Daniel and Johnny's Cobra Kai rivalry may have reached its closure but the series has already set up two characters who can recreate their conflict.
Only one new Cobra Kai rivalry can finally replace Daniel and Johnny's iconic karate feud. Since its first season, Cobra Kai has not only created new character conflicts but has also revived old ones. However, almost all of its rivalries stemmed from Daniel and Johnny's inability to bury their childhood beef, making their dispute the primary driver of the show's overarching storyline. Given how their bad blood has been instrumental to the entire franchise, no other characters can arguably replace or recreate it.
However, in a scenario where the franchise continues or takes a long break and returns a few years down the lane, it will need another character dispute to trigger the events of its storyline. Since the friction between Daniel and Johnny in Cobra Kai is almost over, and the two characters are now on the same team, the franchise revival will have to focus on two other characters. Fortunately, Cobra Kai has already set up an intriguing rivalry that may not be as fiery or captivating as Daniel and Johnny's but has the potential to grow over time and even get viewers invested if executed correctly.
Anthony & Kenny Can Be Cobra Kai's Next Daniel & Johnny
Given how the power dynamic between Anthony and Kenny has been consistently shifting since Kenny's introduction in Cobra Kai, they can be the next Daniel and Johnny. Like Daniel, Kenny was once the new kid on the block. Although he tried keeping to himself and avoiding trouble, Anthony and his group of bullies targeted Kenny and bullied him till Robby showed up one day to point him toward Cobra Kai. Like Daniel, Kenny showed a natural talent for karate as he improved by leaps and bounds in a short period. After building a strong karate foundation, Kenny retaliated against his bullies and became the bully himself.
The inception of Kenny's villain arc triggered the beginning of Anthony's karate journey. After being consistently bullied by Kenny, Anthony started training at the Miyagi Do in Cobra Kai season 4 and showed the right aptitude for it. With a few more months of training and professional bouts, he might be able to go head-to-head with Kenny in a showdown. Although Kenny is presently levels above Anthony in terms of skill, Anthony could use his intelligence as a tool to rise in the ranks as a fighter. With both fighters showing immense potential, it is hard not to imagine them taking Daniel and Johnny's place in the franchise's future installments.
Miguel & Robby Aren't Anything Like Daniel & Johnny
Miguel and Robby never had any personal grudges against one another before they got embroiled in the world of karate. In fact, the two would have likely never met if karate had not collided their worlds. Their rivalry stemmed from Robby's jealousy from the fact that his father was investing his time in training another kid his age but never had the time to raise him. Out of sheer anger, he started practicing Mr. Miyagi's karate under Daniel LaRusso's wing. Unlike Johnny and Daniel, who had completely different karate timelines, Robby and Miguel started doing karate around the same time.
Robby and Miguel's initial karate journeys also shared many parallels, given how both learned to embrace the martial art instead of solely using it for combat. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Daniel and Johnny, since Daniel was too consumed by his rivalry, and Johnny never had the right mentors to teach him karate's true value. After duking it out on several occasions, Robby and Miguel have also become friends, leaving their bad blood and grudges behind. It took Johnny and Daniel decades to find some common ground and call a truce. Without a common enemy, they would have still been enemies.
Anthony & Kenny Can Lead A Cobra Kai Sequel Series (But Not Yet)
Anthony and Kenny could be the leads for a new Cobra Kai sequel, but the franchise cannot instantly jump into this potential storyline. Just like Cobra Kai unfolded decades after Karate Kid's story and took its time to highlight the long-term consequences of Daniel and Johnny's All Valley fight, the sequel will have to wait a few decades or at least years to show how the rivalry between Anthony and Kenny brews into something much bigger. The potential sequel may not be able to replicate Johnny and Daniel's journey. However, Anthony and Kenny's conflict could serve as an intriguing starting point to kick off another exciting Cobra Kai spin-off story.
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