As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.
- Ronnie Mitchell finally finding out Danielle was her daughter and the climax of it. Dear God. For the record, Ronnie always thought her daughter was dead thanks to her asshole of a father Archie until his wedding to Peggy revealed the truth. Ronnie chased after Danielle, only for Janine Butcher to accidentally run Danielle over.
- Ronnie again, finding the corpse of her newborn son.
- Frank Butcher's funeral. Made even more poignant as the actor who played him, the lovable Mike Reid, had died. It's not just the characters crying there, it's the entire cast themselves. "Take care of yourself, Pat."
- Billie Jackson's death. No big build up, just a party gone too far and a guy drinking himself to death. However, the episode dealing with the immediate aftermath was crushing; there were only about three lines of dialogue in the last 10 minutes as the characters tried to deal with the shock, and the tone was shockingly downbeat, even for EastEnders.
- Sharon sitting by the open grave of her husband Dennis, completely breaking down with grief.Sharon: He won't like it here. It's so lonely. He doesn't like being on his own. He says he's not bothered, but it's all a front, cos he hates it. It makes him unhappy. He likes being with me... I met him at a funeral. The first place I ever saw him was in a graveyard... And he was all on his own... my darling...
- Bradley Branning's death in the live 25th anniversary episode.
- When Phil discovers that Ben has accidentally killed Heather, Ben's immediate reaction is point out that this is what Phil always wanted him to be like.
- It's not only Heather's death that was sad, it was also Shirley's devastated reaction towards her death. Keep in mind, Shirley is usually very calm or isn't the sort of person to break down very easily so it was that bad. Even worse, this permanently changed Shirley into a much more depressed and cynical person than she already was, having to live through the rest of her life knowing her best friend is no longer with her.
- Ethel Skinner was the show's original old aged pensioner and met her end in 2000, passing away on her birthday after asking Dot to help her die via euthanasia.
- Jamie's death after Martin runs him over.
- When Kat tells Alfie she's been having a three month affair with another man, Alfie breaks down into tears, almost hits her when she won't tell him the other man's name and then violently throws her out, while still crying like a school boy.
- When Lola has her baby taken from her by Social Services.
- The day after Derek's death, we learn that he had arrange to meet up with his father, who is still recovering from his stroke. Having got dressed up for a day out with his eldest son, Jim called the Branning house when Derek didn't show up in time. One can only imagine the look of utter sadness on Jim's face when he was informed of Derek's passing.
- Zoe calling Kat "Mum" for the first time when they said their goodbyes just before Zoe caught her train out of the series.
- The entire episode where the Beale family learns of Lucy's death. First there is Ian who can clings to even the shred of hope that it's all just a nightmare until he sees her dead body, then there his the informing of Cindy and Bobby which is done out of view with cries in audible. The most heartrending however is when Peter finds out about her, both he and his father sobbing in each other's arms along with Peter screaming was harrowing beyond words.
- Jay telling Dexter that he shouldn't try and re-form a relationship with his estranged father because he'll only leave again and break your heart becomes this when you realize that Jay was reunited with his father only for him to be violently murdered a year later leaving Jay an orphan.
- Abi, after heavily drinking, and being dumped by Jay, accidentally runs over and kills her dog, Tramp, while trying to leave for University when her dad refuses to up-and-take her until she sobers up.
- Wellard being put down is one heck of a tearjerker.
- Ian has a heart-to-heart chat with Phil following Lucy's death and breaks down in his on-and-off nemesis' arms.
- The sudden death of Nana Moon at Christmas, though it was known she was going to die, it was still a shocker. Alfie's reaction makes things worse.
- Cindy reading Ian the letter Lucy had written apologising for her behaviour before she was killed in the 30th anniversary episode. The impact was increased by the fact that the episode was completely live.
- Surprisingly Nick Cotton's death ends poignantly. Rather than the climactic end one would expect, he slowly succumbs to poisoning from heroin and dies in his mother's arms, and perhaps for the one sincere time in his life, asks for her forgiveness over all his past sins. Though Dot can't quite answer that request, when he finally passes, she respectfully closes his eyes and gives him a kiss on the forehead.
- Shabnam and Kush did not hold on so well when they find out that their still-to-be-born baby has died inside the womb.
- Fatboy being crushed to death in the boot of a car, having been mistaken for Vincent by thugs hired by Ronnie, and Vincent's subsequent reaction. Especially sad is the revelation that Fatboy was terrified of small spaces, and when Vincent lies to Dot and tells her that Fatboy's is doing a gig in Austria instead. The shot of the framed photo of Dot and Arthur is heartbreaking.
- Denise disapproves of Masood's decision to leave Walford for Pakistan... until Masood gives a tearful speech explaining that he can no longer bear to remain because all he sees are "ghosts". It's a very poignant scene, and perhaps one of the few times that the show actually stops and thinks about how damaged a normal person's psyche would become if they actually had to live in a place with so many tragic and disturbing incidents.note
- Kat discovering that she had twins when she had Zoe, and that the baby boy was left with her aunt. It doesn't help that it's closely followed by Charlie having a third heart attack and dying.
- Peggy's death and its aftermath. The scene in the following episode of Phil reading her final letter to him and the roaring sob he gives in response is downright chilling.
- The scene of Peggy speaking to Pat's ghost beforehand is wonderfully composed, they chat about their lives together the good and the bad, Peggy fearing that she wouldn't be forgiven by everyone and that she's killing herself to go out on her own terms like she has lived and Pat promises to stay with her for the end. It's clear that Pam St Clements is about to cry when she says "not for a second", also the fact that this was one of Barbara Windsor's last time acting as well.
- Ben is dead!? The reveal of Paul's dead body and its aftermath. The scene in the following episode of Phil telling his son, Ben that Paul has tragically died by saying "your friend, he's dead," and Ben launching himself on Phil, trying to punch him and Ian having to restrain him and drag him into the hallway. In the hallway of 55 Victoria Road, Ben angry hits his knuckles against the front door and looks at the tattoo of "Paul" on his ring finger before breaking down in sobs in Kathy and Phil's arms.
- Ronnie and Roxy's deaths. It seemed as though the sisters were going to have a happy ending, with Ronnie marrying Jack (again) and both sisters preparing to move away from Walford together. Then, on the night of her wedding, both sisters go to the hotel's swimming pool, with Roxy diving in first. The drugs in her system seemingly take their toll and she does not resurface, causing Ronnie to jump in after her. In her attempts to save her, however, Ronnie gets tangled up in her own wedding dress, resulting in both sisters drowning together.
- Abi's death, when she and her sister Lauren tried to save their father Max from committing suicide.
- Sharon finding out about her son Dennis' death mere hours after giving birth to her second child. Her blaming herself for it being a consequence of her and Keanu's affair, particularly as she previously swore on his life that nothing had been going on between them makes it all the more heart wrenching.
- When Pat Butcher dies in her bed while being comforted by her son. A couple of months later Peggy Mitchell was in Walford, when she paid her respects to Pat, saying they never had that last drink, quietly leaving a bottle of Gin on her doorstep.
