Cobra Kai: The Main Characters' Endings, Ranked

This article contains spoilers for "Cobra Kai" Season 6 Part 3.

And there we have it. "Cobra Kai" has bowed out for the final time, with Season 6 Part 3 bringing Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso's (Ralph Macchio) 41-year journey together to an end. But along the way, other fighters who were just as determined and devoted to being the best around joined them on their path, leading to some frankly outlandish events. During its six incredible and ludicrous seasons, we witnessed mass high school brawls, arson attacks, and an actual prison break. Three people have even died because of the (checks notes) karate school war that should've ended years ago. Nevertheless, peacetime appears to have finally come to the valley now that "Cobra Kai" has drawn to a conclusion. All that's left to do now is decide who got the best send-off because of it.

After picking apart every strike, backflip, and broken wooden board, we looked at a handful of characters in "Cobra Kai" to determine which of their endings was the most worthy of the story we'd followed. To ensure that balance remains, we paired some of the show's best dynamic duos and broke down what made their ending worth the wait. Some were left to fly off into the sunset, while others were left sky-high and never mentioned again (which is baffling). Nevertheless, all of it was in the name of a show that was fueled by pure nostalgia and karate chop action, and we can't imagine a world without it.

For some characters in a final season, it's not about how their stories are wrapped up but simply that they're done and moved out of the way for the more important ones. That's really what it felt like in the case of Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser) and Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña). These punch-drunk teens, who have taken numerous kicks to the head, met their toughest battle when it was revealed that Sam was heading to Japan to find herself and try long-distance with her high school sweetheart. Well, we say "tough." The issue was dealt with in an entire episode, even though there had been far more pressing matters that occurred beforehand that just didn't work — namely, the big Drago-looking obstacle coming from the Iron Dragons' camp.

Having been no stranger to making and breaking love triangles over the years, "Cobra Kai" tried to squeeze in a final season with Axel Kovacevic (Patrick Luwis), who attempted to make a move on Sam, only to be rejected and turn extra violent as the opposing team's fighting Frankenstein. It was a story that fizzled out as quickly as it started and merely highlighted that one of the show's leading couples was left with nothing to do. As a result, when Miguel shows up at the airport to join Samantha in Japan, it's just another hoop both have jumped through to get to the finish line. We're glad that Miguel and Samantha lived happily ever after; it's just a shame that the road getting there was so flat and uninteresting compared to others in the show's closing chapter.

One of the best things "Cobra Kai" ever did was the incredible power move of bringing Daniel and Johnny some backup in the form of Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto). Doing so welcomed back yet another former villain turned ally to mix things up in the best way and became the show's secret weapon (and, secretly, its best sensei). Earning such praise should warrant Chozen a decent ending, and he certainly got it finding a surprise romance and a future with Kim Da-Eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim). But like many of the weaker character endings for certain prize fighters on "Cobra Kai," it didn't get the breathing room it needed.

It's clear that by splitting up the final season into three parts (don't you even think about it, "Stranger Things"), the show's creators had mapped out who would get most of the spotlight in part 3. Granted, Chozen had already had some time to shine by fraternizing with the enemy in Part 2, but that doesn't mean he had to be dialed back as much as he was in the show's final act. This wasn't the ending that Chozen deserved. This guy had transformed himself as much as Johnny and Daniel had, and then some, so a smile and a wink at Kim Da-Eun didn't cut it. For now, the best way to make up for it is to do the only sensible thing: have the "Cobra Kai" creators put a "Chozen" spin-off at the top of their to-do list.

This may well be a ranking of character endings, but if it comes to short straws, there's no doubt that Robby (Tanner Buchannan) and Tory (Peyton List) got the worst pick. Beginning as Johnny's estranged son, who found refuge at the LaRusso camp, Keene had the potential to be just as much of a heroic young champ as Miguel, but he was gradually pushed to the back of the line as the show reached its climax. Even with virtual reality training (which, let's not lie, was cringeworthy), it didn't stop Robby from getting his lunch handed to him and ending the season on crutches instead of a podium.

All was not lost, of course. Putting him out of action allowed him to confess his feelings to Tory, which was an uplifting and long-awaited moment for anyone watching the show for the past few seasons. It's also the ending that one of the show's toughest fighters had earned after losing her mother and becoming estranged from the karate club family she'd had for so long. Polishing that off with both of them reaching influencer status and an energy drink to boot provided a fitting end to one of the show's power couples. "Cobra Kai" was always about underdogs, but this pair earned every successful win that came their way by the end.

There's something to both love and genuinely hate about the final chapter of John Kreese (Martin Kove) and his former pony-tailed partner in crime, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). Both had reached the end of the line in their own ways in the final portion of "Cobra Kai," and they were willing to see each other off when they got there. The only problem was that when their time finally came, no one was around to witness it, and it wasn't even highlighted to the rest of the "Cobra Kai" world in the following episode. It was also undeniably awesome and on-brand for both of these villains, who were products of their era, and both finally adapted to the times in what became their final boat-based battle.

In the show's penultimate episode, the founder of Cobra Kai stopped pulling at his gi collar for the billionth time and fought his former friend to restore some honor and go down as someone striving for redemption rather than a straight-up villain. His opponent couldn't care less, though. With a life-threatening illness taking over by the day, Silver welcomed his showdown with Kreese, leading to a questionably shot fight scene where stunt doubles and a boat were put to the test. It's hokey as hell but perfectly poetic; Kreese and Silver's exit encapsulated every cheesy aspect of "Cobra Kai" and served it up just right. They were the best of the "Karate Kid" villains and we won't forget them (even if everyone else seemed to).

It started with them, so it's only right that "Cobra Kai" ended with them, too, and it did so brilliantly. Finally embracing the paths they'd found themselves on, Daniel bowed to his duty of becoming as good a teacher as his former mentor and helped guide the man he defeated all those years ago to a victory that was well and truly deserved. Rushed as it was, the closing episode of "Cobra Kai" reminded us that the show was and always has been about Johnny, and his final fight made for the best character arc in the show.

With a new family in tow and having finally laid his rage to rest over his former sensei, John Kreese, Johnny is truly a changed man in his final round with The Wolf (Lewis Tan). It's not a one-time thing, either. Throughout the series, we've seen Johnny turn a corner only to return to his old ways. By the time credits roll on "Cobra Kai," it's clear he's handling everything with the kind of balance his frenemy Daniel has always talked about, and he wasn't the only one. Hearing Daniel assure Silver "Cobra Kai never dies" alone was enough to ensure the former "Karate Kid," who had been just as set in his ways as his longtime rival, was starting to change for the better. All it took was six seasons and some 40 years to get there. Mr. Miyagi would be proud, Daniel-san.

"Cobra Kai" is now streaming in its entirety on Netflix.