“Cobra Kai” ended with a swift leg sweep in the feels within the six-episode finale released on Feb. 13. It tied together decades worth of karate drama, dating back to the release of “The Karate Kid” (1984) rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence.
Viewers and fans across forums such as Reddit and X were worried six episodes was not enough to conclude the stories of each main character, but the writers did an amazing job tying up the characters’ story lines with minimal questions.
Throughout the six seasons of “Cobra Kai”, it is notable that each main character has their distinct background. Characters like Miguel Diaz and Tory Nichols come from a place of immense struggle in aspects of parental sickness, immigration or simply being led down the wrong path. On the contrary, characters Samantha LaRusso and Eli Moskowitz come from backgrounds of wealth and fortune. Looking back at “The Karate Kid”, LaRusso and Lawrence also came from dramatically different backgrounds as well.
Although some characters might have grown up with more fortune than others, the show does an excellent job showing viewers that everyone struggles in one way or another. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, showcasing each character’s struggle, both in and out of the dojo.
We see most of our characters going through their teen years throughout all six seasons. The way these teenagers handled their adversities was written excellently throughout the show. Their adversities range from picking colleges to ending up in jail, and even the immense grief of losing a parent. The writers had their way of showing the severity of certain adversities.
Each one of the new main characters’ backgrounds and lives intersect to bring them to one common denominator: karate. One could say that karate was a stress reliever for some characters, a way to defend themselves, but their lessons in martial arts always had application in their everyday lives.
The sense of loyalty to each of the dojos in the show makes and breaks many of the characters, bringing on unexpected relationships and the ends of rivalries through reconciliation and even death. The mix of fighting styles from all three dojos, offensive and defensive, brought a higher sense of knowledge to the characters, allowing them to find balance in their lives.
Through new and old characters, we see the application of martial arts drastically affect lives and values, and it is tied up almost perfectly in the final season where they compete in the worldwide karate competition, the “Sekai Taikai.”
The “Sekai Taikai” and its events were the perfect tournament to tie up the show and its plot lines. Everyone is present and watching. The stakes are high, and the tournament is the determining factor of many characters’ futures.
The inner strength and difficult decisions mustered up by the new generation of characters are all displayed in such different ways. The lessons from each dojo really come into play and each character chooses a direction to lean into, not because of karate politics, but because they’ve become aware of what’s best for not just themselves, but others too.
The legacies of old characters, especially Mr. Miyagi, are carried so well in Cobra Kai’s writing and conclusion. Miyagi’s ultimate stance on karate, to only use it when it’s needed, brought us many subtle, but extremely powerful full-circle moments.
One of the most prominent full circle moments was from the final episode, where we see Lawrence visiting his deceased mother in a flashback to 2017. He’s an unkempt alcoholic with not much to offer that really misses his mom. Towards the end of the episode, he visits her again in the present to talk to her about his accomplishments in life and looks better than ever. It’s one of the more heart wrenching scenes, but it gives viewers a sweet message: “Everything is going to be okay.” We see these other moments in Tory Nichols’ final fight in the Sekai Taikai, and the LaRussos’ honoring of Mr. Miyagi’s legacy.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the seemingly never-ending rivalry between LaRusso and Lawrence comes to an end as both families find balance and seemingly become one.
“Cobra Kai” was not afraid to explore the various walks of life, including the unexpected turns, whether good or bad. It was encouraging to see the love that was shared between many of the characters and see that (almost) each student will live a fulfilling and successful life despite their differing circumstances.
Jesie Garcia is a staff reporter and may be reached at [email protected] or on Instagram @empanaditawrites.
