History TearJerker / HoratioHornblower

* Early in ''Ship of the Line'', there's one fragment of dialogue which might come off as mere foreshadowing to the perceptive when the books are read in publication order, but gets a lot more poignant when read in chronological order, especially with a fresh memory of the events between ''Lieutenant'' and ''Atropos'':

* The death of [[spoiler:Lieutenant Mound]] near the very end of ''The Commodore'' is a real gut punch. Likable, as clever as young Hornblower, and an excellent officer. Hornblower [[ItsAllMyFault blames himself keenly]] for not having recalled the mission just five minutes earlier. It's one of the only times ''[[TheStoic Bush]]'' is visibly emotional at a death.

* "The Wrong War"/"The Frogs and the Lobsters": Their relationship may be a RomanticPlotTumour but Horatio's reaction to [[spoiler: Mariette's death]] makes it hard not to want to hug him.

* "Retribution": The rest of the movie after the battle aboard the ''Renown'', complete with some in-universe MoodWhiplash. The audience saw Archie get shot but we never knew how serious the wound would be, and Horatio didn't see it at all. As soon as the battle is over, he and Archie are chatting, poking a bit of fun at Buckland... then Horatio looks over at his friend, notices that Archie is not quite all right, asks "Is that your blood?" and it goes downhill from there. [[spoiler: From the courtroom scene in which Archie falsely confesses to mutiny, saving Horatio's from hanging, through Archie's death with his tearful smile and sad, sad goodbye, to Horatio's obvious devastation at losing his closest friend.]] The last fifteen minutes or so of "Retribution" are one big sob-fest.

** When he is about to hand Betsy over to the Americans, without her husband, [[spoiler: Napoleon's brother, who is to be returned to the French]], Betsy [[WhatTheHellHero tells him that she pities his wife.]] Hornblower replies simply that he does too, but that he is the man she married. He realizes what he is doing is a dick move of epic proportions, but his sense of duty means that he sees no possibility but to carry out his orders.

* ''Lord Hornblower'' reminds us that for all his success, Hornblower is very much an IronWoobie for what the universe inflicts upon him. First, [[spoiler: Captain Bush]] is killed off-screen while leading a mission Hornblower ordered, and near the book's climax, [[spoiler: Hornblower's mistress Mariette]] dies of a gunshot wound while fighting Republican forces as part of a Royalist guerilla band.

* The last paragraph of ''Hornblower and the Atropos,'' in which Hornblower returns from a voyage and discovers both his children dying of smallpox.

* There is a scene in ''Ship of the Line'' where the ''Sutherland'' comes upon a column of Napoleon's troops marching on a coastal road. For a few paragraphs, the point-of-view switches to the troops who are mostly conscipts, hot, tired, and welcome the diversion of watching a pretty ship while they march, going so far as to ''wave'' at it. [[KickTheDog And then Hornblower opens fire on them]]. WarIsHell, indeed.

* "The Duchess and the Devil": Archie's being convinced: "You don't need me." Fortunately also a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming as Horatio insists that he does.

* "Retribution": The rest of the movie after the battle aboard the ''Renown'', complete with some in-universe MoodWhiplash. The audience saw Archie get shot but we never knew how serious the wound would be, and Horatio didn't see it at all. As soon as the battle is over, he and Archie are chatting, poking a bit of fun at Buckland... then Horatio looks over at his friend, notices that Archie is not quite all right, asks "Is that your blood?" and it goes downhill from there. [[spoiler: The courtroom scene in which Archie falsely confesses to mutiny, saving Horatio's from hanging, to Archie's death with his tearful smile and sad, sad goodbye, to Horatio's obvious devastation at losing his closest friend.]] The last fifteen minutes or so of "Retribution" are one big sob-fest.

* The scene in "The Wrong War" when after Archie saves Horatio from being blown up with a bridge, Major Edrington tells Archie gently, "And just... take care of [Horatio], will you?" Obviously understanding that Horatio needs emotional support, big time, and that Archie is the friend who can give it to him.

* "Retribution": The rest of the movie after the battle aboard the ''Renown'', complete with some in-universe MoodWhiplash. The audience saw Archie get shot but we never knew how serious the wound would be, but Horatio didn't see it at all. As soon as the battle is over, he and Archie are chatting, poking a bit of fun at Buckland... then Horatio looks over at his friend, notices that Archie is not quite all right, asks "Is that your blood?" and it goes downhill from there. [[spoiler: The courtroom scene in which Archie falsely confesses to mutiny, saving Horatio's from hanging, to Archie's death with his tearful smile and sad, sad goodbye, to Horatio's obvious devastation at losing his closest friend.]] The last fifteen minutes or so of "Retribution" are one big sob-fest.

* The scene in "The Wrong War" when after Archie saves Horatio from being blown up with a bridge, Major Edrington tells Archie gently, "And just ... take care of [Horatio], will you?" Obviously understanding that Horatio needs emotional support, big time, and that Archie is the friend who can give it to him.
* "Mutiny": Poor young Mr. Wellard, beating beaten up constantly because of the crazy captain. As Archie put it, ''it is injustice''. Poor lamb.
* "Retribution": The rest of the movie after the battle aboard the ''Renown'' has ended. Complete with some in-universe MoodWhiplash. The audience saw Archie get shot but we never knew how serious the wound would be, but Horatio didn't see it at all, and as soon as the battle is over he and Archie are chatting, poking a bit of fun at Buckland... then Horatio looks over at his friend, notices, asks "Is that your blood?" and it goes downhill from there. [[spoiler: The courtroom scene in which Archie confesses to mutiny, saving Horatio's life and career, to Archie's death, his tearful smile and goodbye, to Horatio's obvious devastation at losing his closest friend.]] The last fifteen minutes or so of "Retribution" are one big sob-fest.

* "The Duchess and the Devil": Archie's being convinced: "You don't need me." Fortunately also a [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]] as Horatio insists that he does.

* From "Retribution": Everything from Horatio asking "Is that your [[spoiler: blood?" to the courtroom scene in which Archie confesses to mutiny, saving Horatio's life, to Archie's death, and Horatio's obvious devastation at losing his closest friend.]] The last fifteen minutes or so of "Retribution" are one big sob-fest.
* "The Duchess and the Devil": Archie's being convince: "You don't need me." Fortunately also a [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]] as Horatio insists that he does.
* "The Wrong War/The Frogs and the Lobsters": Their relationship may be a [[RomanticPlotTumour Romantic Plot Tumour]] but Horatio's reaction to [[spoiler: Mariette's death]] makes it hard not to want to hug him.
* In "Mutiny": Poor young Mr. Wellard, beating beaten up constantly because of the crazy captain. As Archie put it, ''it is injustice''. Poor lamb.
* Much of Horatio's interaction with Maria in the seventh and eighth instalments. He's so obviously not as interested in her as she is in him, and even when [[spoiler: he marries her]] his affection seems much more like sympathy or pity and a sense of obligation than anything else. You've really got to feel sorry for the poor girl.

* "The Duchess and the Devil": "You don't need me." Fortunately also a [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]] as Horatio insists that he does.

* Also, much of Horatio's interaction with Maria in the seventh and eighth instalments. He's so obviously not as interested in her as she is in him, and even when [[spoiler: he marries her]] his affection seems much more like sympathy or pity and a sense of obligation than anything else. You've really got to feel sorry for the poor girl.

* From "Retribution": Everything from [[spoiler: Horatio asking "Is that your blood?" to the courtroom scene in which Archie confesses to mutiny, saving Horatio's life, to Archie's death and Horatio's obvious devastation at losing his closest friend.]] The last fifteen minutes or so of "Retribution" are one big sob-fest.