As this is a Tearjerker page, spoilers will be left unmarked. You Have Been Warned!
For some reason, in "Fanning the Flames", Ember's song is curiously wrenching. Mostly because the fandom consensus is that it's about the suicide of the ghost singing it, after either losing her virginity or finally committing herself to her boyfriend in a serious way only to be discarded.
Like dead trees in cold December Nothing but ashes remain...
A lighter, but still tragic reason; according to one of the directors of the show, Ember was an unpopular high school girl who strongly dreamed of one day becoming a rock star. One day, a boy asked her out to the movies and she waited all night, saying, "He's just running late." When morning came and he still didn't show up, Ember finally realized she was Stood Up and went home. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep and didn't wake up when her house mysteriously caught on fire, and she died in the flames.
The main line/refrain of the song ("You will remember my name!") and Ember's Villainous Breakdown at the end of her debut (her losing her power and desperately begging the crowd to say her name) become Harsher in Hindsight with that in mind.
Maddie’s initial perspective of her relationship with Danny in “Maternal Instincts”. She misses the days where she and Danny spent so much time with each other now that he’s a teenager. Wanting to create new memories with him, she takes him on a trip, which was Vlad’s plan to get both of them. Things don’t get better when they have dinner where she believes he’s just annoyed with her. He can’t even stand being touched by her, but only because she’s wearing a belt designed to shock any ghost that touches her or vice versa. It’s quite sad seeing her dejected expression, knowing she only wants to be a part of her son’s life and her feeling like they’re drifting further apart.
For dog lovers, there are tears over the death of "Cujo" the ghost dog where the series hint that it may have been put to sleep. A ghost PUPPY.
There's also Vlad himself. Since he's a villain with sympathetic goals, it isn't hard to get really, really emotional during his Villainous Breakdown in the Season Two Finale. For months, he's ached for Danny to be his son and while he tried to get it in the most diabolical manner possible, the fact that he had to see his perfect clone—nay—his perfect SON dissolve slowly right in front of his face while reaching out towards him was just heartbreaking. His huge Big "NO!" just sealed the deal. The insult to injury? His son was killed by Danny himself. Goddamn it...
And also, his final scene in the last episode where Jack leaves him to rot in space after realizing his best friend had "died away" twenty years ago. That's not the sad part; the sad part is when Vlad realized how much of an asshole he's been. He gives off quite possibly the most saddest face ever and flies away into emptiness that he's feared all his life. No words, no goofy comedy—just sad music as his expressions tell it all. *sniff*
Vlad: Jack, you have to help me! You wouldn't turn your back on an old friend, would you?
This hits even harder when you remember what Danny said to him all the way back in the episode "Bitter Reunions" to get him to agree to a temporary truce. In the end, Danny was absolutely right. Vlad did ultimately wind up alone, and he had no one to blame but himself.
Danny: My parents will accept me, no matter what! But if I expose you? Well… what wouldmy Momthink of you?You'll be miserable and alone for the rest of your life…
And it could also count as a sad moment for poor Jack as well. Throughout the series, Jack has been oblivious to the fact that Vlad hates him, yet he's done everything he could to rekindle the friendship they once had. The moment he discovers the truth about Vlad's evil nature, the reality of their so-called "friendship" hits Jack hard. Yet Jack still tries in vain to convince Vlad to reconsider his evil plot by understanding where Vlad's hatred was coming from. Vlad just rubs more salt into Jack's old wounds by coldly telling him he's gonna steal his wife for himself and force her to be his "queen". The way Jack cringes afterwards like Vlad's words had just punched him speaks for itself. The way Jack says the quote above has a mixture of sadness and plenty of anger, and the chilling glare Jack makes, like he's hating having to look at the callous villain Vlad had become... whatJackhad created.
Jack: [genuinely hurt] How could you hold the world hostage like that, Vladdie? And after all the good fortune you've had in your life?
Vlad: Good fortune?! You infect me with ghost DNA then steal the love of my life, and you call that "good fortune"?!
[Jack turns away, utterly crushed, and quickly glares]
The Ultimate Enemy. Both of Danny's friends, his parents, his sister and his teacher die in a tragic accident, which if blame is to be assigned, it would go to Danny for cheating on a test. Then, he's sent to live with his arch-enemy, where he tries to get rid of all the grief he's feeling. This leads to essentially killing himself along with practically everyone he could get to. Eventually, this evil Danny goes back in time to kill everyone he once loved only to ensure he'll still be just as evil in the future. And, the statues: Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Maddie and Jack: "Gone but not forgotten." Mr. Lancer: "Gone"
It's when Danny visits this future's version of Vlad Masters do things get more tragic. It's the most sympathetic we see the guy in the series (except perhaps for the end of Phantom Planet.) Vlad has spent ten years with nothing but his own guilt to keep him company. Ten years of having to face the fact that his best friend, the woman he loved, and the boy who he wished more than anything would call him "dad" are all dead, and that it's all his fault.
Future Vlad:(picks up an old photo of himself, Jack and Maddie in college) If any good came out of this, it's that ten years without ghost powers gave me the chance to see what a fool I'd been.
Danny: Maybe that's all anybody needs, a second chance.
Likewise, freakin' Dark Danny's (Dan Phantom's) fate in TUE can be considered something of a Tear Jerker. He's doomed to be trapped in the Fenton Thermos (even though he's shown trying to escape...he's never seen again in the series), alone, with nothing but his insanity and his rather tragic memories to keep him company. Though seeing he's The Sociopath with no human emotions, and last seen with a Slasher Smile, it may be somewhat difficult to sympathize with him.
Dani. Created by the villain in order to try to defeat the hero, combined with the fact she probably feels at least somewhat similar to Dawn in Buffy, as well as her being voiced by AnnaSophia Robb, who's played Break the Cutie before, and you've got a Tearjerker.
In "Masters of All Time", Jack suffers the same accident that caused Vlad's canon state. However, he is even more sympathetic, because he isn't amoral enough to use his ghost powers to become rich or manipulate his enemies. And then we have this:
When Valerie breaks up with Danny at the end of "Flirting With Disaster" because she doesn't want him to get hurt because of her ghost hunting (not knowing that he is Danny Phantom, the ghost she hates so much). Danny's really good at looking like a kicked puppy.
The Christmas special has one of these when Danny destroys everyone's toys used to form the giant nutcracker.
The reason why Danny hates the Christmas season? Because his parents are always fighting during that time. And what do they fight over? The existence of Santa Claus. This childish behavior ruined the holiday spirit for Danny.
And it's not just that they argue, but also that they actively ignore Danny during their arguments. Like the time a dog peed on him when he was a baby, or the time he and Jazz were attacked by a mutated Christmas turkey brought to life by one of Jack and Maddie's inventions when he was just four-years-old. Danny not only hates Christmas because of his parents, he's traumatized by it.
When Danny realizes that he pretty much destroyed Christmas for Amity Park, and that he has no way to end the story he's trapped in, he goes through a minor Heroic BSoD and wanders the streets, alone. He takes a good look at all the damage he's done: destroying the toys, destroying the Christmas trees, basically ruining everyone's holiday, and it hits him hard.
The scene in "Phantom Planet" where it seems that Danny is killed when the jet crashes into a mountain, and all hope for saving the planet is gone, Jack and Maddie learn the truth about Danny in the worst way possible.
Jazz: Danny… no… Sam: He… he can't be! Tucker:(sees the meteor on the radar) It's coming! (The meteor starts to eclipse the sun) Jack: Listen, I just want you all to know that… I love you. And I'm so proud of each and every one of you for trying your best. Jazz: We love you too, Dad. Maddie:(tearing up) At least we're all together… Jazz:(starts crying) I… Oh, Mom… there's something you need to know. (looks at the robot decoy dressed as Danny) Maddie:(walks over and takes the wig off the robot decoy, and gasps) A robot? Where's Danny? Jasmine, where's your brother?! (Jazz looks over in the direction of the crash. Maddie gasps and follows her gaze.) Jack… where's Danny?!
Canon-wise, the background of Desiree: A harem member who was loved by the Sultan, and was almost granted her heart’s desire; her own kingdom. But she was banished by the Sultan's jealous wife. She died of a broken heart (and old age), and was cursed to wander the world granting wishes. Eventually her bitter feelings at seeing those wishes bring happiness to others turned her evil.
is curiously wrenching. Mostly because the fandom consensus is that it's about the suicide of the ghost singing it, after either losing her virginity or finally committing herself to her boyfriend in a serious way only to be discarded.Like dead trees in cold December