History TearJerker / OnceUponATime

** One word. "Who?"

* In the Pilot:

** One word. "Who?"

** Hansel and Gretel awakening in the woods after The Evil Queen releases them and holding hands as they walk off to find their father. Their determination is heartwarming but the next shot shows just how little chance these two have of finding him. The implication is that they don't... at least, not in the fairy tale world.

* "True North":

** Morraine's parents screaming, pleading and crying as she is taken away by the guardsmen to be conscripted.

** The girl's parents screaming, pleading and crying as their daughter is taken away by the guardsmen to be conscripted.

** Rumpelstiltskin's life before getting his powers is depression incarnate: branded a coward for refusing to fight a pointless war, a wife that left him in disgust, and now fighting to keep his son from being conscripted at 14.

*** Made worse by the fact that right before he died, Graham had fully regained his memories of being the huntsman. Emma realizing she had feelings for him right as he died is heartbreaking, especially considering the conversation she had with Mary Margaret about how she was rejecting romance because she was afraid of being hurt again earlier in the episode.

*** Made worse by the fact that right before he died, Graham had fully regained his memories of being the huntsman. Emma realizing she had feeling for him right as he died is heartbreaking, especially considering the conversation she had with Mary Margaret about how she was rejecting romance because she was afraid of being hurt again earlier in the episode.

** Sheriff Graham's death at the hands of The Evil Queen/Regina Mills.

** In my opinion anyone who does not get the least bit upset by Sheriff Graham's death had their heart taken by The Evil Queen[=/=]Regina Mills.
*** Nope, still beating. {{Your mileage may vary}} very much on this one. Some feel it's a bit {{narm}}-y.

*** In my opinion anyone who does not get the least bit upset by Sheriff Graham's death had their heart taken by The Evil Queen[=/=]Regina Mills.
**** Nope, still beating. {{Your mileage may very}} very much on this one. Some feel it's a bit {{narm}}-y.

*** In my opinion anyone who does not get the least bit upset by Sheriff Graham's death had their heart taken by The Evil Queen[=/=]Regina Mills.

*** In my opinion anyone who does not get the least bit upset by Sheriff Graham's death had their heart taken by The Evil Queen/Regina Mills.

*** In my opinion anyone who does not get the least bit upset by Sheriff Graham's death had their heart taken by The Evil Queen/Regina Mills

*** It gets a little better when, thanks to the magic of fairy tales, his mother's insistance of him taking their family wedding ring ultimately results in happier ending than they believe at the time.

** James saying goodbye to his mother. Not only will he never see her again, but he's being forced into the one concession he swore he'd never make by marrying for a reason besides love.

** Jiminy not only failing to put a stop to his [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] parents' thievery, but discovering that the BalefulPolymorph potion he'd intended to use on them was replaced, and that he had unwittingly sold it to the nice couple they had just swindled. As if that weren't enough, after finding the couple has been turned into wooden puppets, their child returns home to find them in this state. The same child who had earlier been cheerfully eager to see the puppet show Jiminy's family put on.

** Mary Margaret's utterly crushed look when David's "wife" swoops in after they rescue him.

*** Your mileage may seriously vary on whether these are Tear Jerkers or straight-up High-Octane Nightmare Fuel. [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas She loved her father]], but even that wasn't enough to change her mind about cursing her entire world and everyone in it.

* ''Snow Falls''

** Emma's face when she learns that Henry believes Mary Margaret Blanchard is Snow White (and therefore her mother).

** The Queen's struggle than ultimate decision to kill her ''own'' father. There's no going back for her after that.
** The reveal that Regina named her adoptive son after the father she killed in the fairy tale realm.

** The reveal that Regina named her adoptive son after the father she killed.

* ''What You Love Most'':

** Snow White trying to wake up Prince Charming with a kiss.

* The Pilot