The Simpsons: 10 Utterly Heart-Breaking Moments You'll Never Forget

1. The Tributes To Mrs Krabappel

How could it be any other? With Marcia Wallace's death, the show has been robbed of one of its finest vocal performers, and one of its most enduring characters in Mrs Krabappel. She has gone through Hell several times as Bart's nemesis, but just as Batman needs The Joker, the pair were essential to one another, and the image released above compounds exactly what we all suspect about the hole left in Wallace's wake.

There is something inexpressibly tragic about the look on Bart's face and the simplicity of his message that says a million times more than any long tribute show could. The tragic death will add extra meaning to important, and already emotionally devastating moments like the climax of "Bart Gets An F, " which reinforced that underneath all of the spiteful jibing and conniving, Bart and Mrs Krabappel needed each other, not only as opposing sides of the same coin, but in a pseudo-maternal way, as Mrs K often appeared in parallel to Marge.

Few authority figures have actually had an effect on Bart, and even fewer have had a positive one. And because of that, and the removal of his greatest jousting partner, you have to wonder how classroom Bart will continue.

Did we miss any hauntingly heart-breaking moments, or sentimental episodes of The Simpsons that you think deserve mention here? Share you own picks below in the comments.