Cobra Kai Series Finale Ending Explained In Full

The Cobra Kai season 6 finale marked the ending of the most memorable chapter in The Karate Kid franchise since it first began. Just when it seemed that Miguel vs. Axel would be the final round of Cobra Kai’s Sekai Taikai tournament, the competition received a surprise extension. Minutes ahead of the final episode, it was revealed that Miguel’s late comeback culminated in a tie between Cobra Kai and the Iron Dragons. As a result, a tie-breaker was needed: a final bout between the competing dojos’ senseis.

This set the stage for a Rocky-esque training montage, followed by a heated showdown between Johnny Lawrence and Sensei Wolf. With some much-needed advice from Daniel, Johnny overcame the odds in true Karate Kid fashion. He received a happy ending, as did most of Cobra Kai’s characters. While that wasn’t the case for everyone in the main cast, Cobra Kai did chart hopeful paths for a number of fan favorites, Chozen Toguchi and Sensei Kim included.

Cobra Kai Killed Off 3 Karate Kid Characters In One Scene

Kreese Died Protecting Johnny

Cobra Kai opened its series finale with one of the most consequential scenes in its six-season history. Unwilling to leave his team’s victory up to chance, Terry Silver ordered Dennis to take action against Johnny’s family. Had he succeeded in arranging a kidnapping, it undoubtedly would have been the worst act ever committed by The Karate Kid Part III villain. But Cobra Kai didn’t let Terry Silver go that far; Kreese apparently suspected Silver would stoop to this level and snuck aboard the boat. In a shocking, off-screen development, Kreese killed Dennis, meaning that both of Silver’s henchmen from the third movie are now dead.

Kreese’s intervention laid the groundwork for an unexpected but thrilling grudge match between Martin Kove’s character and Terry Silver. Similar to what happened when Terry Silver and Kreese fought in Cobra Kai season 6 part 2, Silver had the edge physically and would’ve won the fight, but Kreese took the situation out of his hands. Tossing a cigar butt onto spilled gasoline caused the boat to erupt into flames, killing off both Karate Kid villains at the same time.

imagery-from-Karate-Kid--Legends-&-Cobra-Kai

10 Big Differences Between Karate Kid: Legends & Cobra Kai

Karate Kid: Legends already looks very different from Cobra Kai, with several standout elements marking the two as very opposite stories.

Though there has long been speculation that one or both characters wouldn’t survive the show’s ending, the timing was surprising nonetheless. Though he did have a heart-to-heart with Kreese, there was no final goodbye between them, nor did Johnny ever learn of Kreese’s sacrifice. That said, the ending it gave the character made sense, as it’s one that can be fairly classified as a “warrior’s death,” and one that someone like Kreese would most likely prefer over any other. After all, he died protecting the person he cared about most.

How Johnny Beat Sensei Wolf, Despite Being The Weaker Fighter

Like Miguel, Johnny Used What He Learned In Cobra Kai To Win The Championship

Daniel and Johnny training in Cobra Kai season 6, part 3

Kreese and Silver’s battle allowed for a fair match between Johnny and Wolf. But though there was no concern about Silver manipulating the outcome, it was obvious from the onset that the advantage belonged to Wolf. Johnny was clearly outmatched in their previous fight, and Cobra Kai had already done much to demonstrate that Wolf was Cobra Kai’s strongest fighter. He was healthier, stronger, younger, and presumably more skilled as well. Not only that, but he had a Sekai Taikai title to boot.

Johnny ultimately defeated Wolf by going against his own “strike first” mentality.

It didn’t help that Johnny let Wolf get under his skin before the fight, keeping off focus and letting Wolf score two consecutive points. But thanks to some coaching and a last-minute motivational speech from Daniel, Johnny was able to combine his own experience and fighting style with Daniel’s emphasis on balance to combat Wolf’s attacks.

What really cemented his victory was Johnny’s decision to correct the mistake he made against Daniel in The Karate Kid. Rather than rush in head-on to score the tie-breaking point, Johnny let Wolf come to him, countered a move, and scored the winning blow. Johnny ultimately defeats Wolf by going against his own “strike first” mentality.

Johnny & Daniel’s New Dojo Partnership Explained

Johnny And Daniel Are Still Allies, But They’re Not Teaching Under The Same Roof Anymore

The Miyagi-Do team in Cobra Kai season 6, part 3

In the aftermath of his win over Wolf, Johnny regained his old Cobra Kai dojo, thanks to Daniel negotiating a deal with Zarkarian, the owner of the mall. As the closing scenes proved, Johnny will now go back to teaching teenagers “the Way of the Fist,” akin to how he operated in the first two seasons, albeit with an updated outlook on Cobra Kai’s three guiding principles.

In addition to Cobra Kai being back in operation, Daniel will continue to run his Miyagi-do dojo. After talking with Amanda, Daniel came to realize that being a sensei is part of who he is. But rather than have completely independent dojos, the two have formed a unique partnership, which has some similarities to their alliance in seasons 4 and 5. The both have their own dojos, but share and basically loan students to one another to ensure they get proper training in both offensive and defensive fighting.

Cobra Kai Finally Confirmed Mr. Miyagi’s “Crime”

Cobra Kai Cleared Mr. Miyagi’s Name In The Last Episode

Additionally, Cobra Kai found room to give closure to Daniel in regards to his lingering concerns about Mr. Miyagi’s past. A story from Daniel’s mother, who also had a personal relationship with Mr. Miyagi, presented a necklace to Sam that she had previously received from Mr. Miyagi. As it turns out, the necklace was the reason for the “violent robbery and assault” Mr. Miyagi was allegedly responsible for in 1947.

As Daniel’s mother explained, Mr. Miyagi was trying to retrieve the necklace, which had belonged to his wife, and before that, his mother. His wife had it when she was held in a Japanese internment camp, and it was stolen by one of the guards. After hearing the story, Daniel now understands that the person Mr. Miyagi beat up in 1947 was the thief, meaning that his mentor was innocent of any wrongdoing.

What Happened To The Kids After The Sekai Taikai Tournament

Johnny and Daniel’s dojos will be without their graduating class, but that doesn’t mean all off them have moved on from karate. For Robby and Tory specifically, it’ll become their livelihoods, as both have signed on with a branding company that will pay them to put on demonstrations. as they travel all over the world. As for the others, they’re focused on their respective educations. Miguel will live out his dream by attending Stanford University, Sam is going through a one-year educational program in Okinawa, and Dimitri has given up on going to MIT to join Hawk at Cal Tech.

Meanwhile, the younger students, such as Kenny, Anthony, and Devon, will continue their training with Johnny and Daniel and compete in tournaments, like the All Valley. The series finale confirms that Anthony trains primarily under Daniel, whereas Devon is Cobra Kai. In Cobra Kai’s post-credits scene, Johnny and Daniel consider having the two swap dojos for the next All Valley. From the looks of things, Devon and Anthony – plus Kenny – are now the strongest fighters across the two dojos.