Part of what makes Once Upon A Time so beloved is that it is a refreshingly positive and uplifting show. No matter how dire and complicated things get for the characters, they ultimately persevere and are able to move forward as the story emphasizes the importance of hope, redemption, forgiveness, and family.
These thematic elements make Once Upon A Time a comforting show to watch and to rewatch. It is filled with heartwarming moments that can lift one's spirits on a difficult day. These moments often relate to the significant culmination of character development and the development of characters' relationships.
Maleficent And Lily Begin A Future Together
Maleficent is cruelly separated from her daughter when she is born. Orphaned and filled with darkness that was never supposed to be part of her, Lily lives a difficult life in the Land Without Magic.
When Emma brings Lily to Storybrooke, Lily and Maleficent are finally reunited. Maleficent is not the ruthless villain and partner in revenge that Lily expects her to be. Instead, Maleficent is a warm and open individual, who doesn't mind her daughter's darkness and is simply grateful that they can finally be together. Lily agrees to stay in Storybrooke for at least a week so she and her mother can finally have a future together.
Snow And Charming Name Their Son Neal
When Snow White and Prince Charming announce the name of their newborn child, they honor a fallen hero. They name their son Neal in honor of Baelfire/Neal Cassidy. He was Henry's father and Emma's first love, but, unfortunately, he was killed off in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the show.
Giving their son this name is a touching way of remembering Neal and everything that he stood for. Even though Neal died, his memory lives on through Snow and Charming's son.
Marco Helps August Realize That He Didn't Fail
Before the first Dark Curse was cast, all Geppetto wants is to make sure his son, Pinocchio, is safe and entrust him with a specific mission. He had Pinocchio travel through the wardrobe to a Land Without Magic with the mission to look out for and protect the Savior and to make her believe in her destiny so she could one day fulfill her destiny by breaking the Dark Curse.
28 years later, with Emma not believing in her destiny or the truth about the fairy tale world she comes from, Pinocchio - who now goes by the name August - feels like he failed the mission, that he has failed Geppetto and everyone in Storybrooke.
While the cursed Geppetto - who goes by the name Marco - does not remember his life or his son, he does help August realize that he is not a failure because August realized his mistakes and is doing his best to now fulfill the promise he kept. It is heartwarming that Marco is able to lift his son up even and that they are able to bond in this scene, even though Marco does not have his memories.
Henry Becomes The Author
As the son of the Savior and as the grandson of Snow White, Prince Charming, and Rumplestiltskin, Henry sometimes struggles with the fact that he feels ordinary in contrast with his extraordinary family. He wants to be a hero and can be frustrated by his lack of magical gifts.
However, this all changes in the season 4 finale when he becomes the next Author. He becomes the next Author because he is worthy. While being the Author is not being a hero in the traditional sense, it allows Henry to save his family and to save the day in the season 4 finale. It shows everyone that Henry is wise, uniquely intelligent, and it makes him just as special as the rest of his family.
A Family Dinner
Towards the end of the season 6 finale, the main characters come together to share a joyful dinner at Granny's Diner, a moment that is immortalized by the Author.
Many of the characters seated at this table have been bitter enemies in the past and harbored deep-seated grudges. Yet, all of these characters have found a way to move past their differences and are now united as a family who cares deeply about one another.
Rumplestiltskin And Belle Build Their Home Together
After several seasons of drama and an often problematic relationship, it is satisfying to see Belle and Rumplestiltskin finally happy, united, and working towards a common goal.
In a montage inspired by Carl and Ellie's love story in the Pixar film Up, Belle and Rumplestiltskin build an adorable, cozy house for themselves. It is beautiful to see Belle and Rumplestiltskin living life to the fullest and sharing their golden years together.
Rumplestiltskin And Belle Reunited In The Afterlife
Through learning to be a hero and doing things for the right reason, Rumplestiltskin is finally able to rid himself of the Dark One dagger. He is able to pass on to the afterlife where he is reunited with Belle.
After everything this couple went through, it is wonderful to see that they find their way back to one another and that they will now be able to happily and peacefully spend eternity together. Rumplestiltskin thought he would never get his happy ending and even the optimistic Belle lost faith for a while that they could have a happy ending together, but in the end, they did just that.
Emma And Hook's Wedding
Emma and Hook's wedding is heartwarming on many levels. Even though she is the product of true love, Emma thought she would never find it. Until he met Emma, Hook spent most of his life consumed with nothing but revenge. Their relationship was never easy; Emma even had to endure the heartbreak of killing Hook at one point. When Snow White and Prince Charming put baby Emma through the wardrobe, they didn't know if they would ever see her again.
The wedding provides the perfect opportunity for Hook to explain how Emma helped him see that a heart full of love is the most precious treasure of all, for Emma to show that she did find her true love and that despite obstacles including death itself, their love survived it all. After being separated from their daughter for 28 years, Snow White and Prince Charming are able to walk her down the aisle. In all these ways and more, Emma and Hook's wedding is a truly rewarding and uplifting moment.
Emma Breaks The Dark Curse With True Love's Kiss
The most powerful use of true love's kiss in the show is when Emma uses it to save Henry and to break the first Dark Curse. While true love's kiss is usually associated with romantic relationships in fairy tales, the way it is used here is important because it shows that familial and platonic love is just as valid as romantic love.
In one fell swoop, Emma saves her son's life, shows how much she loves him, frees her parents and everyone else in Storybrooke from the Dark Curse, and fulfills part of her destiny as the Savior. Unfortunately, the town doesn't get long to bask in their victory as Regina cooks up another scheme that begins unfolding in the season 1 finale and leaves viewers on a cliffhanger for months.
Regina Is Crowned The Good Queen Of All The Realms
Once Upon A Time's most heartwarming moment comes at the end of the series finale when Regina is crowned the good queen of all the realms. It speaks volumes that she is the first person to be elected to this prestigious position and massive responsibility.
Although Regina began Once Upon A Time as one of the best and most feared villains, she eventually becomes a person that everyone trusts to unite and lead them moving forward. She is celebrated and supported by her former enemies. After being crowned, Regina's speech about being able to persevere through life's up and downs through the power of hope rings true as it helped her develop so profoundly as a character.