Star Wars/Tear Jerker: Difference between revisions

** "Just once, let me... look on you... with my own eyes." Especially considering that in his final moments, he accepted death and saying goodbye without anger or regret, coming full circle.

*** This exchange between Luke and Vader before Vader dies. Could also be a [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]]

'''Vader:''' You already have. }}

** Anakin's funeral scene. And when Luke sees the Force ghosts of Anakin, Yoda and Obi-Wan during the victory celebration scene after it's also a great [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]].

*** Not quite. As Jolee Bindo points out, every era has its tyrants and its heroes, and while one side may gain the upper hand, at some point, the other will regain momentum. Tyrants like Malak needed to be fought, but their coming didn't herald the end of all things. Palpatine's empire was just the latest victory by the Dark Side, and it was comparatively short lived.

** None of that even compares to this:

(''lightsaber ignites'') }}

** The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzATP2IcTA8 music] makes the whole thing worse. Seeing the Jedi in the Temple die was sad, and then there's [[Children Are Innocent|that little Padawan kid]] (played by George Lucas' son) who tries to escape and almost makes it, but the clone troopers shoot him anyway. Bail Organa witnesses the whole thing but can't do anything about it.

** The scene of Anakin after killing the Separatists where it shows him standing alone, weeping in complete and total self-hatred. He knows full well what he's become, but feels he's beyond redemption already.

** How about when Obi-Wan and Yoda are in the Jedi Temple after the purge, and Obi-Wan decides to look at the security feed? Yoda trying to stop him, to protect him from the knowledge that it's Anakin who led the slaughter, gets this editor every time - let alone the bit where they actually watch it.

*** And then the bit where Yoda says that they must destroy the Sith-

** For me, it's that very short shot of Padme as she lands on Mustafar, teary, weary, and wrung out at her whole world crumbling. John Williams just crowns that with a heartbreaking lull in the music

** One of Anakin's few lines before his climactic lightsaber duel with Obi-Wan, coupled with Obi-Wan's rebuttal just destroys this troper when he considers the fact that, after all he's done, Anakin is still driven by his love of and his manic desire to save his wife from death:

'''Obi-Wan:''' Your anger and your lust for power have already done that. }}

** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dlM3sHiMT0 This] clip. Particularly Obi-Wan's "You were my brother, Anakin... I loved you!" speech (at 1:05), the pain in Anakin's eyes, the conflict in Obi-Wan seeing how far his [[Heterosexual Life Partner]] has fallen.

* Another [[Star Wars]] example: [[X Wing Series|X-wing: Iron Fist]]. The death of {{spoiler|Ton Phanan}}. [[Aaron Allston]] is really good both at funny and tears. The author said on [http://www.aaronallston.com/faq.html his site]: "Although he feared death, although he struggled against it, {{spoiler|Ton Phanan}}, deep down, didn't want to live." Also, a little earlier, when he is confessing to Face that he feels like his [[Emergency Transformation]] [[Cybernetics Eat Your Soul|ate his future]], and he's getting farther and farther from who he once was.

** Come on! That's all you could find from Star Wars? To writ: Corran dies in ''Wedge's Gamble'' (he gets better); in ''The Krytos Trap'' it's Mirax (who also gets better) and {{spoiler|Diric}} (who doesn't) that tear people up. Also, Tycho's Return monologue at the ruins of Alderaan.

** Jesmin's death in ''Wraith Squadron'', and also {{spoiler|Falynn's}} for its effect on {{spoiler|Donos}}. Same book, Kell bugging out of a fight, returning only because of [[Love Redeems|Tyria]]. As noted above, {{spoiler|Phanan dying}} in ''Iron Fist'', but also Dia's meltdown when she {{spoiler|shoots Castin (who's ''probably'' already dead)}}. Donos/Lara's and Gavin/Asyr's "resolutions" in ''Solo Command'' and ''Isard's Revenge'' respectively (both got more resolution later. One was better. One... wasn't). Wedge's speeches, including all of them in ''Starfighters of Adumar'', but especially the one to Iella about the "two reasons nothing's going to happen to [him]". {{spoiler|Chewie dying}} in ''Vector Prime'', Karrde's fight for Yavin IV (including an in-universe example, when he thinks {{spoiler|Shada is dead}}). Order 66 redux, when the Vong start Jedi-hunting. The fall of Coruscant, complete with [[Rousing Speech|impassioned speech]] from Leia. Wedge's supposed-to-be-suicidal stand at Borleias, when it almost become truly suicidal for him. Anakin dying. Jacen dying, Jacen coming back. Oh, and Pellaeon giving Han and Leia the painting at the end of ''The Unifying Force''.

*** So, long story short: Star Wars? Good at emotions in any media.

*** Hell, that's not a tearjerker, it's a crime.

** There's this exchange in the ''[[Hand of Thrawn]]'' duology that always makes this troper want to give [[Worthy Opponent|Pellaeon]] [[The Woobie|a hug]]:

'''Ardiff:''' * hesitates, reaches out and touches Pellaeon's arm* "It's been a long road, sir. Long and hard and discouraging. For all of us, but mostly for you. If there's anything I can do..." }}

** [[Darth Bane|Zannah's]] [[Break the Cutie|ordeal with the death of Laa]]. Made almost worse by the fact that the Jedi she immediately kills were only trying to protect her. And that they killed pretty much the only sane Bouncer left on Ruusan.

*** This troper grew to love the young Jedi [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tallisibeth_Enwandung-Esterhazy Scout] from "Yoda: Dark Rendezvous"; she wasn't strong in the Force, but she believed in her cause and tried to make up for it in other ways. Being a Jedi - everything about her boiled down to that, and Yoda's little speech about not giving up on one who burns so brightly could qualify for this trope. "Order 66" tells us that after her culture was annihilated/driven underground she got scooped up and most likely converted by the Mandalorians, who ''hate'' Jedi and are antithetical to them... well, she's not Scout after that. She's just another smug Mandalorian; the core of her being is gone. Sure, it's never stated that she got converted, and it can be hoped that she found other Jedi and left. But it's so sad to think of Scout losing herself and being another [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]] - the line referring to her implies that she thinks the Jedi thought she was of little value so she was rejecting them, and that ''was not true.'' Don't write her anymore, Traviss. I love Scout. Don't do that to her.

*** Except that '''none''' of that happened. Aside from Yoda and her master, Jai Maruk, she really ''wasn't'' very well liked by the Jedi, and Mace Windu suggested sending her off to the Agricultural Corps (where weak-with-the-Force, failed Jedi go). She was pretty much telling the truth. And once rescued by the Mandalorians and brought to Mandalore, Scout was offered the chance to become a Mandalorians if she wanted to and she '''''turned them down'''''.

'''Mij Gilamar (Mandalorian)''':"''Of course you can.''" }}

**** And in Traviss' notes for the now canceled Imperial Commando 2, she stated that Scout would have remained a Jedi with Jedi Master Djinn Altis' sect of Jedi in-hiding. The ''only'' thing that would have changed is Scout being adopted by the aformentioned Mij Gilamar as his daughter, and not a problem in Altis' family-friendly Jedi sect.

** More examples are probably redundant - yes, ''Star Wars'' rocks at this - but this editor would like to add the farewell and attempted suicide of Depa Billaba at the end of ''Shatterpoint'' in a brief moment of sanity after the war broke her to pieces, as well as Mace Windu's monologue at the end; the death of Jai Maruk in ''Yoda: Dark Rendezvous'' as well as Yoda's speech about loss: "Do you think Yoda's wisdom comes at no cost?"

*** Another from Shatterpoint. Mace has to order some of his clone troopers to fly cover for him in unarmed transports - a suicide mission:

'''Commander''': We always volunteer, sir. All of us. It's who we are. }}

*** Also, {{spoiler|Chalk's death}} from the same. A thirteen year old rape victim, fighting so that no one else has to go through that, {{spoiler|gets shot through the stomach and keeps shooting. No one notices her fatal wound until they're about to leave and she is in the process of ''actually dying''; she has to draw their attention to herself because she took the bullet without a sound.}}

** The ending of [[Outbound Flight]]. Lorana and Thrass die to save the last survivors, and [[The Greatest Story Never Told|no one ever knows what they did]].

** There's a quiet one in ''[[Star Wars/Allegiance|Allegiance]]'', when the Emperor's Hand Mara Jade "buries" her companion, a smuggler she was working with and had promised a pardon to, out in space as he'd requested. He'd come to trust her. Typically of Zahn, it briefly and economically hints at her character, emotional state, and her hidden awareness that Palpatine is bad, for all that she thinks of him as a "[[Horrible Judge of Character|good and wise man]]" in his presence.

** The end of the novelization of ''Revenge of the Sith''. Starting from "This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker, forever," until the end.

*** Oh god. That entire ''passage''.

Because now your''self'' is all you will ever have. }}

** No, Anakin's death at the end of RotJ. This troper still cannot read it without bawling.

*** To elaborate, Anakin's death scene is mostly told from his point of view, emphasizing both his guilt and horror at what he's done, while also his wonder at feeling, seeing, and tasting for the first time in twenty years without the aid of his suit.

** In ''[[Death Star]]'', you get into the mind of the gunner that destroyed Alderaan. Turns out, he hated himself for not having the guts to say no to such a massive atrocity. He died delaying the Death Star from firing. Gives new meaning to the phrase "Stand by".

* In the young adult series ''Jedi Apprentice'', set before ''[[The Phantom Menace]]'', Qui-Gon Jinn and Tahl, a Jedi that he grew up with, finally admit their love for each other after years of close friendship. {{spoiler|Immediately afterwards, she gets captured and tortured to death, nearly bringing Qui-Gon to the Dark Side in his [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|grief-stricken rage]]}}.

* Chewbacca's tribute comic is a combination of [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Crowning Moments of Awesome]], [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|Crowning Moments of Heartwarming]], even [[Crowning Moment of Funny|Crowning Moments of Funny]], and of course, [[Tear Jerker|Tear Jerkers]]. But there are two back to back instances that stand out the most for the Tear Jerkers.

** The first is Luke's talk about Chewbacca. Luke, talking to C-3PO and R2-D2, who are preparing a memorial for the fallen hero, remembers his early life, the first time he met Chewbacca, and what he felt when the Wookiee died.

*** These last words are accompanied by a half-page panel of Han weeping bitterly alone in the ''Falcon's'' cockpit, and a small panel of Luke looking as old as Yoda.

** The second Tear Jerker follows the first, and concludes the comic series. Han is in the ''Falcon'', cleaning and repairing his ship, and forgets for a moment that Chewbacca isn't there anymore. When 3PO and R2 arrive, he sits down and shows them some keepsakes: a brush, some junk, and a twig from the trees of his homeworld. Han embarks on a short tale of a time that Chewie rescued his young daughter:

 

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