History Awesome / AceCombat

* Any time players gets to shot down their first Ace. Doubly so on the Aces difficulty, where their piloting skills are put to the absolute limits.

[[caption-width-right:739:[[AirJousting Aerial dogfights]] have never gone [[UpToEleven this hard]]!]]

[[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/20240323_150814.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:1000:[[AirJousting Aerial dogfights]] have never gone [[UpToEleven this hard]]!]]

[[caption-width-right:1000:[[AirJousting Aerial dogfights]] have never gone this hard!]]

Very befitting of the many kings (and queens) of the infinity blue horizon, the deadly squadrons of ''Ace Combat'' definitely deserved their spot beyond the skies.

This page is for [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Moments Of Awesome]] for the ''Ace Combat'' games.

* Awesome/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown

This page is for [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Moments Of Awesome]] for ''Ace Combat'' games preceding ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown''. For [=CMoA's=] in ''Skies Unknown,'' look [[Awesome/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown here.]]

[[AC:Ace Combat 2/Assault Horizon Legacy]]
* The new boss battles introduced in ''Legacy'' are quite the sight to behold, all of them being unique and challenging in their own way:
** The mission ''Easy Money'' plays out just like in the original game. That is, until [[MissionControl Keynote]] interrupts the end by warning you of an incoming squadron. What follows is a duel against Lancer Squadron, who despite being a WarmUpBoss, teaches you how to combat different squadron tactics like those from ''Zero.'' It's also pretty satisfying to see [[ArrogantKungFuGuy their leader, Albert Wahlberg]] get shot down for his hubris.
** ''Hunting Season'' begins with a massive aerial dogfight against many enemy aircraft. Pretty standard stuff, until they bring out [[BloodKnight Beast Squadron]], [[WakeUpCallBoss who pretty much surround your ass]] like a pack of... well, [[MeaningfulName beasts]]. You could take Keynote's advice and pick them off one-by-one, but it is [[CatharsisFactor much more satisfying]] to beat them in their own game.
** Then there's ''[[BestLevelEver Seagull]]'', which isn't just a faithful remake of the original, but the setting takes place in Skully Islands, the setting of [[VideoGame/AirCombat the very first game]]. Then there's the hellish gauntlet against Cocoon Squadron, USEA's best naval squadron. [[RecurringBoss Z.O.E.]] shows up yet again in the mission to pester Phoenix, but it is easily driven off despite Cocoon Squadron taking potshots at you. And then, the final phase, which is nothing but pure adrenaline from start to finish, all topped off by... a rap song? And it's somehow [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOL1_w9EwSc one of the best songs in the game]].
** The mission ''Toy Box'' has Phoenix destroy a satellite weapon meant to take out the [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies incoming Ulysses asteroid]]. All seems well after it ends, until '''Beast Squadron''' comes back even after being shot down in the previous fight. This time, [[ThatOneBoss he's not messing around;]] He's not only packing his [[WolfpackBoss usual tactics]], but decides to take it [[UpToEleven up a few notches]] by dishing out the [[InterfaceScrew Electronic Warfare System to jam your HUD]]. And Phoenix '''[[CurbstompBattle STILL]]''' [[CurbstompBattle utterly annihilates him]] despite the odds being stacked up against him.
** The mission ''Final Countdown'' is pretty much [[ThatOneLevel the most difficult mission]] in the game barring the Extra Missions; The first part is a gauntlet against the rebellion's LastStand, sending out their entire naval fleet to [[BulletHell pepper the sky with bullets]]. Then it all goes south when the [[SuperPrototype XB-10]] gets involved in the fray, but luckily all three of them are shot down. And yet it '''STILL''' isn't over, as now Phoenix has to contend with the last Ace Squadron of the game: [[TheChessmaster Albireo]]. Unlike Beast and Cocoon Squadrons' leaders ([[CombatPragmatist who play dirty]] in their attempts to bring you down and are [[JerkAss colossal douchefaces]]), Albireo's flight lead... is [[NiceGuy a genuinely nice person]] who just wants to [[{{Retirony}} retire after this mission]]. He also genuinely sees Phoenix as a WorthyOpponent and even [[TheMentor teaches him a few tactics during their battle]]. Make no mistake, however: Albireo is [[ThatOneBoss easily the most difficult boss in the main story]] and is considered as [[WorldsBestWarrior the most powerful]] AcePilot [[WorldsBestWarrior in all of USEA]]. Sadly, unlike the other squadrons who are faced with UncertainDoom, Albireo is the [[TearJerker only one]] KilledOffForReal.
* [[PlayerCharacter Scarface One/Phoenix]] himself is a MemeticBadass comparable to the likes of Mobius 1 and the Demon Lord of the Round Table himself. A rather impressive feat for the first protagonist of the series.
** Phoenix has already gained notoriety for stopping the Skully Islands Insurrection during the events of ''[[VideoGame/AirCombat Air Combat]]'' and destroying the [[FinalBoss Sky Fortress]]. Now he's hired once again to take down the Usean Rebel Forces, making him one of the two Aces in the series to be playable in multiple games.
** He quickly becomes TheDreaded later in the game, to the point where you could hear the [[VillainousBreakdown enemy forces panic]] at the mere mention of his [[RedBaron callsign]]. Like Cipher before him, the Rebel Forces send in their top aces to dispose of the dreaded Firebird. [[OneManArmy None survive]].
** Phoenix has quite the list of superweapon kills in the series; He's taken down the Sky Fortress from ''Air Combat'', the Anti-Ulysses Satellite Cannon, Fortress Intolerance and every Zone of Endless-integrated aircraft, including the [[InfinityPlusOneSword ADF-01 FALKEN]].
** Immediately after [[ClimaxBoss the liberation of St. Ark]], Phoenix chases down and destroys a guided nuclear missile aimed for St. Ark. That's right! [[MemeticBadass The Phoenix]] [[CurbStompBattle beat the Rebels' asses down so hard]] they had to resort to [[NuclearOption nuking him]]. [[UpToEleven And even]] ''[[UpToEleven that]]'' [[UpToEleven failed!]]
* You thought the Z.O.E was a formidable opponent during the story? Extra Mission 4 in ''Assault Horizon Legacy'' has you fighting '''[[TrueFinalBoss FOUR OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME]]''', each one equipped with the [[InfinityPlusOneSword FALKEN]], complete with [[EnergyWeapon TLS!]] [[ThatOneBoss Good luck!]]
** Just the mere fact that The Phoenix alone is capable of taking down [[SuperPrototype four futuristic, laser-toting super aircrafts]], immediately after a hellish version of ''[[FinalBoss Fighter's Honor]]'' and pulling a U-turn inside a cramped missile silo should be proof enough that The Phoenix is one of, if not, the most skilled pilot in the series.
** According to the wiki, the Z.O.E-integrated ADF-01 FALKEN Phoenix fought contained records of both [[VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar Cipher and Pixy's flight data]], which means he's fought an AI version of two legends of the Belkan War piloting an even stronger version of [[FinalBoss the ADFX-02 Morgan]]. Imagine that, [[UpToEleven multiplied by four]].
* The Extra Mission before the afforementioned [[TrueFinalBoss Z.O.E gauntlet]] has the Phoenix fighting against '''100 ENEMY FIGHTERS!''' [[OneManArmy And winning!]]
--> '''Keynote:''' "100 enemy aircraft down! You did it Phoenix! [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments You are the pride of the Allied Forces!]]"\\


[[AC:Ace Combat 3]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G21wKzozebE Keith doing perhaps the most awesome heroic sacrifice ever done in a jet, or any vehicle for that matter.]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViosXXjybuQ Tunnel Vision.]] By far the hardest tunnel mission ever in the Ace Combat series. Nothing quite felt so good as finishing this mission on full afterburners and with no damage.


[[AC:Ace Combat 04]]
* Ace Combat 04. Mobius One starts as a simple rookie, rushed into a last stand to fend off bombers going after the last remaining allied air base near the occupied mainland, on the other side. By the conclusion of the game, the pilot has a squadron to his name, has destroyed the rail cannon network that had facilitated the enemy invasion, shot down almost every elite Erusean pilot, flown into the guts of a massive ICBM launcher and pulled it apart, liberated two cities, and in the arcade mode of Ace Combat 5, his tactical skill and effectiveness are equal to that of an entire squadron. Repeat: Mobius 1 makes up an entire fighter squadron... by himself.
** Even better: His [[TookALevelInBadass rising levels of badassery]] is shown entirely through GameplayAndStoryIntegration. First, you're just a rookie fighting off bombers and ground targets. Then mission four has you really dogfighting. The next mission [[SoleSurvivor all of your allies are slaughtered by]] [[TheDreaded the Yellows]]. A few missions later, and you manage to land a hit on [[TheRival Yellow 13]]. You then begin carrying the entire army's morale solely by your skills, culminating in destroying Stonehenge and actually SHOOTING DOWN Yellow 4.
* Mission 08: [[TitleDrop Shattered Skies]], the Battle of Comona (the mission being to defend a satellite launch from aerial attack) may be described as a "furball", or ''a giant air-to-air brawl with missiles'', complete with SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic.
** The best part is that this is your first real chance to hit a member of Yellow Squadron.
-->'''Ally:''' A Yellow's hit and trailing smoke. Whose kill was that? \\
'''Yellow 13:''' Who was it that shot me?! See who's responsible for that shot! \\
'''Unnamed Yellow:''' It's a ribbon!
* The first time you shoot down a member of Yellow Squadron while attacking the huge cannon system that has killed countless buddies. Then the game throws it in your face that ''[[WorfHadTheFlu the plane had a faulty engine]]!'' And it was still tough to take them down for many gamers.
*** Somewhat balanced out by the fact that in a first playthrough, the player won't really have a plane comparable to Yellow Squadron's Su-37 Terminators in the first place, and gameplay-wise there's no actual difference between the Yellows -- [[SchrodingersGun whichever you shoot down first]] is story-wise considered to have been Yellow 4.
** Then stepped up during the battle for San Salvacion, where a few Yellows are over different parts of the city; each one shot down is worth far more points than any normal target, but there is no in-story note if you kill any of them beyond Sky Eye shouting "Got a Yellow!" when it happens.
** Then outdone by Mission 17, Siege of Farbanti -- capping off the attack on the Erusean capital and the decapitating of their military is the honest-to-CrystalDragonJesus splashing of Yellow 13 and his last four wingmen, no WorfHadTheFlu excuse to defend them here! Except for the fact that most of Yellow was a bunch of hurriedly trained rookies, with the sole beautiful exception of Yellow 13.
* The sequence leading up to, and the stage "Emancipation," always gives goosebumps. While not the start of ISAF's offensive (that was Operation: Bunker Shot), it marks the point where ISAF has gained the decisive advantage and the war's outcome sealed.
** Yellow Squadron is in the air with you during this mission. If you seek them out, you can shoot them down here, too.
* Moment of Awesome for players here: In the mission 'Lifeline', your squad takes down an oilrig and a refinery to cut off supplies for an invading force. Then Yellow Squadron shows up, they're supposed to be better than you, and your objective is actually to RTB as quickly as possible. The devs cranked the AI up to eleven on this incarnation of the Yellows just to drive the point home. They were shocked when they read various internet forum posts describing players actually landing hits, and being disappointed to find out that the planes were invincible at this stage in the game! (On ace difficulty, it takes two regular missiles to take out an enemy but just one for you to go down, meaning these players went 5 vs. 1 on the best AI in the game, and landed multiple hits without getting shot down!)
** Not to mention the craptastic plane YOU are flying at the time vs the superfighters piloted by the Yellows.
* The start of the final mission is a excellent example. Throughout the game, you are the only Mobius aircraft in theatre, causing so much damage that the mere sight of your plane terrifies the enemy ("There's a ribbon on that plane! It's the Grim Reaper.") Because of this, when you enter the mission Megalith and are greeted with Mobius '''Squadron''' you really get the feeling that, this is really the last chance, it's win or die here.
---> '''Sky Eye:''' "Sky Eye here. All Mobius aircraft report in." \\
'''Allies:''' "Mobius Two on standby." "Mobius Three through Seven on standby." "Mobius Eight on standby." \\
'''Sky Eye:''' "Preparations are complete, ready for battle. All aircraft, follow Mobius One."\\
''[[[AwesomeMusic/AceCombat "Megalith ~ Agnus Dei"]] starts up]''
** For that matter, ''even the opening'' of the mission qualifies! You get to see how ''imposing'' Megalith is, complete with meteors, lasers coming from the facility ''and'' OminousLatinChanting:
--->''Rex,''\\
''Rex tremendae majestatis,''\\
''qui salvandos savas gratis,''\\
''salve me, fons pietatis.''
--->'''Translation:'''\\
''King,''\\
''King of tremendous majesty,''\\
''who freely saves those worthy ones,''\\
''save me, source of mercy.''
** Also, the reaction of the enemy planes. Yellow Squadron at this point has been decimated, so all of your enemies wear their symbol on their planes. [[OhCrap They didn't see their enemies doing the same thing]].
--> You're not gonna believe this Jean-Louis! ''All'' of them have ribbon insignias!

[[AC:Ace Combat 5]]
* The entirety of "First Flight". Sand Island is attacked by the Yuktobanians, and it's so sudden that from your view in the cockpit, everything around you is being bombed. You then take off and begin your counterattack, and in the middle of the mission, NewMeat Grimm takes Bartlett's spare plane out of the hangar and helps out. So it's just your four planes against an entire bomber force, and obviously, you kick their asses, all to [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic a remix of Blockade from the last game, "First Flight"]]. [[EstablishingCharacterMoment It's the beginning of the legend of the Four Wings of Sand Island]].
* Ofnir Squadron's entrance into the ravine in Mission 23: Ghosts of Razgriz is unquestionably badass. The formation of four Su-35s arrives over the ravine, before performing a high speed simultaneous 360-degree corkscrew descent into the canyon, leveling out mere ''feet'' above the canyon floor and each other.
* Mission 17: Journey Home. A simple ceremonial flight over an Osean city turns into an absolute furball as Wardog is forced to defend against ''50+'' Yuktobanian fighters in a desperate situation, while an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnY7oO_5Ozc unquestionably badass]] song plays.
* When Genette, the ''embedded reporter,'' throws it in with the blackballed Wardogs in the unarmed training planes after being ''held at gunpoint'' by the base commander. Sure, he'd been branded a traitor with the actual pilots, but he's still with them every step of the way without so much as a complaint, even after ejecting over the ocean. The mechanic's ''dog'' rides along with them. Even if that one level was the most fun level ever.
* Ace Combat 5 also gets another one during the Mission "Sea of Chaos". After spending the latter part of the game branded as traitors, several ships from the enemy's fleet finally realizes that you were right all along and decide to defect in an inspiring cut scene ("This is missile destroyer Gumrak of the GLORIOUS Yuktobanian Navy. We cannot follow a fleet commander willing to sink one his own ships. All of you who believe in peace, follow me!"). You then get to fight ''two entire battle fleets'', both from two completely different countries that are already at war with each other, to protect your new allies. As you utterly annihilate the enemy ships, the game's main theme song (an anti-war song no less!) plays in the background, while the sailors below react with terror (your enemies), with inspiration (your allies), or with disbelief (your old allies meeting your new comrades). Beautiful.
** And then the next mission? You're catapulted off your aircraft carrier for the last time as it starts to sink (complete with a cutscene where the surviving crew salutes the sinking carrier, complete with inspiring music), are allowed to finally use your full selection of aircraft (instead of just the naval aircraft such as the F/A-18 family) thanks to a last-minute retrofit of your aircraft's nose gear to mate with the catapult ''after'' the carrier kill, and then have just about every squadron on both sides of the war join you for the final mission to save the world.
** The cutscene of the last mission is pretty inspiring. The planes sent to intercept you? They form up with you instead. More planes appear? They're coming to join you. From both Osea and Yuktobonia, from every theatre of the war, they rally around YOU. During this scene they all join in singing the anti-war song, and one of them is an AWACS named [[BilingualBonus Oka Nieba]] who refers to you and all of your new allies as "the choir".
* Kei Nagase, the extremely pacifist borderline-GranolaGirl, gets shot down in enemy territory during a blizzard. One mission later, you see her rescue right before rescue in a cutscene: Holding the enemy soldiers sent to capture her at gunpoint, while the narrator comments on her courage and skill.
** The look on her face cements that moment, because you KNOW you don't want to mess with her.
* Part II of the White Bird missions. When it turns out the Arkbird has been hijacked by terrorists and needs to be shot down, almost anything you do feels amazing whether it be dodging lasers, slowly taking the ship apart and even when it refuses to lay down and die. The music for the stage "White Bird (Part II)" fits perfectly and depending on how you do with the UAV Remote Planes, you may find yourself just about to fail the mission only to succeed at the very end just as the music starts to slowly die down as the Arkbird crashes into the ocean. Definitely one of the best missions in the game.
* MISSION 18+: 8492. Right after those bone chilling lines "The 8492nd squadron doesn't exist!", the airspace in front of you is ''filled'' with enemy fighters. Then, later, you go back and take on the squadron of dozens of planes, and ''win''.
* In Journey Home, Chopper earns his Moment of Awesome when his plane is hit by an enemy missile, and rather then bail out over the city, he waits until the stadium is cleared out, but by then, his plane's systems are fried and he is unable to eject, so he guides the plane into the center of the stadium.
** Remember that the mission begins as a ceremonial flight, before an attack is launched. The 8492 keeps reinforcements from arriving, before stealth bombers are sent.
** The scene immediately after this is both a CMOA and a TearJerker. Edge and Archer are crying, but they and you seem to be shooting down the enemy with ease. Over the radio, the enemy muses that they must really be fighting the Demons of Razgriz, the demons having taken over the pilot's bodies. All round, good guy and bad guy freak out before the enemy retreats.
* Operation Katina; it's great to be Mobius 1 again, and the set-up is just awesome. A large force of [[FormerRegimePersonnel ex-Eurusean military]] have decided to return to duty and attempt to start an insurrection. [[OneRiotOneRanger ISAF decides that the situation can be handled by Mobius 1 alone]].
* Screaming towards the SOLG in an [[GodModeSue F-22]] on Ace difficulty, you're intercepted by the Ofnir and Grabacr squadrons. Fire off four XLAA missiles and jink hard right, then reacquire and kill the rest of them. If you're good it takes all of five seconds. In fact you can break the game somewhat here as there is about thirty seconds of canned battle speech, and over two minutes of sappy natter from your pilots after downing the two squadrons.
** And the final scene, when you have to shoot down the SOLG, is awesome in the unique, anti-climatically serene way. Speeding towards the rising sun with your wingmen, destroying the final derelict of the past war (which isn't even hard but takes just enough time to savor the moment), while the triumphant Latin main theme starts to play -- it's not quite a TearJerker but more like a heartfelt goodbye to the characters and the game world.
*** Want to do it one better? You can fly ''inside the SOLG.'' That's right, Razgriz One flew inside a ''falling satellite linear gun'' and destroyed it from inside out.
* The final tunnel in Sudnetor in Mission 27. One of the toughest if not THE toughest tunnel in the series, ridiculously long, with an enemy plane chasing you and trying to shoot you down, having to speed out after destroying the core while dodging obstacles and with gates closing in front of you, shooting down enemy planes ''coming head-on,'' all set to one of the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic most triumphant tracks]] the game has to offer (in a game with a lot of them!). Especially for a newbie, it's hard not to celebrate after successfully tackling that gauntlet.
* The Aces mission, with your fellow pilots singing "The Journey Home" as you approach the base. Then there's the defection of the Yuktobanian and Osean pilots to fight the Belkans, as they add their quite off-key voices to the song, the tune growing louder and much more beautiful as more and more aces join you in the final battle. Check at 8:13 of this video and see for youself [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbJMQOfq0aY]].
-->703rd Squadron: This is the Yuktobanian 703rd Squadron. We heard the President's speech. We will fight with you.\\
Allied Osean Squadron 1: Let us sing that song, too. We're going with you.\\
Allied Osean Squadron 2: So are we.\\
Osean 1st Fighter Wing: This is the Osean 1st Fighter Wing. I just knocked out the Brigade Commander. We'd also like to help.\\
172nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron: This is the Yuktobanian 172nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron. We love that song too. We brought an AWACS with us.
** The icing on the cake? [[IncomingHam Oka Nieba announcing his entrance to the "choir"]]!
* If you shoot down enough Grabacr fighters (sans the leader), this exchange ensues.
-->'''Grabacr:''' ''We'll return to haunt you for eternity! [[KilledMidSentence AAAGH!]]''\\
'''Swordsman:''' ''This battle is over! Accept your defeat!''\\
'''Grabacr:''' ''We will never give in!''

[[AC:Ace Combat Zero]]
* The first mission to the Round Table (Mission 3). After shooting down numerous planes, a squadron of enemy aces suddenly shows up and puts up one of the most difficulty fights in the entire game (especially if you're still using the default F-5 Fighter). If you manage to survive the hard encounter, Pixy then poignantly says "Yo, buddy. Still alive?"
* The mission 'Diapason' from Ace Combat Zero. After five missions of relatively minor battles against the enemy army, it comes time to liberate the player's capital city of Directus from the occupying Belkan army. It starts out awesome right from the get-go, with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_p4MEGchMU inspiring battle music]] underscoring the fight. The Moment of Awesome begins when the citizens of Directus decide they've had enough and rise up and fight the Belkan Army, who up to this point had crushed your nation's army with [[CurbStompBattle no difficulty whatsoever]]. Through the radio conversations, you can hear shouts of "The Belkans are running!" and "Get the hell out of our city!" Soon, the citizens of Directus more or less ''take back the entire city by themselves''. For that final bit of awesome, they then take control of the anti-air guns and start helping you shoot down Belkan fighters.
--> "Ring the bell! The Bell of Freedom!"
* Mission 09 has you taking down [[WaveMotionGun Excalibur]]. At first everyone's desperate and wondering if they even have a chance, but as you slowly take it apart piece by piece, people begin believing that victory is assured for the sole reason that [[HopeBringer YOU'RE THERE]]. And then you actually DO take it down, and your commander explicitly states that the entire military has recognized you as "an indispensable component in this war" for being [[RuleOfSymbolism the man who pulled out Tauberg's sword]]. Pixy's line sums it up best.
--> Yo buddy, you've got everyone fired up and believing in miracles!
* Another crowning moment is mission 10, the second visit to the Round Table; it's right after you've destroyed Excalibur, and as such the Belkans have begun to fear your abilities, not to mention that you essentially [[BigDamnHeroes turn the battle around on your own]]. To top it all off? This is mission where you first become the Demon Lord.
** "Galm's not fighting alone! Let's show 'em what the Osean Air Force can do!"
* The final four missions of the game show just how deadly the Demon Lord of the Round Table really is, and define him as a hero.
** First is the Hresvelgr attack. You're just having a regular mission briefing when suddenly, [[InterfaceScrew your base gets attacked and the screen goes all screwy]]. You then have to take off from the base as its being bombed to hell... [[BackFromTheBrink after which you take down the Hresvelgr and all of her escorts]].
** You then pay another visit to the Round Table, where you're greeted by another enemy squadron. You mow through them so badly that years later, one of ace pilots interviewed still craps his pants at the thought of it.
*** Special notice goes to the version of the mission that pits Galm Team against Sorcerer Squadron, since the latter is a team of pilots, each with an [[RareVehicles F-15 S/MTD]]. In other words, assuming the canon [[BoringButPractical F-15C]] is used, [[OneManArmy Cipher]] defeated a squadron of eight ace pilots each flying what should be (and is, according to in-game stats) an [[UpgradeVsPrototypeFight upgraded version of what he's flying]].
** The attack on Avalon shows just how much of a HopeBringer you are. The allies have you fly low through the canyon, where going above means getting blasted with flak. They're pulling their weight too, [[HeroicSacrifice distracting the rest of the forces as you go do your job]]. They sound so desperate, but the moment you make it through, they immediately get fired up and basically run into enemy fire for the sole purpose of keeping you alive. You then prove them right [[AirstrikeImpossible doing a tunnel flight and destroying every V2 launch site]]. Which then makes way for the final mission...
** The absolute crowning Moment of Awesome of the game, Zero. It's just you and your old friend Pixy, AirJousting in the snowfall of Avalon as a V2 nuke threatens to destroy the world to [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic the greatest BGM in the friggin' world]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAYA2pztBok Just watch and see for yourself.]] Also, "Demon Lord of the Round Table" is a MOA for the player.
** At first you were merely Galm 1, according to [[MissionControl AWACS Eagle Eye]], then you were Cipher. In the final mission? "Demon Lord of the Round Table, I pray for your success." The usual "MISSION START" doesn't appear until after that line.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9hCUb9-zwo Someone cleared Ace Combat Zero using only bombs.]] Including flying straight up to fighter jets and dropping a freaking FAEB on its head... Must be seen to be believed.
* While non-canon, the Gauntlet mode give you a pretty neat awesome moment. It has a nasty surprise in Ace difficulty: Mobius 1 in his trademark F-22 as the surprise final boss. If you defeat him, you'll earn a ton of points, but when you think about it... All the other player aces in the Ace Combat games save for [[VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere Nemo]] (who does not count since he's a simulation) rely on their teammates to help them win. Mobius 1 toppled the whole Usean war as a one-man squadron and later broke the Erusea remnants in Operation Katina, once again by himself. Defeating him means that you outdid a pilot whose skill was greater than a whole wing of fighters. Also, like the titular final mission, "Zero" plays in the gauntlet too.

[[AC:Ace Combat X]]
* Gryphus One establishes his badass cred early on by dodging the shockwave from a SWBM that wipes out almost everyone else in his squadron. He proceeds to lead the retaking of Aurelia, takes down the Gleipnir airborne fortress that helped Leasath almost completely conquer Aurelia in ten days, helps to retake Griswall despite the Leasathian [[EnergyWeapon Frickin' Laser Beams]], defeats Leasath's elite Alect Squadron and the Fenrir superfighters. If you make the right choices, he does the last two at the same time!
** It gets better. If you're REALLY good and know the general placement of the fighters early on, you can shoot down the Alect planes WHILE CLOAKED. The mission briefing states quite clearly that doing that is too dangerous to approach head on which is why you need to destroy the mechanism that's providing the cloak with energy. If you can down all four of them, the game sometimes has trouble accepting that you could actually do that and skip to the last phase of the mission.
** Speaking of the last phase, there's the obligatory AC tunnel mission. If the Alect squadron was fought, there's still [[AcePilot one last man who escaped your wrath.]] Your job is to find him and destroy the fighter he's piloting AND escape at from a collapsing tunnel at the same time.
* Let's not forget Albert Genette. 10 years after [[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar joining the Wardogs in uncovering the truth behind the Cirrum-Pacific War]], Albert shows he hasn't lost his reporting chops by taking down Diego Navarro by revealing to the entirety of Leasath his true plans for the war, leading to righteously enraged citizens tearing apart his beloved weapon on the very day of its ultimate triumph, just as Gryphus 1 destroys the rest of the weapons.
* ''Operation X.'' Just like Mobius 1 in ''Zero'', this game's version of ''The Gauntlet'' has a nasty surprise in higher difficulties: [[VideoGame/AirCombat Scarface]] [[VideoGame/AceCombat2 One]] piloting his signature [[SuperPrototype XFA-27]]. Although defeating him is [[BonusBoss entirely optional]], getting to that point is easier said than done; '''[[ThatOneBoss He's the hardest opponent in the entire game]]''', even more so than the [[spoiler:[[FinalBoss XFA-33 Fenrir]]]].


[[AC:Ace Combat 6]]
* "Go dance with the angel!" Melissa's daughter and her sheer gall to insult the occupying Estovakia ''on public broadcast'', starting a ''national-level'' MemeticMutation in the process.
* Small thing that bears mentioning: two woman who don't even speak the same language go on a road trip across the freaking ''warzone''. They even nearly get killed by irate militia ''and'' buzzed by stray A-10 Thunderbolt at one point!
* In ''Ace Combat 6'', there is one moment that also qualifies as a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}. You and your wingmate are on the verge of court-martial for disobeying direct orders. The two of you get sent on a secret mission to blow up the enemies WMD stockpile. However, after you do that, and try to escape, you get ambushed by 50+ enemy fighters. You will desperately try to shoot them all down, but, there are too many, and even with unlimited ammo, you will not be able to. Just when all seems lost, a whole host of friendly blips show up on your radar. Every single pilot who you have helped/saved throughout the entire game shows up to help you, and the resulting furball is on a scale not seen since the Battle of Shattered Skies ten years ago (in-game) in ''Ace Combat 04''.
* The Liberation of Gracemeria. Your first mission got you kicked out of your capital. Now, having taken down everything the Estovakians have to throw at you and [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic the eponymous orchestra playing in the background]], there's only one thing to do.
-->"All planes, we're going to take back Gracemeria today!"
** And then you do, by pasting Pasternak (which is its own Crowning Moment). In the cutscene that follows, [=McKnight=]'s tank finally reaches the endpoint of the tunnel to the Gracemeria Central Bank. He blows through the final wall, revealing (not the oodles of money he expected, but) the treasures squirreled away during the initial siege of the city, including an antique suit of armor known as the Golden King. What does he do? ''He has the Golden King ride the tank's barrel like a horse'', and parades it through Gracemeria proclaiming the end of the war.
* [[WorthyOpponent Pasternak]]: "Corrupt governments and marred lands are no longer worth fighting to protect. There's only one thing left worth fighting for. And that's the future!" Pasternak says this during the battle to retake Gracemeria, after sending his squadron away when it becomes apparent that there is no winning the battle. He is piloting a badass superplane and has a legion of drone planes at his command, yet there is no way he's anything but a dead man seeing as he's fighting the entire Emmerian military by himself. All he's doing is providing a distraction so his teammates can get away with their lives, and he knows it.
** And he becomes ThatOneBoss doing it. Especially if you're dumb enough to fight him with anything but QAAM's.
* The final mission, where Talisman takes down the Chandelier railgun singlehandedly by ''flying straight down its barrel''.
** Not only that, you are destroying the last vestige of the scar known as the Ulysses Incident.
* Acquiring the [[InfinityPlusOneSword CFA-44 Nosferatu]] by beating the campaign on the [[BraggingRightsReward Hard Difficulty]]. The very first use of the plane's [[MacrossMissileMassacre ADMM]] is enough to make the player's jaw drop at the [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill sheer destructive firepower]].
** Same goes for the [[MagneticWeapons EML]], which is basically a ''[[RuleOfCool plane-mounted sniper rifle]]'' that can [[OneHitKO one-shot]] any target from afar with impunity.


[[AC:Ace Combat: Infinity]]
* Reaper, the PlayerCharacter, destroys Stonehenge in Mission 4, as well as ''both'' an upgraded CFA-44 "Nosferatu" with its insane laser drones ''and'' the heavy command cruiser in the next mission. His reputation as an Ace is established within the first five missions (with more to come in the future).
** In Mission 6, he performs a Tunnel Flight that [[VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar The Demon Lord of the Round Table]] himself would be proud of.
** Mission 7 has the player pay a visit to [[VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar The Round Table]] and fight the Butterfly Master again.
** The epic conclusion in Mission 8, especially the second half (after the meteorite strike), with an epic remix of "Blue Skies" accompanying the heroic battle.
* The Special Raid Mission, "Moby Dick Pursuit" (any of the three variants), where both player teams, usually competing for better scores, team up to fight together and destroy Aigaion, along wih two Kottos and Gyges warships.
** Thousands of bullets flying in the air coupled with hundreds of missiles going every which way, frantic radio comments by AWACS and the enemy... every moment of the six minutes of these missions is incredible. Especially if you and the other players manage to tackle the mission for an "S" rank, which results in huge money rewards (becomes insane if you're using Forced Sortie).
** Special mention goes to the rariest version of this mission, where you encounter a golden-plated Aigaion. It is no longer armed with cruise missiles... now it has [[EnergyWeapon Frickin' Laser Beams]] that are capable of destroying your missiles and delivering a OneHitKill to you!
** On August 19, the Aigaion Special Raid was replaced with [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies STONEHENGE RETURNS]]. The mission's difficulty has been amped up due to the constant railgun fire and enormous amounts of targets to destroy. It feels extremely satisfying to get an S rank in any of the three mission variants, especially the "Gold Ring" one.
** The January 2015 update trailer, showing the SOLG satellite new super planes - X-02 "Wyvern" and ADF-01 "Falken" (as standard aircraft!) and having "The Unsung War" as background music.
*** Even better, the Gold SOLG mission features the song in the background again, as the players try to destroy not only the satellite itself (Now upgraded with artillery shells, laser defenses and a crapload more endurance and durability), but also a bunch of Morgans and Falkens!
** The November 2015 update gave the players quite possibly the best special raid so far: [[VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar Excalibur Onslaught]]. It has been revamped to the point the superweapon is protected by [[AttackDrone UAVs]], and a huge laser ''net'' through which the players must weave while destroying hundreds of targets.
* Emergency missions that happen about halfway during regular Online Mission Co-Op. Their variety is like heaven for longtime ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' fans. The Emergency Missions include:
** Fighting elite fighter squadrons (such as Titan, Quickshot, Specialist or [[VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception Scylla]])
** Destroying either a fleet of stealth destroyers or a bunch of transport carriers in "Pipeline Destruction"
** Fending off a [[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar Scinfaxi-class submarine]] equipped with drones in three different missions (and one of them, in "Aerospace Center Defense", is a TimedMission)
*** If we mention the mission to defend the space center, we can't forget [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies shooting down a squadron of B-2 bombers and escort fighters]]
** Defending Tokyo from a meteorite shower (very rare, though)
** Defending Dubai from cruise missiles (without using [[VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon Dog Fight Mode]], no less!) OR [[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar eliminating enemy forces that occupy the international airport]]
** Shooting down either [[VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon Intercontinential Ballistic Missiles]] launched from Alps Mountains or both [[VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation Kottos and Gyges warships]] OR destroying the radar jammer sites
** Fighting the [[ThatOneBoss Butterfly Master]] in Moscow (as well as the map in general, with hundreds of fighter jets and ground targets to destroy)
* The new Co-Op map, Weapons Base Assault.
* Three words: Avalon. Dam. Invasion. It includes a tunnel flight to destroy [=ICBMs=] inside it and hundreds, if not, thousands of ground targets to destroy.
** Especially if you have an emblem like "Galm" or "Wardog" , since the regular victory music is then replaced by a famous piece from the series, such as "Zero" or "Unsung War", for all players' hearing pleasure.
** A couple of players have used the level to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o8-QGgpoYo re-enact the final battle]] of ''Zero'' in a more modern game engine. If anything, it shows that [[spoiler: Pixy]] was going easy on us in the original game, as the ADFX-01 is ''devastating'' in the hands of a skilled human player, forcing "Cipher" to crank every bit of maneuverability they can out of the F-15 to avoid the TLS. Even so, Cipher manages to get the first kill, score a MutualKill at the start of the last "phase" (right after the "I pray for your success" line), and ultimately win!

* While non-canon, the Gauntlet mode give you a pretty neat awesome moment. It has a nasty surprise in Ace difficulty: Mobius 1 in his trademark F-22 as the surprise final boss. If you defeat him, you'll earn a ton of points, but when you think about it... All the other player aces in the Ace Combat games save for [[VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere Nemo]] (who does not count since he's a simulation) rely on their teammates to help them win. Mobius 1 toppled the whole Usean war as a one-man squadron and later broke the Erusea remnants in Operation Katina, once again by himself. Defeating him means that you outdid a pilot whose skill was greater than a whole wing of fighters.

This page is for [[SugarWiki/CrowningMomentOfAwesome Crowning Moments Of Awesome]] for ''Ace Combat'' games preceding ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown''. For [=CMoA's=] in ''Skies Unknown,'' look [[Awesome/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown here.]]

'''Sky Eye:''' "Preparations are complete, ready for battle. All aircraft, follow Mobius One."

* You thought the Z.O.E was a formidable opponent during the story? Extra Mission 4 in ''Assault Horizon Legacy'' has you fighting '''[[TrueFinalBoss FOUR OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME]]''', each one equipped with the [[InfinityPlusOneSword FALKEN]], complete with [[FrickinLaserBeams TLS!]] [[ThatOneBoss Good luck!]]

* Gryphus One establishes his badass cred early on by dodging the shockwave from a SWBM that wipes out almost everyone else in his squadron. He proceeds to lead the retaking of Aurelia, takes down the Gleipnir airborne fortress that helped Leasath almost completely conquer Aurelia in ten days, helps to retake Griswall despite the Leasathian FrickinLaserBeams, defeats Leasath's elite Alect Squadron and the Fenrir superfighters. If you make the right choices, he does the last two at the same time!

** Special mention goes to the rariest version of this mission, where you encounter a golden-plated Aigaion. It is no longer armed with cruise missiles... now it has FrickinLaserBeams that are capable of destroying your missiles and delivering a OneHitKill to you!

* [[PlayerCharacter Scarface One/Phoenix]] himself is a MemeticBadass, although not as pronounced as Mobius One. A rather impressive feat for the first protagonist of the series.

** The mission ''Final Countdown'' is pretty much [[ThatOneLevel the most difficult mission]] in the game barring the Extra Missions; The first part is a gauntlet against the rebellion's LastStand, sending out their entire naval fleet to [[BulletHell pepper the sky with bullets]]. Then it all goes south when the [[SuperPrototype XB-10]] gets involved in the fray, but luckily all three of them are shot down. And yet it '''STILL''' isn't over, as now Phoenix has to contend with the last Ace Squadron of the game: [[TheChessmaster Albireo]]. Unlike Beast and Cocoon Squadrons' leaders ([[CombatPragmatist who play dirty]] in their attempts to bring you down and are [[JerkAss colossal douchefaces]]), Albireo's flight lead... is [[NiceGuy a genuinely nice person]] who just wants to [[{{Retirony}} retire after this mission]]. He also genuinely sees Phoenix as a WorthyOpponent and even [[TheMentor teaches him a few tactics during their battle]]. Make no mistake, Albireo is easily the [[ThatOneBoss most difficult boss in the main story]] and is considered as [[WorldsBestWarrior the most powerful]] AcePilot [[WorldsBestWarrior in all of USEA]]. Sadly, unlike the other squadrons who are faced with UncertainDoom, Albireo is the [[TearJerker only one]] KilledOffForReal.

** The mission ''Final Countdown'' is pretty much [[ThatOneLevel the most difficult mission]] in the game barring the Extra Missions; The first part is a gauntlet against the rebellion's LastStand, sending out their entire naval fleet to [[BulletHell pepper the sky with bullets]]. Then it all goes south when the [[SuperPrototype XB-10]] gets involved in the fray, but luckily all three of them are shot down. And yet it '''STILL''' isn't over, as now Phoenix has to contend with the last Ace Squadron of the game: [[TheChessmaster Albireo]]. Unlike Beast and Cocoon Squadrons' leaders ([[CombatPragmatist who play dirty]] in their attempts to bring you down and are [[JerkAss colossal douchefaces]]), Albireo's flight lead... is [[NiceGuy a genuinely nice person]] who just wants to [[{{Retirony}} retire after this mission]]. He also genuinely sees Phoenix as a WorthyOpponent and even [[TheMentor teaches him a few tactics during their battle]]. Make no mistake, Albireo is easily the [[ThatOneBoss most difficult boss in the main story]] and is considered as [[World'sBestWarrior the most powerful]] AcePilot [[WorldsBestWarrior in all of USEA]]. Sadly, unlike the other squadrons who are faced with UncertainDoom, Albireo is the [[TearJerker only one]] KilledOffForReal.

** The mission ''Final Countdown'' is pretty much [[ThatOneLevel the most difficult mission]] in the game barring the Extra Missions; The first part is a gauntlet against the rebellion's LastStand, sending out their entire naval fleet to [[BulletHell pepper the sky with bullets]]. Then it all goes south when the [[SuperPrototype XB-10]] gets involved in the fray, but luckily all three of them are shot down. And yet it '''STILL''' isn't over, as now Phoenix has to contend with the last Ace Squadron of the game: [[TheChessmaster Albireo]]. Unlike Beast and Cocoon Squadrons' leaders ([[CombatPragmatist who play dirty]] in their attempts to bring you down and are [[JerkAss colossal douchefaces]]), Albireo's flight lead... is [[NiceGuy a genuinely nice person]] who just wants to [[{{Retirony}} retire after this mission. He also genuinely sees Phoenix as a WorthyOpponent and even [[TheMentor teaches him a few tactics during their battle]]. Make no mistake, Albireo is easily the [[ThatOneBoss most difficult boss in the main story]] and is considered as [[World'sBestWarrior the most powerful]] AcePilot [[WorldsBestWarrior in all of USEA]]. Sadly, unlike the other squadrons who are faced with UncertainDoom, Albireo is the [[TearJerker only one]] KilledOffForReal.

** The mission ''Final Countdown'' is pretty much [[ThatOneLevel the most difficult mission]] in the game barring the Extra Missions; The first part is a gauntlet against the rebellion's LastStand, sending out their entire naval fleet to [[BulletHell pepper the sky with bullets]]. Then it all goes south when the [[SuperPrototype XB-10]] gets involved in the fray, but luckily all three of them are shot down. And yet it '''STILL''' isn't over, as now Phoenix has to contend with the last Ace Squadron of the game: [[TheChessmaster Albireo]]. Unlike Beast and Cocoon Squadrons' leaders ([[CombatPragmatist who play dirty]] in their attempts to bring you down and are [[JerkAss colossal douchefaces]]), Albireo's flight lead... is [[NiceGuy a genuinely nice person]] who just wants to [[{{Retirony}} retire after this mission. He also genuinely sees Phoenix as a WorthyOpponent and even [[TheMentor teaches him a few tactics during their battle]]. Make no mistake, Albireo is easily the [[ThatOneBoss most difficult boss in the main story]] and is considered as [[World'sBestWarrior the most powerful]] AcePilot [[World'sBestWarrior in all of USEA]]. Sadly, unlike the other squadrons who are faced with UncertainDoom, Albireo is the [[TearJerker only one]] KilledOffForReal.

** The mission ''Toy Box'' has Phoenix destroy a satellite weapon meant to take out the [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies incoming Ulysses asteroid]]. All seems well after it ends, until '''Beast Squadron''' comes back even after being shot down in the previous fight. This time, [[ThatOneBoss he's not messing around;]] He's not only packing his [[WolfpackBoss usual tactics]], but decides to take it [[UpToEleven up a few notches]] by dishing out the [[InterfaceScrew Electronic Warfare System to jam your HUD]]. And Phoenix '''[[CurbstompBattle STILL]]''' utterly annihilates him despite the odds stacked up against him.

** The mission ''Toy Box'' has Phoenix destroy a satellite weapon meant to take out the [[VideoGame/AceCombat05ShatteredSkies incoming Ulysses asteroid]]. All seems well after it ends, until '''Beast Squadron''' comes back even after being shot down in the previous fight. This time, [[ThatOneBoss he's not messing around;]] He's not only packing his [[WolfpackBoss usual tactics]], but decides to take it [[UpToEleven up a few notches]] by dishing out the [[InterfaceScrew Electronic Warfare System to jam your HUD]]. And Phoenix '''[[CurbstompBattle STILL]]''' utterly annihilates him despite the odds stacked up against him.

** Then there's ''[[BestLevelEver Seagull]]'', which isn't just a faithful remake of the original, but the setting takes place in Skully Islands, the setting of [[VideoGame/AirCombat the very first game]]. Then there's the hellish gauntlet against Cocoon Squadron, USEA's best naval squadron. [{RecurringBoss Z.O.E.]] shows up yet again in the mission to pester Phoenix, but it is easily driven off despite Cocoon Squadron taking potshots at you. And then, the final phase, which is nothing but pure adrenaline from start to finish, all topped off by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOL1_w9EwSc one of the best songs in the game]].