Top 10 Unexpectedly Heartwarming Moments in Animated Movies

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for surprisingly wholesome scenes from animated films. We’ll be getting into spoilers, so consider this your warning!

#10: Judy Apologizes to Nick

“Zootopia” (2016)

Friendship is one of the most prominent themes in this Disney movie, and it’s a pretty important one. But an unlikely friendship between a bunny and a fox was nearly destroyed after Judy Hopps made incredibly hurtful comments about the nature of predatory animals, angering her partner Nick. Realizing the error in her ways, Judy finds him and apologizes. She doesn’t just say sorry, she genuinely begs for his forgiveness, and in the end the two are able to reconcile. In spite of the odds, this bunny and fox can be friends. Suddenly this lighthearted buddy-cop movie became a thought-provoking look at overcoming prejudices and learning to be better.

#9: Jamie Finally Sees Jack

“Rise of the Guardians” (2012)

Belief is everything, it’s the very fuel that powers the Guardians, a group of superbeings who save dreams and battle nightmares. When kids everywhere stopped believing in them, Jamie Bennett was the exception. Sure his faith might’ve gone down a little bit but he never truly stopped believing. And when Jack Frost tried to get Jamie’s attention later, he was able to see him for the very first time. Before this, Jack was essentially invisible, which really sucks because he’s basically the reason we have Winter. So as you can probably imagine, finally being able to be recognized for your hard work feels pretty darn good. It’s a touching scene that gives Jack his due but also shows how right Jamie was to keep believing.

#8: Joy Learns About the Importance of Sadness

“Inside Out” (2015)

Look, we all love Joy, but you’ve got to admit that sometimes her constant positivity can be just a little bit toxic. The truth is that sometimes it’s ok to be upset. And Joy realizes that when trapped in the Memory Dump. She discovers a time when Riley’s sadness actually led to a positive memory. She lost a hockey match but was later cheered up by her parents. In a way, Riley’s grief allowed her to grow as a person. It’s a sweet way to demonstrate how valuable all feelings are. It’s also important since it lets Joy see Sadness in a different light. By understanding that Sadness is just as important as Joy, it brings the two living emotions closer together.

#7: Spider-Man Always Bounces Back

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)

Being Spider-Man is awesome, but it can be pretty tough too. Our first introduction to the Peter Parker of Earth 1610 perfectly demonstrates that. We get to see all of the glamorous highs that this Spidey has had, but we later see the gloomy lows too. We see a short montage of times he got pummeled and pulverized yet it doesn’t really bother him. There’s something so uniquely endearing about seeing someone go through Hell and smile about it later. No matter what trauma he’s faced, he never let it change who he was. That kind of integrity really hammers home what Spider-Man is all about: never giving up. It wouldn’t be great power without great responsibility right?

#6: Carl Gives Russell the Grape Soda Badge

“Up” (2009)

Giving someone a bottle cap might not seem like anything special, but what if we told you that this is one of the most stirring moments in this movie? You see, Carl Fredricksen lost his wife Ellie due to illness, and he never truly got over her death. But things changed once he met Russell. Not long after, the pair were lumped into a wild adventure together. The bottle cap isn’t just a bottle cap, it’s a badge that Ellie originally gave to Carl. So him passing it down to Russell not only shows how he’s changed, but also how he’s let Russell into his life. Carl may have lost his family years ago, but now he has found a new one.

#5: Anton Ego Relives His Childhood

“Ratatouille” (2007)

Gee, with a name like “Ego” it’s hard not to think of this guy as a bit of a snob. And though he is kind of a pretentious food critic at first, that all changes. While preparing to review a plate of ratatouille from a restaurant called Gusteau’s, Anton is quickly transformed by the dish’s taste. Once he digs in, we see a flashback showing him eating the same meal when he was a kid. It’s like he’s no longer a bitter old man. Now he’s just an innocent young child enjoying his mom’s homemade cooking. The layers to him slowly unravel like an onion, or whatever other food metaphor you want. Point is: the ratatouille warmed up his heart, and that’s incredibly touching.

#4: Wanting to Be Superman

“The Iron Giant” (1999)

What if a weapon of mass destruction didn’t want to be that? This movie tells that story, and honestly, there’s loads of scenes that’ll tug at your heartstrings. One of them is a short moment where Hogarth and the Giant are playing in a scrapyard. Hogarth wants the robot to pretend to be a bad guy called Atomo, but the Giant instead decides to be Superman. While he nearly kills Hogarth later due to his programming, that really shouldn’t undercut the sincerity of this scene. He doesn’t want to be a symbol of violence, he wants to be a symbol of hope. Plus how can you not smile when he attaches an ‘S’ to his chest and does Superman’s classic hands-on-hips pose?

#3: Spaghetti Dinner

“Lady and the Tramp” (1955)

Why are we so emotionally invested in seeing two dogs enjoying a romantic dinner? Because it’s incredibly well-done, that’s why. In this scene, both the titular animals of this film enjoy a delicious bowl of spaghetti, followed by a cute moment where the two meet in the middle. You just can’t help but root for these two crazy canines to make it work. In fact, this might be one of the most iconic dinner dates of all time. Sure, we’ll admit: not everything about “Lady and the Tramp” has held up super well today. But this is a tender moment which expertly captures puppy love in the most literal sense.

#2: Tooth Helps Hiccup Walk

“How to Train Your Dragon” (2010)

While humans and dragons aren’t on the friendliest of terms at the start of this movie, a bond soon forms between a Viking named Hiccup and a young dragon named Toothless. We’re hit with the warm and fuzzies pretty much right from the jump. The clip when Hiccup first learns how to fly on Toothless in particular is breathtaking. But sometimes things aren’t great. Like when Hiccup lost his leg after a big battle and he struggles to get out of bed. But even then, light shines through the darkness. Because in that same scene, Toothless helps Hiccup walk across his room, refusing to leave his side. They say that dogs are man’s best friend, but it looks like they have some competition!

#1: Dancing in Space

“WALL-E” (2008)

We’ve seen humans falling in love, animals falling in love, and in“WALL-E,” robots falling in love. The bond between WALL-E and Eve is unlike anything else, probably since they’re both inorganic beings. But that doesn’t really matter because these bots are full of life. Their dance of sorts in the middle of outer space in particular proves that. The way they twirl around together in complete joy, just happy to be near each other is therapeutic to watch. It’s especially touching considering WALL-E was basically the only sentient robot around for hundreds of years before meeting Eve. This dance is so sweet to watch that it warms even the coldest of hearts.

Is there a heartwarming moment we missed? Share ALL of the feels down in the comments!