History TearJerker / TheTransformersTheMovie

* Many are likely to disagree, but it's Megatron's "death". Megatron has always seemed so strong and menacing, a Nightmare Fuel character to the hilt. To see him humbled so and then abandoned was expected for the den of evil that is the very definition of the Decepticons in the G1 cartoon. What is truly heart-wrenching is that this powerful figure, reduced to such a pathetic state, has no choice but to plead for help. After which, without hesitation, Soundwave picks him up and carries him, saying, "As you command." Soundwave has never had a better moment.[[note]]That loyalty would be repaid in the Japanese Headmasters series. Soundwave and Blaster have a final showdown much like the one between Optimus and Megatron, right down to both being critically wounded. Galvatron was quick to reformat his loyal soldier into Soundblaster. (Basically the same character with a black body)[[/note]]
** Of course, not even he nor his other minions object to unceremoniously throwing him out with the other injured Decepticons when there is no longer any choice. And done personally by Starscream to add insult to injury. Optimus died with dignity, cherished and surrounded by respecting comrades. Megatron "died" being ejected into the cold void of space by his troops like dead weight.

** How about the fact that for once Megatron, the proud warrior who conquered the pits of Kaon itself, is reduced to BEGGING in front of what amounts to the Transformers version of the devil.
*** To elaborate on this. Before this moment Megatron always held his pride above all else. He never backed down and refused to be a servant, having already been one, so seeing him basically GROVEL in the face of a being that is basically his equivalent to evil incarnate... It's tragic seeing a powerful figure reduced to cowering in fear.

** If that wasn't enough, we see Daniel ''cry'' right before the scene ends. That hits '''EVEN HARDER'''.

-->'''Megatron''': [[ButForMeItWasTuesday This was almost too]] ''[[ButForMeItWasTuesday easy]]'', Starscream.
-->'''Starscream''': Much easier, almighty Megatron, than attacking the ''real'' threat; the Autobots' Moon Base!
-->'''Megatron:''' You're an idiot, Starscream. When [[TrojanHorse we slip by their early warning systems in their own shuttle]] and destroy Autobot City, the Autobots will be vanquished forever!
-->'''Ironhide:''' (''crawls over to Megatron and grabs his leg, mortally-wounded'') [[LittleNo No...!]]
-->'''Megatron:''' Such ''heroic '''nonsense'''''. (''[[PsychoticSmirk cruelly smirks at Ironhide]], and then [[BoomHeadshot shoots him point-blank with his Fusion Cannon]]'')

-->'''Rumble:''' Look Starscream- Megatron is strong, he's merciless. He can't be beaten! And you'll never be our leader!
-->'''Starscream:''' I will find a way. Everyone has a weakness.
-->'''Rumble:''' Yeah? Well, NOT Megatron!

* '''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyQzqAldUY4 Optimus Prime's death.]]''' Likely one of the most famous TearJerker scenes across the ''Transformers'' franchise, if not all of pop culture.

* In a meta-sense, Orson Welles. He was so sick at the time, his voice ''had'' to be filtered and augmented by a synthesizer. He died five days after recording his lines.

** Worse is we see what becomes of its sole survivors; being sentenced to death by the deplorable Quintesson magistrate, with Kranix even pleading that he's the LastOfHisKind, with Hot Rod and Kup unable to do anything but watch.

* A small one that's easily missed: when the Decepticons retreat into Astrotrain, Rumble can be see hugging Megatron's fusion cannon. He almost looks traumatized. It's a testament to how much the Cassetticons respect Megatron as much as Soundwave, possibly even more.

'''As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff as per policy.]] Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.'''

[[caption-width-right:350:''"Until the day... til' all are one..."'']]

** The Mexican Spanish dub manages to make it even worse by making Daniel ''cry'' right before the scene ends. That hits '''EVEN HARDER'''.

* A small one that's easily missed: when the Decepticons retreat into Astrotrain, Rumble can be see hugging Megatron's fusion cannon. He almost looks traumatized.

* Many are likely to disagree, but it's Megatron's "death". Megatron has always seemed so strong and menacing, a Nightmare Fuel character to the hilt. To see him humbled so and then abandoned was expected for the den of evil that is the very definition of the Decepticons in the G1 cartoon. What is truly heart-wrenching is that this powerful figure, reduced to such a pathetic state, has no choice but to plead for help. After which, without hesitation, Soundwave picks him up and carries him, saying, "As you command." Soundwave has never had a better moment.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyQzqAldUY4 Optimus Prime's death.]] Likely one of the most famous TearJerker scenes across the ''Transformers'' franchise.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyQzqAldUY4 Optimus Prime's death.]] Likely one of the most famous TearJerker scenes across the ''Transformers'' franchise.
** "Until that day...'till all are one." Those last four words would recur in numerous Transformers series, bordering on ArcWords for the whole mythos.
** Optimus's death actually had kids walking out of theatres crying, refusing food and locking themselves in their rooms. Back in those days, beloved characters dying was SeriousBusiness.
** And the touching Vince Di Cola theme for the scene.
*** Had the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUMNgoEvFpE remix made during rehearsals at BotCon '97]] been the one in the movies, the reactions could well have ended ''even worse'' then they already had.
* Many are likely to disagree, but it's Megatron's "death". Megatron has always seemed so strong and menacing, a Nightmare Fuel character to the hilt. To see him humbled so and then abandoned was expected for the den of evil that is the very definition of the Decepticons in the G1 cartoon. What is truly inspiring is that this powerful figure, reduced to such a pathetic state, has no choice but to plead for help. After which, without hesitation, Soundwave picks him up and carries him, saying, "As you command." Soundwave has never had a better moment.
** Of course, not even he nor his other minions object to unceremoniously throwing him out with the other injured Decepticons when there is no longer any choice. And done personally by Starscream to add insult to injury. Optimus died with dignity, cherished and surrounded by respecting comrades. Megatron "died" being ejected into the cold void of space by his troops like dead weight.
** Actually, it's more the way Optimus Prime just calmly picks up his rifle as he's about to do the deed. One of the greatest rivalries in animation, about to be ended in a manner far more reminiscent of someone putting down a rabid dog (which a baby-killer like Megatron actually is, really). Though the way Prime blows off Megatron's pleas for mercy still make it a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome.
** How about the fact that for once Megatron, the proud warrior who conquered the pits of Kaon itself, is reduced to BEGGING in front of what amounts to the Transformers version of the devil.
*** To elaborate on this. Before this moment Megatron always held his pride above all else. He never backed down and refused to be a servant, having already been one, so seeing him basically GROVEL in the face of a being that is basically his equivalent to evil incarnate... It's tragic seeing a powerful figure reduced to cowering in fear.
* The scene preceding Optimus's fatal wounding -- where he charges in and basically takes out half the Decepticons single-handedly -- contains ''The Touch'', Stan Bush's one contribution to popular music that has withstood the test of time. The sheer, barnstorming track combined with Optimus Prime's awesomeness just puts you on a hell of a tear-inducing high that gets smashed right back down when Optimus gets fatally wounded. And then the track comes back in the finale, when Rodimus Prime arises.

* Prowl's horrific death, just before Prime's.

* Unicron destroying Lithone in the opening scene is made ten times more harrowing by the harmonic scenes of its inhabitants beforehand, complete with children playing and laughing just before the planet-sized abomination gruesomely devours them all.

* Optimus Prime's death. Likely one of the most famous TearJerker scenes across the ''Transformers'' franchise.

** Even worse is that all of these characters were [[DyingToBeReplaced killed off]] for the sole purpose of [[Main/MerchandiseDriven justifying the discontinuation of their toys to make way for the new ones]].

* Unicron destroying Lithone in the opening scene is made ten times more harrowing by the harmonic scenes of it's habitants beforehand, complete with children playing and laughing just before the planet-sized abomination gruesomely devours them all.

-->'''Megatron:''' Such heroic ''nonsense''. (''[[PsychoticSmirk cruelly smirks at Ironhide]], and then [[BoomHeadshot blasts him point-blank through the head with his Fusion Cannon]]'')

* Unicron destroying Lithone in the opening scene is made ten times more harrowing by the harmonic scenes of it's habitants beforehand, complete with children playing and laughing just before the planet gruesomely devours them all.

** Just seeing Wheeljack and Windchanger's lifeless forms on the ground can be this.
** Even worse is that all of these characters were killed off for the sole purpose of [[Main/MerchandiseDriven justifying the discontinuation of their toys to make way for the new ones]].

** Just seeing Wheeljack and Windchanger's lifeless corpses can be this.

-->'''Megatron:''' You're an idiot, Starscream. When we slip by their early warning systems in their own shuttle and destroy Autobot City, the Autobots will be vanquished forever!

-->'''Megatron:''' Such heroic ''nonsense''. (''[[PsychoticSmirk cruelly smirks at Ironhide, and then blasts him point-blank with his Fusion Cannon]]'')

** It's times like these that you remember Rumble and Frenzy are basically child soldiers.

** Ironhide's death becomes even more depressing when you remember that he and Chromia were implied to have a thing going on in the show's episode "The Search for Alpha Trion". Somewhere, Chromia is distraught because her boyfriend died in battle.

** This scene was mitigated by a large margin when Optimus Prime was resurrected at the end of the third season by the nation's collective outcry, but still.
*** Also mitigated by the fact that Optimus Prime dies and [[Main/CameBackStrong comes back stronger]] in almost every subsequent cartoon, to the point that Prime dying is more akin to a power nap, and is no longer surprising, shocking, or upsetting, just SnarkBait for Wiki/TFWikiDotNet.

-->'''Megatron:''' Such heroic nonsense..