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This is based on opinion. Please don't list it on a work's trope example list.

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Tear Jerker / DEATH BATTLE!

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Naturally, in a show like Death Battle, sometimes it can make you ugly cry...
Do not add details about the actual battle to this page before the corresponding battle is able for view by the general public. While it is admirable you are supporting the show, it spoils the surprise for those who don't and have this page on their watchlist.

As per Tear Jerker guidelines, all spoilers below are unmarked!

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    In General 
  • In general, any episode where your preferred character dies will be this to at least a few people. Similarly, any episode featuring two characters who would probably get along quite well under any other circumstance would qualify as this trope as well.
  • Thinking about how those close to the losers would take their deaths also qualifies, such as family members, close friends, significant others... In short, it's a very good thing these are just What If? scenarios.
  • Pretty much any episode where the match is between two heroic characters would fall under this. Regardless of who wins, a great person still dies.
  • It is truly saddening when a Heroic character is put against a clearly established villain, or even a Heroic character placed in an antagonistic role, and utterly fail to pull through; losing their life (usually in a particularly brutal way, even for the series' usual standards) and allowing their foe to carry on with their evil ways. The best examples of this are Godzilla VS Gamera (S2), Hulk VS Doomsday and Cammy VS Sonya (both S3), Mob VS Tatsumaki (S6), Gray VS Esdeath (S7), Mikasa VS Blake and DIO VS Alucard (both S8), Apocalypse VS Black Adam (S9), and Frieza VS Megatron (S10).

    Season 1 
  • Especially to those familiar with their canon relationship, seeing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles viciously murdering one another in cold blood is heartbreaking. The lingering pause on Leonardo's face when he collapses after finishing off Raphael is not the look of a winner; it is the face of horrible realization.
  • Goku vs. Superman:
    • Many whose childhoods went to Goku becomes this somewhere. Especially heartbreaking is the expression on his face and his Death Cry Echo as he's vaporized.
    • Their battle ended up completely destroying the planet Earth. Doubly so for Superman as he ended up destroying what he was sent to protect. His expression and the utter silence at the end of it all really hammers it home.
    • What's worse is just how petty it is. Superman never wanted the fight at all and Goku just wanted a good fight (and to stop what he thought was a possible alien threat), but unfortunately he and Goku just kept getting pushed to the point where they couldn't hold back anymore.

    Season 2 
  • Fox McCloud vs. Bucky O'Hare is probably one of the most depressing match-ups to date. Fox loses one of his closest friends, Wiz and Boomstick see one of their favorite characters get blasted to smithereens, and Bucky loses just about everything. It's hard to say anyone actually won that fight.
  • Luigi vs. Tails: Although the episode has plenty of Funny Moments, it doesn't change the fact that it's a battle to the death between gaming's biggest Butt-Monkey who lost and an innocent kid no older than 11 who won. The worst part is that this all happened right after the Year of Luigi. Right after Luigi finally gets his time in the limelight, he gets defeated in a Death Battle.
    Boomstick: [Sadly] There goes The Year of Luigi.
  • The expression of sheer terror on Venusaur's face as it burns up in Charizard's flames.
    • The Pokemon were leveled up by rare candy instead of being already fully grown. Three kids just fought to the death.
  • Kirby is quite clearly devastated after his Star Rod is destroyed. It's even worse after Buu launches his Planet Buster and Kirby looks up from crying with tears still in his eyes. He knows that he had to dig deep in a VERY short period of time to counter this. If one of the most powerful weapons in his canon and last moves, his Hypernova form, is thwarted by Buu, then his entire home will be vaporized in return. Really, the whole battle was a big tearjerker for poor Kirby and for anyone who cares about him. The levels of physical and mental pain he was exposed to, while basically being a blobby version of an innocent Kid Hero, is nothing to laugh about. We're basically seeing a young kid getting the tar beaten out him, seeing his home threatened and being brought down to his knees as he faces a Cruel and Unusual Death. Sure, he won in the end, but it's still pretty harsh in hindsight.
  • Guts' backstory is a combination of this and Nightmare Fuel. From being born from a woman hung from a tree during a massacre, to watching his surrogate mother — the whore of a mercenary band — die at age three, to being abused physically, emotionally, and sexually. And when he finally finds friends and a girlfriend, his best friend summons an army of demons who rip apart his friends while being forced to watch said best friend — now transfigured into a bird demon — rape his girlfriend, and then it turns out Casca was pregnant with his child, which was horrifically mutated by the rape. The poor guy just can't hope to catch a break.
  • Goku vs. Superman 2 ends with Superman softly, sincerely saying "I'm sorry" right before killing Goku quickly and painlessly with a heat vision bolt through the skull when Goku makes clear he's never going to stop fighting, even though he's clearly overpowered. The whole thing ends with Superman carrying Goku's body rather than letting him fall. Also, just like the first time, despite Death Battle's tendency of not caring about the heroes' no-kill policy, Superman was an exception; he tried to stop the fight non-lethally more than once, but was ultimately forced to kill Goku so he would not destroy the planet, noting how he was "too strong for his own good". At one point, Goku yelled to Superman, "Get off my planet!" meaning he still thought Superman was an alien invader.
  • Hercule Satan vs. Dan Hibiki: Poor, poor Dan. The guy's father was killed, nothing ever seems to go right for him, and he's just so pathetic that it's natural to pity him. In his fight with Hercule, he sheds tears when he's about to lose, and he can only whimper "Ohhh mannn" before he suddenly gets killed by a jukebox suddenly exploding out from inside him- which was apparently unintentional on Mr. Satan's part. His death is pretty sad if you can get past the absurdity of it. To top it all off, when he's reunited with his father, he's disappointed in him. That's right- even in death, Dan can't do anything right. To add salt to the wound the crowd is explicitly cheering against Dan during the entirety of the fight. Dude was The Chew Toy through and through.
  • Hawkeye's backstory is one traumatic moment after another. He and his brother were frequently beaten by their abusive drunk of a father, and were both orphaned when their parents died in a car crash. The man who adopted them was even worse than their biological parent, and tried to run them over in his truck. They were rescued by a pair of circus performers who took the Barton brothers under their wing and brought them to live and train at the Carson Carnival of Traveling Wonders... only for the two performers to turn out to be supervillains who were training Hawkeye's brother Barney to be a criminal as well. The deciding blow of the Green Arrow vs Hawkeye fight can be this if you know the significance of GA's diamond tipped arrow. He used it to free members of the Justice League in a move that got him accepted into the team. Then years later he would place the diamond on the engagement ring he would use to propose to his long time girlfriend Black Canary. It is shattered by Hawkeye's Adamantium-tip arrow before it kills him. And then Dinah is shown posing alongside Hawkeye.
  • Pokémon vs Digimon.
    • The death of Red and Charizard. Wargreymon rips Mega Charizard X apart with his Dramon Killers while Tai beats the hell out of Red. Mega Charizard X falls on top of Red, accidentally breaking his legs. Then Wargreymon nukes them with Terra Force. Even worse, despite having his legs broken, being horribly roughed up, and about to be utterly incinerated, Red's final thoughts are of Charizard, not his own fate. While the bond between the two is mentioned to be one of master and pet rather than as equals in the analysis, it can't be said that Red didn't love Charizard.
    • Chad's initial idea was even worse. Mega Charizard X is on the floor while Wargreymon charges Terra Force. Red runs over to Mega Charizard X, hugs him in an attempt to protect him, and sheds a Single Tear while saying "I'm sorry" as he shares his Pokémon's fate.
    • Red thought they were having a friendly Pokémon battle and didn't learn that Tai and Greymon were willing to kill them until it was too late.
    • Just the final shot can send many Pokémon fans crying like kids again: the sight of Red and Mega Charizard X being reduced to ashes. Even worse was seeing Charizard try his hardest to resist but ultimately falling.
    • This battle can be jarring to those who grew up watching either show since they had a massive Fandom Rivalry back then. Just seeing the 'mon and trainer you saw grow and become stronger end up dying can leave a hole in your heart. This rivals Goku vs. Superman in that department.
      Boomstick: Ow... my childhood...

    Season 3 
  • Bayonetta vs. Dante: The source of Bayonetta's powers is a contract she made with a demon named Madama Butterfly. In exchange for her powers, her soul is now forever condemned to eternal torture in Inferno from the moment she dies...Which is exactly what happens after her gruesome death at Dante's hands. Madama Butterfly herself ends up having her leg sliced off before being nonchalantly decapitated by Dante. Bayonetta's voice cracks when she realizes her sponsor and the only friendly demon she knew has just been killed.
    Bayonetta: No...! That's not possible!
  • Flash vs Quicksilver: When the battle is over, Magneto appears to mourn his son's death.
  • Meta VS Carolina: In Season 13 of Red vs Blue Carolina explicitly states that she treated the other Freelancers as family and their deaths were the reason she didn't want to lose the Reds and Blues. Now she has to not only fight Maine but also try to kill him, which she actually does. However, listen closely to the lyrics of the music for the fight. "Grant the souls I send your way final peace and rest at last". Given the circumstances, it's safe to say Carolina is not only upset for having to try to kill him, but sees killing him as some sort of Mercy Kill given the Meta's unstable mental state. With that in mind, her execution of the Meta takes on a much more somber tone.
  • Cammy vs. Sonya: Just the way Cammy thrashes in a desperate attempt to escape death— and similarly, in how despite being heroic in her intentions, what with trying to apprehend Kano without killing him and engaging Sonya on the basis that she used excessive force (by killing him when she was trying to arrest him alive), she's brutally murdered by Sonya as well without an inkling of remorse or humility.
  • Amy Rose vs. Ramona Flowers: After being knocked out cold to the prelude to the fight, Scott regains consciousness just in time to see Ramona unconscious and bloodied, and is understandably distraught. Mere seconds later, Amy then pancakes her with an arcade cabinet, leaving him borderline catatonic with grief.
  • Hulk vs. Doomsday:
    • Boomstick saying his imaginary friend's name was Dad. Wiz himself had no reply, and instead just moved on with the rundowns.

    Season 4 
  • Venom vs. Bane:
    • The look on Batman's face when he sees Bane's headless body. You can practically hear Kevin Conroy's horrified "No..." seeing one of his greatest adversaries murdered so easily.
    • As Boomstick notes, life has not been kind to Eddie Brock. Eddie spent his entire life trying to gain approval from his father who blamed him for Eddie's mother dying in childbirth. However during his big break, where he revealed the identity of the serial killer known as Sin Eater, Spider-Man caught the "real" killer (when Carnage is inverted it is revealed that Eddie was right) which resulted in him getting publicly humiliated, fired, divorced from his wife and disowned by his father. Eddie would then go on to learn that he had cancer and went to church to apologize to God because he was about to commit suicide, only for him to bond with the Venom symbiote instead. It was an experience so traumatic that he cries whenever a symbiote starts to bond to him again. Unlike Bane, Eddie didn't do any villainous acts besides trying to kill Spider-Man, and after forming a truce with Spider-Man, he would go on to become an anti-hero.
  • Android 18 vs. Captain Marvel: Boomstick opens up a cold one for Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel, upon his death.
  • Smokey Bear vs. McGruff the Crime Dog:
    • Smokey's backstory has a tragic overlap with the real world. Only a few years after Smokey was originally created as a mascot, a particularly vicious wildfire broke out in New Mexico, where thousands of forest creatures either lost their home or died. Among them was a small American Black Bear cub, who was found clinging with burnt paws to a smoldering tree, having lost his parents in the blaze. This cub was rescued by firefighters, eventually named Smokey after the mascot, and became the real-world incarnation of everything the cartoon bear stood for. While it's a triumphant ending to a heartbreaking tragedy, the hosts are understandably somber while they share the story.
    • While discussing that McGruff doesn't actually hold a rank in the police force, Boomstick takes a moment to remember a dog that actually held an official rank — Thailand's Air Chief Marshall, Fufu.
      Boomstick: Rest in peace, buddy.
    • McGruff's last words really do tug the heartstrings—
      Remember, kids... (voice cracks) ...remember me.
    • It's sadder if he meant it as "Remember me and carry my lessons on" — and even more so with how he can briefly be seen flinching and heard yelping right as giant Smokey crushes his monster truck with him still inside it. He's evidently terrified, but admirably still trying to put a brave face on for his supporters to the end.
  • Naruto vs. Ichigo:
  • Sephiroth vs. Vergil: Vergil's final moments. He manages to use Yamato to cut through dimensions and escape Sephiroth's Supernova but is severely damaged. When he gets out, he sounds relieved, but is then abruptly killed by Sephiroth.
    Vergil: I'm... free...
    Sephiroth: (impales Vergil on Masamune from behind, causing him to drop Yamato) Hm. So you are.
    (swings Masamune, slashing Vergil in half)

    Season 5 
  • Raven vs. Twilight Sparkle:
    • The fight between Raven and Twilight winds up setting the Golden Oak Library on fire. Twilight's horrified reaction is what drives the point home:
      Twilight: Oh no... not again!
    • The good news is that Rainbow Dash is seen putting the fire out after the fight. The bad news is that Twilight's (probably) not going to be around to see it.
    • After the fight, Raven is seen destroying her Twilight Sparkle doll, clearly having lost her respect for the Princess of Friendship. It gets worse when you think about it: During the fight, Twilight made Raven inadvertently enter her Dark Raven form which she hates so much. Is it any wonder that the pedestal is broken?
  • Jotaro vs. Kenshiro: Joseph happens to be present when the fight breaks out... and as a result, he's forced to watch his grandson die horrifically. The post-fight animation has him crying over what's left of Jotaro.
  • Crash Bandicoot vs. Spyro the Dragon: The reason these two are even fighting? Crash squashed Spyro's adoptive brother Sparx, assuming him to be an average annoying insect. Spyro's horror as he realizes what the Bandicoot has done really sells it:
    Spyro: (looks on, horrified) Sparx! NOOOOOOOOOO!
  • Doctor Strange vs. Doctor Fate:
    • During Fate's analysis, when talking about how Nabu ended up serving as a father figure to Kent after killing his real father, Boomstick mentions that he would have taken any Dad if given the chance. While his lack of a good father figure has been a Running Gag before this, the way that he mentions it during this episode shows how much of a sore spot it is for him.
    • Doctor Strange has his soul completely destroyed by the combined power of Nabu, Kent, and Inza. While the last combatant to go out this way was a dyed-in-the-wool villain, there's something heartbreaking about seeing it happen to a hero.
  • Carnage vs. Lucy: When talking about Lucy's traumatic past, Boomstick reveals that a bunch of terrible kids murdered a puppy she adopted and forced her to watch. He's more than willing to let Lucy kill the kids and even sympathizes with her.
  • Optimus Prime vs. RX-78-2 Gundam:
    • Boomstick actually starts bawling at the mentioning of Optimus Prime's death in his preview, leaving Wiz confused and baffled.
    • One can hear the anguish, pain, and distress in Optimus' voice when he shouts "No... NO!" after Amuro fires his Gundam's Beam Rifle at the Ark and destroys it, presumably along with several other Autobots inside.

    Season 6 
  • Mega Man Battle Royale:
    • In the first shot of the animation, Volnutt is at the top of the iconic skyscraper used in Mega Man Classic's game. He appears to just be taking in the atmosphere and smiling, likely because he's managed to escape from the moon. But before he can even reunite with Roll, he gets sucked into a fight that turns out to be way out of his league and doesn't survive.
    • The fight itself doesn't seem to be this on the surface, as most of the combatants are robots/software and could possibly just be rebuilt with their personalities intact. We said most of them: Geo and Omega-Xis are organic beings, and unlike most fights where he'd have a 50/50 chance of victory, there's a staggering 80% chance that he'll lose. Not to mention the fact that Geo himself is still an adolescent. In the end, though the duo were capable enough to outmatch the first three Megamen, they were second to MegaMan.EXE and sadly lost their lives. And, unfortunately for the other three fallen Mega Men, unlike how Mega Man Classic's head was still seemingly intact after his loss to Astro Boy, there's nothing left of them to rebuild from, having been crushed by a singularity which then exploded (Volnutt, Classic) or vapourized (X) respectively, all but ensuring that there's no coming back for them this time. Also, Rush seems to be dead this time too. Rush's death gets sadder if you really think about it: Mega Man Classic was fused with him in their Super Adapter Armor form until he gets skewered through X's Z-Saber, at which point the Super Adapter armor immediately disappears.This means that X not only killed Rock's dog — which to an innocent Robot Kid like him would have been bad enough but Rock also might have felt him die, as they were both impaled through with a laser sword. No wonder he looks pissed when trying to take X down with him.
    • Mega Man Classic's final expression as he clings onto X as they're being sucked into the black hole isn't just the look of someone trying to take someone down with them — it's the look of someone hanging on for dear life, trying to not be killed. And then X shoots him in the face with both X Busters.
      • X and Mega Man Classic fighting each other to the death is even more heartbreaking when you realize they were both created by Dr. Light — which technically makes them brothers.
      • If alternate universes of the same characters count, then technically, MegaMan.EXE was actually involved in the murders of two of his relatives, as he's (or they're if we count Hub Hikari and Lan Hikari as separate beings) the grandson(s) of Tadashi Hikari, his (their) universe's Dr. Light.
    • Much like Leonardo in the TMNT Battle Royale, the expression on .EXE's face at the end of the fight is not an expression of triumph. It's one of pained realization, realizing that the Mega Men, himself included, wiped out a city during their battle. And then there's the fact that, like Geo, .EXE is technically still a child (the stillborn Hub Hikari who, depending on how you interpret it, also cross-fused with his brother Lan for this fight, so that's two children).
    • Volnutt's section seems to end with a nice peaceful declaration of friendship from Volnutt about how Roll will return... until Boomstick chimes in, pointing out how the ending isn't as happy as it seems. He seems actually genuinely upset about the whole ordeal the Classic Timeline went through, especially since how Doctor Light's hard work and dream of a human and robot coexistence proved fruitless in the end.
      Boomstick: WOAH WOAH WOAH! Don't try and pull that "happily ever after" crap! HUMANITY WENT EXTINCT! THE PLANET IS FLOODED! AND THE LAST MEGA MAN IS STUCK IN SPACE FOREVER, BECAUSE LEGENDS 3 IS NEVER GONNA HAPPEN! That peaceful future that Doctor Light fought so hard for turned out to be total bullshit, and if you think about it, it's all his fault! Love and peace are lies, God Is Dead, and we're all totally f**ked! (crushes his beer can and throws it on the ground)
    • X possibly suffered an even worse fate in the fight, because of Geo taking control of him and against his will, X essentially went Maverick unwillingly, which is said to be his worst fear.
  • In Ben 10 vs. Green Lantern, this is combined with Nightmare Fuel after Wiz said Alien X recreated the universe when it was destroyed, with Boomstick pointing out the Fridge Horror:
    Boomstick: Since he just made a copy universe, that technically means that all those characters we watched through the whole show are still dead. Damn dude, throw somebody a bone or something.
  • Weiss vs. Mitsuru:
  • Aang vs. Edward Elric:
    • Much like Superman's second win against Goku, Aang isn't celebrating his win. Given both his usual pacifism and the downbeat tone of his voice in the end after obliterating Edward, Aang takes no pleasure in the victory and is only sad that he had to kill a fellow teenager to survive.
      Aang: ...you left me no choice.
    • Even earlier, when Aang originally thought he had blown off Ed's head, he had a freak-out and apologized, sounding absolutely horrified by what he thought he had done.
    • The fact that Aang unsuccessfully tries to apologize mid-fight for accidentally offending Ed really makes it feel like he has no desire to fight. But Edward just keeps on coming and coming, eventually to the point where neither of them can afford to hold back anymore.
    • In context, the fact that Alphonse will never regain his body back after his brother died, and that Edwards family and military friends will never know what became of him, as not even a trace of his body remains.
    • Out of context, it may be sad for an FMA fan to see that Ed is basically the villain of the piece, with even the tropes on the various fight pages showing more sympathy for the winner of the fight than the loser.
  • Dragonzord vs Mechagodzilla:
    • At the end of the Mechagodzilla preview, Wiz goes to the lab to do a cyber-necromancy experiment. An experiment to reanimate his father, which he's tried multiple times.
      Boomstick: Oh, Wiz, c'mon, it never goes well. Let your father rest in peace.
      Wiz: I'll bring him back! I swear it! I just want him to say he's proud of me...
      Boomstick: And you guys thought I had father issues.
    • Akane gets shot down during the fight and begs Kiryu to keep fighting before impact.
    • Godzilla's ghost then takes over, and rather heartwarmingly, he is absolutely furious when he believes Akane was killed.
  • More of a tearjerker for the show. Nick Cramer, long time writer of Death Battle (though he had left the Death Battle team in the months leading up to this) and regular guest of the Death Battle Cast, was among the 13% of Rooster Teeth employees that were let go as of September 12th, 2019. When Ben confirmed that Nick had been laid off during the Death Battle Cast the following week, the normally chaotic atmosphere of the show turned very somber, and Ben seemed to be on the verge of tears.
  • Mob vs. Tatsumaki:
  • Deadpool vs. The Mask:
    • In this episode, not only do Wiz and Boomstick seem sick of Deadpool's constant reappearances, but Deadpool himself does too. The Regenerating Degenerate isn't helped by the fact that Wiz and Boomstick choose to constantly belittle and downplay him during his rundown, and are actively rooting for his opposition to win.
    • Wade's face after the Mask decapitates him. He actually seemed kinda sad, least before Mask caught him. Plus his reaction to Mask's "I'm already wearing it!", Deadpool was no longer making jokes, he's left speechless, realizing how out of his league he is in this one. He even sheds a tear.
    • There's the Voice Over Letter that Deadpool leaves to Wiz and Boomstick. It's a letter of heartfelt reconciliation and gratitude for helping him find his true self after he got lost in his internet meme fame. They read this after his death, which they deliberately caused.
    • At the end of the analysis, Boomstick interrupts the results, cutting off Wiz. The two have a Heel Realization, realizing that, despite them both having to be impartial judges of the fight, they instead spitefully pit Deadpool against an opponent they both knew he would lose against. Both Wiz and Boomstick begin to mourn their fallen adversary... until he comes back thanks to the Continuity Stone.
      Boomstick: There's no way to mask what we've done!
  • All Might vs. Might Guy:
    • In the end, what started as a friendly arm wrestling match, ended with two powerful heroes dead. All Might falls to Might Guy, technically making him the winner... but paying the ultimate price to do so, as Guy opened the Eighth Gate of Death to finish All Might off, sealing his own fate as his body will soon deteriorate into ashes. A fitting, yet somber end to two proud warriors.
    • What really stings about this particular ending is that usually, there's some kind of emotional distance between the two characters that makes it easier to buy that they'd kill each other without a second thought, even when they're squeaky-clean heroes who otherwise act in-character. However, in this case, Guy and Toshinori are warm and friendly to each other right from the get-go and maintain that jovial spirit of competition right up until All Might gets frustrated and plunges his fist through Guy's chest, and even then, Guy gives him a congratulatory thumbs-up before activating the Eighth Gate just to show him what he's like at his mightiest. It's never a good feeling to see a budding friendship collapse in such a disastrous way. Even Guy's dialogue before collapsing twist the knife, as he asks for a rematch with his fallen rival shortly before joining him in death:
      Might Guy: Good fight... Let's do it... again...
    • While the fight track, "Mighty", is a triumphant, hopeful anthem that perfectly encapsulates the personality of both heroes, the second verse is surprisingly poignant, acknowledging that they both will eventually have to have to pass the torch and alluding to how they both suffered career ending wounds in their home canon. It's especially tragic in that, due to Death Battle basing him at the time where he was at his full potential, All Might's death means that he never got to transfer One For All to Izuku (while left to the viewers' imagination, the nature of Might Guy's training of Rock Lee means it's possible, though by no means a certainty, that he taught him by the time the fight takes place), meaning that his metaphorical torch is snuffed out.
      There's an era approaching when I'll/When I'll have to pass on the torch
      When you'll follow in these steps/On the path that I've scorched
      There'll come a time where I'm wearing down/But you can rest assured that it isn't now

    Season 7 
  • Miles Morales vs. Static:
    • The fight essentially happens due to an unseen misunderstanding, as Miles apparently attacked Virgil first. It doesn't help that he implied that Virgil was another Electric Psychopath. It ends terribly for Miles as he is blasted into smithereens by Static's blast, even beforehand, he realizes how screwed he is and his painful scream only solidifies the fact that he's still a teenager.
    • While Boomstick comments on how season 7 is starting off great, he still comments that he feels sorry for Miles.
  • Genos vs. War Machine:
    • This fight came about due to a combination of unfortunate misunderstanding and a hot blooded impulse. Had cooler heads prevailed, this fight could have avoided tragedy, but Genos crusade against supposed evil cyborgs and War Machine's self-defense, neither had the chance to explain. Rhodes didn't even seem like he was trying to kill Genos, more or less trying to subdue him. In the end, after Genos attempt to take out Rhodes with him failed, all Rhodes can do is apologize for what he had to do.
      War Machine: I'm sorry it had to be this way.
      Genos: Don't talk to me.
    • War Machine refers to Genos as a kid, knowing full well he might (and unfortunately will) have to stop someone as young as Genos if he wants to live.
  • Gray vs. Esdeath: While it is arguable, regardless of whether or not Gray being successful with taking Esdeath out with Lost Ice Shell would be this, since he failed to kill Esdeath with it before she took advantage of his vulnerability, if the rest of the Fairy Tail Guild learn of Gray's death this will be a morale drop for them, especially Juvia, but if he was successful with Lost Ice Shell, he would have died shortly after with no-one to remember him and his sacrifice
  • Goro vs. Machamp: Poor Boomstick this episode. We get a little more insight into his wedding relationships. Turns out that his ex-wife left him for a guy with four arms, and they didn't even get past the reception before she filed for divorce. It's clear that, despite all his jokes about how much he hates his ex-wife and how she's a terrible person, he really was hurt by the divorce, and the guy's confidence clearly took a hit this episode.
    Boomstick: I mean, how am I supposed to keep up with that?! He's got two more hands than me!
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Kakashi:
    • When Wiz and Boomstick talk about Kakashi's backstory, and how the shinobi's father committed a great mistake, leading him to commit seppuku, Boomstick's reminded of his own dad.
      Wiz: What was his "great mistake"?
      Boomstick: He called it Boomstick.
      Wiz: Oh.
    • During the battle, Kakashi manages to use a Genjutsu on Old Ben, trapping him within an illusion. What does the general see? His former pupil, Anakin Skywalker; now clad in the black armor and cloak of Darth Vader, partially lit by the glow from his red lightsaber and lunging at him from the darkness and fog. From Obi-Wan's expression alone, it's made painfully clear that the scars of failing his student still run deep, and he only just manages to get it together and see through before the shinobi can capitalize on his shock.
  • Beerus vs. Sailor Galaxia: Minor version, but when Boomstick remembers all the bad-mouthing he gave his ex-wife in both Sailor Galaxia's preview and Beerus', he decides to go and apologize. Wiz bitterly mutters "I've never received an apology..." Granted, he and Boomstick are Vitriolic Best Friends, but ouch.
  • Zuko vs. Todoroki:
    • Obviously, you can't discuss Prince Zuko without bringing up the massive scumbag father that is Fire Lord Ozai. They bring up how Ozai neglected his daughter Azula until she went mad, while poor Zuko could just not do anything right, as far as Ozai was concerned. A shockingly empathic moment from Wiz and Boomstick.
    • Additionally, Boomstick brings up his own Disappeared Dad, twice:
      Wiz: Can you imagine your dad saying that while your sister was born lucky, you were just lucky to be born?
      Boomstick: I can't imagine my dad saying anything to me.
      Wiz: Oh... Right...
    • And later on, when he says that Zuko being sent in search of the Avatar was basically an excuse for Ozai to ensure he never returned, "just like (Boomstick's) own dad did." Aw, give Boomstick a hug.
    • The episode proper has Boomstick commenting that the wall surrounding Ba Sing Se is the second biggest wall he's ever seen. The only wall that overshadows it? The figurative wall Boomstick's father put between him and his son.
    • Like his opponent Prince Zuko, you can't discuss Todoroki Shoto without bringing up his scumbag father. His father neglected Shoto's siblings, deeming them worthless as potential heirs. Thus he forced Shoto through Training from Hell from about the age of four so his son could surpass All Might.
    • Endeavor's actions toward not only Shoto, but the entire family eventually caused Shoto's mother to... break and pour boiling water on the left side of Shoto's face (the 'fire' side of his Quirk) because it reminded her too much of Endeavor, leaving him with the scar he still carries to this day.
    • When Boomstick notes that Todoroki eventually managed to inspire his dad to adopt a more genuinely heroic outlook, he starts crying and wishes he could similarly inspire his own dad.
    • During the fight preview, Zuko and Todoroki exchange fire blasts with each other before having a surprisingly poignant "Not So Different" moment between the two as they stare on. Given their numerous similarities, it's not hard to imagine in different circumstances, they'd be best friends.
      Zuko: He's just-
      Todoroki: -Like me.
    • Wiz is implied to have a crush on Prince Zuko, and after the battle he's grieving. Considering Wiz has a Lack of Empathy towards most of the combatants, the sight of him actually mourning one of them is pretty jarring.
  • Winter Soldier VS Red Hood:
    • Both of the backstories for these gun-toting anti-heroes is tragic to say the least. Both of them were the Kid Sidekick to a hero that was either their best friend or surrogate father, before they ended up dying in a tragic accident. Even after they were brought to life, they both had their struggles, Bucky with his brainwashing and Jason with his trauma after being resurrected. Like so many other combatants before them, one gets the idea that under different circumstances, they'd be friends. It's especially bad for Jason's case, as the fans literally voted for the poor guy's death.
    • During the kitchen fight, Jason seemingly has Bucky cornered, but the Winter Soldier grabs a nearby weapon that turns the fight around. A crowbar. As Bucky unleashes a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown on the second Robin, Jason undergoes a panic attack as he hears the voice of The Joker cackling in his head, taunting him about how Bruce isn't coming to save him. As Jason yells defiantly at the voice in his head, his voice changes at times to that of a younger child. It's a chilling reminder of how young Jason was when he died, and how much that trauma affected who he eventually became. The whole scene calls to mind one of his killer's most scathing insults to the Dark Knight himself.
      Joker: It's true, Batsy! I know everything. And kind of like the little kid who peeks at his Christmas presents, I must admit... it's sadly anti-climactic. Behind all the sturm and Batarangs, you're just a little boy in a playsuit crying for mommy and daddy! It'd be funny if it weren't so pathetic. (...) Oh what the heck, I'll laugh anyway!
    • You just have to feel sorry for Batman after this fight. Imagine one of your adoptive sons dying a mere five minutes after your last phone call with them.
  • Venom vs. Crona:
    • Both characters have unbelievably sad backstories. Eddie Brock had his whole life go downhill after Spider-Man unmasked the Sin Eater, a Serial Killer who Eddie imagined he'd already unmasked. Eddie lost his job, his father disowned him — and he'd already hated Eddie because his wife/Eddie's mother died giving birth to him — his wife divorced him, and he was diagnosed with cancer; though that last part was eventually retconned into the symbiote giving him Fake Memories by gaslighting him. No wonder he felt like killing himself. Boomstick sympathizes with the poor guy.
    Boomstick: And I thought 2020 was rough! I almost don't blame him for becoming a super-villain!
    • As for Crona? Their mother Medusa experimented on them to convert them into a Kishin, and the process was traumatizing. Boomstick, who's already Afraid of Needles, also sympathizes with Crona.
    • Outside of their traumatic upbringing, you do have to feel sorry for Crona in the Death Battle proper. They just went into a church to be alone (apart from their rude Living Weapon friend), only to find themselves confronted by a hungry Klyntar who wants to eat their brain. Most of the fight they just sound like they're so close to having a nervous breakdown. Makes it all the more cathartic, though, when they win.
  • Sabrewulf vs. Jon Talbain:
    • Both combatants are noted to have a Dark and Troubled Past. Konrad von Sabrewulf was initially a German aristocrat living a cheerful hedonist's life, until he stumbled into a laboratory full of monster-hunting equipment and cursed himself with lycanthropy by getting himself scratched with a werewolf hand. Now he's a Tragic Monster desperately trying to find a cure for his curse, without success. As Boomstick puts it, "Wow, his life sucks!" Jon Talbain, on the other hand, was born into Darkstalker nobility, and ended up orphaned when the demon Jedah Dohma sent an assassin to kill his mother, out of enmity towards Jon's father Baraba the Wolf Lord. Now left alone, due to his father not being present in his life, Jon grew up hating pretty much everything, including the humans who tried hunting him whenever he went werewolf. He then met a martial artist who trained him to gain control over the inner beast, but eventually a bandit gang killed his master, leaving him(in Wiz' own words) "conflicted over his role in a morally-grey world". Thank goodness he eventually overcame his dark side with the friendship of fellow Darkstalker Felicia.
    • At the start of the fight, Sabrewulf is seen reluctantly feasting on a fresh human corpse surrounded by more dead bodies, until he meets Talbain, to whom he pleads forgiveness. Unfortunately, Talbain is not so forgiving, going so far as to call Sabrewulf a monster, which quickly gets under the latter's skin and the fight ensues. Midway through, after taking a bite out of Talbain and taking a liking to it, Sabrewulf seems to have given up on being human again.
    • Sabrewulf being brutally killed by Talbain after unwillingly going on a bloody rampage against innocent people could be seen as a mercy kill to him. He never wanted to remain a werewolf, and unfortunately never found a cure; so Sabrewulf could at least be freed from the curse in death.
    • Even though he won the fight, Talbain could still potentially die from having his intestines being forcibly ripped out and left hanging in the open.
  • Red vs. Blue: While Grif's Big "NO!" towards Simmons' death was quite narmy, Church's one towards Caboose team-killing Tex was certainly gut-wrenching as despite his antagonistic nature towards her, he still cared about his ex-girlfriend in the end.
  • Batgirl vs. Spider-Gwen:
    • Despite being funny, Boomstick's emotional breakdown upon realizing that he's spent nearly ten years making videos with his friend instead of doing something more productive with his life is pretty saddening.
      Boomstick: WHAT HAVE I DONE WITH MY LIFE?! WHO WILL REMEMBER ME?!
    • During the fight, it's revealed that Gwen was trying to find Miles and ended up in the Bat Cave by accident. However, recall that the first episode of the season saw Miles die a violent death against Static. If this is the same universe, Gwen's quest may be All for Nothing.
    • When highlighting Barbara's Batarangs, Wiz throws two at them at DUMMI. The first one just lodges in his head, and the second one electrocutes him, making briefly fall to the floor and then behave as though drunk. DUMMI then drunkenly calls Wiz and Boomstick out for the way they treat him as The Chew Toy, and you can actually see electronic tears appear in his eyes. And then Boomstick blows him up with an explosive Batarang. Seriously, DUMMI's whole job is to be the Butt-Monkey, but that's going too far.
  • Sanji vs. Rock Lee: Obviously, you can't talk about Sanji without bringing up his Dark and Troubled Past. Born the fourth child of Judge Vinsmoke, the tyrannical ruler of Germa 66, Sanji and his siblings were experimented on in the womb by their father, who hoped to ensure his children were born emotionless Living Weapons. Sanji's mother took dangerous drugs in an attempt to ensure that at least one of her children retained their humanity, which only worked with Sanji, and his sister Reiju, to some extent. From then on, Sanji's life was made miserable by his brothers and father beating him up and scorning his virtues, and when his mother eventually died, Judge locked Sanji in the dungeon. And then he got out with Reiju's help, only to later end up stranded on a Deserted Island and nearly starve to death. Luckily, his story had a happy ending, and he ended up getting raised properly by Red Leg Zeff after escaping said island. Boomstick sums it up succinctly:
    Boomstick: Look, I told you his childhood sucked!
  • Hulk vs. Broly:
    • Yet again, we end up discussing Bruce Banner's Dark and Troubled Past. His nuclear physicist father, Brian Banner, was, in Boomstick's own words, "the absolute shittiest dad ever". He regularly slapped, insulted, and tormented his son out of paranoia, and eventually ended up murdering Bruce's mother in anger. The trauma caused Bruce to develop a split personality- a child-like brute who wished to be left alone. And then, one day, after getting caught in the blast zone of a nuclear bomb test, Bruce's alternate personality was released into the world as The Incredible Hulk.
    • Broly was born with an extremely high level of power level, which King Vegeta most likely feared. So he had Broly exiled to a hellish backwater planet named Vampa, which was considered a Death World even by Saiyans. However, despite his incredible power, Broly is a gentle giant who would prefer to spend his days in peace with his giant pet dog-monster than actually fight. Unfortunately, his father (and later Frieza) refuse to allow him to do so and force him to engage in combat despite his generally kind-hearted nature.
    • Boomstick zones out partway through the analysis having a traumatic flashback to his father leaving him. While somewhat Played for Laughs, it's clear it bothered him a lot more than he shows sometimes.
    • While it crosses over Nightmare Fuel territory, Hulk provokes Broly into fighting him, wanting him to get angrier and disregard everything around him. It's terrifying until you think of the reason why Hulk is doing this. All his life, Hulk has been treated as a monster. Constantly, trying to control his anger and fearing it might explode and go out control. When he confronts Broly, he found someone just like him and he's exhilarated.
    • The Stinger after the episode. Boomstick is relaxing in the Death Battle studio sipping a beer when DUMMI visits him bringing a letter left for him by "a strange, green man in a zoot suit". Boomstick grabs the letter and reads it... then freezes up and incredulously says "Dad?!"

    Season 8 
  • Yoda vs. King Mickey:
  • Shadow vs. Ryuko:
    • During Ryuko's preview, Boomstick empathizes with Ryuko over their shared Parental Abandonment. Later, at the end, when it sinks in that Ryuko spent years apart from her dad only to find him dying, Boomstick breaks down in fear and sorrow that the same thing might happen in his quest for his dad.
    • Near the end of the battle, Super Shadow ends up sending Ryūko hurtling down from space, as Senketsu can be heard crying out his wearer’s name in worry for her life. Many Kill la Kill fans are very likely to be reminded of Senketsu’s Heroic Sacrifice in the original series in a much similar scenario. They thankfully survive re-entry, though... only for them to both be ended by Shadow seconds later.
    • At the end of the video, after Shadow's already won, Wiz and Boomstick bring up that in a Sonic Twitter Takeover, Shadow revealed that Kill la Kill is his favorite anime, noting Ryūko as a character he particularly likes. This effectively means that, while Shadow managed to break his losing streak, he had to kill one of his favorite TV show characters to get it.
  • Lex Luthor vs. Doctor Doom
    • Boomstick sympathizes with Lex Luthor for wanting to escape his abusive father. "Right there with you, bud."
    • A sad moment for Lex Luthor in that this is the second Death Battle he's fought in, and it doesn't end any better for him than the last one did.
  • Heihachi Mishima vs. Geese Howard:
    • In Heihachi's rundown, Boomstick becomes pretty temperamental when describing Heihachi's feud with his son Kazuya.
    Boomstick: Aw, man, what I wouldn't give to beat the shit outta my dad, and toss his ass off a cliff!
    • And then later on in Heihachi's rundown, Boomstick speculates that Heihachi's "crazy, Bond villain bluster" is a mere facade for the heartbreak he suffered at destroying his own family and creating a cycle of violence. Boomstick then adds "as so many fathers have before him... Dad." And Boomstick delivers that last line with positive seething hatred. We get that Boomstick has Daddy Issues, but this is excessive.
    • In Geese's rundown, Wiz and Boomstick are both incredulous that Geese ended up abandoning his son Rock in poverty and refused to give him money to treat his sick mother, despite Geese's resentment of his own father for abandoning him.
  • Blake vs. Mikasa:
    Boomstick: How could humans be racist against Faunus? Aside from looking slightly different, they're basically exactly the same- Oh. I get it.
    • Much like her opponent, Mikasa Ackerman has not had the happiest life. Born in a society placed in danger by rampaging Titans, her parents were killed at a young age by human traffickers, who she promptly killed in revenge. She was then Happily Adopted by Eren Yeager's parents, up until they were killed by hungry Titans. Wiz and Boomstick are shocked by the fact that she didn't have anyone to rely on who lived past an entire episode's length.
    • In an unusual change from Death Battle standards, the track for the fight Thunder Shroud, while consisting of an intense rock, has a more somber tone in its lyrics compared to other lyrical tracks, summarizing both Blake and Mikasa's never-ending wars against the discrimination in their lives, and how much they risk losing or already lost because of it.
      Everything that I love's falling away,
      And there's no escape!
    • You have to feel sorry for Mikasa Ackerman in this Death Battle. She started off not wanting to fight Blake — just to get her out of the city before the Titans got there, because all the rest of the civilians had already evacuated — but is rudely rebuffed. Even if she was being abrasive about her demands and then shot Blake's book out of her hands to try and make her listen, it can still come off as Cruel to Be Kind given how dangerous the situation was. Then the Huntress attacks and eventually kills her for doing so, and doesn't even so much as acknowledge Mikasa's death afterward. Even Mob at least got that.
  • Iron Fist vs. Po:
  • Steven Universe vs. Star Butterfly:
    • The premise of the fight is as wholesome as it can be. A sand castle contest with both fighters competing, and it doesn't begin over jealousy of one having the better castle. Star accidentally ruins Steven's castle and tries to fix it, only to further annoy Steven, which Star tries to rectify again, only for a full on fight to begin. Had Star not tried to use her magic to fix the problem, she would have avoided this altercation altogether.
    • For Steven Universe fans, watching Steven lose control and revert into Pink Steven has to be hard, because Steven heavily despises this form as it represents the worst of him.
      Steven: What's wrong with you?! Just... leave me... ALOOOOONE!
    • The above is made even worse when you consider the possibility of Steven suffering from his PTSD in that moment, given Star's diamond-shaped eyes◊ could potentially remind him of the Diamond Authority and all the trauma he suffered because of them. One can even see a brief flash of the Diamonds' symbol in his eyes◊ during that scene.
  • Batman VS Iron Man: The look on Tony's face after he blows up his suit with Bruce trapped inside. Tony doesn't have any real smart comments or clever quips to make after his victory like he usually does. He's just completely and utterly exhausted, both physically and emotionally, to the point where he once again backslides back to alcoholism after his win. Considering in this fight, Bruce and Tony seem to know each other on a first-name basis, one wonders if this battle brought up some bad memories.
    Tony: Friday? I could really use a drink...
  • DIO VS Alucard: Alucard's death becomes particularly harsh when one remembers that Alucard is a Death Seeker who hates having given in to weakness at the moment of death and throwing away his humanity, hunting down vampires with such extreme prejudice partially out of self-loathing and desiring for nothing less than a human to destroy him. Instead, he ends up slain by DIO, an even bigger monster who willingly gave up his humanity for greater power.
  • Korra VS Storm
    • When Korra sends Storm into the Spirit Realm, the X-Man gets overwhelmed by all the anti-mutant comments she hears and nearly has a breakdown.
    • Since Korra died while she was in the Avatar State, the Avatar cycle is dead. Forever...
  • Saitama VS Popeye: The tried-and-true question of what would happen when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object is answered here, with both Saitama and Popeye throwing their absolutely broken strength at each other. Before their final punches collide, Saitama is absolutely thrilled at finally finding a Worthy Opponent he can go all out against, genuinely thanking Popeye for it. Sadly, this is Death Battle, and when all is said and done, only one combatant can be left standing... And it isn't Saitama.
    Saitama: Can this be...? My heart's beating so fast... My muscles ache...! I can feel them again! I never thought it would happen! A serious fight... I FOUND IT! (laughing in delight) Thank you, weird spinach mascot.

    Season 9 
  • Tanjiro vs. Jonathan Joestar:
    • The ending ends up becoming this, with the killing blow bringing back vibes of Superman's bittersweet victory way back in Goku Vs. Superman 2. The fight started over Jonathan attacking Tanjiro, assuming Nezuko to be one of Dio's henchmen and that Tanjiro was brainwashed by her. However, once Tanjiro explains the situation as he's dying, Jonathan immediately breaks into tears from the realization, promising to watch over Nezuko in the lethally injured Demon Slayer's steed, and using Hamon to stop Tanjiro's heart to put him to rest. The final shot of an emerging Nezuko hesitating to take Jonathan's hand before the animation cuts to black only sells the tragic consequences of this fight. Even Boomstick was brought to tears by the tragic outcome, unlike Wiz.
    • The icing on this harshly bitter cake is that, for the most part, the two have their usual pleasant personalities, and even though Tanjiro doesn't think much of Jonathan's intelligence, it's clear that both think the other is just misled at worst. It's not as warm and friendly as All Might vs. Might Guy was, but you could tell they would have gotten along in normal circumstances... However, this is Death Battle, where pop culture icons go to die.
  • Omni-Man vs. Homelander:
    • How does the confrontation begin before any blows are exchanged? Nolan returns home for the Christmas season, only to see Homelander sipping hot cocoa, adorned with a festive hat, and offering a cheerful remark to Debbie’s charred corpse. Rather than display any great sign of emotion, Omni-Man simply breathes heavily, and declares he’s going to feed Homelander his own heart. And that cold, furious statement of fact speaks volumes.
    • While he absolutely deserved it at that point, there's something saddening about the genuine horror Homelander expresses when Omni-Man is finishing him off. To date, he is the only combatant on the show to cry out of raw, genuine fear, and if one listens closely, you can hear him desperately begging for his life through his broken jaw before Omni-Man crushes his head into mush.
    • Despite dropping Homelander in an utterly humiliating Curb-Stomp Battle, running the reputation he held so dear into the dirt where it belongs (along with possibly that of the rest of the Seven, if not all of Vought by proxy) and avenging Debbie, it doesn't change that fact that she is dead and Omni-Man lost one of the only humans who ever meant anything to him. Even if one took Nolan's claim that she was just a pet to him at face value, it's not at all a surprise that his only response to the horrified bystanders is a somber "Merry Christmas" and to fly away.
  • Magneto vs. Tetsuo
    • The ending to this fight is... shockingly tragic. Tetsuo, now in his mutated form, winds up telepathically begging Magneto to help him. Eisendhart, who can't help but feel pity towards his enemy, does so. First by using the kinetic energy by the Ego Death energy created by Tetsuo to cut him in two, and then, when Tetsuo's back in his normal form and still tries to fight (which according to Word of God, was an act of◊ Suicide by Cop), Magneto simply fires a blast straight through his brain. Tetsuo falls to the ground, clearly dead, but not before this final telepathic exchange as it happens.
      Tetsuo: Thank you...
      Magneto: (sighs grimly) You're welcome.
    • Magneto initially dismisses Tetsuo as a child, even comparing his action to a temper tantrum. But once Tetsuo mutates and begs for help, Magento switches gears. From "Impudent Child" to "Poor Child".
      Tetsuo: It hurts! Help me...
    • Boomstick doesn't mince words when he compares Tetsuo's hunger for power to drug use with the hunger for more and the physical and mental destruction that often comes with it. Tetsuo begging for help is no different from a druggie realizing how far gone they are, but unable to find a solution.
  • James Bond vs. John Wick: Early in the fight, John's phone is knocked away from him and the lock screen shows a photo of himself and his late wife. When he dies, the damaged phone dies as well; leaving only a broken black screen. It's a harsh reminder that despite everything he'd seen and been through in his career as one of the world's deadliest assassins, John Wick was just a grieving man with nothing left to lose. If you look closely, even Bond himself has a look of guilt and pity when he sees the phone just after scoring the kill.
  • Black Adam vs. Apocalypse: The ending of this episode cements Apocalypse as nothing short of a monster. For all his villainous acts, Black Adam is clearly the lesser of the two evils in this episode, especially as the fight is initiated by Apocalypse invading Kahndaq. This makes it horrifyingly sad when the once-proud champion of Shazam is overpowered, has his head stomped to a bloody mulch by Apocalypse, and is made to watch his city be torn to shreds before the First Mutant burns him alive with Living Lightning; capped off by Apocalypse laughing uproariously as he throws Adam's mutilated corpse to the ground far below. To sum it up, he dies in an agonizing way via his own powers, and knowing full well that he failed to protect his people when they needed him most. It doesn't get much more cruel and unusual than that.
    Apocalypse: I never offered you a choice. Now, everything you've built... WILL FALL!
  • SpongeBob SquarePants vs. Superfriends Aquaman:
    • Like in "Deadpool vs. Mask", Wiz and Boomstick break their own rules by being completely biased against Aquaman. They constantly mock him, dismiss all his feats as lame, even some genuinely impressive ones like outspeeding the Kryptonian monster Rokan, which had all of Superman's powers, say they couldn't find anything redeeming about him after listing his feats, and make it clear they expect him to die.
      • What makes it worse is that, unlike that episode, they're clearly trying not to be. Wiz in particular goes out of his way to find something that could do anything against SpongeBob, only to find absolutely nothing. You can hear genuine frustration and disappointment from Wiz as he's forced to admit that Superfriends Aquaman is not only lame, he just flat out sucks. And when Wiz makes a heartfelt speech about how Aquaman is still very much a superhero, Boomstick's Brutal Honesty makes it clear that this fight is a Foregone Conclusion.
      Boomstick: ...(Matter-of-factly) He's about to die.
      Wiz: Yeah...(Resignedly) yeah...
      • This is the era where Superman had New Powers as the Plot Demands and was pulling off truly ridiculous feats like sneezing solar systems away. There is really no reason Aquaman should be anywhere near this underwhelming... and yet, he is.
      • DEATH BATTLE even Throws The Dog A Bone and gives Superfriends Aquaman the damn Trident of Neptune, the highly powerful signature weapon of his vastly more powerful mainline counterpart to give him an edge, and even when he loses it and his arm, he achieves a feat not even mainstream Aquaman could do: CONDENSING THE ENTIRE OCEAN AND THEN LAUNCHING IT IN A SINGULAR CONCENTRATED STRIKE...and it was STILL not enough. He really didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of defeating SpongeBob.
      • Not to mention that considering how ridiculous SpongeBob is, it likely wouldn't have even mattered if Aquaman was as strong as his Mainstream counterpart. Wiz even admits after the fight is over that if it was mainstream Aquaman instead, it would've still been a Curb-Stomp Battle regardless.
    • While the two are initially antagonistic to each other, they eventually grow to respect each other. When Aquaman is finally defeated, SpongeBob is seen crying over his fading body, and while he's disappearing, Aquaman tells him not to cry, acknowledges him as a real hero — in a Call-Back to the sponge empathizing with him over them both being seen as living punchlines by their peers — and offers for him and SpongeBob to be "Super Friends". In memoriam, SpongeBob uses his Magic Pencil to draw Aquaman a #1 tombstone in the name of "Ocean Man".
    • This Aquaman's perceived ineptitude both in and out-of-universe is Played for Drama to a surprising degree. It's hard to not feel bad for the guy when he looks into the multiverse, realizing he's nothing more than a joke of what he's supposed to be and that he's the lamest out of all the Aquamen. It ultimately crosses the line to Heartwarming when SpongeBob gives him a motivational pep-talk, causing Aquaman to regain his confidence as a superhero. While he ultimately loses hard, he goes down swinging with a seriously impressive featnote  and, in-death, he Goes Out With A Smile and finally gains a little bit of respect on his name... even if his opponent does end up getting it wrong again.
  • Deku vs. Asta: The ending. Deku hits Asta with the strongest attack he can muster, so much that he (according to Word of God) dies from exhaustion and overexertion right then and there, believing he had won and giving a relieved "I... I did it...". Then we see Asta still standing, albeit barely, and he brings his swords down to pierce Deku's dead body and slam it to the ground in a bloody mess. Even Boomstick feels solemn about Deku's demise. Even worse, unlike previous instances in the series where a contestant went for a Suicide Attack, it's likely that wasn't even Deku's intention here. He was just giving it everything he had, and it was too much for his body to handle. Also, it counts as a Meaningful Echo to All Might's line in his fight against Might Guy. Asta clearly didn't know that Deku was already dead and mashed a corpse into paste. And One for All is gone for good.

    Season 10 
  • Ant-Man vs. Atom:
    • While going over Ant-Man's history, Wiz and Boomstick also cover the darker side of Hank Pym's story. Namely, his Domestic Abuse of his wife, Janet, something that hangs over his head to this very day. Boomstick himself points out that while his mental state, while deteriorating at the time, was no excuse for what he did, but also admits Henry still needed help. By the time his domestic abuse started, he also had multiple mental breakdowns, was constantly recovering from constant use of the Pym Particles (which was earlier stated to be possibly fatal if used improperly), and it was eventually revealed that he had bipolar disorder, but it wasn't diagnosed for years. Turns into Heartwarming however, when Wiz states that Henry did realize his mental state and resolved to be a better man.
    • On a lesser note is the cutaway gags of Boomstick using Pizza to explain how Hank and Ray's size-changing works with Wiz initially being annoyed by Boomstick's antics during Hank's analysis, he ends up having an emotional breakdown during Ray's analysis when Boomstick tries to take science away from him, admitting it's one of the few things he has going for him, and at the end of the episode he tries to use logic only for Boomstick to shut him down, leaving him genuinely saddened to the point that he barely reacts to Boomstick's end of episode pun.
  • Dark Souls vs. Skyrim: Jocelyn and Wiz point out that despite all of the Chosen Undead's achievements, their final choice to either refuel the First Flame and prolong the Age of Fire or snuff it out and instigate the Age of Dark didn't matter in the long run, either they would only delay the First Flame's extinguishment and The End of the World as We Know It or just cause the end to begin immediately themselves. And the fight itself ends with the First Flame snuffed out anyway despite the Chosen Undead's best efforts to protect it from the Dragonborn.
  • Darth Vader vs. Obito Uchiha:
  • Guts VS Dimitri:
    • Unlike in his appearance in Season 2, the summary of Guts' blindingly Dark and Troubled Past puts less emphasis on how it built him up to become the badass Black Swordsman and more on the sheer tragedy of how his life had gone up to the Eclipse and beyond. Boomstick's open fanboying is initially absent, and the preview is capped off with him saying that the manga had ended with Guts successfully massacring all the demons and living happily with his girlfriend Casca. And when Wiz tries calling him out for cutting things off early, Boomstick tearfully retorts that it's all he can think of to give Guts any happy ending. The preview ends with Wiz agreeing to cut things off there due to how heavy the subject matter was while praying that Dimitri's backstory isn't as bad... ending with a somber "oh no" while clearly expecting the worst. The full version aleviates it somewhat by showing that Guts was eventually able to hang in there, and Boomstick goes back to fawning over Guts's incredible feats again.
    • Luckily for Wiz, Dimitri's story is better... but not by much. The crown prince of Faerghus was the Sole Survivor of a massacre that left him deeply traumatised, and the "discovery" that his Childhood Friend Edelgard was responsible for all of it caused him to snap and descend into a Fallen Hero that is a far cry from the kindhearted prince he was at the start of the story. The end of his rundown twists the knife further by noting that unlike Guts, Dimitri's recovery is not a common outcome; it only happens on his route, with the scene of him getting executed by Edelgard on hers showing exactly what happens to him if you pick another House.
    • When announcing Dimitri's victory over Guts, Boomstick is noticably somber when dropping his usual post-fight pun, and he and Wiz bow their heads for the fallen Black Swordsman. Even the win screen for Dimitri when Wiz is declaring him as the winner features a somber expression from the Savior King.
    • That is, of course, not to mention the battle itself, which is an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. From the start of the battle, Dimitri is very unwell, crazed with rage over the people Guts has killed from his army, with him as the only one left standing. This is all offscreen, but it's a valid reason why they are to fight. And as the battle continues, Dimitri's trauma, the voices of the dead calling out to avenge them, and his despair at not being able to satiate them, worsens to the point of a mental breakdown. Knowing what Dimitri has already gone through, it's clear he's at his limit. But in the end, the person we truly weep for isn't him, but Guts. As the berserker armor forces him back up even after he's past the point of being able to fight thanks to a critical death blow by Dimitri, he gets in one last strike and is about to win... But the last drop of his blood has been spilled, and he cannot go on. Dimitri simply looks at his dead eyes, no longer filled with life, and he instantly recognizes that he too is a man tortured by his past. As Griffith's demons arrive to collect his soul, Dimitri swears that they will not have it, and goes on fighting to protect this worthy adversary, so that he may finally rest. What a way to go out for Guts. As tormented as his life was, at least Dimitri can show him peace.
  • Martian Manhunter vs Silver Surfer
    • The ending of the battle is a speech between the two questioning why they are even fighting to the death, admitting how much they respect one another, and somberly noting that only one of them can live. Martian Manhunter vocally tells Silver Surfer that he prays that his opponent can live with the uncertainty, to which Silver Surfer weeps.
      Silver Surfer: Victory comes with no certain satisfaction. I may never know why we were made to fight... If violence is ever truly justified. But perhaps there is something worthy in a battle...
      Martian Manhunter: M'yri'ah...
      Silver Surfer: ...Something beyond my understanding.
      (the sun explodes all around them as Silver Surfer solemnly bows his head and the words THE END appear)
    • Made even sadder when you realize this is the case for most of the fighters. Many of them don't have a good reason for fighting their opponent to the death, at worst just being annoyed by the other. J'onn and Norrin were observant enough to know that something is wrong, but unable to resist trying to kill each other.
    • Boomstick gets an existential crisis over why they're forcing people to kill each other for entertainment.
      Boomstick: Wiz, what the hell are we doing?! Why are we forcing such beautiful souls to fight to the death?
    • Both fighters try as hard as they can to avoid the fight. Silver Surfer quickly tries to get away from Martian Manhunter while J'onn only attacks three times, instead trying to probe Norrin's mind and learn why they are fighting.
  • Bill Cipher VS Discord
    • The Spirit Of Chaos immediately contrasts himself from his opponent by showing he ACTUALLY cares for someone else, as the fiend-turned-ally Discord sadly caresses the friend-turned-banner Fluttershy. Speaking of Fluttershy, the last Discord sees of her is the pegasus calling his name and asking where he went, one comment on the YouTube release even compared it to a child calling for their father. And if one looks closely, one can see a familiar letter and quill, meaning that Discord's "Letter to Celestia" at the start of the fight was actually a way for him to say goodbye to his best friend on the off-chance he lost to Bill.
    • In the pre-battle analysis, Discord boasts that he still has friends to which Bill counters with "Not for long". Those who have read the G5 comics will remember that Discord has outlived everyone, including Fluttershy. Not helping is the panel of Discord crying as he listens to Fluttershy's message from said comics being shown in the "the combatants are set" segment.
  • Cole MacGrath vs. Alex Mercer: While it doesn't justify his actions, Alex's fall to evil can elicit some sympathy. Despite being seen as a monster and a terrorist, as well as discovering that he's actually the viral clone of a Mad Scientist, Alex still chose to save Manhattan from both the Blacklight Virus and a nuclear bomb. In the aftermath, he tried to reconcile his own identity by Walking the Earth, only to be exposed to the darker nature of humans, destroying his already fragile faith in humanity. Without much exposure to the better aspects of humanity, it's little wonder that Alex ended up cynically deciding that they weren't worth protecting anymore.
    Wiz: But is this mass of viral material that calls itself Alex actually human in any meaningful way?
    Boomstick: The poor bastard sure tried to be. Too bad humans can be dicks and everyone kept betraying him, even the so-called love of his life, who shot him in the face!
  • Frieza vs Megatron has the Beam-O-War between Megatron's Fusion Cannon and Golden Frieza's Death Ball interrupted when Frieza uses telekinesis on Cybertron to crush Megatron between it and Frieza's attack. While Megatron survives, he's on his hands and knees looking into the chasm to Cybertron's destroyed core. Frieza's cavalier annoyance only rubs salt in the wound:
    Frieza: Well, doesn't this just always happen? I give it three— Mm, no. Five minutes.
    Megatron: (rearing up to shoot eye lasers) MY PLANET!!!
    • Preceding this is a climatic scene of Megatron in his tank form staring at the Death Ball approaching Cybertron, with the lyrics "Facing the end of the world, you’ve chosen to win over saving what you hold dear" playing over it. It only makes it more saddening when Megatron manages to stop the attack in its tracks, only for Frieza to improvise and drag Cybertron right to the Decepticon- and the approaching Death Ball.
    • Not only does Megatron utterly fail to save his home, but his efforts result in Frieza now wanting to wipe out the rest of his people. Megatron may be a villain, but ouch.
  • Deeply cathartic as it is, Makima’s trembling voice followed by a terrified scream as she’s powerlessly overwhelmed by infinite information could evoke a level of pity.
  • Even though Scooby and Courage are friends, they still end up fighting. Why? Because, when both were running from a monster, Courage trips Scooby so that the monster attacks him instead. When Scooby gets away and confronts Courage again, you can tell he felt extremely betrayed. Thankfully they not only survive the fight, but have Scooby has forgiven him too.
  • Rick vs. The Doctor:
  • In Goku vs. Superman:
    • when they fly into orbit, Goku attacks Superman with a barrage of ki blasts. In the process of batting the blasts away, Superman accidentally sends one into the Moon, blowing it up. While Goku is quick to laugh it off, Superman looks at his own hand with a forlorn expression and mutters, "World made of cardboard..." before getting serious.
    • The existence of one of the fractures in reality at the end puts a bit of a tear-jerker on an otherwise heartwarming ending, showing Superman and Goku visibly aged and playing Bingo. The tearjerking devil is in the details here; Goku is a saiyan, and their aging doesn't catch up with them until the final years of their lives, meaning that this is Goku on his last legs... and they're competing in Bingo because Goku, after a lifetime of enjoying fighting simply can no longer put up a worthy fight. Also, from the looks of their bingo sheets Goku still can't beat Superman, not even in a game of chance, somehow.

    Death Race 
  • Batmobile BATTLE!: Boomstick foolishly decided to use civilians as an obstacle, thinking that since the racers are all Batman, they wouldn't think of bringing harm to the people they have all sworn to protect. He didn't even get to finish his sentence before the remaining Batmen fired missiles at and killed the civilians. In the end, both Wiz and Boomstick are pretty ashamed that they are practically responsible for the deaths of innocent bystanders.
  • Optimus Prime vs: Thomas the Tank Engine?:
    • One of the participants in this race is the Flying Car from Harry Potter... With Ron and Harry driving it. All you really hear from them is screams of terror, and who could blame them? They are racing to the death, and we can only assume that they are young children. At the end, they meet a fiery end when Thomas The Tank Engine's Skyrim mod was activated and set them on fire. Their dying breath was them screaming. Wiz and Boomstick's commentary didn't help much, as even they are saddened by their deaths.
      Boomstick: Ooh, guess they won't get to see their parents.
      Wiz: One of them will.
    • Optimus Prime is the victor of the race, but since he felt that he had to cheat to win, like dispatching Thomas with an Energon Axe to the face and indirectly killing Lightning McQueen through it, he felt that he dishonored himself and quite literally drove himself to suicide. Sure, it's played for extremely dark laughs like every other death in the episode, but seeing such a brave and honest leader lose his will to live and end his own life puts a pretty bad taste in one's mouth; even when it's used as a punchline. Even Wiz is solemn, while Boomstick is flat-out reduced to tears; just like in Optimus' main Death Battle, where he ran off to cuddle his truck after Optimus died in the movie. The only person who's not mourning the noble Autobot's suicide? Ringmaster.

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