History TearJerker / Persona3

---> Shinjiro: Tomorrow's the day. Are you ready? Let's go in there and kick some ass.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maxresdefault_985.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"I knew what we were getting into... I knew we were putting our lives on the line! [[BloodKnight But I was so focused on fighting that I didn't see anything else!]] It doesn't matter how strong I was! Look what happened!"\\
[[note]]Akihiko at Shinjiro's funeral[[/note]]]]

*** In ''Reload'', the scene where you max out his S. Link is heartbreaking, as when you see him, he gives you his notebook before suddenly disappearing. It's heavily implied that he died sometime between the Rank 9 and 10 events, and his soul came to give you his notebook before passing on.
--->'''Akinari:''' ''(S. Link upgrades to Rank 9)'' Thank you... I'm... a little bit tired today... The story is almost done, so I'll show it too you soon...

->''The day he fell asleep... We took him back to our dorm, fear beginning to well up within us. And the next morning, our fears became reality, and he was lost to us. For some time after that, I fell into depression, and began seeing the same dream night after night... A dream where I run after him, calling his name... but can never catch up. When he was alive, I promised to protect him, and I made that my reason for living. That promise is gone... unfulfilled.''
-->-- '''Aigis''', ''The Answer''

[[caption-width-right:350:Shinji... [[PleaseDontLeaveMe Don't leave me behind...!]][[note]]Akihiko at Shinjiro's funeral[[/note]]]]

* When Ryoji finally remembers who he is, he subsequently spells out the SadisticChoice the S.E.E.S faces. They can either prepare for battle and fight Nyx to the bitter end, despite her being effectively unkillable, or they can kill Ryoji right here and now, which won't stop the Fall from coming but will erase the Dark Hour and their memories of it, allowing them to spend their last days in blissful ignorance. It's absolutely brutal seeing him spell out the ''horrific'' situation everyone's landed in, especially given that even he can't stop what's coming, no matter how much he wants to. Choosing to kill Ryoji becomes especially heartbreaking as he'll affirm your decision by effectively saying that it's okay to turn away from your problems if they're too much to bear, a sentiment that only becomes HarsherInHindsight when this theme is revisited in ''VideoGame/Persona5 Royal''.

* The "bad" ending is pretty, well, bad in this regard as well. At first glace, things don't seem particularly bad, and it'd probably serve as a happy ending in any other context, which is what makes it feel so subtly ''wrong''. The MC, Junpei and Yukari are all hanging out like they used to. They see Aigis on the way to school... and to them she's just a girl from their dorm they barely know. And it's implied she's the only one who has RippleEffectProofMemory, so imagine how painful that must be for ''her''. Mitsuru and Akihiko aren't even acquaintances with the others, and Mitsuru gives a speech on graduation day, saying her father recently passed away from illness. She pauses for a moment, as if some part of her realizes that's not right...but unlike what happens in the true ending, she just proceeds to finish the speech without remembering the truth. Everyone discusses their future plans (oblivious to the fact the whole world is about to end), and Yukari makes a speech about how it doesn't matter what they choose in life as long as they're having fun, an otherwise innocuous line that becomes downright ominous when you realize that she's probably on her way (along with everyone else) of succumbing to Apathy Syndrome soon. But the worst part about all this? ''Shinjiro isn't even mentioned.'' Seeing as Mitsuru knows her father died, this seems to imply that Shinjiro's death still happened. But since so much of Shinjiro's characterization was tied to the Dark Hour, everyone's forgotten the truth of his tragic circumstances and his HeroicSacrifice to save Ken's life. Now he's just a former friend of Sanada's who became a delinquent and died in a random street crime, doomed to be ''completely forgotten''. Everything all these characters went through is gone, and the world is doomed. [[ItsAWonderfulFailure Nice job]].

You know that you are going to play a Tearjerking game when the way characters summon is by [[DrivenToSuicide shooting themselves]] [[RuleOfSymbolism in the head.]]

---> '''Shinjiro as he holds you as you die in the end of NG+:''' I'm glad I met you.

--> '''Mitsuru:''' "Give him strength! Take my life if you must!"
--> '''Junpei:''' "No, he's not alone! I won't let him die!"

--> '''Ryoji:''' I think looking to the future is a great way to live. But that doesn't mean other ways of living are wrong. No one knows which road leads to happiness.

* The scene where Mitsuru's father, Takeharu, is shot and killed. Seeing the normally composed, elegant Mitsuru so utterly distraught was heartwrenching;
--> Mitsuru slumped to the floor, crying like a child.

** Fortunately, FES adds a rather happy TearJerker in all this: By triggering [[GuideDangIt certain event flags]], it is possible to revive Chidori, though she loses her memories of the Dark Hour. But the scene of her and Junpei being reunited is absolutely beautiful.
* Ken also has one as a part of his social link for Portable. In order to re-initiate the S.Link after the events of October 4th, Ken asks the heroine to come with him to that spot again. There, he thanks her, but breaks down crying and admits how he still finds living painful, even after he had his resolution. She's the only one he tells about this, proving how much she means to him. To learn he keeps on living for his love for her and devotion to SEES is very, very tender. That event (and the S.Link afterwards) [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap redeemed Ken for many players]].

* Ryoji's social link in general if you've played the game before/spoiled yourself as to what happens. [[spoiler:He makes it very clear that he would love nothing more than to be a normal teenager with friends like the MC and SEES. When Yukari asks if there's anything they can do to stop The Fall, he mutters out a heartbreaking "I'm sorry..." and tries to get his friends to kill him to delay their death and let them die happy to boot. And if they don't, and Nyx arrives, Ryoji fades away and loses his human identity almost entirely.]]
* And because it's worth mentioning here again, Akinari, the Sun Social Link.

* Surprisingly enough, Rank 9 of Kenji's Social Link. (Which also happens to contain one of the single biggest {{Jerkass}} dialogue options in the game, which you should feel like a total bastard for even considering choosing.) Especially after the HopeSpot in Rank 7, where he seriously considers marrying Emiri and having a future together after graduating. Knowing he was wrong about Emiri liking him ''the whole time'' can make the entire link HarsherInHindsight on a second playthrough.

* After December 31st knowing that you have one month until Nyx comes to commence the Grand Fall and the formally cheerful city theme "Moon's Reaching Stars" is replaced with "Memories of the City" and posters of the Nyx cult are placed all over the mall and town... it felt just numb to see a town you'd grown to love - and the main character found his best friends there - completely ripped of all enthusiasm. Then you can get the true ending and seal Nyx away. Especially when you realize the new tune is a leitmotif of ''Memories of You'', just much, MUCH sadder.

** Bunkichi and Mitsuko, the lively elderly couple who treats you like a grandchild, always giving you snacks and being so happy to see you; it's implied they were essentially alone until the petition to save the tree brought their old friends and their son's friends back into their lives. In the end, despite their age and past tragedies, their son's tree is safe, they're planning on remodeling the bookstore, and they hope the nice young student who helped them so much comes by to visit any time. Needless to say, [[TheHeroDies that doesn't happen.]]

* Having accidentally shown off your cellphone's wallpaper to Ms. Toriumi, the Hermit S-Link, she suitably freaks out, almost recovers in time to ask you out for dinner, but ends up running away. The main character dies the next day. Ouch.

* During those two days, the dorm becomes eerily quiet. The game tells you that everyone is probably out enjoying themselves while you're too exhausted from defeating the big bad to go out yourself. You performed a [[HeroicSacrifice heroic sacrifice]] for these people, and yet neither you nor they seem to remember anything. The protagonist is constantly feeling exhausted during those two days and has no clue why. Aigis is the only one who remembered what happened and tries to approach him a few times to talk about it. It's not until the final day that everyone remembers everything and run up to you as promised, only to arrive seconds before you die.

** Even before Nyx is sealed away, seeing that the cost of the "Great Seal" skill is ''the entirety of your hit points'' will probably make you realize that the game is not going to end happy.
** The fact that he survives after using up his soul on pure willpower alone, despite his friends having forgotten him and the promise that was keeping him alive, until the very end, wherein it's too late as he lies down on Aigis's lap atop the rooftop, watches the sky with her, and dies seconds before his friends arrive. Hearing Aigis almost break down as she tries to reassure the Protagonist doesn't make it any better.

*** In particular, Shinjiro's ending is excruciatingly heart breaking due to twisted irony. The girl he loved indirectly saved his life through her kindness, yet she dies in his arms and he can't do anything about it. Thanks Atlus, you cruel bastards.
---->'''Yukari:''' "I’ll be by your side… I promise."
---->'''Akihiko:''' "...and starting now, we'll never be apart."
---->'''Mitsuru:''' "Come what may... we'll always be together."
---->'''Ken:''' "From now on... I'll protect you."

* ''The Answer'' was very sad, with seeing the struggle the characters were dealing with what to do with the keys and the MC's death. Seeing the once-close TrueCompanions fighting each other is truly depressing.

** Perhaps the worst part about the fight against Junpei and Koromaru is that they're the opposing team who least wants to fight. Unlike Yukari, whose [[JerkassWoobie (understandable)]] insistence on going back in time to save the protagonist is the reason why SEES is fighting, and Akihiko, who's no less willing to fight for his own side, Junpei just wants SEES to come to a decision as a group, even if it means beating some sense into the other members. Unfortunately, given how the Key of Time is forged, you have to defeat him and Koromaru in order to make it.

* Yukari ends up being very tragic and going through the five stages of grief over the events of The Answer. Compounding this is her backstory: She's merely six years old, and her father tragically passes away, but rather than have time to mourn the loss, she and your mother get ostracized so badly that she has to move repeatedly. Then it gets worse when her own mother ends up abandoning her to pursue shallow relationships with men just to cope with the loss, forcing the daughter to try to live on her own, and she's STILL ONLY AROUND SIX.

* The Drama CD skit Broken Social Link actually has one sad segment when Fuuka calls in the protagonist to cancel their plans to make bento after she found out that the protagonist has been making plans with Mitsuru for the day. Unlike the others (especially the latter parts after this, which is PlayedForLaughs), the segment with Fuuka is made to make the protagonist feel like a bastard for this because near the end of her conversation, Fuuka is sobbing and struggling to even talk, trying so hard to quell her broken heart after being cheated. The Drama segment can be heard [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeCgDXM7eS0#t=2366 here.]]

--> Kid... don't you realize that you might have been killed by your own mom that night?
* The Dear Girls Comic Anthology showcases the relations the female protagonist has with other male characters and while most of them are adorable and heartwarming. The last chapter "Smile" shows the Female Protagonist breaking down while trying to keep up an empty smile, which even makes her unable to use her Persona. The end shows the reason for her behavior, its Shinjiro's death, which causes her depression and desperation to keep smiling to keep thinking about her good times with him.

* The "bad" ending is pretty, well, bad in this regard as well. At first glace, things don't seem particularly bad, and it'd probably serve as a happy ending in any other context, which is what makes it feel so subtly ''wrong''. The MC, Junpei and Yukari are all hanging out like they used to. They see Aigis on the way to school... and to them she's just a girl from their dorm they barely know. And it's implied she's the only one who has RippleEffectProofMemory, so imagine how painful that must be for ''her''. Mitsuru and Akihiko aren't even acquaintances with the others, and Mitsuru gives a speech on graduation day, saying her father recently passed away from illness. She pauses for a moment, as if some part of her realizes that's not right...but unlike what happens in the true ending, she just proceeds to finish the speech without remembering the truth. Everyone discusses their future plans (oblivious to the fact the whole world is about to end), and Yukari makes a speech about how it doesn't matter what they choose in life as long as they're having fun, an otherwise innocuous line that becomes downright ominous when you realize that she's probably on her way (along with everyone else) of succumbing to Apathy Syndrome soon. But the worst part about all this? ''Shinjiro isn't even mentioned.'' Seeing as Mitsuru knows her father died, this seems to imply that Shinjiro's death still happened. But since so much of Shinjiro's characterization was tied to the Dark Hour, everyone's forgotten the truth of his tragic circumstances and his HeroicSacrifice to save Ken's life. He's now nothing more than a former friend of Sanada's who became a delinquent and died in a random street crime, doomed to be ''completely forgotten''. Everything all these characters went through is gone, and the world is doomed. [[ItsAWonderfulFailure Nice job]].

* The "bad" ending is pretty, well, bad in this regard as well. At first glace, things don't seem particularly bad, and it'd probably serve as a happy ending in any other context, which is what makes it feel so subtly ''wrong''. The MC, Junpei and Yukari are all hanging out like they used to. They see Aigis on the way to school... and to them she's just a girl from their dorm they barely know. And it's implied she's the only one who has RippleEffectProofMemory, so imagine how painful that must be for ''her''. Mitsuru and Akihiko aren't even acquaintances with the others, and Mitsuru gives a speech on graduation day, saying her father recently passed away from illness. She pauses for a moment, as if some part of her realizes that's not right...but unlike what happens in the true ending, she just proceeds to finish the speech without remembering the truth. Everyone discusses their future plans (oblivious to the fact the whole world is about to end), and Yukari makes a speech about how it doesn't matter what they choose in life as long as they're having fun, an otherwise innocuous line that becomes downright ominous when you realize that she's probably on her way (along with everyone else) of succumbing to Apathy Syndrome soon. But the worst part about all this? ''Shinjiro isn't even mentioned.'' Seeing as Mitsuru knows her father died, this seems to imply that Shinjiro's death still happened and since everyone believes he died to a random street crime, they all just...moved on. He was ''completely forgotten''. Everything all these characters went through is gone, and the world is doomed. [[ItsAWonderfulFailure Nice job]].

-->"'Ryoji:''' I think looking to the future is a great way to live. But that doesn't mean other ways of living are wrong. No one knows which road leads to happiness.