Heartwarming / Conan the Barbarian (1982)

• The opening scene, where Conan's father tells his son of the Riddle of Steel. Becomes more heartwarming in hindsight, due to the obscene brutality that follows. You can imagine Conan clinging to this memory of his father during his time as a slave.
  • See also Conan's mother shielding her son from Thulsa Doom and his riders.
• During his time as a pit fighter, Conan is given a woman to have sex with as a reward for his many victories. The woman has been stripped naked, shoved into a room with a hulking barbarian, and is naturally frightened, expecting him to ravish her. But Conan instead gently leads her away from the leering eyes of the onlookers, covers her up, lays her down and looks her over with a gentle eye, wordlessly reassuring her that he won't harm her.
• Red Hair deciding to free Conan after the gladiator scene. He has come to respect Conan so much that he decides he deserves better than the life of a gladiator. His decision would ultimately result in Conan becoming the king of the greatest empire of the Hyborean Age.
• King Osric's parting words to Conan and his friends.
  "There comes a time, thief, when the jewels cease to sparkle. When gold loses its lustre and the throne room becomes a prison. And all that remains is a father's love for his child."
• Basil Poledouris' "Theology, Civilization" is an uplifting celebration to the majestic wind swept beauty of the plains that Conan and Subotai dash in freedom across, and is the first true moment of genuine warmth and joy in a tragedy of loss and revenge.
• The Director's Cut DVD has an extra scene before the final battle where Conan, knowing that their chances of survival are not good, offers Subotai the chance to leave. Subotai declines the offer to run away and chooses to stand beside his friend.
  • That's also a nice scene because it shows Conan and Subotai actually being happy and just having a casual conversation, albeit one about the futility of ever finding peace in their lives when they work as thieves and mercenaries.
  Subotai: No. It would only lead me back here one day. In even worse company.
• Valeria promising Conan that she'll always be there when he needs her, even if doing so requires her to return from the afterlife. Later on she makes good on her promise, appearing to aid Conan in the final battle, and clad as a valkyrie.
  Valeria: All the gods they can not sever us. If I were dead and you still fighting for life I'd come back from the darkness - back from the pit of Hell - to fight at your side.
• Conan is passed-out drunk, and Valeria tries to filch one of their jewels. Conan suddenly awakens, grabs her wrist, and takes the stone out of her hand. Then he smiles and places a larger one in it. Two scoundrels in love.
• In the extended cut, the ending scene is elaborated upon; after killing Doom and setting fire to the temple, Conan finds the princess bowing down before him as she did to Doom, apparently shifting her enthrallment to him. Though he at first simply walks past her without a word, he then turns back and offers her a hand up instead, picking her up gently and carrying her away from the burning temple towards home.