Heartwarming / Shantae

Shantae (GBC)

• At the end of the first game, Shantae is offered a place as a full genie, but would have to leave her human friends behind. She refuses, sticking by her friends instead.
• Minor, but Sky signs her letter to Shantae as "Friends Always, Sky".

Shantae: Risky's Revenge

• At the end of Risky's Revenge, Scuttle Town's mayor is the first to accept Shantae as Scuttle Town's Guardian Human. Even if she needs help from her friends, she will always have a place in Scuttle Town.
  • After learning that Shantae doesn't have genie powers anymore, Bolo's first reaction is to quickly step up to the task of training her as a capable human fighter.
• True to their word from the end of the previous game (see above) come Pirate's Curse Bolo and Sky are living in Scuttle Town, having moved there to train and support Shantae as she adjusts to being human.

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

• In Pirate's Curse there's a sidequest dedicated to helping Rottytops and Shantae and Rotty's afterlife-bound human soul all become True Companions. Even Rotty's gruff brother Abner takes a liking to Shantae just from how much happier Rotty is.
  • The first time Abner and Shantae meet in Risky's Revenge, Abner's very dismissive and rude, and Shantae doesn't trust him in the slightest. Then the aforementioned quest in Pirate's Curse happens, and by Half-Genie Hero, they have a much more sibling-like relationship. It's very sweet to see.
  • When Shantae promises Rottytops that she'll always be her friend no matter what, Rotty's response is an overjoyed "Really?!". Despite Rotty's past mistakes, she finally gets what she really wanted: a genuine friend who cares about her, and she's so happy that she doesn't even bother to crack a joke.
• In the True Ending for Pirate's Curse, the Big Bad threatens to kill Risky Boots unless Shantae hands over the dark magic that she's been collecting for most of the game. Considering all the trouble that Risky's caused for her in the past, Shantae would have every reason to leave her arch-nemesis to her fate. But when the player has the chance to decide, both options indicate that she's going to hand it over anyway.
  • On a related note, when the Sadistic Choice is presented, Risky Boots urges Shantae not to go through with it, never mind that it's her own life on the line.
• And in the end, after the Big Bad is vanquished, it's implied that Risky has developed a healthy respect for Shantae, as opposed to her former outright hatred.
  • There's this gem, something that Shantae would have never known herself: 'Your mother...you're just like her. Only shorter. And more annoying."
• Risky gets a few more moments like this in Pirate's Curse, too:
  • When she confronts Shantae about her missing Tinkerbats, she fusses over the one stuck in Mimic's workshop like a frantic mother.
  • If you chat with her on Spiderweb Island, but refuse to get on board the ship, she says, "Find the next den of evil. I'm counting on you." This is only the second island she and Shantae have found together, and she's already stopped regarding her arch-nemesis as a mere annoyance.
  • For most of the game, she's adamant about staying with her ship, but actually goes looking for Shantae on Tan Line Island when she thinks the half-genie is taking too long. Later, she helps Sky and Rottytops get back home after the outfit incident in the temple (albeit off-screen), and goes out of her way to reassure Shantae that they're all right.
• The credits for Pirate's Curse are pretty sweet, as various slides are shown of the events after the end, such as:
  • The petrified couple on Saliva Island being alive again and hanging out with Squid Baron and his children.
  • human!Rottytops, the manly shade and Wobble Bell having captured Hexer.
  • The red, blue and green creatures from the Village of Lost Souls gambling in Scuttle Town.
  • Shantae, Rottytops, the two girls from Ammo Baron's army and various other characters lounging in a bath house and having fun. And Barracuda Joe appears to have gotten hitched with the Tan Line Island princess!

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

• After the second boss fight in Half-Genie Hero, the otherwise only-seen-so-far-as-100%-pissed-off Giga Mermaid is reunited with her fellow, smaller mermaids. She doesn't say anything, but graces everyone present with a beautiful warm smile.
• In Half-Genie Hero, Shantae's magic gets corrupted by dark magic and turns evil. She's saved of this fate by Sky, Rotty and Bolo who appeal to her human side's honesty, compassion and courage. Because friendship is the biggest magic of all!
  • Becomes even more heartwarming after playing through Friends To The End - Bolo, Sky and Rottytops go through a lot to bring her back.
  • During the conversation with Nega-Shantae, she demands to know how the three of them escaped these gauntlets she created for them. She told them Shantae was defeated and they would never find each other, and is enraged when they still showed up alive and well and demands to know how they found hope when she took it all away. Bolo then just offhandedly mentions he assumed if he fell, Rottytops would make it as she's Shantae's loyal friend. Rottytops then admits she knew Sky wouldn't quit and if she lost herself, Sky would still save Shantae. Sky then follows up with assuming Bolo was too determined to fail, and he would inevitably find Shantae. Sky then proudly exclaims to Nega-Shantae that they found hope by simply believing in each other over the course of their journey, which created a situation in which they couldn't be hopeless.
    • Building on this, at the start of Friends To The End, Bolo, Sky and Rottytops couldn't stand each other and were really only working together because they wanted to get Shantae back. However, over the course of the journey, they slowly start to respect each other and become almost as close to each other as they are with Shantae.
    • *Friends To The End* features reprises of the *Half Genie Hero* stages from Shantae's point of view, which causes an epic bit of heartwarming, as they look at themselves, only for them to notice something unusual, namely that Rottytops well, isn't dead, with them thinking that Shantae somehow knew Rottytops in the past, for Rottytops to clearly be surprised that Shantae doesn't see her as a zombie.
  • When Shantae's friends speak to her mind to try to help her break free from the dark magic's control, Rottytops takes the opportunity to finally be honest, admitting that she hasn't always been a good friend and expressing how much she truly appreciates Shantae's friendship, and urges Shantae to remember the kind, compassionate person she is.
• After Shantae is freed from the dark magic and returns to normal, she's determined to go after Risky Boots. Her friends and her uncle all express concern about her doing so after what just happened, even Rottytops, and resolve to help her in any way they can to make sure she's ready for anything Risky could throw at her.
• Over the course of Half-Genie Hero, nearly every time Shantae starts getting down on herself, Uncle Mimic or her friends are quick to remind her of all the good she's been doing throughout the game.
• During the Cape Crustacean level of Friends To The End, we see Memory!Rottytops...as her human self! The trio realize that this means Shantae doesn't see Rotty as a zombie, but as a normal girl who wants friends. Although Rotty makes a joke about it, she's clearly touched by this.
• The cutscene that plays before Cape Crustacean in the main game also has a moment, albeit a smaller one. When Bolo and Sky gang up on Rottytops to make fun of her, Shantae immediately jumps to her friend's defense, telling the other two to shut up. As minor as it is, when you know how much Rotty actually values Shantae's friendship, even something as small as that likely meant the world to Rottytops, reminding her that Shantae is on her side and meant what she said in Pirate's Curse.
• In "Officer Mode", it turns out Risky's reason for releasing the Space Hooligans was because she held a grudge for her and Shantae's days at the police academy, where the latter constantly beat her at everything. Shantae's response? She only joined in the first place because she looked up to Risky and wanted to be just like her. Risky is taken back and apologizes for her actions, and the ending has Shantae about to go to the gym with her so they can properly reconnect.
• Half-Genie Hero's "Jammies Mode" is practically built on heartwarming. The premise is that Shantae wants to invite everyone, friend and foe alike, to a sleepover in celebration of her latest adventure. Aside from a disastrous first encounter with Risky Boots, literally everyone else she invites to the party is on board with the idea immediately.
  • Techno Baron has never been invited to anything before and is uncertain about fitting in, so Shantae says he can bring a friend. He does - not the Giga-Mermaid, but his Techno Granny.
  • Holly wants to come to the party, but decides to check her schedule to make sure she doesn't say she'll be there and then finds out she can't make it.
  • Ammo Baron hears that there's going to be pillow fights and is immediately so pumped up he decides to give the entire Ammonian army drills.
  • When Shantae finds out Rottytops is stowing away in her pillow, despite her shock, she doesn't lash out at her. Instead, she realizes that Rottytops just wanted to help and was probably worried about being left out, and so she lets Rotty stay in the pillowcase.
  • Hypno Baron is also surprised to be invited, but makes no objection. Squid Baron wants there to be chips and dip, and when Shantae says she'll do a grocery run on her way home, he assures her he'll bring his own supply.
  • Not wanting to make the Tinkerbats feel left out, Shantae amends Risky's invitation to say "and guests".
  • When Shantae extends her invitation to Risky a second time, the pirate refuses, saying she'd rather spend the night alone, on her ship. Shantae misinterprets, and promptly decides to bring the party to Risky by hosting it there instead. Risky's naturally frustrated, but at the very end of the game, she actually shows up at Shantae's lighthouse and leads everyone off to her ship. D'awww~!

Shantae and the Seven Sirens

• When Shantae goes to fetch the other Half-Genies, the "item collected" prompt that pops up reads: "You Made A Friend!"
• Shantae being so determined to save the other Half-Genies, even when everyone is telling her to stay put for her own safety. Doubles as awesome.
  • Mimic and Sky, despite not wanting Shantae to save the Half-Genies, are only acting the way they are because they are worried about her getting captured too.
  • Despite Sky's apathy and Shantae's will of heroism getting in the way of one another, when the chips are down and Shantae activates the Sunken City to rescue her friend, Sky and Bolo team up and manage the reactors to make sure none of them go prompt supercritical and blow the entire island to kingdom come.
• Once freed, the other Half-Genies all ask about each other, hoping their friends are okay.
• Shantae is understandably peeved at Rottytops' sneaking along for the vacation, posing as a half-genie, and getting herself captured. But when the Ghost Dog warns Shantae against restoring power to the Sunken City in order to save Rotty, her response is immediate: "I don't care if there are seven Sirens or seven hundred! I've got to save Rottytops!"
• Nearly everyone in the cast is worried about Shantae when she seemingly doesn't get off the ship in time.
• Harmony giving Shantae the book her mother gave her on the genies, all but saying that she thinks Shantae is worthy of it.
• As it turns out, Harmony saw through Rotty's half genie getup instantly but didn't tell anyone. Why? Because she could tell that all Rottytops wanted was to have some fun and make friends.
• Risky Boots and Shantae's interactions are surprisingly sweet, mainly when Risky was pretending to be the mayor, "he" praises Shantae if she goes back to talk to "him", and in the final cutscene, after Risky lays out her plan, and immediately after a dig at her performance on stage, Shantae still gives a happy "Risky, you cared about me!", and Risky is not wrong when she says that her and Shantae working together has made a difference in the world, with the defeat of Empress Siren, although she probably meant it in a more negative difference.

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