Heartwarming / 86 EIGHTY-SIX

"It's been a while... Handler One."

Given the militaristic and dramatic aspects of the series, 86 EIGHTY-SIX has more than its fair share of heartwarming moments. Per wiki policy, spoilers for the the Light Novel and its many adaptations are unmarked by default. You have been warned.

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Volume 1

• Rei rescuing a ten-year-old Lena when the aircraft she and her father were in is shot down by the Legion. No doubt many of the other 86 would have left her to her fate, but despite having been treated as inhumanely as any of them by the Republic, Rei didn't see Lena as a villainous Alba–just a frightened little girl in need of help.
• Shin asking Lena to remember him and Spearhead after they've all gone. Considering his title and the job that comes with it, it's the first time he felt free to walk ahead of someone, instead of always being left behind.

Volume 2

• Even though they don't feel completely at home in the Federacy just yet, the survivors of Spearhead still make an effort to try to adjust to domestic life away from the battlefield. It doesn't last, but even they agree that it was a nice experience.
• Frederica quickly bonding with Shin, much as he may not want to admit it. Though they got off on the wrong foot, they soon establish a sweet sibling connection, with Frederica even pestering Shin into buying toys for her.

Volume 3

• Raiden's "talk" with Shin prior to their assault on the Morpho. It's clear to all those reading (and listening) that his anger comes from the fear that his friend survived the suicide mission only to willingly throw himself back into another one.
• Shin's reunion with Lena after getting saved by her forces during the Morpho mission. At first, their conversation was stiff and formal (given they didn't recognize each other immediately), but once Lena identifies herself to Shin, he ended up completely floored upon realizing that she actually survived the fall of San Magnolia. From then on, his worldview shifted, and he finally found a reason to keep fighting: To show Lena something better than the war-torn battlefield they were thrown into to begin with.
• Given Frederica's ability to see the memories, location, and feelings of anyone she's ever met/seen, her presence at the big reunion between the Spearhead Five and Lena is especially touching, and you can see it in her expression. She knows, even more than Shin does, how much Lena has thought of him and the other four Spearhead survivors during their time apart. She knows how she's been practically certain of their deaths all this time, but held off on treating their deaths as confirmed until she reached where they had finally fallen. She knows that Shin inspired Lena and proved to be the catalyst for her transformation into a legendary commander that she's become. And she knows what Lena and Shin and the other Spearhead survivors are feeling in that moment. Given how much suffering, horror, and sadness she's seen because of that ability for a long time, it's especially heartwarming that she gets to see some amazing moments with her ability for once. Her quickly moving to take a commemorative photo of the group is also a clever touch on her part, as the commemorative photo of Shin's generation of the Spearhead Squadron had been a keepsake Lena had been carrying with her ever since she found it.
• The initial dynamic between Lena and the Spearhead Squadron as their handler began with a lot of dramatic tension at how out of touch and ignorant Lena was about the hell Spearhead was going through, and how her well-intentioned kindness came across as condescending and empty platitudes to make herself feel better. By the end of their reunion, however, they view Lena as an equal, look forward to having her as their commander, and treat her as a close friend (just like Lena had always wanted, deep down—the only friend she'd had at the start of the story was Annette, who was emotionally distant most of the time). Lena outright states that from now on, she'll be fighting alongside them (not necessarily physically, but emotionally and practically—she's contributing just as much as they are, and she's just as brave and determined in the face of death as they are), and all of the Spearhead survivors agree.
• The Anime-only Episode 23 Epilogue (which is basically an Adaptation Expansion of the above) was an entire moment of heartwarming, for all intents and purposes. The entirety of which made all the more to the tune of "LilaS", care of Hiroyuki Sawano and Honoka Takahashi.
  • The segment starts with Fido replaying Lev's final words to him before their Suicide Mission in the first cour: "Keep those kids safe, you hear?"
  • Each of the interviews with the members of Spearhead Squadron has a couple of quick flashes to how they were before, basically emphasizing how they grew up upon surviving said Suicide Mission back then.
    • Raiden looking forward to how Shin would react upon finally meeting Lena face-to-face. As he's the closest to Shin among the remaining members of Spearhead, the snippets from Fido has both of them in focus; the first was back in their early days; the latter was prior to the assault on the Morpho.
    • Anju contemplating on whether the cat Lena brought with her would be the same cat they cared for back then, with a lingering shot of the cat in Daiya's hands, then a quick shot of the cat comforting her after Daiya died.
    • Theo has him presenting his sketches of Lena to Fido. Considering the in-universe Art Evolution that his sketches of her underwent (his Covert Pervert tendencies on the third sketch notwithstanding), it's fair to say he's grown to properly respect his former handler. Also, in contrast to the previous one he did prior to the suicide mission, where he was chucking his old sketchbooks into the fire, his expression is definitely an improvement, and befits his "Laughing Fox" callsign.
    • Kurena, despite still being in denial of a possible relationship between Shin and Lena, is cheerful enough to at least look forward to considering Lena as her younger sister.
    • And finally, Shin looks back towards Fido, asking him as to how it looks for the Squadron's Team Pet. Cut to snippets of Shin's childhood (with his brother Shourei in the first one,) just as he was running to catch up with the rest of the squad.
  • The fact that Ernst, Grethe, Willem, and Richard - all four of them being leaders within the Giad Federacy - were on board with setting up the said meeting as it were, going above and beyond with treating it as a heartfelt reunion between True Companions, instead of just going with a mere formality between the Federacy and San Magnolia.
  • Ernst dropping this proper sage advice to Lena after her visit to the 86 Memorial, moments before...
    Ernst: Time spent remembering a lost loved one is time well spent.
  • The first actual meeting between Lena and Spearhead Squadron. Excellently capped by this line from Shin:
    Shin: This isn't the first time we've met. However, it is the first time we've seen each other in person...
    (All the while, Raiden, Anju and Kurena were stifling their laughter, while Theo stood calm...)
    Shin: It's been a while... "Handler One."^* Also doubles as the episode's Title Drop.
    • An interesting tidbit: the background music cuts for a very brief moment just as Shin uttered the abovementioned line.
  • With all that had just happened to Lena, from losing contact with Spearhead (and in particular, Shin) after the first Suicide Mission, to that very moment where she's finally face-to-face with the team she was hoping to still be alive, all she could do was utter his nickname and slowly burst into Tears of Joy, with everyone looking on with sincere smiles on their faces. Understandably, Shin lets out a light smile of his own, just glad to finally meet the girl who slowly became the bright light of his entire world, after years of braving through the darkness and despair of those who fell victim to the Legion (including his own brother.)
  • Not to be outshone by the budding relationship between Shin and Lena, the rest of Spearhead were just as equally glad to finally meet their former Handler face-to-face:
    • Raiden, like a proud older brother, acknowledged Lena's stubbornness for following them into the path they were part of long before they even heard her voice for the first time;
    • Theo felt surprised that Lena managed to make doodles of each of them on small note sheets, and that she had managed to hold on to them until now;
    • Anju thanked Lena for looking after the very cat they raised in their old base; and
    • Kurena, despite having shown her denial of Lena's relationship with Shin, was just glad to see her alive.
  • The final few shots of the group ahead of the broken railway tracks, knowing that they will now be facing the future together for all humanity, regardless of race. Doubly special for Lena, who finally caught up with the people who changed her life for the better.
    Lena: You know, I've followed you for so long...
    Shin: I do know.
    Lena: I've finally caught up.
    Shin: You have.
    (All while everyone at Spearhead grasp the sketches Lena made for each of them...)
    Lena: From now on... I'll fight with you 'til the very end.
    (Shin nods, then both of them look up onto the horizon...)
    
  • The closing shot of the episode: the group picture Federica took of Lena and the Spearhead Squadron, with the writing: "We won't forget."^* The "We" is written above the "I".

Volume 4

• It's revealed in this volume that ever since their departure, Lena has been having recurring nightmares about the Spearhead squadron's demise. She is especially distraught that, even in dreams, she's still unable to picture any of their faces. After reuniting with them, and Shin in particular, she smiles upon realizing she'll never have to go through that again.
• When Lena arrives at the Federacy, the Colorata soldiers express dismay at having her lead the Strike Package despite being a Republic citizen. Shin, knowing that trying to silence their complaints would only lead to issues further down the line, allows them to exact retribution on her on behalf of the 86. This "punishment" is ultimately nothing more than a few buckets of water being splashed in her face. Lena realizes that the soldiers likely had crueler methods in mind, but Shin personally vetoed each and every one of them, and made it so that the officers technically get their wish while also not doing Lena any real harm.
  • Even then, he lets her know that he finds the officers' actions distasteful and that they had no right to treat her the way they did, both because they themselves are not part of the 86, and because Lena herself had nothing to do with their poor treatment.
• Shin's reasons for telling Lena that her black uniform and dyed hair are no longer necessary for her to wear (and probably never were). For the past two years, she had been fighting alone to protect the 86 and keep the Legion at bay, and has had to put up a strong front in order to keep from falling apart under the pressure and loneliness, as well as (in her opinion) atone for the crimes the Republic had subjected the 86 to. In response, Shin tells Lena that he never intended to put blame on her for what the Alba did, and that she won't have to fight alone now that she has him and the rest of Spearhead by her side.
• Shin is engaged in a fight with a new type of Legion, which will later be named the Phönix. He adopts his usual "kill all enemies regardless of personal safety" behavior and looks like he is about to lose himself in battle again. For the very first time, though, something calls him back from the brink before it happens: Lena's voice, pleading for him to return to her. When he hears her, Shin gets a hold of himself and starts to think rationally again.

Volume 5

• Dustin revealing his crush on Anju, which completely blindsides her (as she had only asked as a joke). She reveals a little about her past to him (including the fact that she had loved someone once). Anju believes she will only keep comparing anyone she's interested in to Daiya, and for that reason she has no right to love someone again, but Dustin assures her that loving someone or something new doesn't mean she must forget about what happened in the past. It must also be noted that Dustin himself is willing to accept Anju not returning his feelings. He just wants her to know that she still deserves to be happy.
  • Shin (after letting Dustin know exactly how he feels about the situation), adds on to this by telling Anju that Daiya himself wouldn't want her to be trapped by her feelings for him forever, not if it means she can't find happiness for herself.
• Shin inviting Lena to go stargazing with him on top of the Citadel's observation tower. His thoughts betray how nervous he is about it, though he doesn't understand why.

Volume 6

• Lena and Shin's conversation in the garden. They still have trouble fully seeing eye-to-eye, but Lena lets Shin know that, even if he can't see beauty in the world the way she does, or see past tomorrow, he's still allowed to have hopes and dreams like anybody else and deserves happiness like all human beings. This kickstarts some major character development for Shin, and from then on he makes an effort to imagine a future for himself beyond the war, which was something he never thought was necessary before.
• Near the volume's climax, Shin finally comes clean to Lena about wanting to see the sea with her after the war. It reads very much like a confession, and Lena is understandably stunned by the heartfelt passion in his words before she answers him in kind.

Volume 7

• After dancing around the issue for most of the series, Shin and Lena finally take steps to progress their relationship, much to (almost) everyone's delight.
• The volume in general serves as a massive heartwarming moment for the members of the Strike Package, as they all take time out of their vacation days to create multiple opportunities for Shin and Lena to confess their feelings to each other. The Spearhead squadron in particular has come a long way from keeping Lena at arm's length to openly rooting for her and Shin to find happiness together.
  • Shiden also deserves a mention for putting her own feelings for Lena aside in favor of helping her reach out to Shin. Doing so shows she cares about Lena's happiness far more than her own.
• After several unsuccessful attempts (both due to his own hesitation and outside circumstances), Shin is the first to confess his love for Lena. Her response? Giving him the Big Damn Kiss.
• Anju and Dustin watch the fireworks show together, and she quietly pleads for him not to die and leave her on her own. Even if she can't see him in a romantic light at the moment, he is still a good friend and an important person to her, enough that losing him would clearly be incredibly painful. Knowing that, he promises her that he wouldn't.

Volume 8

• Raiden and Shin reunite with the Alba citizens who had sheltered them as children (a schoolteacher and a priest, respectively). Raiden's reunion is decidedly a lot gentler than Shin's.
• Theo meeting the son of the original Laughing Fox, due being very young when his father died the boy asks Theo what kind of person was his dad, in part because the deceased soldier was mocked by others for dying fighting alongside the Eighty-Six, Theo reassures him that his father was a good person despite what others said.

Volume 9

• In the end of the first chapter, Shin is feeling down thanks to Theo's crippling injury that has taken him off the battlefield and tries to find some solace by going to a museum to see the skeleton of a Leviathan, which he had once seen as a child. Lena finds him there and finally, after a month's delay, gives him her firm answer to his confession at the end of Volume 7: she loves him too, and proceeds to seal said declaration with a kiss. And now that they are official, she solemnly reminds him again of her promise that she will always be waiting for him, so he must always return to her alive.
• As Theo is ready to be discharged from the hospital, Ishmael comes to see him. Because he is a neutral party who doesn't share their bloody past, Theo is finally able to stop putting on a brave face and say the truth that he couldn't say to Shin or any of the other Eighty-Six: that he doesn't want to stop fighting, and that he has essentially lost all purpose in life. Ishmael can relate as well, since the loss of the Fleet Countries' naval power means they will never sail the seas again in his lifetime, which has also left him adrift and searching for something new to live for. The two are able to bond over the fact that while they may not be blood-related, they are of the same race, and Theo calls him "uncle" in the end.
  • Later he is visited by Annette, they share a small talk where Annette talks about how despite losing her family and friends during the fall of San Magnolia she still decided to keep on living to enjoy the simple things in life, like tasting new things, this helps Theo who was struggling with his new future outside of the battlefield.
• Yuuto contemplating how lucky he is after surviving the fight at the Mirage Spire, decides he too has the right to find a future that doesn't involve battle.
• Shin trying to help Shiden when she is so focused on eliminating the Legion that assimilated Shana, he recognizes how Cyclops is acting the same way he was when dealing with his brother, and tries to prevent Shiden from doing a mutual kill.
  • Also Olivia helps Shiden calm her mind by telling her about Anna Maria, and how he won't stop moving forward even after putting down the cyber-ghost of his fiance. All this makes Cyclops finally snap out of her suicidal acting and allows her to put Shana to sleep once for all.
• Kurena finally freeing herself from her love towards Shin, while she admits she won't stop having feelings for him even she finds love with other person, she realizes that trying to stop his relationship woth Lena is wrong and wishes them to be happy together, even telling Lena she should ask Shin to go on a date.