Little Witch Academia/Tear Jerker

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Eventually, the Giant of Light fulfilled his mission and returned to his home in deep space.

A list of Tear Jerker Moments in Little Witch Academia.

Anime Continuity

TV Series

• "Orange Submariner" showcased how Finnelan's favoritism towards most excelled of students and standards as Luna Nova teacher narrowed her perspectives when it comes about troublemakers and least talented ones, so much that it made her abusive towards the latter. Her Kick the Dog moments everytime Akko causes troubles along with her attempts to make her expelled in this episode explicitly highlighted this issue. What makes this sadder is that cases similar to Akko's ordeal throughout this episode occured in real life as well; the least talented students, especially disabled ones, are unfortunate enough to receive abuse and criticisms from strict and narrow-minded teachers for their shortcomings like Akko did. Some of such cases pointed the irony of said teachers worsening (if not outright responsible for) least talented students' predicaments that they received criticisms from wiser teachers and parents alike (whom Ursula represented as their metaphors in the same episode).

• Two-parter episodes "Cavendish" and "Intelligence and Sensibility" revealed depressing factors that led to Diana's maturity. She lost her parents when she was very young, and has nasty aunt and cousins (Daryl, Maril, and Merrill) who, despite in charge of managing the well-being of their family (the former acted as proxy head of Cavendish family), continuously squandered their fortune and important artifacts for fulfilling their own lifestyle and threaten to soil their family's prestige. By the time Diana returned home with Akko in pursuit, Cavendish manor is no longer as beautiful as it used to be, and only persisting butlers and servants that remains (includes Anna). The rest on the other hand, either fired or left out of disgust with Daryl Cavendish, Maril, and Merril's antics.
• The four-parter second cour finale has a fair number of this, making it entire series' Darkest Hour owing to its first and third part being Wham! Episodes:
  • The first part, "The Thing We Said Yesterday", has Akko learned Croix's true color and initial meeting with Chariot in person that ended up in this way. The former is revealed to be the mastermind behind strange floating cubes' attacks (said cubes are her Magitek weapons) and up to no good, whereas Chariot didn't even fare better; back during the fateful show at Japan 10 years back, Chariot revealed to use experimental Dream Fuel Spirit which handicapped her audience's magic potential in exchange of dazzling magical performance, Akko's included. As a result, Akko's magical abilities was extremely weakened that not only it hampered her progress in honing her magical skills at Luna Nova, but also the reason why she can't fly in the first place. The discovery of worsts in two professors she looked up to greatly devastated her. The worst of it all is that she only learned half of the truth, which Croix ensured in hopes of destroying the bond between the student and teacher.
    • It's even more heartbreaking if we looked back at what Andrew told Akko in "Intellect and Sensibility" about Diana's magic and the pilot episode itself, Diana indeed victimized by the same predicament as much as Akko was. Unlike Akko however, Diana managed to restore her magic thanks to her magical background and dreams Chariot instilled upon her. Akko on the other hand, didn't learn about this issue until very recently, nor the fact that damage on her magic can be reversed.
    • Speaking about their predicament, it's not even revealed whether other children who attended the same show discovered their magic became handicapped for some reasons, let alone hardships that come with it or the damage was restored as soon as Akko and Diana revived Yggdrasil and magic in the world, but it's wise not to speculate.
    • As we find out in the next episode, Chariot only used Dream Fuel Spirit once and didn't know about the harm it posed to her audience until Croix revealed her deception and betrayal, which means it all Croix's fault with Chariot is a full-blown scapegoat and victim as much as Akko and Diana by default.
  • The second part, "Yesterday", has Akko and Ursula become separated throughout the episode while undergone Heroic BSOD, with the gang led a seemingly fruitless search for the former who revealed to be disappeared after learning the awful truth from the same episode.
    • One can tell that Diana is similarly devastated upon learning the truth from Ursula's side of the story, yet she put it aside because her bigger concern is Akko's well-being. The Cavendish's disillusionment over Ursula/Chariot who too consumed by the guilt to find Akko who needs her most however, was evident through her statement where her teacher and role model is a disappointment in the present.
      • Unknown to Diana however, Ursula's Heroic BSOD is way much worse than her student and fan; whereas Akko simply unresponsive and sitting alone in the middle of the snow by the time the Cavendish found her, Ursula steadily losing hope because it's becoming clear to her, as much as she tries to deny it, that redeeming her former best friend is no longer possible and that Murder Is the Best Solution. After Diana left, Ursula pleaded to Diana to take care of Akko in her stead, not wanting either of them to see her resorted to kill the one who used to be her best friend so that person won't have to live the life of evil.
    • The gang discovered the reason of Akko's poor magic from Diana. With the realization of them befriending a disabled girl all this time washed over them, the made no haste to find their missing friends. Although the group get back together again near the end of the episode, the entire ordeal became one of dark chapters in their lives, as highlighted by Lotte who cried by the prospect of Akko leaving for good...
    • The revelation of how Ursula's career as Shiny Chariot ended up in a tragedy is heartbreaking, more than what we could possibly imagine as she also burdened by the quest to unlock Seven Words of Arcturus at the same time. Having unlocked all Words except the elusive Seventh one, Ursula thought that she can unlock it through performing magic show somehow while bringing smile upon everyone along the way. Unfortunately, it all not enough and she only able to enjoy her career for so long until public demanded more amazing magic. Being torn between the quest for Seven Words and her shows made Ursula went astray, which Croix exploited by tricking her to use an experimental spell which allowed her to cast more dazzling magic at the cost of her audience's magic potential. Following Croix's betrayal and departure, Chariot decided to go on with her show regardless, but without magic as amazing as Dream Fuel Spirit, the public lose interest once again. Their pressure for more amazing magic ultimately led to her make a fatal mistake which costed her both the quest and the worth in wielding Shiny Rod: Scarring the moon with an overpowered Shiny Arc, resulting the rod to disappear on her hands. What made it sadder is that not only it occurred sometime at the end of her final year at Luna Nova (which means she was still teenager at that time), but also potentially reminding those who watched Ultraman Orb with how Gai Kurenai aka. the titular Ultra lost his original powers in the past — the use of an overpowered attack against Maga-Zetton that created Great Rusalka Explosion.
    • Although it's not enough to justify her actions, the motives behind Croix's Start of Darkness are understandable as much as how Jugglus Juggler turned evil in Ultraman Orb. It all stemmed from how her dream to be the one who claim Grand Triskellion ended up on the hands of her best friend Chariot against her wishes. Although she managed to get over the grief, the envy and resentment from Shiny Rod's rejection didn't go away. Said envy, coupled with external factors (Woodward's negligence and Chariot went astray in her own part of the quest), was what allowed her resentment to grow and eventually led to her descent into villainy in the first place.
  • The third part, "The Road to Arcturus", revealed that all the harm the quest for Grand Triskellion done on Chariot, Croix, and everyone else around them came from an unexpected source: Woodward. Despite her wisdom and great powers, Woodward revealed to be detached and jaded than she let on, only concerned with the restoration of Yggdrasil that she prioritized everything on Chariot all while pushing Croix aside which led to the latter's descent into villainy in the first place. This revelation proved to be so awful that the confirmation of Ursula sacrificed her ability to fly for sake of Akko's future being one of two least depressing Tear Jerker moments of four-parter second cour finale.
    • Even how Chariot and Croix discovered this was as heartbreaking as how Akko learned their dark secrets two episodes earlier: Shortly after discovering that Grand Triskellion is not like what she believed to be, Croix rightfully called out how Woodward casted her aside like a trash instead of guiding her when she needs her most, revealing that all atrocities she committed partly to win the ancient witch's approval. Ultimately, Woodward left her students on the mercy of the-then out of control Noir Rod with Grand Triskellion at the behest of Croix.
      • Although she made such Jerkass move to make way for Akko and co. who already on their way for the scene to save Chariot and Croix in her stead and subsequently, allowing Akko to reconcile with Chariot and revived the elusive Final Word at the same time, this costed the ancient witch her image as a mentor before their eyes greatly. Even if there's a hope for them to reconcile, things between them won't be same anymore.
    • Through Chariot's perspective in Woodward's betrayal, it becomes clear to her that even after stooping so low, Croix still retained what has left of her former self. Not only that, she realized their fallout with Woodward paralleled to Akko with both of them and worse, she had wasted the opportunity to make things right between her and her precious student. Fortunately, her cries for remorse over everything that has transpired as she fights Noir Dragon to protect Croix somehow reached her protégé who unexpectedly arrived on the scene, allowing her to reconcile with Akko in the end.
    • As Chariot fights Noir Rod to protect her former best friend, Croix pleaded to Chariot to leave her to her own fate, but she refuses, blaming herself for have stolen the former's dreams and Akko's magic as much as Woodward did and that she won't let anything else to be stolen.
  • The final part, "Tree of Leaves", has least heart-wrenching moment; as shown in the image on the page above, Shiny Rod disappeared back to the stars from where it came. Although Akko visibly about to tear up as this happens, she remained steady and let it go, but not without expressing her gratitude over its part in hers and Chariot's lives. This become poignant if one either compare it to the titular Giant of Light's departure for his homeworld in Ultraman or Senketsu's sacrifice.