For the longest time, Pixar has delivered some of the best animated movies in film history. It perfectly combines incredible animation with a profound story that always makes its audiences tear up, whether they’re kids or adults.
Over the years, their flawless storytelling has touched upon different aspects of human behavior, perfectly showcasing it through various colorful stories that also become colossal box-office hits.
This article looks at the top 10 moments from Pixar that broke our hearts and kept us crying until the credits rolled. Since we’re talking about specific plot points for these movies, expect some spoilers.
Miguel asks Mama Coco to Remember (Coco)
Miguel tries his best to talk to Mama Coco and make her remember the song she used to listen to when she was a kid. More than just saving Héctor’s soul, it was a happy and touching moment made even better by Miguel’s song.
The toys accept their demise (Toy Story 3)
When Lotso betrays Woody and his friends, they soon realise that there is no escaping the incinerator where they’re trapped. With their hopes gone, all the toys hold hands and accept their fate – but they are thankfully saved by the ‘claw’ controlled by the aliens.
Marlin’s introduction (Finding Nemo)
Pixar sure knows how to pull the heartstrings. The opening scene of this film sees Marlin and Coral preparing to be parents. But a barracuda attack kills Coral and most of her eggs, leaving only Marlin and a damaged egg that he decides to call Nemo.
Sully bids Boo goodbye (Monsters, Inc.)
After spending their time together, Sully decides to send Boo back to the human world after being chased around by authorities. Boo doesn’t understand, but Sully ultimately says goodbye to the person that changed his life.
Mirabel doesn’t get a gift (Encanto)
A young Mirabel doesn’t get her gift, and her grandmother then shuns her out for not being ‘special’. This ultimately breaks the kid’s heart, innocently wondering why her own family pushed her aside without any explanation.
Jessie gets left behind (Toy Story 2)
When Woody asks Jessie why she doesn’t want to go back to her owner, it is revealed that she used to have a great life, just like Woody and Andy. When Jessie’s owner grew up, she was soon neglected and ultimately abandoned, which is why she doesn’t want a new owner.
Bing Bong’s sacrifice (Inside Out)
When Joy gets trapped in the long-term memory area, she meets Bing Bong, Riley’s childhood imaginary friend. As they both try to escape the place before they’re forgotten forever, Bing Bong decides to sacrifice himself to let Joy escape.
Reminiscing Carl and Ellie’s adventures (Up)
This entire scene showcased the life Carl and Ellie had from the time they met as kids until they got married. It showed all the happy moments, and it also showed all the sad ones. We see the couple struggling to have a child and ultimately see Ellie passing away from a disease, leaving Carl alone by himself.
Eve activates WALL-E (WALL-E)
As Eve manages to repair WALL-E, she realises that his memories have been erased, and he doesn’t recognise her after turning back on. However, a simple kiss from Eve managed to restore all of WALL-E's previous memories, allowing him to remember Eve.
Ian never meets his father (Onward)
After going through all the crazy adventure, brothers Ian and Barley finally managed to resurrect their dead father for a day, whom Ian has never met. But when Ian gets trapped under the rubble and misses the chance to meet his dad, he realises that his big brother has always been the father figure he was looking for.