Why Johnny Lawrence Is The Better Sensei - Character Analysis/Theory

[@StryfetheWarrior]

UPDATED SEASON 4 JOHNNY VIDEO ➧ kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJS3Y6GPl76ee6s UPDATED SEASON 5 JOHNNY VIDEO ➧ kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIjRma2ZbLCbrpo Hey all, I wanted to make a FAQ/updated comment about this video and some of the things you guys pointed out, as I feel it's worth mentioning: - Daniel's mistakes in the later films do carry over into his adult life into Cobra Kai. In my opinion I feel he still made more mistakes if we looked specifically at Season 1 and 2; however, I still like Daniel and the obvious antagonist of the series is Kreese. - Miyagi is the BEST Sensei; nobody can replace him. This was made to point out the similarities (as evidenced in my videos past this one). - The flaws were put in as the overall mistakes they made; I should've clarified as such as you guys pointed out, while the mistakes they made as kids do not constitute whether or not they are good senseis, but rather how it still affects their rivalry today and how that rivalry affects their students. I also realize I missed some things for both Johnny and Daniel; oversight on my part and was not intended to make the video biased. Remember to show Mercy and be respectful to everybody in the comments and keep all discussions civil!

[@legogamer4450]

Sorry if im using this comment reply wrong (I didn't know if you meant for this to be a place to put questions) but I think it is somewhat unfair to count all of the mistakes Daniel made in the movies that Johnny was in because Karate Kid 2 and 3 are focused on Daniel and so we don't see any of the mistakes Johnny made in the same time and it's obvious as shown in Kobra Kai that they may not have been good decisions. Also, I do think on top of that there was some more bias to Johnny in this video leaving out some of his mistakes like trying to break into the teenage girls' car when they crashed into his. Other than that the video is great and I don't mean for this comment to be mean but it was just some things I noticed

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@legogamer4450 No offense taken. The video wasn't mean to be biased but I can see how it came off that way. I meant to edit that in the pinned comment too, so I'll do that now.

[@antonioandre1328]

@@legogamer4450 I dont think he was that wrong on that scene even tho he was drunk, they smashed his entire car and Johnny couldnt just buy a new one like those rich babies. But I get your point :)

[@legogamer4450]

@@antonioandre1328 Well what do you think he was going to do after he got into that car? I'm sure it wouldn't have been good, and so my point was that him flying off the handle and his lack of self-control is what led him to not get any insurance on the car, and scare the crap out of those girls leading to the awkward situation at the dealership a couple days later. I understand your point but the video is about the better sensei and I think a good sensei would have enough self-control to not try to break into a car filled with teenage girls because they ran into his car.

[@ramirez4456]

@@StryfetheWarrior its pronounced "esk-ill-eto" spanish for skeleton if you didnt know. Im new to your channel, like you vids.

[@jujucasar2003]

My favorite part was still... Miguel: Hey sensei, is there any particular way u want me to wash these windows? Johnny: No I don't give a shit

[@StryfetheWarrior]

😂😂

[@seezy9445]

Tbh seems like he didn't want to do the work more then him traing Miguel

[@kildotgaming]

@@seezy9445 it's a reference to daniels original training

[@alexandaralexandrov3530]

He got his cleaning the toilet, standing on all fours....harder training that Miyagi didn't had guts to make Daniel do!!!

[@MTpiefr]

@SWAG TF UP KID stop advertising yourself

[@Ja3dn]

Miyagi: healed Daniel's serious wounds and used a massage to cure Daniel's leg. Johnny: Healed Miguel's asthma and leg paralysis

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Johnny definitely was a key part of Miguel's recovery in Season 3.

[@idanturgeman2549]

And the peanut butter allergy and all that other made up bullshit

[@greasybumpkin1661]

Dee Snyder also helped heal paralysis

[@Alcool53]

but miguel actually had a serious wound and daniel just cried a lot

[@suhcmyenee7882]

Bro just threw his asthma inhaler away and send you don’t have it anymore

[@frde2190]

The big difference between Johnny and Kreese was Johnny took pathetic, weak nerds and turned them into badasses. Kreese takes already skilled people and removes people who he considers “not cobra Kai material”. He makes the already skilled people into weapons and bullies.

[@NightcrawlerNC]

Yeah I liked that

[@sukhastings4200]

Kreese took Hawk and turned him into a jerk, just like what Bobby Brown had said earlier

[@Xgil2Play]

Hawk/ Eli is the most badass creation Johnny has in his book.

[@NightcrawlerNC]

@@Xgil2Play ikr best developed character of all

[@aldanaabigail7452]

@@sukhastings4200 Hawk was already a jerk under Johnny's wing

[@callofdutychile]

One trying to be like his master The other one trying not to

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Good point!

[@blazer1449]

@@StryfetheWarrior good to see that great content is getting recognized good work

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@blazer1449 Thank you!

[@souljahleel]

Excellent point

[@ninja1676]

Johnny is doing what he think is right so if things ever goes off the rail like it did with miguel he know how to make up for it.

[@petiteguignol]

If you look at the Cobra Kai series from Miguel's POV, then Johnny and Miyagi are nearly identical.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Very true!

[@the-ironclad]

Johnny is more brutally honest and enforces tough love while miyagi just drops wisdom bombs and positive reinforcements. Both are similar but their teaching styles also differ

[@j.p.walkman9671]

Just started watching again. I love how Miguel is like " Is there a way i'm supoosed to clean these windows. " " No I don't really give a shit how you do it ".

[@shadowling77777]

@@j.p.walkman9671 Lmfao yeah was funny

[@mikec6231]

I can see it even from the audience point of view

[@yeetfeet1878]

If you think about it 1.Johnny beat up a bunch of teens to save a boy being bullied 2.he opens up a dojo to help that kid 3. He helps that same kid who can’t walk because of an injury, And helps him walk again just like Miyagi and Daniel. Johnny is definitely the next mr Miyagi

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Agreed!

[@AgentJRock805]

Johnny is absolutely not the next Mr. Miyagi. He may be a better sensei but the whole point of Daniels's character arc is that he is not Mr. M and needs to find his own path. Johnny doesn't and is incapable (at this point) of Miyagi-do style karate. Johnny honestly gets the easy street to self-redemption as he knows he's pretty worthless and his role model is there to show him how much he hated it. Daniel has to find his path on his own and until the last episode never actually admitted real fault even saying to his daughter we are the good guys... we try to be. I believe we will see a Yin Yang balance development of these two dojos in future episodes

[@aspiringanimator2991]

@@AgentJRock805 accept it. Johnny is the next miyagi. Stop writing an entire essay on why Daniel is a spineless brat

[@aspiringanimator2991]

@@AgentJRock805 delete this disgusting comment

[@AgentJRock805]

@@aspiringanimator2991 LMAO, If I were to delete it, it would be because I was wrong saying Johnny was a better sensei. Not only is he NOT the next Miyagi (not even close), he's really a POS Sensei that hasn't gotten any better or learned any lessons. PS if you think that is an essay, school must have been rough for ya ;)

[@darklordofyocommunitah4781]

The old school bully turned out to be the most likable character in the entire series... Who saw that coming? 🤯

[@mercatorjubio3804]

True. Through the entire Cobra Kai seasons, it's Daniel who acts like an opinionated and self-righteous dick more often than not, while Johnny is always honest.

[@elvinsuryanto985]

Barney Stinson saw it 🤭

[@PsyphaX09]

@@elvinsuryanto985 True that. God I miss HIMYM.

[@TheSupinesmokey]

He's an other Vegeta

[@EriChannelvt]

never forget, it was johnny who handed the first prize trophy to daniel in the first movie.

[@bloodyrose1985]

Daniel forgot Miyagi’s lesson: “For person with no forgiveness in heart, living even worse punishment than death.”

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Indeed!

[@aferretnamedsophie3335]

@@StryfetheWarrior well, daniel is still a good person. I mean, he did for give jhonny, in the first episode he was really nice to him, he just remebered that cobra kai is bad

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@aferretnamedsophie3335 Oh I believe Daniel is a good person. I was just agreeing the quote is a good one to live by. Both Daniel and Johnny are good people; they just come up short sometimes as far as their flaws.

[@aferretnamedsophie3335]

@@StryfetheWarrior yeah, i guess your right

[@saileshnaidu8102]

@@aferretnamedsophie3335 yes and that's the biggest flaw with him. He jumps to conclusions. Johnny started cobra kai and Danial jumped straight to thinking that the old cobra kai is back, not thinking for a second if Johnny had changed. So basically he did forget that lesson by Mr Migayi

[@barrygormley3986]

It’s also important to take where both men are coming from into account. Daniel had the best teacher you could ask for but consistently fails to live up to his principles. Johnny had a cruel and psychotic teacher, but tries to improve on his philosophy and turn it into something positive. This makes it clear that he is not only the better sensei, but the better man.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Agreed, hot take.

[@clintjanes3784]

This is the best take

[@mikimiyazaki]

Often the most driven and creative etc people came from terrible circumstances.

[@Dee_rian]

Nah, Danny is just jumping conclusions, and not asking questions

[@bazingiz]

Yes

[@Rucker1980]

Daniel is not a bad person but he's very much the villain of the first two seasons. Everything he did was to shut Johnny down without trying to understand anything

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Ralph Macchio in the Vanity Fair video of him recapping Cobra Kai did say that Daniel is definitely the antagonist from Johnny's POV in Season 1.

[@keyzzzzz4700]

@@StryfetheWarrior But he also said that Daniel was the hero of the show :)

[@mahkayladiah6798]

like when he let his feud with johnny get In the way of Robby and johnny getting a chance to live together and bond

[@Rucker1980]

@@mahkayladiah6798 yeah, once he found out about their relationship he should have backed off, he was way out of line getting between them

[@phabiorules]

I dont think he was a "villian" in season two. Definitly an antagonist, but the only reason things blew up was because of Kreese.

[@darwindark2561]

Daniel is trying to be the next Mr. Miyagi, Johnny is trying to be Johnny.

[@broly425]

Not at all

[@darwindark2561]

@EV Swag I’m good bro

[@manumaster1990]

No.

[@Rollbrand370]

Honestly, Mr. Miyagi would be very disappointed in Daniel and be very proud of Johnny.

[@yderga8707]

@@Rollbrand370 season 3 redeemed him well though and I think season 4 will have him completely set straight

[@chojinkid]

I think Johnny is the best sensei, but Chozen is the real Miyagi's successor who inherited Miyagi's karate legacy

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Chozen has definitely come a long way

[@erickluviano981]

He’s for sure the Chozen one…

[@julianbigelow2794]

If your point is that Chozen is more like Mr. Miyagi than Daniel or Johnny, then I agree. However, I would argue that Daniel is a better sensei than Johnny. I believe this for three reasons. Reason #1: Johnny mocks people appearances. When Eli and Demetri first join Cobra Kai, Johnny makes fun of Eli’s facial deformity and is abusive of Demetri. He does improve later on, in season 4, his sensei student relationship with Demetri is slightly better. There is still room for improvement, but he has improved as a sensei since season 1. Reason #2: Johnny let Kreese back into the dojo. Johnny knows that Kreese is not above abusing teenagers. Sure, he probably just wanted to help Kreese redeem himself, but there are ways to do that that don’t require him to let Kreese near the teenagers. When Johnny forced his students into a cement truck, I only wish I could blame Kreese for that, but Johnny was still having his student leaps buildings even after he cut Kreese out of his life. Reason #3: Hawk fought dirty during the 2018 tournament because of Johnny's influence.

[@chojinkid]

@@julianbigelow2794 I mean that Chozen inherited the Okinawan Myagi's karate legacy and is way far more prepared than Larusso, as for who's the better sensei between Johnn and Daniel it really depends on what you're looking for, in real life Johnny would teach you more effective karate fighting techniques (no matter if he treats you like garbage), Larusso would be a better sensei if you're more interested in Zen philosophy and self control.

[@julianbigelow2794]

@@chojinkid Johnny would teach you more effective karate techniques? How and why are Johnny's teaching methods more effective? And at what are Johnny's teaching methods more effective? What can you accomplish with Johnny's teaching methods that you can't accomplish with Daniel's? Daniel's students have used what Daniel taught them for good use more than a few times. Examples include; Robby fighting Trey and Cruz in season 1 episode 7. The Mall fight. Demetri kicking Hawk into the trophy case during the school fight.

[@soramatita]

This analysis also reflected in season 3. When Johnny writes back to Ali about what he was up to, we have a scene of Daniel and Kumiko reading Miyagi's letters. And in one of them, he says how he was such a broken man and a mess, but Daniel was his salvation, and so he considered him a son to him. After this, we see Johnny typing to Ali a similar message, how he was a mess too but found a kid named Miguel and how he helped him straight his life up, just like Daniel did to Miyagi.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Indeed! I noted that in my S3 video. I was like hell yeah!

[@shahanahsan05]

@@StryfetheWarrior it was beautiful,I mean If we just think about Johnny,he’s not perfect,he abandoned his son and never cared about him,prob the only reason Robbie turns into himself,he’s a bad father but he cares about Miguel.

[@kuddlecat]

@@shahanahsan05 I don't think I never cared for Robbie. He just didn't have enough emotional intelligence to deal with his things. He did say he was going to the hospital when his mom was on labor but didn't enter. After all we see he was a complete wreck and you can't really take care of others if you don't take care of yourself first. If he didn't care for Robbie he wouldn't have chastised his mom for her wrongdoings as well, he wouldn't have tried to get back to him, hell he even protected him from Daniel when keeping Sam at their apartment (which was def Robbies fault, should've been honest and taken her to her home being drunk)

[@_.twixxx]

ITS ALL ADDING UP. THIS IS LIKE MIYAGI-DANIEL RELATIONSHIP PART 2

[@clarkskents]

Also you forgot one major detail ! The bully that fought Daniel to the death turned out to be a truly great guy in the end and that’s only after all the lessons he learned in real life

[@dhanu_4539]

Both Miyagi and Johny learned through experience...while Daniel had those lessons handed down to him... great video

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Thank you so much!

[@Dom_C7591]

I heard from a good friend of mine stated a quote that applies what Dhanu_45 is saying: “A person gains knowledge from their own mistakes, but a person gains wisdom learning from another person’s mistakes.” It was something along those lines, but this was the first thing that came to mind after reading this comment

[@bakothegreat6986]

@@mikebaker4317 Bruh What is your point?

[@Dom_C7591]

@@bakothegreat6986 Are you asking me or Mike Baker? But if you’re asking me, the quote means that you will gain a great amount of knowledge from your own mistakes, but you will still feel some pain and a hint of regret. However, you will gain a great amount of wisdom from witnessing mistakes caused by other individuals, but you’ll only know the lesson and not have to deal with the consequences from those mistakes. That’s my own interpretation of the quote anyway

[@bakothegreat6986]

@@Dom_C7591 Mike baker ofc that's the name I put in

[@Hashbrown1682]

One thing I've noticed about Cobra kai's 3 rules is at their core they're real strong lessons and can be interpreted in different ways. Strike first: Seize the opportunity Strike Hard: Give it your all No Mercy: Never give up

[@DPham1]

Entirely correct. A lot of the nerds that Johnny teaches are too passive and need to be instilled with more aggression. For the most part, they are much better for it

[@Furluge]

To be honest though "No Mercy" probably needs to be re-written. It really is the root of the problems Cobra Kai encounters. I'm not sure what you'd replace it with. Never Surrender? Be Courageous? Maybe add Uphold Justice as a fourth line?

[@NinetyLegos]

@@Furluge That is a great idea. No Mercy gives off the impression that "Anything Goes" which Johnny has corrected through his teaching in Miguel and others and he doesn't have the 3 pilliars of Cobra Kai in his new Dojo which could give room and comfort in asking questions to what exactly they mean

[@sohummohare6364]

@@Furluge strike first, strike hard, no mercy, always honourable

[@nuraby_9228]

I mean, that's kinda the basis of the whole series. The Cobra Kai way initially gave Johnny's (and later on Kreese/Robby's) students the self-confidence and skills they sorely needed, but because Johnny made the mistake of only teaching aggression and not enough self-restraint (the philosophical stuff he disdained), it twisted the Cobra Kai students and made them far too vicious and aggressive (or in Kyler's case, an even bigger asshole)

[@obiwanquixote8423]

Daniel is that kid who has a legendary parent and none of the life experiences and hardships, but tries to live up to the standard. Johnny is that kid who grew up in an abusive home and says "I'm never going to be like that." One is trying to prove himself worthy of the legacy. The other is trying to transcend his destiny.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Very valid point!

[@Travis-ll6zu]

Dude Johnny was rich Daniel was poor growing up

[@TeddyB-vr1in]

@@Travis-ll6zu Technically he wasn’t rich, his step dad was. And seen in Cobra Kai, his step dad is a douche. Just because he’s rich doesn’t mean he still didn’t have problems

[@zettovii1367]

Well, Daniel did face quite a lot of hardships of his own. Growing from a poor family, facing bullying, also getting faced with a life and death situation as well as even getting a different teacher who taught him basically the opposite of what he has learned, before going back to his former master. If anything, it seems more like under all that time that he has been living in success, gaining a fortune, having as prosperous family with very little challenges in his late life, it seems like Daniel only remembers the "knowledge" of Miyagi's teachings, but has more or less forgotten a big part of the wisdom behind it. Remembering the knowledge of stuff like "only act in self defense", only to then do the opposite against Johnny, because he considers the very action of bringing Cobra Kai as an offense against him, inadvertently missing the wisdom behind aforementioned teaching.... Among other things.

[@obiwanquixote8423]

As Johnny himself said, sometimes ugly things happen in nice houses. Growing up without love, support or a positive role model is a different challenge than growing up poor. All sorts of developmental problems can and do result from that.

[@chuckles2035]

Johnny became a sensei, reluctantly, because somone needed him. Same reason Miyagi became Daniel's teacher. Daniel became a sense as a response to Johnny, not because he was needed but for his own personal reasons. That reason being to sabotage Johnny. Johnny legitimately cares about his students. He cares about helping the kids in his own tough love way. His points of confidence, discipline and being able to stand up for yourself are in line with almost every single martial art school in existence in the United States today. They will teach you most of the same basic principles that Johnny wants to impart on his students. Daniel is only concerned with being "the good guys" even though it's ultimately not that type of situation. Daniel's focus is completely off and his motives are misplaced. That's all you need to know as to why Johnny is the better sensei.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Well put!

[@chuckles2035]

@@StryfetheWarrior thanks. You made a lot of great points and amazing comparisons. I hadn't really thought too much into how similar Johnny is to Miyagi, but once it's pointed out its a "Oh wow" moment and you can't unsee it.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@chuckles2035 Thank you so much! I'll be bringing more content in the future.

[@jondoglegs7124]

Daniel had good reasons from his pov to be wary of the return of cobra ki. & him ending up teaching robby was initially happenstance instigated by robby wanting to spite his dad by working for daniel. And daniel certainly wasn’t uncaring. Its just all he knew was being a single student, jonny knew groups. In that sense jonny is effective but so is kreese

[@Revkor]

@@jondoglegs7124 the problem is Daniel doesn't pause. Hell for a guy that teaches balance he utterly fails

[@othervids3726]

Johnny is the better sensei because he saw the problems his students were dealing with and wanted to help them from day 1, and that's why he became a sensei. Also, he learned from his mistakes, and wanted to make sure his students could become better people than he did. He took the mistakes that they made as his own, because he taught them that way, and tried to correct them by correcting his teaching. He held himself accountable as much as he held his students accountable, and that's the mark of a good teacher. Johnny understood Miyagi's idea that there is no bad student, only a bad teacher, without ever needing to say it, because he experienced it firsthand. Daniel on the other hand only became a sensei to stomp out cobra kai, and for the most part didn't hold himself accountable for mistakes he made. While his fear came from a valid place, his hubris and denial of his mistakes screwed everyone over. Though he did start to realize this in season 3. And even so, even while Johnny had his problems with Daniel, he never tried to screw over Miyagi-Do as much as Daniel tried to with Cobra Kai. Daniel and Kreese were the ones who fueled the rivalry, and Johnny tried his best to steer clear of it.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Exactly. Season 3 I think finally made Daniel realize some things about the rivalry he hadn't realized before, and even Ralph Macchio said in the Vanity Fair Cobra Kai recap that Daniel is antagonistic (at least from Johnny's point of view).

[@danielamaris6367]

@@StryfetheWarrior He still did some pretty fucked up thing in S4 if u ask me

[@midgie2420]

I personally think you just nailed it! =)

[@menonada__]

@@StryfetheWarrior finally. Someone understands my point.

[@kbanghart]

Johnny's not better, just different.

[@The_D0C70R]

Daniel is good at karate, but Johnny is definitely a better sensei. He helps his students more and teaches equally effective karate

[@frankanuzzi9740]

I agree daniel is probably the best in the show especially after what chozen just taught him I think Daniel as a person and character was lot more likable and better in season 3 and finally acted badass at end helping Johnny against kreese

[@itsbmeGaming]

One of the key differences is Johnny is more upfront and relatable to why you need to fight effectively. Daniel’s wisdom is more abstract (like how Miyagi had him sanding the floor and painting his fence). Where they intersect is mental toughness. Daniel trained them in a fridge. Johnny in a cement mixer. Though Daniels is more about focus and Johnny is more about pushing through physically. Where I think Johnny has an edge is his temper seems like it got better over the years where Daniel still overreacts to things that stress him, although Johnny did have moments of drinking that did him in a bit.

[@manuelricardogarcia]

I think Daniel's style and the physicality of his fights sucks. In fact look closely at his posture, he is always slouching, with shoulders forward, and his technique when performing movements is slow and sloppy. Cobra Kai's style is far superior all around and effective.

[@frankanuzzi9740]

@@manuelricardogarcia it’s a show Daniel still wins all of his encounters

[@frankanuzzi9740]

He’s got good defense too his blocking is good

[@nicokrasnow1851]

One of the things a liked more from S3 is how Chozen broke Daniel's "I know it all" attitude as a martial artist and a person striving to be good, which was latter enhanced by Ali pointing out Daniel's flaws as a boyfriend.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Leave it to Ali to bring balance to both Daniel and Johnny!

[@therealmaskriz5716]

Exactly

[@shilpinitin6392]

@@StryfetheWarrior I really didn’t like Ali I don’t know if it was just m

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@shilpinitin6392 I think she was portrayed better in S3 compared to the stereotypical 80s love interest in KK1

[@shilpinitin6392]

@@StryfetheWarrior possibly but to me it just felt like they were trying to hard to make her a complex character

[@morenafromthevineyard]

I always thought Johnny has an easier time forming connections with the teens than Daniel ever does. I think it could be because Johnny is very good at talking to his students and not talking down to them. Often times, Daniel accidentally slips up and talks down to his students. If he isn't doing that, he's usually giving Miyagi's advice word by word. On the other hand, Johnny gives his own advice and never gave up on Miguel even after Miguel shouted at him in the hospital. It reminded me of how Miyagi refused to give up on Daniel in Karate Kid 3.

[@student8663]

I love that Johnny is always there for Miguel but I do wish both sensei's/ fathers had that energy for Robby! Robby lives with daniel and then Johnny just doesn't attempt to remake contact after already abandoning him, Robby tells Daniel not to bother visiting in juvie or to leave him alone upon release and so Daniel actually leaves him alone and homeless?

[@fineasandferb5304]

I also feel in the commercial its a mistake that he made his karate free, since Jonney doesn't have another business and relies on the money from Cobrai Kai to pay rent, while Larosso has the car dealership.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Oooh, that is a good one! Oversight on my part. It was a very underhanded tactic.

[@takerapoel]

That's exactly the reason why I'm passionately team Johnny but that's not what sparked it. I guess it's okay to open a free dojo but what's definitely not okay is influencing Johnny's rent for no reason. Like, the guy is trying to survive. You are milking a kick to his face you managed 30 years ago and you are rich. Let him be. It's a real bully move, pure evil. If it was any other, more neutral character we'd consider him the villain after such a move. I think if Karate kid didn't predate this, a lot of people would consider Daniel an antagonist.

[@TheInfantry98]

@@takerapoel it called business since real businessman are cold blooded people. It’s a brutal harsh world. You must be young and very naive

[@takerapoel]

@@TheInfantry98 It wasn't business. It was obviously personal. Daniel was selling cars. He wasn't in any way affected by Johnny's Cobra Kai. Also no, I'm not young and naive. It's sad that this is the type of people you have to deal with. Perhaps you should consider a change of scenery because that's not how the world works. Only a sociopath would actually try to bankrupt his high school enemy's business 30 years later.

[@AustrianA340]

If you think about it. Daniel and Johnny are pretty much like Sato and Miyagi. Similar reasons for their rivalry. One having a business and being rich. The other dealing with trauma and being pulled out of it by trying to help a kid being bullied. I'm curious if we will see Daniel begging Johnny for forgiveness.

[@bluejaydude1284]

Everyone: Daniel is BETTER than Johnny. Johnny: QUIET !

[@StryfetheWarrior]

😂

[@Shiftyiselite]

johnny better

[@juliogarcia5304]

Johnny:QUIET! YOU ARE A BUNCH OF PUSSIES!

[@hamza_7781]

Johnny definitely better

[@erikwilliams1562]

I got real mad without fully reading this 😆

[@yderga8707]

Johnny is more versatile able to adapt to situations, also had more experience losing. His lessons seem blunt and juvenile at first but def have better results long term. Daniel rides Miyagi coattails and only lives by his word and his word alone, his inability to adapt or accept change is the reason he's more limited of a teacher.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Agreed

[@jonathanhill3668]

Am I the only one who loves how Johnny says quiet

[@StryfetheWarrior]

He does it just like Miyagi says "SHOW!"

[@solemagus4761]

@@StryfetheWarrior Miyagi-Kai Philosophy: Show me... QUIET!!!

[@aspreedacore]

@@solemagus4761 W

[@solemagus4761]

@@aspreedacore 🍻💯🤣

[@suffering-everyday]

Q U I E T

[@bradenr867]

Even when Daniel keeps saying “that was 30 years ago” he like to hold on to them grudges doesn’t he?

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Ain't that the truth

[@zorse1235]

@@StryfetheWarrior he forgave chozen

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@zorse1235 He did, I was referring to the aspects of Season 1 and 2 in regards to Braden's comment. In my S3 vid I do acknowledge this and how he also forgives Johnny at the end of S3

[@PyrokineticFire1]

i think the idea that "people don't change" might've escaped his lips in one form or another in those first few seasons.

[@dragonballradiant2744]

Doesn’t matter you don’t forget bullies

[@RandomCorvid]

I think it is because like Miyagi, Johnny has the experience that taught him the lessons of humility, mercy, and patience the hard way. Daniel on the other hand actually has a very comfortable life, let's be honest the Karate Kid movies a lot of the problems were mostly squabbles and drama with Karate thrown in, and a lot of the times it was Daniel making the same mistakes and never learning. Daniel was taught about Humility, Mercy, and Patience but he never really learned it, he grew up with a successful life with little troubles. The fact that he has such a hatred for Cobra Kai shows that Daniel never grew up from that snarky 17yr old boy. Hell Johhny at the end of Karate Kid 1 when handing Daniel the trophy shows that he already was learning Good Sportsmanship and humility. Probably had more character development in those few scenes than Daniel had over the 3 movies.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Well said!

[@az6077]

u say that as if daniel didn't grow up dirt poor and worked for everything he had now.

[@ScoobyandShaggy5554]

@@az6077 he did but on the other hand he’s exactly what OP said

[@rasheemthebestfirstone3274]

@@az6077 he definitely got a bunch of money to start that auto company

[@sukhastings4200]

The lesson he never learned was to stop being hot headed. Johnny unlike Daniel, had a good sense of humor

[@zenli1407]

Johnny: "Always strike first" Johnny in action: *never actually initiates a fight*

[@StryfetheWarrior]

😂 Thankfully he finally was more clear on this in Season 3.

[@JimmyPunkWrestling]

@@StryfetheWarrior spoiler! 😂🤣😂🤣 I didn't know season 3 was already available, I'm gonna start watching it.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@JimmyPunkWrestling Sorry! You should definitely go check it out. It's an amazing season.

[@JimmyPunkWrestling]

@@StryfetheWarrior by the way, I don't mind spoilers.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@JimmyPunkWrestling *Phew. If you liked this video, check out my S3 Breakdown after watching Season 3!

[@ulrichnubias2193]

Johnny always fails as a father, but succeeds even in failing as a sensei. He is only as great as his student can be. Miguel is a great student and so is Johnny, while learning from him. Johnny is much more passive even in the second season after Miguel won. Trying to better his students, to see when he failed and admitting his mistakes in front of others. Something Daniel mostly does not.

[@walnoemispoyt5604]

Daniel does admit his mistakes there are various accounts when he does. e.g Daniel telling his students about when he was a Cobra Kai member, when Daniel decides to help Robby during the tournament, his many conversations with his daughter Sam, teach Dimitri Miyagi-do karate... I am not sure what you mean when you say that Johnny is passive but Johnny is still someone who strikes first but only this time he is using his brain more knowing when to strike first.

[@logann-mackenziefroste563]

Johnny needs to learn the meditative techniques and Daniel needs to learn to be more offensive. When Daniel used the new techniques to stop Kreese is a great example.

[@marcoslaureano5562]

Exactly, these are the main reasons Johnny has become a better man.

[@nixiejamies2330]

@@walnoemispoyt5604 he doesn't really admit those mistakes though

[@walnoemispoyt5604]

@@nixiejamies2330 You need to actually provide evidence to prove your assertion. At least provide some sort of episode to reference because otherwise I respectfully disagree.

[@d4rksonic474]

Quite easy actually: Miguel was able to stand up for himself after three episodes, while Daniel still got his ass kicked in the third movie.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Hot take

[@flolorm2349]

miguel wasnt fighting an undefeated psychopath who was told to torture daniel for as long as possible

[@UncleIJT]

After Chozen, I still do not understand how Barnes bullied Daniel-son. It’s almost as if the two movies should’ve been filmed in reverse!

[@BoneFrossil]

@@UncleIJT I think most people agree with you that the order should be 1-3-2... I mean he fought to the death in 2.

[@ThatOneDude6009]

@Ban this youtube Let me know when Miguel fights a 10th degree black belt.

[@Libertyandfree]

It’s honestly a classic story of a man seeking redemption for the mistakes he made in his youth. I’m Team Johnny all the way.

[@sukhastings4200]

Then why bring Kreese bsck? Kreesecwas the problem all of Johnny's old Dojo mates thought Kreese was a bad densei. Even pastor Bobby cursed when his name was brought up,

[@jmwilliamsart]

@@sukhastings4200 Everyone makes mistakes, Johnny thought that just maybe Kreese had changed for the better just like he had. Yes, he ended up being wrong about Kreese, but I can’t fault Johnny for wanting to give someone a second chance.

[@osbaldocruz4735]

This is the reason Zabka and Macchio agreed to do this, It wasn't a "Copy & Paste" like many others franchise, but a "Mirror" from the original story

[@Nick-kz6dg]

In Season 1 and 2, Daniel copy-pasted Miyagi's lessons and complained about how it didn't work with the younger generation. Johnny took the principles of Coba Kai and taught his own lessons that the kids could understand and learn from.

[@KigaiOkasu]

This is somewhat unrelated, but one of my favorite moments in Season 3 was when Daniel was training with Chozen. When Chozen was talking about how Miyagi-Do, while founded on the principle of defense, was ultimately founded to defend against invaders during wartime, thus necessitating the occasional killing technique, it reminded me of a subtle line in Karate Kid 1 where Miyagi said he fought for his life, not points. To me, it was a nice change in perspective and an illustration of a grey area where sometimes defense occasionally requires offense.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Well said!

[@soniablanche5672]

I read somewhere that karate was invented to kill your enemies while being unarmed, it wasn't really a "self-defense" thing.

[@frostiestark9533]

@@soniablanche5672 Karate, meaning "empty hand," has origins in rebellion. It is a fighting style that was literally developed to fight back against armed oppressors, when the people had their weapons taken from them. So you are definitely correct.

[@sukhastings4200]

Chozen. Is the true Miyagi do sensai

[@mohammedmahmud8389]

Another one is that Johnny taught Miguel karate after he was bullied Miyagi also taught Daniel after he was bullied

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Definite oversight on my part, but you're correct!

[@mohammedmahmud8389]

OMG I'm so happy you replied

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@mohammedmahmud8389 Happy you enjoyed the video!

[@MimiPipoo]

I was hoping that Johnny would have won their fight in season 4. I really hope they have Johnny win a fight in the future. Daniel has been so underlyingly toxic while Johnny has been honest and straightforward with everything.

[@minfamous5841]

FACTS. It sucks because I love the show but I’m starting to not like Danny, he needs to grow up

[@danielamaris6367]

@@minfamous5841 Also that fight was because Daniel tried to kick Johnny out of the Dojo and keep ALL the students to himself, even Johnny’s. Daniel’s ego was so HUGE at that part of the season that he thought the only way of beating Silver was with his style and treated Johnny as a piee od nothing. Imo that was a really shitty move, it’s exactly what Kreese partially succeeded at doing when he stole Johnny’s students from him.

[@danielamaris6367]

Piece of nothing*

[@vicshephard9231]

@@danielamaris6367 Daniel's wife even told him he was on some bullshit.

[@nikogruben9573]

@@danielamaris6367 it was a shitty move by daniel, but understandable. He didn't want to kick johnny out per se, he wanted the kids to only learn miyagi-do. This is pretty justified from his perspective, as he, unlike johnny, knew silver and the incredible danger that he poses. And since miyagi-do did defeat him once before, it does seem reasonable to think it would again. I mean you saw how johnny with his eagle-fang got his ass whopped by silver. Now it was still a shitty move by daniel, but not an evil one.

[@RahMan-rk6qu]

Now Johnny and Daniel are working together I think that Daniel will realize his mistakes while working with Johnny and apologize

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Indeed, I love how they finally started working together in Season 3.

[@danielamaris6367]

Lmao he literally tried to steal his students and kick Johnny out after all his effort. Imagine if he succeed, it would’ve ruined a man’s life.

[@hollowroxas4742]

We hoped that’s what would happen but sadly Daniel’s ego and mindset that his way is the only way and that Johnny must accept that and he cannot be wrong in any way lead to them falling out which is pretty sad in the end.

[@DragonDislikesApes]

It could not have gone more wrong

[@Godzilla00X]

Interestingly enough when you view Johny as Miyagi, Daniel gets some extremely strong similarities to Sato

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Someone brought that up as well! Maybe a future video? 🤔

[@DiegoMartinezCoria]

Cobra Kai Inception.

[@daniellejadee13]

wait this actually makes total sense. Daniel is the one trying to keep the grudge going.. maybe not a “battle to the death”, but he’s basically trying to ruin Johnny’s life, which is similar to what Sato wanted to do to Miyagi, so this is actually very interesting

[@glowhoo9226]

What I love is how Johnny had to learn from the countless mistakes he’s made, and is still learning, just like Miyagi. Daniel was able to find miyagi before he went too far, so he’s never been allowed to make mistakes for himself, he’s always had miyagi to fall back on. Miguel is the same way, he’s got Johnny to fall back on, and Robby has no one, and has to fix his own mistakes

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Good point!

[@kcold3277]

Even in season 3, i still think that johnny is a great sensei. His talk with alli was pretty much one of his biggest issues with his character. Which was living too much in the past. He now looks more at the present, to see what he can make better of the things he did wrong, which i think is a massive step forward. And Johnny regains his composure after miguel starts healing(which is usually represented when he shaves after a massive pit fall like the finale) the only big mistake he made was with robby, but other than that, he did nothing bit recooperate, and gain his footing. Daniel finally filled a void that miyagi left behind( or atleast mended it abit) after his trip, and his conversation with kimiko significantly impacted his movements going forward in the season. And he learns the offensive side of miyagi-do. I think overall both men have taken massive steps as a character. And both have shown to be effective. So i think it evens out, as of now. I personally think Johnny is better, since he fundamentally built his dojo to improve students, and re ignited that passion this season. And he finally realized he wanted to take a step with carmen, something he couldn’t really do because of his past and alli

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Indeed! I have a few videos planned for analysis of Season 3. It was a great season.

[@jjbb84x]

Well put! I'm very proud of both of them this season!

[@chuckles2035]

The character growth for Johnny across 3 seasons is phenomenal. Daniel, not so much, he's still rutted.

[@filthy0819]

@@chuckles2035 Johnny's character growth as shit He's the reason his son is so messed up and in a predicament he's then how's your character going to grow when you're a teenage son like he's getting worse because of your decisions

[@vincenthammons6705]

I hope he eventually repairs his relationship with his son and miguel and robby become brothers.

[@RobbyTheRogue]

I hope Daniel notices these similarities in the series.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

I can't wait to see how they do in Season 4!

[@deusvult77]

as someone who has studied martial arts for years, both sensei have very important lessons and I was pleased to see that Daniel says that the kids can learn something from both of them.

[@sukhastings4200]

Hawk learned some very valuable lessons. Kreese was horrible for him. If Hawk had continued in Kreeses dojo I could see him becoming like Dutch

[@VibhavSaraf]

One of my favorite scenes from season 3 was Johnny being sobered up by his "Priest" friend. Unlike Mr. Miyagi, Johnny is still a very flawed character with his own issues. He may not always know the right thing to say or do but he's still trying his best to be there for his students be it Miguel or Hawk.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Indeed, Mr. Miyagi hands down is the best sensei in the anthology. As you said, Johnny tries his hardest to be a better man.

[@davideitzman2912]

Yeah cos even when hawk goes against Johnny and calls him a hypocrit, Johnny still cares about him and protects him from Kreese

[@zorse1235]

@@StryfetheWarrior I personally feel Daniel will start to become better down the line

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@zorse1235 Season 3 definitely brought Daniel back into balance!

[@jeromevillaflor3896]

I agree, one flaw of Daniel I've noticed is that when it comes to Johnny he always thinks he is right and his method is supreme when compared to Johnny's.

[@myshcoolaccount]

Johnny literally helped Miguel walk again, WALK! He’s a hero

[@theikimashoclub5719]

He used a porn mag...lol

[@kgmk1943]

@@theikimashoclub5719 he’s a real man

[@dothog1401]

@@theikimashoclub5719 how else are you gonna get a teenage boy to walk again?

[@warpitexis2341]

@@theikimashoclub5719 and nearly lit him on fire. God I love this guy

[@vibester976]

not only that but cured his asthma and peanut allergies

[@OtakuTalkOD]

After the most recent season this is even more on point with what he learn about Miyagis past

[@bennettgrado2382]

I think that was the point of the tv show, to show 1 Daniel still has much more to learn and how Johnny is ready to be a sensei

[@StryfetheWarrior]

I agree!

[@brianscalabrine1991]

Bruh you look like young Kreese!

[@logess9983]

@@brianscalabrine1991 Bruh I...

[@kash_1085]

@@brianscalabrine1991 he really does.

[@binmarcy]

Miyagi Do Karate teaches the student the mastery of life & finding the inner person. Cobra Kai teaches the student survival to live long enough to find the inner person. Both are essential 👍

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Agreed!

[@darkengine5931]

One thought that popped into my head is that -- even though Mr. Miyagi always said that there's no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher -- Daniel was actually always kind of a bad student. At least he was far from an exemplary pupil, even betraying Mr. Miyagi to learn Cobra Kai. So he's kind of a bad student with the most amazing teacher. Meanwhile, Johnny is like the most amazing student with the most awful teacher.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Good analogy

[@aurahoneydew9607]

Danny definitely is inferior in later seasons it just feels super forced when Danny's dojo wins literally every fight vs Cobra Kai and are presented as the pure ones.

[@faizk4220]

except in that main fight when cobra kai destroys miyagi-do

[@aferretnamedsophie3335]

Well daniel has been training for a long time

[@aurahoneydew9607]

@@aferretnamedsophie3335 actually no if you recall he called it quits too he even had a scene where he had to clear out the dojo because he left it to become a storage space in season 1, he didn't get back into it til he saw the Cobra Kai thing up and going

[@aferretnamedsophie3335]

@@aurahoneydew9607 but he did taught sam though, didnt he? From when she was a kid, so he mustve trained at least some after miyagi passed, and while miyagi was still alive, they probably trained together and that means he has been maintaining his karate training for longer the jhonny, or at least equal to

[@tjl4688]

Except Cobra Kai destroyed them at the arcade (breaking Demitri's arm), and Hawk turned on Cobra Kai, defecting to Eagle Fang.

[@Ezioauditore5678]

What if Daniel completely gives all ownership of the dojo to Johnny after the series ends? He’ll go on to focus on the dealership while leaving him the dojo in good hands.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

You know, I'm not sure how I feel about that. I feel like the way the show is headed now, I couldn't see the dojo being ran without both of them. As much as I note the similarities of Miyagi in Johnny, he would still need to improve in a lot of ways as a teacher. Not saying he's a bad teacher obviously because of my video, but I think he's not quite there yet.

[@aspreedacore]

@@StryfetheWarrior the wife will make him give the dojo to johnny lol

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@aspreedacore That's true, Amanda is the more level-headed between herself and Daniel.

[@aspreedacore]

@@StryfetheWarrior I don't know about that one chief, she pulled a 180 when she basically became daniel in season 1 when she went after kreese by herself.

[@dungeonmaster201]

@@aspreedacore that was hilarious she slapped kreese, and Kreese slaps a restraining order on her.

[@drukharimatter2962]

I think the difference between them is that Johnny recognizes his weaknesses/past mistakes and earnestly seeks to make up for them. He really wants to be the better version of himself because he has experienced the worst version of himself for many, many years, even into adulthood. He’s at a crux of personal change and improvement, and lives with the consequences of being painted with the same brush by those who knew him for many years. Sort of like an addict becoming clean and having everyone around them doubt how long it’s gonna take for them to use drugs again. But he really has changed, but it’s gonna take time and humility on his part to convince others he’s sincere. Thing is, I think he knows that. Daniel however is, I feel, a more flawed character. As said in this video, he has a huge issue with his arrogance and pride. Anything or anyone that he perceives is a threat to it or damages it is on his list of people he needs to “payback”. He can’t let sleeping dogs lie, and he always has to be the bigger and better person. He can’t lose, and if he does, he literally shatters and becomes the worst version of himself. He’s extremely under confident in that way. I think Daniels trouble is that while mr miyagi was a great sensei, he also was like a father to Daniel and often turned a blind eye to his personality/character flaws. I think a lot of people in his life do. So he’s basically been emotionally catered to for years. I think without Mr.miyagi, Daniel has become very lost and has embraced his weaknesses. Opposite of Johnny, he has embraced the idea and stance that there’s nothing wrong with himself. If there is something about himself he sees is bad, he is unable to commit to personal change out of pride and always being “right”. In the end, they are both flawed, and it makes this show that much better because of it. It’s nice to see characters that actually struggle, instead of perfect Gary stus/Mary sues.

[@jorgebersabe293]

Lampshaded by Terry Silver himself, who even said that Daniel always had a bit of Cobra Kai in him. In many ways, Terry is a Daniel who never let go of his arrogance and pride. The whole trying to shut down Cobra Kai by underhanded means? That's exactly the kind of thing Silver would do.

[@Noamalmoggg]

johnny is such a fun character to follow his development

[@StryfetheWarrior]

He is for sure!

[@auzwkk]

Who needs an analysis to know Johnny Lawrence is an absolute BADASS and clearly the best sensei !!

[@rhetiq9989]

A thing I noticed happening quite often in the earlier seasons is how Daniel constantly and actively tried to hinder Johnny in building his business, in other words bullying him. All Johnny did following that were mostly a response to Daniel’s actions due to his not being able to move on from his childhood trauma caused by Cobra Kai

[@pyramidhead138]

it must be hard for Daniel w/o Miyagi. its like part of Daniel died WITH him

[@StryfetheWarrior]

In my opinion he's pretty lost, but I think he finally found the balance in Season 3.

[@erikwilliams1562]

If he could go one episode without mentioning miyagi it would be a miracle.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@erikwilliams1562 I've seen a meme of where Shrek is like "Can you not mention Mr. Miyagi... FOR 5 SECONDS?!"

[@giacomopaganin6071]

@@StryfetheWarrior The trip to Okinawa was like an awakening for him but it is clear that Daniel needed Miyagi. I am unashamedly Team Daniel but he often struggled to be a mentor in his own right and heavily looks at Miyagi as a reference point. Johnny has shown that he can be his own sensei without Kreese and teach things in his own way.

[@danielamaris6367]

Of course it’s hard bro. But I think most men around his age experience the same as their parents die. So I wouldn’t take it as an excuse, it’s something that will always hurt but you have to move on or go speak with a professional therapist that can help you move on

[@sethcollins9844]

Actually Daniel hit Johnny first

[@grfboro81]

Han shot first

[@sethcollins9844]

@@grfboro81 who’s Han lol

[@joshuahecht6866]

@@sethcollins9844 Han Solo Star Wars

[@sethcollins9844]

@@joshuahecht6866 oh👁👄👁

[@travellfitzpatrick711]

No Daniel didn't I am watching the karate kid now and Johnny hit him first when he pushed the radio in his chest and Daniel fell. Daniel rushed Johnny and Johnny tripped him and kicked him in the stomach and when he came back and asked did you have enough hero and that is when Daniel punched him. He told his man to trip him on the soccer field they ran him down on the hill and they whipped his ass after he got Johnny with the water Cobra Kai started all that shit

[@keilahfoster7761]

Finally someone can point out the exact reasons why I love Johnny more than Daniel. Even when Daniel is portrayed as the protagonist all the way back in Karate Kid, he isn’t exactly the “good guy”. I think Johnny is better because he has grown and learned and is all around a better character.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Agreed!

[@andrewgerard2579]

Johnny continues to try to be a better man while making mistakes but Daniel is always trying to fix his mistakes but believes he's a better man...in the end I think Mr. Miyagi's teachings will come back to Daniel...but like others have said...did Mr. Miyagi ever spend time with Johnny before he died???!!! That would rock Daniel and start the rift between them again...and off to season five!!!

[@StryfetheWarrior]

That would be amazing. Johnny and Daniel are both good teachers, they just also have their moments.

[@NinetyLegos]

Yeah. Johnny was pretty stubborn about being left alone but surely he'd have to run into Miyagi and have had a chat with the Asian dude that saved his life over some beer and exchanging some wisdom

[@AllegroFitnessArt]

Very good observations. These are actually many reasons (among others) why I think it would be pretty great to see a “field trip” to Okinawa in season 4 in preparation for the tournament, and by that I mean one in which Johnny, Daniel, and all of their students go there for a few weeks to do some intensive training with Chozen and his students in his dojo, especially if Johnny and Daniel could cap this off with a trip to Korea to learn the roots of the system of Tang Soo Do from which Cobra Kai originated, especially if this would lead to them finding out that the founders/instructors there had close ties with Sato and had actually worked on the style together, finding out that Cobra Kai actually came from a style that is an extension of Miyagi Do, and that it unfortunately was corrupted by a lot of what Kreese and Silver added to it.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

That would be dope! In my previous video I did expand off of Cobra Kai Theory's theory that Sato may have taught Silver and Kreese. There were some subtle hints of Kreese having a japanese master (at least until S3 debunked this) in the video game.

[@bleedingcrystal4722]

I’d love to see Daniel and Sam go to Okinawa for training, but if they follow the timeline they’d have to postpone the tournament until after summer, which wouldn’t be hard. I just can’t see Daniel foot the all of the expense to take all the students there. Plus I have to wonder how Chozen would feel teaching that many foreigners. I’d prefer just Sam and Daniel but Miguel too could make sense.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@bleedingcrystal4722 I think Sam and Miguel would be the best choices too

[@allenrojas415]

Dude, this could be a whole season before the tournament and then the competition itself could be develoaped on season 5. Sounds pretty amazing

[@allenrojas415]

@@StryfetheWarrior they can also bring Hawk and Demetri. That will be fun to see and I believe they have the means

[@lastnamefirstname8486]

In Daniel’s defense to breaking down Johnny’s door, Sam is his daughter so I’d say he has the right to be angry there since Johnny is telling him to calm down and keep him out without even trying to say that Sam was hammered to. Daniel’s issue after is that he still fails to accept that it is Sam’s fault, and even Robbie’s considering he took them to Johnny’s. But I’ll agree too that Johnny is the better sensei, especially watching him in both season 3 and 4.

[@NinetyLegos]

And Johnny also wasn't pissed off even though he brought "A LaRusso" over. Maybe it was because Robby went to Johnny for a change(doubtful but anyways) or probably because he understands that people make mistakes and that Robby was trying to help Sam and he didn't want to make Robby's good action seem bad by Repremanding him. Johnny defended/protected Robby and honestly Sam as well by trying to reason with Daniel and then just resorted to fighting after Daniel kicked the door in his face. Daniels action is understandable but at the same time he should have trusted Johnny as Johnny hadn't given him any real reason to mistrust him (besides his car reeking of Whiskey) as Johnny has been straight forward to "LaRusso" and has evidence of being a good influence on people

[@michaelpatterson7990]

Every time anything happened with Robbie that Daniel didn't like he sent him packing immediately. Even with his own daughter it seemed that instead of facing her issues head-on he would try to force karate into the picture as the answer to her problems. It's amazing that Ralph Macchio can channel the exact same energy he had back in the movies, there is no disconnect between the two.

[@NinetyLegos]

I almost totally forgot about that. Yeah, Johnny parallels Daniel in that sorta way as Johnny most likely didn't like Robby bringing Sam over drunk but he didn't tell them to go somewhere else. He tried to help them and tried to get Daniel to chill and think. Sam doesn't get punished, Robby takes the fall for her. Sure Honesty is the best Policy but he gets Sam's problem as his mother, and father, is often drunk so he respects her wishes and helps

[@AzurePursuer]

Like Johnny Said. He wasn't taught the difference between No Mercy and No Honour, and he is still paying for that.

[@dariusbautistachopper]

It was very obvious also the first episode... When he defended Miguel at the convenience store... Was like "aaah looks like Johnny might be the new teacher and miyagi..." Especially seeing how Daniel's life is so easy and looks snobbish To be humble is to be honorable 🤘

[@keithricker504]

Johnny almost gave up and lost it all at points. Daniel needed knocked down a couple of pegs. Until seeing Miguel, Johnny wasn't going anywhere, his life needed to be refocused. Daniel had forgotten where he had come from, he needed to lose a little to remember balance. Both men are good people at heart and mean well, they just lost the discipline for different reasons along the way in life. With what happened with Kreese, especially with no one to fill the void, Johnny had to sort it all out on his own, which led to the beginning of Cobra Kai. It shows what happened to him along the way in his life. Daniel's karate became more of a slogan than a lifestyle at the start of Cobra Kai. He lost what was important, and forgot how best to help the people in his life. For Johnny, Miguel was the catalyst to him straightening out his life. For Daniel, it was returning to Tomi Village was the catalyst to get him back to where he needed to be in life. I think both will be great sensei's by the end. They both just had their own demons to face off against. Right now Johnny has the edge, but I think that him and Daniel will be equal by the end of it all.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Very well said! I agree that Daniel finally found balance in Season 3. Got that video planned for the future.

[@keithricker504]

@@StryfetheWarrior After this analysis, I am subscribing to see the next videos. Keep up the good work.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@keithricker504 Thank you so much!

[@danielreid3476]

I never really thought about it like that, but I see the Miyagi-Johnny similarities. Good presentation.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Thank you! Cobra Kai is not as black and white as it seems, but that's why I love it!

[@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr]

@Mike H, Daniel follows and teaches the lessons of Cobra Kai from the original Karate Kid films more often than Johnny does in whereas Johnny teaches the lessons of Miyagi more often than Daniel does in the Cobra Kai tv series, so I find it hilarious how Daniel hates everything about Cobra Kai, but yet his philosophy and teachings are more similar to the Cobra Kai in the original Karate Kid films whereas Johnny in the Cobra Kai tv series follows and teaches the philosophy of Miyagi more than Daniel does.

[@naheemquattlebaum2267]

Johnny is the better sensei and the better man for one reason: lack of arrogance. Even back in high school, Johnny wasn't arrogant per see; he was just an insecure teen working through his issues and felt threatened by Daniel who kept inserting himself in his business. Johnny's prideful and incredibly stubborn but he's never looked down on anyone. As for Danny, even back then he's been arrogant. Even before he learned character he's had that smugness. Maybe it's from being from the Northeast (as a New Yorker I can confirm lol) but Miyagi had always tried to keep Danny's arrogance in check. But you could say because Danny had such a good sensei it made his arrogance worse as seen in the first season. Almost everything Danny does it's to pat himself on the back. Johnny just wants to do the right thing even if it's the wrong thing lol. Bets example of Johnny's morals is when he questioned Kreese's order to hurt Danny in the first movie in the finals. Yes Johnny was a bully and not perfect, but remember: Danny started it ;)

[@therabidscorpion]

The major lesson from all Karate Kid movies "It's all womens fault!" LOL

[@StryfetheWarrior]

😂 Nah I wouldn't say that. More of "never put passion before principle," like Mr. Miyagi said ;)

[@therabidscorpion]

@@StryfetheWarrior I've always suspected Daniel did something jerk-ish between Karate Kid 1 and 2, as 2 opens with him saying Ali willfully banged up his car.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@therabidscorpion And Ali did confirm this in S3!

[@shadowling77777]

Lmao

[@solemagus4761]

Son Helen of Troy shit forrreal LOL

[@vicshephard9231]

Johnny took kids that didn't play outside and turned them into champs. Kreese seeks out guys that were already great athletes. I have a hard time believing that any of Johnny's guys would freeze against an opponent that they already defeated. I don't know about Larusso's training.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Ooh that's a good point.

[@combatsportlover6919]

How many of Johnnys students had a skilled opponent who seemed willing to pull weapons and fight them to the death.

[@combatsportlover6919]

Sam knows that she has the skills to go toe to toe with Tory but she freezes because she knows how ruthless her opponent is. You have the skill to win, but so does your opponent. Except they seek to do real damage.

[@kbanghart]

Freezing, which basically we saw this season as an anxiety attack kicking in, can happen anytime.

[@vicshephard9231]

"Fear does not exist in this dojo." There are levels to this shit. There are teachers that will have a person unafraid of an opponent. Kreese is one of them. Johnny's the same. Notice how his students keep coming. Miguel was ready to fight Kreese at the park.

[@donniembugua1129]

The fact that both rivals always have their side of the story makes them more relatable. Johnny is a better sensei bc he acknowledges his flaws and tries to work on them while Daniel thinks himself high and mighty. This is how some of us behave thinking that we're always the good people and that our enemies are villains and this is not always true. I'm in love with Cobra Kai bc of how realistic and naturally relatable it can truly be.

[@TheLastProtheanJavik]

Johnny is more likable while Daniel would strike me more as a pretentious schmuck. Plus Johnny is in a better position to teach these kids to be better people johnny ultimately had the worse from life from the two Daniel became an annoying rich douche. Plus these kids also change johnny life to. The only time Daniel felt like miyagi was when he was looking out for robby

[@StryfetheWarrior]

The roles have definitely reversed - Johnny was rich and Daniel was poor - now vice versa in the series.

[@dajointcf4803]

daniel is a hypocrite thats for dam sure...

[@geraldjames7719]

@@dajointcf4803 if we're being fair they both have hypocritical moments.

[@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr]

@@geraldjames7719, I’ve watched all of Cobra Kai in one setting, and Daniel is way more of a hypocrite than Johnny is because even whenever Johnny had hypocritical moments in the Cobra Kai tv series he didn’t lie about his total hypocrisy unlike Daniel where he lies about his hypocrisy constantly.

[@geraldjames7719]

@@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr there's a reason for that Daniel puts way more effort into being a good person and Johnny does. He just falls short Johnny's not trying to be anything you just living his life.

[@addictedtochocolate920]

"Would you join the sith, or would you join the jedi?" Me: Neither. This is the way

[@marcoslaureano5562]

Vo'de An!!!

[@StryfetheWarrior]

I admit I haven't watched a lot of Mandalorian yet, but so far it's good!

[@addictedtochocolate920]

@@StryfetheWarrior It is worth watching in its entirety

[@breathinginsulphurfartingr9964]

Have you removed your helmet?

[@houseofmatrix6174]

That was definitely Robbie

[@DaKingBread_]

It's crazy how even 3 years ago, this still stands.

[@travellfitzpatrick711]

You know what would have been cool if Miyagi help Johnny after part two when they came back and Johnny wasn't only angry at Daniel for the girl and the fight but not telling him about Miyagi dying

[@StryfetheWarrior]

I think Miyagi would've really helped Johnny too. I think it'd also be cool to see an alternate what if where Miyagi taught both Johnny and Daniel after Karate Kid 1.

[@travellfitzpatrick711]

After he came back from Japan. The Daniel and Johnny dynamic would have been totally different in Cobra Kai it would have been more buddy cop movie than what we have now. But could you imagine in karate kid 3 Daniel and Johnny having to fight Mike and his goons.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@travellfitzpatrick711 I think Daniel would've been a lot more confident, especially with Johnny by his side. Mike was a ruthless fighter, but I think with Johnny involved it'd be a different outcome. I don't think Mike would've been able to easily beat both of them 2 on 1.

[@travellfitzpatrick711]

@@StryfetheWarrior Mike's two goons that he had with him they never touched Daniel if I remember but they were with mike when he broke the bonsai tree Johnny would have kicked there ass like the garage scene in season 3

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@travellfitzpatrick711 Yeah, Dennis got taken care of and Snake never really fought Daniel one-on-one. I agree, Johnny would've mopped the floor with them!

[@ZeldaLore]

Daniel: Miyagi's wisdom. Johnny: Miyagi's power

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Love it! Hadn't thought about it like that.

[@danortiz]

Difference between Johny and Daniel. Johny Will never Judge your worth (maybe your appearance lol) but Daniel Will judge you and condemn you by your appearance and all.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Oooh, good point.

[@cloakedgod3026]

Let’s not overlook how Johnny helped Miguel walk again.....

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Oh of course! This video was made right before Season 3 came out. I have more videos on Season 3 in the future that I plan to make.

[@evelynwilson1566]

This was another thing that really annoyed me about the writing for Johnny. It was done in a way that it presented Johnny as heroic, when really what he did was pretty dangerous and arrogant.

[@roberto_namngo8138]

If Johnny was under Mr. Miyagi’s wing from the start he would have been the GOAT of karate

[@StryfetheWarrior]

I agree! I think Johnny would've done a lot of good learning from Mr. Miyagi.

[@takerapoel]

Hmm, he would have certainly learnt some new moves. But I think their styles aren't compatible. Yes Johnny doesn't "strike first" in street fights but he's karate style is aggressive and fast. I prefer it.

[@Dani-tf4ij]

He really would have. I think that Johnny overall is the better competitor and has more experience then Daniel ever did. I mean they treat him like trash even tho he was the all-valley champion before Daniel was. They need to give him more credit

[@Lieutenant_Dude]

I like this. As melodramatic as the high school stuff is, I do really like Billy Zabka's portrayal of Johnny's growth and resilience. It's obvious that he was lost and drifting through life at the beginning of the series, but working for the sake of others (Miguel, Carmen, Sam, Robbie, his students, even Daniel and Amanda) builds him up to be a better person. It helps him find the nobility in himself that he never knew he even had.

[@thickac7579]

I think there is also a real contrast when it comes to students. When Johnny is commited to someone he really goes all out to look out for them, and with Daniel it feels like he loses his temper and simply ghosts and pushes them away if they don't hold up to his moral standards and in a weird way creates this dynamic that they constantly have to prove themselves to him , which is ironic considering he is the one saying "There is no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher"(I know he always turns around and ends up being there for them, but he doesn't practise what he teaches onj more than one occasion ). I think both are great in their own way and they have their flaws which i think makes the show so good. They both have a lot of growing to do and the show makes it clear that they are by no means complete , even as karate practitioners.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Well said!

[@vicshephard9231]

There's no such thing as a complete martial artist. There's always more to learn.

[@justaguywhogotlostintherec1527]

I think this is also a perfect example of "I want to be you!" and ending up so much worse cause you automatically probably set yourself an impossible goal. You cannot be someone, you can only be yourself and thats why Daniel failed in the sense of being a good sensei, he's trying to fit into Mr. Miyagi's shoes when in reality its just turning him around in circles as he confuses himself since he had only his master to confide and get advice from.

[@paneltwin]

you can see the paralells between Johnny and miyagi in the controlled and guided way of teaching they both share while Daniel has a lot more attitude and is more harsh kinda like crease in a way of how he forces his beliefs on everyone. but if you look back at kk1 its so in character lol

[@thenazirite3828]

It’s the story that lasts time....a girl is the start of a fifth! Helen of Troy, Delilah, King David’s friend’s wife!

[@PeacePham1991]

So Johnny is pretty much the same person as Mr. Miyagi :O

[@StryfetheWarrior]

The way the writers decided to portray Johnny, it's insane how many things that make him very much like Mr. Miyagi; the music cue still blows my mind. Obviously I still think Mr. Miyagi is the best sensei in the entire franchise and I don't think anyone could argue that, but maybe he's not all that different from Johnny.

[@carloz1536]

@@StryfetheWarrior Miyagi being lost in life until he found daniel is a perfect symbolic tie in with Johnny being lost until he found miguel hurt and it just opened his eyes to so much and sees him as another son while helping him learn how to be a better father so his son, though he still has to make up for the past.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

@@carloz1536 Completely agree!

[@docd-monik4380]

What Daniel needs to finally understand (and what Chozen tried to impart to him) is that Miyagi-do is NOT just a defensive/reaction based style. And more importantly, he does not have to teach his students in the exact carbon copy way that Miyagi taught him. Miyagi taught him what and how he did because he knew Danny was a hot head. He designed his entire teaching method around that fact, to help Danny learn how to defend himself while teaching him how to deal with his anger and how not to bring more trouble upon himself. Not all his students have the same issues. Take Dimitri for example..that kid does not have an anger problem. If anything, he needed to learn assertiveness and toughness. The way Miyagi taught Danny is all wrong for someone like Dimitri.

[@SomeOne-ok1bx]

You’re a legend this is the greatest analysis on Johnny and Cobra Kai I’ve ever seen, thanks.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

That means so much to me, thank you!

[@georgevarughese4886]

@@StryfetheWarrior yeah great video

[@arakuss1]

I think people are missing the point about what makes a good sensei. As Mr. Miyagi would say “No such thng as bad student’s just bad teacher.” What makes a good Sensei from behind a bad one? What makes a Sensei better than the other? I think part of answer to these questions is honor, balance and heart. This is what Mr. Miyagi always was trying to convey. You have to honor not only others but yourself. Without honoring yourself you can’t learn or honor others. You have to believe in yourself. Karate comes from within. You have to have heart and do good for others as well as for yourself. Most of all you have to have balance. Without balance you can’t do any of those things. That is lays at the heart of the Karate Kid movies. Good and bad teachers and balance. Johnny in Karate Kid 1 is a result of a bad teacher and has no balance. Even at the end he never finds balance and we know by Kobra Kai he is still out of balance. Daniel is out of balance at the start of the movie and then finds some inner balance at the end of the movie. But there is a lingering unbalance in him that is not resolved and that is he never finds resolution with Johnny. There is no balance between the two. Also this point they are both students not senseis. Daniel is not a sensei in any of the movies too. So here comes Kobra Kai and the great debate who is the better Sensei? Neither, at least not yet. Kobra Kai is about the resolution of the imbalance between Johnny and Daniel that was caused by a bad teacher. Season one basically starts off with showing how far Johnny has fallen and is not happy with himself. He is a neglectful father and still living in the past. He has learned nothing. He only becomes a sensei at first to make money and then to prove himself better than Daniel. They are all selfish reasons. Daniel is not in balance either. He basically uses his knowledge of Karate to sell cars. His family is not all in order and is lost without his former Sensei. Daniel starts teaching Karate and becomes a sensei for the wrong reasons as well. Its more out of showing Johnny is wrong and feeding the conflict of the original Karate Kid. This creates and imbalance amongst their students. While Johnny teaches his students Karate without balance Daniel fails to teach his student Robby balance. Both Johnny and Daniel are just new student sensei’s and will have to learn from their mistakes which they are repeating. Season two is the result of their failure to teach their students balance and the arrival of the core reason for all that is going on between Daniel and Johnny, Kreese. Daniel starts a dojo and is basically again teaching to combat Kobra Kai and not seeking to truly instill in his students what Miyagi taught him about balance. Johnny fails to keep his students from falling into Kreeses hands and even spends time away from them. It is these key failures in these Sensei’s that result in the season end brawl at the high school and the severe injury of Miguel. Johnny only then sees that Kreese is the true reason for some of his failings and Robby is result of Daniel not seeing the kids true issues of being out of balance with his father and needing better guidance. Both Sensei’s are still blinded by their conflict with each other and out of balance. Season 3 is basically where these two Sensei’s finally learn a lesson that they need to convey to their students. Daniel and Johnny still can’t forgive each other and let the past go. They both see renew their rivalry in trying to win over Robby but that only pushes Robby to Kreese and a bad teacher. It is this old conflict that keeps them from being good Sensei’s. Daniel going to Okinawa finally teaches Daniel some lessons that there is forgiveness with meeting with Chozen. He also reminded what it is to be a true and good teacher. Honor, balance and heart. Johnny too learns when he sees that he can’t just make Miguel well by ordering and forcing him too. He learns how to get Miguel to recover was through inner balance and putting a smile on the kids face. But the final lesson both learn is from Allie that they are both good men and should see the good and themselves in the other. Kreese is the true reason for the imbalance in them not being good Senseis. So who is the better sensei neither of them they are both learning to be good senseis and to find balance and put an end to the imbalance that their initial grudge caused in their souls and hearts. Both are coming to this realization and being good sensei’s from different ways but are winding up in the same place. They both are flawed but they both have good hearts now and it remains to be seen if they both wish to heal that imbalance between the two of them. Both Daniel and Johnny are still students and learning to become good Senseis so how can one be better than the other. If they teach from the heart in Miyagi’s mind they will both be good teachers and not a bad one like Kreese. Sorry for the long windedness but I always find it funny when people are trying to say one is better than the other when both have come up from different paths to where they are now.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

I will be making an update to this as far as Season 3. I think personally Daniel finally achieved his balance in that season.

[@LuisGarcia-sm2xd]

Not reading this someone give me a spark notes

[@femiismail1593]

This is an amazing view on the show

[@DravisACard]

💯facts

[@tromboneman4517]

You can be a great teacher and have a bad student. There are bad students.

[@Altonraen]

after seeing part 1 of season 6 this video only hits harder, daniel is a straight miyagi glazer to the point of delusional denial that miyagi had a troubled past, daniel wants to be morally superior so bad that he is actually losing it because of the whole miyagi box thing

[@neilmartis17992]

This video was extremely interesting to watch. I usually do not watch analyses, but your perspective here is quite refreshing and objectively put...Excellent stuff.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Thank you so much! I got more on the way!

[@johansmallberries9874]

Miyagi and Johnny both experienced great loss and public dishonor early in life. They also both live in the past(driving vintage cars, both practicing old rituals) and both humbled themselves to work as handymen. Danny has basically had a smooth life of victories since the first movie, which is why he’s struggling so much now due to never having to lose on his own, but Johnny and miyagi both know what it’s like to rebuild from nothing.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Excellent point!

[@EzraDair]

My other issue with Daniel is that his sense of righteousness blinded him so much to make the wrong choices he made through his life , he was so obsessed with his way and his path he got his ass kicked by someone who learned a few new moves in Okinawa so easily because he was so sediment on his believes and ideas he refused to let his girl let loose and go out with a good boy who was learning karate from his “arch enemy”? Then he tried to steal him away from his father figure ..

[@RLgamer13]

How funny would it be if Chozen manages to make Daniel realize his mistakes in s4

[@loriwysong3259]

This was very insightful. Thank you for putting it together.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Thank you for your kind comment!

[@naegleriafowleri2230]

If you watch Cobra Kai, you see that Johnny never talks badly of Mr Miyagi or says anything about him even when Kreese does, he just stays quiet, he respects him for helping him with Kreese

[@StryfetheWarrior]

You know I was still kinda upset that Johnny never mentioned anything about Miyagi saving his life, but looking at it from this perspective, it makes sense.

[@NinetyLegos]

@@StryfetheWarrior I'm willing to bet at that moment it happened Johnny'd a rather died as his father figure literally just tried to kill him after one tiny screw up. You can see throughout the series it really fucked him up after the fact that Kreese, the guy he looked up to and wanted to be, did that. He recollects it in the first episode in the Sport center parking lot at one of his darkest moments in the series

[@crimson3673]

I like how this video still holds up to this day. Esspecially with the new lore on Miyagi in season 6, showing his darker past.

[@honestabe4866]

For the section about Daniel and Johnny’s mistakes/flaws, none of Daniel’s mistakes amount to abandoning a child. I loved the video, though.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Johnny has been trying to mend that relationship by trying to connect with Robby (which he fails doing so), but comes up short. I think in a way he tries to make up for that by teaching Miguel. Appreciate your comment!

[@ubidoo9906]

I personally think Daniel is really narrow sighted in the show. Johnny started to realize that sometimes you don't need to strike first, and already learned that you should show mercy. But Daniel hasn't realized that defense isn't always the best option. And he pictures offense as being immoral and a terrible position to take, because he associates it with violence, but sometimes it can be better to strike first. The problem with Daniel is he thinks he's always right. But Johnny is willing to admit and learn from his mistakes.

[@Turzone]

I always liked Johnny since the start the of the cobra Kai show. He just a chill guy.

[@verdant229]

This is sort of unfair towards Daniel as he was featured in all 3 movies. Meaning more room to make mistakes. I honestly think Daniel and Johnny are the same. Men with flaws. But good. They have perks and cons. 👌

[@StryfetheWarrior]

The only reason the flaws carried over from Part 2 and 3 because they do carry over into Cobra Kai later on. If we looked specifically at Cobra Kai Season 1 and 2, Daniel made more mistakes. I will say I personally like both as well and I believe neither of them are the true antagonist; that is Kreese.

[@elchico772]

@@StryfetheWarrior yup they were too busy disagreeing with one and another while kreese was making some very smart sneaky moves. Just like a cobra.

[@takerapoel]

Daniel is a prick towards Johnny for no reason man

[@johnsalpas3233]

@@StryfetheWarrior yeah but lot of them were petty ass things. Johnny litterally left his kid that should gave his mistake counter 50 lmfao. You're just going off mistakes and not how big the mistakes were

[@roxythelipstickpixie72]

@@johnsalpas3233 then Daniel messing with the livelihood of the other tenants of the shopping mall just to get back at Johnny should be judged just as harshly if not more so. It goes both ways, both have made big and terrible mistakes.

[@kimberleybabajko9263]

This video should be called why is Johnny Lawrence the best character periodt.

[@StryfetheWarrior]

Could be!

[@trip_8153]

This show is totally going for the Yin yang symbolism with Johnny and Daniel