History Heartwarming / TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003

* ''The Christmas Aliens''. The turtles and all their friends (including some inter-dimensional ones) gather in the Lair to celebrate Christmas, while Mikey rescues a hijacked truck full of toys meant for shelter kids. Among other things, you've got Raph and Angel planting mistletoe over Casey and April, the big scene at the end where they all dress up in Christmas costumes to give the shelter kids a treat, and, to top it all off, Mikey finds and adopts a kitty. Say it with me now: Aww.

While the series is well known as possibly the most serious adaptation of the Turtles, it is still a show with heartwarming moments as described below:

* In ''Grudge Match'', Michelangelo takes a serious beating in his fight against Kluh and faces death. However, when Kluh promises the other Turtles and Splinter will suffer the same fate, Michelangelo lets loose a beating of his own and turns the tables on Kluh. A further CMOH comes after a beaten Kluh asks to be finished:
-->'''Michelangelo''': My father taught me better than that.
** In the same episode, Leonardo reunites with The Ultimate Ninja-turned-kid. The kid asks Leonardo if they "played together" (due to him being turned back to a kid, he lost a lot of his memories of being an ass towards Leo) and Leo can only answer with a "Yes." The kid smiles and then says that Leonardo would be his friend.
*** And if you remember, this was also during Leo's stage in the show where after the battle with Shredder he was generally upset and angry most of the time. Showing that he's still there despite what's happened.
*** Really, just the fact that Leo's willing to train Mikey when his brothers and even Splinter refuse, thinking it a long-overdue dose of LaserGuidedKarma. [[BigBrotherMentor Leo]] really takes his position as the leader seriously.

* A minor one in an otherwise-grim episode, but in "Same As It Never Was", when Future!Mikey [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness angrily confronts]] Don about "abandoning" them, Don simply but emphatically states, "I would ''never'' abandon you guys", before explaining what he knows.
* The ''Good Genes'' two-parter has a big CMOH. Donatello has been infected with a mutagenic outbreak and has transformed into a large, feral turtle. The two-parter sees Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo break into Area 51, make a deal with Bishop, sneak into Foot Headquarters, steal a crystal and fight Karai and many of her forces. They do all of this for Donatello, though in the end, they tell him it was no trouble at all.
** There's a smaller moment at the beginning of that arc, when the turtles show up at April's when she has a date with Casey and ask her to look after a sick Donatello. Despite Casey's irritation at having his time with April interrupted, he's the one who settles Don on the couch and covers him with a blanket.

* Splinter's return and the wedding of April and Casey in ''Wedding Bells and Bytes''.
** The entire episode is basically one big curtain call for the series; Almost every recurring character shows up, either as an invited guest or a distant observer. This includes dangerous types such as the Rat King and Agent Bishop.
* In ''The Big Brawl Part Two'', Michelangelo is pitted against Splinter in the battle nexus tournament. Instead of fighting, Splinter asks Michelangelo if he can hear the crowd, because this year they're chanting for him. He then explains that he's had his time, and that this is the year for his sons. Because a winning blow is required to finish the match, Michelangelo gently puts his nunchuck on Splinter's head. It's a really touching little moment.
* In ''The Real World Part Two'', Donatello -- after going through ''Same as it Never Was'' -- is so relieved to see both Michelangelo and Raphael alive that he [[TheGlomp jump-hugs]] them both in relief. Much to both brothers' happy confusion.

* The ''Prodigal Son'' episode has a lot of these. Every time Leo finds one of his brothers and when Splinter recognizes that Leo's training under the Ancient One has changed him.
-->'''Splinter:''' Yes, I can see it in your eyes. I have my son back.

* In ''Fallen Angel'', seeing Casey, who's usually as angry as Raphael, act as a sort of Big Brother to a young girl named Angel, whom he promised to watch after. Plus seeing him interact with the young girl's grandmother is kind of sweet too.
* If Shredder had wanted an apprentice he could've picked anyone in the world. But no, he chooses to take in and raise an orphaned girl hiding in the slums of Japan. The rest of the series makes it clear that he really does care for her in a way, and usually never goes through with his threats to maim her or severely punish her (meanwhile the likes of Hun and Stockman can certainly attest to Shredder's ''usual'' punishments).

* Zixx offhandedly mentions the state of the Triceraton Republic when they're confronted by Boss Zuko's gang. He claims that the Triceratons aren't what they ''used'' to be: meaning that Traximus successfully restored the Triceratons to their former glory and dramatically improved their standing and perception in the universe.
* The way the Turtles and Splinter take to Cody in ''Fast Forward'' is utterly adorable. Sure, they look after kids whenever they can in their own time, but Cody [[LonelyRichKid has spent his whole life locked in a penthouse with only a robot butler for company]] and found out his EvilUncle was only interested in using him with YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness being a major risk; it's no wonder he [[HeroWorship latched onto the Turtles]] and it does the heart good to see them nudging him towards a more healthy life.
** Starlee's devotion to Cody is also sweet; they make a cute couple.
* Baxter Stockman of all people gets this in the Fast Forward episode ''Head of State''. Not only is it revealed he indirectly caused Agent Bishop's face turn but at the end of the episode Bishop saves Stockman's life, and promises to regrow his original body, given Stockman (and loyal viewers) closure after multiple seasons of BodyHorror and being exploited by Bishop.
* In the third overall episode of the series, after the turtles have rescued April from Stockman's mouser-robots and she finally accepts the fact that Splinter and the turtles are real, Splinter's worried that April will expose the existence of himself and his sons. But April, grateful to them for saving her as well as realizing that no one would believe her even if she did tell them (which she points out to them), assures Splinter that she really won't tell anyone. Splinter then decides to go with his gut instinct and just trusts April's word.

* At the end of ''Dragons Rising'', Leo gives a short but visceral ReasonYouSuckSpeech to his brothers after Hun gets away. While any of them, especially Raph, could have started hurling insults right back at him, they don't, showing an understanding on their part towards Leo's determination to not fail again.

* A minor one in an otherwise-grim episode, but in "Same As It Never Was", when Future!Mikey [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness angrily confronts]] Don about "abandoning" them, Don simply but emphatically states, "I would ''never'' abandon you guys" before explaining what he knows.

* A minor one in an otherwise-grim episode, but in "Same As It Never Was", when Future!Mikey [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness angrily confronts]] Don about "abandoning" them, Don explains what he knows about the situation, then simply but emphatically states, "I would ''never'' abandon you guys."

[[caption-width-right:350: ''The Christmas Aliens'' at its finest and more!]]

* A minor one in an otherwise-grim episode, but in "Same As It Never Was", when Future!Mike [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness angrily confronts]] Don about "abandoning" them, Don explains what he knows about the situation, then simply but emphatically states, "I would ''never'' abandon you guys."

'''Michelangelo''': [[AnoyingYoungerSibling Even me, Raph?]]\\

'''Michelangelo''': [[AnoyingYoungerSibling Even me, Raph?\\

* At the end of "Dragons Rising", Leo gives a short but visceral ReasonYouSuckSpeech to his brothers after Hun gets away. While any of them, especially Raph, could have started hurling insults right back at him, they don't, showing an understanding on their part towards Leo's determination to not fail again.

* The ending of ''Membership Drive'', has one for Nano. Ever since he gained sentience, the poor nanomachine has been [[ObliviouslyEvil unwitting used]] [[NotEvilJustMisunderstood for evil]], only desired a family, and had to be taken down by the turtles in each of their encounters. Here, instead of destroying him, the turtles help him, allowing him to finally cement his position as a good guy and joins the Justice Force, [[EarnYourHappyEnding finally giving him a place where he belongs]].

* In "Grudge Match," Michelangelo takes a serious beating in his fight against Kluh and faces death. However, when Kluh promises the other Turtles and Splinter will suffer the same fate, Michelangelo lets loose a beating of his own and turns the tables on Kluh. A further CMOH comes after a beaten Kluh asks to be finished:

* "Tales of Leo," in which Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Splinter all tell stories about how much Leonardo means to them and/or how much he has helped them.
* In "The Monster Hunter," Leonardo is still in a HeroicBSOD and is trying to reforge katanas for himself but due to his injuries, he's unable to do it for long since he's still recovering from his injuries, so Raphael helps him forge them and helps break him out of his HeroicBSOD.
* The "Good Genes" two-parter has a big CMOH. Donatello has been infected with a mutagenic outbreak and has transformed into a large, feral turtle. The two-parter sees Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo break into Area 51, make a deal with Bishop, sneak into Foot Headquarters, steal a crystal and fight Karai and many of her forces. They do all of this for Donatello, though in the end, they tell him it was no trouble at all.

* "The Christmas Aliens." The turtles and all their friends (including some inter-dimensional ones) gather in the Lair to celebrate Christmas, while Mikey rescues a hijacked truck full of toys meant for shelter kids. Among other things, you've got Raph and Angel planting mistletoe over Casey and April, the big scene at the end where they all dress up in Christmas costumes to give the shelter kids a treat, and, to top it all off, Mikey finds and adopts a kitty. Say it with me now: Aww.
* Splinter's return and the wedding of April and Casey in "Wedding Bells and Bytes."

* In "The Big Brawl Part Two," Michelangelo is pitted against Splinter in the battle nexus tournament. Instead of fighting, Splinter asks Michelangelo if he can hear the crowd, because this year they're chanting for him. He then explains that he's had his time, and that this is the year for his sons. Because a winning blow is required to finish the match, Michelangelo gently puts his nunchuck on Splinter's head. It's a really touching little moment.
* In "The Real World Part Two," Donatello -- after going through "Same as it Never Was" -- is so relieved to see both Michelangelo and Raphael alive that he [[TheGlomp jump-hugs]] them both in relief. Much to both brothers' happy confusion.
* In "Touch and Go," Raphael meets with an old blind woman who he calls "Mrs. M" and her adopted cat Lucy. He acts like a sweet and caring turtle, and takes the briefcase of cash Mikey obtained during the same episode to pay her mortgage.

* The "Prodigal Son" episode has a lot of these. Every time Leo finds one of his brothers and when Splinter recognizes that Leo's training under the Ancient One has changed him.

* In "Hunted" when Mikey was knocked out by Leatherhead, it appeared Mikey was dead. Leatherhead ran off horrified and Raph picked up his brother and begged him to wake up.
* In "Fallen Angel," seeing Casey, who's usually as angry as Raphael, act as a sort of Big Brother to a young girl named Angel, whom he promised to watch after. Plus seeing him interact with the young girl's grandmother is kind of sweet too.

* The way the Turtles and Splinter take to Cody in "Fast Forward" is utterly adorable. Sure, they look after kids whenever they can in their own time, but Cody [[LonelyRichKid has spent his whole life locked in a penthouse with only a robot butler for company]] and found out his EvilUncle was only interested in using him with YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness being a major risk; it's no wonder he [[HeroWorship latched onto the Turtles]] and it does the heart good to see them nudging him towards a more healthy life.

* Baxter Stockman of all people gets this in the Fast Forward episode "Head of State". Not only is it revealed he indirectly caused Agent Bishop's face turn but at the end of the episode Bishop saves Stockman's life, and promises to regrow his original body, given Stockman (and loyal viewers) closure after multiple seasons of BodyHorror and being exploited by Bishop.

* The ending of "Membership Drive," has one for Nano. Ever since he gained sentience, the poor nanomachine has been [[ObliviouslyEvil unwitting used]] [[NotEvilJustMisunderstood for evil]], only desired a family, and had to be taken down by the turtles in each of their encounters. Here, instead of destroying him, the turtles help him, allowing him to finally cement his position as a good guy and joins the Justice Force, [[EarnYourHappyEnding finally giving him a place where he belongs]].

** Baxter Stockman of all people gets this in the Fast Forward episode "Head of State". Not only is it revealed he indirectly caused Agent Bishop's face turn but at the end of the episode Bishop saves Stockman's life, and promises to regrow his original body, given Stockman (and loyal viewers) closure after multiple seasons of BodyHorror and being exploited by Bishop.

* In "Grudge Match," Michaelangelo takes a serious beating in his fight against Kluh and faces death. However, when Kluh promises the other Turtles and Splinter will suffer the same fate, Michaelangelo lets loose a beating of his own and turns the tables on Kluh. A further CMOH comes after a beaten Kluh asks to be finished:
-->'''Michaelangelo''': My father taught me better than that.

* "Tales of Leo," in which Donatello, Raphael, Michaelangelo and Splinter all tell stories about how much Leonardo means to them and/or how much he has helped them.
* In "The Monster Hunter", Leonardo is still in a HeroicBSOD and is trying to reforge katanas for himself but due to his injuries, he's unable to do it for long since he's still recovering from his injuries, so Raphael helps him forge them and helps break him out of his HeroicBSOD.
* The "Good Genes" two-parter has a big CMOH. Donatello has been infected with a mutagenic outbreak and has transformed into a large, feral turtle. The two-parter sees Leonardo, Raphael and Michaelangelo break into Area 51, make a deal with Bishop, sneak into Foot Headquarters, steal a crystal and fight Karai and many of her forces. They do all of this for Donatello, though in the end, they tell him it was no trouble at all.

* In "The Big Brawl Part Two" Michelangelo is pitted against Splinter in the battle nexus tournament. Instead of fighting Splinter asks Michelangelo if he can hear the crowd, because this year, they're chanting for him. He then explains that he's had his time, and that this is the year for his sons. Because a winning blow is required to finish the match, Michelangelo gently puts his nunchuck on Splinter's head. It's a really touching little moment.
* In "The Real World Part Two", Donatello--after going through "Same as it Never Was"--is so relieved to see both Michelangelo and Raphael alive that he [[TheGlomp jump-hugs]] them both in relief. Much to both brothers' happy confusion.
* In "Touch and Go", Raphael meets with an old blind woman who he calls "Mrs. M" and her adopted cat Lucy. He acts like a sweet and caring turtle and takes the briefcase of cash Mikey obtained during the same episode to pay her mortgage.
--->'''Raphael:''' I think you got a guardian angel who wants to see you stay right where you belong.
* The "Prodigal Son" episode has a lot of these. Every time Leo finds one of his brothers, and when Splinter recognizes that Leo's training under the Ancient One has changed him.

* The way the Turtles and Splinter take to Cody in "Fast Forward" is utterly adorable. Sure they look after kids whenever they can in their own time but Cody [[LonelyRichKid has spent his whole life locked in a penthouse with only a robot butler for company]] and found out his EvilUncle was only interested in using him with YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness being a major risk; it's no wonder he [[HeroWorship latched onto the Turtles]] and it does the heart good to see them nudging him towards a more healthy life.

* In the third overall episode of the series, after the turtles have rescued April from Stockman's mouser-robots and she finally accepts the fact that Splinter (who's a rat) and the turtles are real, Splinter's worried that April will expose the existence of himself and his sons. But April, grateful to them for saving her as well as realizing that no one would believe her even if she did tell them (which she points out to them), assures Splinter that she really won't tell anyone. Splinter then decides to go with his gut instinct and just trusts April's word.
* The ending of "Membership Drive", has one for Nano. Ever since he gained sentience, the poor nanomachine has been used [[ObliviouslyEvil unwitting used]] [[NotEvilJustMisunderstood for evil]], only desired a family, and had to be taken down by the turtles in each of their encounters. Here, instead of destroying him, the turtles help him, allowing him to finally cement his position as a good guy and joins the Justice Force, [[EarnYourHappyEnding finally giving him a place where he belongs]].