Some movies are able to touch viewers' hearts in many ways, though none do it quite like Pixar. Disney's imaginative and advanced animation studio has developed a successful formula for its animated releases, and they specialize in bringing tears to nearly everyone who watches.
Of course, some of Pixar's animated movies have stood out among the rest of the film library. This is primarily due to incredibly sad moments that effectively highlight each movie's various themes while tugging on fans' emotional cores.
10 The Good Dinosaur Introduced A Unique But Ill-Fated Friendly Duo
2015's The Good Dinosaur explored a different world in an alternate timeline where dinosaurs survived extinction to become the dominant species on the planet. In the present day, a young dinosaur named Arlo is forced to survive in the wilderness alongside a young caveboy.
Despite a rocky beginning, the two quickly become close and journey back to Arlo's home. Their unique and loving friendship is ended when Arlo encounters a family of cavepeople who could take care of his young friend, and they are forced to separate back into their own lives in the sad but underseen Pixar movie.
9 Inside Out Explored The Lives Of Feelings Like Sadness In The Body
Pixar released Inside Out in 2015, which took a look inside the emotional control center of a young girl named Riley, who is going through a difficult transition as she moves with her parents to a new city.
The five emotions that store and organize her memories of important moments are also experiencing a difficult transition as Sadness finds herself gaining more influence than the usual leader Joy. Inside Out gave fans a unique look at how our emotions change and expand as we get older, though it explored a number of sad moments that felt relatable to a lot of viewers. Riley may have forgotten Bing Bong, but the moment he fades away will stay with the audience for a long time.
8 A Deceased Man Tries To Help A Lost Soul Find Her Spark In Soul
2020's Soul followed a jazz musician named Joe, who passes on to the afterlife. However, he finds himself in a different area known as the Great Before when he tries to fight his way out of the Great Beyond. There he is mistaken as a mentor for a young soul named 22 who has a badge to return to Earth.
Hoping to find a way back to Earth in time to achieve his lifelong dream, Joe abuses his mentorship of 22, which results in her becoming lost since they couldn't find her spark. The movie tackled difficult themes and featured a sad look at the afterlife. Still, Joe tries to make things right in the end by finding 22 and proving she already found her spark.
7 Wall-E Featured A Sad Lonely Robot And A Dark Future For Humanity
Pixar introduced a dark look at the future in 2008's WALL-E, which followed a lonely trash-compacting robot on an abandoned Earth. Wall-E endlessly collects trash into dense cubes that he forms into skyscraper-like stacks. Despite the bleak setting, Wall-E performs his task cheerfully for centuries before he meets an advanced robot named Eve.
Eve was sent by the remains of humanity who live in gluttonous luxury aboard space cruise ships, and a delightful connection blossoms between the two robots. Wall-E featured a few sad moments thanks to the incredibly expressive main character, though it was the tease of humanity's very possible dark future that really stood out to fans.
6 Onward Followed Two Elf Brothers On A Quest To Bring Their Father Back
2020's Onward explored a fantasy world that had developed past its magical origins to become a familiar technological world. Two elf brothers embark together on a journey to find a magical gem so they can complete a spell that would bring their deceased father back for the day.
Not only do the brothers find a new acceptance and love for each other on the road, but the youngest is forced to give up his chance to meet the father he never met so that his older brother can still have a moment together with their dad. It's a sad but beautiful moment from one of Pixar's newest entries.
5 Professional Monsters Make A Connection With A Child In Monsters, Inc.
Pixar's 2001 hit Monsters, Inc. introduced a realm of monsters who powered their world with the screams of human children. Professional scarers travel to Earth using magical doorways into bedroom closets in order to capture the screams of frightened children.
Monsters named Mike and Sully accidentally bring a curious girl nicknamed Boo, who is impervious to their scaring tactics, back to their world. The monsters make a beautiful, loving connection with young Boo, who helps them learn that children's laughter is a much stronger power source than screams. Unfortunately, Sully must say goodbye to Boo when she is sent back to her home in the human world.
4 Finding Nemo Opened With The Tragic Destruction Of An Aquatic Family
Nature isn't always family-friendly, as the opening scene of 2003's Finding Nemo proved when a predator decimates a young family of clownfish. Marlin is the father of the young titular Nemo, though he would have had a much larger family if his partner Coral and almost the entirety of their eggs weren't attacked and eaten by a barracuda.
It wasn't the only sad moment in Finding Nemo, as the near loss of Marlin's young son, along with the introduction of the lonely and forgetful Dory, also made fans a bit teary-eyed. 2016's Finding Dory followed a similar premise and featured its own sad moments, but none compared to Finding Nemo's opening scene.
3 Coco Followed A Musical Child As He Traveled In The Land Of The Dead
A young musician named Miguel was introduced in 2017's Coco, which followed his adventure through the Mexican Land of the Dead as he attempted to return to the Land of the Living or risk staying cursed in the afterlife.
Miguel learns his great-great-grandfather's true story, which further inspires him to restore his family's connection to the music he loves. Coco featured a celebration of death that explored Mexican cultures and traditions, though the loss of a central character makes it memorable as a sad but ultimately uplifting movie.
2 Toy Story 2 & 3 Had Some Of The Saddest Moments In The Franchise
The Toy Story franchise that launched in 1995 helped make Pixar a household name and featured quite a few sad moments as the living toys of a young boy named Andy dealt with a cross-country move. However, it's the second and third installments of the franchise that really tugged on fans' heartstrings.
1999's Toy Story 2 featured Cowgirl Jessie's tragic story of abandonment as we learned more about Woody's origins, while Toy Story 3 forced the toys to move on from their connection to a growing Andy as they tried to find a new home for everyone together.
1 A Sad And Tragic Love Story Fueled The Whole Adventure In Up
2009's Up followed a young Wilderness Explorer named Russell who found himself trapped on a house held aloft by balloons alongside an elderly man named Carl who decided to take his house with him when he was being forced into a retirement home.
Carl's motivations for his floating house and final adventure are revealed with a tragic look at the lost love of his life. Carl and his late wife had spent years saving and planning for a trip together to Paradise Falls. Up has become a beloved love story that also deals with how to handle an extreme loss.