In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the relationship between Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes is one of the core elements of the Captain America trilogy. This relationship is also really popular amongst fans, and there is a large contingent of people who see Steve and Bucky's relationship as more romantic than platonic. However, even though they aren’t together romantically in the canon, they do care about each other a lot.
Throughout the series, Steve Rogers ends up saving Bucky Barnes multiple times, and Bucky actually saves Steve a couple of times, too. It’s clear that Steve feels deeply connected to Bucky and that he wants to protect him from being killed or hurt.
Not Giving Bucky The Shield
While this might not be as direct of an example as some of the others, not giving Bucky the shield was the right choice in many ways.
While Steve clearly didn’t think Bucky was lacking, it’s unlikely the government would have allowed Bucky to actually wield the shield, and it would have drawn a lot of attention and criticism to him. Sam was in a much better position to be the next Captain America, and so the decision made a lot of sense. Steve obviously cared about Sam, too.
Trying To Tell Bucky It Wasn’t His Fault What HYDRA Did
There are many ways to help “save” or lookout for a person. While Steve does often directly save Bucky from physical harm, he does also try to help him emotionally. When Steve and Bucky go to Siberia to look for the other winter soldiers, Steve tries to comfort Bucky by telling him that he isn’t responsible for the things HYDRA made him do.
While Bucky sadly doesn’t seem to believe it, it was an important thing for him to be told by someone he trusted. Bucky is a character with a lot of traumatic experiences, and while it might not fix much, knowing someone was in his corner was necessary to hear.
Pulling Him From The River After The Helicopter Crash
This moment is a particularly interesting one because it’s a parallel scene to the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. At the end of that film, both Steve and Bucky fall into the Potomac after the helicarriers fall, and Bucky pulls Steve from the river to save his life.
While Steve pulling Bucky from the water might not be quite as symbolic of a moment as Bucky saving him, it was still a good moment of comparison. Steve had to keep Bucky from getting away in the chopper as Bucky wasn’t in control of his own mind, and then he kept him from drowning.
Saving Bucky & The Howling Commandos From The HYDRA Camp
One of Steve’s first acts as Captain America, beyond just being a performing monkey for the government, was to rescue the Howling Commandos. He was willing to walk behind enemy lines to save them and to specifically save Bucky, but luckily, he didn’t have to as he got help from Peggy and Howard Stark.
He released the Howling Commandos from the prison camp, and he specifically found Bucky who was already being experimented on at the time. This moment set the tone for the fact that Steve was willing to do a lot to save Bucky, and it also was a bit of foreshadowing for Bucky becoming a victim of HYDRA experiments later on.
Keeping The Government From Hurting Him In Romania
While it was actually Zemo who bombed the U.N, he framed Bucky for it. And, they weren’t just coming for Bucky to capture him as Sharon said they had orders to kill him. Steve wasn’t going to let his best friend die, so he found him first in Bucky’s Romanian apartment. Steve protected him from death and ensured that Bucky was kept as a prisoner instead.
While Steve might have had to break the law to do so, he did save Bucky's life. And, since Bucky turned out to be innocent of the coming, it's a good thing he did.
Refusing To Sign The Accords Because Of Bucky
While Steve was already hesitant to sign the Sokovia Accords for broader, ethical reasons, the situation with Bucky didn’t make him more excited about the idea.
While he did listen to Tony plead his case and hear the consequences of not going along with the Accords, he wasn’t willing to let Bucky be kept as a prisoner. This fact made him even more insistent that he wouldn’t go along with the Accords and that he was in the right this time, not Tony.
Protecting Him From Tony In Civil War
The fight between Tony, Bucky, and Steve at the end of Civil War is an emotional and intense one for all of the characters. Tony reacts from a place of trauma and pain when he sees the footage of his parents being murdered. However, trying to kill Bucky himself clearly wasn’t the right thing either.
If Steve didn’t step in to protect Bucky and keep Tony from going after him, Tony might have ended up killing Bucky as that was his intent. Bucky didn’t deserve to die in this way, so Steve was right to protect him.
Refusing To Fight Him At The End Of Winter Soldier
One of the times that Steve saves Bucky isn’t when he protects him from outside forces such as HYDRA, it’s actually when he himself refuses to fight Bucky. Steve is willing to die whether than be put in a position to hurt or kill his friend. He drops the shield and lets Bucky attack him, and he won’t do anything to fight back after he is able to stop the helicarriers.
While Steve Rogers is someone who is often willing to make the sacrifice play, it also goes somewhat against his nature to give up and not fight back. But, Bucky's life meant more to him than that.
Breaking Bucky’s Brainwashing
Because Steve refuses to fight Bucky, he saves him in another way. He tells Bucky the phrase they always used to say to one another, “I’m with you till the end of the line.” This jogs something in Bucky’s brain, and it breaks through some of the brainwashing enough that Bucky can at least stop following HYDRA’s orders.
He sets Bucky free in this scene, and Bucky is able to walk away, no longer a HYDRA weapon. It's clearly a phrase that means a lot between them and indicates the history they've shared together.
Finding A Place For Him To Be Safe
After the conflict in Captain America Civil War, Steve and Bucky are basically fugitives from the law. And, thankfully, T’challa sees that they deserve protection, especially Bucky. Steve is able to take Bucky to Wakanda, with T'Challa's generous help and permission, and he ensures Bucky is being taken care of properly once they are both there.
While fans might have liked to see a few more scenes between these two after this point, it did establish a safe place for Bucky to really start to heal.