One of the standout elements of Netflix’s martial arts comedy-drama seriesCobra Kaiwas its revival of the Karate Kid franchise’s rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. As adults, Daniel and Johnny started out with the same mutual dislike that defined their relationship as teenagers. But now their rivalry could do even more damage to the people they cared about. Their children and stepchildren, in particular, are regularly caught in the crosshairs of their animosity towards each other inCobra Kai. That is, until Daniel and Johnny finally put their feud behind them inCobra Kai’s later seasons.
According to comments by the show’s co-creator Jon Hurwitz,Cobra Kai’s two best and most important characterswere always meant to end the show as friends. During aCobra Kaipanel discussion at Newport Beach TV Fest on Saturday, June 7, Hurwitz explained that Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence’s eventual friendship was a conclusion that writers of the series had in mind right from its first episode. Knowing thatthis friendship was always part of the planactually makes the way the story panned out even better.
Daniel And Johnny Becoming Friends In Cobra Kai Was Planned From Day One
The Show’s Creators Planned The Friendship Before A Single Scene Was Shot
Jon Hurwitz’s explanation aboutCobra Kai’s plan for Daniel and Johnny’s relationship helps give context to the narrative arcs of both charactersthroughout the course of the show. Sitting alongside his fellowCobra Kaicreators and lead writers Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg, Hurwitz detailed their thought process as follows:
“We knew from the very beginning when we started the show, before we shot anything, that we wanted to end with Johnny and Daniel as friends. We wanted it to be a journey where they go through a lot, and they come out the other side seeing each other’s points of view. Thematically, that was one of the things we viewed as a North Star on the show.
“Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do are two very different philosophies. Johnny was taught Cobra Kai in such an intense way. Daniel was taught Miyagi-Do in such a beautiful way, and they’re both so passionate about them. We wanted them to, over the course of the series, understand each other better, and we thought that was a metaphor for the world, and for society. If Johnny and Daniel can get along, then maybe others can get along as well. So that was the main thing we knew we wanted to end with.
The knowledge thatCobra Kai’s creators were planning all along for the show’s finale asa full-circle moment, returning to the end of the originalKarate Kidmovie, makes it an even more satisfying final episodefor fans of the franchise. What’s more, the decision to portray Johnny’s karate philosophy as simply a different but equally valid approach satisfies those who believeDaniel LaRusso to be the real villain ofThe Karate Kid, as well as the majority who view him as a conventional hero.
Cobra Kai’s Final Scene Celebrated Johnny And Daniel’s Friendship
The Scene’s Famous Callback To The Karate Kid Is The Perfect Metaphor For Their Bond
Cobra Kai’s post-credits scene at the end of season 6was the perfect way to cap off the growth of Johnny and Daniel’s friendship during the show’s last three seasons. The two of them sitting together having lunch, asDaniel gives Johnny advice about his personal finances,grounded their friendship in ordinary, everyday circumstances, demonstrating that it wasn’t simply a conceit of competitive karate dojos but a genuine bond.
Of course, the reason the scene has garnered so much attention is its final gag, in which Johnny swatted a fly with his hand while Daniel was trying to catch it with chopsticks, in a callback to the franchise’s original movie,The Karate Kid. Johnny’s different approach to catching the fly – and the fact that he was the one who caught it –served as a clever metaphor for Daniel’s acceptance of Johnny’s approach to karate, which placed the two of them on an equal footing as friends.
Cobra Kai Paced The Friendship Just Right To Make It Worthwhile
As Jon Hurwitz alluded to in his comments at Newport Beach TV Fest,turning Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence into friends wasn’t a straightforward processforCobra Kai’s writers. The characters came into the show with traumatic memories of each other from their teenage years, and also had plenty of new reasons to maintain their mutual enmity. Constructing their friendship had to be a slow-burn as both characters grew as people and overcame the barriers to forging a bond. It’s the careful pacing of this friendship as it developed that makesCobra Kai’s season 6 endingwork so well.
There was ultimately no bigger payoff inCobra Kaithan Daniel and Johnny making things right with each other, at long last. The show made us see Johnny Lawrence as a tragically sympathetic character more than theKarate Kidmovies ever did, meaning that it was all the more heartwarming to see Daniel accepting him as a friend.Cobra Kaiis really Johnny’s story of redemption, and only Daniel LaRusso’s acceptance allowed him to complete his redemptive arc in full.
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.
