“Cobra Kai Never Dies”: The Redemption of Johnny Lawrence, John Kreese, and Cobra Kai

When we think about biblical salvation, we think about how the Bible tells the story of God flipping the script of human history so that through Christ we are saved from the consequences of sin. And when I consider the salvific qualities of non-Biblical stories, I ponder how they reflect the Biblical stories. So I’ve been watching the last three episodes on Netflix. cobra kaiWe thought about how Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and John Kreese (Martin Kove) go through a unique redemption process that flips the script on what it means to be Cobra Kai.

in karate kid (1984), Johnny and Kreese are the typical bullies of the Cobra Kai dojo who strike first, attack violently, and show no mercy toward Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). Daniel must learn Miyagi-do karate from Miyagi Sensei (Pat Morita) in order to defeat Cobra Kai and what it stands for. It’s a classic good vs. evil plot! However, part of the reason is that cobra kai What’s great about this series is how it depicts Johnny and Kreese’s transformation into heroes, which is completed in the final three episodes.¹

Note: The following contains potential spoilers. cobra kai3rd season.

In the penultimate episode “Skeletons” (S6, E13), three dojos remain. Sekai Taikai World Championship Karate Tournament: Michi Miyagi, partially led by Johnny and Daniel. Cobra Kai led by Kreese. and the Iron Dragons, led by Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan) and Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffiths). This episode contains some intense conversations, including one between Johnny and Kreese.

The first incident occurred in the All Valley Sports Arena parking lot, where Kreese humiliated and assaulted Johnny after losing to Daniel. Karate Kid Part II (1986). Thirty-five years later, a remorseful Kreese confronts Johnny and tells him about the skeletons of their past. “Over the past few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about my failures,” says Creese. “And my biggest mistake happened in this very parking lot. When you lost to LaRusso in ’84, you responded like a man. And what I did next was unforgivable.” [. . .] Sorry, Johnny. ”

Johnny was focused on watching his son Robbie Keene (Tanner Buchanan) fight, but was in denial. However, later in the episode, Daniel helps Johnny understand that despite the teacher’s mistakes, it is up to them to teach others the “good lessons” they have learned. With that in mind, Johnny confronts Kreese and says he will “never forgive” Kreese and blames him for “abandoning” him and the “criminals”.[owing him] Just leave like trash [he] necessary [him] largely. “Kreese reaches out and tries to touch Johnny’s shoulder. Johnny fights it off. But after stopping with teary eyes, Kreese reaches out again and hugs Johnny, apologizing, saying, “I’m so sorry, son.” I can’t…I can’t change the past. ” Johnny raises his arms and hugs Kreese back. Mr. Kreese wonders if Johnny can “make it up to him.” And Johnny has an idea…

The episode begins with unearthing the skeletons of Johnny and Kreese’s past, and ends with the beginning of their redemption. crease do He makes up for it by making Johnny a Cobra Kai sensei, allowing him to lead Tory Nichols (Peyton List) and his step-son Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) in a battle against the Iron Dragons after Michi Miyagi withdraws from the match due to injury. In one of the final scenes of the episode, Johnny and Kreese bow to each other, symbolically representing Johnny forgiving Kreese and Kreese making amends for his years of misdeeds by entrusting Cobra Kai to a new team. better leader.

The seeds of redemption planted in “Skeletons” begin to bloom in the series’ penultimate episode, “Strike Last” (S6, E14). Johnny is now able to train Tory, Miguel, and the other students in the new Cobra Kai ways. Daniel said to Johnny while they were standing in the old Cobra Kai dojo (emphasis added).

[Kreese and Silver] caused a lot of damage. But if you Maybe tomorrow I can lead Tory and Miguel to victory. your Cobra Kai is Sekai Taikai Champions. it will be known. and you The person who made this happen is the teacher. A clean slate.

Daniel helps Johnny understand that he can be a better teacher than Kreese. And later in the episode, when Miguel is angry and bent on revenge against the Iron Dragons who injured Robbie, Johnny uses Miyagi Do’s teachings to help Miguel understand that he shouldn’t fight for revenge. Johnny explains that his defeat in 1984 was revenge. Instead, Miguel needs to honor the lessons he was taught, respect himself, and show others that bullies don’t win. The new Cobra Kai is not only Cobra Kai, but also Miyagi-do. The combination of good teachings from both dojos creates what Mr. Miyagi calls “balance.” Johnny brings this balance to Cobra Kai and is able to flip the script on Cobra Kai.

However, former Cobra Kai leader Silver has no intention of abandoning his villainous ways and uses Wolf and the Iron Dragons to destroy Do Miyagi and the new Cobra Kai. The final battle between the Iron Dragons and Cobra Kai is truly a showdown between old and new Cobra Kai. Wolfe recognizes this too, saying:[n]no matter what Gi [Miguel] Yes, he’s trained in Miyagi-do.” Both Silver and Wolf use Cobra Kai’s old and brutal tactics to win. At one point, Silver even mocks Daniel for trying to mislead him. Karate Kid Part III (1989), they are ashamed to have given Cobra Kai a chance to win, having been fighting them for so long. To this, Daniel retorts, “Haven’t you heard? Cobra Kai will never die.” What was once a slogan for a violent, oppressive villain is now a slogan for a reincarnated and rescued hero, a blank slate. Silver and Wolf do their best to defeat Cobra Kai, but thanks to the teachings of Johnny and Miyagi Do, Tory and Miguel emerge victorious.

But the tournament isn’t over yet. The final two matches end in a draw between both dojos, which must be broken in the final match between Johnny and Wolf. Silver uses this to his advantage, mocks Johnny and his family, and plots to have one of his henchmen harm them. However, Kreese stops Silver after he watches from the sidelines during the climactic showdown on Silver’s yacht. Here, Silver calls Kreese an underdog for siding with Johnny. “Quite the opposite,” Cleese replies. “[Johnny’s] A source of strength. He always was. A student who was worthy of my dedication and who has since surpassed my teacher. ” Silver scoffs at this idea. “That’s a low bar, John. His teacher isn’t what he used to be.” “Let’s find out,” Kreese replies, and the two have a final showdown that results in Kreese making his final attack. Kreese throws a lit cigar into a puddle of gasoline, and the two former Cobra Kai leaders are caught in the fireball.

In a sense, Silver is right. Kreese does. do not have He used to be my teacher. Once a villain, he is now a hero, sacrificing himself to defeat Silver and protect Johnny’s family. Salvation almost always requires sacrifice. Kreese is saved by a baptism of fire. His slate was burnt clean.

Johnny’s heroic transformation is completed in the final episode “Ex-Degenerate” (S6, E15). The opening scene draws the audience cobra kaiIt is the beginning of Johnny, drunk and washed, sits next to his mother’s gravestone. He explained how someone called him a “loser” at Applebee’s, which led to police being called.² Ever since his fight with Daniel in 1984, Johnny has been plagued by the idea of ​​being a loser. “Ever since I graduated from high school, I’ve been losing one after another. No one is cheering me on. No one is on my side. I have nothing to be proud of. I hate losing.” [. . .] There are no second chances in life, Mom. I’m sorry to have disappointed you. ”Here, Johnny is a man who has lost everything. However, in contrast to the pilot’s title, “Ace-Degenerate,” this finale shows how Johnny becomes “Ex-Degenerate.”

The scene shifts to the present. Johnny holds his newborn baby and says, “Daddy’s going to have a big fight. It’s a second chance. This time he won’t win.” A training montage paying homage to both follows. rocky The movie and the original karate kid In the movie, Johnny finds himself competing in the same arena as in 1984, on the same red and white mat, and with the same 3-point rule. But in this match, he is in Daniel’s position. His bully is Wolf and his trophy is salvation.

When his and Cobra Kai’s names are announced at the start of the match, the crowd cheers (and viewers cheer along with them). However, during the fight, Johnny feels fear. Wolf chases him into the ropes. However, Daniel, drawing on the teachings of both Miyagi-do and Cobra Kai, tells Johnny that while defeat, fear, and pain may not exist in his dojo, he must develop “balance” and let Wolf come to him – just as Daniel did Johnny with a crane kick in 1984. The battle is all about the wire. This scene is interwoven with original flashbacks karate kid. Johnny can’t help but remember his earlier losses. However, in the climactic moment, he defeats Wolf. And like Daniel in the original film, Johnny is held aloft to thunderous cheers. When he’s handed the first place trophy, he calls for Daniel, who says, “It’s okay, Lawrence” — just as Johnny says to him in the original film.³ The original script was turned upside down. When the crowd shouts Johnny’s name, he becomes a hero. He was saved.

However, Johnny’s victory will also restore honor to Cobra Kai. Like the cross, which was once a symbol of torture but is now a symbol of hope and forgiveness, Cobra Kai is not a villain, but a symbol of the strength a hero must possess in the fight against the villain. In the final scene, as Johnny introduces a group of new students to Cobra Kai’s new ways of doing things, incorporating Miyagi-do training, he shows how even its motto has been redefined.

“First strike”. It means to be aggressive. “Hard strike” means to do your best. “No mercy.” That means no Mr. Nice Guy. That’s the hardest thing to understand. [. . .] We do not train to be merciful here. But I bring out the best in you. [. . .] Give me time and I will make you a champion. The important thing is that you stop being a weak crybaby and start being your strongest self. Can you do that?

Those are certainly harsh words. the still Cobra Kai after all. However, just as Christians are taught that “this is how it should be”;Smart as a snake, innocent as a dove“-A difficult and mysterious balancing act–Cobra Kai students are currently being taught to balance Cobra Kai’s “offense” with Miyagi Do’s “defense.” And in the final few frames, Johnny grins, balancing sternness with tenderness. He will not mislead his students, for he is more than a teacher.

cobra kai has much more to offer viewers in terms of valuable life lessons than can be discussed here. But what I wanted to show is that one of the biggest lessons of this lesson is that second chances can happen, people can be forgiven, and even the least likely people can change for the better. And most importantly, that salvation is real. cobra kai But even for us in reality, it is only through Christ.⁴

1. The following discussion uses a “close reading” approach. So it’s based on my own thoughts on the last three episodes. cobra kai Also, please do not engage with other articles that may discuss them. I also did not seek such an article when writing this article. My reason is to show the reader what I noticed when I watched the episode myself as a casual viewer. I would also like to participate in other articles that may discuss similar topics in future discussions. ↩︎
2. Thanks to Alex Adams for reminding me that the Appleby case was vague until this scene. ↩︎
3. A detail that was not lost on the viewer. There are several videos comparing these scenes. ↩︎
4. Special thanks to Jason Morehead. CAPC That editor’s feedback helped us improve the style of this article. ↩︎