5: Star Fox 64
“Never give up! Trust your instincts! You’ve become so strong, Fox.”
In the final boss fight in Venom, Fox has Andross by the ropes. But when Andross decides to self-destruct, he takes down not only his base, but Fox too. The base is exploding and Fox needs to get the hell out of there as soon as he can. It’s only a matter of time, but suddenly another Arwing appears to guide him home.
Wait a moment is that…? Yes, it’s James McCloud who is guiding you out of there, otherwise known as Fox’s father. Up until this point, players are led to believe that James McCloud had been killed after being betrayed by his friend, Pigma Dengar, so to see his father out there in his Arwing guiding him from danger is a bit of a shock.
As they’re heading out, James gives him words of encouragement, telling him how proud he is of his son and that he should never give up. But after the dust settles and Fox has escaped, James is nowhere to be seen. This saddens Fox, but the fact that he got to see his father again and that his father had helped him escape is just so heartwarming. Whether James is still alive or not doesn’t matter– what matters is that he got to see his son once more whether it was in spirit or not.
The inspiring thing about this is how Fox didn’t give up, but also was able to show his father how much he had grown and how honorable he has become. He’s following in his father’s footsteps and has become a great leader. Those words of encouragement from James is what gives him the strength to carry on and escape the Venom base in the nick of time.