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The Big Damn Kiss

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The Big Damn Kiss (trope)
This Big Damn Kiss requires Big Damn Heroes to throw in.

"There have been five great kisses since 1642 B.C., when Saul and Delilah Korn's inadvertent discovery swept across Western civilization. (Before then couples hooked thumbs.) And the precise rating of kisses is a terribly difficult thing, often leading to great controversy, because although everyone agrees with the formula of affection times purity times intensity times duration, no one has ever been completely satisfied with how much weight each element should receive. But on any system, there are five that everyone agrees deserve full marks.
Well, this one left them all behind."

A kiss that is Serious Business, with all the spectacle that entails. In all probability it's a First Kiss that finally puts an end to Unresolved Sexual Tension and/or other typical obstacles that get in the way of True Love. The scenery will be epic, the camera will go wild, the music will swell, maybe there'll be some fireworks. The most straightforward way to telegraph a Relationship Upgrade or a Happily Ever After ending which isn't an actual wedding.

Some tropes, such as Smooch of Victory, Hollywood Kiss, Concert Kiss, Beach Kiss, and Lip-Lock Sun-Block, are almost always examples of this as well. If a kiss is built up to be this but fails miserably, it's probably an Awkward Kiss.

Beware of spoilers.

Usually has nothing to do with Big Damn Heroes. However, if the heroes do a Smooch of Victory, then it does qualify. See also Big Damn Hug.


Example Subpages:

Other Examples:

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    Arts 
  • The Kiss (Klimt) and shows a tender and loving kiss and embrace in a field.
  • The Kiss (Hayez) shows a tender and stolen kiss between two lovers in a Middle Ages hallway.
  • Czech statue Sbratření depicts an embrace between Czech partisan and Soviet soldier. The statue was inspired by the photography taken in early May of 1945.

    Audio Plays 

    Comic Books 
  • Robin (1993): When Tim Drake is reunited with Stephanie Brown, his girlfriend who he'd thought was dead for over a year, he enthusiastically sweeps her off her feet and they have a triumphant kiss. Right in front of Batman no less, who had always disapproved of their relationship.
  • Runaways:
    • Chase plants one on Gert right after she saves his life with CPR right after he saves her from a giant, flaming rock monster.
    • The second series ends with Nico and Victor sharing a big kiss after they survive a battle with the Gibborim, and the first arc of the third series ends with Karolina and Xavin sharing their first (and only) on-panel kiss just before Xavin clocks Karolina and impersonates her so that they can hand themselves over to the Light Brigade, thus sparing Karolina their wrath.
  • Occurs during the climax of the second volume of Miki Falls
  • Superman:
    • In Young Love, Supergirl and her ex-boyfriend Dick Malverne meet again after several years without seeing each other. When Dick kisses her, they float in the air. Literally, since Linda started hovering.
    • The kiss between Superman and Lois Lane while on the moon during All-Star Superman.
    • Legion of Super-Heroes/Bugs Bunny Special: In the second version, it is said that Kara and Querl's kiss echoes throughout time and space.
      Brainiac 5 and Supergirl embrace. Once again, love proves to be the most powerful emotion in the universe.
      Brainiac 5: "Welcome back, my love!"
      Supergirl: "Your love brought me back."
      It is a kiss that is felt throughout time and space.
    • The Death of Superman: The conclusion of "Reign of the Supermen" storyline, which was also the conclusion of the entire "Death and Return of Superman" story arc, had one of these; Lois wakes up in her apartment to the sound of tapping outside her apartment window. She opens the curtains, thinking it's just a bird...only to see Superman, his powers restored and finally back in his iconic blue and red, floating outside.
      Narration: There isn't a doubt in her mind. She's in his arms faster than a speeding bullet.
    • In Superman's Return to Krypton, Kal and Lyla kiss each other while sightseeing the Rainbow Canyon. It is said Krypton's inner fires were cold compared with their kiss.
      Two pairs of lips meet, and two hearts thrill as one... As deep within the heart of Krypton, fiery forces clash and twist and churn, foreshadowing dreaded things to come... But the flames within the planet are like cold glaciers, compared to the mighty love blazing between Superman of Earth and Lyla Lerrol of Krypton...
  • Spider-Man:
    • In The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #143, Peter and Mary Jane share their first kiss in a mostly empty section of JFK airport with a big snowy window behind them before Peter goes on assignment in France. It may not have been upside down, but as MJ says, "Wow, why didn't you ever tell me you could kiss!" Followed by (after she lets it sink in for a minute) "Far freaking out." (Made even funnier by the fact that the kiss was her idea.)
    • In The Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #1, Peter and Mary Jane finally kiss after years of being apart due to editorial mandate.
  • In Issue 50 of Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics), Sonic learns that Sally did not die earlier and is in fact in a coma. He goes to her and awakens her with a peck on the cheek. However, in Sonic Super Special 6, a retelling of Issue 50, after Sally wakes up, Sonic and Sally share a big damn kiss in a panel that takes up an entire page.
  • Fables has one in issue 50 at the end of Chapter Seven: The Big Valley between Bigby and Snow. As the author notes in the script for the issue: "They kiss. This is the truest of true love's kisses since the beginning of time. It's every poem ever written and every song ever sung. This is the one panel at which the dream of every female reader of FABLES has come true. Each and every one of them must be made to cry or squeal or swoon like a character in a Jane Austen novel. Don't blow it, Buckingham. We sort of, kind of know where you live."
  • Young Avengers Vol 2:
    • Near the end of Children's Crusade, Teddy breaks Billy out of a months long depression after the fantastic mess their latest shenanigans caused by proposing to him. They seal the deal with their first on-panel kiss. It is spectacular, and extremely gratifying.
    • When Teddy briefly broke up with Billy after having doubts in their relationship, they reunite when the team go to save Teddy from Mother. As Billy tries to fight her off, Teddy assures him that he loves him and the two kiss, making Billy so happy he becomes the 'Demiurge' for a moment, resulting in Mother being vanquished and, for a moment, he's in control of the entire universe. You don't get a kiss bigger and damner than that.
  • One strip of B.C. invokes this where one character notices a volcano about to erupt, he decides to take and kiss the Cute Chick right as it blows. Turns out to have worked pretty well.
  • In Astro City story "Pastoral", Cammie's seeing this is The Reveal at the end of the story. Cammie already knew Roustabout's Secret Identity; it was discovering his Secret Relationship with her cousin that pushed her to become a Secret-Keeper. May also have been a Smooch of Victory, since it was shortly after he defeated Team Carnivore, and a Reunion Kiss, since he travels with the carnival, and their previous meetings with this arrival were constrained by the need for secrecy.
  • Hellion tries to invoke one in issue 19 of Marjorie Liu's X-23 series. After squaring away the Richards kids when they were kidnapped by the Collector, he grabs Laura and plants a Forceful Kiss on her, believing that it would lead to a Relationship Upgrade and fix the tension between them. It...doesn't end well when Laura shuts him down cold, to the point they still haven't spoken since.note 
  • Thanos Rising: After denying Thanos for many years, Death finally embraces and kisses Thanos after he starts believing that she's just a figment of his imagination after all.
  • The Transformers: Robots in Disguise: Arcee spontaneously plants one on Aileron after the latter rescues her from falling to her death. This is, in fact, the first time two Transformers have ever been depicted kissing in any official media.note 
  • Detective Comics (2016): Stephanie Brown's reunion with Tim Drake, who she'd thought was dead is punctuated with a marvelous kiss which mirrors their previous iterations dramatic reunion kiss when Tim was reunited with Stephanie who he'd thought was dead. Unlike many Bat-characters whose pasts went largely unchanged by the New 52 Steph and Tim had theirs completely wiped and are very different than those previous better known versions.
  • DC Comics Bombshells:
    • After eleven issues of developing their mutual respect and affection, Steve and Diana finally share a joyful kiss
    • Issue #42 ends with one between Ivy and Harley after having escaped the Joker's Daughter.
  • Wonder Woman Volume 1: After 43 years of publication in two different 'verses with different writers trying their best to put Steve Trevor on a bus or kill him off the final issue confirms Steve and Diana's relationship with them getting married and the final panel is of them passionately kissing.
  • Future Foundation: Julie and Rikki share one in Issue 5, after Julie's rescued Rikki, acting on their obvious mutual attraction. Rikki's then called her girlfriend.
  • JSA (1999): Billy Batson and Courtney Whitmore share one in Issue 48. In the panel of them kissing, both characters are a silhouette, and there's a large spark coming out of Billy's forehead.
  • Near the climax of the book, A Guest in the House has a full spread page of the protagonist, Abby, kissing the ghost that she's been seeing and talking to for most of the story, in what is presented as the culmination of their relationship. It's contrasted with the ghost drowning her husband, David in the same image.
  • Northranger: Cade and Henry have their first kiss in the middle of an argument while it's raining. The smooch takes up a whole page and begins a budding relationship.

    Films — Animation 
  • In Aladdin, Aladdin and Jasmine's first kiss on the balcony; according to the directors on the DVD's commentary : "One of the hottest we animated".
  • In The Bad Guys 2, Diane Foxington kisses Mr. Wolf after rescuing him aboard in the MOON-X rocket. After spending the movie to that point not permitting themselves to take their relationship beyond the friend zone due to their respective reputations, Diane's ruin due to the revelation of her past as the Crimson Paw permits her to take things further.
    Mr. Wolf: Woah, woah. What happened to medium friendly?
    Diane Foxington: Well, good thing I'm not the governor anymore, huh? (she kisses him again)
  • Beauty and the Beast (1991): Belle and the Prince's kiss after his transformation, the magical force of which created fireworks that could be said to have cheered and then exploded into a World-Healing Wave kind of rain that cleansed the castle and its inhabitants of their cursed forms. The kiss Belle and the Prince shared on the dance floor moments later is no less epic.
  • The Book of Life:
    • Manolo and Maria just after the former comes back to life.
    • Even La Muerte and Xibalba have one after they reconcile in form of a Kissing Discretion Shot.
  • In Epic (2013), Nod and MK share a romantic kiss before the latter is returned to her normal size towards the end of the movie.
  • In Frozen (2013), Kristoff accidentally lets slip that he wants to kiss Anna, then mixes up his words:
    Kristoff: I could. I mean, I'd like to. I - may I? We me? I mean, may we? Wait, what?
    Anna: [kisses Kristoff on the cheek] We may. [both kiss]
  • Hey Arnold!:
  • How to Train Your Dragon (2010):
    • Hiccup and Astrid share their first kiss after Hiccup has defeated the Red Death and ended the war with dragons.
    • In How to Train Your Dragon 2, Hiccup and Astrid share a kiss after Hiccup and Toothless have defeated Drago Bludvist.
    • In How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the kiss Hiccup and Astrid share during their wedding is what marks the beginning of their marriage to each other.
  • In The Incredibles 1, Bob and Helen share three of these. The first is at their wedding, the second is in Syndrome's lair and the third is just before the climactic Boss Fight.
  • In a way, the nuzzle between Simba and Nala in The Lion King (1994) could count as well.
  • At the end of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack and Sally get together at the top of a hill.
  • In Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension, this happens when Isabella kisses Phineas near the end of the movie, only for their memories to get erased.
  • Ratatouille: At Rémy's urging, Linguini plants a kiss on Colette to stop him from revealing his secret. Cue Relationship Upgrade.
  • Rio: Blu and Jewel, during the film's climactic "falling" scene.
  • The Simpsons Movie has one near the end between Homer and Marge while driving a motorcycle.
    Marge: Best kiss of my life.
    Homer: Best kiss of your life so far.
  • Space Jam: At the conclusion of the Ultimate Game, Michael Jordan departs Toon Town for the real world, advising Bugs Bunny to stay out of trouble. As soon as Mike is gone, Bugs seizes Lola Bunny by the arms, and plants one huge smooch on her lips. Lola is at first surprised by this sudden affection, but quickly warms to it.
  • Strange Magic: Marianne and the Bog King have a pretty dramatic one, with a two part song leading up to this, with the event itself involving the two flyings and spinning whilst a completely unexplained kaleidoscope whirls around them.
  • In Tangled, Rapunzel's First Kiss shows: she kisses Flynn on the mouth much as Mother Gothel kissed her. Flynn promptly pulls her closer and starts to demonstrate the differences before the cut.
  • At the end of Tarzan (1999) when Jane decides to stay in Africa, she runs from the boat to the beach and kisses Tarzan. She looks very embarrassed, but then Tarzan swoops in for a kiss.
  • Trolls Band Together: After the climactic song, Branch and Poppy finally kiss in front of their siblings and broadcast to a swooning audience.
  • The end of Wreck-It Ralph: Felix kisses Calhoun on the cheek spur-of-the-moment, then promptly looks nervous as he realizes it might not have been a great idea. She grabs him by the front of his shirt, pulls him up so that he's level with her... and then kisses him for real.

    Literature 
  • The Afterward: Kalanthe and Olsa get back together, after much difficulty, in the book's finale, kissing each other publicly to cheers from onlookers.
  • In A Boy Made of Blocks, Alex and his estranged wife Jody have one at the airport when Dan and Emma fly to Rio together.
  • Cullen in A Brother's Price with his fiancée, his reaction to her proposing to him. The witnesses consider it inappropriate. He doesn't care.
  • Animorphs: Jake gets one from Cassie when he returns from what seemed like a fatal fall on an alien planet. The reaction from the rest of the team is along the lines of "about time" (with Marco asking if he can get one from Rachel).
  • Jenny Doolittle and Lynn Lambretta's kiss in episode 17 of Bodacious Space Pirates. Cue massive Squeeing from all the schoolgirls in the room.
  • Carry On: Simon and Baz kiss when they fail to get information from Nicodemo. Baz is irate and drives them both to a clearing in the woods where he intends to burn himself to death. Simon desperately tries to intervene, ending up disarming with a kiss, the two start kissing in the middle of the fire at which point Baz realizes he is gonna accidentally kill Simon if the fire continues and he sets off to put it out.
  • The Chronicles of Dorsa: Tasia kisses Joslyn after the latter is wounded, with her fearing she's dead. After doing so, she realizes that she's in love with Joslyn.
  • Chronicles of the Kencyrath: Jame and Tori, in Mother Ragga's lodge, during a volcanic explosion. But while the trope itself isn't subverted, some of its expectations are. It does not resolve the Unresolved Sexual Tension; they have an epic kiss… then Tori freaks out and runs away.
  • Dork Diaries: Nikki Maxwell and Brandon Roberts have this in Tales from the Not-So-Glam TV Star.
  • Earth's Scariest Monsters!: In "Saturday Morning Fever," Isabelle caresses Jermaine's cheek and kisses him on the lips after she confesses her love for him in an attempt to break him out of his Saturday morning-induced trance while in Saturnos' realm in the Ghost World. When Jermaine comes to his senses, he fully embraces her and kisses her back before saying he loves her too.
  • Hazel and Augustus in front of a crowd of tourists in the Anne Frank house in The Fault in Our Stars.
  • Of Fire and Stars: After their mutual Love Confession, which follows their development throughout the first book, Dennaleia and Mare finally kiss passionately.
  • Glasses Girls: In "Sophomore Year Specs," Jermaine and Lauren share a passionate kiss after she agrees to be his girlfriend.
  • A Grimm Quest: Princess Capricorn plants one on Remmington that leaves their friends amused and embarrassed.
  • Harry Potter:
    • Hermione gives Ron one after retrieving the Basilisk's fangs in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when Ron realizes they need to warn the house-elves to get out (Hermione having been the only person worried about their rights up until then). Harry's happy for them, but...
      Harry: Is this really the moment? …OI! There's a war on here!
    • There's also one between Harry and Ginny in The Half-Blood Prince.
      Harry looked around; there was Ginny running towards him; she had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. And without thinking, without planning it, without worrying about the fact that fifty people were watching, Harry kissed her.
  • Her Wolf in the Wild: Micah and Christiana share a passionate kiss as they're in the river bathing naked together following much mutual attraction. This serves as their acknowledgment of it. As a result Micah realizes Christiana is also her mate.
  • After the climax of Heart of Steel, Alistair and Julia share one that overlaps with Smooch of Victory, described thus:
    Their lips met like protons in a particle accelerator.
  • At the end of Shadow Herald, the first Heralds of Rhimn novel, Navaeli is high on the realization that she has a few Silamir-free months ahead of her, and decides to take a risk and ask Crislie if they could be girlfriends. The two then share a long and lovingly-described kiss. The gravitas of the moment is disrupted by Meparik pretending to gag, as he thinks that kissing is gross.
  • The Hunger Games: Once per book. In-universe, where Katniss and Peeta share a few kisses that might qualify for the Capitol audience (and for that matter, the rest of Panem). In particular, when they are hiding in the cave and their passionate kisses on the beach in the Quarter Quell which serves as a Big Damn Kiss moment for many readers too.
  • N. K. Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy: When Sieh and Deka finally kiss after over ten years of dancing around their feelings, it's enough to make the latter's magic go haywire and wreck the room without him noticing.
    Deka: That went better than expected.
  • Inkmistress: Asra and Hal kiss passionately when they finally show their love for each other.
  • Legends of Ithyria: Talon passionately kisses Shasta after both confess their love for each other.
  • After having gone through hell, nearly died, found healing in each other's company and watched together as their world ended, Faramir and Éowyn claim the only romantic kiss of The Lord of the Rings on Minas Tirith's walls:
    "Then must I leave my own people, man of Gondor," she said. "And would you have your proud folk say of you: 'There goes a lord who tamed a wild shieldmaiden of the North! Was there no woman of the race of Númenor to choose?'"
    "I would," said Faramir. And he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many.
  • Make Room for Love: Outside of the Volume lesbian club, Mira and Isabel finally kiss passionately after they have built up a strong attraction for each other over time.
  • The Mortal Instruments:
    • Alec finally outs himself in City of Glass by kissing Magnus in front of, well, everybody.
    • Jace and Clary's first kiss in City of Bones, and their kiss in the faerie court in City of Ashes, also count.
  • Murder for the Modern Girl: In chapter 36, right after the climax, Ruby gives a motivating speech to Peter about how he deserves more than spending his life running and hiding, that she's willing to take a risk to give him the life he deserves and that he saved her own life, so she's going to save his in return. She then kisses Peter in his true form for the first time and tells him that's the only form she'll be kissing, cementing their relationship and Peter's Character Development.
  • Nightrunner: Alec and Seregil. Twice up til now. First time after a reunion, second time in the face of death.
  • Riordanverse:
  • "Think of life!" In Sabriel, this describes Sabriel and Touchstone's first kiss — bonus points because she's kissing him to resist the lure of Astarael, the bell that can send them both into Death, easily.
  • Safehold: Cayleb plants one on Sharleyan at the end of By Schism Rent Asunder, just before his departure to invade Corisande and in front of everyone gathered to see them off. It's highly improper and breaks protocol in about seventy different ways. The crowd loves it.
  • Kell and Lila share a kiss near the end of the second Shades of Magic book, after spending the majority of the book either just missing each other or in disguise.
  • Shatter the Sky: Maren foresees herself kissing Sev after the two meet in the imperial palace. When they do, it's after she's broken up with her girlfriend, and signifies that she chooses him instead. They become lovers after this.
  • So This is Ever After: Arek and Matt kiss near the end, which leads to them finally acting on their love for each other.
  • Something to Talk About: After they have both realized their feelings for each other, Emma kisses Jo.
  • Starless: Khai and Zariya finally confirm they love each other romantically through passionately kissing near the end of the book, preceding a Relationship Upgrade.
  • The Sunne in Splendour: Subverted then applied. When Richard and Anne have their Big Damn Reunion, he wants to give her a passionate kiss, but ever-chivalrous and sensing she is a Broken Bird, he gives her a chaste peck instead. Later, when she admits she hated her first husband and is happy he is dead, Richard is overcome with emotion and kisses her passionately.
  • Sweet & Bitter Magic: Wren and Tamsin passionately kiss toward the end once both have finally expressed that they love each other.
  • To Be with You: Leah and Victoria share a long kiss after both admit their feelings for each other.
  • In Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett, when Juliet and Trev kiss at the end of the match, they float in the air and are lit with a golden glow. Other characters comment on this.
  • World's Greatest Animals: Near the end of "Bug Out," Crystal caresses Jermaine's cheek and kisses him on the lips after he tells her that he likes her as more than a friend and has done so for the past few months. She says she loves him, and he says he loves her too.

    Music 
  • Gloriana's "(Kissed You) Goodnight," which revolves around the end of a date. The male singer drops off his date, waits until she gets inside, and then sits in his car annoyed with himself that he chickened out of kissing her. The female singer, meanwhile, is inside wondering if she did something wrong, because he didn't kiss her at the end of the date and she wanted him to. But no worries, because in the chorus:
    I turned off the car
    Ran through the yard
    Back to your front door
    Before I could knock
    You turned the lock
    And met me on the front porch
    And I kissed you
    Goodnight
    And now that I’ve kissed you
    It’s a good night, good night, baby, goodnight
  • Green Day's "21 Guns" music video from the album 21st Century Breakdown has Christian and Gloria make their way to each other through the hail of bullets filling the room and embrace and passionately lip-lock in what they think will be a Last Kiss—complete with going a long time during the guitar solo with a spotlight and a 360 degree shot as well.
  • "Dark & Long" by Underworld from dubnobasswithmyheadman, a 7:19 track where the line "Now I kiss you dark & long" is repeated at various intervals.
  • Hernaldo's song "El beso que me has dado" (The kiss that you have given me) is from the POV of someone who has just been on the receiving end of a Big Damn Kiss and is very happy about it.

    Podcasts 
  • In The Adventure Zone: Balance, after rescuing him from being trapped in the Astral Plane and reuniting with him for the first time in "way too long," during the Balance Arc's finale, Taako kisses Kravitz.
  • Two in quick succession in Rude Tales of Magic as two different suitors declare their intentions with one of the party members a mere two episodes apart, setting up a Love Triangle.
  • In Welcome to Night Vale, after 27 episodes of Cecil crushing on Carlos, they kiss at the end of their first date.

    Pro Wrestling 

    Radio 
  • Used for gruesome Body Horror in Big Finish Doctor Who. After a whole lot of Unresolved Sexual Tension, the Eighth Doctor and his companion Charlotte finally decide to talk about their feelings. As it happens, at the time they're trapped in a nightmare void for weeks or possibly months, their senses have been dulled completely, they're blinded by piercing light, there's a constant piercing screech in their (and our) ears, something is slowly eating them, and they discover that they've been holding hands for so long that their fingers have started melting together. As a desperate last-ditch effort to survive, the Doctor tells Charlotte to mash her mouth against his so they can melt into each other's faces and become a single organism together.

    Theatre 
  • In Bye Bye Birdie, to grab one last bit of publicity out of Conrad Birdie before he is inducted into the Army, he is to give "One Last Kiss" to one girl "chosen at random from 1,200,000 hysterical teen-agers." Unfortunately, what the television cameras capture is not Conrad Birdie planting a kiss on Kim MacAfee of Sweet Apple, Ohio but Kim's boyfriend Hugo flooring Conrad with one blow.
  • The Phantom of the Opera combines this with a Tear Jerker Bittersweet Ending beautifully.
  • "Champagne" from In the Heights has one at the end, complete with swelling music.
  • In City of Angels, Stone and Alaura shared a big passionate kiss as her theme music swells.
  • The Mrs. Hawking play series: In part four, Gilded Cages, subverted by the First Kiss between Victoria and Reginald. It has all the trappings of one, but it's all wrong as Victoria has no romantic feelings for him.
  • In Elisabeth, Death claims his victims with a kiss.

    Video Games 
  • Brütal Legend has the awesome moment where Eddie and Ophielia kiss for the first time while the Screaming Wall blares a shockwave of sonic energy, causing hair to billow dramatically.
  • At the end of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy version of Crash Bandicoot's 100% ending, Tawna gives Crash one of these (well, attempts to). Considering everything you just went through to get to that point, it's very much well-deserved.
  • In Dead Rising 3, Nick and Annie/Katey Greene share one after Red is defeated.
  • BioWare loves this trope in general, as the same thing happens in Dragon Age II as Hawke's having one last conversation with the party members before the Very Definitely Final Dungeon. It's especially poignant if Hawke's Love Interest is either Fenris (due to the Second-Act Breakup they had) or Anders because he's a fugitive terrorist at that point.
  • After 13 chapters of UST in Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories, Adell embraces Rozalin in the good ending to calm her "True Overlord Zenon" form. She turns back to normal from Adell's Cooldown Hug, and the following dialogue occurs:
    Rozalin: (sob) Sh- Shut up... you're an enemy! I can't trust anyone...
    Adell: Stop talking and trust this.
    (cue The Big Damn Kiss)
  • Dragon Age:
    • If the Warden romanced Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins by the time they reunite in the Witch Hunt DLC (which takes place a year after the events of Origins), they may end up sharing a kiss before she either leaves the Warden for good or they both go through the Eluvian together.
    • In the Trespasser DLC of Dragon Age: Inquisition, Inquisitors who romanced Solas will combine this trope with Intimate Healing and potentially Last Kiss during their final encounter when he stops the Mark from killing her by magically removing her left forearm. Swelling music, spinning camera, gorgeous scenery, glowing effects - the whole nine yards.
  • Dragon Quest I: Princess Gwaelin shares a passionate kiss with the Hero after he saves her from the dragon.
  • Final Fantasy:
  • At the climax of Season One of Guild Wars 2's Living World, NPC party member Kasmeer Meade kisses Marjory Delaqua passionately on the lips out of relief to find that she's still alive, confirming all former hints of their homosexuality and becoming an official couple.
  • It Takes Two: In a game which is essentially magic marriage counseling between the two player characters, this occurs at the end of the final chapter, and is the final catalyst that breaks the spell that turned May and Cody into toys.
  • Life is Strange:
    • The first Life is Strange has two potential ones in the finale. Depending on your past choices with him, Max, still drenched from the storm, has the option of kissing Warren before she leaps back in time. At the end of the game, if you choose to sacrifice Chloe to save the town, depending on your Relationship Values with her, Max can grab Chloe and kiss her in front of the tornado. In both cases, Max can just hug them instead if Relationship Values aren't high enough.
    • Life Is Strange: Before the Storm provides the opportunity for Chloe and Rachel to share a passionate first kiss towards the end of the second episode.
    • Life Is Strange: True Colors can feature one between Alex and either Steph or Ryan after the Spring Festival. Courtesy of Alex's empathy powers, it causes a joy nova that extends all the way to the surrounding mountains and illuminates the stars above.
  • Love & Pies: After returning from the baker's retreat and shooing out his twin brother Sam for deceiving Amelia into thinking it was him, Joe asks Amelia out for their first date since high school 15 years ago. She says yes, and they finally kiss without getting interrupted. Unlike the other cutaways, the scene is partially animated with a flashy fade-in and a pink heart background as they move in for the kiss.
  • Mass Effect:
    • Mass Effect 1 features this for the final romance scene, if the player pursues that option. Given that an Almost Kiss had happened very recently beforehand, it makes it all the more meaningful.
    • Executed brilliantly, beautifully, heartwarmingly well at the conclusion of Lair of the Shadow Broker between Shepard and a romanced Liara in Mass Effect 2.
    • Perhaps making up for the Headbutt of Love in the second game, Garrus and female Shepard have two of these in Mass Effect 3 if their relationship continues. The first is during their date high atop the Presidium when Shepard agrees to be his girlfriend, and the second is in London before the final battle for Earth. And if Shepard's reaction is any indication, Garrus is one hell of a kisser for a guy who doesn't have lips.
  • Psychonauts: Twice between Raz and Lili, the first initiated by Lili right before fighting Oleander and the second by Raz, framed as a Now-or-Never Kiss before he leaves camp. Raz trying - and miserably failing - to assess the implications of their kisses and what they mean for their relationship becomes something of a Running Gag in the sequels.
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game ends each of the first four levels with one between Scott and Ramona.
  • Shadow Ops: Red Mercury ends with a pretty epic one in the final cutscene. The two leads, having saved Paris from destruction, kiss near the foot of the Eiffel Tower as a prototype nuke explodes above them, while dozens of French civilians cheer them on before the credits roll.
  • The BDK from Sonic '06 is proof that this trope isn't always what the fandom wanted. Given that it's between the titular character Sonic the Hedgehog and Elise, she a Human Princess, and he, well a Hedgehog, the bestiality undertones are really, REALLY, hard to ignore, not to mention that he was dead at the time and the kiss was supposed to bring him back from the dead, so you can throw necrophilia into the mix. Even said, the Kiss is played completely straight, with the soaring music and glowing aura during the kiss, that the creators intended this to legitimately be a super romantic moment, yet for the reasons any rational human being could come to, the moment is now one of the most maligned events in the entire Sonic the Hedgehog Canon.
  • Swooning Over Stans: A Grunkle Dating Simulator: In Stan’s route, him and the player share one in his car during their final onscreen date.
    • In the good ending of Ford’s route, he and the player share one as the player is about to leave the Mystery Shack. Much to Mabel’s joy.
  • Valkyria Chronicles has a big one between Welkin and Alicia at the climax of the "Maiden's Shield" chapter, where he stops her from attempting a Heroic Sacrifice against the Marmota by declaring his love and asking her to marry him. Alicia tearfully accepts and they share an emotional first kiss, which includes a 360 degree camera pan and sparkling light from her Valkyria transformation.
  • Mostly subverted in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. After Link awakens the princess at the end of the game, a curtain falls over Link and Zelda as they are standing face-to-face, and you only see their feet come together.

    Visual Novels 
  • An omnipresent trope in the Renai genre. Kissing scenes are always one of the few that get their own unique CG art, while the rest of the story uses character sprites.
  • Little Busters!: One of the last CGs in Mio's route shows them kissing dramatically in front of a truly beautiful sky.
  • Miyako Miyamura and Hiro Hirono get one in ef - a fairy tale of the two..
  • Katawa Shoujo has one for every route, but out of all of them, Emi's is very striking.
  • Kira☆Kira has one for each of the three heroines, but special mention goes to Kirari's since it's also a Concert Kiss. At the end of their last concert on their summer tour, Kirari kisses Shikanosuke, (who is in drag at the time), on stage in front of blinding lights, cameras, and an audience of thousands of people. It also happened to be Kirari's first kiss, although it wasn't Shikanosuke's first.
  • The kiss at the music-themed party in Melody. By this time, the protagonist and title character are finally acknowledging their feelings for one another, and the protagonist has just chased Steve away when he’d been harassing Melody. In the moment that comes up for the kiss, the game itself lampshades what’s about to happen:
    Text box: Kiss her, you fool!!!
  • Shall We Date?: Ninja Shadow also has some for (almost) every route. The one between the Player Character and Okita is nice enough to be featured as the very last CG of his Sweet Ending.
  • In Ikemen Sengoku, Nobunaga's route has his first kiss with the female main character happen after she saves him on the battlefield and passionately declares how much she cares about him, causing him to become so overwhelmed by his feelings for her that he impulsively kisses her while they're still in the middle of a battle. The MC describes their kiss as being hot enough to scorch away the entire battlefield.
  • They went through hell to get there, but Tyrion and Celeste finally have their moment at the end of Tyrion Cuthbert: Attorney of the Arcane.

    Web Animation 

    Webcomics 

    Web Videos 
  • In Classic Alice we have a few parties do a 'big kiss' (though the biggest is the last of this list). There is one between Alice and Ewan in episode 13, the kiss between Cara and Lily in Musica Mundana, and finally the very slow burn kiss between Alice and Andrew in episodes 51 and 53.
  • There's a lot of kisses in Critical Role but the biggest one is actually pretty subtle: after many episodes of Ship Tease and being on the receiving end of thankful cheek-kisses, Percy at last initiates a kiss with Vex'ahlia and promises that they'll "talk later" just before the end of Episode 72.
  • Gameboys gives us two amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, complete with lampshaded safety protocols.
    • In Cairo & Gavreel's first meeting in person, Gav prepares a disinfected plastic barrier with arm slots for both of them so they can finally hug. The look of genuine joy in their eyes to experience something discouraged even for household contacts was priceless. After much buildup, the couple take off their facemasks and kiss through the barrier.
    • After a surprising reunion, and talking through the issues that caused their biggest fight yet, Gavreel receives the result of his swab test. Cairo lampshades that they are both negative as he was supposed to fly with his family to Bukidnon. Cue an epic 3-minute sequence of Gav taking off their facemasks, and a passionate 52-second around-the-world skin-to-skin kiss to end the season.
  • Roy and Valerie share a big damn kiss after they reconcile in Journey of the Cartoon Man. It enables them to escape from a pit of quicksand.

    Western Animation 
  • The Grand Finale of Adventure Time has a long awaited one between Marceline and Princess Bubblegum after a near death experience with a GOLB monster almost kills PB.
  • The Amazing World of Gumball has one in "The Shell" between Gumball and Penny.
    Gumball: That's not what you are, it's how you feel, and this is how I feel.
  • Angel's Friends: Raf and Sulfus finally kiss in episode 26 much to the joy of Reina and fangirls.
  • Arcane:
    • Vi and Caitlyn share a couple of these in Season 2. The first was in “Finally Got the Name Right”, where the two share a tender moment before going after Jinx, although the kiss wouldn’t prevent the two from parting on bitter terms after Caitlyn fails to kill Jinx due to Vi’s interference. The second happens in “Killing is a Cycle”, where Vi and Caitlyn share a longer and more passionate kiss which quickly escalates to a full-on sex scene to not only cement their reconciliation, but also their Relationship Upgrade.
    • In “Pretend Like It’s the First Time”, Ekko shares one with an Alternate Universe Powder who never grew up to become Jinx and is in a romantic relationship with her universe’s Ekko. His brief time with her is what also inspired him to not give up on his universe’s Jinx and ends up saving her from killing herself two episodes later.
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender ends with a beautiful one between Aang and Katara, which brings the series to a close and cements their status as an Official Couple.
  • Batman: The Animated Series:
    • Harley Quinn goes back for seconds after giving Batman a "Thank You" peck on the lips in the episode "Harley's Holiday".
    • Although Poison Ivy's intentions ran counter to the usual meaning of this trope, she definitely added romantic flare to the buildup of her and Batman's first snog in her debut episode "Pretty Poison" what with the shoulder massage and sultry wording ("late night rendezvous"). Their kiss itself was actually very passionate. We see Ivy saunter up to a flytrap ensnared Batman before gently laying a hand on his face all while she gazes seductively into his eyes for a moment before shutting hers, puckering up, snaking her other hand around his neck and pulling the squirming Dark Knight in for a deep, smoldering kiss Ivy deepens halfway through, moaning as she does. Ivy then releases Bats with a great, big "mwah", pulling back to give him a sly grin. The ominous music swelling up to the contrasting lush harp cords we hear when their lips come together emphasizes the romantic vibe the moment carries. As is them both being framed like a couple about to recite wedding vows.
  • The Beatles:
    • In "Eight Days a Week", Paul fills in for movie kisser Lips Lovelace, but his lady co-star is a chronic kisser. After a chase with the co-star's "jealous boyfriend" and constant kissing, Paul is ready to give the job back to Lovelace, but not before his co-star wants to thank him with a "great...big...kiss!"
    • In "Baby's In Black", Paul is so relieved that the girl in the vampire get-up wasn't a real vampire that he plants a big one on her. She's so ecstatic ("Paul actually kissed me!!") she starts flying without the wires she used earlier.
  • The Dragon Prince:
    • Shortly into Season 3, the lead human and elf protagonists, Callum and Rayla, begin to realize that their feelings towards the other go deeper than friendship. Despite some initial awkwardness, an episode later the youths embrace and kiss becoming the first Interspecies Romance in a thousand years.
    • Runaan and Ethari have one during their Big Damn Reunion during Season 7.
  • In the final episode of Dragons: The Nine Realms following Big Bad Jörmungadr's defeat, Tom thanks Jun for always being there for him and having his back. In responds, Jun tells him it seems she has to be his brains and kisses him.
  • Drawn Together: Clara and Foxxy's makeout session in the pilot. Probably one of the most famous and memorable moments in series history. This would also be constantly referenced to and alluded in many future episodes such as "Clara's Dirty Little Secret", "Ghostesses in the Slot Machine", "American Idol Parody Clip Show", etc.
  • When Goliath and Elisa finally kiss in Gargoyles, it's more of a Small Damn Kiss, but since (particularly older) fans had been waiting upwards of 60 episodes for this to happen, it still counts.
  • The Generator Rex episode "Assault on Abysus" has Rex and Circe kiss, complete with slow-motion and tears in Circe's eyes before she helps Rex escape from Providence, getting captured herself in the process.
  • Two from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy:
    • In Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure, Irwin kisses an unconscious Mandy. When she awakens, she clocks him.
    • The episode "Heartburn" had a kiss between the two but this time it was consensual.
  • The Hollow: Subverted. Mira and Adam do kiss, but it's extremely awkward and he immediately follows it up by saying that he is not interested in her.
  • Green Lantern and Hawkgirl have one at the end of the Justice League episode Wild Cards.
  • The end of Kim Possible: So The Drama ends with Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable going through their Relationship Upgrade and kissing at the junior prom. Originally this was intended to be the Grand Finale to the series. At the end of the real Grand Finale, after graduating high school and saving the world from an Alien Invasion, Kim and Ron kiss whilst flying off towards the moonrise in their Flying Car.
  • Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts: This happens with Benson and Troy.
Benson: [exhales] Troy, I’ve been trying all day to think of the perfect way to ask you to Prahm. Because you’re amazing and awesome and that’s what you deserve. But what I’ve realized is… I’m not perfect. Nothing is. Not even french fries.
Dave: He’s right. They should be called potato noodles!
Benson: So, I’m not gonna try to be perfect anymore. I’m just gonna be me. So, will you?
Troy: Will I… go to Prahm with you?
Benson: Aah! I asked weird! I screwed it up!
Troy: No, no, that was really cute. It’s just, I was literally about to ask you.
(Roberto appears in the background with a bouquet of flowers, but Troy gestures for him to leave.)
Benson: The answer’s yes!
(They hug, and then kiss.)
  • Season 1 of the Sequel Series The Legend of Korra ends pretty soon after one between Mako and Korra.
  • Miraculous Ladybug: In "Dark Cupid" (season 1), Chat Noir is hit by an arrow that causes him to hate Ladybug with a passion. How is he broken out of it? Ladybug has to kiss him. Doubles as a True Love's Kiss, thanks to the love-square.
    • This trope is danced around for seasons 1 to 5, as the two main characters kiss several times but it is either erased from existence, or they had lost their memories when it happens, etc. The first time it happens in Season 5, it actually doesn't work because Cat Noir feels he's taking advantage of Marinette and backs down after it.
    • The real deal happens near the end of Season 5 and unusually for the trope, in an angsty, Now-or-Never Kiss way, since Adrien is forced to go to London by his abusive father specifically to be away from Marinette. She manages to get to the airport before his private jet takes off. It is still a Big Damn Kiss because it was awaited since the beginning of the series and visual cues.
    • Subverted with the kiss they have in the epilogue of Season 5 as it happens in a peaceful and serene mood without much emotional intensity.
  • The Owl House: While both of them had already been shown kissing each other on the cheek in previous episodes, "Clouds on the Horizon" has Luz and Amity sharing their first kiss on the lips, highlighted by an Animation Bump that the series usually reserves for its climactic action scenes. True to form, they both act incredibly dorky about it afterward; Amity in disbelief that she initiated the kiss, and Luz in disbelief that the first word out of her mouth after the fact was "crikey".
  • Phineas and Ferb:
    • Linda and Lawrence, the title characters' parents, have one of the Concert Kiss variety in "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together".
    • In "Summer Belongs To You", Candace and Jeremy attempt one as they cement their Official Couple status, but she disappears over the horizon in a baguette boat before they have the chance. In the episode's final minutes, he returns from France a few days early specifically to give her one of these.
    • Candace and Jeremy share another in "Happy New Year" as they watch the fireworks.
    • Double Subverted in the Flash Forward episode "Act Your Age" between Teenage!Phineas and Isabella, with them merely sharing a warm hug and a promise to meet up at college as she drives off. Then he goes after her, pulls her out of the car, and does it for real, after ten long years.
      Teen!Isabella: That was worth the wait.
  • The Proud Family Movie: Penny Proud and 15 Cent are in together alone, and 15 decided to call it a night. Penny takes this opportunity and gives him a big kiss.
  • Punky Brewster has this happen but not directly on the lips. In "Fish Story," Glomer turns Punky into a mermaid. Not wanting to be a tuna for the rest of her life, Punky is told by Glomer late in the story that to turn her back to her human state, the glomley who loves her has to kiss her. Glomer kisses Punky on the cheek and the spell is broken.
  • After breaking away from the "friend zone" placed on him by an omniscient asteroid, Mordecai kisses Margaret during an epic meteor shower in Regular Show. It is just as epic as it sounds.
  • Samurai Jack: Ashi, a girl from a band of sister warriors sent to kill Jack, becomes his companion (after an Enemy Mine session). In episode XCIX after Jack and Ashi defeat an insectoid monster to exhaustion, they turn to each other and...well, what else? And to a recording of the Dean Martin standard "Everybody Loves Somebody".
  • She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: After five seasons of romantic tension (not to mention being enemies for most of that time), Catra and Adora finally kiss in the Grand Finale. And how big was this kiss? Big enough to cure Adora from being poisoned and saving the universe.
  • In Season 21, Episode 15 of The Simpsons, "Stealing First Base", Bart's crush, Nikki, performs mouth-to-mouth on him after a fall from the school building puts him into an unconscious state. What ensues is a montage of many famous kisses in films and media, including kisses from "Ghost", "Spider-Man", and "Wall-E". See for yourself.
  • Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM): Sonic and Sally share two big kisses in this series, both of which happened in front of a crowd.
  • Star vs. the Forces of Evil: Star and Marco share a passionate kiss along with their mutual Love Confessions and Relationship Upgrade in the 4th season episode "Here to Help".
    • They also have one in the Season 3 episode "Booth Buddies", but it was set up by Fotino to try and hook them up.
  • Star Wars Rebels: Kanan and Hera finally share one in "Kindred" after three and a half seasons of will-they-won't-they.
  • Steven Universe: After Ruby and Sapphire spent the series kissing Anywhere but Their Lips, they kiss on the lips the first time onscreen at their wedding in "Reunited". Notably, this is the first onscreen kiss between same-sex main characters in an American children's cartoon.
  • Starfire and Robin's kiss in the rain at the end of Teen Titans Trouble In Tokyo, complete with rotating camera, a tiny bit of "Shut Up" Kiss and an "It's about time" from the team AND the fandom.
  • In the ThunderCats (2011) episode "Legacy", La Résistance member Panthera celebrates her people's Pyrrhic Victory over their oppressive commander by initiating a Smooch of Victory with her boyfriend, Rebel Leader Leo, just as their ship is about to crash into what will become Third Earth.
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987): Season Three's "The Gang's All Here" ends with a grateful April giving Michelangelo one of these, causing him to blush bright red. While in earlier episodes April had given the remaining Turtles affectionate pecks on the cheek after a job well done, this was a much more explicitly romantic gesture than many of those other instances.
  • Tiny Toon Adventures: Happens at the end of "My Dinner With Elmyra" when Elmyra plants a big one on Montana Max. To his credit, Max said he enjoyed it after he got back in his limo.
    • Happened betwixt the two again at the end of "Prom-ise Her Anything." Max drew Elmyra as his date for the Acme Looniversity prom, and it didn't sit well with him. He's about to spritz Elmyra with a bottle of seltzer water when she plants the kiss on him. Max is left stoic and speechless.

    Real Life 
  • The V-J Day Kiss. Navy sailor George Mendonsa kisses Greta Friedman upon news of the end of World War II.
  • Barack and Michelle Obama shared a Big Damn Hug when TV networks announced the former's victory in the 2012 presidential election. It quickly became the most tweeted photo in history, beating the previous record set by Justin Bieber.
  • When Adrien Brody won his Academy Award, he was so overcome with joy he planted one on presenter Halle Berry. A few months later, while he was at the MTV Movie Awards, Queen Latifah decided it was her turn. Since the next year's Best Actress award is presented by the previous year's Best Actor winner, Adrien Brody humorously referenced his kiss and quickly used some breathspray before announcing the winner, Charlize Theron, who did give Brody a quick kiss on the lips.
  • Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams shared a legendary kiss at the MTV Movie Awards in 2005 after winning Best Kiss for The Notebook.
  • Six words: "You may now kiss the bride."
  • When Julia Louis-Dreyfus won the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in an Emmy in 2014, Bryan Cranston planted one of the most epic (but staged) kisses in award show history.
  • After the Spanish victory in the 2010 World Cup, goalkeeper Iker Casillas planted one on his girlfriend, well-known reporter Sara Carbonero... while she was interviewing him on live television.
  • The city of Vancouver rioted after its hockey team, the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, lost the Stanley Cup Finals to the Boston Bruins in game 7. In the midst of the chaos, Alexandra Thomas was knocked down. To calm her, her then-boyfriend (now-husband), Scott Jones, kissed her as they sat in the middle of the street, surrounded by armed police. It was caught on camera. The photo would go on to be used by several marketing campaigns, as well as by alt rock band Placebo as the album art for a complication album, and the couple now sleep under a poster copy of the photo.

Alternative Title(s): Big Damn Kiss, Epic Kiss, The Epic Kiss

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Panty and Brief

Brief decides to finally confess to Panty, and above all odds, he ends up succeeding, with the two of them getting together.

How well does it match the trope?

4.88 (8 votes)

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