Top 10 Surprisingly Touching Moments on Family Guy

#10: Rupert’s Funeral

“Dog Bites Bear”

Brian and Stewie’s friendship is on the rocks when Brian destroys Stewie’s beloved teddy bear, Rupert. To make amends, Brian helps Stewie with the bear’s funeral - saying a heartfelt speech in his honor, and then joining Stewie in a duet of “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” - Stewie sings it better, by the way. The two make up and that’s the end of the story, right? No actually - Brian also secretly buys a brand new Rupert for Stewie just to make him feel better. Even if Brian didn’t like Rupert, he knew how important the toy was to Stewie and goes the extra mile to show how sorry he is - and it’s incredibly sweet.

#9: Peter and Meg’s Father-Daughter Time

“Road to Rupert”

With his license revoked, Peter is forced to rely on Meg as his personal driver, and neither one of them is happy about the arrangement. Finally fed up with her father’s annoyance, Meg takes her frustration out on a rude driver… and Peter is impressed. What follows is a cute montage of Meg and Peter bonding and genuinely enjoying each other’s company. Afterward, Peter admits that he has a wonderful daughter, and while he’ll still pick on her to keep up appearances, he wants them to be secret best friends. It’d be nicer if they could be public best friends, but we won’t overlook how sweet it is to see this father-daughter relationship for a change.

#8: Tasmanian Devil Cutaway

“The 2000-Year-Old Virgin”

Cutaway gags on this show are notorious for being hilarious and - occasionally - somewhat offensive. But this one is just plain wholesome. It starts out with Peter saying he’ll be as gentle as the Tasmanian Devil from “Looney Tunes.” We then cut to Taz tucking in one of his kids, and then quietly leaving the bedroom. We all know how destructive and noisy Taz can be, so seeing him act this considerate and calm is kind of a shock - but it’s adorable to see how much he cares for his kids… maybe Peter should take lessons from him on how to be a good father.

#7: Meg & Stewie Hugging

“Peter’s Lost Youth”

Babysitting Stewie isn’t easy, but Meg is confident she’s up to the task. When Stewie misbehaves, she puts him in time-out, unintentionally traumatizing the infant and prompting him to run away. Luckily, he doesn’t stay away too long, and Meg is relieved that he’s safe. She then apologizes to Stewie for scaring him and says how much she loves her baby brother. And to top off the feels, the two hug it out. These two barely ever have sibling moments together - at least, not without Meg being the butt of the joke - so to see them have a genuinely touching scene together is just too pure. Plus, it’s always nice to see Meg not being mistreated.

#6: Brian Is Proud of Stewie

“A Lot Going on Upstairs”

Stewie has been having terrible nightmares to the point where he can’t even properly perform the theme song. Brian goes into his dreams to help him fight off the monster, only to find out that he’s the source of Stewie’s fears. The toddler reveals that he looks up to Brian like a father figure and is afraid of letting him down. When you really think about it, no matter how much he’s changed nowadays, Brian’s acted more like a father to Stewie than Peter ever could, and he cements this by assuring Stewie that he’ll always be proud of him. Stewie may not remember this moment, but we’ll never forget this pseudo father-son moment from our favorite duo.

#5: Quagmire’s Talk With Meg

“Barely Legal”

Sometimes the best advice can come from the most unlikely sources. For example, after Meg’s developed an unhealthy obsession with Brian, Quagmire says he knows exactly what she needs. He invites her over to his house, and at first, it looks like he’s up to his old tricks. Instead, he sits her down and has a heart-to-heart chat about how she doesn’t need to grow up fast, and someday she’ll find that special someone. Given his more perverse nature, this was a surprisingly wholesome moment for him, offering life advice and acting as a helpful neighbor and friend rather than just a sex maniac. If only we saw this side of him more often.

#4: Angela’s Eulogy

“Pawtucket Pete”

With the tragic passing of Carrie Fisher in 2016, it was only a matter of time before her character, Peter’s boss Angela, had to be written off. Fortunately, they give her one last heartfelt sendoff with Peter giving a eulogy. It starts out simple and cheeky, but then slowly becomes more heartwarming. It’s clear that Peter is speaking more about Fisher herself than Angela, ending with arguably one of the most touching quotes in the series. While the scene ends on a punchline of Peter being at the wrong funeral, it was still a sweet sendoff to a Hollywood legend taken from us too soon.

#3: Brian’s Sacrifice

“New Kidney in Town”

After destroying his kidneys with homemade Red Bull, Peter is in need of a transplant. Brian’s willing to donate one of his, but it turns out that Peter would need both of them, meaning that Brian would die. Peter and Lois are hesitant, but Brian is sure that he wants to do it anyway. This is undeniably the noblest thing Brian has ever done – willing to give up his life for the man who took him in when he had nowhere to go. Fortunately, in the end, Dr. Hartman offers his kidney instead so that both Brian and Peter can live, which is also a noble act on his end.

#2: Adam West Tribute

“Adam West High”

Adam West’s passing in 2017 was nothing short of heartbreaking – not only did we lose a beloved TV actor, but Quahog lost their wacky yet beloved mayor. Fortunately, like with Carrie Fisher, “Family Guy” gave the late Mayor West a heartfelt tribute. Firstly, they renamed James Woods High to Adam West High in his honor. And then, in the final scene of the episode, we get a slow panning shot of the new “Adam West High” sign, followed by old live-action footage of the man himself. The soft music adds an extra heartwarming touch as we say goodbye to one of the show’s most beloved characters and supporting actors.

#1: “I Love You”

“Brian & Stewie”

Taking the number one spot is the scene that cemented our love for Stewie and Brian’s friendship. After being trapped in a bank vault for days, Brian tells Stewie his deep, dark secret: he has contemplated and seriously considered taking his own life. Horrified, Stewie reassures his depressed dog that his life does have a purpose: being his best and only friend. We love the hilarious chemistry and misadventures between these two, but soft, tender moments like these where we see just how much they matter to each other make their relationship even more special.