When most people think of animated superhero shows, they imagine cheesy one-liners, exciting action, and most of all, an ending where justice is served. But there are some series that take viewers on an emotional rollercoaster, deepening the traditional battle of good vs. evil.

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Through wonderfully complex characters, audiences are able to empathize with fictional people in completely unrealistic scenarios. The severe turmoil that stems from the loss of a loved one or a sense of not belonging are themes in which anyone can find meaning. These characters not only embrace these multi-faceted ideas, but they also cause their audiences to shed some tears in the process.

10 Bunny Dies Wanting To Make Her Sisters Proud (The Powerpuff Girls)

Bunny With Blossom And Bubbles And Buttercup In The Powerpuff Girls

Bunny is far from being a perfect hero in The Powerpuff Girls. Even the series treats her as the butt of many jokes, as made evident by her stilted dialogue and comedic character design. Despite consistently flubbing her duties as a savior, even going as far as accidentally arresting police officers instead of criminals, no one questions her intentions are pure.

That's why it's so heartbreaking to watch her demise at the end of the episode "Twisted Sister." Although viewers only know Bunny for less than 15 minutes, her death rattles them, as it comes immediately after following her first heroic rescue. Bunny's demise is a cruel ending for an innocent character whose biggest wish was to show her sisters that she can be a hero too.

9 Adrian Must Choose Between Family, Duty, And Love (Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir)

Cat Blanc Cat Noir Miraculous Ladybug Akumatized Apocalypse

Anyone who has watched Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir knows the episode "Cat Blanc" is by far one of the show's most memorable. This is partly because audiences experience a twisted version of what would happen if Marinette and Adrian revealed their secret identities to each other...but the rawest emotion stems from Adrian's heartbreaking struggle with the fallout.

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The emotional turmoil is perfectly punctuated with a superb performance by Bryce Papenbrook, who is known for prominent voice work, including the English dubbing for Eren Yaeger in Attack on Titan. As Adrian grapples with the reveal that his father is a major super villain, paired with the loss of the woman he loves, viewers ride his woes with him and discover true heartbreak is anything but miraculous.

8 Harley Quinn Deserves To Be Loved (Harley Quinn)

Harley Quinn prepares for battle during a scene in the HBO Max show

While Harley is technically a supervillain, viewers are quite familiar with her heroic tendencies in HBO's Harley Quinn. Besides, super villains need love too.

Audiences empathize with Harley Quinn because they know her origin is rooted in an emotionally abusive relationship with the Joker. That's why it feels like taking a baseball bat to the gut mid-way through Season 2 when fans see her slowly fall for best friend, Poison Ivy, only to be rejected. Despite being perfectly capable on her own, Harley both yearns and deserves to be with someone who will love and respect her for the way she is.

7 Terra Hurt Others Because She Never Accepted Herself (Teen Titans)

Terra in the Teen Titans animated series

While most viewers either love or hate Terra in Teen Titans, no one can say she doesn't have an understandably tragic backstory. Since she was never able to fully control her powers on her own, Terra has been shunned by society, causing her to loathe herself and her own abilities.

This self-hatred eventually causes Terra to betray the Teen Titans, which is a decision many fans can never forgive her for. That being said, many viewers understand her confusion and have sympathy for her seemingly impossible situation. Perhaps the most heartbreaking piece is that the moment Terra finally accepts who she is, the end of her story comes as quickly as a landslide.

6 Korra's Resignation Is Painful To Watch (Legend Of Korra)

The Legend Of Korra - Korra in a wheelchair

From the moment of her introduction, Korra has cemented herself as a physical force in The Legend of Korra. She prides herself on her fighting capabilities and her reliability on the battlefield. That is why when her injuries disable her at the end of Season 3, her new reality becomes so much more difficult for her to accept.

The season left fans with a heart-wrenching final image of a silent tear of defeat sliding down Korra's cheek. All that remains is a hero who has completely lost hope in herself, which is so unlike everything Korra stands for. To see not only her body but her spirit break is a fate that rattles every element in nature.

5 Cassandra's Revelation Is Absolutely Heartbreaking (Tangled: The Series)

cassandra and rapunzel

Throughout the entirety of Tangled: The Series, audiences witness Cassandra's well-executed and thoroughly relatable struggle with her feelings of inferiority. Time and time again there is insurmountable proof as to why it is understandable for her to feel like a second-rate hero compared to Rapunzel.

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This heartbreaking reality comes to fruition when viewers are given a truly shocking twist regarding Cassandra's past that only exacerbates her insecurities. The layers of complex character development paired with her gorgeously sorrowful ballad "Waiting in the Wings" is the icy blue frosting that hopelessly tangles viewers' heartstrings.

4 Batgirl's Sort-Of Death Shakes The Entirety Of Gotham (Batman: The Animated Series)

Batgirl death in the animated series

Although Batgirl doesn't technically die in Batman: The Animated Series, the episode "Over the Edge" still makes fans feel like they're the ones who are falling several stories. The episode cleverly utilizes the morphed illusions associated with Scarecrow's powers, and the deranged villain's mirages even make the characters and viewers question their own realities.

Batgirl's death is bone-crushingly brutal in its violence. The nature of her end also reveals Barbara Gordon's deepest fears about hurting her family with her alter ego. This heart-wrenching combination twists the emotions of fans with the same unrelenting cruelty as Gotham's most evil forces.

3 Raven Feels Like She Always Has To Be Alone (Teen Titans)

Raven in front of a dark blue sky in Teen Titans.

At first glance, Raven in Teen Titans may seem like a typical moody half-demonic teenager who wants nothing more than to shut herself inside her room. But after truly learning about her character, fans discover the reason she isolates herself is that she feels like it's her only option.

Despite secretly craving companionship, Raven keeps to herself because she knows she is a threat to humanity. Besides being forced to act as a portal for the apocalypse, her powers also require intensive control to not become destructive. Even though her prickly personality might force others away, viewers know the darkest thing about Raven is that she feels like she is better off being shunned than loved.

2 Tim Drake's Torture Shocks and Disturbs Fans (Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker)

Tim Drake As Robin After Being Tortured By Joker In Batman Beyond

Batman Beyond is known for its disturbing plot lines and complex themes, but there's one spin-off scene from the series that fans continually return to because of its absolutely twisted nature. And that's Tim Drake's torture at the hands of Gotham's most notorious villain in Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker.

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It's already disturbing enough to watch the Joker kidnap Robin and force him to endure physical and mental torture. But now fans must potentially witness Batman's death at the hands of his own adoptive son. The scene, while phenomenally written and animated, is one that rocks even the most hardcore Batman fans to their core...striking the perfect killing joke.

1 Zuko's Hero's Journey Is Beautiful And Heartbreaking (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Zuko with a small fire in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Avatar: The Last Airbender contains a plethora of complex characters and tear-jerking moments, but none can hold a candle to Prince Zuko. Viewers become obsessed with his story of redemption, and it's easy to see why.

Although he is introduced as a seemingly ruthless villain, fans discover just how complicated Zuko's past is, and how it has made a profound impact on the values he holds as a young man. It's especially painful to see how far Zuko will go to win his father's favor, even betraying the ones he loves most. Despite his murky path, viewers empathize with his angst and steadfastly root for him to make the right choice in the end.

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