Over the span of its five-season runtime, Cobra Kai has forgotten who its main character really is, but Cobra Kai season 6 can fix this hero problem.
Cobra Kai has struggled to establish one character as its hero in recent seasons, but it can fix this main character problem in season 6. Unfolding 33 years after the events of the Karate Kid movie series, Cobra Kai takes some old rivalries and bad blood from its parent franchise and weaves a whole new yarn of coming-of-age narratives to it. This approach works incredibly well because it allows Cobra Kai to not only appeal to Karate Kid’s audiences but also to a new generation of viewers. In its five-season runtime, Cobra Kai has successfully implemented this storytelling formula while bringing in some intriguing twists and turns.
Cobra Kai season 6 will likely tread the same path as its predecessors, and since it is the show’s final season, it will end all underlying character arcs for good. However, before it does that, it must bring significant changes to a few character beats, especially the ones revolving around Miguel. The reason being that although Miguel has had a compelling storyline in Cobra Kai, his arc and its development have not been the same since season 3.
Cobra Kai Forgot About Miguel After Season 3
In Cobra Kai’s season 1, Miguel was the bona fide “Karate Kid” of the franchise. He was the kid who got bullied at school but flipped his script after joining a dojo. While the series parallely focused on other storylines, including Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence’s brewing rivalry, Miguel was seemingly Cobra Kai’s main character. Many of his actions directly impacted Cobra Kai’s overarching narrative in the initial seasons, but things changed after his season 2 spine injury. Although it would be unfair to say that Cobra Kai nerfed Miguel in the subsequent seasons, the show did gradually chip away his main character status.
Most other primary characters in Cobra Kai have faced significant peaks and valleys throughout their journeys. They have experienced unfair losses that taught them valuable lessons and have seen surprising wins when no one expected them to succeed. Miguel, on the other hand, has had a linear Cobra Kai arc where he has not officially lost even a single fight. While his Mexico arc’s inception towards the ending moments of Cobra Kai season 4 promised new developments, season 5 primarily focused on Robby and Johnny’s father-son relationship in the Mexico storyline. This cemented that Cobra Kai forgot about Miguel after season 3.
Miguel Needs To Lose In Cobra Kai Season 6
Miguel’s lack of losses in Cobra Kai has made his storyline predictable. However, by introducing new challenges and setbacks in his karate journey, Cobra Kai season 6 can change the course of his narrative and make his characterization more relevant. The best way to do this would be by making him lose a fight in season 6’s initial moments. By making him lose against a worthy villain in its opening scenes, Cobra Kai season 6 will not only fix its villain problem but will also make room for Miguel to grow as a character.
Like Hawk garners a more mature perspective on winning and losing after Kenny overpowers him in a fight in Cobra Kai season 5, Miguel’s loss in Cobra Kai season 6 can serve as a catalyst for Miguel to overcome his weaknesses as a fighter and come back stronger. The loss would also make him the underdog again in Cobra Kai season 6, allowing him to seek guidance from Sensei Lawrence and LaRusso while seeking advice from his peers who have had a fair share of loses and wins.
Miguel’s Redemption Can Make Him Cobra Kai’s Main Character Again
From being a regular high-school student in Cobra Kai season 1’s initial moments to becoming the Valley’s best fighter after winning the All-Valley, Miguel had an exciting arc in the first season. However, since he peaked in Cobra Kai’s season 1 unlike most other primary characters of the series, his storyline gradually stagnated over the subsequent seasons. By giving him a painful loss in season 6, Cobra Kai can trigger another cathartic journey for Miguel, where he will begin somewhere near the bottom but reach the top towards the end.
His eventual redemption could make him Cobra Kai’s main character again. Considering how Cobra Kai season 5 resolved all the bad blood and rivalries between its primary characters, giving Miguel a loss against Robby or any other recurring Cobra Kai characters would seem redundant. Owing to this, Cobra Kai season 6’s setup provides the perfect opportunity to introduce a new rival for Miguel in the international Sekai Taikai tournament, who will initially take away his undefeated throne but later face the wrath of the underdog.
