Note: spoilers ahead for season 5, including the finale.
Fans were excited for the return of Cobra Kai, and season 5 did not disappoint with plenty of intense fights, drama, twists, and turns. Appealing to both fans of the original Karate Kid movies and a new legion of young fans, Cobra Kai beautifully combines humor with heartwarming, violence with important life lessons.
One of the most interesting aspects of the show is the way each character is presented: in this show, Johnny Lawrence sometimes comes across as the sympathetic hero while Daniel LaRusso appears to be a bully. Beyond them, there are other characters who have had really compelling and well-developed arcs.
Johnny Lawrence
First, it’s important to consider Johnny Lawrence, who first came onto the scene 34 years prior in The Karate Kid movies. He was the bully who tortured a young Daniel and delivered that famous “sweep the leg” move that left Daniel badly injured.
However, Johnny has had an interesting arc. He began as a lonely man spending his nights (and days) drinking beer and getting into bar fights. By season 5, he found a purpose teaching young kids, a girlfriend, a mentee he viewed as a son, and a budding new relationship with his son Robby. His transformation has been one of the most exciting to see, because even though he has gotten his life together, Johnny still remains the same old Johnny.
Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz
Eli has had the most ups and downs of any character. Initially bullied by others in school, he found confidence when he started to train in karate and realized he had a knack for it. Instead of using the traditional principles of the martial art, however, he turned into a bully himself, even turning against his long-time best friend Demetri.
Eli changed his name to Hawk, changed his hair to a mohawk, and developed a permanent scowl and a penchant for violent outbursts. By the end of season 4, he came to his senses and realized he could defend himself while also remaining a good (and nerdy) person.
Chozen
From the second Karate Kid movie, Chozen was the new bully who had even resorted to wanting to kill Daniel in their fight.
When Daniel was reunited with Chozen 35+ years later in Japan in season 3, he initially put on a tough exterior, making it seem as though he hadn’t changed. But a sudden laugh and a “boop” of the nose, and it was clear that Chozen had done a lot of soul-searching over the decades and was a changed man. He befriended Daniel, featuring a bigger role in season 5 aiding his former rival. He also taught him things about karate that Mr. Miyagi never showed him.
Tory Nichols
Tory was the young woman with a chip on her shoulder, understandable given her troubled family life. She went to school with privileged kids who took the opportunities they had for granted, and she hated seeing them complain about silly things when she was going through real struggles.
Because of this, she was an instant bully, and being caught in a love square with Sam, Miguel, and Robby turned her into a violent and even angrier person. In the end, she realized she could ask for help and actually get it from people who cared about her, thanks to a candid conversation with Amanda LaRusso. Her big win at the tournament that she discovered was fixed also woke Tory up to the fact that she was following the wrong people and was ready to change.
Robby Keene
Throughout the series, Robby has constantly been trying to find himself. Sad about not having his father in his life, and often left alone while his mother worked late hours or went on dates with random men, he was lonely, neglected, and typically up to no good with criminal friends.
He found a mentor in Daniel, but things turned sour, leaving Robby constantly going back and forth between Daniel and his biological father Johnny. He abandoned both, playing out Johnny’s worst fears by turning to John Kreese for mentorship. After seeing how his influence might be affecting the younger generation, however, Robby had an epiphany and became a respectable young man finally ready to grow up.
Anthony LaRusso
In the first few seasons, Anthony LaRusso – one of the Cobra Kai side characters with main character energy - was just in the background, usually with his face stuck in an electronic device, eating junk food or demanding beverages from his parents. The family tended to ignore him, focusing on more pressing issues, like the business, the dojo, or Sam.
Finally, Anthony had a heart-to-heart with his father and started to come into his own. After being banned from using his devices and a short bullying stint, he finally realized he was on the wrong path and expressed an interest in learning karate. Now with a bigger role in the show, Anthony has grown leaps and bounds from the beginning.
Daniel LaRusso
Daniel went back and forth between coming across as an arrogant man who felt he was better than others to being humbled by everything that went on with Johnny Lawrence, John Kreese, and eventually, Terry Silver. The fact that he and Johnny became something close to friends and he reconciled with others from his past as well, including Chozen, helped redeem the character that initially came across as a pompous, self-absorbed man.
The fact that Daniel did his best to follow Mr. Miyagi’s teachings and had so many people stand behind him to encourage him when he was ready to give up is a testament to how big of an impact he made on others.
Miguel Diaz
Miguel began the series in a very similar position to Daniel in the original Karate Kid movie. He was a new kid who wasn’t popular and was being bullied. After learning karate, he gained a newfound confidence. But he also went through a dark period when he was under the tutelage of Johnny, John Kreese, and Cobra Kai.
Through various scenarios, including seeking out and finding his biological father, as well as finally reconciling with Robby, Miguel has showed a ton of maturity and growth through the seasons.
Amanda LaRusso
Amanda dealt with a lot once Daniel picked up karate. Her daughter was severely injured, her home was ransacked during a massive fight, and her husband pulled away from his business and family. She finally had enough and left for a short period in season 5 to spend some time with her mother.
But after a heart-to-heart with her cousin Jessica, she realized just how much Daniel went through with Terry when he was younger, and understood he was justified in still dealing with a lot of hurt from it. She convinced her cousin to cut Daniel some slack. From that point on, Amanda was totally in her husband’s corner and won the hearts of fans.
Stingray
By the end of season 4, Stingray is one of the biggest enemies of the dojo. He was physically beaten into submission by Terry Silver then coerced to claim John Kreese did it, sending the former sensei to jail and opening the door for Terry to take over Cobra Kai.
Through season 5, Stingray is reluctant to come forward with the truth, partly out of fear but also because he’s enjoying the benefits of his allegiance to Cobra Kai, including a swanky apartment and Johnny’s old car. But by the end, when he realizes the Cobra Kai dojo is on their way to fight Miyagi-Do members, he feels compelled to warn Daniel. He ultimately does the right thing and reveals the truth about his false statement, which led to Terry’s arrest. The character might not have had a big part in season 5, but it was a pivotal role that proved Stingray changed and developed a strong moral compass.