The Most Emotional Family Guy Episodes That Made You Cry

There's a whole lot of pathos in "Life of Brian." Smack dab in the middle of Season 12, Brian gets run over. Stewie is devastated by the loss of his best friend and cannot accept the new family dog Vinny, nor the fact that his family is able to move on so quickly. 

Vinny, however, ultimately proves to be more human than the rest of the Griffins, and he's able to connect with Stewie about the loss of a friend (having lost his previous owner), who finally accepts him. The episode ends with Vinny curling up beside Stewie's bed. 

Every heartbreaking note in this episode is poignant, a masterstroke proving that cartoons can have as much heart as any genre. There's a lot to feel in this episode, from Stewie's sense of confusion and abandonment to the perspective of a dog also dealing with the loss of a loved one – something that those remarkable creatures indeed feel concretely. Sure, bringing Brian back undercuts this a little, but that can't undo its initial impact.

While "Christmas Guy" has a happy ending, it took a sad path to get there. Just a few short episodes after Brian's death, Stewie is not feeling the Christmas spirit – still devastated by the loss of his best friend. His wish to Santa is to just bring Brian back, which pulls hard at the heartstrings. But the pathos doesn't end there.

It turns out Stewie is able to rebuild his time machine; in order to bring Brian back, though, Vinny has to leave the picture. Stewie is conflicted about this because he's grown to care for Vinny, plus he feels guilty for trading Vinny's life for Brian's. Vinny, however, is a beautiful soul, and he happily sacrifices himself so Stewie can have Brian back, but not before the two share an extremely touching goodbye. Stewie's reunion with Brian might even elicit tears from viewers – but the happy kind, so that's good.

Brian and Stewie's relationship is the heart of Family Guy, so it makes sense that its momentous 150th episode would revolve entirely around those two, trapped in a vault so as not to let any of the show's distractions in. What ensues is a deep dive into their individual psyches as well as an exploration of their relationship and what they mean to each other.

The revelation that Brian keeps a bottle of scotch and a gun in a lockbox in case his depression someday overwhelms him is inherently heartbreaking for obvious reasons. And this forces Stewie to open up about his love for Brian, admitting he couldn't live without him. Brian, in turn, shares his love for Stewie, but the relationship is complicated. Brian is Stewie's best friend, but in some ways he's his guardian as well given Peter's (and occasionally Lois's) ineptitude.

Really, when it comes down to it, this episode reminds us that Brian and Stewie only have each other in this world, as no one else in their lives can be relied upon, and that's what's most heartbreaking about it.

During this heart-breaking episode, Brian drunkenly destroys Stewie's beloved teddy bear Rupert. Stewie's love for Brian is shattered by this betrayal, but a remorseful Brian wishes to help Stewie spread Rupert's remains, so he accompanies him to a mountaintop despite Stewie's insistence upon going alone.

Finally, Brian reveals in frustration that he destroyed Rupert intentionally, upset that Stewie lavishes so much love upon the inanimate bear when Brian is his true best friend.

Ultimately, Stewie accepts Brian's eulogy as a sufficient apology, and the two sing a duet of Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday," which sounds hilarious (and it is), but it still captures that sense of loss. It's amazing that, even in Season 16 of this animated comedy, the writing team can still produce poignant, moving episodes. 

This Season 9 episode came close to being one of the most heartbreaking ones. Peter experiences sudden kidney failure and requires a donor. Doctors can't find a match, but they reveal that Brian could give both his kidneys (thus sacrificing his life) to save Peter. Putting aside the intentionally hilarious non-science of the episode, Brian's selfless decision to save his friend results in some emotional moments for numerous characters.

Stewie is devastated, not wanting to lose his best friend. Then there's the moment between Brian and Peter at the end, just before the procedure is to take place. It's a rare moment of vulnerability and humanity from Peter who is conflicted about the pending loss of his friend to save himself. He's still willing to go through with it, of course, but it's still touching.

"Dog Gone" is particularly poignant and devastating for animal lovers because it's an accurate representation of humanity's disregard for animals. When Brian accidentally hits and kills a dog with his car, he's mortified, but the people in his life literally laugh it off, bringing him to the realization that they view dogs as lesser beings.

To prove the family really does care for Brian, Stewie helps him fake his death, to which they react with sufficient heartbreak. Some argue their collective tears upon learning of Brian's "demise" is a sad moment. But what is really heartbreaking about this episode is the reminder that this really is how most people view animals, as lesser beings whose lives are worthless.