Aragaki’s conversation with Nanbu after the match, confessing that the ticket he had given the boxer before he went off to war, and the memories of home it carried, saved his life when he was about to commit suicide after returning. Letting go of his resentment for Nanbu, Aragaki decides to retire peacefully, and live for tomorrow.
Crossed with Awesome and Tear Jerker, but Nanbu finally deciding to put someone else’s interests above his, and Cutting his remaining eye out so that he can settle his and Joe’s debts with Fujimaki.
Nomad
The hugs Joe gets from Mara and Chief in episodes 2 and 4 of Nomad are especially heartwarming. These two hugs were heartwarming because after all the pain Joe has been through, it was nice to see him receive a little TLC from strangers.
With the hug from Mara: She took care of him when he was withdrawing from his addiction to painkillers and passed out in front of her. She later offers to repay him for the Gear and bike parts that her son Mio sold. He refuses and then she hugs him, telling him that "Do bad deeds for good people."
With the hug from Chief: Chief has just won the tournament and tells Joe that he's family after Joe thanks him. Joe accepts Chief's hug and hugs him back.
How much love and support is evident between Chief and Mara’s community (and credit to the creators for showing this much care to an authentic depiction of a Spanish-speaking community).
Joe making his first steps to redemption and healing in episode 3, culminating in shaving off his beard and no longer seeing Nanbu’s ghost.
Though it comes after his heartbreaking death, Chief managing to get the paperwork in order to buy their land for the immigrant community is equal parts this and awesome.
The Spanish immigrant community giving Chief’s Hummingbird Gear, made by his son Carlo, to Joe, so he can carry on his word and spirit through the world.
Joe taking a dive so he can save Bojiri’s restaurant deed, echoing what Chief told him in the ep 1, that “there’s nothing embarrassing about trying to survive.”
Joe staying behind and working to rebuild Nowhere Gym. “I just want to see the lights on in it one more time.”
Aragaki, Santa, Bonjiri and finally Ochio coming together to help Joe keep the still under construction gym safe during the typhoon.
Joe and Sachio settling their conflict in the ring, ending the fight with a tearful hug.
Fujimaki letting Sachio go, as a last favour to Nanbu. Heartwarming to see some new depth added to the character.
Team Nowhere reforming, with Aragaki and Yuri as Joe‘s coaches, and Joe making his peace with all of them.
Additionally, choosing to fight with Chief’s Gear, instead of being Gearless, so he can come home to his family.
The ending, for almost all involved. Sachio threw in the title when he sensed that Joe might keep going longer to the point of serious harm, a decision the Joe of the past might have been furious at, but the Joe of the present happily accepts. Both he and Mac depart on friendly terms and leave the ring behind for good, returning to their families. Yukiko stepping down as President of Shirato, but not before taking all rights to BES and releasing the license to medical researchers everywhere. Sachio leaves for an engineering training camp, but is assured that he will always have a home when he comes back, much like Nanbu once promised Aragaki, with Joe showing every intent to keep the promise. After all the pain and trauma of the past 5 years for all involved, they can finally move on.
In the process, Joe retires from boxing with the knowledge that he has a family to live for, serving as a Foil for his counterpart from Tomorrows Joe who kept boxing until it killed him due to feeling he had nothing else to live for.
Joe wearing Chief's hummingbird gear to his match with Mac, knowing that it will protect him like it protected Chief. It's also nice to see Joe carrying Chief's spirit and legacy with him into the ring one last time.
