History TearJerker / DragaliaLost

** If you've read the castle story "That Which Remains" and his Gala story, [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation this gets much, much worse if you look at his character in another way.]] the former's ending reveals that due to severing his chain of casuality, people won't remember who he is at all eventually, while the latter showcases that [[YourDaysAreNumbered he is running out of time.]] So when Audric denied Cassandra's request to reconnect him to the chain of casuality, '''[[DeathSeeker he was essentially asking her to let him die.]]'''

** Think about it for a moment [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone the immense guilt that she felt was so severe]] that she wasn't able to re-integrate with her new body, thus rendering her an EmptyShell. Sweet Ilia...

* With the one-year anniversary, [[CrazyPrepared every adventurer]] received special voice lines commemorating the occasion. Even Kleimann, whose Japanese voice actor Unsho Ishizuka [[CharacterOutlivesActor passed away due to esophageal cancer shortly before the game's release.]]

* While it isn't touched upon as much, poor Leif's got it rough, especially when it comes to his two closest friends, Harle and Cecile. Leif has to witness Harle become a horribly wicked and cruel bastard committing many atrocities, not knowing that the real Harle was actually banished to another world and replaced with Loki, the impostor he sees now. And Cecile, who was once a noble knight, became incredibly traumatized after being made to kill innocent dragons and people, and has become a shaky, panicking drug addict to cope with her trauma. Even when Leif finds out that the real Harle is alive and well, Harle ends up having to go into hiding to protect him and Cecile from the many other enemies he's made apart from Loki, without even getting a chance to reunite.

* The "Scars of the Syndicate" event really sucks for the featured Adventurer Aldred. First his backstory: his parents being killed, he and his sister were taken by the Syndicate and experimented on. Second, he learns that the Syndicate's Manticore he killed was his sister.

** If you've read the castle story "That Which Remains" and his Gala story, [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation this gets much, much worse if you look at this scene in another way.]] the former's ending reveals that due to severing his chain of casuality, people won't remember who he is at all eventually, while the latter showcases that [[YourDaysAreNumbered he is running out of time.]] So when Audric denied Cassandra's request to reconnect him to the chain of casuality, '''[[DeathSeeker he was essentially asking her to let him die.]]'''

* Mascula giving his HeartDrive to Laxi, sacrificing himself in the process.

* The end of Chapter 22 has Audric run out of time and fade from existence and just after revealling to Euden and Nedrick that [[LukeIAmYourFather he is their father]] from another timeline. When the heroes express that he would return to his own, he lets them know that because he severed his chain of causality, he will cease to exist. He says his farewell before [[KilledOffForReal vanished for good]]. The royal siblings all cry out his name in tearful anguish, even the otherwise unflappable ''[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Chelle.]]''

* The end of Chapter 22 has Audric run out of time and fade from existence and just after revealling to Euden and Nedrick that [[LukeIAmYourFather he is their father]] from another timeline. When the heroes express that he would return to his own, he lets them know that because he severed his chain of causality, he will cease to exist. He says his farewell before [[KilledOffForReal vanished for good]].

** Gabriel could an {{Amazingly Embarrassing Parent|s}} at times, but she truly loved the people she cared for. Her fallen counterpart corrupts it into treating people like helpless babies who should do whatever she says.

* While it isn't touched upon as much, poor Leif's got it rough, especially when it comes to his two closest friends, Harle and Cecile. Leif has to witness Harle become a horribly wicked and cruel bastard committing many atrocities, not knowing that the real Harle was actually banished to another world and replaced with the impostor he sees now. And Cecile, who was once a noble knight, became incredibly traumatized after being made to kill innocent dragons and people, and has become a shaky, panicking drug addict to cope with her trauma.

** Gabriel could be a MyBelovedSmother at times, but she truly loved the people she cared for. Her fallen counterpart corrupts it into treating people like helpless babies who should do whatever she says.
** Raphael is boisterous and reckless, but also a hero who heals people in need. Her fallen counterpart is a childish BloodKnight who just wants to fight for the sake of it.

** Ironically, Fallen Angel Michael actually comes across as nicer than his original counterpart. While the original Michael is known to follow his sigil-bound partner's commands even when it lead to the deaths of innocent people, his fallen counterpart is the only Fallen Angel who's still trying to resist his demon's influence, even though doing so caused him great agony.

** Fallen Angel Michael also casts a much darker light on the other Fallen Angels. While they all gave in to the demons' corruption by the time you fight them, they all used to be just like the original angels at one point. There's no doubt they suffered just as much as Fallen Angel Michael before they crossed the DespairEventHorizon and gave up.

** Gabriel could be a BelovedSmother at times, but she truly loved the people she cared for. Her fallen counterpart corrupts it into treating people like helpless babies who should do whatever she says.

[[AC:''Rise of the Sinister Dominion'']]

* Fallen Angel Michael also casts a much darker light on the other Fallen Angels. While they all gave in to the demons' corruption by the time you fight them, they all used to be just like the original angels at one point. There's no doubt they suffered just as much as Fallen Angel Michael before they crossed the DespairEventHorizon and gave up.

[[AC: Real Life]]

* As vicious and cruel as they are, Kai Yan and Ciella of the Agito have rather tragic pasts. [[NotSoDifferent Kai Yan was once as idealistic as Luca]], wanting people of all races to be able to live in harmony, and even took it upon himself to promote said peaceful ideals. Unfortunately, this also left his people unable to defend themselves, resulting in all of them being slaughtered. This tragedy completely twisted the Qilin's ideals, believing that the world is only meant for the strong such as himself. And given how Ciella was once a renowned and admired Paladyn, it's heavily implied that she was forced to bear witness to, or even commit herself, the atrocities done by the CorruptChurch in the goddess's name, driving her mad with despair. Beneath that cruel and sadistic HopeCrusher lies a woman who has clearly crossed the DespairEventHorizon several times over.

* High Brunhilda's story reveals the tragic tale of the original Mym. Unlike Brunhilda, Mym was shy, timid, and ill-suited for battle, but she fought anyway out of love for Alberius. Then one day, during an intense battle against the Dyrenell Empire, Alberius was about to be struck by a fatal blow until Mym took the hit for him, even though she was terrified. The Alberian army managed to turn the battle around and even got an opportunity to seize a major stronghold, but Mym was so badly injured she would die if they continued fighting. Despite her predicament, Mym told Alberius to keep fighting, a request that he chose to honor. Thus, Mym died separated from the man she loved, with no one but Brunhilda to accompany her.

* Cleo's reunion with Alberius, in which she has to help Euden slay Alberius, who is on the verge of rampaging after having so much miasma in his body for so long.

* Chapter 14 has the combat androids developing wills of their own, knowing they're going to die as they push through Harle's electric barrier to shut it down. The physical damage can be fixed, but their heart drives are totally destroyed, rendering them [[FinalDeath totally dead.]]

* Yoshitsune's story is filled with tragedy and heartbreak starting with the sacrifice of her bodyguard Benkei while the dragon Tsukoyomi gives her immortality. Over the years, she has plenty of adventures and has an adopted family, even learning how to turn from an old woman to her younger form. Chapter 4 has her come back to her adopted daughter, Marie, who had grown old waiting for "Mama" to come back and tell her new stories, when she [[GoOutWithASmile falls asleep smiling]].

** On a related note, the Ilian Church itself. What started as a well-intentioned and wholehearted desire to prevent the tragedy from repeating itself and ensuing the destruction of the gradually lost its way over the following thousand years, eventually giving way to political corruption, brutal hunting of heretics, falsification of historical documents [[note]]while Ilia created a body for Mordecai, who in turn yielded the aberration known as Morsayati, this was far from intended and the world fought to contain the resulting mess[[/note]], spreading slander to exploit a nation's weakness and internal conflict, and experimentation with black mana and otherworldly forces the likes of which are capable of ravaging the world all over again. Imagine being Midgardsormr and having to watch all this go down; the guy must be unshakable in his faith to not go full Agito over all of this. And imagine how fast Meene would spin in her grave if she knew this was what became of the very institution she founded. Was it worth it, Elysium?

* As vicious and cruel as they are, Kai Yan and Ciella of the Agito have a rather tragic past. [[NotSoDifferent Kai Yan was once as idealistic as Luca]], wanting people of all races to be able to live in harmony, and even took it upon himself to promote said peaceful ideals. Unfortunately, this also left his people unable to defend themselves, resulting in all of them being slaughtered. This tragedy completely twisted the Qilin's ideals, believing that the world is only meant for the strong such as himself. And given how Ciella was once a renowned and admired Paladyn, it's heavily implied that she was forced to bear witness to, or even commit herself, the atrocities done by the CorruptChurch in the goddess's name, driving her mad with despair. Beneath that cruel and sadistic HopeCrusher lies a woman who has clearly crossed the DespairEventHorizon several times over.

* As vicious and cruel as they are, Kai Yan and Ciella of the Agito have a rather tragic past. [[NotSoDifferent Kai Yan was once as idealistic as Luca]], wanting people of all races to be able to live in harmony, and even took it upon himself to promote said peaceful ideals. Unfortunately, this also left his people unable to defend themselves, resulting in all of them being slaughtered. This tragedy completely twisted the Qilin's ideals, believing that the world is only meant for the strong such as himself. And given how Ciella was once a renowned and admired Paladyn, it's heavily implied that she was forced to bear witness to, or even commit herself, the atrocities done by the CorruptChurch in the goddess's name, driving her mad with despair.