Since Cobra Kai season 1, viewers have wondered which new generation character in the franchise would rightfully deserve to be labeled as the new “karate kid.” For obvious reasons, the title originally belonged to Daniel LaRusso because he was the leading character in the first Karate Kid movie. His underdog story and rise to the top in the movie made the “karate kid” tag synonymous with any character’s journey of self-improvement and overcoming obstacles through martial arts.

However, since Cobra Kai has never been about one singular character’s story, many have seemingly been the “karate kid” in different parts of its overarching story. For instance, Hawk was the “karate kid” when he not only won the All-Valley tournament but also did not let his defeat against Kenny define his journey as a fighter. Both Miguel and Robby, too, have solidified themselves as modern “karate kids” by overcoming many odds and growing significantly as martial artists. After Cobra Kai season 6’s ending, however, only one character seems to perfectly fit into the “karate kid” mold.

Miguel Diaz Was The Karate Kid, And Cobra Kai’s Final Episodes Proved It

Miguel Has Overcome Way More Odds Than Anyone Else In Cobra Kai

All the main characters in Cobra Kai have had their share of struggles and hardships. However, it cannot be denied that some characters have had it way harder than others. Miguel, Robby, and Tory have encountered challenges that could have easily broken them and ended their fighting journeys long before the Sekai Taikai. However, all three characters stood their ground and achieved incredible feats through sheer determination. Miguel, in particular, arguably has had the darkest arc and the best comeback in the entire series.

His journey as a fighter had seemingly ended after he broke his back during Cobra Kai season 2’s ending school fight. Yet, his unwavering determination and resilience helped him defy all odds and return to fighting only a few months after his injury. After the injury, Miguel could have easily given up and stayed content with his singular All-Valley win from Cobra Kai season 1. However, the fact that he does not let his setbacks define him and gradually rises to the top again to win the Sekai Taikai shows that he deserves to be labeled as the new “karate kid.“

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Many subtle parallels can also be drawn between Daniel and Miguel’s journeys. For instance, both characters’ biological fathers were absent from their lives, but they found father figures in their karate sensei. Unlike Daniel, Miguel does not stick to Miyagi Do karate and inclines more towards the Cobra Kai style during some of his most memorable showdowns. However, similar to Daniel, he never seems to lose sight of his moral values, regardless of the style he employs in his fights. He achieves what Mr. Miyagi would call the perfect “balance” between styles, making him Daniel’s perfect “karate kid” replacement.

Why “The New Karate Kid” Was Such A Controversial Topic In Cobra Kai

Both Robby And Miguel Seemingly Deserved The Title

While Miguel earns the “karate kid” title after his epic Sekai Taikai win, it is hard not to see how even Robby would be a worthy contender for it. Similar to Daniel, Robby struggled with identity and purpose before he turned to karate. Just like Daniel was Mr. Miyagi’s first official karate student in The Valley, Robby was Daniel’s first Miyagi Do student. Similar to Daniel, Robby was once a frustrated and angry young man who struggled to come to terms with his broken family and harsh circumstances. However, karate helped him find peace.

Robby’s journey proves he was always a great fit for Miyagi Do. But, similar to Daniel from Karate Kid Part II, he was briefly distracted by the toxic principles taught by John Kreese because Cobra Kai’s “no mercy” style gave him a conduit to channel his anger. However, like Daniel, he eventually realized that Cobra Kai was not for him and returned to his Miyagi Do roots to find “balance.” With so many intriguing parallels between Daniel and Robby, it is hard not to see how Robby could also be labeled as the new karate kid even though he has no tournament wins under his belt.

In Cobra Kai season 6, Robby also seems to learn a valuable Mr. Miyagi lesson: “If karate used defend honor, defend life, karate mean something. If karate used defend plastic metal trophy, karate no mean nothing.” He realizes that even though he lost his fight against Axel, he must remember all the valuable things he has gained through his karate journey. His ability to understand an insightful Miyagi lesson at such an early stage in his journey highlights how he, too, deserves to be called the new “karate kid.“

Cobra Kai Was Not Really About Finding A New Karate Kid

Cobra Has Always Been Its Own Thing

Even though many narrative parallels can be drawn between Cobra Kai and the original Karate Kid movies, and many legacy characters from the films also appear in Cobra Kai, the Netflix series has always been its own thing. Owing to this, it seems a little unfair to label any of Cobra Kai‘s main characters as the new “karate kid.” Since the 2010 Karate Kid reboot was named after the original film and intended to mark the inception of a new set of movies, Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker was clearly being touted as the new “karate kid.“

Similarly, even Karate Kid: Legends‘ main young hero has the potential to become the “karate kid” for a new generation. Cobra Kai, in contrast, focused on telling a different story instead of recreating the original series’ formula. Rather than showing clear divides between its heroes and villains, the series gave characters like Johnny Lawrence the redemption they deserved. It proved that regardless of the dojo or martial arts style one is loyal to, one always has the potential to change for the better. This made “karate kid” just another title that meant nothing if karate was not used for something meaningful.

I’m Glad Miguel Got To Be Cobra Kai’s Main Character Again Before The End

Cobra Kai Had Briefly Forgotten Who Its Main Character Was

As the show’s title suggests, Cobra Kai was initially about Johnny Lawrence and his new student, Miguel Diaz. Instead of being about the “karate kid” Daniel LaRusso again, Cobra Kai was supposed to walk through a fresh narrative that highlighted Johnny Lawrence’s perspective on his All Valley loss against Daniel and the struggles he faced after it. However, the series seemingly lost its focus almost midway through its run and started focusing a little too much on Daniel and his Miyagi Do students.

While Johnny Lawrence got sidelined, Miguel got nerfed on more than one occasion. Fortunately, with its final installment, Cobra Kai returned to its roots by emphasizing Johnny and Miguel’s karate journey and redemption. This creative decision to shift the focus back to Johnny and Miguel gave Cobra Kai a well-rounded and satisfying conclusion. It made Cobra Kai look like a unique and worthy addition to the Karate Kid franchise by finally flipping Johnny’s script and walking through his cathartic journey of guiding Miguel and undoing the damage caused by Kreese.

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