12 Saddest Heroic Sacrifices In Movies

Throughout Brad Bird's iconic animation, we watch the Giant and Hogarth develop a sweet friendship. They routinely save each other’s lives, bond over comics and discuss the meaning of life and where we go when we die.

In one tender scene they bond over superhero comics, Hogarth points out a comic of superman and teachers the Giant an important lesson of being the hero, and not the villain that the army declares him to be. “You are who you choose to be” Hogarth tells him, and the Giant appears to understand the message clearly.

In the final act of the film, a nuclear missile is about to destroy the town and everyone in it, there is no way to stop it and no chance of escaping. The Giant knows they are the only one who can intercept the missile, ending its life to save everyone else. What’s so tearful of this sacrifice is its silent acceptance to do what is right, and Hogarth’s reaction.

Though he doesn’t want his friend to go, they exchange a tearful goodbye, before the Giant flies up into the sky, into space, stopping the missile, destroying it and themselves in the process. It’s the way the Giant remembers Hogarth’s words in its last moments “You are who you choose to be”, he slowly smiles and says “superman” before accepting their fate.

This scene always hits right in the childhood level of feels, seeing such an innocent character be so selfless, and it’s why this movie is still powerful now as it was back then.