Thanks for coming to my rescue.
Moments pages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.
- Episode 0: Rin decides to use her father's jewel, which had 10 years' worth of prana stored in it, to save Shirou's life. It is even more heartwarming if you read the VN and know she did it just for Sakura.
- Episode 1:
- Kiritsugu's smile when the newly-orphaned Shirou chooses to live with him.
- Episode 3:
- The lengths that Rin goes to protect Shirou, despite the fact that he's technically her enemy.
- Shirou grabbing Saber's hand to save her from Archer's attack.
- Episode 4: How respectful and kind Shirou is to Saber.
- Episode 7:
- Assassin refusing to attack Saber as she caught Shirou.
- Assassin stopping Archer from killing Saber and Shirou as they ran.
- Another layer of heartwarming could be added if we consider Sengo Muramasa's possible connection with Shirou, as Sasaki would have, without knowing, saved the descendant of the man who helped him create the "Tsubame Gaeshi".
- In The Stinger, Saber patches up Shirou's injuries and refutes Shirou's assertions that Archer's a terrible guy by saying he's not so bad, and that she believes Shirou could reach his level of combat proficiency. This is followed by Shirou grabbing her hand and asking for her to train him seriously now, which she eagerly agrees to.
- Episode 10:
- Rin refusing to betray Shirou for another master to ally herself with, in spite of him being the weakest of them.
- Shirou managing to keep his consciousness and stand his ground after Kuzuki beats him to a pulp to prevent him from killing Rin and successfully projects Kanshou and Bakuya to protect her.
- Episode 11: Archer healing Shirou. Considering how much he dislikes Shirou, that was really generous.
- Episode 12:
- A little scene in the montage at the end shows Illya looking rather concerned while sitting in bed, seemingly unable to sleep. Berserker materializes by her without the gleam of Mad Enhancement in his eyes, and Illya, being comforted by this, gives an endearing smile and lies down. Awwww.
- Episode 14:
- The second ending last part, being able to see the Unlimited Blade Works full of life, is beautiful, especially if you know what it means.
- To put it in perspective, the Unlimited Blade Works is a reality marble meant to reflect Shirou's mental state; a desolate field of dust filled with swords plunged into the ground, a dark and cloudy sky overhead filled with endlessly turning gears. The Ending shows Rin's magical symbolism of the ocean rushing up to meat said geats, and in the second half of the ending, we see the result. The skies are blue and clear, the field is now covered with bright green grass, and the gears have fallen to the ground, rusting away alongside what few swords remain.
- The second ending last part, being able to see the Unlimited Blade Works full of life, is beautiful, especially if you know what it means.
- Episode 15:
- Despite crossing into Tear Jerker territory, the relationship between Illya and Berserker is the highlight of the episode.
- Berserker doing his absolute best to protect the one he cares about from a godlike figure: Gilgamesh. Furthermore, the fact that he does this because he wants to. Illya doesn't need a Command Seal to make him do that. She doesn't even need them to summon him.
- Illya steadfastly believes that Berserker won't lose to anyone, but more heartwarming is the tone she uses. She does not sound like a Master bragging about her Servant, a mere tool, but more like a child expressing her admiration for her surrogate father or big brother.
- Shirou, despite not knowing Illya as well as he does in the other two routes, gives off some Big Brother vibes when she's being attacked and like Berserker, would do anything to protect her from harm.
- Gilgamesh somberly acknowledging Berserker as a Worthy Opponent, telling Heracles that he surpassed his own legend in the end.
- Episode 16: Rin finally confronts Shirou on his Chronic Hero Syndrome and begs him to start thinking about himself. While Shirou admits that she's right, a montage plays of everyone he cares about, ending on Rin, he then says living for others isn't wrong with a big smile on his face.
- Episode 17:
- The first thing Saber does after being held captive for days, subject to physical and mental torture? Save Shirou's life and stand between him and the vastly more powerful Archer. Loyalty, thy name is Arturia.
- Also, after Rin makes a new contract with Saber to save her, when Archer states that she truly has no further ties to Shirou, she states that her pact with Shirou still stands, and she will still protect him.
- Episode 20:
- After being broken apart and struck down by Archer, Shirou has a monologue where he finally remembers the one thing that he didn't lose in the fire, the thing that allowed him to survive was the wish to undo the hell he was in and save others, he then finally comes to terms with the flaws with his own ideals and finds the strength to go on.
Shirou: This is what you forgot, it's true that everything began because I admired him, but before that there was a wish, the wish to undo this hell, the wish of a man who wanted to help others and was defeated. - Episode 21:
- Even after exhausting all of his prana in his fight against Archer, Shirou refuses to back down from his ideals because, with all their faults, he found them beautiful, which begins a domino effect that slow transforms Archer's UBW from a sunless wasteland to a midday sky.
- When Shirou finally manages to reach Archer, he has a chance to cut him before he stabs him, what makes him stop? His last night with Kiritsugu. What makes this doubly heartwarming is that this is the very same scene from the ending of Fate/Zero except now from Shirou's point of view, showing Kiritsugu giving Shirou a content smile.
Archer: What a terrible thing, it's like I'm seeing an old mirror... there truly used to be a man like this.- Despite the fact that Shirou and Archer had fought with each other, the latter shoved Shirou out of the way and covered for him when Gilgamesh activated his Noble Phantasm at him.
- Episode 22:
- Saber takes a final stroll around the Emiya household before the final battle, reminiscing on her time with both Shirou and Rin, but perhaps also with Kiritsugu and Irisviel beforehand.
- Before the final battle, Shirou and Saber have one final talk in which she thanks him for showing her the answer to her questions in regards to her ideal and dream.
- Episode 24:
- The very last time Shirou and Saber speak to each other. He apologizes he could not save her, and that she should give up on the Grail this time, before finally admitting he was never fit to be her Master. She calmly corrects him by saying that is not true, and she still considers him her Master in spite of everything.
- Gilgamesh acknowledges Shirou's power at the end of their fight, and tells Shirou it was his win even though Gilgamesh was going to kill him. It's nice that Gilgamesh respects someone's strength as much as he did Rider. This is after his Villainous Breakdown just before Shirou cuts him down with Kanshou.
- Archer's final words to Rin are a request that she look after Shirou, because he's hopelessly naive and stupid.
- Moments before he disappear, Archer gives Rin a genuine smile instead of his usual smirk and addresses her as Tohsaka. Even his appearance and speech tone have change. And thus for the first time in a long time and after many hardships, Heroic Spirit EMIYA is Emiya Shirou once more.
- In the end a battered Shirou finds Rin and they go home on a beautiful day.
- Episode 25:
- All of Shirou and Rin's interactions when they're living in England. Especially in the end when Shirou decides to leave the clock tower, Rin makes it clear she'll always follow him.
- Rin taking Shirou to Saber's grave at Glastonbury Abbey
as so he can say a proper goodbye . - There is something satisfying about the ending where Archer reflects on his life and states while he may regret his decisions, he knows he was right in the end and continues his existence in peace. Showing Shirou smile as he continues to be a hero shows that no matter what he isn't going to regret his decisions and become Archer.
- Sunny Day
- This little ten minute OVA shows the Good Ending to UBW, and boy does it live up to its name. Shirou, Rin, and Saber, with the latter choosing to live out her life in this time with the two people she loves the most, and Shirou choosing to stay by their side instead of his more ambiguous decision in the True Ending. In other words, both Saber and Shirou's issues are resolved and put behind them, and Rin finds a way for the three of them to stay together forever. OT3 confirmed.
