Ralph Macchio and William Zabka have learned quite a few important lessons over the course of their 40-plus year journeys as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence in the Karate Kid films and on Cobra Kai, which recently concluded its six-season run.
Premiering in 2018, the action-dramedy revives Daniel and Johnny’s rivalry, which dates back to The Karate Kid when Daniel defeated Johnny at the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. As Daniel and Johnny formed their own dojos and recruited young martial artists like Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña), Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), and Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser), it seemed impossible that these two men would ever get along — let alone fight for the same side. And yet, by the end of Cobra Kai, they become brothers-in-arms, and true friends.
“With the finale of Cobra Kai hitting and [coming] full circle with those two main characters, it really is a lesson in ‘never say never,’ ” Macchio tells Tudum. “What I would say to my younger self in 1983 when I started filming The Karate Kid film [is], ‘Be careful what you think you know, because I thought I had it figured out at that young age. If you would’ve told me that I’d be 40 years later working as Daniel LaRusso with William Zabka, and Johnny Lawrence would become one of my best friends, I would just say, ‘What? Please, that’s never happening.’ ”
Macchio hopes fans are also heartened by the unexpected evolution of Daniel and Johnny’s relationship. “Maybe [there’s] a lesson for everyone who has a foe or a person that rubs them the wrong way — that there might be a chance or other character traits about that person or relationship that may yield fruit in the future, such as with Daniel and Johnny,” he says.
As for Zabka, when he thinks about what makes up the “secret sauce” of the series, he always comes back to the fact that it’s something that connects with multiple generations. “Kids, their parents, grandparents,” he says, “that doesn’t happen every day. I think the themes of mentorship, fatherhood, redemption, second chances — all those are universal themes that resound with everybody.”
For creators Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossberg, Cobra Kai was born out of the idea that anything is possible if you work to make it your reality. “For this show, I hope its legacy is how we feel about it, which is that you can follow your dreams and do anything,” says Heald. “Because the fact is that we were able to come in as outsiders to the Karate Kid universe and be able to play within it and make this robust story. We were underdogs from not having made anything in martial arts or with this much action or drama.”
Zabka agrees, and loves how the show possesses a “positive energy” as its legacy. He says, “What I love is seeing kids who are inspired to better themselves. At the end of the day, when you watch Rocky or Karate Kid, the legacy’s going to ripple on, and we’re going to see little karate kids grow up and they’re going to be the new Josh, John, and Hayden. They’re going to create the next story in the Miyagi-verse.”
