Top 10 Saddest Moments in Video Games

While one of the “saddest moments” in a more introspective (and far-reaching) way, the closing cutscene of the original Mega Man X game depicts the titular hero X contemplating on whether or not the conflict between humanity and Reploids (more advanced and self-aware robots than in the pre-X timeline) will ever cease. However, the following entries in the X subseries – as well as the subsequent Zero and ZX games – would sadly confirm that the conflict would, in fact, continue and worsen, with lasting impact across entire millennia.

9. The Demon King (Live A Live, 1994 / 2022)

Whether it’s the 1994 original for the Super Famicom or its 2022 “HD-2D” remake, those playing through Live A Live will inevitably unlock an additional chapter focusing on the rise – and tragic betrayal – of a knight named Oersted. Having lost everything dear to him and succumbing to absolute hatred, Oersted declares that he’ll become an evil “transcending all of time and space” in apocalyptic revenge. As Oersted rechristens himself, an all-too familiar leitmotif from previous chapters will fade in, leaving no doubt who and what Oersted has become.

8. Lisa Trevor (Resident Evil Remake, 2002)

Touching back on another article of mine, Lisa Trevor – the young daughter of George Trevor, the man hired to construct the mansion seen in both versions of Resident Evil – was held captive and experimented on by Umbrella for 30 years. Over this period, Lisa would devolve into a hideous, aggressive, and nigh-immortal monstrosity that shows up in the 2002 remake to stalk both protagonists…certainly dangerous and frightening, but also gut-wrenching and pitiable.

7. The Last Laugh (Batman: Arkham City, 2011)

The highly successful and praised Batman: Arkham City is many things (all quite excellent), but it also provides a darkly tragic ending to figuratively make you cry for the Devil: specifically, the death of the Joker. In what’s arguably one of the saddest moments in the whole series, the sight of Joker – as psychotic and disgusting as ever – dying miserably at the feet of Batman after giving one final, morbid “laugh” over their incompatible differences is actually a little hard to watch.

6. Rosalina’s Story (Super Mario Galaxy, 2007)

As strange as it is to say that there’s a genuinely tragic element to anything involving the Super Mario Bros. franchise, one of the saddest moments on this list hides in an innocuous storybook belonging to Rosalina, cosmic watcher and (possibly) divine being. The storybook details a shockingly sad turn of events for a young girl wanting to leave her home and journey the universe – while the identity of this girl is easy to deduce, it’s still a very heartbreaking bit of lore.

5. Mareg’s Death (Grandia II, 2000)

Throughout the course of Grandia II, players will happen to meet, befriend, and gradually become well-accustomed to Mareg: a fierce-looking but actually noble warrior hailing from a tribe of leonine “beast men” living in the jungle. However, when the heroes fail to stop the resurrection of Valmar (more or less comparable to Satan), Mareg is fatally wounded – and ultimately consumed – by a swarm of Valmar’s insect-like “brood” to help the others escape; Tio, a lifelike but emotionless gynoid who only called Mareg “Master” up until that point, screams his name in agony.

4. Dracula’s Lament (Castlevania: SotN, 1997)

Because I simply can’t stop talking about Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, I’d like to highlight one of its more understated (but surprisingly moving) moments: after players defeat Dracula’s final form, the count – in an unusually weary and regretful tone – asks Alucard (his “dhampir” son) what his human mother’s final words were. Alucard, who was tipped off and escaped from an illusory trap due to his “mother’s” final words being incorrect, tells his father: While some may find said words to be corny, I personally can’t help but feel sorry…for Dracula.

3. Denouement (Shadow of the Colossus, 2005)

Because I also can’t stop talking about Shadow of the Colossus, I wish to include what might not only be one of the saddest moments in video games but also one of the cruelest twist endings. Having slayed the final colossus to fulfill a “bargain” with Dormin (a seemingly benevolent spirit or god) to resurrect Mono (his dead lover), the protagonist is revealed to have become possessed by Dormin to reenter the mortal world as a dark, demonic entity – after mystics from Wander’s tribe arrive, seal away Dormin’s vessel, and leave, Mono’s body revives and wakes up.

2. “…You Made Me Happy.” (Silent Hill 2, 2001)

Perhaps one of the major reasons why Silent Hill 2 (as well as its miraculously decent 2024 remake) is so well-loved, discussed, and analyzed is that underneath the game’s visceral, frightening, and unsettlingly surreal aesthetic is a simple story about a man grieving for his late wife. Regardless of which ending a player receives (bonus and “joke” endings aside), the fact remains that James is a deeply flawed and broken “protagonist” who might be able to let go and move on to a better, happier life…and even then, we’ll probably never really know for sure.

1. The End of an Era (Sonic Adventure 2, 2001)

I wanted to place this entry here for a very personal reason: the epilogue of SA2 – showing the heroes contemplating the seeming sacrifice of Shadow of the Hedgehog to stop a world-ending crisis – felt like an earnest (and, to me, depressing) “farewell” following Sega’s discontinuation of the Dreamcast and its status as a first-party developer. While Sonic the Hedgehog continues as a popular franchise, with Sega remaining an active third-party developer, the sense of finality from that time makes an already somber scene feel even sadder.