Cobra Kai has revealed what became of Daniel LaRusso after the original Karate Kid trilogy — but he has consistently forgotten one of Mr. Miyagi's most important life lessons. Played by Ralph Macchio, the character debuted all the way back in 1984. New to California, he found himself at the (lack of) mercy of a local karate group. Fortunately, his new friend happened to be a karate master, played by Pat Morita. Taking Daniel under his unconventional wing, Mr. Miyagi facilitated Daniel's victory at the 1984 All-Valley Karate Championship. With his famous crane kick, Daniel emerged as an underdog success story for the ages.
The film would ultimately go on to spawn two direct sequels. It also produced a belated spin-off and got the reboot treatment in 2010. Cobra Kai, however, took the saga back to its roots and thrust it once more into public consciousness. Originally airing via YouTube, the show has enjoyed a new lease of life on Netflix. Cobra Kai season 1 saw the feud between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) reignited when the latter re-established the titular dojo. Now a successful businessman, Daniel has continued to honor his late mentor. With children and students of his own, Daniel has also tried to live up to and pass on the wisdom imparted to him. However, Daniel has neglected to recall perhaps one of his most meaningful offerings.
The Karate Kid Part II revealed what happened after Daniel's tournament victory. In the parking lot, Daniel and Mr. Miyagi witnessed Cobra Kai founder and sensei John Kreese violently abusing Johnny for only achieving second place. Stepping in, Mr. Miyagi quickly got the better of Kreese — leaving him injured and humiliated. As they walked away, Daniel inquired why Mr. Miyagi didn't kill him. To that, Miyagi answered, "Because, Daniel-san, for person with no forgiveness in heart, living even worse punishment than death." Although Daniel isn't quite so extreme as to have absolutely no forgiveness in his heart, many of his actions in Cobra Kai can still be traced back to a distinct lack of it when needed.
When Daniel saw that Cobra Kai had been reopened, he regressed to his bullied, teenage self. Though Cobra Kai has shed light on Johnny Lawrence's past and emphasized his side of things, Daniel has maintained his own point-of-view. As far as he is concerned, Johnny and his friends were the aggressors and he was the victim. Despite achieving victory at the tournament — as well as both Johnny and others expressing remorse — Daniel never truly forgave them. As seen when he frequently recalled Johnny as nothing more than the biggest bully in his high school and incapable of change, despite the aforementioned remorse.
The moment Cobra Kai was reopened, he pettily tried to undermine or outright destroy it. He consistently allowed the past to cloud and shape the present, refusing to contemplate that the new Cobra Kai and its current students might be anything but what he remembered. Proof that Johnny had a better, ever-evolving teaching style than Kreese, and some of Johnny's students having good hearts, was easily attained. However, Daniel held tight to his view and personal, closeminded bias. Worse still, he has imbued a new generation with similar traits and the belief that they were always right. Daniel gave them an outlet for their anger and pain but minimal attention to the root causes — much to the detriment of others and some traumatic consequences for Miguel. As foretold, Daniel's lack of forgiveness has hindered lives.
Granted, Johnny and Cobra Kai have aimed some fresh insults at Daniel, but they have only deepened the wound that he was already nursing. Plus, more often than not, Johnny's actions have been in reaction to Daniel's antagonism and interference. Had Daniel truly forgiven everything that happened, he wouldn't have been so immediately riled up, and much could've been avoided. While it would be unfair to class him as an outright villain, it's clear that Daniel LaRusso still has some learning to do. Hopefully, such lessons of true forgiveness will be recalled and fully absorbed in Cobra Kai season 3 or beyond.