Pixar is well-known as the maker of some of the finest animated family movies around, films that are approachable by audiences of all ages and treat their audiences with respect, no matter how young those audiences might be.
Part of this respect is the fact that, although the films tend to be filled with humor and often end well, they don't sugarcoat the sad parts. Pixar protagonists go through all manner of hardships, and the movies don't detract from them with jokes. They let the sad moments be as sad as they can, resulting in some parts of their films that are tearjerkers for any audience.
10 Riley's First Day Of School
2015's Inside Out deals with the emotional life of a pre-teen girl - already a turbulent time for many - as her parents move her across the country and far away from all of her friends. With Sadness literally being one of the film's main characters, there are plenty of tear-jerking moments, especially when Riley falls into a depression.
One of the most heartbreaking moments comes during Riley's first day of school. Called upon to tell the class about herself, Riley starts to recount a happy memory, but Sadness' interference kicks in, and Riley begins to cry. Anyone who has been in a similar situation can relate, and even those who haven't are likely to struggle to remain composed during the scene.
9 Tony Forgetting Violet
A recurring point in The Incredibles films is that Violet struggles with her self-esteem, reflecting her ability of turning invisible to escape notice. She negatively compares herself to others her own age, struggles with her confidence, and overall seems shy and reserved. She gets a confidence boost in The Incredibles 2 when she's asked out by her crush, Tony, but outside events quickly intervene.
After Tony sees her in-costume, Rick Dicker wipes his memory. He overdoes it so that Tony doesn't just forget the moment but everything about Violet - including their date. Violet's confidence is shattered as Tony stands her up and seems to not remember her, and it leads to her momentarily renouncing being a superhero.
8 Luca Outing Alberto As A Sea Monster
Luca follows two sea monsters, Luca and Alberto, as they attempt to experience something of a normal human life in the monster-hunting town of Portorosso. Keeping their true nature secret forms a major part of the film's tension, which comes to a head when Alberto reveals his true form intentionally, hoping Luca will support him over Giulia.
Luca instead responds by pretending to be shocked and rejecting Alberto. While neither side is entirely in the right, the look of shock and betrayal on Alberto's face tugs at the heartstrings of the audience - especially as it serves as a metaphor for the "outing" of an LGBT person.
7 Elena Breaks Miguel's Guitar
The central conflict in Coco comes from Miguel's love of music and desire to be a musician, and his family's ban on music after Coco's heartbreak as a young woman. The plot is properly kicked off when the family finds Miguel's hidden stash, including a guitar that is his only instrument.
Going further than the rest of his relatives in her disapproval, Miguel's grandmother Elena snatches his guitar and smashes it on the floor. When she tries to comfort him, Miguel replies that he doesn't want to be a part of the family and runs off. It is a deeply tragic moment that sets up the rest of the film.
6 Sully Is Separated From Boo
The plot of Monsters, Inc. deals with the monster Sully forming an unbreakable bond with the small child, Boo, who he accidentally lets into the world of monsters. Over the course of the film, the two grow incredibly close, with Sully risking everything to save her from Randall's scream extractor.
After Randall's plan has been foiled, however, a senior employee of the company investigating Randall insists on destroying Boo's door once she has gone through it. As a result, Sully thinks himself unable to see Boo ever again. While their reunion happens shortly afterwards, the moment is an undeniably tragic one in the moment.
5 Joe And 22 Get Into A Fight
In the film Soul, Joe is accompanied back to the world by the unborn spirit 22, who winds up inhabiting his body whilst he is stuck in the form of a cat. 22 remains a spirit because she hasn't found her "spark," her desire to live. As she spends time in Joe's body and life, however, she begins to develop one.
The two inevitably come into conflict, as Joe tries to get his body back from 22. He insists that the spark 22 earned belongs to him as it was made from experiences in his life, ultimately ending their friendship and causing 22 to become a lost soul. It is a tragic moment because both sides in the argument have a point, but the argument has devastating impacts on both of them.
4 The Death Of Marlin's Wife And Children
The plot of Finding Nemo kicks off as a result of Marlin's overprotective parenting as the father of Nemo. Nemo suffocates under Marlin's tight watch, as Marlin fears that anything might lead to tragedy and is unwilling to let his son out of his sight.
However, Marlin's behavior is explained at the very beginning of the film. In an early scene, after leaving his home, Marlin watches as a barracuda attacks. When he returns, his wife and all but one egg - Nemo's - have been killed. Although tastefully-done, it is a heartbreaking moment that makes Marlin's actions far more understandable.
3 Syndrome Making Bob Listen To An Attack On His Family
One of the most tense scenes in The Incredibles comes when Syndrome has missiles fired at the jet carrying Helen, Dash, and Violet to his island. Having been prepared to put herself in danger, Helen is horrified by the threat to her children and urges the attackers to call off their attack for Dash and Violet's sake.
While this is going on, Syndrome forces a captive Bob to listen to the radio conversation. Watching both parents forced to deal with their children being in a life-threatening situation - and knowing they are partly responsible - is an agonizing moment, especially for parents in the audience.
2 WALL-E Being Factory Rebooted
The charm of WALL-E is that it follows a garbage disposal robot who has grown so far beyond his programming that he has developed a full-blown personality. He looks after pets, enjoys fragments of Earth culture, and keeps a collection of any junk he finds that interests him, having created a personalized living space.
After he suffers catastrophic damage, EVE repairs WALL-E, but is unable to restore his personality. In factory settings, he begins to demolish his own living space and his own collection, believing it to be junk. EVE does manage to bring WALL-E back, but the scenes where he destroys his valued possessions as a shell of his former self can be hard to watch.
1 Carl And Ellie's Marriage Montage
Most of Up follows Carl as an old man, but the first few minutes are devoted to his early life and his marriage to Ellie. After showing their introduction as children, the film displays a montage of their time together as adults.
It goes from their marriage to buying a house to happy dates spent together. As time goes on, it gets more bittersweet as Ellie suffers a miscarriage, but contains plenty of the two being happy together. Ultimately, however, it ends on a tragic note as Ellie falls ill and passes away, leaving her and Carl's childhood dream unfulfilled. The opening sequence is the most beloved part of the film, adored by audiences for its intense emotions, all conveyed without speech and without feeling contrived.