Dragon Age II/Tear Jerker

""You always did ask for the world, " "And you always gave it.""
 * The ending to the subquest where a serial killer is let loose on Kirkwall.  This troper, whose Hawke was a snarky jokester before and became serious after, never really cried at video games until the end of this quest.
 * It's worse.
 * Really? Oh...my god...
 * It could be even worse. If you look carefully.
 * Hearing the fear and desperation in 's voice, especially if, is what did this troper in. Normally, the only guy who gets to play with my heartstrings like that is Joss Whedon.
 * What's even worse is that, looking back,
 * My first experience with this quest was even worse than it would normally be. Here's how it went:  The timing was so perfect that, on my second playthrough, I was surprised to find out that the whole sequence was just a coincidence.
 * Bethany being forced to join the Circle of Magi. Yes, she is alive and well, but it comes at the heel of a successful expedition which will make them rich, finally getting them out of the slums and back to their estate. The fact that Bethany wasn't there, and instead in a place where she was viewed with suspicion and fear, made the success ring so hollow.
 * Same troper as above: Fighting  with Bethany at your side,   was so cathartic at the end, even with  . One thing's for sure: this troper's Hawke ruled out any support for the Templars after he saw his little sister get dragged away.
 * This troper was playing a diplomatic, occasionally snarky, Hawke. The ONLY time in the game where I picked the aggressive option was when Cullen told me they were taking Bethany to the circle. And if Bethany had allowed me, you can bet my Hawke would have followed through on that threat and torn apart every Templar in the room. "Over my dead body." indeed.
 * And then after that when poor Leandra just collapses in tears and Hawke can't do anything but hug her...damn I was depressed.
 * A mild, yet still depressing, example: Anders saying he was forced to give up Ser Pounce-a-lot. Anyone who played Awakenings can see he really thought of that cat as a friend, considering it sounds like he never had many friends prior to Awakenings except the Circle's mouser, Mr. Wiggums.
 * He actually mentions in Awakening that Mr. Wiggums was his only companion while he was in solitary confinement for a year after he tried to run away from the Circle.
 * Most possible endings to the  romance arc.
 * It's especially depressing if you think of how he keeps telling you he'll just break your heart and he's no good because will just make Hawke's life harder reminding one of the situation between  If your friends with Varric he'll try to warn you, but Hawke just blows it off this being the beginning of the romance. In the end Hawke has had her mother, father,and brother/sister taken away in addition to, presumably Hawke's true love, betraying him/her after believing so diligently in him.
 * The events leading up to the final, tragic culmination of the romance are painful too. tells you how much he loves you, and he wants you to know that, no matter what happens. He's very clearly suicidal, even if you don't know what's coming.
 * whole character arc is a huge tearjerker in itself - watching him descend from
 * The Mages in the party get a raw deal, Merril is of course no exception. Utterly devoted to her clan and her heritage she tries to fix one piece of her peoples past at a tragic cost in the end, though this was not entirely her fault alone. Her reaction to how she's slowly turned into a story her clans mothers tell their children to keep them inline over the coarse of the game is utterly heart wrenching.
 * She even says that she knew what the price could have been for her blood magic, and was completely willing to pay it if it would help the Dalish. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt because of her, so she had Hawke come along to kill her if things went bad only to learn her own mother-figure had elected to pay the price for her.
 * This game truly drives home the horror of the Tranquil.
 * Sebastian's reaction to seeing
 * Bethany or Carver
 * Sebastian's reaction to seeing
 * Bethany or Carver

-or- ""You always were a heartbreaker, "And you always made me laugh.""

"Hawke: The Arishok is still here, Excellency. You must be ready to stand up to him. Viscount Dumar: I cannot. I have already failed where it mattered most. *cries* Please, Hawke. Leave me..."
 * Like most every other party member, Fenris has a LOT to deal with in this game. But what really takes the cake is his final loyalty mission  But that's not the worst part,  . If you know ANYTHING about Fenris, this is the most heartbreaking fate he could endure. This troper only read about it on the wiki, and still had to turn away and cry for a good 10 minutes.
 * Worse still is that if Hawke does
 * Strangely enough, this troper actually started bawling during a particular party banter between Merrill and Isabela. Merrill sighs and asks why Isabela even likes her because her life's so boring in comparison to Isabela's adventure-filled life. Isabela replies that she hopes Merrill never ends up like her because Merrill is a good person and deserves better. It was just really tender how Bela's VA delivers those lines.
 * Merrill's final personal quest is just horrible. To elaborate, after years of build up after she obtains the necessary tools  After a long trek back up to Sundermount, you finally approach the cave where   But wait, there's more! A group of hunters who will be waiting outside the cave will now question you as to what happened, the best case scenario involves   the worst case scenario involves   To wrap things up, if you've chosen not to romance Merrill,
 * This is also not mentioning the sweet and comforting comments that Anders and Fenris have for her, such as "... the world is a poorer place with you left in it" and
 * To be fair, Fenris follows that up with
 * Even Anders, as harsh as he is, basically begs Merrill to stop with the blood magic after the quest, reasoning that few ever get second chances. It's the first time he goes from calling Merrill plain stupid to encouraging her - in his own way - to learn from her mistakes.
 * Viscount Dumar  The sad choir music during this scene only adds to it.
 * Viscount Dumar  The sad choir music during this scene only adds to it.

"Hawke: The city needs its leader, Viscount. Dumar: Yes. And I fear I am no longer that man."
 * An aggressive Hawke is just as heartbreaking here;

"Hawke: So you want to die? Sarebaas: I do not want to die. I want to live...by the Qun."
 * Hawke can choose to
 * The expression on  face right before he dies is the worst part. You can see his eyes still moving, so you know he's still alive as he lays there, but you can only imagine his last thoughts. Then his eyes close up just a little, but not completely, and his mouth opens. The expression on his face makes it look like he's about to start weeping....and then everything goes still.
 * There's a conversation with Aveline in Act III where she mentions that, according to the Fereldan army, she has been assumed dead for the past seven years, since few survived Ostagar. Her recollection of the battle is heartbreaking, because it recalls that sinking feeling as Loghain withdrew, leaving those who looked at the beacon on top of the Tower of Ishal expecting salvation with nothing. She mentions that any officer who returns to Ferelden will be reinstated with honors by King Alistair, but its clear from both her tone and Hawke's that, were they to return, they would be out of their element, though back home. It just shows how much a decade in Kirkwall has changed all of them.
 * The conclusion of Varric's companion quest in Act 2. Choosing to kill may not feel like that big a deal at first; after all,  Then comes the conversation as the party walks away, and  The other option isn't much better, and in some ways may be worse, as
 * The death of Ketojan/Sarebaas. There's something so deeply heartbreaking about the growling monotone in his voice as he tries to explain to Hawke that he wants to die, after all the brutal abuse he has endured. He honestly believes that his place according to the Qun is death, and then sets himself on fire with a stoic expression and slumps to his knees before the fires consume him. The worst part is that he calls Hawke "Basvaraad" - in other words, someone worthy of being followed, and thanks Hawke, even though his/her desire to free him is apparently misguided.
 * It's even sadder because he doesn't want to die.

"Hawke: Existence isn't a choice. Sarebaas: It is the only choice."
 * What really got me in that scene was this exchange;

""NO! I will NOT ALLOW IT!""
 * The companions' various reactions whenever Hawke falls unconscious in battle. It really shows how much your companions care about you and look up to you when you hear their panicked reactions to the possibility you might be dead. The reaction from your Love Interest is especially heartrending, as their reaction changes to reflect your relationship. You can listen to them here.
 * Possibly the worst is Fenris' response, if only for the sheer simplicity and conviction in what he says.

""NO! Don't be dead! Please!""
 * There is also Anders, who obviously sounds desperate.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this. Sometimes it feels like you're the only person I can trust."
 * Bethany sounds like she's sobbing while begging Hawke to get up.
 * Bethany and Carver's reactions are especially harsh when you realize that they have already lost one sibling and are faced with the prospect of losing another.
 * The end of Legacy provided it was finished in Act III or near the end of Act II. Hawke's conversation with  resonates with anyone whose ever lost an important loved one.
 * A bit of Fridge Brilliance, but the relationship between Malcolm and Carver can really bring a tear once it's explained., Malcolm hoped that he would never sire a child with magic, and he wouldn't wish it on anyone. Potentially, Carver, who can never have magic, would have been the son he always wanted, but Malcolm had to spend most of his time with Bethany and potentially Hawke, seeing as how they needed to learn to master magic. And Carver seemed to resent his father for it.
 * Conversations with Carver can be this if you move him along the friendship path. It's clear they both want to let go of their animosity but neither of them seems to know how.
 * It's a small moment, but if you romanced Alistair in Origins, made a Heroic Sacrifice at the end, and Alistair stayed on as a Grey Warden, he will eventually run into Hawke in the second act. He gives Hawke an amulet that once belonged to the Warden and he refers to the Warden as 'the love of his life' even though she's been gone for almost four years at this point. Don't mind me, I just have something in my eyes...
 * Another small moment is when Feynriel sends you a letter at the beginning of Act 2. If sent to the Dalish, he remarks on his loneliness among the elves. Things are bad enough for Feynriel that the only person he feels he can confide in is basically a stranger whom he encountered briefly a few years ago, albeit one who had a huge impact in his life.


 * Merrill and Fenris have a small conversation about Anders in Act 3, and Merrill says she feels sorry for him. That he's broken the thing he was trying to save. It's heartbreaking, especially considering how nasty he is to her.
 * The last conversation with an Anders who you romanced as a rival  in the Gallows Courtyard.   Generally a horribly tearjerking scene. Worse, this troper is not sure if it was a glitch, but she was suckerpunched in the epilogue after doing just that because at the point where Varric normally says something to the effect of "Eventually, circumstances forced us all to leave the Champion's side. Well, all of us except for -Love Interest-"...that second line was missing, indicating that   Never. Doing. That. Again.
 * in the prologue. The player must choose  None of the answers are right, and all heartbreaking to see.