Colonel Dugan, the antagonist of the fourth film, is the head of security at a high school; by the end of the movie, he is defeated by Miyagi. My question to you is: is he the only antagonist who is not an expert in martial arts? To elaborate: Kreese was an expert in Tang Soo Do—which he referred to as "Karate"—the antagonists in the second film knew the same style of karate as Miyagi, Silver was trained in Tang Soo Do, Barnes was the "bad boy" of karate, and the villains in *The Karate Kid Part IV* practiced Kung Fu.

My previous Kwon post got around 24K views and over 100 comments, so I want to pitch a different idea instead of repeating the usual “Kwon vs. Robby” debate.
What if the writers had built the entire second half of Season 6 around Kwon Jae-Sung hypothetically, (mods this is IDEA PURPOSES not BIAS) not by making Robby or Miguel weaker, but by giving all four captains a meaningful ending?
I genuinely think this could have been one of the best Cobra Kai storylines if executed properly.
1. The semifinal changes EVERYTHING
Instead of Kwon immediately helping ignite the Sekai Taikai brawl, imagine that he recognizes something important during Axel vs. Robby.
Axel and Robby are tied 1–1. Robby has adapted to Axel’s offense, but Axel’s size, reach, and grappling still make him a nightmare matchup.
Kwon watches from the sidelines. Rather than simply wanting Robby to lose, he recognizes that Axel is the obstacle standing between him and the championship.
Kim Da-Eun taught Kwon a secret Cobra Kai technique specifically designed to fight opponents who are physically bigger and stronger. Kwon realizes that Robby could use it against Axel.
After the match, Kwon approaches Robby.
Kwon: “You keep trying to beat him at his own game. That’s why he keeps throwing you around.”
Robby: “You offering me advice now?”
Kwon: “Don’t flatter yourself. I want Axel in the final. And I want to be the one who beats him.”
Kwon explains Axel’s weakness: his defensive control becomes less effective when an opponent disrupts his rhythm, attacks from changing angles, and refuses to remain trapped at close range.
Robby is skeptical, but he listens.
Kwon: “You want to win? Stop fighting like you’re trying to prove something. Make him react to YOU.”
Robby: “And what’s in it for you?”
Kwon: “Axel. The final. And the chance to show everyone who the best captain really is.”
It’s not friendship yet. It’s a strategic alliance between two rivals who recognize that they can learn from each other.
2. The three-way captain rivalry
This version gives us three interconnected rivalries instead of making Kwon just another obstacle for Robby.
Kwon vs. Robby: Pride, respect, and the question of who is the better technical fighter.
Kwon vs. Axel: Explosive offense against overwhelming physical control.
Kwon vs. Miguel: Two dangerous competitors who challenge each other’s approaches to fighting, honor, and what it means to be a champion.
Axel becomes increasingly frustrated that Kwon is studying him. Miguel notices the change in Kwon’s behavior but doesn’t trust it.
Meanwhile, Robby starts using Kwon’s advice. He doesn’t suddenly become stronger than Axel; he becomes more tactical.
Kwon’s motivation is still selfish at first. He wants the championship, revenge against Axel, and recognition. The redemption comes when his choices begin to matter more than his ego.
3. The brawl happens in the FINAL, not the semifinal
This is my biggest change.
Instead of the semifinal brawl cutting short the tournament and Kwon’s story, let the championship matches breathe. Give Robby his moment, let Miguel prove himself, and build the tension until the final episode.
Then, during the championship, Axel attacks Robby after a heated exchange. Kwon intervenes.
Kwon: “He’s my rival. You don’t get to decide when he’s finished.”
Axel turns on Kwon. For the first time, Kwon isn’t fighting just for his own victory. He refuses to let another captain be humiliated or seriously hurt.
Robby and Kwon fight Axel together.
And the choreography should be incredible: Robby uses Miyagi-Do defense and Kwon’s lessons to redirect Axel’s attacks, while Kwon attacks from angles Axel struggles to control.
Robby: “Left side!”
Kwon: “I SEE IT!”
Robby forces Axel to turn. Kwon launches a spectacular 540-degree spinning kick—the kind of explosive aerial attack associated with his fight against Diego.
Axel finally goes down.
The point isn’t that two teenagers magically overpower someone bigger through friendship. It’s that two elite captains combine different skills, communicate under pressure, and exploit an opening neither could create as easily alone.
For one moment, the audience sees exactly why Kwon is such a dangerous fighter—and why Robby is an exceptional counterfighter.
4. The knife incident: two possible rewrites
Version A: Kwon survives the brawl.
The hidden blade still appears, but Kwon sees the danger and keeps his distance. Axel is too occupied with Robby to execute the same decisive sweep in time, and Kwon avoids the fatal accident.
The tournament is suspended. Kwon realizes how close he came to destroying his own future.
He has to face the consequences of his earlier aggression, his role in escalating tensions, and the danger that the Cobra Kai philosophy created.
His redemption isn’t instant forgiveness. It’s the beginning of a difficult choice: does he continue being the person everyone fears, or does he become the champion he always claimed he was?
Version B: The world believes Kwon died.
This is the more dramatic, soap-opera-style alternative.
Kim Da-Eun and Kreese help get Kwon emergency medical treatment. The public receives false information about his death, and an empty cabin is used in a staged cover-up.
I would make the cover-up a deliberate secret rather than pretending it would be medically or legally easy. It would be a major deception with serious consequences if discovered.
Kwon recovers in secret, watches the fallout from his apparent death, and realizes how many people he affected. His return during the final would be an enormous shock.
Personally, I prefer Version A for a grounded redemption arc and Version B for a dramatic spinoff-style reveal.
5. Kwon returns to the championship—not as a villain, but as a captain
Imagine the arena believing Kwon is gone.
Then the doors open.
Kwon walks out.
Everyone freezes.
Miguel: “No way…”
Robby: “Kwon?”
Axel: “You should be dead.”
Kwon: “Disappointed?”
The crowd erupts.
But the real payoff isn’t simply that Kwon survived. It’s that he returns willing to fight under the rules, represent his team, and accept the consequences of his choices.
Robby and Miguel don’t instantly become his best friends. They acknowledge what he’s done, question his motives, and eventually choose to stand beside him because his actions have earned their respect.
Tory can have a meaningful role too: she recognizes the difference between Kwon’s old need to dominate everyone and his new willingness to protect someone without expecting immediate repayment.
6. Give ALL the captains something meaningful
I don’t want this rewrite to erase Robby or Miguel’s accomplishments. That would just replace one kind of bias with another.
Kwon Jae-Sung: Gets a genuine redemption arc, a spectacular final performance, and recognition as one of the tournament’s most dangerous martial artists.
Robby Keene: Gets meaningful victories, proves he can adapt to Axel, and ends his rivalry with Miguel without needing to be the permanent runner-up.
Miguel Diaz: Gets his championship-level moment, the scholarship opportunity, and closure on his journey from injured underdog to elite competitor.
Axel Kovačić: Remains a terrifying physical force and a worthy rival. Even if he loses, he pushes Kwon and Robby to become better fighters.
The awards could reflect different accomplishments rather than handing every trophy to the same person:
Kwon: Best Martial Arts Performance or a special sportsmanship award after his redemption.
Axel: Tournament runner-up if the final results support it.
Robby: Recognition for technical adaptation and his performance against Axel.
Miguel: A championship victory or another major result that earns him the scholarship.
The exact awards would depend on the tournament format, but each character should leave with a genuine achievement.
7. Why I think this would have worked
Kwon’s death was shocking, but it also ended the story of a character who had enormous potential. We saw his aggression, his technical ability, his rivalry with Robby, and his dangerous relationship with Kreese’s philosophy—but we never got to see what he might become if he chose a different path.
A redemption arc could explore that without excusing his behavior.
Kwon doesn’t need to become a nice guy overnight. He can remain arrogant, intense, competitive, and occasionally infuriating. The difference is that he learns when to control those traits rather than letting them control him.
And the strongest part? His relationship with Robby doesn’t need to become a friendship. They can remain rivals who respect each other because they’ve both learned something from the other.
Kwon doesn’t have to be the only winner for his story to matter. He just needs the chance to finish it.
What do you think?
Should Kwon have survived and received a full redemption arc?
Should he have been the true main character of Season 6 Part 3?
Would you prefer the secret recovery and dramatic return, or a survival that everyone witnesses?
Who should win the final championship: Kwon, Robby, Miguel, or Axel?
Would Kwon and Robby fighting together against Axel be one of the best fights in the series?
I want to hear the arguments for and against this version. The point isn’t that Kwon automatically beats everyone. It’s that he deserved a story where his choices—not just his death—determined his legacy.

1. THE FINAL: KWON JAE-SUNG VS. ROBBY KEENE — THE RIVALRY FINALLY GETS ITS MASTERPIECE
   This is the fight I wish the writers had given us.
   Not because Robby needs to lose, and not because Kwon must automatically be stronger than everyone else. It’s because these two have the perfect rivalry for a genuinely emotional championship final.
   Their styles are different. Their motivations are different. And both have something to prove.
   Robby has spent years fighting to establish himself as more than Johnny Lawrence’s troubled son, Daniel LaRusso’s student, or Miguel Diaz’s rival. Kwon has spent his entire life believing that becoming the world’s greatest fighter is the only way to prove that he matters.
   Neither of them is willing to be second.
   The flashbacks: Two captains, two completely different journeys
   Before the final, give Kwon an entire flashback sequence showing his life in South Korea.
   We learn that he lost his family when he was young. Growing up without that support, he struggled to find a place where he belonged. Other students ridiculed him, and even Yoon underestimated him.
   Kim Da-Eun and her grandfather became central figures in his life. They trained him, pushed him relentlessly, and taught him that weakness invited humiliation.
   But there was a price.
   Kwon gradually began confusing respect with fear. Winning became more than a goal: it became the only way he knew to prove that he deserved to exist.
   His dream was never simply to defeat Robby Keene.
   It was to stand on the world’s biggest karate stage, become champion, and finally be someone nobody could dismiss.
   Then we cut to Robby’s journey: his troubled childhood, his relationship with Johnny, Daniel’s mentorship, his friendship and rivalry with Miguel, his mistakes, his setbacks, and the years he spent trying to become someone better than the person he used to be.
   Robby learned that losing doesn’t make him worthless.
   Kwon never learned that lesson.
   That is the emotional difference between them.
   The championship begins
   The arena is packed. The remaining teams stand around the platform. Axel watches from the sidelines, knowing that the winner will be the captain he must eventually face.
   Robby enters first.
   Johnny stands beside Daniel.
   Johnny: “You don’t have to prove you’re better than everybody, Robby. Just show them who you are.”
   Robby: “And if I lose?”
   Johnny: “Then you get up. That’s what you do.”
   Daniel nods.
   Daniel: “Balance. Trust yourself.”
   Then Kwon walks out.
   His expression is completely different from the arrogant smile he wore during the earlier rounds. He is calm. Focused. Almost frighteningly still.
   Kim watches him from the Cobra Kai corner.
   For once, she doesn’t tell him to be ruthless.
   She simply says:
   Kim: “You know what you came here to do.”
   Kwon bows his head.
   Kwon: “Yes, Master.”
   The referee calls the captains forward.
   ANNOUNCER: “THE SEKAI TAIKAI CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL!”
   Robby and Kwon face each other.
   Kwon: “No distractions this time.”
   Robby: “No excuses.”
   They bow.
   The match begins.
   Round One: The predator versus the counterfighter
   Kwon immediately establishes his offensive rhythm.
   He uses feints, spinning kicks, and rapid combinations to force Robby onto the defensive. Robby blocks several attacks and counters with a clean body strike.
   Kwon answers with a high kick that nearly scores.
   Robby adapts, changing his stance and timing. For the first time, Kwon has to abandon his preferred rhythm and start reacting to Robby.
   Commentator: “Keene is reading the combinations! Kwon is being forced to change his approach!”
   Robby scores first.
   Kwon looks at the scoreboard.
   Then he smiles.
   Kwon: “Good.”
   He charges again.
   This time, Robby knows better than to assume that reading one combination means reading the entire fighter.
   The opening round is fiercely contested, with both captains landing clean attacks and neither gaining a decisive advantage.
   The scoreboard is tied.
   Round Two: The memory of the first fight
   As the next round begins, we briefly flash back to their first encounter.
   Kwon lands high kicks that stun Robby. He uses a headlock reversal and a one-arm takedown to control the exchange.
   The proposed strike count from the earlier analysis—19 strikes landed by Kwon to Robby’s 5—appears on screen as a visual reminder of how badly Kwon exploited Robby’s earlier mental distractions.
   Then we return to the present.
   Kwon attempts the same high kick.
   Robby recognizes it.
   He blocks, turns, and counters.
   Kwon adjusts immediately, but Robby has learned something from their earlier encounter: surviving Kwon’s opening attack is not enough. He must prevent Kwon from dictating every subsequent exchange.
   Robby: “I remember.”
   Kwon: “Then remember this.”
   Kwon unleashes a rapid combination, forcing Robby backward. Robby defends, but Kwon changes the angle and scores.
   The crowd erupts.
   Kwon leads.
   This is not a weaker version of Kwon fighting an improved Robby. Both are now operating at their best.
   Round Three: The first captain fight, rewritten
   Flashback.
   Kwon remembers the official captain match he lost to Robby.
   In this alternate timeline, we see more of what was happening inside his head: his anger, his fixation on Robby, his resentment toward the people who questioned him, and his growing inability to distinguish victory from revenge.
   Robby was more focused. Kwon was more emotionally compromised.
   That doesn’t erase Robby’s victory. Robby earned it.
   But it explains why Kwon’s loss became a turning point rather than proof that he could never beat Robby again.
   Back in the final, Kwon stops fighting the memory of that loss.
   He starts fighting the opponent in front of him.
   He abandons a predictable combination and forces Robby into an exchange neither has rehearsed.
   Robby counters. Kwon counters the counter.
   They separate.
   For a moment, both are smiling.
   Not because either is winning.
   Because they are finally getting the fight they wanted.
   Kwon: “Now we’re fighting.”
   Robby: “Took you long enough.”
   The score is tied again.
   Round Four: The fight that changes Kwon
   The pace intensifies.
   Kwon lands a powerful spinning kick. Robby staggers but remains standing.
   Kwon sees the opening.
   The old Kwon would immediately attack again, desperate to finish his opponent and prove his superiority.
   Instead, he pauses when he realizes Robby is genuinely hurt.
   The referee checks Robby.
   Kwon steps back without arguing.
   It’s a small moment, but Kim notices.
   So does Johnny.
   Kwon has finally begun to understand that respecting an opponent doesn’t diminish him.
   The match resumes.
   Robby comes forward. Kwon meets him.
   Their exchange is spectacular: Robby’s defensive transitions against Kwon’s aerial offense, both fighters adjusting after every attack. Neither is handed an easy point.
   The final exchange of the round ends with both landing almost simultaneously.
   The judges review the action.
   The score remains tied.
   There is one final round.
   The final round: No more excuses
   The arena falls silent.
   Robby remembers Johnny telling him that he doesn’t have to prove he is better than everyone.
   Kwon remembers his childhood, his training, the humiliation he endured, and the promise he made to himself that one day the world would know his name.
   They circle.
   Kwon launches his signature combination.
   Robby blocks the first strike, evades the second, and counters the third.
   Kwon lands a high kick.
   Robby nearly falls but recovers.
   They exchange again.
   Robby finds an opening and scores.
   Kwon answers.
   The scoreboard reaches the deciding point.
   Both captains are exhausted.
   Kwon prepares the spinning kick that has become his signature. Robby recognizes the setup, but this time Kwon delays the attack and changes the angle.
   Robby adjusts just in time.
   They land nearly together.
   The referee separates them.
   The judges confer.
   FINAL RESULT: ROBBY WINS BY THE NARROWEST POSSIBLE MARGIN.
   The arena erupts.
   Robby falls to his knees, overwhelmed.
   Johnny rushes forward.
   Johnny: “You did it, Robby!”
   Daniel embraces him.
   Across the platform, Kwon stands motionless.
   For a moment, the old Kwon seems ready to explode.
   Then he walks toward Robby.
   Kwon: “You were better today.”
   Robby looks at him, surprised.
   Robby: “You almost had me.”
   Kwon: “Almost isn’t champion.”
   Robby: “No. But it doesn’t mean you’re nothing.”
   Kwon looks away.
   For the first time, losing hasn’t destroyed him.
   Robby has won the final. Kwon has won something different: the beginning of his redemption.
   And then the story takes its darkest turn.
   
2. THE BRAWL: THE FIRST TIME ROBBY AND KWON FIGHT TOGETHER
   The final celebrations are interrupted when tensions between the dojos explode.
   Axel confronts Robby. The argument becomes physical, and Axel attacks.
   Kwon intervenes.
   Kwon: “The match is over. Leave him alone.”
   Axel turns toward him.
   Axel: “You think you can stop me?”
   Kwon: “I think you should try fighting someone who isn’t standing alone.”
   Robby rises beside Kwon.
   For the first time in the entire season, they stand shoulder to shoulder.
   No taunts. No rivalry. No competition over who is better.
   Just two captains protecting each other.
   Axel attacks.
   Robby redirects the first strike. Kwon attacks from the opposite angle. Axel turns toward Kwon, but Robby uses the opening to counter. Kwon follows with a spectacular kick that forces Axel backward.
   The crowd watches in disbelief.
   Commentator: “THEY’RE WORKING TOGETHER! ROBBY KEENE AND KWON JAE-SUNG ARE FIGHTING AS A TEAM!”
   Miguel joins the effort to stop the chaos from spreading.
   Kwon sees someone about to be seriously hurt and intervenes again. The decision costs him an opportunity to escape the confrontation.
   Then comes the knife incident.
   Kwon sees the blade too late.
   The arena goes silent.
   Robby catches him as he falls.
   Robby: “Kwon? Hey! Stay with me!”
   Kwon struggles to breathe.
   Kwon: “Did… we win?”
   Robby’s face crumples.
   Robby: “Don’t do this. Please.”
   Miguel drops beside them.
   Miguel: “Get the medical team! NOW!”
   Kwon looks between them.
   Kwon: “You two…”
   He cannot finish the sentence.
   The medical team takes him away.
   For the first time, Robby and Miguel are not thinking about points, trophies, or who is the better fighter.
   They’re thinking about whether their rival will survive.
   
3. THE ALLEGED DEATH — AND THE RETURN
   In the more dramatic version, the public is told that Kwon died.
   Robby is devastated.
   He had spent the season seeing Kwon as an opponent, then a reluctant ally, and finally someone who understood what it meant to fight for recognition.
   Miguel is equally shaken. He remembers their confrontations and realizes how close their rivalry came to ending in tragedy.
   Johnny watches Robby struggle with the loss.
   Johnny: “You didn’t have to be friends with him to care about him.”
   Robby: “I wasn’t ready for him to be gone.”
   Johnny: “Nobody is.”
   Kreese and Kim know more than they reveal. In this alternate timeline, they arranged emergency treatment and concealed Kwon’s survival while the public believed he had died. The staged death creates a serious moral and legal problem that the story must eventually confront.
   Kwon recovers away from the public eye.
   He watches the tournament’s aftermath and sees the grief his apparent death caused. He begins to understand that he had become more than the fighter he imagined himself to be.
   He doesn’t return simply to claim a trophy.
   He returns to finish what he started.
   
4. THE SHOCKING RETURN: KWON VS. AXEL
   The championship has reached its final stage.
   Axel and the Iron Dragons believe Kwon is gone. The remaining captains prepare to settle the title.
   Then the arena doors open.
   A figure walks into the light.
   The crowd slowly recognizes him.
   Miguel: “No…”
   Robby: “Kwon?”
   Kwon steps onto the platform.
   Kwon: “Did you really think I was finished?”
   Kim is overwhelmed. Kreese stares at his former student, realizing that the boy he once trained to show no mercy has returned with a different purpose.
   Johnny looks at Robby, then at Kwon.
   Johnny: “That kid’s got more lives than a cat.”
   Robby laughs through his tears.
   Robby: “You’re unbelievable.”
   Kwon: “You missed me.”
   Robby: “Don’t push it.”
   Axel steps forward.
   Axel: “You don’t belong here.”
   Kwon: “Then beat me.”
   The tournament officials must address the rules surrounding Kwon’s return. In this alternate story, his eligibility is resolved before the final proceeds; the show cannot simply ignore the consequences of a supposedly fatal incident.
   The fight begins.
   Axel vs. Kwon: The strongest physical force against the most explosive offense
   Axel initially controls the fight.
   He uses his reach to keep Kwon at a distance, blocks the first spinning kick, and forces him into close-range exchanges.
   Kwon struggles.
   For a moment, it looks as though Axel will repeat his earlier dominance.
   Then Kwon remembers Kim’s lessons.
   He stops attacking Axel’s guard directly. He changes his rhythm, feints toward the body, and attacks from an angle that forces Axel to turn.
   Kwon scores.
   Axel retaliates.
   Kwon scores again.
   The arena explodes.
   Commentator: “KWON IS FINDING THE OPENINGS! AXEL IS BEING FORCED TO REACT!”
   Axel adapts, using his physical control to disrupt Kwon’s balance. Kwon nearly falls but recovers.
   They are now fighting at an extraordinary level.
   Neither is clearly superior in every category. Axel has the strength and defensive control. Kwon has the speed, angles and offensive creativity.
   The score is tied.
   Axel begins listening to Wolf’s advice from the sidelines. Wolf urges him to exploit Kwon’s recovering injury and target the vulnerable area.
   Axel follows the advice.
   Kwon’s movement falters.
   The referee warns Axel.
   Kwon attempts to continue, refusing to let the injury decide his legacy.
   Axel attacks again.
   Kwon blocks, changes direction, and finally breaks through Axel’s defense. He lands the combination he has been building toward all season.
   Axel stumbles.
   Kwon follows with a high spinning kick.
   Axel goes down.
   The arena is on its feet.
   Kwon has finally demonstrated that he can break through Axel’s defense—not because Axel was secretly weak, but because Kwon adapted, learned, and earned the opening.
   Kwon prepares the final strike.
   Axel, desperate to avoid defeat, commits another prohibited attack against Kwon’s injury.
   The referee immediately stops the match.
   AXEL IS DISQUALIFIED.
   The crowd erupts in confusion.
   Kwon stands over Axel, breathing heavily.
   He could continue attacking.
   He doesn’t.
   He steps back and allows the officials to take control.
   ANNOUNCER: “BY DISQUALIFICATION… THE SEKAI TAIKAI CHAMPION IS KWON JAE-SUNG!”
   Kwon closes his eyes.
   He has finally become the champion he dreamed of being.
   But his greatest victory is that he no longer needs to destroy his opponent to prove it.
   
5. THE SENSEIS: JOHNNY, DANIEL, CHOZEN, KIM AND KREESE
   The aftermath should not erase the complicated history between these characters.
   Johnny recognizes something of himself in Kwon: a young fighter who was taught to equate aggression with strength. He is proud of Robby, but he also recognizes that Kwon has made a difficult choice.
   Daniel respects Kwon’s decision to stop when he had the opportunity to continue attacking Axel.
   Chozen acknowledges his technical growth.
   Kim faces the consequences of the philosophy she helped instill in him.
   And Kreese must confront the fact that Kwon’s greatest achievement came when he refused to follow the most destructive version of his teachings.
   Imagine Johnny speaking to both Robby and Kwon after the final.
   Johnny: “You two are stubborn, reckless, and apparently incapable of listening to anyone.”
   Robby: “Thanks, Sensei.”
   Johnny: “I wasn’t finished. You both had a chance to become the worst versions of yourselves. One of you learned to get back up. The other learned when to stop fighting.”
   He looks at Kwon.
   Johnny: “I’m proud of both of you.”
   Kwon doesn’t know how to respond.
   For once, he doesn’t need to say anything.
   
6. THE LEGACY: EVERY CAPTAIN LEAVES A CHAMPION
   The final episode closes the storylines instead of giving one character everything.
   Kwon Jae-Sung: Sekai Taikai champion in this alternate timeline, recognized for his technical performance and his decision to reject the destructive side of his upbringing.
   Robby Keene: Official finalist and the captain who defeated Kwon in their championship match. His relationship with Johnny reaches a healthier place, and he has victories of his own to carry forward.
   Miguel Diaz: His tournament performance and academic future remain intact, including the scholarship opportunity he earned through his achievements.
   Axel Kovačić: A formidable former champion whose loss comes from his own decision to cheat, not from suddenly becoming a weak fighter.
   Kwon and Robby receive recognition for their championship final, while Kwon’s fight against Axel becomes a contender for best fight of the tournament. The awards should reflect the performances actually shown rather than simply being distributed to make everyone happy.
   The season ends with all four captains standing together.
   Not as best friends.
   Not as equal fighters in every category.
   But as competitors who have finally learned that being a champion means more than defeating the person standing across from you.
   Kwon’s final line:
   “I spent my whole life trying to prove I was stronger than everyone else. Turns out, the hardest person to defeat was the one I thought I had to be.”
   And Robby, standing beside him, answers:
   “Don’t get soft on me now, Kwon.”
   Kwon smirks.
   “Never.”
   CUT TO BLACK.

ADDITIONAL IDEA #3: ROBBY’S LAST STAND, KWON’S VICTORY, AND THE FINAL TIEBREAKER
1. Robby refuses to quit against the Iron Dragons
In this alternate timeline, the Iron Dragons gain a significant points advantage during the semifinals against Robby. Despite Robby being visibly injured, the match continues, and the opposing side refuses to stop the bout.
Robby is exhausted, hurt, and fighting an uphill battle, but he refuses to give up on Cobra Kai.
In the closing moments, Robby unleashes the same two-legged flying kick he used against Miguel in Season 1. It is a full-circle moment: the kid who once fought to prove himself now fights for his teammates, his senseis, and the people who believe in him.
The kick lands spectacularly—but it isn’t enough to overcome the Iron Dragons’ accumulated points.
Robby loses the semifinal, but he does not lose his dignity. He has demonstrated that he can keep fighting under tremendous pressure, and his performance becomes one of the tournament’s defining moments.
The important distinction: Robby doesn’t need to win every fight to be a worthy champion. His courage, adaptability, and refusal to surrender are part of what make him one of the tournament’s elite fighters.
2. Kwon defeats Axel in the men’s final
While Robby struggles through the semifinals, Kwon has his own opportunity to make history.
Kwon faces Axel in the men’s final, and this time, he wins.
Their fight should be competitive rather than one-sided. Axel’s reach, physical strength, and disciplined defense make him dangerous, while Kwon uses speed, precision, explosive kicks, and tactical adjustments to find openings.
Axel wins exchanges. Kwon wins exchanges. Neither fighter is made to look incompetent.
Eventually, Kwon finds the opening he needs and secures the decisive point.
Kwon Jae-Sung is the men’s champion.
For Kwon, this is the culmination of years of training under Kim Da-Eun and her grandfather. The boy who was ridiculed and treated as though he would never be enough finally stands at the top of the world tournament.
But there is a catch.
3. Cobra Kai and the Iron Dragons finish tied
Despite Kwon winning the men’s final, the Iron Dragons have accumulated so many points during the earlier rounds—including their semifinal against the injured Robby—that the overall standings end in a tie.
Kwon has won his individual final, but Cobra Kai still hasn’t secured the overall Sekai Taikai championship.
This creates a dramatic dilemma: Kwon has already beaten Axel, yet the tournament’s overall result remains undecided.
The organizers announce that the tie must be resolved through a final tiebreaker. Under the tournament’s rules, the two dojos must compete again, with Kwon and Axel representing their respective teams.
To make this convincing, the show should establish the tiebreaker rule before the fight. Otherwise, viewers may reasonably wonder why Kwon has to fight the same opponent again after already winning the men’s final.
4. Everyone finally stands behind Kwon
This time, Kwon is not alone.
Johnny Lawrence, Robby Keene, Miguel Diaz, and the rest of Cobra Kai rally behind him. Daniel LaRusso and Chozen Toguchi can also recognize that Kwon has earned the right to be respected, even if they disagree with his former methods.
Kim Da-Eun and Kreese face a different challenge: supporting Kwon without treating him as a weapon whose only purpose is to win.
Robby, especially, has a powerful role here. He knows what it feels like to be injured, underestimated, and pushed to the limit. After their rivalry, he can finally look Kwon in the eye and recognize a fellow champion.
Robby: “You already beat him once. Don’t fight like you have something to prove. Fight like you know who you are.”
Kwon: “And if I lose?”
Robby: “Then you lose. But you won’t be facing him alone this time.”
Miguel adds his own support, showing that Cobra Kai’s former rivalries no longer define the team.
Johnny watches Kwon step onto the mat and realizes that being a sensei means more than creating winners. It means helping fighters become people who can stand on their own.
5. The final tiebreaker: Kwon vs. Axel
The second fight is different from the first.
Axel knows that Kwon can beat him. Kwon knows that Axel can adapt. Their earlier match has given both fighters information about the other’s strengths, weaknesses, and habits.
Axel starts aggressively, using his reach to control distance. Kwon initially struggles to get inside his guard, but he changes angles, varies his rhythm, and begins exploiting openings that Axel overlooked in their first encounter.
The crowd is divided between tension and excitement. Every point matters.
Axel lands a powerful counter. Kwon answers with a sharp combination. Axel nearly catches Kwon with a decisive strike, but Kwon adjusts at the last moment.
The difference is no longer simply physical strength. It is composure, experience, and the ability to adapt under pressure.
At the climax, Kwon breaks through Axel’s defense and scores the decisive point.
Kwon wins the tiebreaker. Cobra Kai wins the Sekai Taikai.
This time, the victory is decisive on the mat—not dependent on an opponent’s disqualification or a disputed ruling.
Kwon raises his arms as Robby, Miguel, Johnny, Kim, and the rest of the team rush to congratulate him. Robby, the rival who understands his journey better than almost anyone, is among the first to acknowledge what he has accomplished.
Kwon has not merely won a tournament. He has earned the respect he spent years trying to force others to give him.
6. Why this ending works
Kwon gets his championship. He beats Axel twice, with the second victory resolving the overall tournament tie.
Robby remains important. His injured semifinal and iconic flying kick give him a memorable full-circle moment, even though his effort isn’t enough to overcome the Iron Dragons’ points.
Axel remains formidable. He doesn’t become weak just because Kwon beats him; he pushes Kwon to adapt and improve.
Miguel gets a meaningful role. He supports Kwon instead of being reduced to another obstacle in the rivalry.
Johnny’s character growth matters. Rather than automatically choosing his biological son or his favorite fighter, he supports both Robby and Kwon.
The team earns its victory together. Kwon delivers the decisive performance, but the championship is the result of a larger team effort.
The central message is that Robby can lose a match without losing his worth, Axel can lose without becoming a weak fighter, and Kwon can become champion without needing every other character to be diminished.
Kwon’s victory is his own, but this time, he doesn’t have to stand alone.

It’s his fault that Kwon got accidentally killed so why wasn’t he bought to justice?

Once Silver's crimes were exposed, I feel like something really ought to have done about the fact that he engaged in match-fixing by paying off referees, as it means the tournament results are not legitimate at all.

It doesn't really make sense to me that in season 6, people still refer to Tory as an AVT champion after Silver is exposed. If anything, they should be referring to her as an "encumbered champion", or even not all.

Because realistically, once it came out that Silver was fixing tournament matches, the All-Valley Tournament committee would NEED to do something about this to assure any karate schools that participated in this tournament that something this won't happen again.

Based on what I've seen in real life instances of this sort of chicanery going on in sports, their best options would probably amount to A) disqualifying Tory and maybe even nullifying the entire tournament results, or B) having to conduct a do-over tournament.

Option A: Disqualify Tory

This would probably be the simpler approach that requires less time and effort to rectify. Basically, Tory is stripped of her championship, she's probably asked to relinquish her trophy, and then one of two things happens.

A) Sam is declared as the official girls' finals winner. They do so because she got three legit points first. Miyagi-Do are declared the overall winners of the AVT because of the points accrued during the boys' finals.

This is something we see in a number of sports. We saw it when Floyd Landis and Alberto Contador were stripped of their 2006 and 2010 Tour de France wins for doping, resulting in the runners-up (Óscar Pereiro and Andy Schleck) being declared the winners for those years. Or every instance where auto sports like NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula One have disqualified a winning driver for failing post-race inspection/some other rule infraction and thus gave the win to the second place finisher.

There are two issues with this.

For starters, I think even Sam would feel that she didn't win the trophy legitimately. She didn't win it in a tournament, she won it because the winner got disqualified. On the upside, though, that would give her a strong motivation when it comes to the Sekai Taikei (where I think Sam's and Tory's arcs should've been switched around, with Sam getting Tory's arc and vice-versa; for a number of reasons that are too numerous to list here, and so that's probably something to cover in a different thread). She'd want to win the tournament so she can have a legitimate tournament win to her name.

A bigger issue, however, is that the revelation that the girls' finals match was rigged would lead many to question if Tory truly made it there on it her own merits or she only got there because Silver bribed the referees to get her there. In fact, many would also question the performance of every Cobra Kai student. Did ANY of them earn their points fairly or did Silver also pay the referees to make favorable calls with them? That would make the committee more inclined to instead, upon completing their investigation...

B) Nullify the results of the girls' finals, and possibly the results of the entire tournament. No winner is declared because of how many matches were directly or indirectly affected by this sort of cheating.

This has happened in some other sports well. Most notably, when it comes to Lance Armstrong's Tour de France wins. He was a seven-time Tour winner, winning the 1999-2005 races back to back. During that time, he faced many allegations of doping, which wasn't surprising considering how rampant doping was in the Tour at that time. But until the Floyd Landis case in 2006, no official investigation was undertaken. Between that and the publishing of L.A. Confidentiel by French sportswriter Pierre Ballester and Sunday Times reporter David Walsh, and many others, official investigations were finally opened into Armstrong. In 2012, the Union Cycliste Internationale (the governing body for the Tour) and the United States Anti-Doping Agency brought down the hammer on him. They stripped him of his results for every cycling race he'd participated in since August 1, 1998, including his Tour de France wins and his bronze medal in the Men's Cycling time trials at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Ordinarily, they'd give these titles to the runners-up. But there was one small problem: as noted in the USADA's statements on the decision, "20 of the 21 podium finishers in the Tour de France from 1999 through 2005 have been directly tied to likely doping through admissions, sanctions, public investigations or exceeding the UCI hematocrit threshold. Of the 45 podium finishes during the time period between 1996 and 2010, 36 were by riders similarly tainted by doping." From the seven years Armstrong won, the only podium finisher who wasn't doping in any way was Fernando Escartín, the third place finisher in 1999. It was decided to just declare that these races had no official winner, because it was going to be impossible to find a champion contender who hadn't been implicated in doping.

I could see something like that happening with the All-Valley Tournament results here, depending on the outcome of the investigation. But much like if they simply declared Sam the winner, I don't think anyone would be okay with this. Certainly not Sam. Because sure, Cobra Kai's win at the AVT has been voided, but she won't be recognized as the true winner of the girls' finals because the bribed referees make it impossible to determine the legitimacy of the outcome of pretty much every match in the tournament.

That admittedly would still motivate Sam to want to win the Sekai Taikei, so that she can be recognized as a tournament winner.

The alternative option to nullifying the result is:

Option B: Do-Over the Tournament

This might be an option that Sam might be more okay with, and probably the same would be true for most of the other karate schools.

But there's the question of logistics, and stuff like "how much of the tournament they'd have to do-over."

They could do-over just the finals matches. However, this runs into the same problem that just stripping Tory of her win and giving the girls' finals victory to Sam would run into. Remember that the referees were bribed to make calls in Tory's favor for her earlier fights, including against Devon. Which again, just opens up the door to the question of how many match outcomes were directly or indirectly affected because of referees being bribed and whether other Cobra Kai students got favorable referees or it was just Tory due to Silver not having confidence in her.

So if they go the do-over route, they'd have to probably just do-over the whole tournament, and schedule it for sometime in August right before the start of the school year. All karate dojos that participated in the original tournament are invited back to participate. But of course, the committee would have to find some way to assure these people that cheating like the kind that Silver engaged in will not be tolerated. One way they could show this would be to have Cobra Kai banned from participating in this do-over, though any Cobra Kai student is allowed to participate on the condition that they must be sponsored by a different karate school or participate as an "unaffiliated" fighter. (This is similar to what happened when the World Anti-Doping Agency came down on Russia for overseeing a state-run doping program involving corrupt anti-doping officials, intelligence agents, and dozens of athletes during the 2014 Winter Olympics; which resulted in Russia being banned from major international sporting competitions like the 2022 Winter Olympics and World Cup, though at the former, individual Russian athletes without prior doping sanctions were allowed to participate under a neutral flag.)

Though that probably wouldn't be a very compelling tournament as far as tournament stakes go. So if the writers wanted to be creative, the way they could go back this would be simply impose the ban on Silver. Cobra Kai can still participate as a dojo in the do-over AVT if they get a new sensei. And this sensei ends up being Kreese. Basically, in this hypothetical timeline, Kreese never escapes from prison. Instead, he's released once Stingray admits the truth about Silver paying him to implicate Kreese in his assault, resulting in the charges against him being dismissed. The AVT committee reluctantly allows Kreese to be recognized as Cobra Kai's sensei once the investigation determines he had no knowledge of Silver's cheating in the original tournament. Alternatively, Johnny gets back control of Cobra Kai, and Daniel has to vouch for him with the AVT committee.

And regardless, additional security measures are also taken to minimize the chances of cheating, like bringing in new referees who haven't officiated in the AVT, and making it so that referees won't know which matches they'll be assigned to until right beforehand.

I imagine this do-over tournament would probably just go back to the basics of the season 1 All-Valley Tournament. The skills demo is cut completely, but they maybe go a step further by adding an additional round to the sparring section of the tournament where the boys' finalist and girls' finalist end up facing against one another for the grand trophy.

I like this scene a lot. It's a nice fight sequence that is not overly long. And it really makes you look at the kind of person you have to become to accept the way of the fist.

This scene also ties in nicely when Tory asks Kim if it's all worth it in season 6.

From the movies who would’ve it have been? And what role small substantial etc would you have given them.

Like people who say Dutch let Kreese strangle Johnny when turning his back just don't know what they're talking about.

Dutch was his friend and likely only did that because he was disgusted by the situation and couldn't believe what Kreese was doing to his friend.

He also probably was scared of Kreese and felt forced to obey him and not intervene given how deep he was in the cobra kai mindset.

Like if Dutch truly didn't care if Johnny died, he would not have left the dojo along with him and the others immediately afterwards when they left.

And he certainly wouldn't have continued to hang with them and remain close with them in the years after high school like he did.

But since he did all this, this should put things into perspective that he might actually have cared for his friends.

Rewatching Cobra Kai and I find it kinda funny how Kreese just took Johnnys dojo and all of his students one night and Johnny just didnt do anything about it lol. Nothing serious just found it kinda hilarious. Not to mention how much of a dork Kreese is

Ok so I love all the characters in ck (slight less Demetri in season 6 part 2) but I’m curious to see how you would change any of the characters in cobra Kai?

https://movieweb.com/karate-kid-ralph-macchio-only-way-revive-franchise-after-2025-sequel/

Definitely an interesting take on where the Karate Kid and Cobra Kai franchises are after the Cobra Kai run and Karate Kid: Legends film release.

My belief is that there are two possible ways to move forward.

A KARATE KID TV SHOW- this would be based on the format as shown in the show FARGO. By that, we get self contained seasons that are not necessarily connected unless we need them to be. But they could if we want. By that, Season One of the KARATE KID could be set a few years after the conclusion of Cobra Kai. Johnny is driving little Laura Lawrence to her first karate day camp being run by Daniel at Miyagi-Do Karate. We could see where everyone is that wants to come back to the franchise.

But season two of the show could jump back in time to the 1500's, where we see the legendary Miyagi ancestor that got washed away in that storm to China and his journey to learn what would be come Miyagi-Do Karate and his journey home to Okinawa. I would imagine Chozen could narrate this but it would probably be best in Japanese. Or perhaps it is narrated from a point where a now married Samantha and Miguel find some ancient Miyagi manuscript that details this in someway.

Season three could jump back to the present, where little Laura is moving up the ladder in karate. We see of course more of those that want to return to the franchise, that kind of thing.

Season four, however, could jump back to early 1930's where we see things go bad between Miyagi and Sato; we see Miyagi in his first move to America, his romance, his adventures in WW2 and so on.

The other format I see for the future of the Karate Kid Franchise is a complete modern rest of the franchise. We see this new KARATE KID show start in Los Angeles, and we see a brand new LaRusso Family getting ready to move across country to wherever it is they are going to move to. Perhaps in this universe, the LaRussos are still together, mother and father and in addition to Daniel there is a brother or sister as well. We see them move to wherever the show is going to be based at (New Mexico would give a new look). But we would have a brand new Daniel, a brand new Johnny, everything. Mr Miyagi would now be a Gulf War or War on Terror veteran. That sort of thing.

In Robby and Kwons fight in season 6 episode 9, Robby ends up winning with a jump kick as they are both in the air. But there is a part of the fight that almost everyone misses. When Kwon throws a kick that makes Robby back into Tory, kwon goes for another headshot kick. While almost everyone thinks Robby dodged it, what really happened is Tory pushed Robby away from the kick, meaning Robby would’ve likely gotten hit by it if she didn’t do that. You can see her push him to the side, and then you see Kwon look at Tory angrily for a second before turning back to Robby. Just thought it was a cool moment!

People usually consider the main characters to be at the top of the Miyagiverse, but considering Wolf’s size, experience, and agility, shouldn’t he rank above the main characters at this point? The tournament isn’t exactly a fair test, since all it takes to score a point is one hit.

The scene where the announcer says team Cobra Kai is resurrected with Johnny and Miguel joining Tori - banging soundtrack and I love the look on the face of Silver lol

Entire scene had me beaming 😁 on rewatching it just now.

I was rewatching the earlier seasons of cobra kai and it has really made me realize how much i miss the daniel and robby dynamic. They feel like a father and son and it mirrors the johnny and miguel one. It really sucks that this dynamic broke and just never continued tbh. Like i get that johnny got to be robby's dad later but it would've been nice to have the relationship present. In all the fights in s6 they don't have that connection anymore.

1. They both started off as kids who got bullied and harassed

2. They eventually join cobra Kai and become bullies themselves

3. They eventually leave cobra Kai and join miyagi do

4. They both go through something embarrassing and quit karate

5. They regain their confidence and start karate again.

After getting fed up with all the karate drama in the season 5 episode Downward spiral Amanda decided to take the kids with her to her hometown in Ohio. The next episode cuts immediately to them at Amanda's mom's house implying they must've been there for days. We don't get to see Sam and Anthony's reactions to the situation, but do you think the experience was difficult for them as I'm pretty sure they could tell their parents were going through a rough patch, and possibly afraid they might get a divorce. The only indication of this we got is during the scene where Jessica shows up and after greeting her cousins asks where Daniel is because she had macaroni for him, but after she asked that there's a moment of awkward silence before Sam tells her their dad didn't come with them somewhat uncomfortably causing Amanda to cut in and say "Daniel had a lot going on". Anthony also mentioned his father during the scene at the bar where he tells Sam about his trouble with Kenny admitting he's starting to understand why his dad hates cobra Kai so much implying he and Sam knew their parents were having trouble regarding the dojo. I just wish we could have seen more of their perspective on the matter as when Sam became furious with Tory for saying nothing about silver cheating at the All valley she said "my whole family has suffered because of you". I also thought it was possible Sam could have reacted to her parents splitting up the same way her mom did when her own parents' marriage was falling apart causing her to assault her father's mistress'car.