History Heartwarming / Eyeshield21

** Then there's Akaba, ace of the Bando Spiders. He and Kotaro annoy each other to no end, and would always bicker over the smallest things, but deep down, they respected each other. [[spoiler: The reason he left Teikoku was that despite being in a team where he could've succeeded and excelled, he found that there was something lacking: that nobody was actually enthusiastic in playing football, even his former Bando team mates, who only wanted to win. He remembered Kotaro, the guy who shared his passion for football and decided it was more fun playing with that guy. Thus when he returned to Bando, he vowed to make the spiders the ultimate kick team.]]

* The Poseidon's quaterback lampshading how useless he is to the team and that the line and Kakei is the reason they do so well. None of his teammates, even Mizumachi who is ridiculously tactless, agrees. And it's not to spare his feelings, they don't see why he would even say that.

* Hiruma forgetting about facts and numbers for one second and actually straight-up ''believing'' in his team.

* Gaou speech about being the Determinator during the World Cup, it is essentially him praising Marco for all the sacrifices he has done in order to pursue his dream, Marco never thought Gaou actually cared about him is surprisingly shocked.

-->'''Elder Gonzales:''' You have your own skills that make you special. Don't worry what other people say- jump right on in!

-->'''Panther:'' Ever since elementary school... right, Grandma? Here I am, wearing this uniform and running on the field. ''(tears in his eyes as he runs)'' I can do it! ''I can play football!!''

* Kid and Tetsuma. The reason that Kid picked up American Football... was so he could play with Tetsuma. Moreover, Kid decided to [[spoiler: aim for the Christmas Bowl because Tetsuma wanted to face Monta again]]. Of course he was then [[spoiler: destroyed by [[HeroKiller Gaoh]]]] immediately after. We then see one of the few displays of emotion from Tetsuma in the whole ''series'', [[spoiler: he's so furious that he ''suicidally charges Gaoh'' as a block for Riku.]] You really see how much these two care about one another.

** Or, when Agon realizes he's going to be crushed by Don, and there's no reason why Kurita would even ''think'' about blocking for him, after such a jerk Agon has been. [[spoiler: [[TheMessiah And then Kurita blocks Don anyway.]]]]

--> '''Agon:''' "Please. [[VillainRespect There's no trash on the field that can touch that kind of speed."]]

* The sheer amount of CharacterDevelopment that everyone goes through in the DistantFinale. Kurita has gone from thinking, "I don't know what I would do without Hiruma," to "Should I follow Hiruma, and leave Musashi on the side? Never. It's best we go our separate ways."

* When Kurita loses to Gaou in strength, and Hiruma's arm is snapped, he loses the ability to understand Komusubi, meaning he is no longer a strong man. Komusubi then, for the first time in the ''entire series,'' speaks in a complete sentence to get his master motivated.

* At the end of the World Cup, the teams tied, and Morgan declares the game over. When neither teams want it to end like this, they decide to go into overtime. However, instead of seriously playing to crush their opponents by putting all the starters up, Team Japan puts Sena at quarterback. The fans are gone, the tournament is over, and they're just guys playing football and having fun. Anyone who's ever played football will understand how amazing this feeling is.

* The RousingSpeech Hiruma gives to Musashi right before the final play of the Christmas Bowl. Sorry, but it must be quoted; "When you left the team that day, do you know how much Kurita hit things ind despair? And when he ran out of things to hit, do you know how much he screamed? Kurita... Do you know how much Kurita was...!" (background panel flashes to ''Hiruma himself kicking the bench out of despair'') "KEKEKE! YOU'D BETTER SETTLE THAT DEBT RIGHT HERE, ONCE AND FOR ALL! SCORING THAT IMPOSSIBLE KICK IS YOUR JOB, FUCKING OLD MAN!"

* Sena's father cheering Sena on and telling him to continue on, even before knowing that his son was Eyeshield 21.

* [[LoveMakesYouEvil Marco]], post-defeat, realising that in trying to win over his crush, Maria, he's driven her away completely...and in admitting it, winning her over again. Ahhhh.

* The RousingSpeech Hiruma gives to Musashi right before the final play of the Christmas Bowl. Sorry, but it must be quoted; "When you left the team that day, do you know how much Kurita hit things ind despair? And when he ran out of things to hit, do you know how much he screamed? Kurita... Do you know how much Kurita was...!" (background panel flashes to ''Hiruma himself kicking the bench out of despair'') "KEKEKE! YOU'D BETTER SETTLE THAT DEBT RIGHT HERE, ONCE AND FOR ALL! SCORING THAT IMPOSSIBLE KICK IS YOUR JOB, FUCKING OLD MAN!"

* The BackStory of how Hiruma, Kurita and Musashi met. Can also count as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome since it showed ''[[DevilInPlainSight Hiruma]]'' as the JerkWithAHeartOfGold he is. Not an easy feat.

* ‎"You're thirteen thousand, two hundred and ninety-seven hours, forty-nine minutes late."

* [[http://www.mangareader.net/134-6861-17/eyeshield-21/chapter-86.html On the Death March, Sena won't leave anyone behind.]] Also a MomentOfAwesome for Sena.

* Agon, in match against Americans, finally [[ImportantHairCut release his wig]], [[spoiler:in respect [[HardWorkhardlyWorks of his brother and Habashira.]] Yes, this ''[[JerkJock Agon]]''.]]

* Hiruma gets one when Zokugaku loses their chance at the Christmas Bowl and Habashira Rui comes to him for advice. "YOU AND ME, WHAT'S SO DIFFERENT!?" Hiruma gives no answer, but the panels to his left clearly show what he thinks.

* When the Devil Bats have tryouts, the candidates are to climb Tokyo Tower carrying a bag of ice in extreme heat (along with other obstacles). If they make it to the top with at least one ice cube left, they make the cut! As you can imagine, mostly everyone gives up. But not Yukimitsu even though he's clearly no athlete. He finally makes it to the top, but all of his ice has melted. Hiruma then sneakily grabs an ice cube and plops it into the bucket, informing everyone that Yukimitsu has qualified for the team!

* Hiruma [[spoiler: after breaking his arm facing down Gaou and lying on a stretching]] kicking a crying Kurita in the butt to get him going.

* ‎"You're thirteen thousand, two hundred and ninety-seven hours, forty-nine minutes late."

*** During the match against Shinryuji Nagas, Sena's leg [[GameBreakingInjury was in verge of destruction]] to keep up with [[JerKJock Agon]]. Mamori sees this, and worried about Sena's legs. Then, she said [[spoiler: "Sena, ''please win''!" knowing that Sena [[{{Determinator}} won't go back down]], unlike [[CharacterDevelopment some coward kid she used to protect earlier.]]]]
** For another, when Leonard Apollo, coach of the NASA Aliens, finally realized that he had been treating Panther the exact same way his coach in the NFL treated him, saw that Panther had always respected him and been a fan of his despite the abuse he piled on him, and gave Panther the spot on the team he always deserved.
*** Or when all of his team knelt down just so that Panther may enter the game.
** Then there's Daisuke Atsumi of the Yuuhi Guts during the last moments of the game against Deimon. "I'm Daisuke Atsumi... and this is my last play!" The fact that the Guts were going to lose no matter what, and Atsumi's last play was destroyed by Eyeshield 21 himself kind of compounds it.
** Sakuraba gets a lot of these. When his fangirls come back to him, for starters.
*** When he heard Takami's praise and hopes for him from behind the wall.
** Monta receiving a compliment from his hero, baseball player Masano Honjou after catching a ball aimed at the back of his head.
** When enormous Hakushyuu Dinosaurs lineman Rikiya Gaou threatens to rampage through the stands breaking bones to avenge an insult from the audience, Mamori immediately pulls Suzuna behind her to protect her, but then Hiruma leaps in front of them, brandishing multiple tazers, and immediately afterward the Ha-Ha Brothers all jump up wielding their delinquent bats to follow Hiruma's example.
** The scene at the end of the Bando Spiders game when an exhausted Sena staggers in and collapses into Suzuna's arms. Her initial shock and embarrasment gives way to acceptance and she asks him if he's grown taller.
** Hiruma forgetting about facts and numbers for one second and actually straight-up ''believing'' in his team.
** Yukimitsu's first touchdown was combination of this and CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
** Musashi watching the Devil Bats losing on the television in his father's hospital room, unwilling to return to the team waiting for him until his father punches him and the workers at his company all show up to tell him that they'll carry his share of the load.
** When Monta gets discouraged about having to face his idol's son (and because Sena accidentally wrecked his prized catching glove), Sena runs around collecting the gloves of the other receivers and cornerbacks he faced to rally his spirit and confidence.
** When Yukimitsu isn't picked to start for the Devil Bats and breaks down in tears after everyone leaves. Sena and Monta, knowing it will just make it worse if they go and comfort him, loudly declare off to the side that they will stay in the tournament as long as they can so everyone (meaning Yukimitsu) can play.
** Before the [[spoiler:Christmas Bowl, the Teikoku Alexanders with their huge roster, seemingly invincible record, and solid tradition of winning even have a huge snow sculpture of their mascot at the entrance of the Tokyo Stadium.]] Habashira Rui (of all people) sees this and gets pissed off that one team should have so many advantages while the other team has so few and [[spoiler:orders his team/gang to the Tokyo Stadium to build an equally huge snow sculpture of the Devil Bat.]] Awwwww.
** When Hiruma realizes it's impossible for them to win the [[spoiler: Christmas Bowl]] he takes a moment, puts on his scary face and tells his team a whopping lie about their great chances. They all know he's lying. They believe him anyway.
** Hiruma gets one when Zokugaku loses their chance at the Christmas Bowl and Habashira Rui comes to him for advice. "YOU AND ME, WHAT'S SO DIFFERENT!?" Hiruma gives no answer, but the panels to his left clearly show what he thinks.
** Hiruma [[spoiler: after breaking his arm facing down Gaou and lying on a stretching]] kicking a crying Kurita in the butt to get him going.
** Agon, in match against Americans, finally [[ImportantHairCut release his wig]], [[spoiler:in respect [[HardWorkhardlyWorks of his brother and Habashira.]] Yes, this ''[[JerkJock Agon]]''.]]

** Agon, in match against Americans, finally [[ImportantHairCut release his wig]], [[spoiler:in respect [[HardWorkhardlyWorks of his brother and Habashira.]] Yes, this ''[[JerlJock Agon]]''.]]