"I Love That Editorial Choice": Ralph Macchio Addresses The Classic Mr. Miyagi Callback To Karate Kid In Cobra Kai Series Finale

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for the Cobra Kai series finale!Cobra Kai has featured multiple callbacks to the Karate Kid movies, but Ralph Macchio thinks the show’s final Mr. Miyagi moment is the perfect way to end the series. During the same post-credits scene where the show’s creators discuss a Back to the Future reboot, Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence share a meal together. After Lawrence excuses himself, a buzzing fly prompts LaRusso to recall the lesson in which Mr. Miyagi attempted to catch a fly with a pair of chopsticks. However, when LaRusso attempts to replicate the feat, Lawrence returns and swats the insect with his bare hands.

Speaking with Tudum by Netflix, Macchio reflected on the decision to end the show on this final note and praised the contrast between the original Karate Kid flashback and the modern Cobra Kai moment. Suggesting that he “love[s] the way they wrap that up,” Macchio explains that it puts a fresh spin on one of the original movie’s most iconic scenes. Check out his comments below:

I love the way they wrap that up. It’s so reminiscent of a famous scene from the original Karate Kid film. I really love that editorial choice. You’re watching [a flashback from] the Karate Kid movie for more than just a couple seconds … and when you come out of it, it lands in a way that’s so classic Cobra Kai.

What Macchio’s Comments Say About Cobra Kai’s Perfect Ending

Both Daniel & Johnny Have Learned Much From Each Other

While some fans may have taken issue with the respective tournament outcomes for Miyagi Do competitors Robby Keen and Samantha LaRusso, there is little doubt that Cobra Kai season 6 part 3 reminded audiences of exactly who the show’s leading characters were. Returning the show’s focus back to William Zabka’s Johnny and his newfound friendship with his former karate rival, it is fitting that the showrunners opted to end the series with one final moment between the two senseis.

As reluctant as both men may have initially been to embrace the other’s competing philosophy, by the end of the show each had come to appreciate the value of the vastly different Miyagi Do and Cobra Kai teachings.

Moreover, having Lawrence interrupt LaRusso as he attempts to recreate one of the original Karate Kid movie’s most iconic scenes also reinforces many of the show’s key lessons. As reluctant as both men may have initially been to embrace the other’s competing philosophy, by the end of the show, each had come to appreciate the value of the vastly different Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai teachings. Much as Macchio suggests, it was the perfect editorial choice to have Lawrence provide a far more pragmatic approach to swatting a fly than Mr. Miyagi’s far more esoteric lesson about patience and focus.

Our Take On Daniel LaRusso’s Final Flashback

The Scene Also Shows Another Damaged Relationship Set Right

Mr. Miyagi appears in Daniel's dream to give him advice in Cobra Kai Season 6 Ep 13

Beyond highlighting the differences between Mr. Miyagi’s original teachings and the lessons LaRusso had learned from his former rival, the show’s final flashback also served to repair one last fractured relationship. Throughout much of Cobra Kai season 6, LaRusso increasingly begins to question his former mentor as he learns several secrets that Mr. Miyagi had kept from him in life.

However, when Daniel’s mother explained the origins of Mr. Miyagi's pearl necklace, the true and honorable motives behind his actions were finally revealed. With so much of Cobra Kai’s story focused on having its characters atone for their past misdeeds and seek to repair even the most damaged of relationships, having Daniel fondly recall one of his favorite moments with Mr. Miyagi proves that he too has reconciled any lingering doubts he may have once had about his beloved sensei.

Source: Tudum by Netflix