For a long time, original Karate Kid movies, which drew a clear line between the heroes and villains, Cobra Kai was rarely about the battle between good and evil. While the show did have irredeemable antagonistic figures like Terry Silver towards the end, it was always more about a complex set of characters influenced by their flawed mentors, past struggles, and insecurities.

Owing to this, even though the show's title was based on the fighting style adopted by the original movies' villains, it was never about one particular character or karate dojo. While its initial seasons focused on Johnny's karate redemption and efforts to change the lives of many young misfits through a reformed version of Cobra Kai, it later shifted its focus back to Daniel LaRusso. Fortunately, despite experiencing many narrative shifts throughout its runtime, Cobra Kai never truly forgot what it was supposed to be about, and its final line confirmed its return to its core story beat.

Cobra Kai’s Final "No Mercy" Was A Reminder That Johnny Was The Show’s Protagonist

Cobra Kai Almost Forgot Johnny Was Its Main Character

In Cobra Kai's opening arcs, Daniel LaRusso almost came off as a villain because the show primarily revolved around Johnny's redemption. While Johnny opened his own dojo and taught many young students, like Miguel, Hawk, and Alisha, to stand their ground and fight for themselves, Daniel seemed like a jealous rival who could not stand his former enemy's newfound success. However, as Cobra Kai progressed, Johnny's story seemingly reached a point of stagnation, where he neither committed to his newfound responsibilities nor returned to his old ways.

...After nerfing Johnny Lawrence for quite some time, Cobra Kai finally allowed him to shine in season 6's final installment.

For a long time, Johnny remained in a liminal space where he struggled to overcome the failures of his past and embrace the life he could have had with Carmen. Meanwhile, Daniel's character grew from strength to strength as he not only learned to embrace Mr. Miyagi's lessons about finding balance but also defeated Terry Silver in a one-on-one showdown with his iconic Crane kick. Thankfully, after nerfing Johnny Lawrence for quite some time, Cobra Kai finally allowed him to shine in season 6's final installment.

Johnny does everything from fixing his relationship with Kreese to achieving one of his biggest karate accolades. After Johnny defeats Sensei Kim in a fight and helps his dojo land the Sekai Taikai win, Cobra Kai reminds viewers that the show was always supposed to be about him. It does this by featuring a scene in which Daniel reminisces a Mr. Miyagi memory by attempting to catch a fly with his chopsticks, but Johnny kills the fly with his bare hands before acknowledging the only fighting philosophy he stands for, "No mercy."

I Loved Daniel LaRusso’s Arc In Cobra Kai, But Johnny Lawrence Was The Heart Of The Show

Daniel Already Got A Well-Rounded Story In The Original Films

Daniel's journey reached a well-rounded conclusion in the original Karate Kid movies, but Johnny Lawrence's story always felt incomplete. In its final moments, the first Karate Kid movie established that Johnny was never as evil as he initially seemed and was only misguided by a flawed mentor. Even when Johnny hands the All Valley title to Daniel in the first Karate Kid movie's ending, he says, "You're alright, LaRusso," showing how gracious he was with his loss. Johnny could have easily moved on with his life after his loss without being weighed down by bitterness.

Unfortunately, the night of his loss ended with humiliation after the closest thing he had to a father figure, John Kreese, assaulted him. While Daniel got the win he had worked hard for, Johnny felt dejected and disowned. The inconclusive end of Johnny's story in Karate Kid is what made Cobra Kai compelling in its initial seasons. While Daniel still proved to be a great addition to the series, it was always Johnny's road to recovery that gave Cobra Kai more heart. Owing to this, it is hard not to appreciate that the series finally returned to its roots and focused on Johnny in its final arc.