Warning: Spoilers ahead for Cobra Kai season 4!
A popular fan theory about Johnny and Daniel was completely debunked in Cobra Kai season 4. Despite its vast support among Cobra Kai fans, this theory simply didn't pan out. As a matter of fact, the events that occurred in the very scene fans speculated on were the exact opposite of what they theorized.
Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) have been bitter rivals since their high school years. After losing the championship title to Daniel at the All Valley Karate Tournament in The Karate Kid, Johnny's life had been on a constant downward spiral. However, Johnny's luck began to change when he revived the Cobra Kai dojo in order to teach karate to the next generation. Upon hearing this news, Daniel used his stellar reputation to hinder Cobra Kai from attaining the same level of prominence it once had in his childhood. Johnny and Daniel's clashing goals reignited their long-standing rivalry with bigger and heavier stakes.
In anticipation of season 4, Cobra Kai fans thoroughly analyzed each piece of promotional material to discover any hint of what was to come. One of these pieces was a scene from a trailer that showed Johnny and Daniel facing each other at the All Valley Karate Tournament. From this brief snippet, fans theorized that the All Valley would have a sensei match between Johnny and Daniel. However, fans were quick to realize this theory was just that upon Cobra Kai's release date. Though Johnny and Daniel did have a fight, their brawl had no connection to the scene in question. Ironically, the very scene that initiated the theory about Johnny and Daniel having a rematch at the All Valley Karate Tournament, in fact, brought the two together. The setting that once pitted Johnny and Daniel against each other now symbolized their teamwork.
Cobra Kai was building up to this moment of unity between Johnny and Daniel for four seasons. In Cobra Kai season 1, Johnny and Daniel were actively antagonistic towards one another. Between defaced billboards and raised rent, the chances of reconciliation were quite low. Season 2 showed some progress as Johnny and Daniel temporarily shelved their hostilities towards one another to enjoy a double date. However, the peace quickly faded once Daniel learned that Johnny allowed Daniel's daughter Sam LaRusso (Mary Mouser) to rest at his place for the night at the request of Johnny's son Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan). Nevertheless, hope was not lost. Cobra Kai's third season had Johnny and Daniel meet at a Christmas party to finally resolve their ongoing conflict by putting the past behind them. Though the two opted to go their separate ways, season 4's John Kreese (Martin Kove) pushed Johnny and Daniel to join forces. Throughout this latest season, Johnny and Daniel had to go beyond simply tolerating each other and learn to work together, subsequently ending the bitterness in their rivalry for good.
Though officially concluding one of the most iconic rivalries in cinema is bitter-sweet, this decision opens the door to plenty of possibilities in Cobra Kai's season 5. As fans eagerly await for future Cobra Kai trailers to drop, they will certainly be ready to examine every detail and craft new theories. Whether or not these fan theories end up being debunked, their existence is able to bring a community together, much like Johnny and Daniel.