Warning: SPOILERS for Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 2Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 2 ending with a tragic death is the fate that The Karate Kid Part II spared Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto). Cobra Kai team captain Kwon Jae-Sung (Brandon H. Lee) fatally impaled himself on a knife he intended to use on Iron Dragons captain Axel Kovačević (Patrick Luwis). Much of Kwon’s villainous character and behavior echoed Chozen in The Karate Kid Part IIbut Cobra Kai pushed things further than The Karate Kid films.
Chozen Toguchi was Daniel LaRusso’s (Ralph Macchio) rival in The Karate Kid Part IIwhich was set primarily in Okinawa. Chozen was the arrogant, cruel and spiteful nephew of Sato Toguchi (Danny Kamekona), the former best friend turned enemy of Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita). Introduced in Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 1, Kwon Jae-Sung resembled young Chozen. Like Toguchi, Kwon was obnoxious, conceited, and followed the teachings of his twisted sensei, Master Kim Sun-Yung (CS Lee). Yet, Kwon dying in Cobra Kai it was a shock.
Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 2 Finale Is What Karate Kid 2 Didn’t Do With Chozen
Kwon made a foolish choice that was very different from Chozen
At the end of the wild fight in Cobra Kai Season 6, Episode 10, ‘Eunjangdo’, Kwon foolishly decided to use John Kreese’s (Martin Kove) knife against Axel. Desperate and outmatched by the captain of the Iron Dragons, Kwon lost control and ended up fatally stabbing himself. It was the first time a teenage character died overall Karate Kid saga. As violent as the show may be, Cobra Kai killing Kwon, one of the young characters, was unexpected. The Karate Kid Part II’The ending of also took the violence to the limit compared to the original film, but spared Chozen, unlike Cobra Kai and Kwon.
Chozen’s climactic O-Bon dance battle with Daniel LaRusso at the end of The Karate Kid Part II saw Daniel-san show mercy towards his enemy. Chozen was beaten and Daniel was ready to deliver a deadly blow. Chozen even asked Daniel to move on, but LaRusso spared him and honked his horn, imitating the compassion Mr. Miyagi showed to Kreese. The Karate Kid Part II did not make Daniel kill Chozen in cold blood. Not even Chozen was so blinded by rage that he ended up killing himselflike Kwon did in Cobra Kai Season 6, part 2.
Chozen Redeemed Himself in Cobra Kai, But Kwon Never Will
Chozen became a Cobra Kai success story
The reintroduction of Chozen in Cobra Kai season 3 was a surprising 180 from the character The Karate Kid Part II fans remember. Chozen has changed in the more than 30 years since he last saw Daniel LaRusso. Toguchi became wise and compassionate, but eccentric in a comical way. Chozen has changed so much that he is now Daniel-san’s trusted ally. Chozen also has romantic feelings for Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita), but Cobra Kai Season 6, part 2 took a turn that saw Chozen team up with Cobra Kai sensei Kim Da-Eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim).
As similar as younger Chozen Kwon is on the surface, the main difference is ultimately Miyagi-Do.
Kwon’s death at a young age means he will never have the chance to change the way Chozen did. As similar as younger Chozen Kwon is on the surface, the main difference is ultimately Miyagi-Do. After The Karate Kid Part II, Chozen changed his life by embracing the positive benefits of Miyagi family karate. However, Kwon truly believed in the most destructive aspects of Cobra Kai’s life “no mercy” philosophywho failed to teach him humility and moderation. Cobra Kai gave Kwon a fate far worse than Chozen’s humiliation at the end of The Karate Kid Part II.