In The Karate Kid, Johnny Lawrence was the classic 80s bully — a cocky, headband-wearing villain we loved to hate. But then Cobra Kai came along and flipped the script. Suddenly, Johnny wasn’t the bad guy anymore… he was just a guy who peaked in high school, trying to make sense of his life decades later.
In this video, we dive deep into how Cobra Kai pulled off one of the most surprising character redemptions in TV history. From his cringeworthy attempts to navigate the 21st century to his heartfelt mentorship of Miguel, Johnny's journey is equal parts hilarious, tragic, and genuinely inspiring.
We’ll explore the writing, the performance by William Zabka, and why giving Johnny a second chance made Cobra Kai so special.
👉 Whether you were Team Daniel or Team Johnny back in the day, this one's for you.
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