- Anytime Timon and Pumbaa are reluctantly willing to accept their potential deaths when they can't escape the danger they are in. Fortunately, they always make it.
- Irwin can be this, as he has a good heart but is completely accident-prone. While it is understandable for Timon to snap at him in "Frantic Atlantic" and try to avoid him in "Shopping Mauled", the thing is that Irwin really has no intentions of causing harm to others and can't help it that he's unlucky. Him having to repeatedly apologize for his accidents can be kind of sad.Pumbaa: Maybe we'd wanna give him another chance. The poor guy can't help it if he's a jinx.
- The entirety of "Timon...Alone", as it involves Timon trying to get away from Pumbaa so that he can be alone and concentrate on his new writing career, much to the warthog's sadness. This makes Pumbaa reluctantly decide to go as far away as possible so that he and Timon can never bump into each other again. Timon later realizes how lonely he is without Pumbaa and shows great regret and self-loathing for sending his friend away.
- Timon's Time Togo: This is one of the darkest/saddest episodes of the series. In this episode, Timon dies from eating a poisonous bug, but he is given a second chance of life by the meerkat angel only for Timon to perform one good deed, which will result in him entering heaven. So Timon decides to never again do any good deeds as he does not want to die and therefore, leave Pumbaa forever. Then there is the moment where when Pumbaa is about to fall to his death, Timon is forced to choose between his own life and his friend's life.
- Pumbaa mourning over Timon's apparent death.
- Africa-Dabra!: The scene where Timon and Pumbaa miss each other after Rabbit breaks up their friendship, especially the scene where Timon plays with a Pumbaa plush and says "Fame and fortune means nothing without your Bestest Best Friend" and then starts to cry.
- Once Upon a Timon: The scene where Timon gets banished from his colony. As Timon sadly walks away, he stops to look back at his colony in tears.
- As pointed out by a YouTuber in this video
, in The Lion King 1 ½, when Timon leaves his colony as he feels that he does not fit in, he at least has the presence of his mother to keep his spirits up, whereas in this episode, he is utterly alone, therefore being completely down as he leaves his now-former home. - In that same scene, Fred gives Timon a sympathetic look. Said look may also indicate that he is sad to see the best friend he ever had (if not his only friend) leave the colony for good, and knowing that he was the one who talked Timon into leaving his post in the first place, he must feel really guilty for doing so.
- Before Timon and Pumbaa were formally introduced and became friends, after the two escape the hyenas, Pumbaa suggests that it must be time for Timon to return to his meerkat colony, which Timon claims to agree but then gives a sad look, as he knows too well that he can't go back to the colony.
- Pumbaa's story as he explains in the "Alone Together" scene. Until he met and befriended Timon, he has been living as a miserable loner as no other animal wanted to be around him due to his gas odor, which he had to constantly apologize for. It's no wonder he tries to hide his gas from Timon at first. And looking back to the scene with Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, it is highly likely that the hyenas told Pumbaa that they were going to have him for dinner, and because Pumbaa was so desparate to find a friend, he misinterpreted that as them inviting him to dinner.
- The really tough choice between Pumbaa and Tatiana the Duke gives Timon is this trope, because no matter who Timon chooses, he will have to leave the other one he likes behind. Therefore it would be both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. For instance, here, Timon chooses to stay with his new friend Pumbaa, which is heartwarming, but it is simultaneously heartbreaking as he is forced to abandon Tatiana, the female meerkat whom he's had a massive crush and has been dreaming to spend a glamorous life with. However, if Timon chose to stay with Tatiana, Pumbaa would've gone back to living as an outcast because Timon was his only friend at the time, being the only one who accepted his gas problem.
- As pointed out by a YouTuber in this video
- Home is Where the Hog is: Pumbaa revealing to Timon that he got banished by his former sounder due to his gas odor.
- Pumbaa and Sharla's moment when they reunite is both this and heartwarming, as they say that they have never forgotten each other during the years of their separation.
- Bumble in the Jungle: The scene where Timon and Pumbaa prepare to eat the bumblebee, only to see how sad the bee is as it is about to get eaten, making them feel sorry for the bee and decide to befriend it.
- Scent of the South: When Pumbaa passes gas inside a log, Timon becomes disgusted by this and decides to sleep outside of the log. This makes Pumbaa miserable and leave Timon, as he thinks that he can't be Bestest Best friends with him anymore because of his smell.
- The two origin episodes, as well as The Lion King 1 ½, make this Harsher in Hindsight, as they reveal that Pumbaa was banished from his sounder because of his smell and until he met and befriended Timon, he was alone in the world, with other animals trying to avoid him for that same reason. With Pumbaa thinking that his gas odor came between his and Timon's friendship, he was willing to return to his status as a loner.
- Timon seeing that Pumbaa left him. When he finds him with Miss Skunk-Lady, he believes that the reason Pumbaa left him was to find a new best friend, one who has the same kind of problem as the warthog and therefore can relate to him.
- The first two times Timon and Pumbaa reunite. Pumbaa thinks that Timon's scents are his own and he becomes embarrassed and decides to go back to Miss Skunk-Lady, with Timon thinking that Pumbaa is leaving in preference to spend more time with his "new best friend."
- Uganda Be an Elephant: Pumbaa having a low self-esteem about showing his new elephant form to Ned. This is relatable to anyone who felt too insecure to prove their worth to someone.
- Pumbaa feeling even more down as Ned is making fun of him for his new look.
- The entire plot of "Rocky Mountain Lie":
- First there's Stinky's story. He used to be a drummer in a band with three other bugs, but due to his foul smell, the bugs cast him out into the cold, where he gets frozen inside an icicle until he is found by Pumbaa, who takes him inside his and Timon's cabin. When the icicle melts, he begs Pumbaa to eat him to end his misery, therefore attempting to commit suicide.
- Then there's Timon believing he ate Stinky, who became Pumbaa's new friend. He lies to Pumbaa about what might've happened to Stinky, in fear that Pumbaa may never speak to him again. When the two finally find Stinky (who rescues them from three grizzly bears), Timon, who is in tears, apologizes to Pumbaa for lying to him.
- Maine-Iacs: Boss Beaver's breakdown when his lumber mill burns down.
- Never Everglades:
- When Pumbaa Jr. overhears Timon telling Pumbaa that they cannot raise him due to him being a different kind of animal, the alligator gets a tearful reaction, realizing that Timon (whom he sees as an uncle) is right and that he does not belong with Timon and Pumbaa. As a result, he runs away from home, leaving Timon and Pumbaa a goodbye letter in the process.
- As Timon and Pumbaa read the goodbye letter Pumbaa Jr. left them, Pumbaa breaks down in tears and calls Timon out for what he said about Pumbaa Jr. not belonging with them, to which the equally sad Timon greatly regrets.
- As Pumbaa Jr. says his goodbye to Timon and Pumbaa and thanks them for raising him, Timon briefly looks at the young alligator with tears coming down his eyes, implying that he will genuinely miss him.
- Before he was even hatched, Pumbaa Jr. was separated from his birth parents to come into human possession. Not only do his parents not know what happened to him, he has been missing for presumably months (as he is now an adolescent), and it is unlikely that they will ever find him or recognize him as their son.
- Kenya Be My Friend?: This episode is where Timon and Pumbaa's friendship falls apart. When Timon forgets Bestest Best Friend Day, the two get into a big argument, which leads to them splitting up to find new best friends.
- While Timon and Pumbaa split up, they stop for a few minutes and sadly look at each other, showing to have doubts if they really want to end their friendship.
- When Timon is about to tell Pumbaa the truth about him forgetting Bestest Best Friend Day, he sees the cute look Pumbaa is giving him, making him deny forgetting the holiday in order to avoid breaking his friend's heart.
- Back Out in the Outback:
- Pumbaa feeling disappointed that he doesn't get to hunt bugs with his best friend Timon by his side, as Timon suggests that they should split up to find their true potential.
- Timon trying and failing to snag Bruce the land crab after mistaking him for a bug. While Timon should've given up trying to catch him and he got the wrong idea about the land crab, Timon has been known to be misinformed about wildlife and was trying to catch what he thought was a bug. Couple that with his desperation to reach his potential, as well as his Sanity Slippage and tears after his failures, and the fact that he never caught a single bug that day, and this episode can be considered more than a little upsetting.
- Gabon with the Wind: When Timon gets captured by Cheetata and Cheetato, he makes up a story to convince them to let him go catch Pumbaa (when he is actually planning on finding Pumbaa so that they can both run away to safety). Pumbaa, who has overheard Timon's story, feels completely heartbroken, as he believes that he's being betrayed by his best friend.
- Beauty and the Wildebeest: Herman being miserable as he constantly gets criticized and made fun of for his ugly look, with Lara feeling sorry for the wildebeest.
- With Laura it's even worse. At the end of the episode, it's revealed that Laura is just as ugly as Herman, and only makes herself look prettier when out in public. Now, think back to the opening scene when Laura's friends are cruelly heckling Herman. Not only does Laura feel bad for Herman, but likely felt personal betrayal by her own friends.
- Sense & Senegambia: Next to Timon's Time Togo, this is one of those episodes that have a heavy theme. In this episode, Pumbaa is no longer able to catch bugs due to his lack of confidence.
- Near the end of the episode, Pumbaa has an intense nightmare/dream where he talks to his Uncle Ernie in the clouds (which is a Call-Back of Simba talking to Mufasa's ghost). Pumbaa's uncle tells his nephew that he has to believe in himself in order to catch bugs, causing Pumbaa to wake up and regain his confidence.
- Animal Barn: The scene where Pumbaa is saddened about his constant losing to Mr. Pig, as it would mean that Pumbaa will never be able to be called "Mr. Pig" ever again.
- Yukon Con: Pretty much the entire episode, with such moments as Timon forcing Pumbaa to stay on his side of the divided line he created, which indicates that they are ending their friendship over ownership, and Pumbaa being miserable at his party as he misses Timon while Timon is outside freezing cold, stating that he is too pride to go to the party even though he is jealous of Pumbaa being rich.
- There is also the moment where Cusco Quint convinces Timon to steal Pumbaa's gold. Timon is at first reluctant as he gives Quint a sad look and tells him that Pumbaa is his best friend.
- Timon teaming up with Quint to steal something from his best friend, which in this case is the gold nugget.
- The moment when the guilty Timon confesses to Pumbaa about stealing his gold.
- The Bad Guy Wins Timon and Pumbaa failing to retrieve the gold nugget from Quint]].
- Doubt of Africa: When the tigress tells Timon and Pumbaa that she lost her husband and is now unable to feed her children due to her inability to catch food.
- Dealer's Choice Cut: Timon crying Pumbaa's name while lying down as if he's having a nightmare about Farmer Joe's attempt to turn Pumbaa into someone's lunch ending in success. Seeing his friend having that kind of experience is probably the most traumatizing thing Timon has ever seen.
- Nearly Departed: Timon and Pumbaa get stung by a scorpion, and the former finds out the scorpion has incurable venom that's fatal within 24 hours. Thinking it's their Last Day to Live, the two break down in tears.
- Stay Away from my Honey!: Smolder being heartbroken over losing Leslie.
- Serengeti Western: According to Pumbaa, Three-fingered Jackalope has unresolved conflict with his mother.
- All Pets Are Off: The scene where the rich boy reluctantly lets Timon and Pumbaa roam free since their wild animals, resulting in him kicking the duo out of the house.
- Bigfoot, Littlebrain: When Bigfoot wants Timon and Pumbaa to stay with him as he doesn't want to be lonely and claims that they are now his only friends after they ate the bugs that they didn't know were his friends.
- Miss Perfect: Doubling as a heartwarming moment, the speech Timon gives after Pumbaa gets criticized by the judges for being "ugly".
- Mook Island: Dr. Screwloose's story on how he lost his high school crush after being rude to their waitress. Therefore, he became a mad scientist to win her back by creating an army of Timon clones, which are called Mooks, so that he can look more polite in comparison to them. There is also the scene where Timon talks to his Mook clones, telling them that he is their father. Both of these moments double as heartwarming.
- Cliphangers: As the series finale, the ending of the episode, which is where Timon and Pumbaa are about to share the worm Timon tried to catch earlier in the episode.
