10 Disney Animated Deaths That Scarred You For Life
3. Bambi's Mother (Bambi)
For a lot of people, Bambi was the movie that introduced them to the concepts of death and loss, making this moment an integral part of many people's childhoods. Unlike a lot of movie death scenes, this one shows you literally nothing, instead using a killer combo of sound and silence to ram home just how big a loss this is for the titular fawn.
It's winter in the forest, and Bambi, mother in tow, are out in search of food. They're quickly forced to flee from a hunter, the music ramping up and up as the pair of deer literally run for their lives, and then... a gunshot. And silence. The music picks back up and begins to fade away as the camera follows a still-running Bambi, who's oblivious to the fact that his mother has just been slaughtered for sport.
As soon as you hear the gunshot, you know Bambi's mother has died, but he doesn't - and that makes this uncomfortable to watch. You see Bambi calling out to his mother but you know she won't call back, and that makes you feel helpless, desperately wanting to tell the infant what's happened and shield him from further danger.
But you can't.
It's an involving moment, and one that perfectly illustrates the effectiveness of not showing too much. We don't see Bambi's mother die, but her life fades from existence as quickly as the music fades from the scene.