In a Shocking Twist of Fate, ‘Cobra Kai’ Proved That Mr. Miyagi’s True Successor Was Never Daniel, but This Character

When Cobra Kai premiered, it dared to ask the query: “May an ’80s unhealthy man actually redeem himself?” The reply was a powerful sure. Going down after the occasions of the Karate Child movies, Cobra Kai flipped the script on the story by specializing in Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), after being defeated by Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Johnny’s life took a spiral till he lastly reopened the Cobra Kai dojo. In an age the place legacy sequels like Creed, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Power Awakens, and Jurassic World are commonplace, Cobra Kai strays from the crushed path and is much better from it. The give attention to Johnny additionally reveals that he is change into the religious successor to Daniel’s instructor, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita).

At first look, it looks as if Daniel would have been the one to uphold Miyagi’s classes. Miyagi was the one who taught him karate and guided him to victory, in spite of everything. However as Cobra Kai progresses, it is clear that Johnny is the one who’s adopted Miyagi’s means of passing on knowledge via karate. He helps the scholars in Cobra Kai develop via his unorthodox teachings, and this in flip helps him to develop as an individual. Daniel, however, winds up turning into considerably rigid in terms of educating karate — a flaw he has to work to beat all through Cobra Kai’s runtime. In a means, Cobra Kai flips the script on The Karate Child‘s narrative, with Johnny being the hero and Daniel being the antagonist, and a part of its enchantment is watching how they each develop.

Johnny and Miguel’s Relationship in ‘Cobra Kai’ Is a Mirror to Daniel and Mr. Miyagi’s

The most important parallel between Johnny and Miyagi comes from Johnny’s relationship with Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña). Very like how Miyagi saved Daniel from Johnny and bullies in The Karate Child, Cobra Kai‘s first episode ends with Johnny beating up bullies who assault Miguel, although it lands him in jail. Johnny additionally takes his personal method to educating Miguel karate, although his classes embody a more durable type of educating. Whereas Miyagi taught Daniel karate by way of the “wax on, wax off” methodology, Johnny makes use of robust love and Cobra Kai’s strategies of “strike first, strike laborious, no mercy” to hone Miguel’s combating abilities. But as time goes on, Johnny turns into a much better instructor than his ruthless sensei, John Kreese (Martin Kove). When Miguel makes use of an underhanded methodology to win the All-Valley Beneath-18 Karate Championships in Cobra Kai Season 1, Johnny downgrades him and different Cobra Kai college students to white belts, forbidding dishonest within the course of.

Johnny’s development as a instructor runs parallel to Daniel’s. Whereas Daniel reopens Miyagi-Do, it is much less about educating karate and extra about undermining Johnny at first. Daniel additionally takes Miyagi’s classes means too strictly as a substitute of adapting like Johnny does at first, as he nonetheless idolizes Miyagi to a fault. Johnny and Daniel’s rivalry additionally impacts their relationship with their college students, and their family members, within the early seasons of Cobra Kai as Daniel takes on Johnny’s estranged son Robby (Tanner Buchanan) as a pupil whereas Miguel strikes up a romantic relationship with Daniel’s daughter Sam (Mary Mouser). Ultimately, the 2 begin working collectively to coach college students when Kreese retakes management of Cobra Kai, however Johnny’s extra unorthodox strategies conflict with Daniel’s inflexible coaching. Each Daniel and Johnny be taught that their respective types work higher collectively than aside, mirroring how Miyagi took a novel method to his karate teachings.

A lot Like Mr. Miyagi, Johnny Goes By way of Some Darkish Moments in ‘Cobra Kai’

As Cobra Kai goes on, extra parallels between Johnny and Mr. Miyagi begin to crop up, particularly in Season 6. Johnny developed a romantic relationship with Miguel’s mom Carmen (Vanessa Rubio), and the 2 be taught that they are having a daughter collectively. However Carmen suffers problems from the being pregnant in Season 6, nearly shedding the child in addition to her life. This mirrors the tragedy that impacted Miyagi’s life; in The Karate Child, he tells Daniel that he misplaced his spouse and son on account of problems from childbirth. Season 6 expands upon this, as Daniel learns that Miyagi was as soon as arrested for armed theft and killed a person in the course of the Sekai Taikai torunament — which tremendously shakes his religion in his mentor. However quite than disrespecting the legacy of the Karate Child movies, this plot growth exhibits that Miyagi was human, and it displays that if he might develop right into a wiser man, so might Johnny.

Season 6 additionally encompasses a touching second the place Johnny reconciles with Kreese, as they each come to phrases with their previous actions. Whereas Kreese’s redemption arc in Cobra Kai left a lot to be desired, his admitting that he had a hand within the darker components of Johnny’s life is a genuinely touching second. So is the second the place Johnny breaks down in tears and embraces his former sensei; as much as that time, Johnny had been the everyday ’80s macho man. By embracing his emotions, Johnny turns into a extra well-rounded character and a greater instructor, mirroring how Miyagi overcame the shadows of his previous to change into Daniel’s instructor and buddy.

Martin Kove as John Kreese standing in front of students with a scowl on his face in Cobra Kai

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The ‘Cobra Kai’ Finale Options Johnny and Daniel Passing on Mr. Miyagi’s Classes

Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) train in 'Cobra Kai' Season 6 Part 3. — Picture by way of Netflix

What makes Cobra Kai such a compelling sequence is the way it forces Johnny and Daniel to develop. Johnny has to select himself up after his failures in life, whereas Daniel has to be taught to actually embrace the fluidity of Miyagi’s teachings. The duo even prepare one another of their respective strategies, starting with Cobra Kai Season 4. Johnny teaches Daniel “tips on how to be a person” along with his Eagle Fang fashion, whereas Daniel trains Johnny in Miyagi-Do (to hilarious impact). Issues come full circle with Season 6, as Daniel helps prepare Johnny for the Sekai Taikai, even telling him the explanation that Johnny misplaced to the “crane kick” Daniel used is as a result of he bumped into it. Johnny ultimately makes use of that to his benefit and wins the Sekai Taikai, bringing his journey full circle. Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz mentioned that this was the aim from the start. “This was this joint victory between Johnny and Daniel: Daniel [has] lastly come to the belief that it’s OK to not be Miyagi-Do on a regular basis, that Johnny[’s beliefs] had some worth … and Johnny recogniz[es] Daniel’s beliefs had been useful as effectively. These two folks with very totally different philosophies in life can come collectively as one and win the day,” Hurwtiz mentioned in an interview with Tudum. Nobody would have anticipated Johnny Lawrence to change into Mr. Miyagi’s successor, however Cobra Kai proves that he turned a mentor in his personal proper.