When Cobra Kai begins, Sam LaRusso isn't in the middle of the karate rivalries. Instead, she's a teenage girl trying to figure herself out in high school. When the karate conflict makes its way to her cafeteria, however, she suits up and starts training with her dad again, dropping some great quotes for the audience along the way.
Johnny Lawrence is best known in the series for having hilarious one-liners, and while Sam has a few, she's actually got more words of wisdom than anyone else. Despite making plenty of mistakes, Sam is wise beyond her years, giving her father a run for his money in the motivational speech department and seeing through the excuses of others.
Sam Calls Out Bad Behavior:
"Everyone's Got A Sob Story. Doesn't Give You The Right To Be A Bully."
If there's one thing that's consistent in Cobra Kai, it's that someone is taking their anger out on someone else. That's very true of characters like Tory whose difficult life makes her angry at the entire world and tired of losing out on everything she wants.
When Miguel attempts to explain to Sam just where Tory's attitude comes from, however, she doesn't want to hear it. She sees Tory as her own personal villain, nothing more than a bully, and doesn't think her behavior is excusable. The audience learns there's more to Tory's story, but Sam can't let herself get past her animosty.
Sam Points Out An Obvious Truth:
"We're The Ones Getting Hurt. We're The Ones Fighting. Our Voices Should Matter The Most."
In the third season of the series, the committee in charge of the All-Valley Karate Tournament nearly decides to cancel the entire thing, believing the competition is breeding violence amongst the teenagers. Though there are plenty of adults who speak at the public hearing, their voices get drowned out by those who blame the karate for the big fight at the local high school.
It's not until Sam and Miguel both decide to speak out on the need for a safe space for the kids to compete and practice their skills that the audience (and the committee) starts to really listen. It's Sam who makes the most obvious point of all: the opinion that should matter the most is that of the people most affected. As someone traumatized by the high school brawl but someone who loves karate, Sam isn't willing to give up her one safe space to compete.
Sam Tries To Get Amanda To Pay Attention:
"If You Really Think That Karate Is The Problem, Then You Haven't Been Paying Attention."
Sam slowly starts to get in trouble in the third season. Skipping school, getting in fights, talking back — these are all things she didn't use to do. At first, Amanda LaRusso blames Sam returning to karate for the change in her behavior, but Sam quickly points out that Amanda doesn't actually know what she's talking about.
Amanda is quick to blame karate in the first two seasons because she doesn't get to see the whole picture. She doesn't understand the rivalries sparked, doesn't see the bullying that happens and doesn't understand why a group of teenagers can't just let things go. Though Sam makes this remark before season 4, it's not until then that Amanda truly understands what's going on in her daughter's — and even in Tory's — life.
Sam Initially Sees The World In Black And White:
"I Thought We Were The Good Guys."
When Sam first starts training with her father again, she doesn't see Cobra Kai as the enemy. It's after she witnesses their aggressive techniques first-hand that her view of karate becomes very black and white. Sam believes defense means good and offense means bad, but the show is more nuanced than that, and Sam discovers the shades of grey as the series goes on.
The beginning of that happens in a conversation with her father about how the karate students are viewed when she asks him, "I thought we were the good guys?" She's referencing his Miyagi-do style, and Daniel agrees that they are, but the Miyagi-do students find themselves at fault almost as often as Cobra Kai's students for instigating arguments.
Sam Defies Daniel's Expectations:
"Maybe That's Not How You Act, But I Can Make My Own Decisions."
Daniel LaRusso very much believes what Mr. Miyagi taught him about karate is the only way to teach it. He wants so badly for Sam to have the exact same philosophy as him — and not allow aggression into her fighting.
Sam, however, grows tired of always being on the defense when it comes to Tory and the other members of Cobra Kai tormenting her and her friends. The longer Sam trains, the more willing she is to think for herself when it comes to karate. She uses her father's style, but embraces Johnny Lawrence's teachings as well, giving herself a more all-encompassing approach to karate and helping her find a backbone in her everyday life as well.
Sam Doesn't Let Johnny Shame Her:
"I'm A Teenager Who Makes Mistakes. You're A Fifty-Something-Year-Old Man Who Lives Alone [...] And Clearly Hasn't Figured Out His Own Life."
When Johnny and Daniel team up to teach their students as a way to fortify them against Kreese's Cobra Kai, they don't see eye-to-eye, and Sam ends up in the middle. She's constantly reminded by her father not to do any of Johnny's more dangerous tasks, and Johnny sees her as a carbon copy of her father.
When Johnny calls her out for her past transgressions while training her, Sam points out that unlike Johnny, she's still gaining the life experience to learn from her mistakes. Of the two, she's the one who should be spending more time making mistakes, learning, and growing. After they have their argument, however, Sam starts seeing that Johnny's style might be full of mistakes, but he also might not be entirely wrong, allowing her character some much-needed growth.
Sam Lets Tory Get Under Her Skin:
"Seems Like You're Always Behind Me In Line. First Miguel, Now Robby... I Have A Half-Eaten Cupcake If You Want Some."
Sam isn't known for her comebacks or her jabs. She's usually too flustered to be able to craft a witty one-liner at Tory. When Tory and Robby come to the dance specifically with the intention of rattling their main All-Valley competitors though, Sam finds a way.
It's clear that Tory's presence does rattle her, especially since Tory is getting cozy with another of Sam's exes. Despite that, Sam focuses her anger to make a point that, despite Tory spending a lot of time intimidating Sam, it might just be that she wants what Sam has. Sam's not far off as Tory has the least stable home life of almost anyone in the series.
Sam Really Stands Up To Tory:
"I Don't Know What Game You're Playing, But I'm Not Scared Of You. You're Not In Control Here; I Am."
When Sam finds out Tory is returning to school, she seeks out advice from her friend Aisha on how to deal with it and takes Aisha's idea of setting boundaries to heart.
Instead of drawing a line and agreeing to ignore Tory, however, Sam rejects Tory's peace offering. While it's a big moment for Sam to stand up to the girl who has caused her so much fear and anger, it only fuels the division between them.
Sam Admits To Her Trauma:
"Sometimes The Scars You Can't See Are The Ones That Hurt The Most."
Sam's speech at the hearing to determine whether the All-Valley Tournament will continue contains a lot of gems. This one is the first time she acknowledges outside of her family that the school hallway fight hasn't just physically scarred her.
While the people at the hearing might not know what she's referencing, for Miguel and the audience, it's finally an acknowledgment that Sam isn't okay, but that she's trying to be.
Sam Understands The Reality Of A Team-Up:
"If We Can't Get Over The Past, The Fighting Will Never End."
Some fans might argue this particular line from Sam is a bit hypocritical. After all, she can't let go of her past with Tory. She isn't talking about Tory here, though, but instead the rivalry between the members of the newly formed Eagle Fang Karate and Miyagi-do.
Sam is the driving force in encouraging the two groups to merge so that they can take down Cobra Kai together. She and Miguel bringing their friends together forms the basis of Johnny and Daniel working together in season 4, ushering in a new era.