History TearJerker / RevengeOfTheSith

Since Revenge of the Sith ends with Palpatine successfully creating his Galactic Empire, turning Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader and nearly exterminating all of the Jedi Knights, it is very obvious that there will be loads of heart-destroying moments.

** It's even worse if you consider Grievous' Legends backstory to be canon. Born on Kalee, a planet torn by war and invaded by a cruel insectoid species named the Yam'rii, Grievous lost the love of his life Ronderu lij Kummar and became a broken soul, trying desperately to fill the void of Ronderu's loss with many wives and children in vain. Then as he was attacking the Yam'rii homeworld back in revenge, the Republic sided with them and without even trying to learn the full story sent the Jedi to blocade Kalee and inflict terrible economic sanctions on the Kaleesh which caused massive poverty and starvation, causing Grievous to hate the Jedi and the Republic for what they have done to his people. Then he was noticed and used as a tool by the InterGalactic Banking Clan and the Sith, with them orchestrating the crash of his shuttle and having him turned into a cyborg by the Geonosians, using the prospect of a dishonorable death to convince him to accept the transformation, modifying his brain to increase his rage and using him as a perfect weapon against the Jedi and tool to make the Separatists look evil, spread terror within the Republic and help Palpatine turn the Republic into the Empire before being discarded. He just never had a chance.

-->'''Obi-Wan:''' You were {{the chosen one}}! It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!\\

'''Darth Sidious:''' [[BlatantLies It seems, in your anger...]] [[KickTheDog you killed her.]]\\

** A heartbreaking detail (so subtle that it can only be heard by slowing down the scene and boosting the audio): as the helmet is sealed over his face, Vader wheezes, ''[[AndIMustScream "Padmé, help me...]]"''

** Think about it: Vader is in ''[[BodyHorror agony]]''. All of his remaining limbs have been hacked off, his entire body is burned, his lungs have been destroyed by Mustafar's hot fumes, his eyes are dried out, his eardrums have partially melted, and he's just had a cybernetic reconstruction [[AndIMustScream without anesthetic]]. His life-support is noisy, his armor snags and pulls on his tender flesh, and his new limbs are crude and clunky. But as long as Padmé is alive, he'll endure the pain. [[TemptingFate Right?]]

** It gets worse with ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker''. ''The entire Skywalker bloodline is wiped out.'' By turning to the dark side, Anakin set in motion a chain of events that, some sixty-odd years down the line, ended up killing ''literally everyone'' in his family. Yoda's quote here says it best.

-->'''Darth Sidious:''' (On the Hologram) You have done well, my new apprentice. Now, Lord Vader, go and bring peace to the Empire.\\
-->''(Obi-Wan turns off the Holoprojector)''\\
-->'''Obi-Wan:''' I can't watch anymore.\\

-->'''Obi-Wan:''' Send me to kill the Emperor. I will not kill Anakin.\\

** The very fact that Anakin ''hurt'' Padm&eacute. Throughout ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'', ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'', the various canon and ''Legends'' stories and the early part of the movie, it has been clear that Anakin ''loves'' Padmé with all his heart. Even if their relationship was never the healthiest, he did care about her deeply. To see him lay a hand on her with the intent to kill showcases exactly ''why'' everyone, save for Luke, thought he was completely beyond redemption.

** For a little more context, [[AdultFear imagine finding out that a child you raised turned out to be a mass shooter. Then you have to go and arrest him.]]

* Padmé weeps in her apartment, seeing the Jedi Temple ''on fire'', and she realizes that everything she worked for in her life--her marriage, democracy, the Republic, her people, the Jedi, and a safe and peaceful future her children--is literally going up in flames.

'''Yoda:''' Twisted by the Dark Side, young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is--consumed by Darth Vader.
* Obi-Wan's line while watching the footage is heartbreaking.
-->'''Obi-Wan:''' [[ThisCannotBe It can't be... It can't be...]]

** The very fact that Anakin ''hurt Padmé''. Throughout ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'', ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'', the various canon and ''Legends'' stories and the early part of the movie, it has been clear that Anakin ''loves'' Padmé with all his heart. Even if their relationship was never the healthiest, he did care about her deeply. To see him lay a hand on her with the intent to kill showcases exactly ''why'' everyone, save for Luke, thought he was completely beyond redemption.

'''Obi-Wan:''' You have done that yourself.

* Padmé weeps in her apartment, seeing the Jedi Temple ''on fire'', and she realizes that everything she worked for in her life--her marriage, democracy, the Republic, her people, the Jedi, and her children--is literally going up in flames.

Since Revenge of the Sith ends with Palpatine successfully creating his Galactic Empire, turning Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader and nearly exterminating all of the Jedi Knights. It is very obvious that there will be loads of heart-destroying moments.

** Anakin's first words as Darth Vader, "Yes, master," become heartrending when you remember: ''he was born a slave''. He's brought him self right back to where he started, forever bound to serve Palpatine, all because, ironically, [[IJustWantToBeFree he just wanted to be free]] from the strictures of the Jedi order.

-->'''Obi-Wan:''' [[DespairEventHorizon It can't be... It can't be...]]

'''Vader:''' '''''I HATE YOU!!!'''''\\
'''Obi-Wan:''' ...[[WeUsedToBeFriends you were my brother]], Anakin... [[PlatonicDeclarationOfLove I loved you]].

'''Darth Vader:''' [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone I...? I couldn't have...]] she was alive! I '''felt''' it!\\
''(In a mixture of rage and sorrow, Vader telekinetically begins to tear apart everything in the room as he rips himself from the operation table while Palpatine smirks evilly behind him.)''\\
'''Darth Vader:''' '''[[SkywardScream NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!]]'''

* With all the background of ''The Clone Wars'' into consideration, Anakin's rant when he's denied the title of Jedi Master while being included in the council can sound less like him being petulant and more like him finally losing his patience after being screwed over by the council one too many times, not helped by the fact that he technically qualifies for the title since Ahsoka was to be given the rank of Jedi Knight if she returned, which she didn't. And due to no fault from him. It's worse in the novelization because the reason why Anakin is so desperate to ascend to the rank of Master is because he wants to look into the Jedi archives to find a technique that could possibly save Padmé.

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* The very next scene shows Anakin, after his relentless murder of the Separatist Council, weeping in utter and complete self-loathing. [[HeelRealization He knows what he's become]], [[IveComeTooFar but feels he has no hope for redemption]].

** Aayla Secura's death is rather brutal. Shot in the back on Felucia... and they continue firing even though it's clear she's not getting up. Even more tearjerking if you've played the original ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefrontII'', and the clone narrating mentions how after a great battle, she expressed pride in their abilities and was glad to serve alongside them, but the clones knew what was coming eventually and felt ashamed to even look her in the eye.

* In its own way, Dooku's death at the hands of Anakin. Despite being very much an AssholeVictim for what he has done, Dooku is killed not in combat but by being betrayed by Palpatine as he urges Anakin to kill the now unarmed and defenseless Count, who has a minor breakdown of his own when he puts two and two together and realizes he was only a pawn to Sidious from the start. On the other hand, Anakin visibly struggles to not decapitate the now powerless Sith as he tries to remain true to the Jedi Code, and when he does, it's notable that he remains shaken from the experience even days after.

* Padmé talking enthusiastically with Anakin about how she wants to raise their baby on Naboo, saying how they'll be safe in the lake country (where she and Anakin fell in love and later got married) and excitedly saying how she "knows the perfect spot, right by the gardens" to set up their baby's room. [[HarsherInHindsight Even without knowing exactly what happens later in the film]], [[ForegoneConclusion the viewer knows that the couple's dream of happily raising their family is doomed because in the Original Trilogy, Padmé’s long dead and Anakin's a Sith Lord]]. It also highlights how much Padmé loved Luke and Leia and the life she wanted for them, only she never got to see them grow up, [[TraumaCongaLine and they themselves go through a great deal of loss and suffering largely because of the decisions their father makes in this film]].

** Also, when you think about what he did afterward, in a way this was the last moment (before ROTJ) when he was still truly Anakin.

** Alternately, Anakin is clearly in distress during their talk. He's always had the hardest time putting a cap on his emotions, and the Jedi have always admonished him for something he can't really help, given his upbringing. And once again, Yoda gives him generic platitudes instead of empathizing with a confused person who's in a lot of pain. You can almost see Anakin quietly tune it out. The Jedi no longer offer any comfort for him, if they ever did.
* With all the background of ''The Clone Wars'' into consideration, Anakin's rant when he's denied the title of Jedi Master while being included in the council can sound less like him being petulant and more like him finally losing his patience after being screwed over by the council one too many times, not helped by the fact that he technically qualifies for the title since Ahsoka was to be given the rank of Jedi Knight if she returned, which she didn't. It's worse in the novelization because the reason why Anakin is so desperate to ascend to the rank of Master is because he wants to look into the Jedi archives to find a technique that could possibly save Padmé.

** The scene abruptly begins with tear-jerking music and haunting noises from the Varactyl [[note]] the lizard-thing Obi-Wan rides [[/note]].

*** This is quite common: the moment the Clones receive the order, ''all the Jedi stop in shock'', looking around trying to make sense of where the danger is coming because it ''cannot'' come from their troopers, up until they get shot. Ki-Adi-Mundi is the one unlucky enough to realize it ''is'' coming from his soldiers, and turns to look at them.

-->'''Obi-Wan:''' [[DespairEventHorizon It can't be...It can't be...]]

* The very next scene shows Anakin, after his relentless murder of the Separatist Council, weeping in utter and complete self-loathing. [[HeelRealization He knows what he's become]] [[MoralEventHorizon but has no hope for redemption]].

** The very fact that Anakin ''hurt Padmé''. Throughout ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'', ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'', the various canon novelizations and the early part of the movie, it has been clear that Anakin ''loves'' Padmé with all his heart. To see him lay a hand on her with the intent to kill showcases exactly ''why'' everyone, save for Luke, thought he was completely beyond redemption.
--->'''Anakin:''' You turned her against me?!?\\

'''Anakin:''' '''''I HATE YOU!!!'''''\\

** Really, it's Creator/EwanMcGregor's delivery that makes it so powerful. The fact that Obi-Wan Kenobi, the series's epitome of [[TheStoic calm stoicism]], [[NotSoStoic is on the verge of bursting into tears]] in this scene just makes it absolutely heartrending, as he's never been this openly anguished since the death of Qui-Gon.

*** "I have failed you, Anakin. I have failed you". Obi-Wan does seem to know that on some level he screwed up when it came to Anakin but he doesn't actually seem to know how. Which is still sad in its own right as he'll never know, and, as seen in the Original Trilogy, he still hadn't learned his lesson and was repeating the same mistakes when it came to Luke.
** Anakin's eyes in his final moments as Anakin Skywalker. They're the twisted yellow/red eyes of a Sith as his pure hatred and raw negative emotion bring him too deep into the Dark Side for his master and friend to save him. At that moment, Anakin Skywalker was truly dead and Darth Vader was truly born.

** A heartbreaking detail (so subtle that it can only be heard by slowing down the scene and boosting the audio): as the helmet is sealed over his face, Vader wheezes, ''"Padmé, help me..."''

** What makes this scene even sadder is that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5jzQW1qmlE the music]] playing in this sequence is the same music that played during Qui-Gon's funeral. Further implying the idea that Anakin might not have turned to the Dark Side were Qui-Gon still alive. Qui-Gon's demise also resulted in Anakin Skywalker's demise (at least for 22 more years).

* As shown in ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'', there are a lot of people in the Separatist Alliance who legitimately think that they are fighting against the corrupt Republic to establish a democratic government. We are shown that a lot of people in the Separatist parliament favor a peaceful and diplomatic end to the war. Yet [[TheChessmaster Palpatine]] turned the cause they supported from a peaceful protest movement about high taxes in the Outer Rim into a greedy movement controlled completely by [[MegaCorp corporations]] who wanted territory to ruthlessly exploit for resources unbothered by governmental laws preventing them from exploiting their workers just as badly. And Palpatine probably put them in charge of the Separatist Alliance because the corporation heads were so [[BadBoss despicable]] that it would be easy for Palpatine to convince the Senate to increase military spending so he could fund his Empire's military. To summarize, Palpatine warped the Confederacy into his personal {{propaganda machine}} to give him more power and exploited all the decent people in it. And when he didn't need them anymore, [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness he just discarded them]], had them killed or imprisoned; and created a government that had absolutely no freedom for its people, expect for those who support it.

** The fact that ''Jar Jar'' doesn't even smile in this scene, or act in any way like the goofball he usually is. Not only that, but he was friends with Anakin and Obi-Wan since their arrival on Tatooine, and they both disappeared the same day Padmé died. Furthermore, the Jedi Order and the democracy that Padmé worked so hard to protect died because Palpatine tricked Jar Jar into thinking the Grand Army of the Republic was a good idea. ''[[Literature/AftermathEmpiresEnd Almost 30 years later,]]'' Jar Jar has been revealed to have worked as a street performer after being exiled ''[[HistoryRepeats once again]]'', tormented by guilt and hated by everyone due to his unwitting role in the creation of the Empire.
** The cut from the funeral and the necklace to Anakin, now as Darth Vader, taking his place alongside Grand Moff Tarkin really drives home that Anakin, the sweet kid from a poor planet who just wanted to see the galaxy, is gone and been replaced by the inhuman, cold-hearted monster he will become.

** No matter the continuity, Anakin’s actions here eventually send his grandson down a dark path. In Canon, Ben Solo gains a warped admiration for him that leads him to the First Order. In Legends, Jacen Solo’s study of Anakin to deal with his own dark visions lead him to conclude that Anakin’s failing wasn’t that he went too far, it’s that he didn’t go far enough.

** It gets worse with ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker''. ''The entire Skywalker bloodline is wiped out.'' By turning to the dark side, Anakin set in motion a chain of events that, some sixty-odd years down the line, killed ''literally everyone'' in his family. Yoda's quote here says it best.

** The cut from the funeral and the necklace to Anakin, now as Darth Vader, taking his place alongside Grand Moff Tarkin really drives home that Anakin, the sweet kid from a poor planet who just wanted to see the galaxy, is gone.

** The fact that ''Jar Jar'' doesn't even smile in this scene, or act in any way like the goofball he usually is. Not only that, but he was friends with Anakin and Obi-Wan since their arrival on Tatooine, and they both disappeared the same day Padmé died. Furthermore, the Jedi Order and the democracy that Padmé worked so hard to protect died because Palpatine tricked Jar Jar into thinking the Grand Army of the Republic was a good idea. ''[[Literature/AftermathEmpiresEnd Almost 30 years later,]]'' Jar Jar has been revealed to have worked as a street performer after being exiled ''[[HistoryRepeats once again]]'' tormented by guilt, and hated by everyone due to his unwitting role in the creation of the Empire.]

** It gets worse with ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker''. ''The entire Skywalker bloodline is wiped out.'' By turning to the dark side, Anakin set in motion the events that, some sixty-odd years down the line, killed ''literally everyone'' in his family. Yoda's quote here says it best.

'''Anakin:''' ''IIIIIIIII HAAAAAAAAAAAAATE YOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!''\\