The Cobra Kai season 5 finale saw Daniel LaRusso use his famous crane kick for the first time in decades, but there was a deeper meaning behind Daniel bringing the kick back than might be thought. Daniel's use of the crane kick against Cobra Kai sensei Terry Silver is one of the strongest callbacks to the Karate Kid films and manages to be one of the show's best payoffs. The usage of the crane kick was the perfect way to conclude one of the greatest fights in the franchise.
When Daniel LaRusso used the crane kick against Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid, it was a conclusion to their original rivalry. With it being used to defeat Silver decades later in Cobra Kai, it put an end to Silver's schemes for now and saw the Cobra Kai students turning on their sensei. Terry Silver's Cobra Kai plan failed, and he was then sent to prison with "a litany of charges" against him. While it's unknown what the future holds in store for Cobra Kai, season 5, episode 10 "Head of the Snake" feels like a perfect culmination and ending to the Karate Kid saga, even if it also sets up more storylines for season 6.
The crane kick may not be a move one could use in a real fight, but in the Miyagi-verse, it's one of the best that can be used against an enemy. Using the kick in The Karate Kid made LaRusso a well-known local figure in his community. When he gets trained by Terry Silver for his second tournament in The Karate Kid Part III, Silver mocks the fight move by saying Daniel can't "rely on that crane crap" and that Mike Barnes is a tougher opponent. He also mentions that Daniel using kata would be a waste of time and that it wouldn't win him the tournament. Of course, LaRusso proves him wrong by using kata against Barnes and defeating him in the tournament. This also helped him end Terry Silver's schemes in The Karate Kid Part III. After Silver puts Daniel through the wringer in season 5 of Cobra Kai, Daniel eventually fights back and uses the crane kick against his enemy. This not only calls back to Daniel's original crane kick, but it helps him prove to Silver that he could rely on the kick as well as using Silver's teachings against him. It's also a nice subtle reference to Miyagi knocking Silver into glass during their fight in The Karate Kid Part III.
How Daniel's Crane Kick Became A Karate Kid Symbol
One of the biggest highlights of the Karate Kid franchise is Daniel LaRusso using the crane kick for the first time in the original film. Ralph Macchio has stated on numerous occasions that he saw many people attempting the move after watching the film for the first time in theaters back in 1984. The crane kick may be an illegal move, but it made the films and Cobra Kai more popular than they might have been otherwise. Part of this is thanks to Daryl Vidal, who invented the kick. Vidal appears in The Karate Kid as a tournament fighter, but he came up with the move knowing Daniel would have to fight on one leg. Additionally, he was Pat Morita's stand-in when Mr. Miyagi performed the kick on a stump on the beach.
The crane kick is arguably the greatest symbol of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai. There is various merchandise sold that depicts the crane kick, and Cobra Kai even has in-universe references as to how popular the move really is. Johnny Lawrence even attempted a counter to Daniel's crane kick in case he used it during their fight in season 4. It's a part of pop culture history and is one of the largest aspects of The Karate Kid's ever-lasting legacy.