Summary
Warning: Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6
After what happened inCobra Kaiseason 6 part 1, I have no doubt that Johnny would beat Daniel in a no-holds-barred fight. Of course, I can’t deny that Ralph Macchio’s character is a great martial artist; he did indeed beat Johnny inThe Karate Kidand picked up an impressive win over Terry Silver inCobra Kaiseason 5’s ending. However, I still see Johnny as the superior fighter.
For a while now,Cobra Kaihas been pushing this idea that Johnny and Daniel are equal inThe Karate Kiduniverse. The show has pointedly avoided picking a winner between them whenever the two fight. The most glaring example of this was their match inCobra Kaiseason 4, in which the fight was declared a tie. Neither being better than the other seemed to beCobra Kai’sfinal answer to theJohnny Lawrence vs. Daniel LaRussodebate. I accepted that at the time, but it’s becoming increasingly hard to believe that Daniel and Johnny really are on the same level.
Johnny Now Has Cobra Kai’s Two Most Impressive Wins
Johnny and Daniel each notched a massive victory in their respective records in theCobra Kaiseason 5 finale. Daniel beating Terry Silver avenged his earlier loss and gave him a respectable win over one of the best fighters inThe Karate Kidfranchise. But as good as this was, it couldn’t match what Johnny did in the same episode. With Mike Barnes being unconscious for most of the fight in Silver’s house,Johnny had no choice but to single-handedly take on all five of Kim Da-Eun’s hired thugs. All were well-trained opponents in their primes, yet Johnny managed to beat them all (with only a little help from Barnes).
How great that moment was for Johnny was reinforced by a scene inCobra Kaiseason 6. To convinceKim Sun-Yungthat he was a competent sensei, he pointed out that Johnny beat five of Kim’s students. Previously, it had not been clearly established that Da-Eun’s karate instructors were personally trained by Kim Sun-Yung, which says a lot about their fighting abilities.Johnny beating five of Kim’s pupils holds more weight than Daniel beating just one of his students, especially one who had just been in a tiring fight with Chozen.
I considered that to be Johnny’s best win in Cobra Kai, but his fight with Mike Barnes might just top it. As Barnes was quick to make clear,he was a national karate championwhen he was recruited byTerry Silver inThe Karate Kid Part III.That puts him on another level to Johnny and Daniel. While Johnny was quick to defend the All Valley, Barnes isn’t wrong that it doesn’t compare to his accomplishments. Johnny and Daniel have never won a martial arts competition beyond the local level, whereas Barnes had to go up against experienced fighters all over the country, thus proving his prowess in martial arts.
I Don’t Believe Daniel Would Have Beat Mike Barnes
In light of that, I honestly don’t think Daniel would have beaten Mike Barnes if he was in the same position as Johnny. After all, Mike Barnes was the one opponent Daniel could not fairly beat inThe Karate Kidmovies. He ultimately overcame Johnny and Chozen in the endings ofThe Karate KidandThe Karate Kid Part II, but his win over Mike Barnes comes with a massive caveat.Barnes was toying with Daniel, demonstrating throughout the fight that he was holding back. He only lost because he used Silver’s flawed strategy and intentionally passed on opportunities to beat Daniel. By making that mistake, one point was all Daniel needed to win.
A lot of time has gone by since then, but nothing that I’ve seen since then has changed my mind about either fighter’s standing with each other. I sawhow Mike Barnes performed against ChozeninCobra Kaiseason 5 and was reminded again of just how talented he is.He put up a tremendous fight against Chozen, someone who didn’t seem to have much trouble with Danielin season 3. His skill in martial arts and sheer physicality would make Mike Barnes a powerful adversary for any fighter inCobra Kai. And while I’m not shocked that Johnny won (after what happened in season 5), I just can’t see Daniel achieving the same result.
Johnny Should Win If He Fights Daniel Again
All things considered, I’m confident that despite the tie in season 4, Johnny would come out on top in another showdown with Daniel. In an official match where points determine the winner, neither character has an advantage, hence why I think Johnny didn’t win that time. But, those kinds of fights can only go for so long, particularly since they end after one combatant scores three points. A fight like the one thatJohnny Lawrence and Mikes Barnes had inCobra Kaiseason 6is a completely different situation, as it provides a much greater test of endurance and strength.
Johnny passed that test already when he sustained a vicious, prolonged beating from multiple assailants in theCobra Kaiseason 5 finale. Johnny managing to pull off the win in the face of all the hits he took speaks volumes about his toughness. Perhaps Daniel gets in a few hits on Johnny in a no-holds-barred fight; that would score him points on the mat, but wouldn’t necessarily defeat Johnny. Through his fights with Barnes and Terry Silver’s henchman, Johnny has proven that he can endure a lot of punishment and keep on fighting. I think Daniel would hold his own for a while, but Johnny would prevail in the end.
Will There Be Another Johnny vs Daniel Fight In Cobra Kai?
With the way season 4 seemed to resolve their differences, I wondered if that would be the last time Johnny and Daniel would fight inCobra Kai. But with the direction the two are currently headed,it does look to me likeCobra Kaiis planning to have one last Daniel vs. Johnny fightbefore ending their stories. Johnny showed restraint when Daniel punched him in theCobra Kaiseason 6 part 1 finale, but I think it’s only a matter of time before things reach a boiling point.
With Johnny effectively ending their friendship, it’ll be extremely difficult for them to get along. Not only that, but the stakes of the Sekai Taikai forcing them to spend so much time together will only extrapolate the tension between them, further provoking a final battle to decide the Johnny vs. Daniel debate inCobra Kai.
