#daniel larusso interactions

[bitelikeaneagle]

@miyagidos

"Look, I don't give a shit what it is, I don't want you keeping it in my fridge. Could infect everything. Just look at it, man." The blond gestured at the shelf in the refrigerator as he held it open.

"Barely even food," he mumbled as an afterthought.

[hideousvampire]

rralp

bliy

the fuck is he looking at

also danal and johnny

[msfbgraves]

It's so wild to me on a CK rewatch that the writers gave Daniel a son with insane psychological insight who knew:

-His sister was a wanted child and he was an accident;

-His parents demonstrably favoured his sister over him (he's not in the family photos beside their bed for chrissake)

-His parents don't care he knows as he never gets a reaction when he points this out to their face, not even one of reassurance (seriously the heart next to his baby photos in the scrapbook says "gotta love me" - a duty then, not a joy)

-Knew his father has a violent streak he hides even from himself;

-Knew his attention is entirely conditional: you either do what he likes (eating or karate), or he'll ignore you completely unless you act out (case in point: he replaced him with some random kid he moved into the house who did do karate)

-Had "friends" whose love was also entirely conditional, but was so terrified of being alone he was willing to be a bully rather than friendless

-Resented all of this so much he has stopped trying to work for anything, what's the point

-"Anthony you make everything worse"

-Had both an eating disorder and a screen addiction about this at like 12 ("Anthony, stop drinking the butter!")

And then CK went: "Whatever, we only created this kid to show Daniel is a loser who can't parent a Real Man" and promptly forgot about him for the rest of the show

Anthony LaRusso may not be an entirely fun person, but neither is Tory but at least we as the audience get to comiserate with her

The only one we can see give Anthony any positive attention before S5 is his grandma

I bet you Lucille LaRusso is the tech savviest grandma in her whole neighbourhood because she will have shown an interest in him and now she knows how to hack the smartfridges of people she hates

Will someone please make some actual time for this boy....! Even if Daniel was consumed with mad worry and grief over Miyagi right when Anthony was born we've seen Amanda spend more time with Tory than with him and that's his mother!

Yes, he's just some gremlin but under these circumstances, who wouldn't be??

[skyf0ckz]

"Hey! Pose for the yearbook!"

"Hah, don't make me look ugly,"

"That's impossible <3"

[soupforsoup]

Yeah I'd love to make new and original content but unfortunately there's only so many ways that I can say how the opening scene in 1x07 where Daniel's training Robby in the home dojo makes me scream and cry and claw my eyes out

[autism-swagger]

I am convinced that they're putting Ralph Macchio and Peyton List in platform shoes in Cobra Kai.

Exhibit A:

William Zabka is 6'0. Ralph Macchio is 5'9. Daniel and Johnny are about the same height.

Exhibit B:

Tanner Buchanan is 5'8. Peyton List is 5'5. Tory looks like she might actually be very slightly taller than Robby.

Exhibit C:

Xolo Maridueña is 6'0. That is not a 7 inch difference. We even see Tory's shoes in this episode (they're converse), so we know she's not wearing heels or platforms in universe.

Exhibit D:

Mary Mouser is 5'3. Does that look like a 2 inch height difference to you?? You can even kind of see a slight platform in Tory/Peyton's shoes.

[zappedbyzabka]

The bond that Johnny and Sam have means a lot to me.

THATS HIS DAUGHTERRRR

[keeneschoices]

Jon saying two characters he loves a lot are interacting for the first time EVER in a really fun scene in ep. 1 has got me thinking and theorizing so much

I really REALLY want it to be Daniel and Tory because I feel like this interaction would be amazing, but Idk If that one scene in which they appear together at the LaRusso's kitchen counts or not

maybe it could be like, Johnny and Kenny?? Idk, they're both important to Robby and I feel like it could be a fun scene but knowing how things ended up for Kenny last season, I find it unlikely

and knowing how the writers of this show go, it's probably gonna be like Demetri and Tory or Hawk and Anthony (not sure Anthony would be a favorite of his tho).

[bonsai-btches]

Gotta say, one of the best fucking things to come out of that final episode of season five was Johnny throwing the beer can at Mike, missing and hitting Daniel, and then immediately tackling Mike before he himself got thrown onto the ground.

I don't know why that was so fucking funny to me, but it was.

[jeanstapleton]

[bitelikeaneagle]

@miyagidos​

Johnny fished around in his pockets for his key to no avail, the blond not realizing Daniel still had them. Carmen needed to be dropped off for a late shift at her work, and Johnny managed to have one too many drinks paid for to drive himself. Amanda took her car and drove Carmen while Danny took Johnny's and drove the blond home. The brunet's car still sat parked at Johnny's place anyway. The intention had always been to end up back in his apartment with Daniel, but Lawrence hadn't expected to go home in his passenger's seat. Even so, the man only teased Daniel on the way back.

By now, Johnny forgot that Danny had brought him a present at the beginning of the night, "Think I left the keys at the..." No, they couldn't have driven here without the keys. They weren't at the bar, "...in the car." He turned on his heel to go back, eyes scanning the ground in case they fell out somewhere.

[lovehurried]

“I can tell him to stop teaching your children knife tricks, if that would help."

@defenseonly gets a short starter from Sigyn

[terrence-silver]

how do you think what Larusso's relationship would be like! beloved (daniel's oldest daughter in her twenties) and old man! Terry during the Cobra Kai timeline, especially if beloved, was extremely morally similar to Terry? let's say, they "match each others freak." ❤️ I love your blog, especially because I'm also a writer and I love your take on Terry, your in-depth character study of him is terrific, sorry for any mistakes, english is not my first language, I'm Brazilian, lots of love from here!

Hello, Brazil! ❤️

---

Frankly, I think Daniel would just feel downright haunted by one of his kid's proclivities and her character long before Terry ever returns into the picture --- years and years before he does, actually. This is an ongoing process that stems back to the time Mr. Miyagi was still alive; it's like Terry Silver never went away in the first place, notwithstanding the lingering trauma and bad memories that Daniel would have to live with on a daily basis, but that his own daughter is starting to resemble one of his demons from the past in worldviews, personality and behavior now too; it is literally the worst development imaginable. Nothing and nobody in his life is safe. Moving on is impossible when the battlefield is happening under your own roof. This whole city, the passing decades, The Valley itself as a whole and each passing generation feels like it has something of Terry Silver's in them and he's never truly gone. His darkness is stubbornly ever-present.

It's like Terry infected everything, even things and people he never actually touched.

Never came in contact with.

Never interacted with.

Nonetheless, it is there, finding ways to seep into every pore of his existence like an infection, possibly leading to Daniel being strictest precisely with his oldest daughter in the hopes that he'd steer her away from becoming the way she's becoming to overcompensate for her shortcomings and all the things he's expected of her but that she didn't live up to from his point of view. Something she might take to heart, because what child of their parent's wouldn't? Cause her to feel like she's far from her father's favorite. Like he cares for Sam, Antony and Louie a lot more and that he sees them as 'the good children he can feel proud of' because they're incarnations of everything Mr. Miyagi espoused...unlike her', which couldn't be further from the truth because Daniel would adore his estranged daughter too, but still, his stance towards her would be here causing her to wish to rebel, go against the mold even more and willfully embrace every bad impulse she has even more than ever before because it's hard to reconcile the fact that she's incompatible to her family. That she's distinct. Daniel takes a different approach with his problematic older daughter because he loves her and doesn't want her to grow into a morally questionable person, but is simply so afraid of what he's witnessing in her that his methods might be unbalanced, their root found in fear --- infinite parental concern. Meaning, he might snap, he might yell, he might be judgmental and not always be an exemplary, patient parent, because validly, it's hard to be exemplary when your own kid reminds you so much of a past abuser who messed you up for life. He might take some draconic measures with her too. His belief in pacifism and 'letting go' might just vane as well. What choice does he have? She's starting to resemble...someone he knew a long time ago. Someone he'd rather not speak of anymore. Jesus! He doesn't even want to think about it ever again! Hard not to! When she's right there, at the dinner table, in his own house, his own flesh and blood, someone he adores, someone he would do anything in the world for --- anything but accept that she's going down a negative path. What parent worth his penny would? Should he just allow that without doing anything?

So, when she befriends Terry, of all people?

Becomes a little too close for comfort with him?

It's a nightmare.

It's like watching his life's work and efforts at setting a good example literally collapse and history repeat itself except in an infinitely worse way than could ever be anticipated. Daniel would be convinced Terry Silver has perversely planned this for god knows how long and that getting under the skin of his daughter was premeditated, and heck, knowing Terry, maybe it was too and that this is revenge. Some sort of sick scheme. Grooming. The desire to continue ruining his life by hitting Daniel where it hurts most, even decades after everything that's went down and for the longest time, Daniel would feel like he's the only one who understands the unhinged gravitas of the situation, causing him to feel crazy and all alone in the world, with nobody to get his point of view and how eerie and harrowing Terry being with his daughter actually is, whereas Amanda, for example, wouldn't see the full picture for a good while, her concerns being limited solely to the age difference, but not the actual context under which any of this is happening seeing as how she's not entirely aware of what went down between Terry and Daniel because Daniel didn't tell her. In fact, she might even understand why their daughter likes Terry Silver. He's rich, he's handsome, he's charming, sure, a little sleazy, perhaps, but ultimately the harmless, inoffensive kind of sleazy (ultimately being too old for their daughter). She might even see Daniel freaking out as slightly overblown. He's overreacting. Of course, man's old enough to be her grandfather and it's a reason for concern and intervention but surely, not the amount of panic and crisis Daniel's exhibiting --- except, it makes the whole situation only feel the more dizzyingly infuriating, because that, that guy, right there, is also simultaneously the worst person Daniel knows and he knew quite a lot of those. And now, his own daughter is consorting with him. How does Amanda...just not get it!? He would feel like he's losing his damn mind. Terry Silver ruined so much of his late teenage years and the years that followed, influenced by the lingering trauma and trust issues; the last thing Daniel would allow for him to have his daughter's soul too. This whole discourse might just lead to the Larusso's marriage encountering shaky grounds.

Amanda could easily be taking her daughter's side, because ultimately, she'd see her daughter as a free person (and she'd critically misunderstand how awful this whole thing) is and Daniel would become more and more volatile seeing as how he wouldn't feel empathized with in the least bit. ''It's the man who tortured me when I was just eighteen!'' he'd yearn to scream out. ''He made me believe he was my friend. That he had his best intentions at heart. And then he tortured me and I trusted him, Amanda! He and John Kreese! They did it together! And now, Terry Silver's got his hooks in our daughter and she's letting him! You're telling me to calm down!? I can't calm down!''

Daniel would fight against the situation with all his might.

He'd argue.

He'd get his hands dirty.

He'd ironically show that bit of Cobra Kai he had in him all along.

He'd do things he'd do in no other situation if it meant changing his kid's perspective.

But, he'd under no circumstance accept his daughter being the way she is.

Just like he wouldn't accept her being with the enemy.

Terry Silver can't have his family.

Terry Silver, though? He'd manipulatively and very sweetly expertly exploit this pre-existing rift in the family to masterfully to divide the Larussos even further and get exactly what he wants by being the (seemingly) understanding, concerned supportive shoulder for Daniel's daughter and offering the camaraderie she doesn't feel she ever had at home. He becomes her support network. Her only support network, eliminating everyone else who isn't him because there's 'no matching the freak' of someone who has a couple of decades of experience in malice ahead of you, who fought in a war and who could, effectively, push came to shove, kill and die with relish. Daniel's daughter might think she can go toe to toe with Terry where being chaotic is concerned (and he'd fuel and enable her belief that this is true) but is there really anyone who actually can? Heck, he might even encourage her to keep a good relationship intact with her folks all while effectively sabotaging said relationship purely so he'd seem guiltless in the matter, playing good cop, bad cop accordingly. But, ultimately he's cool! He's awesome! He lovebombs! He lavishes! He's generous! He's seductive! He can give the spoiled Italian princess the life she's used to and so, so, so much more. He takes on whatever mask and personality is best suited for the situation to draw people in! He's older and by extension, probably makes a younger woman feel more mature and 'cool' by comparison too, appealing to whatever mommy and daddy issues are present! He's all about embracing instincts, impulses, holding nothing back which feels liberating to the otherwise Zen and possibly stifling teachings of Mr. Miyagi! He's rich! He's knowledgeable! And he's Terry Silver, which automatically could mean a world of damage. Never doubt the man's an influence that would entirely destroy what little stability's left in this family and turn Daniel's daughter against her father, mom, brothers, her sister and literally everyone she ever knew. In the end, she'd get more than she's ever bargained for. She thought she had control over the situation. She didn't, though.

Her dad would've been correct all along.

Terry Silver corrupts and devours.

Nothing's for free.

[jaidens]

You'll See Me In Hindsight, Tangled Up With You All Night

pairing [s] : daniel larusso x reader

warning [s] : | kissing | jaiden releasing not one but TWO daniel fics in a row 🫢 | y'all im sick and I wrote this on benadryl brain so if it's horrible let me know fr

a/n [s] : requests are open stinkers

Whenever Daniel invited you to his house for dinner and a movie with him, it made you undeniably giddy as you walked inside with him. Lucille, his mother, is throwing around pots and turning around in her tiny kitchen making some sort of Italian food you weren't able to put your finger on. “Sorry about the mess.” Daniel apologizes as you walk inside of his tiny room. He has a twin bed in the corner, a desk, and the walls are decked out in posters and The Jets flags.

“Baby it's fine!” You let out when Daniel begins picking up everything on the floor and throwing it in different places. He stands up and you pull him into his bed, tugging against his dusty pink button-up t-shirt. “Sorry, I just forgot.” Daniel apologizes for a second time and you shush him and your hands fall into his thick mop of hair that's on his head. He's mumbling about school and how one of his teachers was yelling for no reason.

His mother calls you both for dinner and you jump up with him, holding onto the belt loop on the back of his jeans. Lucille is setting things on the small table, lasagna and other plates on it. “This looks amazing, Ms. Larusso!” You exclaim and Daniel agrees, thumb running circles on your thigh. “Well thank you! It's my Nonna’s recipe. When Daniel was a kid, he used to beg everyday for this lasagna!” Lucille is quite loud and now you understand where Daniel gets his likeable personality.

You and Lucille share stories from childhood, about Daniel, and other situations as you get to know his mother. You had only met her at karate tournaments or accidental run-ins at school. Dinner ends after a while as Daniel scrapes his plate of leftover sauce and cheese as he smiles at the interactions with both of the people he loves. Lucille picks up your plates and Daniel pulls you to the L-shaped couch and he turns the TV on and scrolls throughout the channels.

Eventually, he ends up on a Jamie Lee Curtis horror movie, and it's just begun. You're laying in his arms and he holds onto your hand as he draws circles on your t-shirt. The t-shirt you're wearing is his, and it's the West Valley Soccer team championship one. You had borrowed it permanently whenever he had left his gym bag with you after you had accidentally taken it home.

You cannot tell if he chose to, or not to. He knew you weren't exactly scared of horror movies, but they still made your bones shake and shiver when you watched them. Daniel. holds onto you at a steady grip. He makes sure to continue soft runnings of the tips of his fingers across your chest.

You rely on the calming feeling of his touch, soft kissing against his lips once the movie starts to almost reach the climax of it. Your lips clash and cling together as you take your attention from the television to the feeling of him everywhere. “Thank you Daniel. For inviting me over.” You say to him, twirling the longer hair in the back that curls on your pointer finger. “Of course baby, anytime.”

The night ends with pecks against lips, giggling and laughing, and jumps on the couch after someone screams too loud or something different. This is where you need to be: in Daniel’s warm touch and the smell of him that wraps around you.

[day-dreamsinthedark]

If you write x Reader, may I request some head cannons for Demetri Alexopoulos x reader where the reader is Sam's older sibling?

Hi! So I am not very great with head-canons, nor am I comfortable with writing in the 2nd perspective, but I really enjoy this idea so I thought I would try? My sincerest apologies if this is not what you wanted, but if you'd like to request anything else, I'd love to try it! Also, so sorry for the wait!

ALSO. There are a few curse words, I am SO SORRY if you aren't comfortable with them. Please let me know!

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Demetri seems like the type of guy to fall in love with any girl that is even remotely nice to him, so imagine his surprise when LaRusso!Reader is the first person he meets when he starts at West Valley High School's coding club. As Samantha's older sister, or her Irish twin, as their parents love to tell everyone, you had always been a little self-conscious.

The eldest sister. A title once loved, now something more like a curse. Unachievable and utterly unbearable. You have always been entirely uncoordinated and just uncomfortable in your own skin, so karate has always been just out of your reach. Not that Daniel has ever minded– Kata has always been a comfort. Something to do in private, calming and kind.

This meant that LaRusso!Reader has never been very comfortable in the karate scene, but also around the family in general. It was easy to get lost in your own little world– books, games, television, and all things that made you unlike your sister.

-

He'd known you for over a year before he figured it out. He assumed that you were just the hot nerdy junior that none of the other guys could really appreciate, knowing absolutely nothing but your first name before Miguel kicked the social skills into him. And as someone who was equally as shy, you felt absolutely fine ignoring everyone and getting your work done.

I imagine that in this scenario, where there's a pretty girl who occasionally exchanges smiles and pleasantries, Demetri doesn't even really notice Yasmine (or her friend who looks suspiciously like LaRusso!Reader)

He's so caught up in his crush on Reader that Eli's got to consistently remind him that being nice is not the same thing as having feelings, even if you always went out of your way to compliment whatever fandom-related memorabilia or clothing he brought to school. Like that time you complimented his Doctor Who shirt (and then wore your favorite GOT shirt the next day– to which he did not compliment, because he was so stupidly starstruck.)

Still, there wasn't much interaction between the two of you for the first year and a half that you had known each other. 

-

It wasn't until you finally gave in and decided to train with Sam and Robby that everything had changed. You'd only agreed to the basics, some Kata and maybe a bit of sparring. Robby was kind and made Sam a lot happier than you'd expected her to be, so what possible harm could there be in trying?

So there you were, minding your business in your dojo's yard. Eyes closed as you stretched– a backbend, a stretch that Sam was never able to get, and likely the only athletic thing you’d ever been able to do– ignoring your sister’s conversation with her "not" boyfriend and your father. 

“It’s time we be patient.” Your dad said, “Let those who need us find us. Alright?”

At this, you thought it might be an important time to join the conversation, preparing yourself for the hard part: flipping back over. You hadn’t quite mastered that yet, but it wasn’t… impossible. 

Then, a familiar voice. One that you hadn't heard in months because he and Eli had quit the team without a word. Not that you had spoken much anyway, but still it hurt. 

“Excuse me? Uh, it was unclear if the gate was the front–” He stopped abruptly, missing a porch step and managing to call out your name in confusion just as he hit the floor. You, on the other hand, fell over on your arms just as the realization set in.

“Ow. Jesus.” “Fuck’s sake.” The two of you spoke at the same time.

Neither of you had stood yet, but you craned your neck at him as Demetri called your name out again– from his spot on the ground.

 “Are you… what are you– you know karate?”

Instead of responding, you groaned out in pain. “Mhm. Little.”

You’d fallen quite awkwardly, hurting your shoulder in the process, so by the time you had fixed yourself, you opted to stay on the floor. It was infuriating. Instead of actually trying to help either of you, everyone in the yard simply passed looks. From you, to Demetri, and then to each other. Sam and Robby’s eyebrows lifted so high you were shocked they managed to stay on their faces. Your father seemed mostly confused, but Sam chewed on her bottom lip in an attempt to swallow the shit-eating grin that was pushing its way out. 

“Thanks,” You said, shooting a glare at the two people beside you. “I appreciate the absolute lack of worry on everyone’s faces right now.”

“I’m” –Demetri started, voice frantic and cracking as he moved forward slowly. It was odd. You couldn’t recall the two of you ever having spoken more than a few words to each other at once. –“You’re… you were in the Coding Club.”

“Correction. I am in the Coding Club.” You smiled at him, patting your knees clean as you stood up. You leaned forward ever so slightly, “You’re the one that quit.”

His eyes go wide and his face runs red. And that is precisely where your story would start. 

–

Demetri seems pretty obsessive in general, so the two of you would be attached by the hip, regardless of whether or not either of you were aware of each others interest. Mr. LaRusso would probably lose his mind at the idea that he started a dojo just for his male students to be infatuated with his daughters. The arguments would probably start with a lot of, “I’m running a dojo, not a fucking dating show!”

Demetri x OlderLaRusso!Reader would also be incredible bc it would have such an intense change on the dojo wars!!! Demetri would be so caught up in trying to spend time with you that he wouldn’t give so much attention to Hawk’s shenanigans. The mall fight would probably change a ton. Demetri still would have submitted that Yelp review, but the mall scene would’ve gone a little differently because instead of third wheeling Sam and Robby, he’d be following you around like a lost puppy. 

I also love the idea that Hawk– who very likely also had a small crush on you at some point– is fucking flabbergasted when he sees the two of you together at the mall. Maybe the two of you are laughing over some ridiculous comic, or he finds you just as your hands graze. At this point in his journey, he definitely wouldn’t care, but I think he’d resent the idea that Demetri is allowed to have any sort of romantic interest as a nerd. If Hawk wasn’t good enough, then Demetri shouldn’t be either. 

Ugh, I love the little emotional journey those boys go through. 

ANYWHO. 

Even if Hawk is fully infatuated with Moon at this point, seeing you with Demetri would fuel his rage. I'm also fairly certain that seeing you would trigger some sort of response from the Eli that knew you.

You would be a reminder of who he used to be, but especially who the three of you were together. Oh he definitely would have also been into you, because why wouldn't he be? Those boys did everything together. It was probably this sort of "We can both like her because she'd never date either of us" rule. Like a celebrity crush lol

Not only did you fucking like Demetri, but you were incredible at karate. How? Who taught you?

Imagine Hawk’s shock at getting his ass handed to him by the shy girl who led half of the Coding Club meetings? The realization that you're not only better than him at karate, but very obviously into Demetri, who has done absolutely nothing to be worthy of having positive attention would drive him insane. The fact that you did all this while still being entirely unashamed of your "nerd" title would not help.

Demetri’s shock, I think, would go something like this:

“I thought you said you weren’t good at karate?” He’d say as he hides behind a rack of sunglasses. You’d run towards him, grabbing his hand and pulling him back towards where Sam and Robby should be. 

“I’m not. You’re just…”

“Okay! I get it!” He’d interrupt, face red and horrified. 

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

You can probably tell that I'm not used to writing in head-canon style lol I think I am more comfortable with little scenes? I also ran out of ideas bc it's been a while since I've seen the show, but I'm planning on a rewatch soon. SO if you enjoyed this at all and want anything specific pls let me know! I'm not very comfortable with x Reader but I would like to be!

Thank you for the req, and again-- so sorry for the wait!

[purpleheartskies]

Robby won captain

... because it fits his character development and character journey

After s5, I made a post called Robby as a leader that talked about how the writers have been building Robby out as the leader amongst the teens.

These are the main points in that analysis. That post has explanations for each.

Robby isn't a blind follower, which is important for a leader.

Robby doesn't actively seek out and hurt people to be vindictive, another good quality for a leader to have.

Robby honors the rules he sets and is an honorable leader.

Robby had some equal standing alongside Kreese and Silver in s4. Robby was the sole person in Cobra Kai who could teach Miyagi-Do to the students, meaning Robby probably led a lot of the classes.

Robby also tailored his lessons to the Cobras and didn't have them do chores. This shows he's able to identify how best to lead his group and change strategies to be more effective and to suit them. He did the same with Kenny, teaching him to use his speed to his advantage.

Robby was the first kid to mentor another kid. Robby was a great mentor to Kenny---despite what Robby believes, as he's too hard on himself.

Robby has been shown to be a strategic thinker who is at times willing to take risks, a good leadership quality to have.

Silver recognized Robby as a leader and even as an equal to the senseis, including himself, given how Silver responded to Robby in s5e9.

Robby was shown in a central, forefront position for the students in both dojos in s5.

These scenes were also in conjunction with Robby having a significant interaction with Daniel and Silver, respectively. The first one kicked off Miyagi-Dos return in s5. The second one was the first move against Silver by Miyagi-Do at the end of s5.

Robby's standing amongst the senseis is especially something of note. Robby is narratively an equal to the senseis.

In s5e9, Robby walked in after Silver and Kim talked about LaRusso, Lawrence, and Toguchi being pests and that they'll swat the next one. Robby then made his speech to the students, even daring to call Silver the enemy. Silver then swat Robby down with Silver's "they hear you, but listen to me" demonstration.

Another great example is s4e3. Robby became Kenny's mentor, while Daniel worked with Miguel and the Eagle Fangs alone for the first time and Johnny worked with Sam and the Miyagi-Dos for the first time.

And of course, Robby did what neither Daniel nor Johnny could accomplish in s4. Robby taught a dojo of students another style of karate and all of his students used that other style effectively in the tournament.

Robby is also the only kid to have teamed up with a sensei in a fight.

Hope we get at least one more team up between these two.

The matches in s6e5 were being used to determine who should be captain. The girls fight had no conclusion to it, and both girls became captain for a dojo. Not only did the girls each become captain, they also had a true resolution to their rivalry in terms of hashing things out properly. It's interesting, then, that there was a definitive decision for the boys for captain, although they haven't yet had a true resolution for their rivalry in terms of hashing it out properly. In fact, it was Robby only who took accountability and apologized, and Miguel didn't do either. Overall, the 3 kids who took accountability and apologized each became captain.

Robby became the captain after cleanly winning the only fair fight that he and Miguel have had. 😊 You go, kiddo!

It's important to note that being the best fighter doesn't make someone the best leader. imo Robby is the best fighter and the best leader amongst the boys (and teens). Even if Robby hadn't won the captaincy match, Robby is still the boy, between these two, who's better suited to lead. Robby is the kid overall who has been built out the most narratively as a leader.

Another important thing to note is that Robby is the teen that most naturally and closely follows Miyagi-Do, and as I point out in my Robby is the protagonist post:

Robby carries the essence of Miyagi-Do with him, wherever he goes, including juvie (The Heart of Miyagi-Do - Part 1 and Part 2). Although, this show is called Cobra Kai. Cobra Kai represents the generational trauma that is being passed down from Kreese to Johnny to Robby and from Silver to Daniel to Robby. Miyagi-Do is presented as the opposition to Cobra Kai: The goal of Miyagi-Do is to teach a better way. In fact, all the important avt final matches and the ST trial matches were Miyagi-Do vs Cobra Kai. The whole goal is to take down Cobra Kai. In s4, Robby beat the whole Cobra Kai dojo using Miyagi's teachings. Of course, the kid who carries the essence of Miyagi-Do will be the one to take down Cobra Kai for good in the end.

Robby, while wearing a Cobra Kai gi, used Miyagi-Do to take down the Cobra Kai students in their dojo. He then assumed his position as the leader (with Tory as a co-leader) and started teaching the Cobras Miyagi-Do.

It's important to note that Miyago-Do purely has yet to win a tournament. In s1, Robby was using pure Miyagi-Do to fight, but Miguel cheated to secure the win for Cobra Kai. In s4, Daniel told Hawk to put Robby on defense, which is Miyagi-Do, and encouraged Hawk to use Cobra Kai. Although Miyagi-Do won the boys championship by name, Hawk primarily used the Cobra Kai style to win. Sam was also using both styles to fight against Tory. Silver cheated and secured the win for Tory, so Miyagi-Do lost the girls championship and lost the tournament overall.

No other kid, especially not Miguel, has been built out the way that Robby has as a leader and as the teen who follows Miyagi-Do most inherently, even in his fighting style. According to Tanner and one of the stunt coordinators, Robby uses the traditional Okinawan style, but switches it up only when he needs to.

Miyagi-Do has to win a tournament purely as Miyagi-Do in this series. Miyagi-Do is the legacy of this franchise, and the whole point of this series is that Cobra Kai, including Eagle Fang, is a poison and must die.

In s6 part 1, the new development about Mr. Miyagi's backstory is interesting. When Johnny called Mr. Miyagi "a liar and a thief", I immediately thought of Robby. The earlier reveal that Miyagi had committed an assault and robbery and went on the run is a possible significant parallel with Robby, who shares other parallels with Miyagi. This reveal about Miyagi has shattered Daniel's perception of him. Maybe, as Daniel learns more about Miyagi's past, Daniel will also learn to listen to and consider all sides to a story before making rash judgments about people (..coughs... Robby...) in those situations.

In relation to Robby's character journey, the two King Cobras each told Robby, the kid who carries the essence of Miyagi-Do, that he can be a champion. Kreese even told Robby that he needs to show it to the world. Both of these conversations were also in the context of Robby not turning out like Johnny, which is a big part of Robby's character journey. Robby's "lie"/fear is that he believes that he's like Johnny and will end up like him ("second place" being one aspect of that).

Kreese to Robby (s4e1): "Trust me. You've got even more talent than your father. You just need to show it to the world... It's not about the trophy. It's about being a champion. Win or lose, that reputation will follow you for the rest of your life. Just ask your father and LaRusso."

Daniel's reputation as a winner has followed him. Johnny became... the person that Robby doesn't want to turn into. Kreese had also told Robby that Johnny squandered his talent.

Silver to Robby (s4e4): "If you want to be a champion, you need to dig out that fear and face it. Whatever it is. Because if you don't it's going to hold you back forever."

Robby later went to Johnny and told him that Robby's biggest fear is ending up like Johnny, but Robby isn't going to because he is better than Johnny. Robby has been trying to not be like Johnny in different ways.

It's notable that Johnny's "second place" trauma, especially in relation to his standing wrt Daniel, was being depicted alongside Robby's "second place" trauma in s6e5.

Kreese rooted Johnny's "second place" trauma in him when he told him "Second place is no place! ... You're nothing. You're a loser", strangled him, and then abandoned him. In s4, Kreese rubbed in Johnny's face that he's playing second fiddle to LaRusso. In s6e5, Johnny spent most of the episode dealing with his insecurities about being less than Daniel.

Johnny has rooted Robby's "second place" trauma in him by choosing Miguel over him since s1e5 and the plot device baby over him since s5e5. In s6e5, Robby was dealing with his "second place" trauma too.

Robby's struggle to not become like Johnny continues. From his lack of future prospects to being "second place", Robby still sees a bleak future ahead of him. Tory however gave Robby inspiration to fight for and believe in himself again. Robby is now ready to try once again to change his future by becoming a champion.

Also, to note, Tory is connected to Kreese and Robby, and Johnny brought up his mother's death after hearing about Tory's mother's death. Johnny's mother's death led him to abandoning Robby. All these strings are intertwining as part of the main plot, and Miguel isn't a part of this.

Robby definitely earned and deserved the captain position, and narratively, it was always going to be his.

Robby's Johnny's son. Of course, Cobra Kai is Robby's story, as much as it is Johnny's, maybe even more so.

I ended the Robby as a leader post with this:

I'd also love to see Robby get at least one mentor he wishes he had when he was younger (a strong support system of genuinely caring and compassionate adults would be ideal). Although Robby has many leadership qualities, he also still needs an adult in his life who is mature and grounded. He needs a mentor and supporter who he can look up to, who will be there for him and believe in him, and who can lead him.

It's become pretty clear in s6e5 that an important part of Robby's journey that makes him THE underdog and Karate Kid of this generation is that he's all alone. Robby is a leader, but he's still a kid; one who still has no support system and no real mentor.

In s6e1, Robby told Kenny that he should join their dojo so that he could go to the Sekai Taikai and "with the right mentors...". Shawn cut Robby off then, but Robby calling Johnny and Daniel the "right mentors" shows how much Robby has internalized the flaws in this relationships with Johnny and Daniel as being his own fault. Johnny and Daniel are the ones who have absolutely failed Robby, especially Johnny. They're not "the right mentors". Both refuse to acknowledge and understand Robby's side of the story. (My post The Neglect of Robby Keene covers this.)

Around the time that s1 came out, Ralph said about the first Karate Kid movie:

"It's a story about a boy who needs a mentor, needs a father, and he’s got all the odds against him."

This is definitely Robby as he goes into the Sekai Taikai. Robby has two "mentors", one of which is his father, but Robby obviously doesn't feel supported by either of them. Robby's balance is going to be really off as he starts the tournament, and I'm curious to see how it will affect his ability to lead and fight.

In s2, Robby had told Johnny that Miyagi-Do had helped Robby a lot and that maybe Johnny and Daniel can learn from each other.

Robby wanted Johnny to become Miyagi-Do even back then. He wanted him and Daniel to learn from each other. Now Johnny has joined Miyagi-Do, but he needs to become Miyagi-Do, like Robby is.

Johnny and Daniel are still not on the same page, though, and are still failing Robby and all these kids. Johnny and Daniel seriously need to step up. I really hope they do. Robby needs to believe in himself again, but it shouldn't be that this kid has to go it alone, not again, not anymore. Johnny and Daniel need to redeem themselves to Robby, and they need to be there for him.

Can you imagine Robby winning it with Johnny and Daniel both in his corner, all three as Miyagi-Do? 🥹 As much as I want to throw Johnny away, I know this would be a dream come true for Robby so I want it for him too. I hope it happens, and that it happens after they've validated Robby and all of his traumas and experiences, especially those caused by them and the person they blindly chose over him.

Robby wasn't second place for the first time, and his dad acknowledged him and his achievement. ❤️