Hercules: The Legendary Journeys/Tear Jerker

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Tear Jerkers in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys include:

  • Right from the start in "The Wrong Path." Hercules' wife and children are murdered by Hera... in front of him... before the opening credits. Before setting out to settle the score with Hera, Hercules buries his family and grieves.
  • "The Other Side": While on a mission to the Underworld, Hercules is briefly reunited with his family. Though overjoyed to see his loved ones again, Hercules knows full well this is only temporary, which clearly gnaws at him. Additionally, his family is unware they're dead, so the big guy has to carry this load by himself. And what viewer couldn't be moved by:

Ilia: Daddy, I missed you.
Hercules: I missed you, too, Ilia. I missed you all so much.
Ilia: Are you crying, Daddy?
Hercules: ...No, the wind just blew something in my eye.

  • "Judgment Day": Hercules is framed for the murder of his second wife, Serena, by Ares. Though Hercules clears his name, Serena is still lost. The big guy blames himself for what happened to Serena, and viewers can't help but feel for him.
    • The end of the Serena arc is almost as sad. Herc is able to save her through time-travel, but in the new reality, she's married to someone else, and only Hercules and Autylocus (who went to the past with him) remember his second marriage at all.
  • "Twilight": Hercules' mother is dying. He struggles to save her, but even though he accepts that it's her time, he is no less saddened by this turn of events - particularly as he, Iolaus and Jason are there as she dies. The 3 heroes being on the edge of tears and not outright bawling is an accomplishment.
  • Iolaus died several times. While fans may mock the repetitiveness of it, in-show it was always treated seriously. Hercules always grieved over losing his best friend and never took for granted the possibility that Iolaus could come back. It's a testament to the actors that Iolaus' death was moving, whether it be the second or third time viewers had seen it.
  • Strife's death in "Armageddon Now, Part 1." You know it's bad when even Ares expresses regret over it and anger at Callisto for doing it.

"He wasn't so bad. He-he tried real hard. He was just no good at his job. You didn't have to do this!"

  • The end of the flashback in "Twilight," in which a young Hercules returns home from his first war.

Hercules: This belonged to a friend of mine - a kid about my age. I had to watch him die to realize you were right, Mother. There's no glory in war.
Alcmene: For every boy that's not coming home, one hundred more will and that's because of you.
Hercules: Then why do I feel like I failed?

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