Why So Many Of Johnny & Daniel's Students Were Barely In Cobra Kai's Final Episodes

Warning: Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6 part 3

Despite being the end of the series, Cobra Kai season 6 part 3 made a surprising decision to sideline a sizable portion of the show's cast. Kenny, Anthony, and Devon all made appearances in Cobra Kai's ending, but none were vital to the story in any capacity. Between the three, they only had a few speaking lines in the show's final five episodes.

This approach extended to other members of Johnny and Daniel's dojo in Cobra Kai. Mitch and Chris, for instance, only received cameos in the series finale. As for Bert and Nate, two minor characters who have been around since season 1 and season 2 respectively, weren't around at all. It was a noteworthy shift, given that while these students aren't the focus of the main story, they have been on hand for years.

Cobra Kai's Season 6 Structure Explains Why So Many Characters Were Missing

They Were No Longer Needed

Devon (Oona O'Brien) training by performing katas in Cobra Kai season 6

It would appear that Cobra Kai's strategy when it comes to this specific group of characters can be attributed largely to the layout of the season. The first five episodes explored the preparation for the tournament, the next segment pivoted to the actual Sekai Taikai tournament, and the ending focused on the final round. The characters it chose to spotlight were in accordance with the stakes of each segment, with the setup for the tournament obviously allowing for a much broader focus, as everyone in the cast was still relevant up to this point.

Martin Cove's John Kreese with a Cobra Kai collage in the background

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That enabled Mitch, Chris, Bert, and Nate some screen-time, while paving the way Devon, Kenny, and Anthony to help drive the narrative of the first two segments, considering that all three served as participants in the tournament. But as a consequence of this formula, none were exactly necessary for Cobra Kai season 6 part 3; since it was about the finals in particular, they would really be little more than spectators in a story about Tory, Sam, Miguel, and Robby.

Cobra Kai Season 6 Already Concluded Devon, Anthony, And Kenny's Stories

The Show Wrapped Up Their Stories Early

Structuring the season the way that it did made it possible for Cobra Kai to bring the stories of these characters to an end ahead of the ending. At the time, it wasn't necessarily apparent that Cobra Kai season 6 part 2 was basically the culimination of their arcs in the series, but the developments did indeed serve as a form of closure.

Anthony, for his part, gave a heartfelt apology for his treatment of Kenny and in doing so, ended the rivalry that has been at the center of his story ever since he became a main character in season 4.

Kenny finally got to speak his piece with Terry Silver, resolve his lingering feuds with Hawk and Anthony, and in turn, find acceptance in Johnny and Daniel's dojo. Devon came clean about her mistake in Cobra Kai season 6 part 1, and subsequently strengthened her bond with Johnny in the process, thus solidifying her place as Johnny's second-best student. Anthony, for his part, gave a heartfelt apology for his treatment of Kenny and in doing so, ended the rivalry that has been at the center of his story ever since he became a main character in season 4.

How Cobra Kai Hinted At The Futures Of Johnny & Daniel's Other Students

Anthony & Devon Are Among The Contenders To Win The Next All Valley Karate Tournament

Kenny (Dallas Dupree Young) tells Amanda LaRusso (Courtney Henggeler) the reason why he didn't qualify for the Sekai Taikai in Cobra Kai Season 6 Ep 8

It's true that they largely overlooked across the last five episodes of Cobra Kai, but the show's secondary characters weren't forgotten about completely. Albeit without significant speaking lines, Cobra Kai was able to paint a picture of what their future would be through the reveal of Johnny and Daniel's new dojo lineups. Mitch and Chris, being older students, may have graduated and moved on much like Miguel and the others, since neither were shown in these scenes despite being present at the final fight.

Bert and Nate didn't appear either, but given their ages, it's likely that both remain involved with the dojos, regardless of their lack of screen-time in the finale.

Bert and Nate didn't appear either, but given their ages, it's likely that both remain involved with the dojos, regardless of their lack of screen-time in the finale. As for Kenny, Anthony, and Devon, the show has confirmed that all three will continue to practice karate under the two senseis. And according to Cobra Kai's post-credits scene, Devon continues to be aligned with Johnny, and Anthony - of course - still trains primarily under Daniel. But a dojo swap looks imminent, wherein both may be the prime candidates to win the All Valley Karate Tournament.

It's fitting that these characters will be the leading figures in Cobra Kai's next generation. They weren't Johnny and Daniel's primary weapons during the lifetime of the show, but it makes sense that with Miguel, Hawk, Demetri, Robby, Sam, and Tory all gone, they'll be the ones at the forefront of the fights to come, possibly with All Valley championships under their belts before their time with Johnny and Daniel is over.