Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)/Tear Jerker

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


"It's a terrible day for rain."
  • The entire flashback about the war in Ishval is a Tear Jerker marathon that lasts a whole collected volume of the manga. Also, Ed digging up the body they transmuted when trying to bring back their mother to see if it was really her, and Hohopapa's Manly Tears when Ed tells him his mother's last words.
  • Oh god, Ishval. What made it worse is that I love Roy and Riza, but seeing what the did in the war/massacre had me feeling like they were Nazis or something. And Scar's entire backstory is a huge sob-fest. And the shot of the crying Ishvalan child in the middle of the massacre . . . excuse me, I need a Kleenex now . . .
  • It wasn't the Hughes' funeral itself which was so profoundly impacting. What really brings everyone to tears is poor little Elysia:

Elysia: Mommy, how come? Why are they burying Daddy? Who are those people? Why are they burying him, why? They can't! I don't like it! Daddy said he had lots of work to do and if they bury him, he can't do it when he wakes up! Stop them, mommy! Daddy has to do his work, he told me! Why are they burying Daddy, Mommy? Why? ...Daddy, wake up!

    • This scene is arguably even more tragic in Brotherhood, as you can hear the sheer despair much more clearly.

Elysia: Daddy said he has important work he needs to do! No, stop it! Stop putting dirt on him! DADDY!!!

  • In the manga, during Elysia's outcry, even the Fuhrer is unable to keep his composure, with his hands shaking on his swords pommel. And considering who he is (on so many levels), this is especially emotional. However, it's later revealed he was shaking for a different, much less sympathetic reason...
    • Armstrong trying and failing to keep from weeping at the funeral can be quite jarring, if only because it's the first time in the series where his shedding of tears isn't played for laughs.
    • And then there's this little exchange:

Mustang: ...It's a terrible day for rain.
Hawkeye: What do you mean? It's not raini--
Mustang: Yes. It is.
Hawkeye: ...Oh. So it is.

    • As pointed out on the main page, the above doubles as a brilliant metaphor; Roy is powerless in the rain, and that is how he felt at that moment.
  • Episode 16 of Brotherhood has another one from the poor kid, possibly the most upsetting in an episode filled with these.

Elysia: *opens the door* Papa! ... *runs into Winry's arms, sobbing*

  • Also continues in the manga, where after Ed asking Gracia's (Hughes' wife) forgiveness for involving (and indirectly causing the death of) Hughes in their trouble. Gracia's response is to assure them to continue and not to let her husband death be in vain. All with a motherly smile and strong composure. Then they leave their house, and Ed just looks back for the last moment, through the window, seeing Gracia crying with Elicia in her arms.

Ed: ...It would've been easier if we got scolded.

  • In Brotherhood, Hughes' death itself is even worse. We see Hughes struggling to reach the phone after getting shot, failing, and saying his last words:

Hughes: Gracia... I'm sorry. Elicia... never forget... Daddy loves you.

    • The music used at Hughes' funeral in Brotherhood...'Requiem for the Brigadier General'. Look it up, seriously. Every time this troper hears that tune it makes her cry. NOT a good thing to listen to on the bus.
  • The flashback in episode 12 to Izumi's attempt at Human Transmutation. Especially the soundtrack, and her screams when she looks up at sees what she made...
  • Lan Fan cutting off her arm is pretty shocking, but the first time she looks in the mirror afterwards is devastating.
    • Fu's reaction is bad too. At first he's absolutely furious that she failed to protect Ling and is on the verge of hitting her. Then Dr. Knox draws his attention to the fact that she's missing something and he falls completely flat, crying.
  • Are we forgetting when Ed convinced Winry not to kill Scar by saying: "With these hands, you delivered a baby. You saved his life, and his mother's. With these hands, you gave me an arm and leg to stand with. These hands aren't meant to take lives, but save them." A Tear Jerker and Crowning Moment of Heartwarming at the same time, because Hiromu Arakawa is just that brilliant.

Winry: "Why...? Why did you kill them...? Did they do any wrong to you...?! No.... Give them back.... GIVE THEM BACK!!!!"

  • Poor Armstrong, To see him, the strongest and most muscular character in the manga bawling his eyes out over the body of a dead Ishvallan child was absolutely heartbreaking to this Troper. I even had to stop typing this every few seconds just so I didn't burst out crying from the sheer memory of it!
  • The first 19 or so pages of Chapter 68 of the manga: Hohenheim leaves the family, to counteract Father's plan to kill everyone in his country. While gone, his wife dies and his eldest hates him for leaving.
    • The photo... Just, the photo, ever wonder the reason that Hohenheim's face is covered in the photo? It's because he's crying, after Trisha told him that she did and always will love him.
  • Scar's backstory in volume 15, full stop. This Troper was crying typing this quote out.

That's my brother's arm... Good... My brother's alive... (opens eyes) Wh...what!? WHAT IS THIS...!?

    • And then him, after murdering the Rockbells , he stumbles back and overlooks his hometown. Or rather, what's LEFT of it.
    • Pretty much ALL of volume 15 is this.
  • A Tear Jerker of happiness this time: Ross, having revealed to have faked her death, orchestrated by Roy, who, as it initially appeared, had murdered her. It is staged so that the reader/viewer is out of the know that she is still alive until Ed and Armstrong arrive in the ruins of Xerxes, and Armstrong's overflowing tears of joy bring the viewer with him. Just the fact that Roy once again proves why he is such a fan favorite, that he did not suddenly become an arrogant traitor, and that such a relief can exist amongst a very depressing part of the story with many deaths... made this troper shed tears when first seeing it on television!
  • Chapter 94, Hawkeye to Mustang talking him down from killing Envy and threatening to shoot him herself:

Mustang: What will you do after I'm dead?
Hawkeye: I have no desire to live a happy carefree life all alone. After this battle is over, my body will leave this world together with the corpse of the Flame Alchemist.

    • Roy's statement afterwards adds to it:

Mustang: Unacceptable. I won't lose you too.

    • Speaking of Mustang and Hawkeye, what about Research Laboratory 3, when she thought Roy had been killed by Lust? It's simply heartbreaking to see such a normally stoic character completely break down, with tears streaming down her face, and it's strongly implied that if Al hadn't been there, Riza would have let herself be killed as well.
  • Al's reason for wanting to get his body back.

Al: I don't want to be alone at night anymore!

    • The lead-up to it is pretty heartwrenching as well, as the brothers and Izumi realize that they didn't end up killing the people they were trying to revive a second time.
    • Al referencing his inability to cry when talking to Winry. He discusses how Edward doesn't take the chance to cry, when he's lucky that he has tear ducts.
    • Remember that scene early on in the series, with Ed and Al sitting in the rain, and Al talking about how he can't even feel it? He wasn't even complaining or anything, just stating the truth.
  • Havoc's breakdown after losing the use of his legs. Sure, he became a full-fledged Handicapped Badass later, but that scene where he's begging Roy to just give up on him and cut him loose from the plans is crushing.
    • Even the previous hospital scene, when Havoc reveals that he can't use his legs anymore, is a tearjerker as well. The way he so calmly states that he can't help Roy anymore, when it's obvious how utterly crushed he is makes this troper really, really sad...
  • Fu and Buccaneer's death. Please, shed some tears for them.
    • Ling's breakdown after that was already heartbreaking in the manga, but Brotherhood just made it even worse, if that's possible. Maybe it's being able to actually hear Ling's screams and watch tears visibly stream down his face, but the whole scene in episode 58 with Ling desperately crying out for someone to use his stone to save Fu, only to get a cruel realization that despite the powers he's obtained he can't do anything for the situation is heartwrenching.

Ling: Why...?.... I've finally gained immortality, and I CAN'T SAVE EVEN ONE OF MY SUBJECTS!? DAMN IT!!!!

  • Ed pleading with the Truth after realizing Al was taken away. "TAKE MY OTHER LEG! OR MY ARM! OR BOTH OF THEM! You can even have my heart... JUST GIVE HIM BACK! HE'S THE ONLY FAMILY I HAVE!"
  • Lets have a moment of silence for Lieutenant Hawkeye getting a sabre to the jugular.
  • Olivier's reaction, or better yet, lack of reaction to Buccaneer's death. The other character's faces show it itbest.
  • The ending of the episode of the Brotherhood OVA "The Blind Alchemist". Edward and Alphonse find out that the blind alchemist's human transmutation of little Rosalie was in fact a failure, and that everyone in the mansion is deceiving him to keep him from knowing the awful truth. Hence, his attempts to bring back a dead loved one resulted in a near-lifeless husk, an orphan pretending to be Rosalie to lead the deception along, and the loss of his eyes as "payment."

Alphonse: "They're all good people."
Edward: "Yeah. But... nobody was saved."

    • It may be an omake, but it nevertheless turns to Fridge Horror after reading chapter 43.
    • That particular omake was originally a side comic featured in one of the extra books for the series. The original version of Ed's line is much more ominous.

Edward: "Yeah. But... it won't save them."

  • Ch 102: Good lord, Al's now officially poster boy for Iron Woobie. Not just that thing inside your body that salutes you, we all salute you. With a bit of sand in our eyes.
    • Al breaking down at the Gate killed this troper.

Whatever's in Al's body: Don't you want your real body back?
Al: Of course I do! Always! Always for years and years! I've dreamed about getting my real body back! But... but!! I... can't... I can't have that body... not now...

    • Many people cried when Roy lost his eyesight. The poor guy just doesn't get a break.

Roy:: I...can't see...

  • Hohenheim's flashback to when he leaves his family, describing his life to Trisha.

"In the years since I got this body I've seen a lot of death. I tried to think about it as part of the great cycle, and that made it easier somehow… and every time I see something wondrous I believe it was worth it, that I stayed alive all these years. And then I met you, and together we created two sons. I don't age, and yet I see my sons grow up before my eyes. And suddenly I'm terrified…"

  • Chapter 104. Seeing the nation wide circle being activated and watching the world start to die...especially the scene where Winry collapses.

Winry: Ed-...

  • Also in episode 41 of the anime, the part where Ed gets Heinkel to remove the metal beam from his chest and then attempts to use alchemy to seal the wound using his own life force instead of a philosopher's stone. While this doesn't sound too impressive (and the manga counterpart didn't seem so either) the soundtrack used and Ed's screaming as he struggles to keep his thoughts and consciousness together nearly reduced this troper to tears. Mind you, that's usually fairly difficult to do.
  • Bradley's last words. Makes you almost forget that he's a hateful, genocidal bastard.

"I didn't believe in God, or something like that, but this must be what they meant when they said, 'God has forsaken me', isn't it?"
"Remember who I am. I chose her (his wife)."
"Thanks to you humans,... my life... had been a good life.... A life worth living for. And… maybe even… a life… worth… dying… for…"

  • For some reason, this troper can't help but tear up when one of Hohenheim's souls says goodbye to him. It doesn't help that I think of a little girl saying it.
    • As seen in episode 61, it was a little girl to say this!
  • Al, still suffering from a Heroic BSOD from his fight against Barry, confronts Ed and demands to know if he's real or artificial, stating how easy it would be to fake a construct's memories, and pointing out how Ed was reluctant to ask him something. Cue Winry smacking Al with a wrench, and telling him, tears welling in her eyes:

"You know what he was so afraid to talk to you about? HE WANTS TO KNOW IF YOU BLAME HIM FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR BODY, AL!!"

  • The scene where Ling forces the new Greed to regain his old memories after he kills the last of his former henchmen. If the flashes of their memories as Ling calls Greed out doesn't get you, Greed screaming in pure anguish at what he's just done will.
  • How bout Envy's death scene? Sure, he might have done some pretty nasty things but this almost made up for it.
  • When Pride thinks of his "family" when Ed takes over him. And when he's been reduced to his true form, and we see him cry for his "mama". This Tropers heart pretty much melted.
    • It's a little hard to feel sorry for Pride, given what a Complete Monster he is, but this troper had to shed a tear at the look on Mrs. Bradley's face when Ed hands him to her in the penultimate episode. Especially given that we've watched her being manipulated by Team Mustang for the past few episodes. Just imagine how devastated she must have been to learn that the family she loved so much was a lie and that her concern for them had been exploited for the gain of the revolution. Ouch.
  • Chapter 107: Al uses his body to shield May from Father's attack, getting nearly destroyed from it, a crack just millimeters from his bloodseal. Then, when Ed's automail arm is destroyed and he's pinned down with Father about to kill him, Al (with the help of May) sacrifices his soul to restore Ed's real arm. May's tears as she sets up the arrays and Ed's look when he realizes what Al is doing are just heartbreaking.

Al: "Brother...win."

    • Ed's reaction to the above: three words.

Ed: "YOU STUPID IDIOT!!"

    • Another scene from 107 when Al is finally reunited with his body at the Gate and confronted by the Truth.

"You really think he'll come back for you?"
"He will. I know it!"

  • Brotherhood's fifth opening, appropriately titled "Rain" -- seeing King Bradley possibly crying and the overall tone of the song can certainly inspire such moments.
  • How about the ending "Let It All Out" by Miho Fukuhara? The song has a very sentimental tone...
  • Ed successfully bringing Al, body and soul, back. If you do not tear up even a little after reading those pages, you are a soulless pod-person.
  • Greed relinquishing Ling's body in a last ditch effort to save Ling and help take down Father, knowing his efforts would be ill-fated. Noble Demon, thy name is GREED!
    • Also, "That was my first and last lie."
  • Hohenheim offers his last human soul, his own, for Ed to use to bring Alphonse back, saying that it's all his fault that all this bad stuff happened to them, since he left Trisha.
    • After Ed defiantly refuses this (calling him his father in the process), he starts crying himself.
  • Hohenheim returns to Resembool and dies next to Trisha's grave with a smile on his face.
    • Brotherhood makes it even better by dedicating the ending credits to him in episode 63 right after he dies.
  • Also a Crowning Moment of Awesome in episode 26 when Ed punches open the DOOR OF TRUTH!

"Alphonse! Someday, I swear I'll come back for you. Just you wait! Just you wait!"

  • The new OVA "Yet Another Man's Battlefield". It features eighteen-year-old Roy at the military academy, meeting Hughes (whose appearance in itself might reduce someone to tears given what happens to him...), and befriending a fellow Ishvalan trainee named Heathcliff, after standing up to some bullies. See where this is going? Years later, the Ishval War of Extermination happens. In a nutshell, Roy, now the Flame Alchemist, meets Heathcliff again, who is clearly in despair over the murders of his people. He shoots Roy, before being shot himself by Hughes. The scene then skips to the manga omake where Roy asks Hughes about what he has to live for. And of course, "...Give me 30 seconds." Seriously heartbreaking...
  • The words on the next-to-last pages:

A lesson without pain is meaningless. For you cannot gain something without sacrificing something else in return. But once you have overcome it and made it your own...you will gain an irreplaceable Fullmetal Heart.

    • Combined with pictures of everyone with their happy endings. Sniff.
  • Reaching the last page of the final chapter and realizing one of the greatest manga in existence is finally over.
  • The true tearjerker is a good one-where the readers are thanked for their support and love.
  • In Brotherhood, when discussing the sheer brutality of the Ishval massacre, we are often shown a giant wall being alchemically formed before a group of Ishvalans running desparately for their lives, and then they get gunned down by the soldiers chasing them. In the full on flashback given by Hawkeye, we see that the one who made the wall was Armstrong! The look on his face as he hears the gunshots is just...devastating.
    • Even WORSE in the manga. Armstrong goes to the other side of the wall to see what happened and is walking in a complete daze among the dead bodies. He comes across an Ishvalan woman and her mother, who survived the massacre by hiding in a crevice the whole time. To alleviate his conscience, he busts a hole in the wall he created and tells them to flee. He watches them run off only to see them get blown to bits by Kimblee, who observed the entire scene. Cue Armstrong dropping to his knees in shock.
  • The discovery that the Elrics didn't even manage to bring back their mother. Ed's minor breakdown about it, followed by Izumi crying in relief that she didn't kill her baby a second time really got to me.
  • The look on Greed's face when he admits, in his entire life, that all he's ever wanted was friends. Especially poignant in the anime where we see his eyes shimmer a little, as if saying if he wasn't who he was, he'd cry from this revelation.

Ling: Greed, this is what you desperately wanted, isn't it?
Greed: Yeah, you're right.....This is what I wanted. I wanted the chance to have friends like these.

  • When Izumi finds out about Al and Ed's attempting Human Transmutation in episode 12 of Brotherhood, after explaining what happened to her and sympathises with them, she tells them it's ok to let themselves hurt. Cue her hugging them both as Ed and Al break down apologising and begging her to forgive them.
  • At the end of the chapter "A 520-cenz promise", where doctor Knox is visited by his family was also a very tearful moment for this troper.
  • Everyone remembers the deaths of Maes Hughes, and Nina/Alexander.
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