History TearJerker / WreckItRalph

* A Meta TearJerker: Disney got Buckner and Garcia[[note]]The guys who did ''Music/PacManFever'', helping with the {{Retraux}} feel of the Fix-It Felix Jr. game[[/note]] to record a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl2uM_KX_9g theme song]] for the movie. Gary Garcia [[AuthorExistenceFailure didn't live to see the song finalized or the movie released]]. Jerry Buckner kept the song in their name as a duo anyway, in tribute to his fallen friend.

*** The part where she wraps herself up in discarded candy wrappers, smiling all the while, shows how alone and defenseless she really was. Ralph picks up on it instantly and probably feels like a jackass at that point. Sure he's shunned in his game, but at the most the Nicelanders just avoid him and he at least has the ability to leave. [[spoiler: What's more, at the time, he didn't know Vanellope was a crucial part of the game too and figured as a minor character, nothing would be lost if she did leave.]] Vanellope is in a world where the inhabitants treat her like a Class-A criminal and will actually harm her.
** If you thought that Vanellope's backstory couldn't get any more tragic, read this: [[spoiler: it's all a lie. King Candy is really an old video game character named Turbo whose AttentionWhore status destroyed ''two games'' in the past and is the reason why others freaked out about Ralph "going Turbo". Turbo/King Candy manipulated the game code by making Vanellope a glitch, locking away everyone's memories about her and rigging the entire system to ensure that he always stays number 1 and Vanellope never has a chance to do what she was created to do, to race. ''Princess'' Vanellope was supposed to be the main character of Sugar Rush. She was supposed to live in the big fancy castle and have everyone else love and adore her. And instead she's a despised outcast sleeping under discarded candy wrappers in an abandoned bonus level because of the greed and powerlust of one corrupt old monster... and because if she ever was allowed to cross the finish line just once, the game program would reset and return her to her rightful place.]]

** Also, remember what happens to things Cy-Bugs eat. [[spoiler: They are assimilated. She knows this. So not only did she watch her fiance die, but she has to kill him again.]]

** The whole scene with the anniversary cake (and the [[{{Demonization}} horrible, insulting little figurine they made of poor Ralph]]) will ''crush your soul.''

-->'''Ralph:''' No, '''I'M''' '''''NOT!''''' [[spoiler:*smashes the cake*]]

** Also, the face Ralph makes when he realizes [[spoiler:he really destroyed the cake. After saying he's more than just the guy who wrecks the building, he smashes the cake, which was designed '''like the building.''' Ralph's just trying to let go of his bad guy persona and be accepted, but he just can't get away from what he's supposed to be and how the world sees him.]]

* Once he gets to ''Sugar Rush'', [[spoiler:Vanellope steals his medal, and it's inadvertently destroyed]], Ralph totally loses it and proceeds to wreck anything he can smash in a fit of rage! It's a bit narmy and maybe hilarious to some until you really consider his situation. After a life of neglect from being a bad guy ''and'' finally doing the impossible and proving a bad guy can get a medal, he LOSES it before he can show anybody he knows! This was probably his ''only'' chance to get a medal the hard way, and now he's just back to face a life of utter torment! The look on his face screams, "Because I wreck stuff!! That's all I exist for, right, World, you piece of crap!!!??" It's more than a few peoples' dream to be worth something, and even more people have given up on it already.

* [[spoiler: After hearing King Candy's explanation (which later proves to be a deception) about the danger Vanellope could possibly bring to herself and the rest of their world by being a glitch, Ralph, [[CruelToBeKind wanting what's best for her, forces himself to demolish the car he helped her build]] which brought them together.]]
** Worse, it avoids the cliche of having [[spoiler:Vanellope speed off in a rage when she thinks Ralph is just selling her out for his medal. He forces her to stay where she is until he tells her exactly why he's doing this and only destroys her cart as a last resort when she still won't listen to him. And the look on his face shows how much he ''hates'' doing what he believes he has to do.]]
** But wait! There's more: this all immediately follows [[spoiler:Vanellope giving Ralph a medal she made herself out of a cookie with the words "You're my hero" written on the back in icing. He may be trying to keep her safe, but he's also hurting the one person who saw him as more than a villain. It makes her heartbroken sob of "You really are a bad guy" even more gut-wrenching.]]

*** The ''agonizing'' way Vanellope cries [[spoiler: as she's ForcedToWatch Ralph wreck her car]]. Creator/SarahSilverman genuinely (and jarringly) sounds like a poor little girl whose heart is breaking over the thing she loves most. [[SugarWiki/SheReallyCanAct Holy shit, can she act!]]
** We find out through this that the "glitching" is at least partially related to Vanellope's emotional state. After [[spoiler:Ralph destroys her car, she is so devastated that she glitches off the tree Ralph hung her on into a heap on the ground]].
*** King Candy's line about "heroes [having] to make the tough choices" makes the whole thing even more painful, ''especially'' after we find out that King Candy[[spoiler:/Turbo was goading him on to advance his plan]].
* [[spoiler: Ralph's near-HeroicSacrifice by divebombing head first into Mentos, planning to be boiled alive in Diet Cola Hot Springs, all while stating the Bad Annon Affirmation and looking at Vanellope's message of "You're my Hero" as he whispers the last line.]]
-->'''Ralph''': [[spoiler: I'm Bad, and that's good. I will never be Good and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be... than me."]]

** What really clinches it is [[spoiler:Ralph looking at the medal Vanellope made for him while he falls. Take note that his fist was faltering as he fell even as he recited his Bad-Anon Mantra. His whole body language was expressing the terrible fear he was attempting to suppress with the mantra. It was him looking at the medal that gave him the strength to recite the rest of the mantra resolutely and hold himself with determination.]] Cue the tears.
** Take a real close look at [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/d430c3254a6978df28a89a3966c94db8/tumblr_mnc9pmNU5f1rv08z0o1_1280.jpg these]] [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/ea07396adbdadc39852bc6265b2a791e/tumblr_mnc9pmNU5f1rv08z0o2_r1_1280.jpg two]] screenshots. For just a second as he falls, Ralph opens his eyes to [[spoiler:look at the medal one last time- it is the last thing he expects to see before his FinalDeath.]] And then he closes his eyes again and he ''smiles.'' [[GoOutWithASmile He just smiles.]] Cue more tears.
** The moment that leads to this decision is equally worthy of tears. The [[spoiler:Cy-Bug-revived Turbo grabs Ralph and flies with him up in the air, grabs his head and yanks it in the direction of where Vanellope is along with Felix and Calhoun, and proceeds to tell him ''[[ForcedToWatch to watch]]'' while Vanellope gets ''eaten'' by the Cy-Bugs.]]
** To wit, at this point [[spoiler: all the Sugar Rushers have been evacuated. Only Van, Felix, and Calhoun are there to witness his act and it's debatable how much longer Felix and Calhoun could stay in/near the threshold of the plug. Meaning that his sacrifice would not be known to anyone but a handful. And he doesn't care; a far cry from the start of the movie where he ''wanted'' that public recognition.]]
*** [[spoiler: Except Felix probably had no intention to escape. Ralph was essentially committing suicide, so it would be impossible to save Fix-It Felix Jr. from getting unplugged. The Nicelanders would all be able to evacuate to Game Central Station, but his new friends were in danger. Felix grabs his trusty hammer and holds his ground, as if he's preparing to put himself between Calhoun, Vanellope, and the Cy-Bugs.]]
** A bit of FridgeBrilliance and extra tearjerker, [[spoiler: Ralph is reciting the creed to comfort himself in the wake of his impending death. Look at his face as he's reciting it, he's trying to keep from breaking down.]]

*** Even worse: Not only is Ralph forced to leave Vanellope behind, but he probably can't escape the fact that [[spoiler:''this was all his fault'', and that if he didn't senselessly put the arcade in danger just for that stinking medal, none of this would have happened]].
* During the finale while Calhoun and Felix are trying to [[spoiler: evacuate the residents of Sugar Rush due to the Cy Bug invasion]], Ralph desperately tries to take Vanellope with him but her [[spoiler: glitching doesn't allow her to follow]]. Vanellope then proceeds to tell Ralph "It's okay. Just go. Go without me." Cue the waterworks.

** Just an ImagineSpot of [[spoiler: poor Vanellope begging and pleading for someone to help her as ''Sugar Rush'' disappears behind her is terrible. ''No one'' should have to go through that.]]

* The other racers breaking Vanellope's kart while mocking her as she helplessly tells them to stop. [[spoiler: And when it's revealed that it was all King Candy's doing when he locked up everyone's memories, they all get a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment for what they did to Princess Vanellope Von Schweetz.]]

* When Vanellope gets sent to prison, [[spoiler:we see chains and cuffs ''everywhere'', one on her waist, two on her wrists, her ankles... she is chained down like a wild animal and it ''hurts''.]]
** [[spoiler:The room was filled with colorful imagery and the words "You have been a bad girl." on the walls. Odds are if King Candy/Turbo had managed to find her sooner that would have probably been her new home until the game was inevitably unplugged.]]
** To boot [[spoiler: there's a picture of Turbo in his original form in his victory pose on the wall. He's ''gloating''.]]
*** It also shows how much of a bastard [[spoiler:Turbo]] is. He doesn't care the least for others except himself, not even a child. Though to imprison a child for being a glitch (who isn't doing anything harmful, mind you) is even more bastard-worthy within itself.
* As if the scene where Ralph [[spoiler:wrecks Vanellope's car]] wasn't enough of tearjerking, soon afterwards Ralph returns back home to "Fix-it Felix Jr." where, to his surprise, finds [[spoiler: Gene inside of the Penthouse, who has just finished packing up and getting ready to leave the game before it gets unplugged the next day. Ralph came home expecting a warm welcome by the Nicelanders after winning a medal, but instead learns about the bad news from his own rival, who by this point has completely given up on Ralph. To top it all off, all Gene did after telling Ralph what happened was give him the keys to the Penthouse [[IGaveMyWord as promised]]. Then he leaves Ralph all alone in the Penthouse.]]
** The worse part is, [[spoiler: he doesn't even yell or really criticize him. He just sounds extremely disappointed in Ralph.]]
-->'''Ralph:''' [[spoiler:I was just tired of living alone in the garbage!]]
-->'''Gene:''' [[spoiler: Well now you can live alone, in the penthouse.]]
** You could read that as Gene telling him to [[spoiler:live in the penthouse and then die when it gets unplugged]], which is actually sort of chilling.

* [[spoiler: Turbo/King Candy's]] death. [[AssholeVictim Yes, he deserved it,]] but you gotta admit that the recurring cheery theme as he is almost to the coke volcano sounds like good bye music to one of the best Disney villains ever made.
* The scene near the end where Vanellope, [[spoiler:who has regained her status as the game's princess, makes all the other racers who tormented her earlier [[EverybodyCries break down in tears]] after decreeing that they be executed]] seems to come off as a bit cruel and mean-spirited. Sure, [[spoiler:she revealed that she was just joking about it moments later, and, to be fair, the other racers KINDA deserved it]], but you can't help but [[spoiler:feel sorry for them as they bawl their eyes out.]] Hell, after all the other stuff already mentioned on this page, you might even cry along with them.

* Save some tissues for the very final note of the film, after Ralph has finished describing how things have improved for him and his friends. He's found happiness at last, but where does it come from? What does he consider the best thing about his new life? [[spoiler:The moment when, lifted up at the end of each game, he can see across the room outside to where kids are playing ''Sugar Rush''. His voice when he describes how "I can see Vanellope racing... the kid's a natural... and the players love her... just like I knew they would..." is so full of pure love and pride and happiness, and the delivery sounds so natural, like he's just thinking aloud, feeling it more than saying it. He went on this dangerous quest searching for a better life for himself, and although, when you think about it, things haven't improved ''that much'' for ''him'', he knows things will be ''so much better'' for the little girl he cares about, and that's all he needs to be happy -- knowing that his friend is safe and happy now. It sounds just like a father who had a hard life glad that his daughter will have a better life than he did. He no longer cares about fame and popularity and having cheering fans who want to give him rewards; he's happy just to have made a difference in one person's life.]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Ralph:''' Turns out I don't need a medal to tell me I'm a good guy. Because if that little kid likes me, how bad can I be?]]

** Even worse when you realize they're making fun of her the same way a bully makes fun of someone with a physical or mental disability, i.e. sarcastically mimicking it.
* With regards to the other game characters [[spoiler:in ''[=TurboTime=]'' after Turbo bailed out to destroy ''[=RoadBlasters=]'' just for stealing his [[AttentionWhore "thunder,"]] [[UncertainDoom it's left vague as to what happened to them]] after the game was unplugged. It is possible they were either rendered homeless like Q*bert and stranded in Game Central Station, or worse, they were all killed when they all couldn't evacuate their game in time. Since no one sees them in Game Central Station, it's very likely they were killed.]]

Creator/RogerEbert once said that VideoGames were not art to him.[[note]][[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/07/okay_kids_play_on_my_lawn.html He did eventually back away from this opinion.]][[/note]] Never mind the gamers' community's InternetBackdraft, ''this'' is what will make anyone with that idea change his or her mind. Because, just as ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' did with toys, ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' will do with VideoGames: showing the heart that lies within such things.

* With regards to the other game characters [[spoiler:in ''[=TurboTime=]'' after Turbo bailed out to destroy ''[=RoadBlasters=]'' just for stealing Turbo's [[AttentionWhore "thunder,"]] [[UncertainDoom it's left vague as to what happened to them]] after the game was unplugged. It is possible they were either rendered homeless like Q*bert and stranded in Game Central Station, or worse, they were all killed when they all couldn't evacuate their game in time. Since no one sees them in Game Central Station, it's very likely they were killed.]]

*** According to the game trailer, ''Sugar Rush'' came out in 1997. Assuming the movie takes place in 2012, that means Vanellope has been living this way for '''''fifteen years'''''. Ouch.

* Seeing that Q*bert and his crew are now homeless and starving, as a result of their game being unplugged. Though Ralph giving them cherries from the Pacman game helps somewhat.

*** Him not having access to food may be why he snuck out the cherries from PacMan because hey, free food lying around. No one's going to stop him (except the Surge Protector).

* [[spoiler: After hearing King Candy's explanation (which later proves to be a deception) about the danger Vanellope could possibly bring to herself and the rest of their world by being a glitch, Ralph, wanting what's best for her, forces himself to demolish the car he helped her build which brought them together.]]

* The scene near the end where Vanellope, [[spoiler:who has regained her status as the game's princess, makes all the other racers who tormented her earlier break down in tears after decreeing that they be executed]] seems to come off as a bit cruel and mean-spirited. Sure, [[spoiler:she revealed that she was just joking about it moments later, and, to be fair, the other racers KINDA deserved it]], but you can't help but [[spoiler:feel sorry for them as they bawl their eyes out.]] Hell, after all the other stuff already mentioned on this page, you might even cry along with them.

** Also. remember what happens to things Cy-Bugs eat. [[spoiler: They are assimilated. She knows this. So not only did she watch her fiance die, but she has to kill him again.]]

** What really clinches it is [[spoiler:Ralph looking at the medal Vanellope made for him while he falls. Take note that his fist was faltering as he fell even as he recited his Bad-Anon Mantra. His whole body language was expressing the terrible fear he was attempting to suppress with the mantra. It was him looking at the medal that gave him the strength to recite the rest of the mantra resolutely and hold himself with determination.]] Cue the tears.
** Take a real close look at [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/d430c3254a6978df28a89a3966c94db8/tumblr_mnc9pmNU5f1rv08z0o1_1280.jpg these]] [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/ea07396adbdadc39852bc6265b2a791e/tumblr_mnc9pmNU5f1rv08z0o2_r1_1280.jpg two]] screenshots. For just a second as he falls, Ralph opens his eyes to [[spoiler:look at the medal one last time- it is the last thing he expects to see before his FinalDeath.]] And then he closes his eyes again and he ''smiles.'' [[GoOutWithASmile He just smiles.]] Cue more tears.

* "I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me."

** Take a real close look at [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/d430c3254a6978df28a89a3966c94db8/tumblr_mnc9pmNU5f1rv08z0o1_1280.jpg these]] [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/ea07396adbdadc39852bc6265b2a791e/tumblr_mnc9pmNU5f1rv08z0o2_r1_1280.jpg two]] screenshots. For just a second as he falls, Ralph opens his eyes to [[spoiler:look at the medal one last time- it is the last thing he expects to see before his FinalDeath.]] And then he closes his eyes again and he ''smiles.'' He just smiles. Cue more tears.

** After giving his introduction it's mentioned that this is the first time Ralph has attended Bad Anon and when he's asked why he finally decided to attend he initially tries to claim he didn't have any particular reason before offhandedly mentioning that today happens to be the 30th anniversary of his game. Reading between the lines it's obvious that the real reason he came to Bad Anon was so he didn't have to spend his [[OnePersonBirthdayParty anniversary alone]]

*** The ''agonizing'' way Vanellope cries [[spoiler: as she's ForcedToWatch Ralph wreck her car]]. Creator/SarahSilverman genuinely (and jarringly) sounds like a poor little girl whose heart is breaking over the thing she loves most. [[SheReallyCanAct Holy shit, can she act!]]

*** The ''agonizing'' way Vanellope cries [[spoiler: as she's ForcedToWatch Ralph wreck her car]]. Creator/SarahSilverman genuinely (and jarringly) sounds like a poor little girl who's heart is breaking over the thing she loves the most. [[HeReallyCanAct Holy shit, can she act!]]

** Unlike the other three protagonists, she has ''no one''. Felix is a well-respected "good guy" among his game, Calhoun has her soldiers to keep company, and Ralph has other "bad guys". Vanellope can't go out of her game to befriend others. Meaning she is forced to be in the same world as her tormentors.

* It all starts with a main character who's was literally designed to be "the bad guy" of his story, something he eventually realizes isn't much fun.

Creator/RogerEbert once stated that VideoGames were not art to him.[[note]][[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/07/okay_kids_play_on_my_lawn.html He did eventually back away from this opinion.]][[/note]] Never mind the gamers' community's InternetBackdraft, ''this'' is what will make anyone with that idea change his or her mind. Because, just as ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' did with toys, ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' will do with VideoGames: showing the heart that lies within such things.

And given this is [[TearJerker/{{Disney}} Disney]] we're talking about, the task will be accomplished in the most [[TearJerker gut-wrenching]] of ways.

[[caption-width-right:350: [- Pictured: the homeless cast of ''VideoGame/QBert''. "Will appear as a NonPlayerCharacter in a FirstPersonShooter for food". Are you happy, modern gaming industry?[[note]] [[http://www.chipandco.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/wreckit.jpg (on the brighter side of things, though...)]][[/note]] -] ]]

** The second trailer reveals that he ''uses a pile of bricks as a bed cover!'' ... damn.

* Sergeant Calhoun has the most tragic backstory ever. Dear God, her backstory. Her fiance was eaten by a Cy-Bug ''at the altar on their wedding day'' because she forgot to do a perimeter check.

** The moment that leads to this decision is equally worthy of tears. The [[spoiler:Cy-Bug revived Turbo grabs Ralph and flies with him up in the air, grabs his head and yanks it in the direction of where Vanellope is along with Felix and Calhoun, and proceeds to tell him ''[[ForcedToWatch to watch]]'' while Vanellope gets ''eaten'' by the Cy-Bugs.]]

* During the finale while Calhoun and Felix are trying to [[spoiler: evacuate the residents of Sugar Rush due to the Cy Bug invasion]], Ralph desperately trying to take Vanellope with him but her [[spoiler: glitching doesn't allow her to follow]]. Vanellope then proceeds to tell Ralph "It's okay. Just go. Go without me." Cue the waterworks.

* The quick gag that Felix says that Ralph sometimes falls asleep in the bar "Tappers". Through a darker lens it could be that [[DrowningMySorrows he drinks a lot some days.]]

* "I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me."
** What really clinches it is [[spoiler:Ralph looking at the medal Vanellope made for him while he falls. Take note that his fist was faltering as he fell even as he recited his Bad-Anon Mantra. His whole body language was expressing the terrible fear he was attempting to suppress with the mantra. It was him looking at the medal that gave him the strength to recite the rest of the mantra resolutely and hold himself with determination.]] Cue the tears.
** Take a real close look at [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/d430c3254a6978df28a89a3966c94db8/tumblr_mnc9pmNU5f1rv08z0o1_1280.jpg these]] [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/ea07396adbdadc39852bc6265b2a791e/tumblr_mnc9pmNU5f1rv08z0o2_r1_1280.jpg two]] screenshots. For just a second as he falls, Ralph opens his eyes to [[spoiler:look at the medal one last time- it is the last thing he expects to see before his FinalDeath.]] And then he closes his eyes again and he ''smiles.'' He just smiles. Cue more tears.

** We find out through this that the "glitching" is at least partially related to Vanellope's emotional state. After [[spoiler:Ralph destroys her car, she so devastated that she glitches off the tree Ralph hung her on into a heap on the ground]].

* [[spoiler: Ralph's near-HeroicSacrifice by divebombing head first into mentos, planning to be boiled alive in Diet Cola Hot Springs, all while stating the Bad Annon Affirmation and looking at Vanellope's message of "You're my Hero" as he whispers the last line.]]

* [[spoiler: After hearing King Candy's explanation (which later proves to be a deception) about the danger Vanellope could possibly bring to herself and the rest of their world by being a glitch, Ralph, wanting whats best for her, forces himself to demolish the car he helped her build which brought them together.]]

* Once he gets to ''Sugar Rush'', [[spoiler:Vanellope steals his medal, and it's inadvertently destroyed]], Ralph totally loses it and proceeds to wreck anything he can smash in a fit of rage! It's a bit narmy and maybe hilarious to some until you really consider his situation. After a life of neglect from being a bad guy ''and'' finally doing the impossible and proving a bad guy can get a medal, he LOSES it before he can show anybody he knows! This was probably his ''only'' chance to get a medal the hard way, and now he's just back to face a life of utter torment! The look on his face screams, "Because I wreck stuff!! That's all I exist for right, World, you piece of crap!!!??" It's more than a few peoples' dream to be worth something, and even more people have given up on it already.

* A Meta TearJerker: Disney got Buckner and Garcia[[note]]The guys who did ''Music/PacManFever'', helping with the {{Retraux}} feel of the Fix-It Felix Jr. game[[/note]] to record a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl2uM_KX_9g theme song]] for the movie. Gary Garcia [[AuthorExistenceFailure didn't live to see the song finalized or the movie released]]. Jerry Buckner kept the song in their name as a duo anyway, in tribute to his fallen friend.

** The second trailer reveals that he ''uses a pile of bricks as a bed cover!'' ...damn.

** What makes this worse is that Ralph seems to genuinely like the cake at first...but then notices he doesn't seem to be anywhere on top of it with the others. Then the camera pans down and he sees the figurine at the bottom in the mud pit where he usually lands after someone finishes a stage. His reaction is pretty understandable yet the others (including Felix) don't seem to understand his displeasure with this.

-->'''Ralph:''' ''(stunned)'' By yourself? ...With all this garbage around you?

** The whole scene with the anniversary cake (and the horrible, insulting little figurine they made of poor Ralph) will ''crush your soul.''

-->'''Vanellope:''' Well, yeah. Everyone here says I'm just a mistake and that I wasn't even supposed to exist. What do you expect?