History TearJerker / TheLittleMermaid

* The little mermaid's unrequited love for the prince in general. She falls in love with the prince and rescues him. However, he falls in love with the princess of a neighbouring kingdom, a woman whom the prince believes rescued him. He then invites the mermaid to the wedding, believing that she wants to share in his happiness, but she is actually heartbroken over the entire ordeal. It reaches the point where she [[IfICantHaveYou was pushed to kill the prince so she could turn back into a mermaid]], but she ultimately chooses to throw herself into the sea instead because she could not bear to see the deed through.

* The nameless mermaid is condemned to Purgatory, [[{{Anvilicious}} and each time she hears a parent laugh from a good child, she gets years taken off; but each time she hears parents weeping over a bad child, she gets more time.]] [[Film/MaryPoppins P.L. Travers]] wrote an essay about fairy-stories in which she rakes Andersen over the coals for that, but good. "'But a year taken off when a child behaves and a tear shed and a day added whenever a child is naughty? Andersen, this is blackmail. And the children know it and say nothing. There's magnanimity for you."

* ''Literature/TheLittleMermaid'' --the nameless mermaid is condemned to Purgatory, [[{{Anvilicious}} and each time she hears a parent laugh from a good child, she gets years taken off; but each time she hears parents weeping over a bad child, she gets more time.]]
** [[Film/MaryPoppins P.L. Travers]] wrote an essay about fairy-stories in which she rakes Andersen over the coals for that, but good. "'But a year taken off when a child behaves and a tear shed and a day added whenever a child is naughty? Andersen, this is blackmail. And the children know it and say nothing. There's magnanimity for you."

* It's a Creator/HansChristianAndersen story. It doesn't just jerk tears out of you, it reaches into your eye sockets and claws them out of you. Then it makes you feel guilty for crying by having the mermaid -- now a daughter of the air trying to [[EarnYourHappyEnding earn her freedom]] -- serve another day for ''every tear shed over a misbehaving child''.

** Sebastian making it clear that above all, [[UndyingLoyalty Ariel's well-being is his top priority]] and states that if he could break the spell and give her her happy ending himself, he would.

** And lastly, Triton succumbing to AdultFear upon realizing that Ariel has been missing for two days, and fears that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone his own overbearing personality may have been what drove her away in the first place]]. Oh, and the stage version occasionally gives us this lovely line:

-->[[AdultFear If I lose her too I don't know how I could go on...]]

** The morning after, the prince and the princess search in vain for the mermaid, then they sadly look at the sea, as if they knew she threw herself there. This suggests that they were genuinely fond of the mermaid, and were saddened to learn that she is nowhere to be found.

!![[AC:The stage musical]]

[[AC:The stage musical]]

[[AC:The TV Series]]
* The deaf mermaid Gabriella was based on a real deaf girl, a fan of the show who died during the first season's run. In her first appearance, "Wish Upon a Starfish", she's heartbroken to realize that the great wishing starfish can't actually grant wishes, which means that she'll never be granted a voice. As it turns out, she doesn't feel she can fully express herself without one. Luckily, Ariel reassures her that her sign language is as beautiful and expressive as speech would be.
* The episode where Ariel feels she can't go home because a bracelet got stuck on her arm and she doesn't want her father angry with her.
--> '''Ariel''': I... I can't go home.

!![[Disney/TheLittleMermaid The Disney film]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/little-mermaid-1080p-disneyscreencaps_com-7837_536.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"Poor child", indeed.]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK4HNNhQ0e4 "Part of your World"]]. Especially at that LastChorusSlowDown towards the end.
* Ariel sobbing after Triton destroys the grotto and everything in it. [[FromBadToWorse And then Flotsam and Jetsam show up...]]
** Made even worse when, as an adult, you realize that outside of a Disney universe, what Triton did qualifies as straight-up emotional abuse. Destroying your child's property, even in anger, has the potential to scar them for life. It doesn't help that it easily allowed Flotsam and Jetsam to take advantage of her either.
** Sebastian's grief over the whole thing, as he indirectly caused the incident when he accidentally blurted out Ariel's secret.
--->'''Sebastian:''' Ariel, I--\\
'''Ariel:''' ''Just go away.''
** Later followed by
---> '''Ariel''': ''(coldly)'' Why don't you go and tell my father? ''You're good at that!''
** Even [[KnightTemplarParent Triton]] seems to have realized what he has done was too far witnessing her sobbing. His face after seeing what he's done and broken her heart is awful.
** One from the sequel that technically fits here; in the sequel, Ariel sings in her Grotto. This means that Triton either fixed everything he smashed... or went up to the human world willingly and obtained them. Either way, he's restored the pride and joy of his teenage daughter!
** Even before he destroys everything, the argument between father and daughter. Ariel is basically being yelled at for ''saving someone's life''. Her father - a man she clearly loves, adores and respects - is telling her she should have let an innocent boy drown just because he was a human.
** And after Ariel blurts out "Daddy I love him!", she has a look of horror on her face and hides behind the statue of Eric. She obviously didn't mean to say that, she's sensed that she's going to be punished and she's ''terrified''.
* Triton's AdultFear over Ariel and Sebastian's disappearance has "MyGodWhatHaveIDone" written all over it. He even sobs the words to himself when he's alone, confirming he has realized he went ''way'' too far.
* When Ursula wages a deal with Triton to hand the kingdom over to her to get Ariel back. Seeing how his own actions caused this chain of events, he sadly hangs his head down and willingly signs the contract.
** Then Ariel being forced to watch her father turned into another of Ursula's shrivelled minions as a repercussion of her hasty actions. From that point she snaps.
* Ariel excitedly running down stairs, only to see Eric being romantic with "Vanessa".
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L10WgO40GSI The later scene where Ariel, Sebastian, and Flounder watch the wedding sail off]]. This scene counts as a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for the writers, animators, and for Jodi Benson; the heartbreak Ariel felt was conveyed perfectly with only a few voiceless sobs and the tears in her eyes.
* In a strange sort of way, Ursula mourning the loss of her minions and the MamaBear-fueled [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge rampage]] she commits afterward.
* The ''entirety of the ending''. Yes, '''''all of it'''''. Though, in this case, it's more of a case of happy tears. It's the one moment that you realise that Disney, despite a few films that we do not mention, '''''can''''' do tearjerking scenes!
** Triton finally realises that Ariel ''does'' love Eric and changes her into a human, no deals made and no strings attached, so that she can be free and happy, no matter how much it hurts him while bells toll victoriously in the background. The look on Ariel's face is one of sheer and utter joy and Triton smiles sadly, yet happily for his daughter. And Sebastian - he's so happy!
--->'''Triton:''' Then, I guess there's just one problem left.\\
'''Sebastian:''' And what's dat, Your Majesty?\\
'''Triton:''' [''sadly''] How much I'm going to miss her. [''changes Ariel into a human'']
** Max licking Ariel's face after she and Eric are married; this time, there's no fear from her - and he's ''utterly and completely thrilled'' to be correct - he knew Ariel was the one who saved Eric and he's done it, they're together!
** Carlotta bawling her eyes out with joy into Grimsby's tie.
** '''''Every single merperson and many aquatic creatures that knows Ariel''''', along with all her sisters, waving goodbye; one of them actually looks to Triton and shares a smile.
** Flounder's sad face and Scuttle's wink as the two return to the sea after Ariel kisses the former and ruffles the hair of the latter.
** Sebastian, ''holding the bride and groom figurine'' on the wedding cake, with tears in his eyes. [[MoodWhiplash Then Chef Louie appears and starts chasing him]].
** Triton rises from the water to embrace his daughter - hesitating a moment to look at her, knowing she's leaving for good - and then, Ariel says the one line that - if you heart already wasn't broken - breaks your heart:
--->"I love you, Daddy."
** The look on Triton's face after he and Ariel separate and, a TriumphantReprise of "Part of Your World" blasts at us. Then, Eric bows to Triton and the Sea King bows back with Ariel smiling happily. Yes, he bows to a human - a member of the same species that killed off his wife, showing just how much Triton has changed. Then, he cups his daughter's face gently and lowers himself back to the sea... while his daughter blows a kiss.
--->"''Now we can walk, now we can run, now we can stay all day in the suuuuunn, just you and me, and I can be, part of your woooorrrrrlllllllddddddd''"
** Even more so in the international dubs that feature Ariel's voice singing the end reprise along with the choir.
** Finally, as the boat leaves and the happy couple waves, Triton fills the air with a rainbow and Ariel and Eric end the film with true love's kiss.
*** The final shot of Ariel and Eric kissing is a meta example, as it was the final piece of "true" cel animation in a Disney film. Starting with ''Disney/TheRescuersDownUnder'', Disney switched to the Computer Animation Production System (CAPS), which utilized various digital techniques, and was used in all of their 2D animated films until ''Disney/HomeOnTheRange''.

** Sebastian, ''holding the bride and groom figurine'' on the wedding cake, with tears in his eyes.

'''Brazilian Dub''': Marina's body dissolved in a thousand colourful bubbles. Farewell, Princess Marina. From the depths of the sea in which you were born, you ascended to heaven carried by the wind. Each time the sunlight reflects its light in a drop of water and shines in the sea, each time the music of a harp reminds us of the sound of the waves, your kindness and your courage will be alive in our hearts, Little Mermaid.\\

*** The final shot of Ariel and Eric kissing is a meta example, as it was the final piece of "true" cel animation in a Disney film. Starting with ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'', Disney switched to the Computer Animation Production System (CAPS), which utilized various digital techniques, and was used in all of their 2D animated films until ''WesternAnimation/HomeOnTheRange''.

* It's a Creator/HansChristianAndersen story. It doesn't just jerk tears out of you, it reaches into your eye sockets and claws them out of you. Then it makes you feel guilty for crying by having the mermaid -- now a daughter of the air trying to [[EarnYourHappyEnding earn her freedom]] serve another day for ''every tear shed over a misbehaving child''.

-->'''''Eric:'''Just you and me''

* It's a Creator/HansChristianAndersen story. It doesn't just jerk tears out of you, it reaches into your eye sockets and claws them out of you. Then it makes you feel guilty for crying by having the mermaid suffer another day in Purgatory in pain for ''every single tear a child cries''.

* Triton's AdultFear over Ariel and Sebastian's disappearance has "MyGodWhatHaveIDone" written all over it. He even sobs the words to himself when he's alone, confirming he has realized he went ''way' too far.

* Triton's AdultFear over Ariel and Sebastian's disappearance has "MyGodWhatHaveIDone" written all over it.