King Kong/Tear Jerker

• The death of Kong. Yes, It Was His Sled applies in full, but the two main versions still wring it out for all its worth. The 1933 version had this happen unintentionally, as technically, Kong is the villain, but the way the music is used and the "Performance" Willis O'Brian gives Kong really rank up the sympathy, and even though it's inevitable--everyone still felt sorry for the poor beast. the 2005 version's music and performance are equally evocative.
  • You can argue that Kong being so sympathetic wasn't unintentional. You can argue the original is designed to be a tragedy; even when the monster is killed, the famous last line makes it that there's no sense of accomplishment or victory. In the end, you can only feel heartbroken for Kong.
• The coffee-table book A Natural History Of Skull Island, in its description of Kong's species, includes a heartbreaking illustration of an orphaned baby Kong, uncomprehendingly clutching the fur of his dead mother. See it here, in the lower righthand corner. ^{[dead link]}
• Jimmy's reaction to Hayes' death.
• Also, Lumpy's reaction to Choy's.
• "It was Beauty killed the Beast."
• 1933 and 2005 versions of Kong's final battle on the Empire State Building gets this troper all water-y eyed to this day. His last moments are spent looking at Ann for comfort and then the last plane swoops in and...(sob)
• Seventeen people died to rescue Ann, yet she doesn't give a damn and only cares about Kong. This troper always gets sad that all the Too Cool to Live characters like Lumpy and Hayes died and she doesn't even care.