WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Cobra Kai season 6, part 3.
Cobra Kaiseason 6’s final episodes remembered who the show’s main characters are, and the timing could not have been better. BeforeCobra Kaiwas a Netflix sensation with an ensemble cast consisting of up-and-coming actors and fan-favorite characters from theKarate Kidmovies, the show was a YouTube original with a simple yet exciting premise – what happened to Johnny Lawrence over 30 years afterThe Karate Kid? The first season ofCobra Kaimade Johnny the protagonist and framed Daniel as the antagonist, adding a genius spin to one of the most famous franchises of all time.
Cobra Kaiseason 1 flipped all of theKarate Kidtropes, including by having Miguel, the show’s version of1984 Daniel LaRusso, join Cobra Kai and be trained by Johnny Lawrence. The idea of Johnny, the bully fromThe Karate Kid, acting as “Mr. Miyagi” to a new kid who had just moved to Reseda sounded amazing on paper, andCobra Kaimade the most of it in its first two seasons. However, asCobra Kai’s castand story expanded, the importance of Johnny and Miguel to the story was significantly reduced as other characters came into the spotlight.
Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 3 Shifted The Focus Back To Johnny & Miguel
Miguel And Johnny Fought The Final Two Matches Of The Show
Cobra Kaiseason 6, part 3 heavily focuses on Johnnyand, to a lesser degree, Miguel. While Robby and Sam were the ones representing Miyagi-Do in theSekai Taikai semifinals, it ended up being Miguel, Tory, and Johnny who fought for our heroes at the end. Following Robby’s injury and Sam’s withdrawal from the tournament, Miyagi-Do was out of the Sekai Taikai, leaving the title for The Iron Dragons to claim. Although Johnny understood Sam’s decision, he was disappointed he wouldn’t be able to win. For Johnny, coming in second again would set off a repetition of his previous failures.
Terry Silver mentioned a Sekai Taikai loophole when asking Kenny to join The Iron Dragons, which is most likely the same loophole that allowed Miguel to replace Known as Cobra Kai’s captain.
Once Kreese, who was technically in charge of Cobra Kai at the Sekai Taikai, asked Johnny if there was anything he could do for him after they hugged each other, it became clear that Cobra Kai had one final surprise in store. Kreese let Johnny take over the Cobra Kai dojo ahead of the final matches, meaning that Lawrence would now be representing Cobra Kai instead of Miyagi-Do. Likewise, thanks to a Sekai Taikai loophole,Miguel was able to switch from Miyagi-Do to his former dojo, thus becoming Cobra Kai’s fighter in the final matchagainst Axel.
Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 3’s Dojo Switch Twist Gave The Show Its Name Back
Johnny Lawrence’s Cobra Kai Returned At The Very End
Cobra Kaisaw itself in a difficult position once John Kreese returned at the end of season 1 and fully took over the titular dojo at the end of season 2. Cobra Kai now belonged to the franchise’s ultimate villain, meaning that all of the development that went into Johnny making the Way of the Fist something positive for a lot of kids was thrown out of the window. Of course, it made sense for Johnny to lose the dojo once Kreese and later Silver came into play, butCobra Kaiabandoned its original premise for almost too long.
Cobra Kaineeded to “reclaim” the name of the show before the finale.
Between Eagle Fang and the collaboration with Miyagi-Do, it seemed like Johnny Lawrence was over Cobra Kai forever. Similarly, Miguel had been training Miyagi-Do for two seasons now. The Cobra Kai dojo made for a great common enemy that allowed Daniel, Johnny, and their students to come together and settle their rivalries. However,Cobra Kaineeded to “reclaim” the name of the show before the finale. Fortunately, that is exactly what happened onceJohnny and Miguel, the show’s original protagonists, entered the Sekai Taikai finals wearing their traditional Cobra Kai gear.
Cobra Kai Could Not Have Ended Any Other Way Than It Did
Cobra Kai Was Originally About Johnny And Miguel After All
Cobra Kaiseason 6, part 3’s final episodes were exactly what the show needed after so many seasons in which Johnny and Miguel had to rightfully share the spotlight with a lot of great characters. In a universe that includes incredible characters such as Daniel LaRusso, John Kreese, and Terry Silver,Cobra Kaiwas destined to grow beyond its original premise. Still,ending the show without shifting the focus back to Johnny and Miguel would have been a mistake.
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That is not to sayCobra Kaiseason 6, part 3 ignored the character, quite the contrary. Sam, Robby, Tory, and all the others had their moments too, and they completed their character arcs in the best way. However, the final two matches ofCobra Kaifeatured Miguel and Johnny, respectively, both fighting for their original dojo.Cobra Kai’s series finale brought the show full circle and honored the series’ original pitch of telling a Johnny Lawrence story.
Cobra Kai
Cast
Cobra Kai is a sequel series continuing the narrative of the Karate Kid saga, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It focuses on Johnny Lawrence seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.
