History Heartwarming / AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag

** Also the way, Ah Tabai talks to Edward with a knowing look when the latter admits he was wrong about the Creed. You can sense that the Assassins were all playing StealthMentor to Edward, just like they did with Ezio during ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' - only they wanted Edward to come to his realization and wisdom on his own and gave him freedom to do so, even showing extraordinary restraint and forgiveness. The fact that the Templars never care to show anything like the same patience or compassion, looking at the false-Duncan Edward in the opening as a thug with no interest beyond being another recruit, shows that at the end of the day the Assassins give people a fairer shake than the Templars do, and ''consistently'' practice it compared to the latter's general "when it suits us" mentality.

* Even the Pirate Hunters will contain black crew members fighting alongside each other. Not so different from the pirates you're playing, at the end of the day.

* Edward's many VillainousRescue of pirates across the game. Edward recruited, quite likely, the majority of his crew from shipwrecks and people executed.
** Or from bars where he just [[DefeatMeansFriendship beat the crap out of them.]]
* Related to WhatYouAreInTheDark, but the mission where Edward and Black Bart come to the Observatory, Bart mentions that there are native Taino protecting the forest and [[TheSociopath encourages]] Edward to kill everyone, even voicing doubts if Edward [[ARealManIsAKiller has what it takes]]. The Full Synchronization objectives (Edward's canonical actions) state to render all Guardians unconscious with bare fists, [[TechnicalPacifist non-violently incapacitating]] them. Edward is a crook but he's ''not'' a brainless killer or a MightyWhitey and this small moment, with no Assassin or Templar to look down their noses on him, gives a sense of his real character, that he's not going to kill a bunch of innocent people who are only protecting sacred land from interlopers.

* In ''Freedom Cry'' every time you rescue a bunch of slaves becomes this.

* The ending and the epilogue, Edward sees his daughter for the first time and returns to England. (This scene doubles as a TearJerker). In the epilogue, a few years later, Edward watches The Beggar's Opera with Haytham and Jenny. Considering what Edward went through, he deserved this ounce of happiness.
** The expression of happiness on Edward's face when he sees his daughter is perhaps the most beautiful moment in the franchise. Edward realized that none of the money and plunder was as great as a treasure as his own child. Also how he slips into Dad mode when he reminds his daughter that the Jackdaw is [[InsistentTerminology not a boat]] but [[SeriousBusiness a ship]] and then becomes the world's coolest Dad by promising Jenny that he'll let her steer the ship when the wind's a little safer.

* Doubles as a TearJerker but the fact that in the end, Edward imagines all the dead pirates at one table including Benjamin Hornigold and Charles Vane, who he was at odds with, the fact that it implies forgiveness is touching, that Edward will remember them at their best despite everything.
** Even better is Stede Bonnet at the table as well. Despite his bumbling and incompetence at piracy, and being the last person on Earth for the privateer life, Edward still considers him a good friend.
* The fact that Edward never gives up on Caroline throughout the game. It shows how much he still loves her even if she stopped believing in him. One of the first things he does after fixing himself up was write a letter to her. But she was dead by this time anyway and Edward accepts that ItsAllMyFault why that relationship went sour.

** Similarly (while not moved to actually do much about it) Edward shows nothing but contempt for slavery. When going after a slave ship to track down Roberts, Adewale briefly thinks Edward is getting into the slave trade and it's the first time up to that point in the game that Edward sounds genuinely ''shocked'' at a slur to his character. Normally he doesn't care what others think of him but he'll not have anyone, least of all Adewale, think ''that'' of him.
* The final missions are moving to, in that we see that Edward slowly but surely change himself. He's less cocksure, more respectful and kinder and even honest to admit that he still has a lot of work left to change himself.

** Also the way, Ah Tabai talks to Edward with a knowing look when the latter admits he was wrong about the Creed, you can sense that the Assassins were all playing StealthMentor to Edward, just like they did with Ezio during ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' only they wanted Edward to come to his realization and wisdom on his own and gave him freedom to do so, even showing extraordinary restraint and forgiveness. The fact that the Templars never care to show anything like the same patience or compassion, looking at the false-Duncan Edward in the opening as a thug with no interest shows that at the end of the day, the Assassins give people a fairer shake than the Templars and will practice it too.

* A darker example is that the Pirate Hunters also contain black crew members fighting alongside each other. It made me realize they were the one group I ''didn't'' despise in the Caribbean. It also helped their similarity vibes to the pirates they're fighting.
* Whenever Edward Kenway cuts the ropes on some of the prisoners and welcomes them onto his crew. Sometimes, admittedly, Edward spoils it by adding a "Join us or die" but most of the time, they look sincerely grateful. It's a sign that Edward doesn't want to kill them all, just wants their loot.

* Related to WhatYouAreInTheDark, but the mission where Edward and Black Bart come to the Observatory, Bart mentions that there are native Taino protecting the forest and [[TheSociopath encourages]] Edward to kill everyone, even voicing doubts if Edward [[ARealManIsAKiller has what it takes]]. The Full Synchronization objectives (Edward's canonical actions) state, to render all Guardians unconscious with bare fists, [[TechnicalPacifist non-violently incapacitating]] them. Edward is still a crook but he's not a brainless killer or a MightyWhitey and this small moment, with no Assassin or Templar to look down their noses on him, gives a sense of his real character, that he's not going to kill a bunch of innocent people who are only protecting sacred land from interlopers.

** Similarly (while not moved to actually do much about it) Edward shows nothing but contempt for slavery. When going after a slave ship to track down Roberts Adewale briefly thinks Edward is getting into the slave trade and it's the first time up to that point in the game that Edward sounds genuinely ''shocked'' at a slur to his character. Normally he doesn't care what others think of him but he'll not have anyone, least of all Adewale, think ''that'' of him.

* Mary Read's final moments are heartwarming to, for all her frequently expressed disappointment in Edward, she never loses hope that Edward would change, becoming the only person in Edward's life who never lost faith in him, even if she didn't become his enabler.

** Similarly (while not moved to actually do much about it) Edward shows nothing but contempt for slavery. When going after a slave ship to track down Roberts Adewale briefly thinks Edward is getting into the slave trade and it's the first time up to that point in the game the Edward sound genuinely ''shocked'' at a slur to his character.

** You will get a bit misty eyed when you see the crew congratulating a ''black'' crew member on his ascension. Given they originally wouldn't accept Adewale as captain, this goes to show how the bonds have strengthened on the ship. It also gives the Pirates much CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority cred, yes we're plundering, murdering assholes but we don't profit by slavery like those jerks in the Spanish and British Empire and we're way better on workers and minority rights than any government at the time.

* The ending and the epilogue, [[spoiler: Edward sees his daughter for the first time and returns to England. (This scene doubles as a TearJerker). In the epilogue, a few years later, Edward watches The Beggar's Opera with Haytham and Jenny.]] Considering what Edward went through, he deserved this ounce of happiness.

* When Edward sees [[spoiler: Jack's skeleton in the Jamaican prison]], Edward remarked that as much as [[spoiler: Jack wasn't a good friend to him, he still made him laugh]] and that was enough to make Edward feel sorry to see him like that.
* Doubles as a TearJerker but the fact that in the end, [[spoiler: Edward imagines all the dead pirates at one table]] including [[spoiler: Benjamin Hornigold and Charles Vane]], who he was at odds with, the fact that it implies forgiveness is touching, that Edward will remember them at their best despite everything.

* The fact that Edward never gives up on Caroline throughout the game. It shows how much he still loves her even if she stopped believing in him. One of the first things he does after fixing himself up was write a letter to her. [[spoiler: But she was dead by this time anyway and Edward accepts that ItsAllMyFault why that relationship went sour.]]

* Adewale gives a moving PatrickStewartSpeech about what the Jackdaw means to him, even if the pirates are not so different as far as race issues are concerned they are still FairForItsDay and better than the Empires.

* [[spoiler: Mary Read's final moments are heartwarming to, for all her frequently expressed disappointment in Edward, she never loses hope that Edward would change, becoming the only person in Edward's life who never lost faith in him, even if she didn't become his enabler.]]

* Related to WhatYouAreInTheDark, but the mission where Edward and Black Bart come to the Observatory, Bart mentions that there are native Taino protecting the forest and [[TheSociopath encourages]] Edward to kill everyone, even voicing doubts if Edward [[ARealManIsAKiller has what it takes]]. The Full Synchronization objectives(Edward's canonical actions) state, to render all Guardians unconscious with bare fists, [[TechnicalPacifist non-violently incapacitating]] them. Edward is still a crook but he's not a brainless killer or a MightyWhitey and this small moment, with no Assassin or Templar to look down their noses on him, gives a sense of his real character, that he's not going to kill a bunch of innocent people who are only protecting sacred land from interlopers.

* Related to WhatYouAreInTheDark, but the mission where Edward and Black Bart come to the Observatory, Bart mentions that there are native Taino protecting the forest and [[TheSociopath encourages]] Edward to KillEmAll even voicing doubts if Edward [[ARealManIsAKiller has what it takes]]. The Full Synchronization objectives(Edward's canonical actions) state, to render all Guardians unconscious with bare fists, [[TechnicalPacifist non-violently incapacitating]] them. Edward is still a crook but he's not a brainless killer or a MightyWhitey and this small moment, with no Assassin or Templar to look down their noses on him, gives a sense of his real character, that he's not going to kill a bunch of innocent people who are only protecting sacred land from interlopers.

* Sending a ship to Kenway's Fleet results in a sweet cutscene where the new captain is congratulated by his ecstatic friend. Also the {{Adorkable}} expression when Edward puts a NiceHat on his head.

* The ending and the epilogue, [[spoiler: Edward sees his daughter for the first time and returns to London. (This scene doubles as a TearJerker). In the epilogue, a few years later, Edward watches The Beggar's Opera with Haytham and Jenny.]] Considering what Edward went through, he deserved this ounce of happiness.

* Adewale gives a moving PatrickStewartSpeech about what the Jackdaw means to him, even if the pirates are NotSoDifferent as far as race issues are concerned they are still FairForItsDay and better than the Empires.

* A darker example is that the Pirate Hunters also contain black crew members fighting alongside each other. It made me realize they were the one group I ''didn't'' despise in the Caribbean. It also helped their NotSoDifferent vibes to the pirates they're fighting.

* Cockram and Burgess's final words show a rare moment of the Templars being NotSoDifferent from the Assassins: