Moments pages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned!
Given that Slayers is such a comedic show, you never thought it would have any of these, did you? Well it is the case, just as there were funny moments in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
- In NEXT, it's almost impossible to not feel bad for little Amelia when she thinks her dad is dead (he survived the actual assassination attempt and then just faked his death to uncover the plotters, but she doesn't know that yet) and breaks down crying in Phil's library as she finds the book that her dad used to read to her when she was a little girl. That one was so sad that even Lina got briefly depressed and gave her a hug before promising to help her through all of this.
- When Amelia is nearly killed by Gaav, and later temporarily IS killed by Hellmaster. Zelgadis' reactions, both times, make them extra painful.
- ALL the temporary deaths that Hellmaster inflicts on the cast sans Lina qualify. Aside from Amelia, the one that probably stings most is Martina. Yes, Martina, the freaking comic relief character, wasn't even spared a gut-wrenching temporary death.
- In TRY, when Valgaav dies at the end. Even though he's reborn, the only character who isn't depressed by this is, of course, Xellos.
- Also in TRY, Filia becomes the Last of Her Kind, when the other Golden Dragons are killed on-screen.
- In NEXT, right after Lina defeats Phibrizzo, and everyone is waking up only to find that "Lina" does not exist anymore. The way that Gourry stands there watching her and then says "I don't know what's going on- but you are taking Lina away, I want it undone! I WANT IT UNDONE!" And everyone joining in to tell off the Lord of Nightmares.
- In episode 7 of NEXT, a chef tells Amelia that he wants to help her and her friends catch the dragon and make dragon cuisine because he was unable to make some for his late granddaughter, who looks like Amelia. It turns out that he told every member of the group the same story, telling Lina that she looked like his dead daughter, that Gourry looked like his dead son-in-law, and that poor Zelgadis looked like his wife. At first, it seems like it's a false tearjerker meant to get a laugh, then we find out at the end that he was telling the truth, due to him having a locket with a picture of his family. If you watch that scene again and now know he's telling the truth, you may be inclined to tear right back up, especially with the music playing during the scene.
- In episode 18 of NEXT, Lina experiences a vision showing what would have happened if she lost control of Giga Slave spell during the battle with a piece of Ruby Eye Shabranigdu, inadvertently causing the end of the universe. She has to watch her friends getting disintegrated one by one in front of her, still alive and screaming. The last one to pass away is Gourry, who is only able to utter "Lina... save yourself" before dissipating into black smoke. You can practically feel the utter despair in Lina's voice when she keeps screaming his name. When the vision ends, real-world Lina, although fully aware that it did not happen, is so shocked and heartbroken that she can't help but cry.
- Gaav's Kick the Dog moment in which he verbally brutalizes Amelia, then tries to kill her... and Zelgadis goes Taking the Bullet to protect her, which causes the poor girl an Heroic BSoD as he bleeds to almost death in her arms. That was so freaking sad.
- The opening to the 23rd episode of NEXT. Gaav's dead, but Phibrizzo has revealed himself and taken Gourry away with him. Lina wakes up, remembers what happened the previous day and the reality hits her that Gourry is gone. She then notices that there's something falling on her lap and realizes it's her own tears; the whole time she's started crying. And then immediately after that, she collapses into full blown sobs.
- The above hits just as hard in the same episode when Phibrizzo sends one of his minions, a masked fighter, to kill Lina and her group for some quick entertainment. The minion proved to be one of the toughest opponents they've ever faced since he was able to fight them all of at the same time, almost as if toying with them, even deflecting a DRAGON SLAVE from a short distance. By the battle's climax, it was then revealed to everyone's shock that the masked fighter is a Brainwashed and Crazy Gourry, courtesy of Phibrizzo's magic. Lina could only scream Gourry's name, nearly putting her into a Heroic BSoD, realizing the enemy they had just fought was the one she was trying to save.
- Episode 10 of Evolution-R, when we discover from Rezo that it is impossible for Zelgadis to restore his body. Zelgadis' agony is heartfelt and sells in both languages...he even cries for the very first time in any form of media!
- Of course, this kind of lessens when you realize that Hajime Kanzaka stated that Zelgadis will truly find his cure one day. Then again, considering that he will live longer because he's a chimera,...
- The flashbacks also provide a rather belated tearjerker: In season 1, Zelgadis kills Noonsa during his escape from Rezo. In episode 10 of Evolution-R, we see Noonsa as one of the people cheering up Zel shortly after he becomes a chimera...
- In Revolution, when Pokota can't bring himself to execute Duclis.Duclis, affectionately: You really are a hopeless prince.
- Milina's death in the Light Novel. During a bodyguarding job, she is stabbed with a poisoned knife. She is denied medical care from one man and the other does not know the spell needed to heal the toxins, and Milina dies as a result, cuing Luke's Roaring Rampage of Revenge and Shabranigdo's awakening.
- Poor Sylphiel. In one night she lost her father and her hometown, including all her friends and neighbors. And is if that wasn't bad enough, later on Hellmaster Phibrizzo brings everyone back in a sort of half-life just to torment Lina. Sylphiel is reunited with her Father only for him to inform her that he isn't technically alive, demonstrating that fact by revealing to her that he has no heartbeat. And then she sees several of her friends murdered by Phibrizzo and quickly joins them. She's revived, only to find that the Lord of Nightmares has consumed Lina. The only reason this isn't a case of Break the Cutie is that Sylphiel never actually breaks.
- Ozzel, full stop. She's "just a doll", and yet because she is so determined to learn to emulate human emotion so as to better understand and obey her master and creator Rezo, as Evolution-R goes on she becomes more and more genuine and heartfelt in the things she expresses (a particularly good example is her showing sympathy to Pokota over Taforashia at their campfire). Eventually when the time comes to use the Hellmaster's Jar to resurrect Rezo, she hesitates and agonizes over the decision, torn between following one set of orders or the other, but eventually choosing to let Pokota use it so she can get to see Rezo one last time. She does, as he manifests in his own appearance overlying Posel's body...and after practically begging him to tell her she did the right thing and had come to understand humans, he agrees that she has, that she did well...and then she smiles, only for her eyes to go dark and lose all life as she falls to the ground, inanimate. Because by aiding in Rezo's resurrection, she fulfilled her purpose and therefore no longer had reason or will to exist. In hindsight it becomes clear that she must have known, or sensed, this would happen and that was why she agonized over her decision—but she did it anyway, because she was that desperate to see Rezo again. And what does Rezo do? Simply acknowledge that things happen no one expects or desires, that amazingly a doll did manage to gain a soul, and that she should be happy for this. Understandably, Pokota is in tears...and Lina is furious.
