Heartwarming / Big Nate

• In one strip, Mrs. Godfrey catches Nate drawing, and it turns out that he's drawing a picture that honors the 9/11 firefighters. She lets him continue.
• In the strip honoring the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Nate, Teddy, and Francis build the Twin Towers out of sand and just stand around, silently paying their honors. Doubles as a TearJerker because earlier, Randy saw them in the early stage of building it, not knowing what it is, and threatened to knock it down.
• One chess tournament ends up as this. In the previous chess tournament, Nate was in a slump because he learned Artur had let him win in a chess game. This one, he's ready to go. There's something heartwarming about Nate, who normally when presented with the possibility of being beat, makes excuses and just generally beats around the bush, accepting the fact that he can be outdone, but still trying his best.
• Could also be seen as a slight TearJerker, but when Nate more or less lets Artur date Jenny. Word reaches Nate that Jenny wishes to see him in the library. Assuming a confession, he goes, only to find out she wants him to deliver a confession to Artur, the nice boy that Nate has a one-sided rivalry with. Initially, he opposes, though she convinces him to do so. When doing so, it occurs to him he could throw it away and no one would be the wiser, but doesn't and delivers it. Not only that, he makes himself explain the note to him and allows Artur to pursue her, Artur not doing so during a sooner period to spare Nate's feelings. This shows that Nate does view Artur as a friend and establishes him as a good person.
• There is nobody just like you, Chad.
• In one Sunday strip, Francis was complaining about Nate's constant moments and wondering why he's still friends with him. Randy shows up and shoves Francis into the snow because he wouldn't let him copy off of his test, then Nate pops up and saves Francis by throwing a snowball at Randy.
  • Similarly, one strip has a bully torment Francis at the beach, when suddenly a Frisbee hits the kid from behind. It turns out that Nate was the one who threw it and Francis glances to the audience while thinking, "Every so often, he comes in handy."
• Pretty much all of the Trudy/Nate strip series.
  • This is the Crowning Moment of Heartwarming for the Trudy/Nate strip series, and likely the Crowning Moment as a whole.
• One story arc right after Nate becomes school president has Nate wonder what he can do as president. He sees a poster for a soup kitchen and decides to help with it. Nate then organizes programs and a bake sale to benefit the soup kitchen, while getting praise from everyone else. A strip in this arc has Nate's father tell Nate that he's impressed with all the community service that Nate's doing, and decides to treat him by going out to eat "anywhere you want! Name the place!" Instead of going out to eat at a restaurant, they end up going back to the soup kitchen to help.
• A Christmas strip has Nate mourning that he didn't get a dog, but instead took care of Spitsy for the week. He then hugs Spitsy. Even better, while Nate hugs him, Spitsy is seen smiling!
• Nate and Ellen may act like they hate each other, but once in a while there will be a time that proves they do care about each other. For example, when Nate spies Ellen's boyfriend Kenny with another girl at the mall, he at first is visibly shocked, and then tries to think of ways that prove Kenny hasn't dumped Ellen for this new girl (which fail). Nate then goes home to break the news to Ellen, and he does it relatively softly ("I saw Kenny down at the mall. He was kissing another girl."), unlike his usual method of being as subtle as a semi. It's nice to know that, deep down, he really does care.
• In a way, Mrs. Czerwicki comparing Nate to her son in his yearbook. Granted, her son's in jail, but its the thought that counts.
• In what is possibly the most heartwarming moment in recent years, Nate's poem to Daphne. After the two of them get together as a couple, he spends a lot of time bragging and sharing with all the teachers about how he got himself a girlfriend. During English class, however, he tries to write a poem for her with mediocre results. Two strips later, he delivers the most beautiful, touching poem about his feelings for her, melting her heart and solidifying their relationship.
  • Even more heartwarming is when you realize that in the past, Nate had attempted to woo Jenny by writing poems to her as well. Considering how lame those poems were, the fact that Nate is actually capable of writing an amazing poem like this shows how deep his feelings are for Daphne, despite the short span the two of them have known each other.