History TearJerker / Persona4

*** In November, you can also check the cushion Nanako used to sit on to find a handwritten note from her. If you aced your exams, you'll also find the Partial Award. It's one use, can only be equipped by the protagonist and is the only item in the game that can be used to revive him after a KO.

** If you fail Nanako's deadline, Kanji calls you to break the news that she is now dead thanks to Namatame. He is so broken, he can't even choke out her name.

* The Bad Endings in general are this:
** In the Bad Ending where you kill Namatame to avenge Nanako, on your final day in Inaba, Dojima laments that once the protagonist leaves, he's going to be all alone.
** In the bad ending where you don't realize Namatame isn't the killer but choose not to throw him into the TV, there's the girls frantically breaking down at the thought of Yosuke killing Namatame in cold blood.
-->'''Yosuke:''' How the hell can you be so half-assed about this...? Are you okay with what this bastard did...!?\\
'''Chie:''' Of course we're not! But can you look me in the eye and say you're okay with doing the same thing this guy did!? It's just like how you feel right now... that you can't turn your back and do nothing... ''We're not gonna sit back and watch while our friend becomes a murderer, '''you moron!'''''\\
[...]\\
'''Yukiko:''' I'm proud that I could protect this town with you all. That's why I don't want to make this terrible situation even worse by doing something like this. I want to keep going to school with you all... and make more memories with my friends. I don't want one of those memories to be of us killing someone... So what if there's another crime!? We can still save people, like we always have! Nothing has happened yet... Then why assume that our future will be filled with misfortune...?
** In the same ending, Nanako comes back to life, and is in stable condition. But the problem is, she's unable to truly recover: indeed, even three months later, when Yu is about to leave, she's still in the hospital bed. Dojima laments how she won't be able to say goodbye.

* In the Bad Ending where you kill Namatame to avenge Nanako, on your final day in Inaba, Dojima laments that once the protagonist leaves, he's going to be all alone.
* In the bad ending where you don't realize Namatame isn't the killer but choose not to throw him into the TV, there's the girls frantically breaking down at the thought of Yosuke killing Namatame in cold blood.

* ''Golden'' adds consequences for having multiple girlfriends. On Valentine's Day, each girlfriend will ask to spend the day with Yu like Christmas Eve, but this time, the player must directly reject each girl he didn't choose, one by one and face to face, watching as each girl's heart breaks.

** Naoki Konishi, the Hanged Man Social Link, is absolutely heartbreaking. Dealing with his struggle to understand his feelings over the death of his sister. It reaches it's peak in the ninth rank, where the player and Naoki goes to the scene of his sister's murder. After spending months being tormented by his emotions, he finally cries. It's not helped by the fact that he's voiced by Derek Stephen Prince, basically as [[Anime/DigimonAdventure02 Ken]] (who also lost an older sibling).

---> ''I can't remember the smile, that you gave to me''
---> ''I had no way to tell you, "don't walk away"''
---> ''Still sorrow keeps on tying me but my soul wants to get freed''
---> ''Let my heart loose from a chain.''

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja7qx99GRp4&feature=related Alone.]] This song (spoilers in the comments) can reduce anyone to TEARS the first time they hear it in game. There's a reason the usual response of gamers when that song plays the first time is, "I'm going to break Adachi's (or Nametame’s depending on where you are) fucking legs..."

* Meta-wise, Atlus really put a lot in Persona 4, including ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', ''VideoGame/Persona4DancingAllNight'', ''Golden'', the anime, and more. And after a decade of ''Persona 4'', it's time for ''VideoGame/Persona5'' to take the stage. But just before that, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoDUtaPMy1w here's one special video from the ''Persona 4'' cast (with their Japanese cast) waving you good bye]] [[EndOfAnEra Their era has come to an end, and it has been a magnificent ride]], and it's like they're thanking the audience for the support in the decade. Somewhat subverted now that ''Persona 4'' is in ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCrossTagBattle'' and ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', but it's only prolonging the inevitable. Sometimes, it's sad but necessary to wave goodbye to the cast we know and love.
** Might even be ''more'' subverted now that Persona 4 released on PC via Steam in ''2020'' and the fact that the fandom has been around for ''12'' years to give it new life makes for a happy tearjerker. Returning fans must feel like Yu returning to Inaba in the epilogue of Golden.

** On the "consequences for having multiple girlfriends" subject, this can be twisted into a heartbreaking PlayerPunch in the Final Battle. You could potentially have a party consisting of the player, Naoto, Chie and Yukiko, and you could be dating all of them at the same time. And then the final boss starts targeting you with the instant death attack and each of them push you out of the attack's way and take it in your stead. Those girls would willingly sacrifice their lives for you...[[YouBastard and you cheated on all of them.]] To elaborate:

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja7qx99GRp4&feature=related Alone.]] This song (spoilers in the comments) can reduce anyone to TEARS the first time they hear it in game. There's a reason the usual response of gamers when that song plays the first time is, "I'm going to break Adachi's fucking legs..."

** If you fail Nanako's deadline, Kanji calls you to break the news that she is now dead thanks to Namatame. He is so broken, he can't even choke out her name.
** Failing Kanji's deadline results in Yukiko calling you to inform you that Kanji's body was just discovered. The way her voice cracks at the end of the call is just chilling.

** Failing Naoto's deadline nets you a call from Kanji, telling you that someone found Naoto's body. Considering the operating tables and surgical equipment in the dungeon you were supposed to complete by then... [[FridgeHorror no more will be said.]] Even Kanji seems to be in denial, as he asks for someone to explain what's going on. Even worse is that Kanji had a crush on Naoto, and not only is he the one informing you of her death, but he refuses to accept that the girl he loves is dead.

** If you fail Yukiko's deadline, you get a call from Yosuke. As a change from the others, he is surprisingly calm when he delivers what happened, but you can still hear that he is being shredded up on the inside.

** If Rise's deadline falls, A distraught Chie tells you that she was discovered dead and the rest couldn't save her. Like Yukiko, her voice breaks as she delivers the last line.

** Adachi's deadline just takes the cake and swallows it whole with this one. Instead of someone calling you and telling you the person passed, Naoto calls you in hysterics and tells you the town is filled with Shadows. [[DisconnectedByDeath She is then heard screaming morbidly and the protagonist is disconnected]], implying that she was killed violently by the mob of shadows.

** While Nanako is kidnapped and Dojima is in hospital from trying to save her, the MC returns to an empty house. No Nanako cheerfully calling out 'Hi big bro!'. No Dojima chillaxing and drinking coffee. Even the ''music'' changes to a slower, sadder version, and it is ''heartbreaking''.
*** Since many considered Nanako kind of annoying the first few hours of the game. "God, she says that EVERY TIME!" But you get so used to it, and through her social link you get to see just how sad this child is. You help her through it, you help mend a tiny broken family... and then tragedy strikes and you come home to that empty house and you realize just how much you actually loved your "lil' sis", and how true the old "you never know what you have until it's gone" cliché can ring.

** Upon completing the rescue arc, you reach the scene that is a [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome CMoA]] for the game's creators. It was too late for Nanako, who dies in her hospital room with you, Teddie, and her father at her side. As Ryotaro walks calmly out of the room, your team realizes he is going to talk to Namatame, who threw Nanako in in the first place. As the police haul him off to his room, they leave the suspect unguarded, prompting you and the others to enter the room for a grand confrontation. This is the ending fork for the bad or normal ending.

* The affair that Mayumi Yamamo and Taro Namatame had being treated by the media as just another sordid scandal, and then Miss Yamano died. And THEN you learn the truth about the affair. When you finally get to interrogate Namatame, it turns out his marriage to his celebrity wife wasn't very happy, but then he and Mayumi met and connected in a way he and his wife didn't, and actually loved one another. And everybody else cared more about the novelty of their affair being brought to light than the reasons that lead to it in the first place, focusing on the sensationalism and not on the actual people involved. And then he got manipulated by the real killer into getting more victims hurt thinking he was helping them.

* Failing to save the next victim from the TV world in time. The MC dropping his cell phone despondently after being told of their death makes it all the more heartwrenching. Sure you get to restart and try again, but that doesn't take away the impact.

* Meta-wise, Atlus really put a lot in Persona 4, including ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', ''VideoGame/Persona4DancingAllNight'', ''Golden'', the anime, and more. And after a decade of ''Persona 4'', it's time for ''VideoGame/Persona5'' to take the stage. But just before that, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO49aTa36gg here's one special video from the ''Persona 4'' cast (with their Japanese cast) waving you good bye]] [[EndOfAnEra Their era has come to an end, and it has been a magnificent ride]], and it's like they're thanking the audience for the support in the decade. Somewhat subverted now that ''Persona 4'' is in ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCrossTagBattle'' and ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', but it's only prolonging the inevitable. Sometimes, it's sad but necessary to wave goodbye to the cast we know and love.

* In the Bad Ending if you kill Namatame to avenge Nanako, on your final day in Inaba, Dojima laments that once the protagonist leaves, he's going to be all alone.

* In the Bad Ending, on your final day in Inaba, Dojima laments that once the protagonist leaves, he's going to be all alone.

** And after being informed of the victim's death, Yu just... [[HeroicBSOD drops his phone on the ground and falls to his knees in despair.]] While somewhat mitigated by the fact that Igor transports him to ghe Velvet Room and offers to turn back time for him, seeing the normally calm and stoic Yu fall into visible despair over failing to save his friend is equal parts jarring and heartbreaking.

** Failing Naoto's deadline nets you a call from Kanji, telling you that someone found Naoto's body. Considering the operating tables and surgical equipment in the dungeon you were supposed to complete by then... I'll say no more. Even Kanji seems to be in denial, as he asks for someone to explain what's going on.

* Volume 10 of the manga has a lot of these.

* Meta-wise, Atlus really put a lot in Persona 4, including ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', ''VideoGame/Persona4DancingAllNight'', ''Golden'', the anime, and more. And after a decade of Persona 4, it's time for ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'' to take the stage. But just before that, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO49aTa36gg here's one special video from the Persona 4 cast (with their Japanese cast) waving you good bye]] [[EndOfAnEra Their era has come to an end, and it has been a magnificent ride]], and it's like they're thanking the audience for the support in the decade. Somewhat subverted now that Persona 4 is in ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCrossTagBattle'' and ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', but it's only prolonging the inevitable. Sometimes, it's sad but necessary to wave goodbye to the cast we know and love.

** If you fail Nanako's deadline, Kanji, calls you to break the news that she is now dead thanks to Namatame. He is so broken, he can't even choke out her name.

** If you fail Nanako's deadline, Kanji, her older brother, calls you to break the news that she is now dead thanks to Namatame. He is so broken, he can't even choke out her name.

** If you forget about Mitsuo,a very confused Yosuke informs you about it. From the words he chooses, it is clear he is in heavy denial and does not want to believe Mitsuo is dead.
** Adachi's deadline just takes the cake and swallows it whole with this one. Instead of someone calling you and telling you the person passed, Naoto calls you in hysterics and tells you the town is filled with shadows. [[DisconnectedByDeath She is then heard screaming morbidly and the protagonist is disconnected]], implying that she was killed violently by the mob of shadows.

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' pulls off a string of moving moments, from the beginning of the final kidnapping. You finally get the opportunity to tell the truth to your uncle about what has happened, only to watch it come just a tad too late for his daughter, who is kidnapped and thrown into the TV world. You chase down the guy who is responsible for the people being thrown in, and he seems certifiably insane. Upon completing the rescue arc, you reach the scene that is a [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome CMoA]] for the game's creators. It was too late for Nanako, who dies in her hospital room with you, Teddie, and her father at her side. As Ryotaro walks calmly out of the room, your team realizes he is going to talk to Namatame, who threw Nanako in in the first place. As the police haul him off to his room, they leave the suspect unguarded, prompting you and the others to enter the room for a grand confrontation. This is the ending fork for the bad or normal ending. But it isn't over yet. If you make the right decisions, you get to cry tears of joy as Nanako is miraculously resurrected by the will of Teddie, who has finally realized what he is: a Shadow... with a Persona. As Igor states, the Velvet Room is no place for beings without an Ego. So, only humans can enter.
** Kanji's reaction to Nanako seemingly dying is absolutely gutwrenching. The way he punches the wall and just ''screams'' in anguish is absolutely crushing. For anyone who has actually lost a sibling, it's even worse.
*** Chie, Rise, and Yosuke's Social-Links can all tug on your heartstrings. Chie wonders aloud if other people think about what makes them worthwhile because she doesn't want to be ''just'' that girl who looks out for Yukiko. Rise used to get picked on when she was a little girl because she wasn't very good at talking to people and she'd always look at the ground; after she became an idol, she publicly campaigned against bullying, then met a girl who would get picked on just like Rise was. That girl would send Rise letters and tell her about the improvements in her life; it really meant a lot to Rise. Yosuke tries to work through how awful he feels about Saki secretly hating him. Two girls at Junes start bad-mouthing Saki, but then Yosuke stands up for her, even though she's dead and she hated him.
*** The Sun Link again has a chance to be a very moving one, if you choose the Drama Club. Yumi is dealing with her personal issues of a father who abandoned her, but is now dying. Through the course of the S-link, she begins to truly appreciate and accept her father as his condition gets worse. In the end, she thanks him for the gift of her own life as he dies with her at his side.
** The final battle. After wearing Izanami's HP down to almost nothing, she starts targeting Yu with an unblockable instant death attack every turn. One by one, the other party members [[HeroicSacrifice shove you out of the way]] and are sucked down into some misty dark world. And then it ''hits you anyway''.
*** After you're hit by the instant death attack, all your friends and family tell you how much you mean to them and convince you to fight against Izanami one last time.
*** Amplified in ''Golden'', everyone's lines are actually fully voiced. And with those voiced lines, you are guaranteed to break down and cry on at least two of them.
*** Watching the final cutscene, with the main character leaving and all the friends he made coming out to say goodbye. The train pulls away, the credits roll...
** The texts you receive after leaving the hospital.

--> ''I can't remember the smile, that you gave to me''
--> ''I had no way to tell you, "don't walk away"''
--> ''Still sorrow keeps on tying me but my soul wants to get freed''
--> ''Let my heart loose from a chain.''

* Hearing Nanako's monologue about how, to quote Kanji, she's [[StepfordSmiler telling herself that she isn't alone just so she doesn't fall apart.]]
* When [[ButThouMust Souji/Yu leaves Inaba]] and his friends run after the train, crying and talking to him.
* Ai of the Moon Social Link at first appears to be a real [[JerkAss jerk]]. Get far enough in her social link and then you find out why she's that way. She was bullied and ostracized for her appearance and weight, but when her family came into some money, she dieted like crazy and changed her looks, all because she just [[IJustWantToHaveFriends wanted friends]] and [[IJustWantToBeLoved to be loved]]. Her change in attitude, however, just made the rift between her and other people grow wider. Then there's whole scene of the Hero trying to stop her from jumping off the school's roof.
** Right after Ai reveals her backstory, she begins to wonder whether she will ever be loved. The way she says "It's not like I have any other redeeming qualities!" is truly heartbreaking.
* When Nanako is kidnapped and Dojima is in hospital from trying to save her, the MC returns to an empty house. No Nanako cheerfully calling out 'Hi big bro!'. No Dojima chillaxing and drinking coffee. Even the ''music'' changes to a slower, sadder version, and it is ''heartbreaking''.
** Since many considered Nanako kind of annoying the first few hours of the game. "God, she says that EVERY TIME!" But you get so used to it, and through her social link you get to see just how sad this child is. You help her through it, you help mend a tiny broken family... and then tragedy strikes and you come home to that empty house and you realize just how much you actually loved your "lil' sis", and how true the old "you never know what you have until it's gone" cliché can ring.
** "You opened the fridge. It looks the same as ever inside..."
** In November, you can also check the cushion Nanako used to sit on to find a handwritten note from her. If you aced your exams, you'll also find the Partial Award. It's one use, can only be equipped by the protagonist and is the only item in the game that can be used to revive him after a KO.
* Naoki Konishi, the Hanged Man Social Link, is absolutely heartbreaking. Dealing with his struggle to understand his feelings over the death of his sister. It reaches it's peak in the ninth rank, where the player and Naoki goes to the scene of his sister's murder. After spending months being tormented by his emotions, he finally cries.
-->'''Naoki:''' ''She must've wanted to live more, huh?''
** Naoki talking about the cream puffs rotting in his fridge since his sister isn't there to eat them.
** If you maxed out his social link, his plea to you at the end of the final battle can hurt a lot, too. This guy's already lost his sister, and now it looks like he's going to lose you too. He even calls you senpai, for the very first time.
** Naoki's social link in itself has a good three or four rank-ups that guarantee tears. Either you'll cry because he's caught between feeling pitiable and being alone, you'll cry when he says he'd rather have felt like a cold-hearted person than feel the pain of Saki's death, or you'll cry when '''he cries'''.
** Not helped by the fact that he's voiced by Derek Stephen Prince, basically as [[Anime/DigimonAdventure02 Ken]] (who also lost an older sibling).

* Despite him being played largely for laughs, Kanji's Shadow is very sad. Quite a bit of his rant involves him wanting someone (anyone!) to accept him. Even his defeat quote is a plea for acceptance.
** This is probably how most Shadows really feel. They want to be accepted by the human they were born from, but because they represent the dark and hidden feelings of their host, they're malevolent by nature, and they instinctively taught and reveal the things the characters have kept hidden until the line "You're not me!" is heard. But, once they are accepted, the Shadow in question is more than happy to become a Persona.

* Nurse Sayoko Uehara speaking about the death of one of her former patients, a little boy who had a crush on her.

** On the "consequences for having multiple girlfriends" subject, this can be twisted into a heartbreaking PlayerPunch in the Final Battle. You could potentially have a party consisting of the player, Naoto, Chie and Yukiko, and you could be dating all of them at the same time. And then the final boss starts targeting you with the instant death attack and each of them push you out of the attack's way and take it in your stead. Those girls would willingly sacrifice their lives for you...[[YouBastard and you cheated on all of them.]]
** To elaborate:

* Three of your female social links directly [[LoveConfession confess their love]] to you and turning them down can be painful. Yukiko immediately runs off, on the brink of tears, and you have to leave Yumi behind in an empty classroom. Ai is the only one who takes it relatively well, although she still states she needs some time to get over you.
** You also have to cut Ayane off before she can even get the words out. The point where your relationship with Rise becomes romantic is when she's having an emotional crisis and doubting whether or not she truly wants to leave show business. Players that don't want to date Rise have to just stand there, when a good number of them would be perfectly willing to hug her.

* Failing to save the next victim from the TV world in time. The MC dropping his cell phone despondently after being told of their death makes it all the more heartwrenching. Sure you get to restart and try again, but that doesn't take away the impact.
* Hearing Namatame talk about Mayumi Yamano, the announcer and the first victim. In his own words, she was the only one who accepted him for who he was and in turn, she gave meaning to his life. And after all the shit they had to go through because of their affair, he has to helplessly watch while she was calling for help from inside the TV World, turning up dead a day later.

* Rise's [[AnguishedDeclarationOfLove "I love you, senpai!"]] as the train leaves in the Good Ending, complete with tears streaming down her face. While she's [[TheTease never very subtle]] about her feelings toward Yu, unless you romance her, it's only here where she actually confesses she loves him. With you returning home and, if you completed her social-link, her returning to show business, she likely didn't want you to leave without knowing how she really felt. Hits even harder if you do romance her. You're her first boyfriend and she doesn't want you to forget about her.
* Kanji's fear of hospitals, stemming from the fact that his father died in one while he was nowhere to be found. Poor guy almost has a breakdown when his mother is apparently taken to one (Thankfully for very non-lethal reasons).
** When you have to say your goodbye to him on the penultimate day, he politely asks you not to look back when the train pulls out of the station. He's grown to greatly admire and look up to you, and he can't bear for you to see him crying.

* The affair that Mayumi Yamamo and Taro Namatame had being treated by the media as just another sordid scandal, and then Miss Yamano died. And THEN you learn the truth about the affair. When you finally get to interrogate Namatame, it turns out his marriage to his celebrity wife wasn't very happy, but then he and Mayumi met and connected in a way he and his wife didn't, and actually loved one another. And everybody else cared more about the novelty of their affair being brought to light than the reasons that lead to it in the first place, focusing on the sensationalism and not on the actual people involved. And then he got manipulated by the real killer into getting more victims hurt thinking he was helping them.
* Ending the game itself. The protagonist, his friends, his family, and you the player all knew this was a temporary arrangement going in and that it would have to end ''eventually'', but looking back on all the good times (and even not-so good times) shared by friends and knowing that they're over has reduced many, many, ''many'' players to tears. And seeing other characters choke out tearful goodbyes certainly doesn't help either.
** The latter half of January and beginning of February can be pretty hard to play through as even the game itself constantly reminds you that there won't be much time left and you should spend this time making memories with your friends. The melancholic winter music only makes it worse.

* Meta-wise, Atlus really put a lot in Persona 4, including ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', ''VideoGame/Persona4DancingAllNight'', ''Golden'', the anime, and more. And after a decade of Persona 4, it's time for ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'' to take the stage. But just before that, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO49aTa36gg here's one special video from the Persona 4 cast (with their Japanese cast) waving you good bye]] [[EndOfAnEra Their era has come to an end, and it has been a magnificent ride]], and it's like they're thanking the audience for the support in the decade. Somewhat subverted now that Persona 4 is in ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCrossTagBattle'', and in the upcoming ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', but it's only prolonging the inevitable. Sometimes, it's sad but necessary to wave goodbye to the cast we know and love.

* Meta-wise, Atlus really put a lot in Persona 4, including ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', ''VideoGame/Persona4DancingAllNight'', ''Golden'', the anime, and more. And after a decade of Persona 4, it's time for ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'' to take the stage. But just before that, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO49aTa36gg here's one special video from the Persona 4 cast (with their Japanese cast) waving you good bye]] [[EndOfAnEra Their era has come to an end, and it has been a magnificent ride]], and it's like they're thanking the audience for the support in the decade. Somewhat subverted now that Persona 4 is in ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCrossTagBattle'', and in the upcoming ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', but it's only prolonging the inevitable. Sometimes, it's sad but necessary to wave goodbye to the cast we know and love.