Daniel may have been the hero of The Karate Kid, but from the shifted perspective of Cobra Kai, he doesn't always come across so well.
Johnny Lawrence may have been the bad guy of The Karate Kid, but when it comes to Cobra Kai, Daniel LaRusso is so much worse. Throughout the Netflix series' six seasons, the karate rivals have managed to mend their ways and even develop something of a friendship. Still, that isn't how their Cobra Kai relationship started. For the first time, we got to see Johnny's point of view, and Daniel doesn't come across so well at that angle. The character's bad decisions continued for several seasons and can be observed in his relationships with many of the Cobra Kai characters.
Johnny and Daniel began their relationship back in The Karate Kid when the latter moved in and stole Johnny's girlfriend. Of course, it was a little more complicated than this, and the Cobra Kai star was certainly no saint. Still, when looking at the situation through the perspective that Netflix's Cobra Kai offers, it's easy to see why Johnny might have felt threatened by Daniel—especially when it came to the karate newbie's All-Valley Tournament win. This was a significant theme of Cobra Kai that good and bad guys might not be all that different in the end. Though Daniel LaRusso isn't a bad person, there were some moments he was at least worse than Johnny.
Daniel Frequently Forgetting About His Son In Cobra Kai's Early Seasons
Daniel was seen to have a perfect life in Cobra Kai season 1—aside from the fact that his children were a nightmare. This was especially true for Anthony, who was so spoiled that when his parents took away his game system, he simply ordered another one right in front of them (and with their money). Anthony also had no interest in karate, which meant that Daniel had minimal interest in him for the first few seasons of Cobra Kai. It wasn't until the kid started getting bullied (by Kenny Payne, whom he had bullied first) that Anthony and Daniel developed a relationship.
Daniel’s Superior Attituded Toward Johnny In Season 1
Daniel and Johnny's reunion in Cobra Kai was a painful moment for the latter character, and Daniel didn't make it any easier. It's somewhat understandable that the former Karate Kid would jump on the chance to act superior—Johnny had been a member of a wealthy family back in the day and used his status to abuse Daniel on several occasions. Most people couldn't resist getting revenge on a bully in this way, but Daniel never let this go. Even going into the later seasons of Cobra Kai, Daniel clearly considers himself superior to Johnny, which shows in how he talks to or regards his choices.
Daniel Basically Abandoning Robby After Cobra Kai Season 2
An interesting irony of Cobra Kai is that while Johnny was teaching karate to a kid who shared a lot in common with Daniel, his son was being taught karate by the old nemesis himself. Of course, this could only last so long, and Daniel eventually found out who Robby really was. This led him to kick Robby out, which is especially vicious considering the close relationship the two had developed. Though he eventually apologized, their relationship was never really the same again. Then, when Robby injured Miguel later in Cobra Kai at the school fight, Daniel was far more worried about his reputation than either student.
Daniel’s Temper Is Worse Than Johnny’s In Cobra Kai Season 2
Cobra Kai Season 2 was really when Daniel's perfect exterior began to crumble. Johnny got under his skin, and though he considered himself the embodiment of the calm balance of Miyagi-Do, this wasn't seen much by the end of this season. Therefore, when Daniel discovered that his daughter had spent the night at Johnny's house with Robby, he lost his cool entirely. This was a rare moment in which Johnny was the voice of reason and had some pretty decent parenting advice to offer. However, Daniel wasn't willing to listen, and a violent and entirely irrational fight ensued.
Daniel Being More Interested In His Reputation Than Miguel After Season 2's Ending
The conflict between Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai came to a head in season 2 when the fight at the school broke out. It ended with Robby throwing Miguel off a balcony, causing him to be seriously injured. Since Robby represented Miyagi-Do in this fight, it wasn't a great look for Daniel. Still, the adult in this situation should have been far more concerned about the well-being of the children involved than the reputation of his old master's dojo.
Daniel’s Relationship With Sam Depends On Karate In Cobra Kai
Daniel is considerably closer to his daughter Sam in Cobra Kai, which makes sense considering she has been involved with karate since she was little. When she decided she was no longer interested in martial arts, their relationship became far more strained, and Daniel was unable (and sometimes unwilling) to understand her. It's understandable, to a point, that Daniel would hold on to this aspect of their relationship—Sam was the only one of his children who had a chance to know and learn from Mr. Miyagi. Still, this is a lot of pressure on a daughter, and Daniel doesn't always handle it gracefully.
Daniel’s Repeated Disregard For His Wife’s Opinions Throughout Cobra Kai
Amanda LaRusso is the rare voice of reason in Cobra Kai. Unfortunately, she is also rarely listened to. So far, she has been the only character willing to call the police when things got rough, and she hasn't been pulled entirely into the inter-dojo drama. Considering Amanda has been the one to get Daniel out of several instances of trouble, it seems that he would listen to her more often. However, though he pretends to listen to what she has to say, he often disregards her advice or brushes off her comments about how ridiculous his war with Cobra Kai has become.
Daniel’s Inappropriate Behavior Toward Kumiko In Cobra Kai Season 3
The fact that Daniel blatantly disregarded Amanda's concerns becomes even more alarming when looking at his behavior toward Kumiko in Cobra Kai season 3. His disappearance to Japan was bad enough, but while there, he reconnected with his old flame from The Karate Kid Part 2. Of course, most anyone would feel sentimental at such a reunion, but Daniel made it a little weird. There was clearly a bit of a spark between the pair, and considering he had a wife frantically dealing with all his drama at home, Daniel should have steered clear of the situation. Even Johnny never put himself in a position to be disloyal to Carmen.
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