It’s okay, big guy... let it all out.
Yes, even a show as silly as this can seriously tug at the heartstrings sometimes.
- In “The Vexing Villainy of the Vile Vimpire”, some of the things Captain Underpants says after being bitten by the titular villain are just downright heartbreaking, especially if you take into account that these are most likely Krupp’s memories and subconscious feelings. And Captain Underpants' crying is really upsetting...Captain Underpants: I’ve never felt truly loved!
- Also, from the same episode, this exchange between George and Harold after they’re bitten.note
George: We can’t win!
Harold: We won when we met. And since we’re never gonna be happy again... I want you to know that was the happiest day of my life!
George: Not as happy as every day I got to spend with you! - Even with how mean Mr. Krupp is, you can't help but feel sorry for him when he sees Ms. Yewh hit it off with none other than Mr. Ree in "The Terrifying Perilous Misfortune of the T.P. Mummy."Mr. Krupp: I ate a snail for her...
- "The Flustering Mindless Woe of the Flushable Memory Wipes", where we learn that Mr. Murdsly's whole reason for brainwashing the kids is to get revenge on the people who wronged him as a kid. The humiliation stuck with him throughout his whole childhood and it embittered him in his adulthood, especially since the cruel nickname they gave him, "Ted Turdsly" is still being used by the kids to this very day, which is Truth in Television. George and Harold actually sympathize with Mursdly and decide to end the cycle.
- The flashback to Krupp’s childhood in episode 11. I mean, getting publicly humiliated by not only his classmates, but his own mother? You just wanna give the poor little guy a hug...
- In the Season 1 finale, after the boys finally get Mr. Krupp’s rule book so they can give it to the Superintendent and have him fired before he can expel them, Harold sees Mr. Krupp look fondly at a framed picture of the day he first started work as Principal, which makes him and George realize that they can’t go through with it.Harold: If we get expelled, we’ve still got each other. But... being Principal is all Mr. Krupp’s got. We gotta give the book back to Krupp.
George: That’ll be Visit 500.
Harold: Yep...- Then comes the scene right afterwards where they give Krupp’s rule book back to him.
Mr. Krupp: What...? My rule book? How did you get this?
Harold: It doesn’t matter.
George: We were going to give it to Dr. Vil Endenemys, to get you fired before you could expel us.
Harold: But that felt like a really mean thing to do. And we thought, we’re not like that! We’re not like...
Mr. Krupp: (looks like he’s about to start crying) ...M-Me?
Harold: Yeah... you. So, we’re giving it back to you instead. We were wrong, and we accept our fate. And... sorry.
George: We apologize. - In the Season 2 finale, Melvinborg explains that his nanobots, which took over Captain Underpants’ body, are slowly taking over his brain, and once they do, they will effectively destroy who he is. Upon this revelation, and realizing that if they don’t act fast, Captain will be gone forever, George and Harold actually start crying.note
- The ending of the Season 2 finale. After spending the entire season trying to keep their grades up so they can go to summer camp, George and Harold are all set to go... only to discover that they’re going to two different camps. The sad piano music playing over the end credits doesn’t help.
- Actively made worse in a Season 3 trailer that revealed they've ended up at the same camp anyway, to their delight, but then Krupp appears, reveals it was all his doing and that he intends to keep them separated for the entire summer. The montage of George and Harold trying and failing to interact through the massive fence Krupp somehow got put up is heartbreaking.
- The animals’ whole reason for becoming hostile in “The Angry Abnormal Atrocities of the Astute Animal Agressers.” How would you like it if you were forced to eat garbage while your boss eats fresh food?
- The flashback scene in “Ghastly Danger of the Ghost Dentist”, where Other Sophie’s birthday party is ruined by rain and Jessica stealing her presents.
- The moment in “The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants: Hack-A-Ween”, when George and Harold realize why Melvin hates Halloween and wanted it cancelled; because they never invited him to go Trick-or-Treating with them.
- In the Season 4 opener, Captain Underpants seemingly pulls a Heroic Sacrifice to save George and Harold. That’s tearjerking all on its own, but what makes it worse is the boys’ reaction. George lets out a Big "NO!" as he and Harold are both in tears. Thankfully, Cap is fine, but it was still painful to see the boys in such heartbreak.
