The final fights ofCobra Kaiwere certainly exciting, but you may have missed just how perfect they were to the series' overarching themes. TheKarate Kidspinoff ended with the global Sekai Taikai karate tournament, and Johnny’s Cobra Kai fittingly walked away with the championship title. To achieve this, he, Miguel, and Tory each won a final match, and these three fights stood as the golden capper to the overarchingCobra Kaiseries. These characters clearly earned their victories, but their respective fights were secretly far more meaningful than they seemed.
Theending ofCobra Kaisaw Miguel and Johnny rejoin Cobra Kai dojo, fittingly ending the series back where it had begun. After their victory at the Sekai Taikai, Johnny’s dojo couldn’t just go back to how it had been when John Kreese was running it in the originalKarate Kidmovies. The series repeatedlyproved how damaging the tenets of “Strike first, strike hard, no mercy,“could be. However,Johnny’s journey inCobra Kairedefined these three ideas, and the final fights at the Sekai Taikai reflected this.
Johnny, Miguel, & Tory’s Sekai Taikai Fights Reflect The Three Tenets Of Cobra Kai
Strike First - Strike Hard - No Mercy
The Cobra Kai motto of “Strike first, strike hard, no mercy,” was established back in1984’sThe Karate Kid, Johnny Lawrence and his fellow students used it as an excuse to treat other people cruelly. Going intoCobra Kai, Johnny attempted to recapture the essence of Kreese’s old motto, believing that it would restore the power and status he had lost after the All-Valley. However, these three tenets quickly led Johnny’s students astray. He, Miguel, and Tory had learned their lesson byCobra Kaiseason 6, however, andtheir final fights in the Sekai Taikai perfectly demonstrated this.
Johnny Vs. Sensei Wolf Reflected The Nuance Of “Strike First”
Johnny Let Sensei Wolf Come To Him
“Strike first” is the Cobra Kai tenetthat Johnny most frequently adhered to. He was a firm believer that going in for the attack and asking questions later was the best possible way to be a badass. However, this got him into a great deal of trouble. It took years for him to understand this, but Johnny only lost his fight against Daniel at the 1984 All-Valley tournament because he struck first. He ran straight into Daniel’s crane-kick technique, and was defeated despite being the technically better fighter. Johnny’s fight with Sensei Wolf at the Sekai Taikai proved he learned his lesson.
Sensei Wolf was a better fighter than Johnny inCobra Kai. However, Johnny managed to win when he went against his natural instincts to go straight in for the attack. He let Sensei Wolf come to him, and like Daniel,Johnny managed to win because of his restraint. While it may seem that Johnny had abandoned the first tenet of Cobra Kai, he actually just added more nuance. Johnny’s version of striking first was holding back and waiting for his opponent. It wasn’t weakness, but a tactical strike that required restraint. In this way, Johnny’s last fight perfectly reflected the new version of Cobra Kai’s “Strike first.”
Tory Vs. Zara Demonstrated Cobra Kai’s “Strike Hard”
Tory Came At Zara With Everything She Had
Tory is one of the few characters inCobra Kaiwho was a great fighter from beginning to end. She has a natural talent, and throughout theKarate Kidspinoff, she demonstrated her ability to strike first, strike hard, and show no mercy. Of course, she ultimately managed to bring some balance to the aggression. The teachings of Miyagi-Do were excellent for Tory’s character and personal development. However, the calm of Mr. Miyagi’s teachings wouldn’t be enough for Tory to beat her greatest competitor yet. Zara needed to be put in her place.
While Miyagi-Do is meant to wear an opponent down slowly, the Iron Dragon’s Zara wasn’t someone this would work against. To defeat her, Tory had to return to her Cobra Kai training, particularly the tenet of “strike hard.“It took a single, powerful hit to put an end to Zara’s reign, and Tory was the perfectCobra Kaicharacterto deliver it. In the end, this concentrated attack was enough to knock out Zara’s teeth, solidifying Tory’s nickname as the “Tooth Fairy.” Tory’s fight was a far more straightforward representation of the value of Cobra Kai’s second tenet.
Miguel Vs. Axel Resolved Cobra Kai’s “No Mercy” Problem
They Demonstrated When To Show Mercy (And When Not)
Miguel started out as a nice kid inCobra Kai, but the show’s earlier seasons demonstrated through him how the tenets of Cobra Kai could be harmful. Miguel wholly embraced the idea of “no mercy,” and the change in him is what first showed Johnny how dangerous John Kreese’s dojo could truly be. Thankfully, Miguel learned the dangers of being merciless long ago inCobra Kai. By the time he entered the Sekai Taikai, the teachings of Miyagi-Do had balanced out his instinct for attack and his good heart. However, Miguel’s Sekai Taikai opponent, Axel, still had a lesson to learn about mercy.
Axel was essentially the new Johnny Lawrence ofCobra Kai. He was a powerful fighter, but the dark influence of his Iron Dragons teacher, Sensei Wolf, pushed him toward a violent path of mercilessness. However, during his fight with Miguel, Axel chose not to play dirty as his sensei had instructed. Rather than illegally attacking Miguel’s weak point,Axel showed mercy and took the high road. Of course, Miguel could have responded with a different sort of mercy. He might have toned down his ferocity and hesitated. However, Miguel went straight in for the attack and came out victorious.
Miguel was determined to pay Axel back for injuring Robby, but he didn’t take his vengeance too far. He didn’t show mercy, but he also wasn’t cruel.
Johnny’s Final Speech In Cobra Kai Summed Up The Changes To “Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy”
Johnny Learned How To Use These Tenets Correctly
The final three fights ofCobra Kaipoetically reflected the tenets of Johnny’s dojo and how they had changed over time. Then, to sum this all up, the sensei gave a moving speech to his new students in the show’s final episodes. Johnny explained that the last time he had taught at Cobra Kai, he had struggled to come to terms with Kreese’s “strike first, strike hard, no mercy.“He had seen first hand how living life by these rules led surely to destruction. However, the Sekai Taikai had reminded him of the importance of these words—so long as they were handled carefully.
It was all the big lessons ofCobra Kaiwrapped into three final fights—a baddass resolution to a badass adventure.
Johnny explained that Cobra Kai’s students shouldn’t take the words too literally.“Strike first” means to be aggressive. Johnny didn’t necessarily deliver the first blow against Sensei Wolf, but he still took decisive action.“Strike hard” means give it your all. Tory had to come at Zara with everything she had to win.Johnny admitted that “no mercy” was the hardest tenet to understand. However, he explained that knowing when being “nice” is and isn’t the answer was important, just as Miguel and Axel proved during their fight. It was all the big lessons ofCobra Kaiwrapped into three final fights—a baddass resolution to a badass adventure.
