Cobra Kai co-creator Hayden Schlossberg has addressed one of the mysteries left unsolved after the Netflix series’ ending. With the series finale, viewers expected Mr. Miyagi’s (the late Pat Morita) dark past to be expanded and explained in more detail, but this didn’t happen. Instead, we saw the legacy character return in a dream sequence that didn’t do much to answer the questions about Miyagi’s participation in a karate match where his opponent died. Instead, it was a nostalgia-based scene that apparently helped Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) change his mind about his daughter’s refusal to fight.
Schlossberg participated in a Q&A session on X/Twitter with Cobra Kai fans in order to answer a few questions about the Karate Kid spin-off that ended its six-season run a few days ago. The showrunner was kind enough to shed light on fan theories, spin-offs (an Iron Dragon series sounds awesome), and how some storylines concluded.
During the Q&A, he also addressed why the series finale did not completely resolve the Miyagi mystery of his role in killing an opponent at a past tournament. The question by fan Bill Campbell (user @BillCampbelll) goes as follows: How come there was no further information about the circumstances of Miyagi killing his opponent in the Sekai Takai? Loved the show so much, thanks for making it! Per Schlossberg’s reply:
Daniel doesn’t need to know the details. He accepts Mr. Miyagi was not perfect, and is always going to focus on the good he did. But it would [be] fun to know what happened, wouldn’t it?
The reveal of Miyagi potentially killing an opponent was a huge twist in Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 2. In a flashback sequence, we saw Daniel’s greatest fear materialize as his sensei ruthlessly ended the life of his opponent, going against everything he based his teachings on. Daniel also did some digging into Miyagi’s past, and apparently he didn’t only break some rules and bones. Apparently, his sensei had problems with the law and wasn’t quite the kind and wise man he thought. The series finale seemingly tried to solve the mystery by explaining the reasons why Miyagi stole a necklace, but it was a weak part of the story in an otherwise solid ending.
Was It Necessary to Bring Miyagi Back for ‘Cobra Kai’s Final Season?
Ever since Miyagi surprisingly appeared in Part 2 of Cobra Kai Season 6, the reaction by fans has been mixed. On one hand, changing Miyagi’s “values” was an ingredient that didn’t add anything to the story. Making Miyagi a bad guy didn’t change anything about Daniel’s views and only made him doubt his upbringing. This could also be expanded in the upcoming feature film sequel Karate Kid: Legends, but that seems unlikley given the very few connections between the two projects.
And then, there was also the use of AI and CGI to bring back the late Pat Morita. In a dream sequence in Part 2, Daniel took an unparalleled beating. When he saw the face of his opponent, there he was. Miyagi in full CGI glory. While it was a polarizing scene, fans took it as a worthy nod and let it go afterward. It was a cameo, like every other that had been featured in the show. However, Part 3 also features a dream sequence in which Daniel and Miyagi team up to fight thugs in costume, a reference to Miyagi’s reveal of his martial arts skills in 1984’s The Karate Kid. This scene also featured heavy enhancement through the magic of technology, which opened up the ethics of whether it is right to use the likeness of deceased actors in this way.
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The big question is if it was necessary to bring Miyagi back to life for Cobra Kai. Aside from the nostalgia element being the essence of Netflix’s martial arts comedy, and Miyagi being the most important of all the legacy characters, the sensei’s return didn’t represent a major shift to the story. His legacy is clear, as Daniel has become the new teacher, and it’s all because of Miyagi’s perpetual lessons. But bringing him back with the use of technology to say a few words that could have also been written in an old notebook? It just sounds unnecessary.
3.5
/5
Release Date
2018 – 2024
Network
Netflix, YouTube Premium
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