SFs 26 Greatest Tearjerkers (20-16)

20 TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY
Thumb up

Sacrificing himself to destroy the T1000, Arnie melts in a vat of molten metal and so do our hearts.

Yeah, we all know that Children Of Earth put us through the emotional ringer more times than is strictly healthy, but Torchwood was an old hand at gutwrenching tragedy. The second season ended with the death of not one, but two regular characters. Tosh is stabbed by Captain Jack’s insane brother and lies bleeding to death on the floor of the Hub. Owen is trapped inside a nuclear facility about to go into meltdown. As they await their fates, they talk to each other over their communicators, and it's exquisitely painful to watch.

We’re talking the animated movie here, not the Michael Bay version. Optimus Prime is fatally wounded by arch enemy Megatron in a battle for AutoCity. The dying Optimus reaches inside his chest, extracts the Matrix Of Leadership and passes it to Ultra Magnus. The he dies, the lights going out in his eyes. And a million teenage boys suddenly discover their feminine side and wish they hadn’t watched it with their mates.

SFX Magazine is the world's number one sci-fi, fantasy, and horror magazine published by Future PLC. Established in 1995, SFX Magazine prides itself on writing for its fans, welcoming geeks, collectors, and aficionados into its readership for over 25 years. Covering films, TV shows, books, comics, games, merch, and more, SFX Magazine is published every month. If you love it, chances are we do too and you'll find it in SFX.