This is based on opinion. Please don't list it on a work's trope example list.
Spoilers are unmarked on this page. You have been warned.
Huh huh huh huh... jerker.
Tear Jerker moments include:
- The duo meeting their fathers for the first time in Do America. The fact that they wake up the following morning after bonding at the campfire only to see that they left while they were still asleep makes it more heartbreaking. Granted, neither the duo nor their fathers knew who they were, but anyone who has suffered from Parental Abandonment could relate.
- In "Crying", Beavis teared up due to an onion on his chili dog. Butt-Head would not stop giving him a hard time for crying. It then shows them 80 years in the future, at a nursing home. Butt-Head is still giving him a hard time for crying, and then he falls over dead. Beavis seems unaffected by his death, maybe even delighted.
- "The Miracle That Is Beavis" is rather sad, when one looks at it. Despite being rather misguided about it (due to Comically Missing the Point about the Tony Robbins expy's advice), there was something awesome about seeing Beavis stand up for himself and refuse to take crap from anyone-including Butt-Head. Cue Butt-Head reinstating Status Quo Is God by smacking the beejezus out of Beavis, as usual.
- In the revival episode "Drones", during the deadmau5 music video segment, Beavis reveals, in fairly graphic detail, how he was drugged, raped and thrown under a bridge by a school grief counselor. It's a massively dark and disturbing scene in an otherwise funny episode. Even worse is that even Butt-Head is visibly uncomfortable during the scene.
- "Butt Flambé" somehow manages to be this combined with funny. The episode begins with Beavis being taken to the hospital with third-degree burns on his butt, with Butt-Head laughing at him. But Beavis's reactions were played completely straight- he looks completely miserable and terrified during the whole episode and is practically crying, even begging the nurses "please" because he's hurting so much. Genuinely sad shots of Beavis being examined and desperately screaming "NO!" are interwoven with scenes of Butt-Head donning a doctor's disguise to sneak into operating rooms to watch the operations. Fortunately, Beavis is fine by the end of the episode, bandaged up and watching TV.
- When Beavis and Butt-Head are commenting on Pantera's "This Love", Butt-Head theorizes that the lead singer is angry because of a domineering father. The commentary starts off pretty funny, with both of them imitating "Pantera's father" ("Dammit Panerta! You treat your stepmother with respect!") That is, until Beavis gets a little TOO in-character and specific with it, visibly freaking out and shaking/screaming as he does so. Even Butt-Head is slightly unnerved by this, and tells Beavis to calm down.
- While "Stewart Is Missing" is played for Comedic Sociopathy, there's something very upsetting about Mrs. Stevenson weeping her head off thinking her son might be dead only to find out the duo locked him in a closet and never let him out.
- In "Scared Straight", towards the end when the students are going back on the bus, pay attention to the African-American student. He's got tears running down his face and you can even hear him crying. What do you think he saw in there?
- The 2022 revival episode "The Special One" bears mention. Fire, who is heavily implied to be a manifestation of Beavis's superego projected onto a literal dumpster fire, tries to encourage Beavis to live a healthier life and be more proactive. Beavis ultimately responds by having a staffer extinguish Fire, because of an Ignored Epiphany or outright Redemption Rejection on the grounds that "Fire isn't cool". Still, Beavis is visibly guilt-stricken when the dying Fire pleads for him to reconsider.
- The 2022 revival episode "Nice Butt-Head". Beavis has gotten so used to Butt-Head being verbally and physically abusive to him that when Butt-Head becomes a better person due to some medication, Beavis throws away the medicine and makes Butt-Head vomit all the medicine he took so he can be back to being his mean self. As long as these two are together, they can't live better lives.
- The 2022 revival episode "Home Aide" shows a alternate universe where Beavis and Butt-Head aged in real time. Now as middle-aged adults, Butt-Head is morbidly obese that he needs a walking stick and motor scooter to move around. They've also been unemployed for 23 years. During the video they watch, it's been revealed that Butt-Head had a heart attack and didn't learn anything from his near-death experience. He also owes the hospital over $100,000, which he can't afford. As for Beavis, he's still being abused by Butt-Head.
- "Weird Girl" is pretty sad all around. A girl named Glennis who appears to be friendless and lonely, develops feelings for Beavis due to sharing his love for Metallica and perceiving him to be a fellow loner like her. She tries not-so-subtly to admit her feelings for him, but Beavis of course doesn't get the hint, which hurts her. She ends up burning down a trailer at school (because Beavis said he likes fire), getting arrested, and admitting her feelings for Beavis again while she's driven away, only for him to still not get it.
- In "Beavis and Butt-Head Are Dead" we see that throughout the entire series, Mr. Van Driessen's care and encouragement towards the boys had always been genuine, as he is the only teacher who is shown to be truly saddened by the news that the two had died. He didn't view them as two hopeless delinquents like everyone else, instead seeing them as two boys from unfortunate backgrounds who just needed help and encouragement to work towards their futures. The fact that he's actually in tears when he hears that they died shows that, despite everything they put him through, he always only wanted what was best for them and held no ill will towards them.
- The couple from "Pranks" take a liking to the boys because they were never able to have children of their own, with the wife starting to cry. Like usual, Beavis and Butt-Head don't notice.
- In Hunting Trip, we learn Mr. Anderson has a son that he has an estranged relationship with. Because he himself had a father who was implied to be abusive, it caused him to be distant with his son raising him. Years later, Tom deeply regrets pushing his son away, but sees Beavis and Butt-Head as a second chance. Too bad, like always, the duo aren't listening.
