Heartwarming / My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising

• The fact that Class 1-A does community service to the residents of Nabu Island during their hero agency gathering. As examples, they help out at the beach (Tsuyu and Sato rescue a drowning child; Shoto makes ice for a stall vendor; Sero, Tokoyami, and Shoji helps beachgoers stay safe onshore), or do similar jobs all around town (Ida carries an old lady who's hurt her back; Kaminari helps charge the battery of a farmer's tractor; and Mineta saves a pair of girls from two inappropriately social men). They all enjoy the work in their ways, and as Aizawa mentions to All Might back at U.A., this aspect of heroism is just as important as crime-fighting, since it allows heroes to connect with the people they protect.
  • And the residents of Nabu Island are incredibly appreciative of the help and generosity, bringing food for Class 1-A as a sign of gratefulness and full trust and telling Ida and Momo that it's the least they can do. Naturally, Ida and Momo are moved.
• After Mahoro and Katsuma separate from Midoriya at the playground, Katsuma mentions that Midoriya seems like a very kind hero for taking the time to look for him without scolding him or avoiding the issue, no matter whether it was a ruse or not.
• When Midoriya is practicing his Shoot Style outside and thinks that he needs to work harder to make One For All his, Bakugo sees him and tells him without yelling at him to hurry up and make his Quirk his own instead of All Might's, showing his Character Development since the beginning of the series.
• When Katsuma sees Midoriya and apologizes for the faked villain attack which was instigated because Mahoro believes that heroes are cowards, Midoriya sincerely forgives the two of them for their ruses and commends Katsuma for believing that he and Bakugo would help him.
  • Mahoro's reasoning for faking the villain attacks to argue that heroes didn't care may have been kind of unfounded, even insulting to Bakugo and Midoriya, but her conversation with Katsuma after the failed illusion in the ruins reveals that her heart is in the right place when it comes to her family— she's not doing it for an ego boost, but to be a constant for her brother, just like their dad.
• Despite the Mood Whiplash of the moment, Mahoro creates a huge illusion of an injured Midoriya as a distress beacon for the 1-A teams on the beach. Even after she criticized his worth not a day earlier, she really came around to caring about his safety after witnessing him fight Nine.
  • Also, who’s the first student to come to Deku’s Aid? Bakugo.
• Deku being supportive of Katsuma's dream to become a hero despite his sister's wishes, especially after the latter's healing Quirk is revealed (even though Katsuma doesn't think much of it).
• What gives Tokoyami and Dark Shadow the strength to defeat Slice? Seeing Mina hurt.
• Further proof of Bakugo's Character Development includes him actually working in tandem with Midoriya when they directly take on Nine with even less of a fuss than before (besides the occasional retort at being ordered around and warning to dodge faster), even as Bakugo considers it "biting the bullet."

  Nine: (after blocking a combination attack) Not a bad effort.

  Midoriya: We're just getting started!

  Bakugo: And now we'll kill you!

  • Even more, when Midoriya is forced to transfer One For All to Bakugo, the first thing he asks is if he would be able to use his powers ever again, and he actually sounds rather sad and concerned. He later reminds him how he will be quirkless again, meaning the end of his dream. Again, he sounds concerned and sad, a far cry from the boy who used to think of him as a loser who doesn't even deserve to be on UA High.
• While a funny moment, Endeavor hugging Shoto near the end of the movie is this as well as it shows Endeavor's Character Development from a Jerkass into a better hero and a better father.
• When Class 1-A leave Nabu Island, Midoriya tells Katsuma that he can become a hero, as a Call-Back to when All Might told Midoriya the same thing in the beginning of the series.
  • And when Katsuma calls out to Midoriya and Bakugo that he'll be a cool hero like them, Bakugo— yes, that "I'll be number one and no one can stop me from getting there" Bakugo— gives him a cocky but genuinely encouraging smirk. His goal may have stayed the same, but damned if he's going to discount anyone who truly wants to be the best because he inspired them.