15 Star Wars Moments That Actually Made Me Cry

Summary Reuniting with loved ones in the face of danger can be incredibly emotional, as seen with Omega and Hunter in The Bad Batch.

Meeting young Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi is a poignant reminder of Carrie Fisher's legacy and Leia's tragic past.

Sacrifices made for others, like Kanan's selfless act in Star Wars Rebels, can break our hearts and bring tears to our eyes.

In its nearly five decades, Star Wars has depicted countless moments—from joyous to heartbreaking—that have brought audiences to tears, but these 15 are the most tear-jerking of all. Throughout the Star Wars timeline, major (and minor) character deaths, reunions between family members or close friends, and deep bonds of love have all been incredibly moving. In fact, while many of Star Wars' best movies may have the best lightsaber battles or the most compelling villains, they are also some of the most emotional.

However, newer additions to Star Wars movies and TV shows have proven to be just as affecting. Although many of them are emotional due to nostalgia, the touching introduction of new characters and family units and the devastation of some of Star Wars' most brutal deaths rank them high on this list. Of all Star Wars' emotional moments, though, these 15 are the ones that genuinely made me cry.

Related The 10 Saddest Star Wars Deaths In The Movies, Live-Action TV Shows, & Animation Many characters have died tragic deaths in the Star Wars franchise. But which deaths have been the saddest, and why? Which ones had the most impact?

15 Omega and Hunter Reuniting

Star Wars: The Bad Batch

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Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3 was truly an emotional roller coaster. As the show's final season, it had considerable work to do in terms of wrapping up the stories of Clone Force 99, and, given it started with Omega being trapped on Mount Tantiss by the Empire and experimented upon, things didn't look positive. Despite the Bad Batch crew searching for her, it wasn't clear whether she would ever escape the Empire, particularly given how concealed and locked down the facility was.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3 was truly an emotional roller coaster.

However, with the help of none other than Crosshair, which added an even more emotional layer to this situation, Omega made her way back to Hunter and Wrecker. While Omega's reunion with Wrecker was certainly touching, with Wrecker even spinning her around and the two hugging, it couldn't top the moment she saw Hunter again. When Hunter appeared, Omega was frozen with joy before running to him, making this truly one of the most tear-jerking moments in Star Wars.

14 The Little Leia Reveal

Obi-Wan Kenobi

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Obi-Wan Kenobi was sure to be full of emotion, as it was going to be a major update to Obi-Wan's Star Wars story and, based on teasers and trailers, focus on him watching over Luke on Tatooine 10 years after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. However, the first episode shocked audiences by revealing that not only Luke but also Leia would be appearing. This was also doubly emotional.

Getting to see a younger Leia was touching in and of itself, but given the loss of original Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher, it was even more so. The young actress portraying little Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, also perfectly captured the essence of Princess Leia and the unique touches Carrier Fisher had brought to the character. Both that, and the fact that her appearance was entirely unexpected, really did have me in tears.

13 The Clones' Mass Grave

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars may be an animated show, but its emotional weight and subject matter make it clear the show isn't only for children. Many parts of The Clone Wars are absolutely brutal, from plots about slavery to cruel murders. Perhaps the most difficult to watch, however, was the deadly massacre of the Jedi during Order 66 and the ramifications the attack had not only on the Jedi but also on the clones.

5:07 Related Star Wars: Every Jedi Who Survived Order 66 (In Canon) Clone Protocol Order 66 caused once-loyal Clone troopers in Star Wars to wipe out the Jedi, but a handful managed to survive this initial purge.

This was certainly the case regarding how Ahsoka Tano's Clone Wars story ended. Despite doing her very best to avoid fighting or killing the clones who had been ordered to kill her and were under the control of the inhibitor chip, ultimately, all the clones who had been with her, except Captain Rex, died. Even more tragic, one of the final scenes in the show revealed that Ahsoka had taken the time to bury them, and she stood in eerie quiet, looking out over the mass grave.

12 Satine's Death

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

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One of the cruelest deaths in all of The Clone Wars was Duchess Satine Kryze, Bo-Katan's older sister and once the ruler of Mandalore, who was surprisingly revealed to be Obi-Wan's love interest in the show. After Darth Maul had attacked Mandalore, he managed to capture Satine and lure Obi-Wan there to seek revenge. Once he had, he ruthlessly killed Satine in front of Obi-Wan.

This was obviously devastating because Satine had died—and in such a cold, heartless way. However, it was also terribly sad because it reinforced the long, painful life of loss Obi-Wan had. In Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan watched his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, be cut down in front of him (also by Darth Maul), and he would eventually live to see Order 66 carried out and have to fight his own friend, the person he saw as a brother, Anakin Skywalker, nearly to the death.

11 Anakin Holding Shmi As She Dies

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

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While Anakin's actions throughout the prequel trilogy certainly can't be justified, it was nevertheless a crushing moment when he found his mother tied up, on the brink of death, and clearly suffering wounds from torture in Star Wars: Episode III - Attack of the Clones. Shmi Skywalker then died in his arms, unable to complete the sentence "I love you" before passing. This was sad not only for Anakin but also for Shmi, who certainly deserved better.

This was sad not only for Anakin but also for Shmi, who certainly deserved better.

Shmi had been a truly excellent mother, selflessly letting Anakin leave Tatooine and escape their life of hardship to become a Jedi, even if it meant never seeing her beloved son again. Her death was also difficult to swallow as it seemed so random and unnecessary; why the Tusken Raiders killed Anakin's mother hasn't quite been explained. While Anakin's slaughter of the Tusken Raiders that followed was certainly alarming, Shmi's death and Anakin witnessing it absolutely had me in tears.

10 Seeing Ahsoka At Padmé's Funeral

Star Wars: Tales Of The Jedi

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Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi was a particularly exciting Star Wars show because it really felt like something new. The show's six episodes included a three-episode arc each for Ahsoka Tano and ex-Jedi Count Dooku, and both arcs moved through time. The final episode of the show, "Resolve," followed Ahsoka just after the events of Revenge of the Sith, shockingly beginning with Padmé's funeral.

Related Tales Of The Jedi Timeline: When Each Episode Takes Place Tales of the Jedi spans the Star Wars timeline going as far back as before The Phantom Menace, up to the reign of the Empire before A New Hope.

Seeing Ahsoka at the funeral was brutal for several reasons. For one, she had to do so in hiding, as the Jedi were still being hunted down and executed. However, the scene was yet another reminder of how Ahsoka had lost everything. The Jedi and the Republic had both fallen, the people she had been closest to were almost all dead, and she believed her master, Anakin Skywalker, to be dead too (although he really had a fate worse than death). However, what pushed me to tears was Ahsoka's pained expression as she said, "She was my friend."

9 Uncle Owen And Aunt Beru Protecting Little Luke With Their Lives

Obi-Wan Kenobi

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Of all the inclusions on this list, Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen defending little Luke Skywalker with their lives as his aunt and uncle in Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of few that still have me crying any time I watch it. Although, of course, as adoptive parents, they would love Luke as a son, this dynamic wasn't as clear in A New Hope. In fact, not only do Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen seem less attached in A New Hope, but also, Luke has very little reaction to their deaths, despite them being scorched skeletons in front of him.

Their response to Reva Sevander, one of the Imperial Inquisitors, coming to the Lars Farm to kill Luke was therefore a pleasant and extremely emotional surprise. Despite Inquisitors being fearsome even to powerful Jedi, neither Owen nor Beru hesitated to literally throw their bodies between Reva and Luke to save him. Knowing that Luke was so loved by his aunt and uncle had me fully sobbing upon my first watch and still gets me every time.

8 Uncle Owen Saying "He Is My Own"

Obi-Wan Kenobi

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In the larger incredible scene of Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen protecting Luke against Reva, Owen had one profound line in particular that was the most emotional. As Owen risked his life to try and prevent Reva from getting to Luke, Reva, clearly confused by his willingness to sacrifice himself, said, "You really love the boy... like he's your own." In response, in perhaps the most emotive moment Uncle Owen has in the entire franchise, he replied, "He is my own."

Although brief, Owen's response was an incredibly meaningful one in Star Wars. Much of Luke's story has been dominated by the fact that Vader was his biological father. However, this moment in Obi-Wan Kenobi was a clear reminder that Luke had another father who loved him, too. On the one hand, this is a touching example of a healthy family connection in Star Wars; on the other, though, knowing that Anakin and Padmé's son was loved will always make me cry.

This moment in Obi-Wan Kenobi was a clear reminder that Luke had another father who loved him, too.

7 Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor's Deaths

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

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Jyn Erso Created By John Knoll Cast Felicity Jones First Appearance Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Alliance Rebel Alliance

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was an amazing addition to Star Wars movies, as it focused not on the Jedi nor on the Skywalker family tree but rather on the everyday individuals who were also being subjected to the brutality and violence of the Empire during the Dark Times. However, the outlook seemed bleak from the very beginning, as neither Jyn Erso nor Cassian Andor had appeared in other Star Wars movies, and their work fighting the Empire certainly put them in harm's way.

Even knowing that and having a strong feeling they were going to die, though, I was ill-prepared for the devastating death both characters had at the end of Rogue One. After effectively saving the galaxy by sending the Rebels the information on the Death Star that would ultimately allow them to destroy it, Jyn and Cassian embraced as they were killed in an explosion. It was an absolutely devastating end to two characters who, although they'd only just been introduced, had already become beloved.

Cassian Andor Created By John Knoll Cast Diego Luna First Appearance Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Alliance Rebel Alliance

6 Obi-Wan Overpowering Vader With Memories Of Luke And Leia

Obi-Wan Kenobi

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While merely seeing little Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi was emotional enough, the show then went on to depict Obi-Wan and Leia's relationship developing into something rather close and warm. This was especially meaningful, as Luke and Leia were the last ties Obi-Wan had to the man Anakin once was. However, nothing could have prepared me for the scene in which Obi-Wan and Darth Vader have their final face-off.

After Vader had sent rocks flying on top of Obi-Wan, nearly crushing him, Obi-Wan began hearing Anakin and Vader's disturbing, taunting words in his head, which seemed to weaken his ability to stop the rocks from completely falling and crushing him. However, when he began picturing Luke and Leia, not only Anakin's kids but also the hope for the future, he was able to overcome the attack and survive.

5 Obi-Wan Describing Anakin And Padmé To Leia

Obi-Wan Kenobi

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Perhaps the only thing more emotional than Obi-Wan using memories of Luke and Leia to survive in Obi-Wan Kenobi was the moment he described Anakin and Padmé to Leia before the two departed, not to see one another again until just before Obi-Wan's death in A New Hope. Despite the significant damage Anakin had done not only to Obi-Wan's own life but also to the entire galaxy, Obi-Wan managed to remember who Anakin had once been. In fact, Obi-Wan gave Leia an incredibly kind and accurate description of her biological father.

After explaining that Leia was "wise, discerning, kind-hearted" like Padmé, certainly the easier of the two to describe, Obi-Wan told her she was also "passionate and fearless, forthright" like Anakin. He added, "Both were exceptional people, who bore an exceptional daughter." Little in Star Wars has been as truly emotional as this moment, which was at once crushing because Anakin and Padmé never got to know their daughter, but also wonderfully touching because it showed how they were still connected.

4 Kanan Sacrificing His Life For His Friends

Star Wars Rebels

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Kanan Jarrus Created By Dave Filoni Cast Freddie Prinze Jr. First Appearance Star Wars Rebels Alliance Jedi, Rebel Alliance

Star Wars Rebels introduced a whole host of new characters who quickly became beloved in the franchise, from Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren to Hera Syndulla and Chopper. However, Kanan Jarrus was easily one of the most loved of them all, which made his death all the more brutal. Having already survived Order 66, Kanan grew into an exceptional Jedi, even taking Ezra on as a Padawan and continuing the Jedi way.

It's perhaps unsurprising, then, that in the spirit of a true Jedi, Kanan sacrificed himself for his friends. Even so, this was heartbreaking to watch, as it meant not only the death of a great character but also that each character comprising the Rebels team had just lost someone they deeply cared about. This became even sadder when the Rebels finale revealed that Kanan and Hera had a son together, Jacen, whom Kanan never got to meet.

3 Din Djarin And Grogu Saying Goodbye

The Mandalorian

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The Mandalorian season 2 ending was incredible for a number of reasons, the most notable being that the show saw the return of Luke Skywalker. However, his thrilling cameo was also one of the saddest moments in the show. Because Din Djarin had learned that Grogu was Force-sensitive and even had a history as a Jedi youngling, he wanted Grogu to be trained by a Jedi. While this was a touching gesture and selfless desire, it was devastating to watch.

Din Djarin and Grogu had already become family, with Din Djarin taking on a fatherly role almost immediately after the two first met. Seeing them part and knowing how painful it was for both of them was almost unbearable. While, thankfully, the two have since reunited and Grogu has even been formally adopted, this scene still gets me every time.

Grogu Created By Jon Favreau , Dave Filoni First Appearance The Mandalorian Alliance Jedi, Mandalorians

2 Seeing Carrie Fisher One Last Time

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker

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Carrie Fisher's death was a crushing tragedy, and the impact of her loss was felt throughout the franchise. Leia as a character had certainly been a fan-favorite from the beginning, but Carrie Fisher was a huge part of the adoration for that character, and she was equally loved as an actress, separate from her character. It would have been difficult to see clips of Princess Leia no matter what after her passing, but, somewhat oddly, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker decided to use previously shot footage of Carrie Fisher in the movie.

Carrie Fisher's death was a crushing tragedy, and the impact of her loss was felt throughout the franchise.

Of course, seeing Carrie Fisher on screen one last time immediately brought me to tears. As one of Star Wars' original three heroes, Fisher undoubtedly had a profound impact on the franchise and on cinema. However, she was also a truly wonderful person, and her loss was a terrible one.

1 Ben Solo's Smile Before He Died

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker

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Star Wars has had a number of painful deaths throughout the franchise's long history, but arguably one of the most surprising was Ben Solo's at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. Particularly because Ben was headed toward a redemption arc and the title seemed to signal that he (as the last Skywalker by blood) would have an epic end, his very sudden death and disappearance at the end of The Rise of Skywalker was confounding to say the least.

However, what made this truly tear-worthy was the way he died. Not only had Ben died to save Rey, but he also kissed her and then gave her a sweet smile before falling back and immediately vanishing. This was such a tragic end to a complex, fascinating character, and his demise in light of how alone he ended up being was difficult to swallow. While it's difficult to say which of these 15 Star Wars moments made me the most emotional, this final scene with Ben certainly made me cry.

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