Notice! Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6, part 2, ahead!
Cobra Kai season 6 introduced the new Johnny Lawrence, and the parallels are absolutely heartbreaking. THE Karate Kid The spinoff series aims to explore the next generation of fighters, with former teenagers Johnny and Daniel taking on the role of sensei. Part of what he did Cobra Kai so interesting is the way he used The Karate Kidformula. Johnny ironically took Mr. Miyagi’s place while Miguel was introduced as the new Daniel LaRusso. Now, the final season of Cobra Kai finally introduced the new Johnny.
Back The Karate KidMiyagi was the wise sensei who befriended a teenager, Daniel LaRusso, and used unconventional methods to teach him karate so he could defend himself from the bully Johnny Larence. In Cobra Kai, Johnny became the sensei who used unconventional methods to teach teenager Miguel karate so he could defend himself from a bully. However, said bully character, Kyler, was never a great parallel to Johnny’s character archetype in The Karate Kid. It just wasn’t complex enough. On the other hand, Cobra Kai Axel from Season 6 fills Johnny’s old shoes perfectly.
Cobra Kai’s Axel is Iron Dragon’s golden student (at a cost)
Johnny knows the pressures of being the best
Cobra Kai season 6 part 2 reveals that Axel Kovačević is the golden student of the Iron Dragon dojo. He is immensely powerful and is completely undefeated in all Sekai Taikai events. However, it is revealed that Axel’s status came at a high cost. Sam sees this the boy is being abused by his teacher, Sensei Wolfand that failure or loss is not an option. Axel must do well or suffer the consequences, and while this has made him a great fighter, it’s a painful and unhealthy dynamic.
Of course, this was precisely the case with Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid. He was John Kreese’s pride and joy, but that meant Johnny was forced to endure abuse. This became especially clear at the beginning of The Karate Kid Part II when Kreese almost killed Johnny for losing to Daniel LaRusso in the 1984 All-Valley Tournament. The impact of this abuse carried over into Johnny’s adulthood and presents tragic foreshadowing regarding Axel’s future. Still, this poignant detail isn’t the only parallel Cobra Kai created between Johnny and Axel.
Axel’s fight with Miguel mirrors Johnny’s Karate Kid story
Axel’s story completely borrows the old Johnny formula
Axel’s treatment under his abusive sensei not only reflects Johnny’s attitude Karate Kid story, but he officially started a fight with Cobra Kaiequivalent to Daniel. While Miguel returned to the US in Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 2, Sam and Axel began a brief friendship, during which the Iron Dragon boy began to develop feelings for his Miyagi-Do competitor. However, when he went to kiss, Sam interrupted and explained that she had a boyfriend. From that moment on, Axel began to unfairly attack Miguel and a rivalry quickly developed.
Cobra Kai has carried that same formula into Season 6, adding even more connective tissue between Johnny and Axel, Daniel and Miguel, and now, Ali and Sam.
This story makes perfect sense to Axel since Miguel was established as Cobra Kaiequivalent to Daniel long ago. The fight between Johnny and Daniel developed because the latter boy started dating Ali Mills, with whom Johnny was in love. Cobra Kai has taken that same formula into season 6, adding even more connective tissue between Johnny and Axel, Daniel and Miguel, and now, Ali and Sam. It’s a similar story for a new generation – but the Karate Kid the franchise didn’t really start with Johnny and Daniel. Mr. Miyagi’s story comes first chronologically, and Cobra Kai also took this into consideration.
Axel’s opponent dying in Cobra Kai connects him to another Karate Kid character
Cobra Kai added another layer to Johnny and Axel’s similarities
There is one main difference between Johnny and Axel’s stories in Cobra Kai season 6. At the end of part 2, Axel’s opponent in the Sekai Taikai brawl was tragically killed when he fell on his own knife. Such a thing never happened to Johnny, but there is another Karate Kid character who went through something similar. Snake previously revealed that Mr. Miyagi had participated in Sekai Taikai once, and his opponent was somehow killed during the match. It’s a terrible thing for Axel to share with Mr. Miyagi, but even that ties him to Johnny Lawrence.
Johnny fulfills Mr. Miyagi’s character archetype in Cobra Kaiand this fact is emphasized by the revelation that Daniel’s sensei has a darker past than expected. It is an indication that Miyagi once had to work hard to redeem himself, just like Johnny did all along. Cobra Kai. Now, Axel is also taking on this archetype, and this is evidenced by the fact that both he and Mr. Miyagi witnessed the death of their opponent Sekai Taikai. Although Johnny doesn’t specifically relate in this case, his own commonalities with Miyagi and Axel in Cobra Kai we hope it can impact how these characters interact going forward.