History TearJerker / TheDarkKnightTrilogy

---> '''Batman''': Because you were the best of us! He wanted to prove that even someone as good as you...could fall.

* Two words: Harvey freaking Dent. Anyone with even vague knowledge of the character from any of the adaptations knows what's coming, but that won't save you from ''every scene'' of [[spoiler:his transformation into Two-Face]] punching you in the gut and then spitting on you for good measure. The [[spoiler:horrifically realistic facial burns]] ''do not help''.

---> "It's not about what I want, IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S FAIR!"

---> '''Batman''': You were the best of us! He (The Joker) wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall.

** The aftermath of the Joker's sadistic choice shows Franchise/{{Batman}} summing up the implications of this for SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker's philosophy.

** "We thought we could be decent men in an indecent time, but we were wrong." That line is so powerful and Aaron Eckhart just nails it.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/enk6dgv5aelbjyfxqgvh.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"I'm so sorry. I failed you. You trusted me, and I failed you."]]

** "We thought we could be decent men in an indecent time, but we were wrong." That line is so powerful and Aaron Eckhardt just nails it.

** When Harvey Dent, a fundamentally decent human being, points the gun at his own head for being one of the people responsible for [[spoiler:Rachel's death]] and says with resignation, "My turn."

* After the Gotham Uprising, there is a short scene when Selina picks up a broken picture frame in an abandoned house, showing a happy couple with their children. The house is currently torn apart, and the family is nowhere to be seen, implying they were either killed or dragged off, kids and all. The tone in Selina's voice noticeably waivers when she says "This was someone's home." It really drives home just how badly the people of Gotham are suffering, and just how evil Bane and Co. really are for spinning such a tragedy as a GOOD thing.

-->'''Jim Gordon''': I'm sorry! For everything! [[spoiler:Please don't hurt my son [...] You're right, Rachel's death was my fault. But please don't punish the boy... punish me]].
-->'''Two-Face''': I'm about to.

-->What were you trying to prove? That deep down, everyone's just as ugly as you? You're alone.

** Bruce's speech about how Rachel was going to wait for him after she died. Alfred smartly takes the letter away from the breakfast tray [[spoiler:and burns it.]] In context of Batman's speech about having faith being rewarded, Bruce would have likely quit being Batman right there and then had he read the letter.
* Batman standing alone at the site of Rachel's death, with two firefighters pointing at him as he broods.
** Bruce slumped on his chair after Rachel's death. It's sad enough in context, but what makes it absolutely heartbreaking is the way the shots and Alfred's dialogue mirror the aftermath of his parents' funeral in ''Film/BatmanBegins''. Even after all his training and accomplishments, Bruce is still the same traumatised little kid.
* She's in it so briefly, but the lady playing Gordon's wife gives a fine performance. Her whole role is a tearjerker - from freaking out and yelling at Batman (hiding in the shadows) when the police notify her of her husband's "death" to the moment when he comes back and they share a tender moment to the ending [[spoiler: When she desperately tries to protect her children, hiding their faces, and screaming, "Jim, help him!" as Two-Face holds the gun on her little boy.]] There should be an Oscar category for "Best supporting supporting actress."
* Seeing Harvey's sanity break when he finds out Rachel has died. It's done in almost complete silence, but the minimal soundtrack and Eckhart's acting really sell it.
* And then we see [[spoiler:the corrupted Harvey Dent ranting at Gordon for failing to save Rachel, threatening to [[MisplacedRetribution kill Gordon's son]] in response, and using a coin flip to decide whether or not to actually do it.]]
* Near the end, when Jim Gordon is desperately trying to save his son:
-->'''Jim Gordon''': I'm sorry! For everything! Please don't hurt my son [...] You're right, Rachel's death was my fault. But please don't punish the boy... punish me.

* Seeing Harvey Dent so broken by everything that has happened to him. Just his last lines confronting Batman speak volumes about how far he fell.
** "It's not about what I want, IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S FAIR!"

** Then there's this exchange.
--> ''Batman'': You were the best of us! He (The Joker) wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall.
--> ''Harvey'': (a look of horror passes over his face, then with bitterness) And he was right.

** [[spoiler:And Batman taking the blame for all of Harvey's murders, even though ''Batman had nothing to do with them''; it was all to preserve the image of pre-Two Face Harvey Dent.]]
** [[SadisticChoice It was either spend the rest of his superhero life as a wanted man, or let the credibility of a district attorney turned murderer come crashing down.]]
* And then there's [[spoiler:Batman realizing the implications of what Dent did to the prosecution of the criminals, and ''insisting'' on taking the fall for it]]; the protagonist of the series, insisting on lying and encouraging Gordon to lie, because of the harm the truth would cause. This is enhanced by Gordon's speech about how "we have to chase him because he can take it." BittersweetEnding indeed.
* Meta: Creator/HeathLedger [[AuthorExistenceFailure died young]] of accidental overdose shortly after his scenes were filmed, and never got to see his Joker performance on the silver screen, much less receive recognition for the finished product in his lifetime. The Oscar was accepted posthumously on his behalf by family members.

* The portion of ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' from [[spoiler:[[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming a prisoner throwing the detonator out the window]]]] up until the very ending of the movie is rich in tear jerker moments.
** Franchise/{{Batman}} summing up the implications of this for SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker's philosophy.

** And then we see [[spoiler:the corrupted Harvey Dent ranting at Gordon for failing to save Rachel, threatening to [[MisplacedRetribution kill Gordon's son]] in response, and using a coin flip to decide whether or not to actually do it.]]
** And then there's [[spoiler:Batman realizing the implications of what Dent did to the prosecution of the criminals, and ''insisting'' on taking the fall for it]]; the protagonist of the series, insisting on lying and encouraging Gordon to lie, because of the harm the truth would cause. This is enhanced by Gordon's speech about how "we have to chase him because he can take it." BittersweetEnding indeed.
* Rachel's [[KilledMidSentence cut off sentence]] when she dies in the explosion.

* Bruce slumped on his chair after Rachel's death. It's sad enough in context, but what makes it absolutely heartbreaking is the way the shots and Alfred's dialogue mirror the aftermath of his parents' funeral in ''Film/BatmanBegins''. Even after all his training and accomplishments, Bruce is still the same traumatised little kid.
* She's in it so briefly, but the lady playing Gordon's wife gives a fine performance. Her whole role is a tearjerker - from freaking out and yelling at Batman (hiding in the shadows) when the police notify her of her husband's "death" to the moment when he comes back and they share a tender moment to the ending [[spoiler: When she desperately tries to protect her children, hiding their faces, and screaming, "Jim, help him!" as Two-Face holds the gun on her little boy.]] There should be an Oscar category for "Best supporting supporting actress."
* Seeing Harvey Dent so broken by what happened to him is heartbreaking, considering how honorable and true he was before. Just his last lines confronting Batman speak volumes about how far he fell.

* Near the end, when Jim Gordon is desperately trying to save his son; "I'm sorry! For everything! Please don't hurt my son [...] You're right, Rachel's death was my fault. But please don't punish the boy... punish me." "I'm about to."

* The aftermath of the Joker's sadistic choice.

** The first gets its emotional impact from being such a heartwarming moment in such an otherwise dark context. It's followed quickly by [[spoiler:the civilian deciding at the last second against blowing up the prisoners' boat]] and Franchise/{{Batman}} summing up the implications of this for SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker's philosophy.

* Rachel's letter to Bruce. And what Alfred ends up doing with it.
* Bruce's speech about how Rachel was going to wait for him after she died. Alfred smartly takes the letter away from the breakfast tray [[spoiler:and burns it.]] In context of Batman's speech about having faith being rewarded, Bruce would have likely quit being Batman right there and then had he read the letter.
* Rachel's cut off sentence when she dies in the explosion.

* Bruce slumped on his chair after Rachel's death. It's sad enough in context, but what makes it absolutely heartbreaking is the way the shots and Alfred's dialogue mirror the aftermath of his parents' funeral in ''Film/BatmanBegins''. Even after all his training and accomplishments Bruce is still the same traumatised little kid.
* She's in it so briefly - but the lady playing Gordon's wife gives a fine performance. Her whole role is a tearjerker - from freaking out and yelling at Batman (hiding in the shadows) when the police notify her of her husband's "death" to the moment when he comes back and they share a tender moment to the ending [[spoiler: When she desperately tries to protect her children, hiding their faces, and screaming "Jim, help him!" as Two-Face holds the gun on her little boy.]] There should be an Oscar category for "Best supporting supporting actress."

* When Bruce's parents died. Although the scene has been done many times; it is still saddening to see young Bruce lose his parents. And Bruce telling Alfred he blamed himself.
-->'''Bruce:''' I miss them, Alfred. I miss them so much.
-->'''Alfred:''' So do I, Master Bruce. So do I.
* Alfred (Michael Caine) admonishing Bruce regarding his cavalier attitude toward his public image:

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/t0b81.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''Why do we fall?''[[spoiler:Heartwarming/TheDarkKnightSaga]]]]

* Meta: Creator/HeathLedger [[AuthorExistenceFailure died young]] of accidental overdose shortly after his scenes were filmed, and never got to see his MagnumOpus Joker performance on the silver screen, much less receive recognition for the finished product in his lifetime. The Oscar was accepted posthumously on his behalf by family members.

* Meta: Creator/HeathLedger [[AuthorExistenceFailure died young]] pf accidental overdose shortly after his scenes were filmed, and never got to see his MagnumOpus Joker performance on the silver screen, much less receive recognition for the finished product in his lifetime. The Oscar was accepted posthumously on his behalf by family members.

* Meta: Creator/HeathLedger died shortly after his scenes were filmed, and never got to see his MagnumOpus Joker performance on the silver screen, much less receive recognition for the finished product in his lifetime.

* Alfred(Michael Caine) admonishing Bruce regarding his cavalier attitude toward his public image: