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We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which dark and serious Disney movie moments were actually handled super well. Here are the eye-opening results.
1. In Zootopia, when the entire movie was a giant metaphor that explored topics of race, racism, stereotypes, microaggressions, and discrimination.
2. In Frozen II, when Anna hit her rock bottom and realized that the only way out of it was to acknowledge her pain and take things one step at a time, even if it wasn't going to be easy.
3. In Big Hero 6, when Hiro's grief over his brother's untimely death was expressed through several unfamiliar stages, illustrating that there's no right or wrong way to heal or mourn the loss of a loved one.
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4. In Tangled, when the toxic relationship between Mother Gothel and Rapunzel examined themes of emotional manipulation and abuse.
5. In Moana, when Grandma Tala said her final goodbye to Moana before dying, reminding her that the people you lose will always be with you.
6. In Mulan, when Mulan proved to the misogynistic men/society that women can be strong, smart, and tough, and their place doesn't have to be in the home.
7. In Up, when Ellie found out she was pregnant and decorated the entire nursery, but then she ultimately lost the baby due to a miscarriage.
8. In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, when all of the townspeople bullied Quasimodo and threw tomatoes at him simply because he was a little different.
9. In Cinderella, when the evil stepsisters violently tore apart her homemade dress, harshly illustrating that not everyone comes from a happy home.
10. In Monsters, Inc., when Sulley had to let go and say goodbye to Boo, proving that sometimes you have to say goodbye to the ones you love.
11. In Frozen, when Anna sacrificed herself by jumping in front of Hans' sword to save Elsa, representing how important familial love can be.
12. In Toy Story 2, when Jessie's entire backstory revealed that she was abandoned by her owner, but that didn't mean she was no longer capable of giving or receiving love.
13. In Onward, when Barley opened up about how he didn't say goodbye to his dad because it was too scary and painful to see him so sick.
14. In The Princess and the Frog, when Ray accepted the bad news of his own fate, knowing (or at least hoping) that something good would come from it.
15. In Tarzan, when Tarzan, Kala, and Kerchak suffered insurmountable loss but still found hope and home in their chosen families.
16. In Coco, when the entire movie prepared Miguel for the death of Mamá Coco and focused on the importance of celebrating the life of a loved one after their passing, rather than just mourning the loss.
17. In Finding Nemo, when Marlin discovered that Nemo was the only one who survived the barracuda attack, introducing the movie's key focus on themes of love and loss.
18. In Toy Story 3, when Andy gave all of his favorite toys to Bonnie, proving that we all outgrow our past eventually, and that's OK.
19. In The Lion King, when Scar killed Mufasa and blamed it on Simba, showing the dangers of how far some people will go for power.
20. In Lilo & Stitch, when Lilo opened up to Stitch about her parents' deaths, and Stitch admitted that he felt lost too.
21. And in Inside Out, when Riley's depression was illustrated as a real issue, rather than simply labeling her as an angsty kid.
Did your favorite Disney moment not make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.
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