Moments pages are Spoilers Off. You have been warned.
"If only I could have nailed Bratt..."
- Gru and Lucy getting fired from the AVL.
- Lucy's case needs a bit more explanation. Her reason for joining the AVL was to find the villain who killed her parents. Her official reaction has yet to be seen, but it can be presumed it will be more than just anger or shock.
- The movie makes it bittersweet — even though she lost her (implied) childhood dream job that meant a significant deal to her personally, she doesn't regret standing up for her husband, citing there are things she loves more while looking at Gru.
- Agnes selling away her toys to help Gru. What really makes the scene sad is that she's selling her unicorn toy (the same toy that Gru got for her in the first movie). Also, the unicorn toy was the reason Gru came to love the girls because it brought him the girls' affection for winning it from a rigged carnival game. This doubles as a heartwarming moment.Agnes: He helps you if you have nightmares, and he's really good to snuggle with. So...take good care of him.
- The Minions appear to be revolting against Gru when he won't return to villainy. After years of camaraderie, these guys are disagreeing with Gru to the point of a revolt. Sure, it's Played for Laughs, but it's still sad.
- Dr. Nefario is stuck in carbonite because he accidentally froze himself. This incident is also sad because Gru has one less friend around when he loses his job.
- When Marlena recounts on why Gru and Dru were separated, pictures of her, Robert, and the former two are shown. The gut-wrenching part comes from how Gru and Dru are reaching out to one another, trying to stay together, but to no obvious avail.
- After a bartender tells Agnes that she might find a real unicorn if she goes into the Crooked Forest, Gru tries to explain to Agnes the possibility that there might not be a unicorn. Agnes gets such a heartbroken look on her face at the idea that Gru quickly backpedals and instead of saying unicorns don't exist, he just says unicorns don't explore that part of the woods. Fortunately, the ending to this subplot is less of a tearjerker: while Agnes never finds a unicorn, she absolutely loves the one-horned goat she does find.
- Dru, like Gru was in the first film, is a "Well Done, Son" Guy, as his father saw him as a disgrace. It carries a sadder undertone to it this time because Gru eventually got a So Proud of You reaction from his mother, but Dru will never get the same from their father due to his death. No wonder Dru wants to follow in his footsteps so badly.
- After successfully stealing the Dupont Diamond from Bratt, Gru and Dru get into a terrible argument over how the former wants to go back to the AVL and the latter wants to continue their family's villainy tradition. It ends with both disowning each other.Dru: No, no way! We can't give the diamond back! (tries to yank it out of Gru's hands)
Gru: I have to!
Dru: No, you don't!
Gru: Yes, I do!
Dru: Give it!
Gru: No!
Dru: Give it!
Gru: (swipes the diamond out of Dru's grasp) No!
Dru: GIVE IT! (kicks Gru in the shin)
Gru: OW! What is wrong with you?!
Dru: What is wrong with you?!
Gru: You kicked me!
Dru: You-You lied to me!
Gru: Hey, I would've told you the truth. But you're too much of a wimp to handle it! That's it! I'm outta here.
Dru: You have no right to take that! We stole it together!
Gru: Together?! (scoffs) You gotta be kidding me! You did nothing but screw up the whole time! I got this in spite of you!
Dru: Oh, yeah?! Well, at least I didn't get fired from my job like a total loser!
Gru: At least I had a job! What have you accomplished that was so great? I'll tell you what. NOTHING! No wonder Dad thought you were such a failure. (Dru gasps as Gru begins to leave)
Dru: WE ARE NO LONGER BROTHERS!
Gru: THAT'S FINE WITH ME!
(Gru leaves; Dru growls in anger; then he slumps in sadness and heartbreak) - While it's Played for Laughs, Bratt's motivation and characterization is quite depressing. Being the biggest star on the planet back in his childhood for playing Evil Bratt, his show was cancelled before the final episode was even aired due to Bratt going through puberty, resulting in acne and his voice breaking.note Despite being in his mid-to-late 40s when the film's main events take place, Bratt still dresses and acts like he did when he was a pre-teen, which is sadly common for many washed-up former child stars (or former movie/television stars in general) that desperately try to relive their glory days.
- A deleted scene made in storyboards shows Gru sadden for the fact that The Minions quit because he refused to go back to villainy.
.Gru: I couldn't give them what they truly need. I couldn't give them the moon.
