing but a pistol, s/he makes it up a hill and spots a large city, mostly smoldering, with a huge Covie ship floating above, while some of the most heart-wrenching music in the entire series plays [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBsHTZYtb3A (Up to 1:28 on this vid.)]] YMMV on this, but this moment nearly caused a [[Heroic BSOD Heroic BSOD]] for me.

**** [[ItGotWorse Even worse,]] right after the new [[spoiler:Covenant fleet appears, Six]] lands, wounded on re-entry. With nothing but a pistol, s/he makes it up a hill and spots a large city, mostly smoldering, with a huge Covie ship floating above, while some of the most heart-wrenching music in the entire series plays [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBsHTZYtb3A (Up to 1:28 on this vid.)]] YMMV on this, but this moment nearly caused a [[Heroic BSOD]] for me.

* "You're on your own, Noble. [[spoiler: Carter]] out." '''(BOOM!)'''

* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0iXs01piok Deliver Hope]] trailer. Not so much the visuals, but dear god, the ''soundtrack''...
* Thom (the original Noble Six) dies in the trailer, carrying a tactical nuclear weapon inside a Covenant cruiser. Kat and Carter think they failed him. Holland thinks he was an idiot. [[ManlyTears They're all wrong.]]

** Made even more upsetting when you find out through the game's Director's Commentary that [[spoiler: Kat and Carter had a relationship prior to the events of Reach,]] which explains why he ends up being the one carrying her body...

* Kat [[spoiler: getting killed by a lucky Covenant shot.]]

*** [[spoiler: Even right ''before'' Jorge's sacrifice, there's a wham moment where the frigate that was escorting you for the entire mission (and whose slipstream drive was cannibalized to make the bomb you're carrying) suddenly gets torn to shreds right in front of your eyes. he music goes solemn right at that moment and stays that way ''as you're about to assault the corvette's bridge.'' Yeah, Jorge was the best, but ''hundreds of people'' just got vaporized simply to give you a ''chance'' of finishing your mission, and it turns out that [[SenselessSacrifice their deaths were all just as senseless as Jorge's.]] [[HeroicBSOD Cue the blue-screen.]]]]

*** [[spoiler:And then, directly after Jorge sacrifices himself to destroy the ship and tosses you off on your gravity propelled trip to terra, you look to the right to see that his sacrifice is rendered pointless as the ENTIRE DAMN COVENANT FLEET pops out of slipspace, filled to the brim with ships exactly like the one that was about to 'cleanse the taint' all by its lonesome. It was enough to propell this Troper into a 2 hour funk, curled up in a corner and crying. [[FreemansMind Because what do you do when something that big wants to kill you?]] It was made worse by my building hope that, maybe, we can defy canon! Maybe we can save Reach and survive and save them all!... Well, Troper, [[BeyondGoodandEvil you were wrong. Completely and utterly wrong.]] [[HeroicBSOD There's nothing you can do. There's nothing anyone can do.]]]]

--> ''"Tell 'em to make it ''count''."''

*** FridgeBrilliance kicks in when you remember the only other time that music is played is [[spoiler:during Jorge's sacrifice, the destruction of the ''Long Night of Solace'', and the arrival of the rest of the Covenant Fleet. Subtly telling you that yes, Six is not going to make it, but s/he ''has'' managed to do something monumental with his sacrifice - namely, ensuring the ''Autumn'' makes it off Reach and humanity survives.]]

* [[spoiler: Jorge's goodbye.]]