The people who say cartoons are for kids do not know how heartbreaking they can be sometimes. Though, when we hear cartoons, we imagine something funny and meant for kids. But sometimes Superhero cartoons manage to rip our hearts out. These shows are entertaining but equally emotionally powerful and sometimes heartbreaking like any adult drama. And sometimes adding emotional instances to a more escapist genre serves as an element of surprise. And it builds a connection to more primal emotions. Many animated series have just broken our hearts, especially the ones with superheroes in them. Here are five instances when the Superhero cartoons ripped our hearts out and served it on a platter.
Superman: The Animated Series
In the 90s it wasn’t common to see a regular character die in Superhero Cartoons. So the death of Dan Turpin, the Metropolis police officer surprised the audience. In the second season finale of Superman: The Animated Series, the officer is killed by Darkseid. It was painful for the audience to watch their favorite superhero in grief. And the eulogy was beautiful.
Batman: The Animated Series
Apart from telling us the stories of great foes like Joker and Penguin, it shared with us the tale of Mr. Freeze. The story behind the bad deeds the man did was so tragic that it ripped out the hearts of the fans of the superhero cartoon. Mr. Freeze had his obsession with ice because of his severely ill wife who is cryogenically frozen. And does all the robbery to cure her.
Teen Titans
For most of it, the Teen Titans series have been presented as a younger and sillier DC series. But the show had an arc that featured one of the most breaking instances in Superhero cartoons. Terra’s mental confusion between becoming a double agent for Slade and her feelings for Beast Boy was intense. And her sacrifice in the finale of the season is simply heartbreaking.
Young Justice
Fans of this superhero cartoon were ready to cry in the finale as the beloved series was quite short-lived. But even if it wasn’t the fans would’ve still cried in the end. Because of the death of Wally West. He was the original kid Flash and a founding member of the Young Justice team. His sacrifice has to be one of the greatest ever in superhero cartoons.
Justice League Unlimited
The episode, “For the Man Who has Everything,” was the only adaptation of Alan Moore’s story that got his approval. It is based on the tragedy of Superman‘s life. In the episode, we see Superman being taken over by Black Mercy. A plant that feeds on people’s deepest desires by creating visions of them. Superman sees a vision of himself living a normal life with a family on Krypton. Only to later realize it is a dream. The heartbreaking goodbye he says to his son when the dream ends made the audience cry.
Related: 3 Superhero Cartoons We REALLY Miss (And 2 We Don’t)
