Remember what happened to Bing Bong in ‘Inside Out’? Well, it could have been worse.

For those who have seen Pixar’s Inside Out, the name “Bing Bong” likely brings a tear to your eye. (And for those who haven’t, well, close this window right now, because SPOILERS.) The tragic scene when Bing Bong the invisible friend sacrifices himself forever in a pit of lost memories for the sake of his human best friend’s happiness? Yeah, that’s a RECIPE for ugly crying. Except here’s the thing: The scene was supposed to be even sadder than that. (Yeah, I didn’t think it was possible, either.)

Spin City‘s Richard Kind, who voiced the fluffy pink cat-elephant-dolphin hybrid, told MTV that the first version of his character’s death was longer and much, much heavier. “When I first saw the movie, the scene down in the valley, where the memories have been lost and disposed of, was about 40 seconds to a minute longer,” Kind told MTV. “And I loved it. I actually talked to the producer’s daughter who agreed with me and said she didn’t like the shorter version as much.”

However, there was a good reason why Pixar cut the scene down that Kind eventually agreed with. “The reason why they cut it — and I think they’re sort of right — was because that earlier version was heart-wrenching,” he told MTV. “It was absolutely heartbreaking, and I likened it to the scene in Bambi when his mother dies. We don’t need to see that again. I think we felt exactly what we needed to feel in that scene.”

Too heart-wrenching for PIXAR? The company that gave us the first couple minutes of Up? TBH, it’s difficult to imagine just how many candy tears we’d be sobbing if we saw that.

Kind also explained that Pixar knew just how powerful Bing Bong’s character would be before the movie premiered, and they purposely left him out of advertising so he’d be a “surprise”:

Kind said that the “purity” of Bing Bong was what made his death all the more tragic. “His only desire is to give, and that’s a lovely place to be, especially in a world where you need somebody like that,” Kind explained. “Wouldn’t it be great if, as adults, we had that person? You hope for it in friends, but they’re never truly selfless like Bing Bong. With him, you’re guaranteed that his existence is only for what you need.”

Aaaaaand we’re crying again. It’s probably good that Pixar stuck with the second ending, because we’d have no tears left. BING BONG, WE MISS YOU FOREVER.

(Image via Pixar.)