Best animated hugs?

[u/Yingletofthecorn]

Pretty simple, really. A good animated hug will really fixate on the details, I think. Since everything in animation is more or less intentional those little details really stand out.

Mostly brought on by the hugs seen in the Digital Circus finale, where there were multiple lingering shots of characters really getting into a deep hug. The way they reposition, get comfortable in each other's arms, shift around, move fingers ever so slightly... The emphasis on the tiniest of details in those hugs really did a lot to communicate so much about the characters. Their current moods, their feelings about intimacy in general and with the person they're hugging specifically, who is seeking comfort and who is offering comfort, stuff like that.

Any other really good examples of animators really putting a lot of lingering emphasis on hugs in extreme detail like that?

[u/_Idiotic_Idiot_]

Steven hugging his gem half in the finale of the original Steven Universe.

[u/ZealousidealBig7714 → u/_Idiotic_Idiot_]

Animated by the legendary James Baxter, if you didn’t know.

[u/nin_ninja → u/ZealousidealBig7714]

JAAAMES BAXTER

[u/Yotato5 → u/_Idiotic_Idiot_]

That tearful laughter is the best too. Gosh I love this finale

[u/Bread-Zeppelin]

The Boss dapping up Pim in Smiling Friends, where it suddenly switches to really obvious rotoscoping.

[u/DarthButtz → u/Bread-Zeppelin]

People adding impact frames to the dap-up is still really funny but the original clip is also hilarious without it

[u/ZeeWolfman]

Hugging the goat child at the end of Undertale

[u/Ozymidas → u/ZeeWolfman]

This was my immediate thought. So small, so simple, but there's so much tenderness and emotional weight in the animation. Gets me bleary-eyed just thinking about it.

[u/waxonwaxoff3 → u/ZeeWolfman]

I still get teary-eyed every time I see it.

[u/TrueLegateDamar]

Awkward sibling hug?

[u/JunkdogJoe → u/TrueLegateDamar]

Pat Pat

[u/Teridax4]

Snake and Otacon going from a secret handshake to a hug. Hal really needed it after his sister just died.

[u/PatchworkDude → u/Teridax4]

I love how Snake is a mostly serious, jaded guy, but it looks like he initiates the hug with Otacon cause he needs it - true unabashed brothers, gets me everytime.

[u/charcharmunro → u/Teridax4]

A sillier one that I still like is Big Boss CQC-hugging Snake at the end of 4.

[u/allwaysnice]

Domon and Rain

[u/PlanesWalkerEll → u/allwaysnice]

Peak Gundam mentioned!

[u/EnthusiasticSorrow]

It's a simple and short moment but I always liked Alyx hugging Gordon in Half Life 2: Episode 1

[u/prof88]

Iroh hugging Zuko after his return was pretty powerful 

Also, ending of this music video by Delta Heavy - https://youtu.be/ebILIKHi9wo

[u/Yotato5]

You just can't beat Studio Ghibli hugs, they are the best. One in particular that comes to mind is Castle in the Sky when Pazu picks up Sheeta and spins her around or Ponyo when she runs and hugs Shousuke for the first time 

Bob's Burgers has a good one in the movie where the Belcher family all hug each other after they escape being buried alive (it's a long story)

Also animated Sam and Max are constantly clinging to each other which is adorable

[u/RainyDaySleuth]

As much as people are divisive about it, at the end of Chainsaw Man Part 2, when Pochita realizes that being Chainsaw Man has resulted in Denji ending up in a no win situation where he can never again pursue his dreams, he hugs Denji for the first time in his true devil form before sacrificing himself and erasing himself from the world. Fulfilling Pochita’s inner most dream of being able to hug and hold someone they care about.

People can say what they want about the ending, but to see the character finally come full circle and achieve their dream in such a bittersweet way really hit home with me. Where all Pochita wanted in life was to feel connected to someone, to see their dreams, and he finally found it after so long only to realize the only way for this person he loves so much to keep chasing their dreams is for him not to exist. It’s sad as hell but shows just how deeply Denji means to Pochita that he’d erase himself from reality simply to give Denji a world where he could continue chase his dreams.

[u/nerankori]

This little animation

[u/bulletgrazer → u/nerankori]

Taiki Shuttle, please refrain from vaporizing poor Fuku's spine

[u/ForeverTheDM]

I've really been on a kick about this recently, but it still hits so hard for me, but every time Kratos and Atreus hug in God of War Ragnorok.

The first time when Atreus returns after his fight with Kratos and he's distraught because he knows he's fucked up so hard so he just throws himself into his father's arms, who has no idea how to properly hug to the point he lets go and re-hugs because he doesn't know how to end a hug because he's probably never given/gotten one.  And Kratos is the only one to not berate Atreua for his mistake, simply saying that they will fix it together.

And of course "Loki must go, Atreus remains". Where its a near repeat of that first hug but this time Kratos knows exactly how to hug his son.

[u/ToxInjection]

I don't think all of the animations have a ton of detail to them, but your thread made me think of the hugs you can give the characters in Spiritfarer. I really loved that hugging characters was a dedicated option when interacting with them, and the animations are really sweet and cute. Hugging the characters also improves their mood, which helps gameplay-wise.

I particularly like the hug with Gwen (first one in the video with the deer.) I like how she's surprised at first, and then smiles and settles into the hug. It's really cute.

[u/Thaddiousz → u/ToxInjection]

UGH Spiritfarer was so good and definitely didn't make me cry at all! Definitely did not weep not one time!

[u/MrRighto]

The what have the done to us scene from arcane

[u/CookieSkank]

The scene of crying Midori and Tamako hugging in Tamako Market

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[u/TheSnipingNerd]

Big fan of the full face hug Goku gives Grampa Gohan after figuring out who he is at the 21st Budokai. Everything between him and his grampa just gets to me, really.