Life is hard enough as it is without our animated breaks from reality being riddled with death, too. Though many of these deaths were necessary for the hero's journey, we can't help but think it's hard to be a parent in an animated film, as you are most likely headed for a brutally tragic demise. Here are ten cartoon characters who died in movies, leaving us sad, terrified, traumatized or all of the above.
Ellie in "Up" (2009)
![cartoon deaths, sad deaths in animated films, ellie up death]()
It's one of the saddest animated montages in film history, and they used it at the very beginning of the movie. The love and life of the happy couple, Fred and Ellie, opens the adventurous "Up" only to make us bust out the tissues five minutes after the previews stopped rolling.
Coral in "Finding Nemo" (2003)
![cartoon deaths, sad deaths in animated films, coral finding nemo]()
The loss of little Nemo's mother was a quick one, but no one--animated or otherwise--wants to tussle with a shark. Was it all Nemo's fault? Well, yeah mostly. But the loss of Coral of course inspired growth in the mighty little fish, who in the end would not have found his way without a bit of tragedy.
Littlefoot's Mother in "The Land Before Time" (1988)
![cartoon deaths, sad deaths in animated films, littlefoot mother death]()
After escaping the great T-Rex, Sharptooth, with the help of his mother, Littlefoot and the other dinosaurs are faced with the great earthquakes, which split them apart. They don't show the fatal attack of his mother, but they show him wandering around looking for her. The death scene in the rain is gut-busting and a bit similar to the fatherly farewell in "The Lion King" (stay tuned).
Bambi's Mother in "Bambi" (1942)
![cartoon deaths, sad deaths in animated films, bambi mother death]()
Easily one of the most heinous murders in animated history is little Bambi's mother getting gunned down by a hunter. The two are on the run, then all you hear is the gunshot while they show Bambi running through the forest. Bambi thinks he and his mother have made it to safety, but then realizes she is not there. He wanders around for a bit calling for her, but ultimately finds his father who tells him that his mother can no longer be with him. Devastating.
Ursula in "The Little Mermaid" (1989)
![cartoon deaths, sad deaths in animated films, ursula death]()
Although it was the death of a villain--and we hate villains, right?--the spearing of a giant Ursula with the bow of a ship was pretty intense. After winning Triton's trident, she grows to a grotesque size, but just before she's about to squash Ariel, badass Eric rolls in with his boat and saves the day.
Charlotte in "Charlotte's Web" (1973)
![cartoon deaths, sad deaths in animated films, charlotte's web death]()
Most of us scream when we see a spider, just before we try to kill it or call someone to kill it for us, but in the case of Charlotte, this little spider made us weep for the arachnid species. Set in classic animation, we see Wilbur the pig have a heart-to-heart talk with Charlotte before the little eight-legged creature shucks off this barnyard. We'll never kill another spider again.
Mufasa in "The Lion King" (1994)
![cartoon deaths, sad deaths in animated films, mufasa death]()
Quite possibly the saddest death in movie history is the stampede death of Mufasa in front of baby Simba (yes, even sadder than Will Smith snapping the neck of that poor dog in "I Am Legend"). Set up by Scar and the hyenas, a stampede of beasts starts a spiral of events: Simba's father coming to the rescue, making it out alive, getting murdered. I'm crying just writing this. Tissue, please.
Frollo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996)
![cartoon deaths, sad deaths in animated films, frollo death]()
Not the saddest death by a close shot, but this animated death is fairly brutal for any child to witness. A nerve-racking fight scene on a fiery ledge ends in the villainous Frollo taking advantage of our repugnant hunchback, only to meet his karmic, fiery death.
Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)
![cartoon deaths, sad deaths in animated films, gaston death]()
The death of the pompous meathead, Gaston, in the Disney classic is a perfect illustration of what we'd like to see happen to all meatheads. After fighting Beast on (yet another) ledge, he see Gaston cowardly fold before sticking a knife in Beast's back, which ends with him plummeting to his pompous, meathead death. Who will place Gaston in their live action film? Probably Vin Diesel in a wig.
Optimus Prime in "The Transformers: The Movie" (1986)
![cartoon deaths, sad deaths in animated films, optimus prime]()
The cartoon series movie features a showdown between Optimus Prime and Megatron, a classic robotic battle for the ages. In the final fight scene, Optimus takes down Megatron but shows mercy to his surrender, which leads to Megatron pulling a fast one on him and putting him down. Both Transformers go down in the end and will forever be remembered.
Ellie in "Up" (2009)
It's one of the saddest animated montages in film history, and they used it at the very beginning of the movie. The love and life of the happy couple, Fred and Ellie, opens the adventurous "Up" only to make us bust out the tissues five minutes after the previews stopped rolling.
Coral in "Finding Nemo" (2003)
The loss of little Nemo's mother was a quick one, but no one--animated or otherwise--wants to tussle with a shark. Was it all Nemo's fault? Well, yeah mostly. But the loss of Coral of course inspired growth in the mighty little fish, who in the end would not have found his way without a bit of tragedy.
Littlefoot's Mother in "The Land Before Time" (1988)
After escaping the great T-Rex, Sharptooth, with the help of his mother, Littlefoot and the other dinosaurs are faced with the great earthquakes, which split them apart. They don't show the fatal attack of his mother, but they show him wandering around looking for her. The death scene in the rain is gut-busting and a bit similar to the fatherly farewell in "The Lion King" (stay tuned).
Bambi's Mother in "Bambi" (1942)
Easily one of the most heinous murders in animated history is little Bambi's mother getting gunned down by a hunter. The two are on the run, then all you hear is the gunshot while they show Bambi running through the forest. Bambi thinks he and his mother have made it to safety, but then realizes she is not there. He wanders around for a bit calling for her, but ultimately finds his father who tells him that his mother can no longer be with him. Devastating.
Ursula in "The Little Mermaid" (1989)
Although it was the death of a villain--and we hate villains, right?--the spearing of a giant Ursula with the bow of a ship was pretty intense. After winning Triton's trident, she grows to a grotesque size, but just before she's about to squash Ariel, badass Eric rolls in with his boat and saves the day.
Charlotte in "Charlotte's Web" (1973)
Most of us scream when we see a spider, just before we try to kill it or call someone to kill it for us, but in the case of Charlotte, this little spider made us weep for the arachnid species. Set in classic animation, we see Wilbur the pig have a heart-to-heart talk with Charlotte before the little eight-legged creature shucks off this barnyard. We'll never kill another spider again.
Mufasa in "The Lion King" (1994)
Quite possibly the saddest death in movie history is the stampede death of Mufasa in front of baby Simba (yes, even sadder than Will Smith snapping the neck of that poor dog in "I Am Legend"). Set up by Scar and the hyenas, a stampede of beasts starts a spiral of events: Simba's father coming to the rescue, making it out alive, getting murdered. I'm crying just writing this. Tissue, please.
Frollo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996)
Not the saddest death by a close shot, but this animated death is fairly brutal for any child to witness. A nerve-racking fight scene on a fiery ledge ends in the villainous Frollo taking advantage of our repugnant hunchback, only to meet his karmic, fiery death.
Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)
The death of the pompous meathead, Gaston, in the Disney classic is a perfect illustration of what we'd like to see happen to all meatheads. After fighting Beast on (yet another) ledge, he see Gaston cowardly fold before sticking a knife in Beast's back, which ends with him plummeting to his pompous, meathead death. Who will place Gaston in their live action film? Probably Vin Diesel in a wig.
Optimus Prime in "The Transformers: The Movie" (1986)
The cartoon series movie features a showdown between Optimus Prime and Megatron, a classic robotic battle for the ages. In the final fight scene, Optimus takes down Megatron but shows mercy to his surrender, which leads to Megatron pulling a fast one on him and putting him down. Both Transformers go down in the end and will forever be remembered.