History TearJerker / Survivor

*** As if that weren't bad enough, we later learn that ''Survivor: Africa'' winner and Jenna's fiance, Ethan Zohn has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Doubling as a TearJerker for Ethan and Jenna ''again''. The poor girl just can't catch a break.
*** And they broke up, after a decade.

* After Tina is responsible for Katie's elimination, she talks about how she was adopted and never felt the strength of a blood bond to her family, but when she gave birth to Katie, she was the first person she truly felt that bond with in her life. It's heartwarming and sad enough, until you remember that Tina and Katie lost their son and brother, respectively, in a car crash after filming just two weeks before the finale, [[HarsherInHindsight in fact the week before this episode was on TV.]]
* In June 2014, Blood vs. Water contestant's Caleb Bankston's death due to a train he was working on derailing, apparently only weeks before he was to be married to his fiance, Colton Cumbie.
** On the day Caleb and Colton were supposed to be married, Colton posted [[https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10151434_722696731145561_6499271372481279803_n.jpg?oh=5def381dc38174a0820e55b49300b5ce&oe=54F7E64D&__gda__=1421786001_c6fa1927f1833a6d03493cfdf925baff this]]. Try not to cry.
** The death of any Survivor is truly awful. B.B. Anderson from Borneo passed away in 2013 after succumbing to brain cancer, and Jennifer Lyon from Palau died from breast cancer in 2010, just ten days after visiting the ten-year survivor reunion.

* [[http://i.imgur.com/j7qc8Oz.jpg On March 17th, 2016, Josh and Reed broke up.]]

* The end of the Episode 4 reward challenge in ''Kaoh Rong'', where '''THREE''' people went down after the challenge and the entire production crew getting involved to care for the fallen contestants. It is then deemed that Caleb had to be pulled from the game in a very heart wrenching scene. His tribe members, especially Tai, who really bonded with him, were absolutely distraught. For those who disliked him in [[Series/BigBrother Big Brother]], you can't help but to feel sorry for him, especially since he [[TookALevelInKindness Took A Level in Kindness]] from his time on ''Big Brother''.

* The end of the Episode 4 reward challenge in ''Kaoh Rong'', where '''THREE''' people went down after the challenge and the entire production crew getting involved to care for the fallen contestants. It is then deemed that Caleb had to be pulled from the game in a very heart wrenching scene. His tribe members, especially Tai, who really bonded with him, were absolutely distraught. For those who disliked him in [[Series/BigBrother Big Brother]], you can't help but to feel sorry for him, especially since he [[TookALevelInKindness Took A Level in Kindness]] from his time ''Big Brother''.

* The ending of the Tocantins auction is this and doubles as a [[CrowningMomentofHeartwarming Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]]. Jeff puts up the last item up for bid- video messages from home, and allows people to pool money. Everyone begins to give their money to Taj, who left her newborn baby at home to play Survivor, and she is clearly in tears. Even Jeff comments on their generosity in such a cutthroat game. After watching the video, Taj is in tears and is very emotional when she finds out that her husband is there. Jeff then says that only she will be able to see her loved one unless she sends herself to exile island to meet her husband there so everyone can see their loved ones. As a thanks to her tribemates, she sends herself to exile. Truly an emotional scene.

--> '''Jeff''': "Well Tribal Council is an interesting place. Always emotional. Tonight was no exception. How could you not like Rudy? 75 year old former NAVY SEAL, hanging with kids a third of his age. A hero in anybody's book. I know you didn't want to vote him out, and yet, somebody had to go, which is exactly what makes Survivor what it is, complicated."

* The ending of the Tocantins auction is this and doubles as a [[CrowningMomentofHeartwarming]]. Jeff puts up the last item up for bid- video messages from home, and allows people to pool money. Everyone begins to give their money to Taj, who left her newborn baby at home to play Survivor, and she is clearly in tears. Even Jeff comments on their generosity in such a cutthroat game. After watching the video, Taj is in tears and is very emotional when she finds out that her husband is there. Jeff then says that only she will be able to see her loved one unless she sends herself to exile island to meet her husband there so everyone can see their loved ones. As a thanks to her tribemates, she sends herself to exile. Truly an emotional scene.

* In one episode of Cook Islands, the Aitus find a bird's nest and Cao Boi pokes it with a stick to see if there are any eggs to be eaten. Then they knock it out of the tree and see that there are none, Penner looks into the bush that the nest had fallen into and finds a baby bird. It was literally less than a day old, as Penner tearfully mentions how it still has the gunk from the inside of its shell still on it. They (most likely futilely) put it back in the nest and hope for the best.

* In one episode of Cook Islands, the Aitus find a bird's nest and Cao Boi pokes it with a stick to see if there are any eggs to be eaten. Then they knock it out of the tree and see that there are none, Penner looks into the bush that the nest had fallen into and finds a baby bird. It was literally less than a day old, as Penner tearfully mentions how it still has the gunk from the inside of its shell still on it. They (most likely futilely) put it back in the nest and hope for the best.

--> '''Jeff''': "Well Tribal Council is an interesting place. Always emotional. Tonight was no exception. How could you not like Rudy? 75 year old former NAVY SEAL, hanging with kids a third of his age. A hero in anybody's book. I know you didn't want to vote him out, which is exactly what makes Survivor what it is, complicated."

** As if that weren't bad enough, we later learn that ''Survivor: Africa'' winner and Jenna's fiance, Ethan Zohn has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Doubling as a TearJerker for Ethan and Jenna ''again''. The poor girl just can't catch a break.
** And they broke up, after a decade.
* Rudy being voted out in ''All Stars''. The 75 year old Navy SEAL veteran was voted out for his age being a burden on the ailing Saboga tribe, despite being respected by all of his tribemates. After Rudy is voted out, Jeff comments on the fact that they didn't want to vote him out, but they didn't have a choice and someone had to go. Jerri is especially in tears.

* Boston Rob and Lex's fight in ''All-Stars''. Going into the game the two were very good friends and were reported to have had one of the tightest friendships between former players at the time. Although they went into the game intending on aligning with each other they ended up on different tribes and eventually came into conflict. And unlike in future seasons where players return and have pre-existing relationships, ''All-Stars'' was the first of its kind and there was no precedent in place for how to balance friendship and the game. As a result, Rob and Lex permanently ended their friendship. While the conflict and their behaviour is ''extremely'' controversial and divisive in the fanbase, the fact remains that for the first time the game ruined a pre-existing relationship and there was basically no way either player could have been prepared for it.

* Jenna Morasca quitting ''Survivor: All Stars'' to be with her cancer-stricken mother. At first this seems like a [[HeartwarmingMoments heartwarming moment]], until you learn that she passed away merely ''eight days later''.

* Rudy being voted out in All Stars. The 75 year old Navy SEAL veteran was voted out for his age being a burden on the ailing Saboga tribe, despite being respected by all of his tribemates. After Rudy is voted out, Jeff comments on the fact that they didn't want to vote him out, but they didn't have a choice.

* Boston Rob and Lex's fight in ''All-Stars''. Going into the game the two were very good friends and were reported to have had one of the tightest friendships between former players at the time. Although they went into the game intending on aligning with each other they ended up on different tribes and eventually came into conflict. And unlike in future seasons where players return and have pre-existing relationships, ''All-Stars'' was the first of its kind and there was no precedent in place for how to balance friendship and the game. As a result, Rob and Lex permanently ended their friendship. While the conflict and their behaviour is ''extremely'' controversial and divisive in the fanbase, the fact remains that for the first time the game ruined a pre-existing relationship and there was basically no way either player could have been prepared for it.
** All Stars in general is a very dark season. All of the players were really tight and close with each other, and friendships were put on the line when they played the game. This culminates at Final Tribal Council, where pretty much the entire jury is bitter towards the two finalists. As Jerri said at the reunion, "it's not worth it."

* Boston Rob and Lex's fight in ''All-Stars''. Going into the game the two were very good friends and were reported to have had one of the tightest friendships between former players at the time. Although they went into the game intending on aligning with each other they ended up on different tribes and eventually came into conflict. And unlike in future seasons where players return and have pre-existing relationships, ''All-Stars'' was the first of its kind and there was no precedent in place for how to balance friendship and the game. As a result, Rob and Lex permanently ended their friendship. While the conflict and their behaviour is ''extremely'' controversial and divisive in the fanbase, the fact remains that for the first time the game ruined a pre-existing relationship and there was basically no way either player could have been prepared for it.

* In one episode of Cook Islands, the Aitus find a bird's nest and Cao Boi pokes it with a stick to see if there are any eggs to be eaten. Then they knock it out of the tree and see that there are none, Penner looks into the bush that the nest had fallen into and finds a baby bird. It was literally less than a day old, as Penner tearfully mentions how it still has the gunk from the inside of its shell still on it. They (most likely futilely) put it back in the nest and hope for the best.

* Terry getting pulled out of the game with the news that his son was in the hospital, and both his wife and the doctor said he should come home as soon as possible, with Terry not even hesitating or questioning about doing so. [[spoiler: His son needed a heart transplant, and was fortunately fine after the surgery]].

* In general, Lil is just a truly pitiful case. After being isolated from her tribe and voted out third, she returns via the Outcast Twist, but is drastically in over her head. Constantly emotional to the extreme, Lil would go through the entire merge being lied to, hurt, and demeaned. While she had [[TookALevelInBadass an epic moment taking down Fairplay in the FIC]], she would go into Final Tribal Council only to be completely brutalized by the jury (according to outside sources, including the man himself, [[JerkAss Fairplay delivered an inhumanely hateful speech that couldn't be aired]] solely to make her life hell) and she ended up getting slaughtered in the final vote (6-1). To add insult to injury, when the jury said in the reunion that they would vote for her over Fairplay, they had only done so because producers tipped them off to lie in order to keep Lil from crying during the reunion. Regardless of what you might feel about her, there's no denying that it is very hard to have as miserable of a Survivor experience as Lil did (although [[TheWoobie Woobies]] like Bobby Jon Drinkard and Kathy Vavrick O'Brien give her a run for her money.)

* Terry getting pulled out of the game with the news that his son was in the hospital, and both his wife and the doctor said he should come home as soon as possible, with Terry not even hesitating or questioning about doing so. [[spoiler: Luckily, his son needed a heart transplant, and was fine after the surgery]].

** HarsherInHindsight, as in Cambodia, Shirin shares an antagonistic relationship with Abi-Maria that ends with her laughing at Abi's complaints, who tearfully laments that the reason she wanted to side with Shirin was because she understood what she went through in her season.

** HarsherInHindsight, as in Cambodia, Shirin bullies and laughs at Abi-Maria, who tearfully laments that the reason she wanted to side with Shirin was because she understood what she went through in her season.

** HarsherInHindsight, as in Cambodia, Shirin bullies and laughs at Abi-Maria, who tearfully laments that the reason she wanted to side with Shirin was because she understood what she went through in her season. Shirin TookALevelInJerkAss that made her no better than the people who treated her badly in her season.

* Shirin explaining her past and how her family was torn apart by domestic abuse. Made even worse by Will continuously interrupting her and accusing her of playing the victim.

** On the day Caleb and Colton were supposed to be married, Colton posted [[https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10151434_722696731145561_6499271372481279803_n.jpg?oh=5def381dc38174a0820e55b49300b5ce&oe=54F7E64D&__gda__=1421786001_c6fa1927f1833a6d03493cfdf925baff this]]. Try not to cry.

* Jonathan Penner's evacuation in Micronesia. It's enough when the rest of his tribe starts to cry at the news, but when Kathy Sleckman, who's already emotionally on the edge, begs him not to go, it's enough to tip it over the top. Then, cut to the boat where [[BreakTheBadass Jonathan is hunched over sobbing]] and I dare your heart to not break.
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cEumRGTnHo This secret scene from Aras]] about his former drug addict brother Vytas is the second time this troper has ever cried at something Survivor related.