10 'Cobra Kai' Characters That Deserve Their Own 'Karate Kid' Movie

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Cobra Kai is one part nostalgia, bringing back many characters from The Karate Kid movies, and one part modern-day retelling with an entirely new cast of young characters. While Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) rekindle their rivalry in the series, the high school kids they teach at their dueling dojos (eventually coming together) are the focus of many of the storylines.

With the series coming to an end when the third part of its sixth and final season airs in early 2025, chances are that fans will still be curious about the paths of many of these characters. Macchio will reprise his character in the upcoming movie Karate Kid: Legends, but the future of the others remains unknown. Fans would love to see a movie centered around any of these characters.

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Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) first appeared in The Karate Kid IIl, and he was an even worse villain than John Kreese (Martin Kove). When he returned in Cobra Kai as one of the best characters to appear in both projects, he went right back to his old ways and became the most formidable enemy to just about everyone. He was obsessed with bringing Cobra Kai back to its old glory.

Silver’s return with a believable story about why he hadn’t been involved with karate for so long makes it totally plausible to see the character continue on his path of destruction in another movie. Whatever the fallout is from Cobra Kai, his journey would likely be far from over. Seeing him wreak more havoc, even if with a new set of challengers, would give the villain a third life in the franchise.

John Kreese did so much damage to Johnny, the extent of which is fully realized in Cobra Kai. Johnny finally gets the chance to confront the man he saw as a mentor and even a father figure and tell him how badly he messed him up far beyond high school. Kreese is manipulative and preys on vulnerable kids who turn to him when they have nowhere else to go.

Like a cockroach that simply won’t go away, he even went to jail in season five yet managed to fake his own death and escape. Assuming he isn’t caught again, or even if he is, a movie about Kreese’s journey on the run would be interesting. A redemption arc for the character would be nice. But perhaps most intriguing would be a backstory building on the many flashbacks about his youth, and expanding to fill in the gaps.

Johnny Lawrence has had the biggest redemption arc so far, growing not only leaps and bounds from not only The Karate Kid to today but also from season one of Cobra Kai to season six. He has learned to put the past aside, has reconnected with his estranged son Robby, and made positive changes in his life. While Daniel declares the Sekai Taikai tournament to be his swan song, Johnny has a baby on the way and a family to take care of now. He needs to work, and training kids is what he’s really good at doing.

A movie following his life as a newly married man to Carmen (Vanessa Rubio) raising Robby (Tanner Buchanan), his stepson Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), and his new baby, would be rewarding for fans who have fallen in love with the previously misunderstood character. It would also be a nice way to bring back those other characters as well and allow for lots of cameos, too.

Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) is another character who enjoyed a big redemption arc from The Karate Kid Part II. A violent fighter who almost fatally harmed Daniel, he has changed his ways and become a friend. Working alongside Daniel and Johnny and finding a new lease on life, however, Chozen still yearns for love. The fifth season touched on his feelings for Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita) and his drunken phone call to her expressing this. This means he might finally make a move.

Whether that romance pans out or not, fans would love to learn more about Chozen once he returns to Okinawa, or if he decides to stay in America. Perhaps he opens his own dojo or works alongside Johnny and trains a new set of kids while trying to find love.

Robby Keene was the high schooler with a chip on his shoulder. He was left to fend for himself, since his mother was more interested in going out with random men. And he was estranged from his father, Johnny. Robby was looking for direction in life and often made the wrong moves, not having anyone to guide him. He grew so much through the show, however, with the help of both Daniel and Johnny and even in spite of others like Kreese and Silver.

With everything hinging on the Sekai Taikai tournament for him and no plans to attend college like the others, where does Robby go next? A movie could focus on his journey after the tournament ends. Perhaps he starts his own dojo or sets out on a different path to figuring out his adult life, using his karate skills as needed.

Tory’s (Peyton List) journey has been up and down throughout the series, making her one of the show’s best characters. She started as a mean girl who immediately clashed with Sam (Mary Mouser). But fans started to feel for her once the truth about her family situation was revealed. Tory fought hard for what she got, but she would often make bad decisions, especially when she fell under the tutelage of Kreese. Now back working with Kreese, she still has a lot of work to do on herself.

Fans would love to see a story that follows Tory’s life after the tournament, regardless of its outcome. Now on her own as a young adult raising her little brother, she’ll have to figure out a way to make ends meet, as she had been doing since her mother got sick. Potentially now, with insurance money from her mother’s death, she might be able to make a fresh start. It would be nice to see her finally focus on doing things for herself and making a better life for her and her brother.

The entire story in Cobra Kai began with Miguel Diaz as the Daniel LaRusso-like character. A misfit kid in school who hangs out with the self-professed nerds, when Johnny sees Miguel being bullied, he encourages Miguel to stand up for himself. When Miguel sees how Johnny can fight and realizes he lives in the same housing complex, he begs Johnny to teach him.

Becoming one of the best fighters among all the kids, Miguel has been the glue that held it all together. He developed a wonderful friendship with Johnny that encouraged Johnny to connect with his own son. He’s now welcoming a new half-sibling along with Johnny as his stepfather and Robby as his stepbrother. A story about that entire family dynamic and Miguel’s journey to adulthood could even make for a great sitcom.

Demetri (Gianni DeCenzo) and Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) come as a package deal, which is why Demetri was so upset when Hawk revealed that he wasn’t going to apply to MIT as they had originally planned to do together. With Demetri getting accepted and Hawk unsure of what he’s going to do next after graduation, a movie that follows their parallel stories would allow both characters to shine outside the group.

Maybe the movie follows Hawk coming to visit Demetri at MIT and discovering that his Binary Brother has made a whole new group of friends. Perhaps the two might get into trouble and have to break out their old karate moves to defend themselves.

Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) is another returning character from The Karate Kid movies. He was the primary antagonist of The Karate Kid Part III, a man hired by Silver to beat Daniel in a fight in exchange for part ownership of his dojo. Barnes relentlessly torments Daniel leading up to the tournament, and while Daniel beats him in the end, he remains haunted by Barnes’ abuse all the way into adulthood.

So, when Barnes returns, it’s a lovely redemption for him. He’s on the side of the good guys. He leaves his furniture store to help and gets caught up in the mess, losing everything. But they beg him to come back when they need someone impartial to help them decide which six kids get to go to the Sekai Taikai, and he obliges. Learning more about his journey after The Karate Kid Part III and up to that point, then after the events in Cobra Kai, would bring closure to arguably the fiercest opponent Daniel has ever faced.

Kenny (Dallas Dupree Young) joined in season four, one of Cobra Kai’s best seasons, as a new kid in school who was ironically being bullied by others, including Anthony LaRusso (Griffin Santopietro). But when Kenny decides to train in karate and ends up choosing to work with Kreese and Silver, he turns into the very type of kid he hated. He starts relentlessly bullying and beating up Anthony and fights with people who want to be his friend.

Kenny feels defeated after Silver is exposed for who he truly is, but he picks himself back up and rejoins Miyagi-do. When he loses the opportunity to attend the Sekai Taikai tournament because of Devon’s (Oona O’Brien) sabotage, he doesn’t get to fully realize his potential and boost his confidence. As one of the younger kids who hasn’t yet graduated from high school, the journey could continue. The story could follow Kenny as he takes the reins at the next All-Valley Tournament.

Keep Reading: 10 Easter Eggs You May Have Missed in 'Cobra Kai'

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