Wallace and the rest of Clan MacClannough massacring the local English garrison in revenge for Murron's execution.
The build-up slow-motion shots of William's I Surrender, Suckers is also nail-bitingly tense and the pay-off when he unleashes a hidden flail and smashes the soldier across the throat is what Cinema was made for.
Elder Campbell has just taken an arrow to the chest during the peasant revolt, yet he snaps off the shaft and single-handedly opens the timber swing-gate of the Magistrate's fort, an act of heroism and grit that nearly gets himself spitted on a boar spear if not for Hamish and Morrison saving him at just the last second.
Wallace climbing the watchtower and flinging off both archers
Hamish grabs the bastard who tried to rape Murron and flips him off the stockade to land dead-on one of the sharpened stakes, And There Was Much Rejoicing.
William Wallace:I am William Wallace! And I see a whole army of my countrymen here in defiance of tyranny! You've come to fight as free men. And free men you are... What will you do with that freedom? (beat) Will you fight?!
Scottish Army: No! No!
Old soldier: Against that?! No! We will run. And we will live.
William Wallace: Aye. Fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... At least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, JUST ONE CHANCE, to come back here, and tell our enemies... that they make take our lives... BUT THEY'LL NEVER TAKE... OUR FREEDOM!!!!
(the Scottish army cheers)
William Wallace: ALBAAAA GU BRAAATH!!! note SCOTLAND FOREVER!!!
Just before the first of the film's Big Badass Battle Sequence, the assembled English army gets both flashed and mooned by THE ENTIRE NATION OF SCOTLAND.
No army has ever survived a charge of heavy horse. No infantry that wasn't armed with tree-length pikes, that is.
To round up the Battle of Stirling. Wallace is charged by Hugh Cressingham on horseback. Does William try and avoid the armoured knight bearing down on him? Not a chance. He takes his blood-soaked claymore in both hands... And hews the Earl of Surrey's mount out from under him while it's bearing down on him at full tilt. Followed by taking his head clean off with a second backswing.
Wallace: Bastard!!! COME ON!!!! ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!
One for King Edward Longshanks when he goes savvy to defeat Wallace at Falkirk (bribing his cavalry to betray him, using We Have Reserves, then sending in said reserves). He even paraphrases the Evil Overlord List at one point:
"Bring me Wallace! Alive, if possible. Dead... just as good."
Later, Wallace personally getting back at the nobles who betrayed him.
Really, Longshanks is quite the Evil Genius in most of his scenes. Ruthless and despicable, for sure, but you get the impression that Wallace wouldn't have gotten as far as he did if it was him in charge from the start of Wallace's rebellion, instead of his son.
When Robert the Bruce realises too late he's both unknowingly and unwillingly led Wallace into a trap, he charges into a mass of English soldiers, unarmed, to try and rescue him. It doesn't work and he gets beaten badly, but give him some credit for trying.
He then gives his father a fantastic Shut Up, Hannibal! moment for selling out Wallace:
Bruce the Elder: You've finally learned to hate! At last you're ready to be king.
Queen Isabella gets a couple. First, when she goes to see Wallace and the guards give her a hard time. "The King will be dead in a month and his son is a weakling. Who do you think will rule this country?" And the next scene, when she whispers in Longshanks's ear.
Princess Isabella: You see? Death comes to us all. But before it comes to you, know this: your blood dies with you. A child who is not of your line grows in my belly. Your son will not sit long on the throne. I swear it.
When Wallace is being executed, he is offered the chance to cry "mercy" and have the torture stop. When he finally speaks, having remained silent throughout, he only yells "FREEEEEDOOOOOOOOM."
It had a widespread effect on everyone that heard it, including shocking Longshanks enough to induce in him a heart attack.
The final scene, when Robert the Bruce forgoes a loser's peace to lead his army against the English at Bannockburn.
"You have bled with Wallace! Now bleed with me!"
Made all the more poignant by the tiny shift in Hamish's expression; a narrowing of the eyes, a shift of the jaw, telling you that the mood has, in that one line, gone from bitter resignation to undisputed CMOA.
And as he does so, he hurls Wallace's sword across the field, before they charge towards the English.
Especially poignant if you're familiar with the song the line references, Scottish patriotic song Scots Wha Hae'.
Scots wha hae with Wallace bled Scots wham Bruce has aften led
Yet another facet of the scene's awesomeness is Robert's expression the last time we see him in the film. As he draws his sword and leads the Scotsmen into battle, Robert is wearing an ecstatic, almost mad look. Throughout the movie, he wanted only to believe in something as William did and fight for it. As of the ending, he has done just that.
