History TearJerker / MiddleEarthShadowOfWar

* If you return to Lithlad as Talion (or worse, as Baranor using the skin), Torvin's gone. Talion never got to say goodbye.

*** You're not even obligated to allow him an honorable death; ruthless players have the option of [[YouMonster utterly striping him of his dignity by shaming him until his mind breaks]], reducing him to a pitiful wretch who can only moan about how desperately he wants to rest.

-->'''Talion''': Please! Don't let me die here in this cursed land.

** It's already bad but had you collected Gondorian artifacts [[spoiler: where Talion and Clebrimbor had friendly conversations over most of them it's heartbreaking to see Celebrimbor so cold he betrays the closest thing he had to a friend.]]

** During the credits after the GoldenEnding, the Forthog video plays again -- this time with intercut with photos of Forgey from young childhood to teenager strumming a guitar to the man he was when ''Shadow of Mordor'' was released. It closes with the epitaph '''FORGEY FOREVER'''.

--> I have no remorse for the life I've led. I have served Morgoth well, and am ready to die with honor.
--> So... this is how the last of Morgoth's host falls. At least it was not at the hand's of Sauron's abominations.

*** You're not even obligated to allow him an honorable death; ruthless players have the option of [[YouMonster utterly striping him of his dignity by shaming him until his mind breaks]], who can only moan about how desperately he wants to rest.

* After you complete the DLC, all the followers you gained are unlocked in Talion's story. While you could [[VideoGameCareingPotential support, advance, and protect them as much as possible]], you're also able to [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential betray, abandon, shame, and mentally break them as you see fit]]. Depending on how unique, memorable, or endearing you found these characters, seeing them reduced to shallow wrecks of their formers selves can be pretty hard to watch.

--> So... this is how the last of Morgoth's host falls. At least it wasn't at the hand's of Sauron's abominations.
A prevailing theme in Tolkien's lore is how [[TheMagicGoesAway everything ancient and wonderful in the world is slowly dying, and soon it will all fade into a mundane, ordinary world]]. Upon killing the Bow of Morgoth, you realize that even not even the darker things are immune to this inevitable decline; a decline you just precipitated by slaughtering one of the last holdouts from [[GoldenAge the First Age]].

** The worst part? Every Nazgul memory that was seen was due to the weakness of the wielder. Talion was the only ringbearer whose intentions were wholly ''pure'' and untouched by pride or desire for power.

* After finally striking down the Ringwraith Talion has become, Eltariel sees a vision of Talion's past; she sees Ioreth and Dirhael's murder, Celebrimbor's betrayal, aided by her, and Talion taking up Isildur's ring, vowing to fight back the armies of Sauron for as long as he could before its corruption consumed it. When the vision finally ends and Talion's twisted spirit departs back to Barad-dûr to regenerate, Eltariel's expression is one of [[ItsAllMyFault guilt and regret]] that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone her actions]] drove a good man seeking only to [[CrusadingWidower avenge the murders of his family]] before being [[TogetherInDeath reunited with them in death]] into [[HeWhoFightsMonsters becoming a monster in thrall to the same evil that took everything he loved from him]]. Is it any wonder she refuses Galadriel's invitation to go West and instead remains in Mordor to continue fighting?

* After finally striking down the Ringwraith Talion has become, Eltariel sees a vision of Talion's past; she sees Ioreth and Dirhael's murder, Celebrimbor's betrayal, aided by her, and Talion taking up Isildur's ring, vowing to fight back the armies of Sauron for as long as he could before its corruption consumed it. When the vision finally ends and Talion's twisted spirit departs back to Barad-dûr to regenerate, Eltariel's expression is one of [[ItsAllMyFault guilt and regret]] that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone her actions]] drove a good man seeking only to [[CrusadingWidower avenge the murders of his family]] before being [[TogetherInDeath reunited with them in death]] into [[HeWhoFightsMonsters becoming a monster in thrall to the same evil that took everything he loved from him]].

* After the final defeat of the Sisters, Eltariel notices Talion collapse, and both realise he is finally on the verge of succumbing to Isildur's ring. Galadriel urges Eltariel to take the Ring and kill Talion before he falls and the chance is lost, but Talion begs Eltariel to take him back to Gondor, pleading that he doesn't want to die in Mordor. Eltariel, no doubt feeling guilty for her role in his fall, stays her hand and agrees to Talion's final request.

* After finally striking down the Ringwraith Talion has become, Eltariel sees a vision of Talion's past; she sees Ioreth and Dirhael's murder, Celebrimbor's betrayal, aided by her, and Talion taking up Isildur's ring, vowing to fight back the armies of Sauron for as long as he was able. When the vision finally ends and Talion's twisted spirit departs back to Barad-dûr to regenerate, Eltariel's expression is one of guilt and regret that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone her actions drove a good man seeking only to avenge the unjust deaths of his family into becoming a monster]].

-->'''Eltariel''': Of course.

* After the final defeat of the Sisters, Eltariel notices Talion collapse, and both realise he is finally on the verge of succumbing to Isildur's ring. Galadriel urges Eltariel to take the Ring and kill Talion before he falls and the chance is lost, but Talion begs Eltariel to take him back to Gondor, pleading that he doesn't want to die in Mordor. Eltariel, no doubt feeling guilty for her role in his fall, stays her hand and agrees to Talion's final request.

* Eltariel bears witness to [[spoiler:Talion finally succumbing to TheCorruption of Isildur's ring, ForcedToWatch as her on-and-off ally is DrivenToVillainy... and as they both know, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero it's her fault he even had to take Isildur's ring in the first place]], so he blames her]].

* We finally find out Eltariel's motive. Galadriel will not allow her to return to her home until the Nazgul are dead. Think about it, she cannot return home until she finds a way to kill every Nazgul, and no-one has ever been able to kill even ''one''. [[labelnote:Note (spoilers)]]We don't know how Helm's and Isildur's predecessors died, for all we know, Sauron could have killed them[[/labelnote]] And that's before [[spoiler:she finds out that Talion is now one of the nine; so not only is her friend now her enemy, the one Nazgul that did die was immediately replaced.]]

* You can kick out any Orc out of your army if you ever feel like it. Some Orcs however will [[WhattheHellHero call you out on it]] stating that they would've been [[UndyingLoyalty loyal to you till the end]] and you just kicked them out like a disposable henchmen. They probably feel the same way you might feel when an Uruk betrays you.

* Talion is forced to relive his wife and son's death. When he recalls the "sneak up with flowers" with his wife, Ioreth's spirit tells him none of it is real, and she is dead as blood pours down her front from her throat. His desperate [[PleaseDontLeaveMe pleading for her not to leave him again]] is truly heartbreaking as he desperately tries to reach out to Ioreth even as she fades away.

** Even worse, if an Orc gets shamed repeatedly without going insane he might start to complain how everyone is mocking him now, shame him again and he will yell at you how it's gotten even worse with the mocking and insulting and went from hating for for shaming him to just begging you to just end him because he can't take it anymore. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDEqREyb820 see for yourself]]

** During the credits after the GoldenEnding, the Forthog video plays again -- this time with intercut with photos of Forgey from young childhood to teenager strumming a guitar to the man he was when ''Shadow of Mordor''. It closes with the epitaph '''FORGEY FOREVER'''.

* You can kick out any Orc out of your army if you ever feel like it, some orc's however will [[WhattheHellHero call you out on it]] stating that they would've been [[UndyingLoyalty loyal to you till the end]] and you just kicked them out like a disposable henchmen. they probably feel the same way you might feel when an uruk betrays you.

* An Orc becoming [[DespairEventHorizon Deranged]] can sometimes become this, with the Orc reduced to a permanent near bawling state. Especially heartbreaking if this Orc was a former ally who betrayed the player or a WorthyOpponent.