Just because it's a Hero Brawler doesn't mean it can't deliver on the feelings.
- A number of Stop Poking Me! quotes can be a pain in the tear ducts.
- The full implications of Tychus' Infested skin.
Infested Tychus: I hope she was worth it... Jimmy...- Jaina discusses her father Daelin's Freudian Excuse for his actions in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and winds up fallling prey to Dramatic Irony.
Jaina: When my brother Derek was killed, my father swore an eternal oath to destroy all orcs on Azeroth. I always wonder how I would handle a loss like that. Honestly, I just pray I never have to find out. - Some of the interactions at the start of a game can evoke this.
- Muradin, Jaina and Uther express regret that Arthas became the Lich King and all three of them helped him get there — Muradin led him to Frostmourne, Jaina failed her unspoken role as Arthas' Morality Chain and Uther's argument with the prince about the Culling of Stratholme drove a rift between them that further distanced Arthas from his friends and his people.
Crown Prince Arthas: You could have stopped me, Muradin.
Muradin: I failed ye, lad. And for that... I am sorry.
Jaina: Lord Uther, I am so sorry about Arthas! If only I could have convinced him...
Uther: That guilt lies with me, and I will live with it until my dying day.- Worse yet, Jaina hasn't forgotten her time with Arthas when he was a good guy, or when they shared a loving relationship. Because of this, she has nothing nice to say to Arthas in their intro quotes to each other, declaring that he is not the man she loved and she won't forgive him for his transgressions in Lordaeron. The real stinger is, while the Lich King brushes her off, Crown Prince Arthas agrees with her.
Jaina: I will never forgive you for what you have done, Arthas!
Crown Prince Arthas: And I will never ask for forgiveness.Crown Prince Arthas: Jaina... I...
Jaina: Do not speak to me! You may look like Arthas, but you are nothing like him!- Dreadlord Jaina, on the other hand, likes him as a bad guy.
- Tyrande and Illidan's interactions are sad as well, since the burden of unfortunate outcomes hangs over them as well.
- Raynor gets one with Infested Tychus that's downright painful to listen to.
Raynor: Tychus? What happened to you?!Infested Tychus: Yeah... Betrayed me then, too... - Some of the kill quotes will tug on the heartstrings.
- Raynor gets upset about killing Kerrigan.
Raynor: Dammit, Sarah! It didn't have to be like this.- Despite her vocal animosity towards him, Jaina is still sad should she kill Arthas. The fact that Arthas, even as the Lich King, growls at her accusingly should he strike the final blow instead makes it even harder to take.note
Jaina: By the Light... find your rest, Arthas.
Arthas: You broke your promise...- Likewise, there's someone else who had a sad reaction against Arthas, though not directed by him: Genn Greymane. Apparently, he was close to Terenas, but because of shutting himself in Gilneas, he ended up unable to help prevent Arthas killing his father, and he shows regret that he wasn't there for his friend.
Genn Greymane: Terenas... Consider this my atonement.- This is made worse if you know what he said to Terenas the last time they met in the Second War: Berating Terenas and the Alliance for endangering his men and declaring that it would be the last time they spoke. Looks like Greymane regretted it big time and only got the chance to express it in the Nexus.
- The Stormrage brothers and their beloved priestess all clearly regret killing each other. Adding to the tragedy is that Malfurion and Tyrande's remorse for Illidan's death is a sharp contrast to their treatment of him during The Frozen Throne and Tyrande's continued bitterness/suspicion in their intro interactions, while Illidan, for his part, likely never wanted them dead.
Illidan: And so it ends... brother./Tyrande, no! What have I done?!
Malfurion: Forgive me, brother./My love... I am sorry!
Tyrande: Oh, Illidan... May peace find you now./My love! Forgive me...- Considering their status as True Companions, Tassadar and Zeratul have appropriately heartfelt lines for defeating each other.
Tassadar: Forgive me, old friend.
Zeratul: Rest now, brother.- The Protoss also have sad lines for killing Raynor.
Tassadar: I am sorry, Friend Raynor.
Zeratul: Well fought, James Raynor.
Artanis: My apologies for that, Friend Raynor.
Fenix: You are as valorous as any templar, Friend Raynor.- If Tyrael has to kill one of the Nephalem, his response sounds like a parent scolding their child.
Tyrael: I had such high hopes for you...- Likewise if he kills a Diablo 2 hero:
Tyrael: I am sorry, mortal.Arthas: Where is your precious Light now, Uther?
Azmodan: [after killing Tyrael] You will look good, next to Inarius...
Diablo: Your gods abandon you, Nephalem!
Kerrigan: You never stood a chance, Zeratul!- If Li-Ming kills another Nephalem hero, she can drop this genuinely sorrowful line:
Li-Ming: I didn't mean to do that, I promise... - Although undeniably awesome, Kael'thas' reveal video was also a Tear Jerker when he discussed the plight of his people after the invasion of Quel'Thalas.
- Varian's quotes are mostly upbeat, but there's one that's sad in hindsight:Varian: Someday I hope to see Stormwind's park restored. It was always a... calming place for me.
- Said park was finally restored in Legion... as the site of Varian's tomb.
- There's also this quote, which, while funny, almost makes it seem as if Varian doesn't realise he died at the Broken Shore.
Varian: Oh, I just thought of the perfect joke to tell Anduin! What do you call a gnoll that won't share his forest? A Hogger! Hahaha, he's gonna love it!- While undeniably awesome, the narration in his trailer is somber, and sounds like a eulogy Valeera would give at his funeral.
A king has fallen. A father, a friend, a warrior, defender of the alliance. He... was a beacon of hope! A leader without measure. A man who would never accept defeat. He was our shield against the storm. Wherever he has gone, Varian Wrynn will remain a hero. Always. - Upon dying, Greymane will sometimes says the following:Genn: Liam, I will see you soon.
- Poke Prime Evil Diablo too much and he'll make you regret that, by letting Leah's 'take over' a bit and beg for help and... (Goddammit, Diablo!)Diablo/Leah: Hello? Can anyone hear me? Please lend me your help! I need you to give in to the terror! It's the only way!
- Prime Evil Diablo to LeoricPrime Evil Diablo: Leoric, gaze upon the last of your lineage and despair!
- Stukov has a tendency to talk about the amount of pain he's in, or beg for a Mercy Kill. It can make playing as him pretty painful. However, the quote that takes the cake doesn't relate to either of those...
- There's also his pre-battle interaction with Malthael, in which the latter gets a major Kick the Dog moment:
Stukov: The Aspect of Death... Perhaps after this, you can release me from my torment.
Malthael: Never. - Also, Malthael's interactions with his siblings.Tyrael: Why Malthael? Why follow this dark path?/YOU!!
Malthael: I will do what you cannot!/Yes, BROTHER!
Malthael: Tyrael...
Tyrael: Malthael, how far you have fallen.
Malthael: Hope alone will not end the conflict, sister.
Auriel: Your word are meant to hurt me, but they only harm yourself.
Auriel: Embrace your hope! It shall leads us to victory, in the end!
Malthael: Hope is an illusion. In the end only death remains. - Then there's Leoric interactions with Auriel and Tyrael, they both sound sorrowful.Leoric: You have something to say, angel?
Auriel: Only that I wished the High Heavens could've aided your kingdom.
Tyrael: All mortals are corruptible, Leoric. Even the noblest of kings.
Auriel: You acted with faith, king Leoric, but hope alone could not save you.
Tyrael: So. The Skeleton King walks again.
Leoric: Ah, so you do know me, angel... And yet you stood by when Diablo shattered my kingdom!? - Yet another Diablo-related tragedy, and it couldn't be harsher. Deckard Cain is finally reunited with Leah... as the host of the Prime Evil Diablo.Deckard: Oh, Leah... I never knew... I am so sorry...
- The fate of the Royal family of King's Crest. Their heroes all fall before the might of the Raven Lord's army, so in a last ditch attempt, the Prince and Princess awaken their father, the Dragon Knight to face him. Unfortunately, the Raven Lord possesses the Dragon Knight and forces him to attack his own children, leaving both of them crumpled in a heap on the throne room floor. The Lady of Thorns is forced to put her husband down to stop him, and as he dies, he comes to and begs for forgiveness. To rub salt in the wound, the Raven Lord then arrives and destroys the realm's singularity and accelerates the curse on the Lady of Thorns, turning her to stone.
- This even carries over to the game itself, with an aesthetic overhaul to Dragon Shire. The Lady of Thorns also gets a new set of voicelines, in which her kindly demeanor is mostly gone and replaced by bitterness and resentment. The Dragon Knight gets a new appearance, and when combined with the Lady of Thorns's new lines, it implies that the original Dragon Knight is gone for good. It hits pretty hard if you've been playing the game for a while, only to find that the Dragon Shire you knew and loved is no more.Lady of Thorns: (when the Dragon Knight is unleashed) I tried to save this realm. Now it burns.
- This even carries over to the game itself, with an aesthetic overhaul to Dragon Shire. The Lady of Thorns also gets a new set of voicelines, in which her kindly demeanor is mostly gone and replaced by bitterness and resentment. The Dragon Knight gets a new appearance, and when combined with the Lady of Thorns's new lines, it implies that the original Dragon Knight is gone for good. It hits pretty hard if you've been playing the game for a while, only to find that the Dragon Shire you knew and loved is no more.
- One of Anduin's quote, despite being quite humorous, is a stark reminder that, no matter how hard he tries or wants it to happen, there will never be peace on Azeroth:Anduin: There will be peace. One day. At least I think there will. How many WoW expansions are left again? … Oh… ohh… oh. Well. Well then.
- Theramore Jaina has a specific line for when she kills Thrall.Theramore Jaina: You should have stayed Warchief!
- Mei is eternally cheery and optimistic, but poke her enough and you'll see a little behind the mask.Mei: People look at me like I'm crazy when I say I miss Antarctica. Yes, it was cold. Yes, it was lonely. But the scenery... I've never seen anything like it! There's a mountain range called Wolf's Jaw, in Queen Maud Land... Stone spikes, thousands of feet high, jutting from that featureless white expanse... That was Captain Opara's favorite place. Some day, when this is all over, I want to go back.
