Welcome, my fellow Cobra Kai kickers, to a brand new list based on that nostalgia-loaded, good vs evil, epic-battle-for-the-valley Netflix series! I grew up with The Karate Kid series, so this show already occupied a special place in my heart when it first premiered on YouTube. Thankfully, the greatness of Cobra Kai finally caught on with the rest of the world and we now have three glorious seasons already in the can! And now, I have for you a list chronicling William Zabka‘s Johnny Lawrence and Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso’s 10 best Cobra Kai moments! These two characters have such a deep history, that every time they shared the screen in Cobra Kai, sparks flew in one way or another! Behold, said sparks in chronological order:
1. “I kicked his face” – To kick off the best Cobra Kai moments, it’s best to go to the beginning. It’s been 30 years. Johnny Lawrence has been down on his luck for most of that time… Daniel Larusso has only flourished… and this is the very first time they have run into each other since high school! It’s tough to contain the nostalgic goosebumps while watching these two formal rivals come face to face as middle aged men, especially knowing their current backstories! Listening to Daniel’s two salesmen discuss the legendary 1984 All-Valley Tournament finals only fans our fandom further! And Daniel’s perfect little “jab” at Johnny of “Technically, I kicked his face” is the cherry on top!
2. Backyard patio – In the first season, the rivalry between Johnny and Daniel was awoken from a 30-year coma. All the time and pent-up aggression had me on the edge just waiting for that metaphorical ref to stand between them and cry out, “Ready. Fight!” This scene, taking place on the backyard patio of Daniel’s home, was it! A very pissed off Johnny invades the Larusso’s backyard bent on vengeance for his recently destroyed car! Daniel is forced to face his old foe. Their fists are raised and it’s go time… until Daniel’s wife and son appear and add some of the show’s trademark comedic relief.
3. Drive down memory lane – After Mrs. Larusso calms the two karate kids, she tasks Daniel with helping Johnny obtain a new car from their auto dealership. Daniel is pretty reluctant at first and when Johnny demands a test drive, gets stuck being the one to accompany him. And then… magic! The two men, who we are led to believe are complete opposites, hear REO Speedwagon on the radio and actually begin to bond! Seeing Johnny and Daniel singing an 80s classic together on the road is the pop culture junk food I never knew I wanted! The rest of the their time together continues to amaze through their reminiscence of the good ol’ days while swigging back drinks at a bar.
4. Mexican dinner – Season two continued dropping small nuggets of camaraderie between Johnny and Daniel, and that all culminated on an accidental double date! Daniel and his wife, Amanda, were looking for a fun evening out at a Mexican restaurant when they ran into Johnny and Carmen who were also looking for a fun evening out. Of course, the boys don’t want any part of this double date, but they ain’t the ones in charge! The ladies politely ask a waitress to push their tables together and the party’s on! I don’t know why, but it’s feels so gratifying watching Johnny and Daniel unwittingly bonding over salsa and chips. Unfortunately, each bond is only fleeting because…
5. Rematch at Johnny’s – At long last, the yin and the yang have aligned! This ain’t no backyard-patio-almost-fight. This is the real freakin’ deal! After getting too drunk at a party, Sam (Daniel’s daughter) is taken by Robbie (Johnny’s son) to the only place he feels is safe to crash: Johnny’s apartment! Daniel tracks Sam down and is too upset to “cool off” as Johnny suggests… and the 30-years-in-the-making rematch ensues! As Johnny and Daniel unload on each other, the scene is brilliantly interspersed with clips of their climactic original fight at the All-Valley Tournament! Seeing these two finally engaged in fisticuffs was one hell of a shot of adrenaline!
6. Elevator silence – After the tragic events of the high school karate brawl, Johnny and Daniel are in great emotional pain. Their kids and their students are in great physical pain with both Sam and Miguel in the hospital. Daniel witnesses Sam’s stitches, Johnny witnesses Miguel in a coma. It is too much to take. Johnny steps in an elevator to head down and just before the doors close, Daniel steps in too. Both men are too defeated to do anything about it. The doors close and they ride down together in utter silence. After all their jawing throughout the first two seasons, they no longer can speak. It’s a brief scene, but a very powerful moment.
7. Tango & Cash – At the start of season three, everything is in shambles. Johnny is drunk and depressed. Daniel is worried and distraught. The entire valley seems to be against them… so the only logical thing to do is to team up?! That’s right! Like two mismatched personalities in an 80s buddy cop movie, Johnny and Daniel join forces to try and track down Robbie who’s runaway from everyone. It’s a wonderfully fun and funny moment that brings in some welcome levity to counterbalance the darkness of the hospital. Plus, the two actually do make a pretty formidable butt-kicking duo!
8. Ali three-way – She was teased throughout the series. Then, within the final episodes of season three, we got the return of Ali Mills Schwarber for one of the best Cobra Kai moments, and one fans had been wanting for for years. The still stunning Ali Mills came to the valley after separating from her husband and was soon reunited right between the two guys she got between 30 years ago! It was a lovely homecoming (at the same country club from the first movie) with both Johnny and Daniel finally able to act a bit more mature. Instead of bringing out the rivalry within, Ali ended up bringing the best out of both men and, much like Mr. Miyagi, brought them balance.
9. Johnny saved from Kreese – I’ve always seen a bit of a Star Wars parallel within Cobra Kai. Kreese is definitely the Emperor which would make Johnny his Darth Vader. In the final episode of season three, Johnny finally fully turns away from the dark side and chooses to square off against the supreme leader of evil, Kreese. It is a hard fought battle that culminates with Kreese, typically, cheating his way to a win. He’s about to deliver one final death blow to Johnny when out of nowhere, Daniel kicks Kreese to the ground! Then, one last fight ensues as Daniel chanels Mr. Miyagi to once again vanquish Kreese’s ass!
10. Senseis unite – It took three seasons, but Johnny and Daniel finally realized that they did make better teammates than rivals, and it made for one of the best Cobra Kai moments. With the threat of Kreese looming over season four, the two senseis put their differences aside and realized (as Ali said) they actually have a great deal in common. The uniting of Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang Karate (dope name) brought about a triumphant conclusion to season three with Johnny and Daniel standing proudly before their students. The bow they exchange before beginning class could only be called bad ass!
There you have it! Cobra Kai‘s 10 best moments with Johnny and Daniel! Do you guys agree with the list? Do you have your own favorite moments that may not have been mentioned? Please let us know in the comments below!