5 most tear-jerking moments in a Disney movie

2. The Fall of the King

There have been many dead parents in Disney movies, yet the death of Mufasa in The Lion King is one of the biggest. James Earl Jones made the character a wonderful father figure, noble, strong, and always there with good advice for Simba. He leaps into trying to save his son from a wildebeest stampede, only for his own brother to send him falling into the crushing herd. 

In the midst of the dust, Simba slowly crawls to his father’s body, begging him to wake up. It’s a moment made worse when Scar makes Simba think it’s his fault and the tribe will turn on him, so Simba runs off. It sets him on his path, but also a terrible moment for any son to feel a father’s death.