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- Every single flashback to the Kiryuin sisters' childhood is one. We see in the past that, despite Ragyo's abuse, they were a loving trio of siblings who deeply cared for each other. All of these moments are undercut when we forward back to the present and see how much of a broken mess these siblings became.
- There's something saddening about when Mako asks Ryuko the basic question of "What's your favorite snack?". When asked, Ryuko just freezes before answering, as if she's processing that someone just asked her that. It starts to become apparent that this is the first time someone has tried to get to know her as anything more than just a Kiryuin or as a living weapon, and because she's never been treated as a normal person, someone making the effort to do so baffles her.
- Pretty much all of Chapter 16 is this, as it shows Soichiro/Isshin's tearful goodbye to his daughters for leaving them, effectively being forced to wage war against them thanks to his role as the leader of Nudist Beach. The entire thing shows how much of a ball of self-loathing he is for his choices and how, now that he has a chance to help Satsuki and save Ryuko, he'll do everything in his power to make it right.
- Junketsu briefly coming to believe that Ryuko now despises him for what he did, openly hating himself for his actions. He even sheds tears of sadness during this. It's rather poignant since no one, not even Junketsu, thought he could cry, but the very thought of the only one he cares for hating him forever is enough to make it so. Thankfully, Ryuko assures him that she doesn't hate him.
- When Ryuko accidentally outs Isshin/Soichiro as her father, Soichiro doesn't even try to deny it. Instead, he just laments what a naïve fool he was.
- When Nui learns of Ragyo's true intentions, her normally upbeat demeanor completely breaks and she becomes a broken mess, clinging to Ryuko for comfort and desperately trying to find some way to justify it all. Even with all that she's done, it's rather saddening to see her entire worldview get shattered and how she can barely comprehend any of it.
- Chapter 26, where Soichiro reveals his true identity to everyone. It ends with Satsuki, for the first time since she was a child, letting her emotions completely overwhelm her as she succumbs to a breakdown in her father's arms.
