History Main / MeaningfulFuneral

* The funeral of Théoden in Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''.
** In the film of ''The Two Towers'', Théodred's also counts.
** Definitely Boromir's, in both book (complete with a commemorative poem) and film.

A less formal but similar situation is ToAbsentFriends. Indeed, characters may go from a Meaningful Funeral to ToAbsentFriends, although this can be hard to pull off as they revolve about the same emotions. PersonalEffectsReveal also often dwells on the grief. When the funeral is ''not'' meant to be taken seriously, you've got TheFunInFuneral.

This should go without saying, but as a DeathTrope, '''all spoilers will be unmarked.''' You have been warned.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', after Lieutenant Chojiro Tadaoki Sasakibe of the First Division is killed in action at the start of the [[WarArc Thousand Year Blood War arc]], the entirety of the Gotei 13 gathers to perform a military funeral for him. During said funeral, the full extent of his service to Captain-Commander Yamamoto is revealed by Byakuya: Sasakibe had not only served in the Gotei 13 since its inception, he had also directly served Yamamoto as his right-hand man since before the first Quincy war 1,000 years ago and was one of the first Shinigami to achieve [[SuperMode Bankai]]. In spite of this, however, he never once attempted to become [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership Captain]], [[AlmightyJanitor something he could've easily accomplished]]; instead, [[UndyingLoyalty he preferred to remain as Yamamoto's direct subordinate.]] While this earned him some amount of ridicule by his peers, who took this as a sign of weakness, those who had been around for longer and were aware of his history had nothing but praise and respect for his service and dedication. Byakuya also reveals that, in his 1,000 years of service, Sasakibe had never once participated in battle and had never used his Bankai in front of other people. When the Vandenreich attacked the Seireitei in order to declare war against Soul Society, [[CurbStompBattle the ensuing battle was so devastating]] that Sasakibe [[GodzillaThreshold attempted to use his Bankai in battle for the first time]]; the Vandenreich [[PowerParasite stole it]] and Sasakibe lost his life shortly after.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' has an optional one: If you join the Companions, [[spoiler:Harbinger Kodlak White-Mane gets killed by the Silver Hand]], leading to [[spoiler:him]] recieving a Viking Funeral of sorts. Several modded quests also follow the example set by this funeral.

* Creator/WilliamShakespeare's [[http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/334/ The Phoenix and the Turtle]] (where "turtle" means "turtledove") is an account of a MeaningfulFuneral.

* Subverted and played straight in ''Literature/TheFaultInOurStars''. Augustus, upon learning he is dying, asks his two closest friends to read their eulogies at a memorial service before [[spoiler:he]] actually dies, leading to a highly personal Meaningful Funeral. [[spoiler:His]] actual funeral, by contrast, consists mostly of platitudes said by more distant acquaintances, although even then, there are a few moments of genuine connection.

* Morpheus' funeral in Neil Gaiman's ''Comicbook/TheSandman'' series. [[spoiler:As much for what goes on with the new incarnation of Dream and his brother Destruction as for the reactions of the attendees]].

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', after Lieutenant Chojiro Tadaoki Sasakibe of the First Division is killed in action at the start of the [[WarArc Thousand Year Blood War arc]], the entirety of the Gotei 13 gathers to perform a military funeral for him. During said funeral, the full extent of his service to Captain-Commander Yamamoto is revealed by Byakuya: Sasakibe had not only served in the Gotei 13 since its inception, he had also directly served Yamamoto as his right-hand man since before the first Quincy war 1,000 years ago and was one of the first Shinigami to achieve [[SuperMode Bankai]]. In spite of this, however, he never once attempted to become [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority Captain]], [[AlmightyJanitor something he could've easily accomplished]]; instead, [[UndyingLoyalty he preferred to remain as Yamamoto's direct subordinate.]] While this earned him some amount of ridicule by his peers, who took this as a sign of weakness, those who had been around for longer and were aware of his history had nothing but praise and respect for his service and dedication. Byakuya also reveals that, in his 1,000 years of service, Sasakibe had never once participated in battle and had never used his Bankai in front of other people. When the Vandenreich attacked the Seireitei in order to declare war against Soul Society, [[CurbStompBattle the ensuing battle was so devastating]] that Sasakibe [[GodzillaThreshold attempted to use his Bankai in battle for the first time]]; the Vandenreich [[PowerParasite stole it]] and Sasakibe lost his life shortly after.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': The funeral of Natasha Yar in first-season episode "Skin of Evil".
* ''Series/TheSopranos'': Several - mob movies like those - but especially the one from the season 3 finale. It ends with half the cast bawling to Uncle Junior's Italian song - even though many of them accepted that the young man would get killed.

* John's funeral in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' is him on a pyre, being watched by the two boys in the middle of nowhere and is a total of about five minutes. They've got nobody else now but each other, [[SiblingYinYang Dean is quiet and crying silently while Sam is fidgety and visibly upset]] and when they use ''Carry On My Wayward Son'' in the previously ons, it's the shot they usually use for "Don't you cry no more".

* ''Series/{{ER}}'' does this when Mark Greene dies and most of the cast (including a couple of characters who had left the show) go to the funeral. Which raises some questions: was the hospital even open? (explained, albeit unrealistically, with a flashback later on), and of course, makes long-time fans wonder what happened with those who weren't there (namely Dr. Ross and Nurse Hathaway). That was subverted later on when Greg Pratt died, as they didn't show the funeral but commented on how most past and present characters went or at least sent flowers.
* ''Series/{{Everwood}}'' had Irv's funeral as the penultimate episode, bringing most of the storylines near their end and being a very well-written no-flashback-needed way to connect the past, present, and future of the characters. Extra points to the make-up artists to make all characters de-age almost at will. Not only it was a very meaningful funeral, but it also paved the way for the finale.
* ''Series/DawsonsCreek''... well, sort of. But then again, it was the whole illness-death-aftermath thing that brought the plots to a closure.

* ''Series/{{Bones}}'': When Booth steps in front of his {{stalker|WithaCrush}}'s bullet meant for Brennan]] at the end of "The Wannabe in the Weeds", the next episode opens with the characters going to his funeral. Subverted as Brennan refuses to go until Angela convinces her. For the other characters it's treated as a meaningful funeral and they believe that Brennan should be treating it the same. Also, when they're at the funeral it's revealed that Booth is not dead at all and the funeral was staged to catch an underground criminal who vowed to only reappear at Booth's funeral.
** Several episodes end with the Meaningful Funeral of the Victim of the Week. “The Patriot in Purgatory” is a particularly good one, with a man who died on 9/11.
** The final send-off of Mister Nigel-Murray. The team gathers and sings his favorite song “Da Lime in Da Coconut”.
** And later Sweets. Brennan gives a heartfelt speech and they sing the same song they did for Vincent as it was Sweets’ favorite, too.
** And Max’s funeral in the last season, when he dies saving his grandkids. Brennan gives another heartfelt speech and is the first to throw dirt on the coffin.

** In [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the first anime]], Mustang bitterly points out the Tragic Irony of how Hughes, who pulled from him the brink and offered career support from below, died first and was promoted above him. Somewhat understated, Mustang is angry that Hughes died, as Hughes was keeping him alive with this support.

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': The funeral of the third Hokage and Iruka's talk with Naruto.
--> '''Kurenai''': It's raining.
--> '''Asuma''': Even the heavens weep.
** Also, Asuma's. The most meaningful part is who ''fails'' to show up.

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' shows the bodies left behind by the latest Titan attack being piled onto a giant stake and burned. During this cremation, the inner monologue of several characters is shown, particularly that of SmugSnake Jean, who recalls seeing Marco's mangled corpse and those of the unidentified ones. Remembering how Marco was a born leader and saying that Jean, despite knowing and admitting that he's a coward, would make a great leader, Jean heads to the other survivors of the 104th squad and tells them of his decision: he will join the Survey Corps, to fight against the threat of the Titans in hopes of not losing anymore friends and having to witness these cremations.

* ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' has two, one for all the soldiers that died in the Valentine brothers' attack and a brief one for Anderson, right in the middle of the war with Millenium, made even more briefer by being interrupted by [[spoiler:Walter]], who turned out to be TheMole.
* The ''Manga/DeathNote'' anime left one of these on the cutting room floor; it's viewable [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcvIxTVafkM here,]] with massive spoilers, obviously. It's probably just as well for them that the final production toned it down a bit.
* In ''Manga/BlackLagoon'', Balalaika's StartOfDarkness involves her rallying a group of disaffected war veterans at a funeral.
* Subverted in ''Manga/Reborn2004'' when we found out that the ten-years-later Tsuna was in a coffin in an unmarked forest, dead. What makes it odd is the fact that it ''wasn't'' a meaningful funeral, in spite of the fact that he was the well known and well loved boss of the greatest mafia family in the world. This could be considered a Meaningful Funeral with an audience of one, considering that the ten-years-later Gokudera was there.
* Midway through the first season of ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Shirley's father is killed, the first of many [[BreakTheCutie tragic]] events, immediately followed by a [[ItAlwaysRainsAtFunerals rainy day funeral]]. About one season later, Shirley herself is killed by Rolo. The funeral is no less a TearJerker, especially considering her poor mother. Lastly, after Rolo sacrifices himself to rescue Lelouch from the Black Knights betraying him, Lelouch privately buries him with his own hands.
* ''Manga/TheLuciferAndBiscuitHammer'': after Tarou dies, the Knights show up to the next battle in funeral attire.
* At the end of his arc in ''Anime/FistOfTheNorthStar'', Shin kills himself so that he can’t be blown up by Kenshiro’s technique following their fight. Knowing that Shin loves Yuria as much as he did, Kenshiro chooses to bury his rival’s body.

* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14997911/chapters/34760702 The Horsewomen Of Las Vegas]]'', [[Detective Wrestling/AlexaBliss]] was denied a police funeral after the corrupt LVPD painted her as a DirtyCop, but her partner, Wrestling/{{Bayley}} and several other honest members of the LVPD do their best to honor her at her funeral.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon2'', [[spoiler: Stoick is given a Viking funeral after giving his life to save his son]].

* The final episode of ''Series/ReturnOfUltraman'' ends with [[spoiler: the entire MAT squadron attending Hideki Go's funeral, after Hideki was presumed dead in a plane crash while battling Zetton. Being the host of Ultraman Jack, of course he's still alive, and he reveals himself a few seconds after his funeral procession ended]].

** Returning to the light side in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' Anakin Skywalker sacrifices himself to save his son Luke. As Anakin's organic body disappeared into the Force after he died, Luke takes his armor to Endor and holds a Jedi funeral, cremating him. Luke carefully held the funeral well away others, knowing that the death of the man known as Darth Vader would be a cause for celebration and not mourning.

* [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Invisible Woman]] recently got buried... And she attended, seeing as it was herself from the future. She even, like the ''Runaways'' example, gave her own eulogy.

** Nightcrawler's and Cable's in X-Men: Second Coming.

* ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths #7: Supergirl's public funeral in Chicago was attended by literally thousands of people, many among them fellow heroes and super-beings(including Wonder Woman, Batman and Captain Marvel) of stature and reputation somewhat larger than hers.

* ComicBook/CaptainMarVell's. Though the biggest ordeal is made of his deathbed.

--> '''Mustang''': "Alchemists as a whole...we really are horrible creatures, aren't we? There's a part of me that's desperately trying to crack the theories of human transmutation right now. I think I understand what drove those boys when they tried to bring back their mother."
--> '''Hawkeye''': "Are you alright, sir?"
--> '''Mustang''': "I'm fine...except" *puts on his cap and stares to the cloudless sky* "it's a terrible day for rain."
--> '''Hawkeye''': "What do you mean? It's not raining."
--> '''Mustang''': *with a single tear rolling down his cheek* "Yes...it is."

* ''Film/AcrossTheUniverse'' has two of these at once; one of which is a military funeral, and the other of which is for a black child who was slain in the Detroit riots. It was essentially a funeral montage with a gospel choir version of "Let It Be" playing in the background. [[ManlyTears Crying was perfectly acceptable.]]