Bastion/Tear Jerker

• I don't know about you, but on a certain level, hearing Ruck's narration as The Kid makes his way through some ruins of the city, and finds tons of people, turned to statues of ash, brought tears to my eyes. Each one of those people has a name. Each and every one had their own life and their own dreams, and you find them all turned to ash, and Rucks remembers them all...

Rucks: "The Jawson Boys? They didn't make it. Never got to see what it was like beyond the walls. Nordy the bird boy? Didn't make it. Grady Senior, Grady Junior... didn't make it."

• Zulf's Theme. If the lyrics and minor key weren't enough, consider the context it's played in.
  • Arguably, if you choose to take him with you, the tone of the whole situation suddenly becomes much more optimistic and reinforces the CMoA everyone's having. Against all odds despite everything up to this point, he's still getting saved. He probably doesn't know about it yet, or believe it, but he's gonna make it.
• When the Ura attack the Bastion, if you're not quick enough, any pets you collected can die, with a heartbreaking voiceover to accompany the moment.

Rucks: Our baby Pecker, he don't make it.

• After returning from the Tazl Terminals, you get a bit of this mixed with a dash of awesome at the end. The Kid lands back at the Bastion, flat on his face as usual, and...

Rucks: Hey, Kid.
The Kid pushes up a foot, then falls back to the ground.
Rucks: Get up, Kid.
Kid manages to make it to his knees, then collapses again.
Rucks, worried: C'mon, now, that ain't funny. I said get up.
Kid struggles, and finally gets to his feet.
Rucks, relieved: Now that's more like it.

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