If (by some incredible chance, or you're speedrunning) you lose to Setzer in the Roxas prologue, Roxas returns to his friends looking disappointed. The four are silent for a moment. Then Pence starts clapping, followed by Hayner and Olette.
The relationship of Roxas and Naminé. While Riku and DiZ spend the prologue being insensitive to Roxas's feelings, Naminé (being a Nobody herself) attempts to rationalize his predicament by gently telling him why it's important to return back to Sora and telling him that he would be "whole" and not actually disappear.
Becomes even more heartwarming after 358/2 Days where Roxas states that the person who knows where he came from would be the person he would trust.
The reunion between Roxas and Naminé, especially considering how excited the two appear at the idea of being together again.
Naminé: Sure. See? We meet again, like we promised.
Roxas: You said we'd meet again, but when we did, we might not recognize each other.
Naminé: I did, didn't I?
Roxas: But I knew you.
Naminé: Mmm...it's strange.
Roxas: I think I understand. I see myself the way you remember me. And you see yourself the way I remember you.
Naminé: I always thought Nobodies were doomed to fade back into darkness...
Roxas: Yeah, but you and I didn't. We got to meet our original selves.
Naminé: So, we can be together again!
Roxas: Right. Anytime Sora and Kairi are together.
Quite a few of Sora's Limit Breaks that he has with his party members. Sora high-fives both Aladdin and Tron when performing one with them, Beast rests his hand on Sora's shoulder before unleashing a final attack, Sora and Jack Skellington dance together, and Sora and Riku share a fist bump after wrecking carnage.
The events of the Hercules movie are heavily implied (by the fact that Hercules is confirmed to already be a true hero) to have happened before Sora ever showed up at the Olympus Coliseum. With this in mind, compare how Meg introduces herself to Hercules in the movie to how she introduces herself to Sora here:
Meg (Hercules):Megara. My friends call me Meg. At least they would, if I had any friends.
Meg (KHII):Name's Megara. My friends call me Meg.
Just the cutscene before entering Christmas Town can warm a heart. Sora and Kairi stopped believing in Santa Claus when they were eight years old because Riku told them that he didn't exist. Then Sora gets the chance to meet Santa himself. Seeing the door to Christmas Town, he becomes more and more excited, until he loses his patience and asks Jack to "just open it". The main heartwarming part is that, up until this point, he's been a Stepford Smiler who's hardly had any chance to be purely happy (especially given Port Royal had a Yank the Dog's Chain/Team Rocket Wins moment against him). This is a rare moment where his smile is genuine.
A rather nice little moment occurs while Santa and Sally are talking. While chatting Maleficent and Oogie Boogie attack them in an attempt to capture Santa. Despite not knowing Sally for more than a few minutes, Santa valiantly puts himself in front of her and their attackers. Pure of heart? That's Santa Claus alright.
The little pep talk Santa gives Jack is rather sweet as well, pointing out that despite their different methods they still bring joy to people's hearts, and Jack should take pride in his work.
Also sweet is Santa reassuring Sora that he'll eventually find Riku, so long as he doesn't give up hope.
Santa: Remember, if you believe in Riku, you will find him. Just as you found me.
The arc in 100 Acre Wood as Sora helps Pooh remember all of his friends. Even a stick in the mud like Rabbit is overjoyed when Pooh finally remembers him. The entire group then bands together to brave Skull, which is genuinely an intimidating place in this continuity compared to an exaggeration based on the cast's fears, to find and rescue Pooh.
The other members of the Wood all show they love and respect Sora as well. Rabbit tells Sora it's good to see him, Gopher helps during the mini-game, and everybody once again assures Sora he's always welcome with them.
The final conversation between Pooh and Sora. Pooh wants to find a way to make it so Sora can stay, and Sora teaches him that he will always be with him, just like Christopher Robin did in Pooh's Grand Adventure. It's a sweet and serious moment, and it can completely turn one's heart to "hunny".
The cover of the book also changes to show Pooh and Sora sitting together watching the night sky.
In the credits, we are shown Pooh's group of friends happily marching through the Wood having fun together, safe and protected from the Heartless and any horrors of the outside world just like they should be. The last scene is the group once again gathering to watch the night sky, but Pooh takes a moment to think to himself about Sora, and smiles before joining the others.
When Donald and Goofy finally get to reunite with Mickey at Hollow Bastion. They'd seen him before at Twilight Town, but this time they actually get to run up and hug him. When Leon reminds the group that Tron is waiting for them, they take a reluctant look back at Mickey, knowing his tendency to be absent when they need him, but Mickey smiles and assures them he's not leaving anytime soon.
Yuffie and Aerith fighting together (albeit somewhat offscreen) during the attack on Radiant Gardens and within the 1,000 Heartless War; when Yuffie collapses from exhaustion, Aerith busts out a Curaga spell to keep her ally going.
Mickey and Donald's reunion with Goofy after his Disney Death.
Before that - Donald and Mickey care for Goofy so much that the thought of him being dead is enough to make Mickey officially become dangerous (and, to note, Mickey is 2'7" tall. That's about the height of a five year old, maybe a six year old) and to make Donald's furious anger become useful in making him so infuriated with rage that he goes after the Heartless with a vengeance.
Hell, even before that. Goofy is willing to die for Mickey. A true friend, even to the end.
Sebastian, Ariel and the Atlanticans remember that Sora and co aren't from the sea normally and thus understand why they struggle: Sebastian even notes it in "Now den... what brings you three into de sea?" Sora and the others have to relearn everything... because they don't do it every day of the year like the ocean dwellers do.
Triton is also happy to see Sora and gently asks if he's seen any Heartless or dark enemies to fight. The old king now fully trusts Sora after having been wary of him in the first game.
Beast has to choose between his rose or Belle - becoming human, or staying as a Beast - and goes for Belle. Being human is not worth losing her.
To add to this: Belle willingly chooses to stay with Beast when she's offered the choice - she could go and leave him and go home, but she chooses to stay with the man/Beast she loves. If the first game wasn't enough to confirm their love... this game is.
Even more heartwarming is that, no matter how much Xaldin got under his skin, Beast never hurt Belle or the servants. He locked his servants away to protect them and Belle remained entirely unharmed by him. He didn't have to be nice to her, as Belle herself said, but he chose to be, even if he was sinking into his hatred and anger and rage.
The fact that Belle cares enough for Beast to make the choice herself - she elbows Xaldin in the stomach, snatches the Rose and runs, just so Beast doesn't have to make the Sadistic Choice.
Eric's response to discovering Ariel is a mermaid. "Hmm....to think; I had all that time and I didn't work on my swimming." He doesn't care. Of course, King Triton still turns her human.
It's even more Heartwarming in Hindsight. Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] reveals that programs are somewhat like Nobodies, as they don't have hearts either. The same game confirms that Nobodies can grow their own hearts, given time, and it's quite possible that the same could go with programs. Tron is a program, and thus does not have a heart at first: his friendship with Sora allowed Tron to grow one of his own!
Tron leaves a little 'thank you' message that shows sprite images of Sora, Donald and Goofy jumping up and down in the most adorable way.
Simba is overjoyed to recognize Sora, Donald, and Goofy. He met them at a time after the Pride Lands were lost to darkness, meaning for however long Sora's journey took, they were all he had, and they still mean a lot to him. He immediately tackles Sora and nuzzles him affectionately, and can only ask, puzzled, why they're in their current forms.
Nala also gets to learn that Simba survived the stampede earlier than she did in The Lion King, so the context of her journey to the oasis is changed - now she's outright going there to find Simba.
During the second visit to the Pride Lands, Sora, Donald, and Goofy finally get Simba to wake up and realize he's got to make his stand as the new king. Simba first laments that Mufasa wasn't as lucky as he was, and Sora begins to chastise him for still being stuck in the past. But Simba refutes him, pointing out that while Mufasa was always being cut down by Scar, he has the trio, his mate, his best friends, Rafiki, and the pride all ready to stand behind him and be there for him. And he has to make the most of his blessings.
Pumbaa is usually lumped in with Timon as a lovable coward of sorts, but the game gives him a moment to prove he is not the coward that Timon often is. When the entire pride flees Pride Rock due to the ghost invasion (and Timon goes to get help), Pumbaa remains behind and places himself between Scar's ghost and a pregnant Nala. He's terrified, but he will not abandon his adopted son's mate, let alone his own friend who is carrying the future of the pride with her.
Pluto trying to comfort Kairi in the prison cell of the Castle That Never Was. Heck, Kairi and Pluto's unexpected yet incredibly sweet friendship in general qualifies here.
A little tiny one: After Mickey reaches the unconscious DiZ (who, of course, is actually Ansem the Wise) in The World That Never Was, the latter starts to stand up. DiZ stumbles for a moment, then glances at Mickey, who he's using to support himself.
Mickey reaches the place where DiZ is... and takes less than half a second to take in what is going on, that his friend is being attacked, before unleashing all of the shit on the Nobodies to save his friend. Talk about friendship. DiZ is about to die by exploding. Mickey races towards him to try and save him and Riku has told hold Mickey back; Mickey is willing to die in an explosion to save his friend.
Sora and Kairi hugging, especially Kairi's line when she actually feels Sora: "This is real."
When Sora reassured Riku with a silly face to help cheer him up when he started Angsting. Riku actually starts laughing.
At the end of the game, Riku admits that he's always been jealous of Sora, and then...
Riku: But there is one advantage to being me. Something you could never imitate. Sora: What's that? Riku: Having you as a friend. Sora: Then I've got something you could never imitate too.
Honestly, all of Sora and Riku's reunion will make you cry tears of joy.
Especially when you realize Sora hasn't seen Riku for over a year, since they closed the Door to Darkness and left Riku stuck in the Realm of Darkness (albeit with Mickey). All Sora knows is that Riku is still alive (King Mickey tells them when they first meet in the real Twilight Town). And keep in mind, we know because of BBS that Sora and Riku have been best friends for at least ten years. Sora didn't know whether his best friend of a decade or more was okay.
Sora himself cries tears of joy when he learns Riku's okay at the end of the second visit to The Land of Dragons, because seeing Mulan and Shang together makes him think of Riku. (Something which is made even more explicit in the novels).
The ending of the game. Also, when Sora gets tackled in a hug by Donald and Goofy and Riku catches Mickey and spins him around.
Sora: We're... we're back. Kairi: You're home.
Hell, almost every scene in the ending; Mickey and Minnie reunited, Beast (now human) dancing with Belle, Jack with his ship, Nala and Simba having a child, Ariel married, Leon reading a letter from an old friend, Sora at Destiny Islands finding the Paopu fruit drawing that Kairi finished and realizing she returns the sentiment.
The entirety of the reunion between Mickey and Minnie. Dear lord, if anyone deserves a happy, heartfelt reunion that is not interrupted by Heartless, nobody or some other adversary trying to kill them, it is those two... and they get one!
Then, there's the music. It's an upbeat version of Disney Castle's theme that hits the crescendo as we see King and Queen reunited. Then, as they touch, hands to hands, nose to nose, the music settles down into their romantic theme.
Mickey boops his wife's nose with his own. And Daisy crushes Donald in a glomp.
All throughout Kingdom Hearts I and II, Minnie never loses faith that her husband will come back to her. And, at the end, she's proven right. He comes home to her.
"Sora will find the answer we're looking for. I know he will. Because he's me." Through most of the game (especially with scene additions), Roxas makes it clear that he wants his own identity, that he doesn't want to just be Sora's Nobody. He lashes out at anyone who calls him Sora, and continuously says his heart belongs to him. But now he's accepted the fact that Sora is a part of who he is, but not all he has to be, and that they can learn to coexist without having to give up anything.
Dream Drop Distance made this even more poignant when Sora meets Roxas again, and informs his Nobody that no, they're NOT the same, and that Roxas DOES deserve his own identity and individual existence. And then Kingdom Hearts III took it further by having Sora state out loud that one of his goals in that game is to bring Roxas back. And. He. Did.
A retroactive one to Birth by Sleep: Stitch is climbing on the roof of Hollow Bastion's computer room and sees a spiky haired head. Presumably thinking it's Ventus, a familiar spikey-haired friend, he lands... only to find it isn't Ventus—but it's an equally nice and also spikey-haired friend.
After beating the Hades Paradox Cup, and getting the Hades Cup Trophy Sora doesn't just stand with Donald and Goofy to receive said trophy. Auron and Hercules also join in to witness their friends fully win the tournament.
During Roxas and Axel's goodbye scene on the clock tower, Roxas reflects that Twilight Town is his home and how much Hayner, Pence, and Olette mean to him. Axel could point out that Roxas never really knew Hayner, Pence, or Olette. He could point out that all of those memories were fake, and that none of it really matters anyway, since they both believe that they're about to fade away for good. But he doesn't. Instead, he just says, "You'll see them again. I know you will."
In spite of all the terrible things Roxas was forced to endure throughout this game, he never actually dies, he simply returns back to Sora, making him the only member of Organization XIII to actually survive to the end of the game.
Watch closely with the scenes of Kairi on Destiny Islands. Her mouth is always in a small smile, but the only time the corners ever truly twitch up into a genuine smile is when she thinks (or speaks) of Riku and Sora. In the end, the only thing that makes her genuinely happy are the friends she's known, loved and lost.
We get the scene of Sora allowing Demyx to use his Olympus Stone, despite the objections of his friends.
Also Kairi allowing Demyx to return her to her cell after she escapes because he's practically in tears over what Saix will do to him if he fails. Kairi later tells Riku that she empathized with Demyx and Axel.
Demyx also tries to return the favor to Kairi by making her imprisonment slightly more bearable. He makes her dinner with "extra large meatballs" and dessert, and offers to bring her some comics to read. It doesn't work, since Kairi's still understandably angry about being held captive at all and she just gives Demyx a Death Glare. But as mentioned above, she does tell Riku later that Demyx didn't seem like a bad guy, so the gesture didn't go entirely unappreciated.
When Sora manages to snap Donald and Goofy out of a Heroic BSoD when the trio find themselves trapped inside a computer after being sentenced to death by the Master Control Program and their only means of escape is accidentally destroyed.
Sora: Don't give up! Don't you remember? When we get out of here, we get to see the King. What's the big deal about parts, anyway? If we can't find one... we can make one!!!!
Upon returning from Timeless River, we see that King Mickey has secretly shown up, ready to help out with saving Disney Castle... only to learn that they already succeeded.
Mickey: Guess they didn't need me, after all. Thanks, pals.
Upon playing the game, it adds a second layer of heartwarming. In the game, Minnie says "Oh, King Mickey, I wish you could hear me. The castle is in danger!" before calling for Donald and Goofy. Well, Minnie, your husband heard you and came a-runnin'.
Upon defeat, Xigbar seems to be rooting for Sora. Nice to know that even if he is half-Xehanort, he is able to fight back somewhat.
Auron's surprised reaction when Hades brings him back to life and his heart starts to beat again.
Kairi is nothing but a stranger to Olette, but she immediately offers Kairi a place to stay while she waits for Sora to return to Twilight Town.
When Axel shows up to kidnap Kairi again, Heyner and Pence move to stop him, just like in the game, but are stopped when Axel sets their hair on fire. And Olette? Olette grabs a bat and tries to help protect Kairi without a second thought.
When Sora seems down about finding Riku again, Aladdin takes his hands in his and tells him not to give up. Sora's companions in general are more affectionate towards him in the manga.
Tron's smile after Sora declares that they're friends is so heartwarming, especially since Tron has only just started to come out of his shell around them.
Axel actually goes back to rescue Kairi from the dungeon and apologizes for kidnapping her, even though she's none too pleased to see him again. When Saix attacks and Axel fends him off, Axel even looks genuinely relieved that Kairi wasn't hurt by the altercation.
Kairi's reunion with Riku is shown more in full. After she pulls back his hood to reveal Ansem's face, he averts his eyes and tells her he didn't want her to see him looking like that, but she just pulls him into a hug immediately.
In Chapter 63, when Riku in the form of Xehanort's Heartless revealed to Sora that Roxas is his Nobody, Sora symbolically joins Roxas in the symbolic Twilight Town above the clock tower to show that he is not alone. One of the panels◊ shown is exactly the same as the title screen◊ of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix's after completing the game for the first time.
After Riku finally reunites with Sora and the others in TWTNW, he actually visibly tears up not once◊, not twice◊, but three times◊. It's pretty heartwarming considering he hasn't cried even once so far in the actual games.
