Redwall/Tear Jerker

• It wasn't entirely unexpected that Martin the Warrior would feature a Downer Ending, as it was necessary for anything in the preceding books to make sense, but this didn't stop it from being well and truly worthy of inclusion on this page. Martin's girlfriend is killed in battle and he goes into exile. This summary doesn't begin to do it justice.
  • In the same book, there's Martin speaking to his deceased father.
• Skarlath's death in Outcast of Redwall, full stop. For bonus points, there's an excruciatingly long build-up as Nightshade prepares to shoot him. Then there's the bit where Sunflash has to explain to his adoptive family that Skarlath won't be coming home.
  • Veil's storyline in general is tragic. His mother is dead, his father abandoned him in a ditch, and most at Redwall write him off as a lost cause from the moment he arrives. His reaction to his banishment is especially saddening: "I've got no family, I'm alone. What will I do?" He did bring it on himself, but given his life, he's still pitiable. There's also the way he adopts "the Outcast" as his title, as if it was his destiny.
    • And then of course, there's his Redemption Equals Death moment. "Go away... let me sleep!" Between this moment and the aforementioned death, the climax of Outcast is one big Tear Jerker.
• Or in The Pearls of Lutra, when Piknim is brutally murdered by jackdaws. Even worse since she wasn't a warrior, just a simple mousemaid, and Jacques spent a lot of time fleshing her character out and making the reader love her, which makes the event itself all the more saddening.
• The orphans on the island in The Bellmaker, the two youngest still waiting for their caregiver to Please Wake Up.
  • From the same book, Mellus' funeral and Blaggut's return immediately thereafter.
  • Finbarr sails off on the calm sea...
• Bragoon and Saro's Heroic Sacrifice in Loamhedge.
• Shogg's death in Triss. Made worse by the fact that he died trying to kill an adder that Triss or Sagax could've easily defeated on their own...
• Cregga's death in Taggerung, especially coupled with the dying visions she has of her old Long Patrol.
• In Salamandastron, Spriggat the hedgehog's death makes this Troper cry EVERY TIME. Especially what Samkin says: "He told me he was going to find a green forest filed with flying insects and then he smiled and... oh, my poor old friend...!"
  • In the same book, Urthstripe's entire life story. First his parents are killed and he is separated from his brother at birth, then his stepdaughter runs away leaving him thinking she hated him, then just as he is about to be reunited with his family he kills himself along with the Big Bad Feragho.
    • Even more heart-wrenching is the fact that Mara never got the chance to reconcile with him before he died.
  • Burrley the mole's death in Salamandastrom, his nephew's reaction, and Thrugann's subsequent words of comfort -- "There there. Hushabye, mole. Nuncle Burrley's gone away, but you'll see him again some sunny season." It's both heart-breaking and completely heart-warming.
    • "Whurr be moi ol' nuncle Burrley? Burrhurrhurrhurr..."
  • Really, Salamandastron is in many ways the saddest book in the entire series. I'm fairly certain more named characters die in it than in any other book.
• Author Existence Failure left dozens of people across the internet weeping, even those who hadn't read the books in years.
• Romsca.
• Brinty's Dying Moment of Awesome in High Rhulain. It comes out of nowhere.
• Legend of Luke part 2. Possibly the only real tragedy in the series.
• Globby's death The Sable Quean. Brat or no, he was basically just a messed up, hungry kid. After his failed escape attempt leaves him cornered in the attic, terrified of the Redwallers who've been beating and threatening him, he breaks down and sobs. After dying gruesomely, he goes completely unmourned.
• The scene in Mattimeo where baby Rollo tearfully begs his murdered mother to wake up.
• There's a subdued one in Mossflower where Martin and company find a dead, elderly searat near his camp on the beach. Their first response is to speak to him respectfully while trying to help him; after they realize he's gone, they give him a proper burial before making use of his shelter and supplies. This is very sad in its own right, but when one takes into account the later books' stock response to a vermin death -- save your tears, that one won't be hurting anyone else -- it's absolutely heartwrenching.
• In Mariel, the hares of the long patrol have a heroic last stand to help the prisoners they've rescued from sea rats escape. Even if Hon Rosie survives, it's still heart wrenching: "my running days are over." "hate to remind you, old thing, but we didn't come here to run."