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Po, after landing in his hometown, now in ruins from Lord Shen's invasion, finally completely remembers why he lost his parents. Filmed from Po's perspective, his mom, pursued by his soldiers, intentionally leaves him in a discarded pile of radish cartons so he would at least be spared and undetected, and before she lured away Shen's forces and he never saw her again. This is especially moving considering how, previously, Shen tries time and again to convince Po that his parent did not love him, just like he believes his own parents did not as well. The sweeping music, combined with the switch from 2D to 3D animation, and his mom's pained expression from giving up her baby, pulls at the heartstrings even more and making it hands down the saddest moment in a Dreamworks Animation film.
Ditto combined with Fridge Horror as you realise Po's line from the first movie about him eating while he's sad. His mom left him in a Radish crate that was full, and when he got to Mr. Ping's restaurant it was empty. On the bright side, it also makes his other line in the first movie, "I'm not hungry" all the more epic.
Master Thundering Rhino being blasted to bits by Lord Shen's cannon.
Tigress's Futile Paw Reach as Po is shot. Later, Po finding a badly injured Tigress after she took the bullet for him.
The Soothsayer sincerely telling Lord Shen that she hopes he finds happiness someday. It becomes sad if you know that she's the one who pretty much raised him, and she probably knew full well that that would be the last time she'd ever see him.
It becomes worse when he does find happiness and peace of mind eventually... two seconds beforehe dies.
Boss Wolf's expressions as he struggles with the need to obey his master and the need protect his pack. It's worse when you take into consideration that he had been childhood friends with Lord Shen, and then he is thoughtlessly, instantly murdered by Shen when he decides to stand up to who had once been his friend in a hopeless effort to save his kin.
The sight of all ten kung fu masters, the most powerful and noble warriors in the land, in the aftermath of the completely drained and utterly defeated, seemingly without a chance in the world...the shot of Shifu watching Po- either a surrogate son or a dear friend to him- looking as if he was preparing for a Suicide by Cop makes this troper's heart break.
"My son is alive."
Makes it more sadder that for a long time Po's biological dad had believed his family was killed that night.
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