The article contains spoilers for the Cobra Kai series finale.
The Cobra Kai co-creator explains how Johnny Lawrence’s (William Zabka) final fight brings a full circle moment for the show’s protagonist. The Karate Kid spinoff series has officially concluded on Netflix, ending on a very satisfying note for many characters, including Johnny. Cobra Kai ends its six-year run with Johnny’s dojo becoming victorious at the Sekai Taikai after the sensi himself defeated Iron Dragon’s Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan).
In an interview with TheWrap, co-creator Hayden Schlossberg breaks down how Johnny’s karate fight at the Sekai Taikai is a full-circle moment. He says that the fight against Sensei Wolf is Johnny’s second chance, but this time, he is in the underdog position. This is what Johnny wanted, but it came with more media attention to the fight and that the former All-Valley champion was beyond his prime.
“I think that fight is really within the shadow of the 1984 fight. You’re on that mat. It’s Johnny back there. So this is his second chance … we wanted to put him in the underdog position – put him in the Daniel position – where there’s all this weight on his shoulders of expectation. Now he got what he what he wished for but there’s more cameras, more attention to this thing than ever and the person that he’s competing against is in the prime of his career, ready to embarrass him in on the world stage.”
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While the Cobra Kai dojo underwent many management changes throughout its six-year run, the series wouldn’t have started without Johnny’s insecurities when he reflects on his 1984 All-Valley tournament loss. As a way to flip the script, Johnny became the hero of his own story, and the show illustrated his growth throughout those years, which meant resolving his rivalry with his former competitor, Daniel LaRusso. Even though their relationship began with a bumpy start, the two foes went through many tribulations and finally became best friends by the end and even each other’s mentors.
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Even though Cobra Kai featured many characters, including Daniel’s own family, it became clear the show is ultimately about the characters who helped with the dojo’s inception in the first place. This became clear when Samantha LaRusso forfeited her semifinal match, which ultimately ended Miyagi-Do’s underdog story in the penultimate episode. This allowed the final episodes to put the spotlight on the three players who helped the dojo thrive under Johnny’s guidance: Miguel, Tory, and Johnny himself. However, even this twist is symbolic in a way that showcases how all three characters have grown since joining the dojo, with each one winning their respective fights, including Johnny.
By this point, Johnny has evolved as a character and is not the same hard rock sensei who built his dojo.
Johnny’s fight against Sensi Wolf is the most prominent as it gives the protagonist another shot at competing on the same mat where he lost to Daniel nearly 40 years ago. By this point, Johnny has evolved as a character and is not the same hard rock sensei who built his dojo. He had learned to accept other karate philosophies, like Miyagi-do’s defense approach, and even showed his vulnerability when he confronted Kreese about their past. This ultimately builds up to Johnny’s fight, where his win not only brings back his confidence but also becomes a big full-circle moment to amend his 1984 loss.
Our Take On Cobra Kai’s Final Fight With Johnny
Cobra Kai Was Always About Johnny, & The Series Ended The Story In The Most Satisfying Way
It breaks my heart to see this series conclude, but the creators and cast did a great job of finding the best way to end the show. I still have to remind myself that the show originally started as a YouTube Premium series before making the move to Netflix right around the pandemic. It’s worth noting that this is what allowed Cobra Kai to continue for another four seasons, allowing the series to strike an ending with a bang.
I loved that the final three episodes pushed Miyagi-do aside and made Johnny’s Cobra Kai the center of the spotlight. There wasn’t much else the series could do with Daniel and Miyago-do since they had already experienced the underdog story back in the Karate Kid movies. Instead, it became a reminder that Cobra Kai was ultimately about Johnny and his search for redemption after 40 years. And in this six-season-long journey, we finally got to see Johnny at this biggest point, and I couldn’t have asked for a better series finale like that.
Source: TheWrap
