Summary

• Johnny and Miguel's relationship isn't featured as heavily as it was in Cobra Kai's earlier seasons.
• Johnny's growing family complicates his connection with Miguel.
• Actor Xolo Maridueña's comments hint at a return to the Miguel-Johnny dynamic in season 6.

Cobra Kai has been neglecting the relationship between two of its most important characters, but it looks like season 6 will finally make it right. The Netflix series has a lot to wrap up in this final season, and I look forward to seeing the various storylines topped up in neat little bows. Rivalries will be resolved, friendships will be solidified, and there will surely be many badass battles. We can certainly expect some happy endings, but I would be disappointed if Cobra Kai didn't take this opportunity to put renewed focus on its OG character duo.

The end of Cobra Kai season 5 saw the villain Terry Silver finally taken to prison, leaving Johnny and Daniel unchallenged in the Valley. However, the global Sekai Taikai karate tournament is still ahead of them, so the two sensei must focus on preparing. The united Miyagi-Fang dojo is full of students, which means there may be less one-on-one time than there used to be back in the earlier seasons of Cobra Kai. Still, it would be a shame if the series ended without returning to the familiar dynamic between Johnny Lawrence and his very first karate student.

Cobra Kai Has Neglected Johnny & Miguel's Relationship

The Once-Important Friendship Has Fallen To The Wayside

Miguel was the first kid that Johnny ever taught karate to, and their unique relationship was a vital aspect of the earlier seasons of Cobra Kai. Their arc follows the same formula as the relationship between Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso, with Johnny defending Miguel from a group of bullies before agreeing to teach him how to fight. Because of this, this student-sensei duo is the very foundation of Cobra Kai, but with so much else going on in the Netflix series, it's been a while since there was much focus put on Johnny and Miguel.

Don't get me wrong, I love the conflicts and friendships between characters like Daniel and Chozen or Tory and Sam. Seeing these rivalries evolve has been highly satisfying, and the enemies-to-pals dynamic has become another foundational theme of Cobra Kai. What's more, it's touching to see the relationships between Johnny and the other people in his life, especially since he started the series with nothing and no one. However, the further Johnny has come on his personal journey, the more he seems to have disconnected from Miguel.

The further Johnny has come on his personal journey, the more he seems to have disconnected from Miguel.

Johnny's Growing Family Makes His Connection With Miguel More Complicated

Johnny's New Baby & Repaired Relationship With Robby Has Changed Things

Johnny has a lot going for him going into Cobra Kai season 6. He managed to get his life together enough to become a great partner to Carmen, and the pair have a baby on the way. I expect the new little Lawrence will be born sometime in the coming season, and it will be touching to see everyone's reaction to the new arrival. Then, there is Johnny's relationship with Robby. While he had been a deadbeat at the beginning of Cobra Kai, he has put in the work to prove that he will be there for his son.

None of this would have been possible without the important lessons Johnny learned from his unlikely friendship with Miguel. The boy was the first real connection he had made in his adult life, and his desire to him helped him to become a better man. Unfortunately, Johnny's evaluation means that his attention is more divided than it used to be. Miguel is like a son, but Robby and the coming baby are also his children. Johnny will have to find a balance, but I still want to see the kinds of Johnny-Miguel moments that were in such abundance in Cobra Kai season 1.

Cobra Kai season 6, part 1, will release on Netflix on July 18, 2024, with part 2 following on November 28, 2024 and part 3 releasing near the beginning of 2025.

Actor Xolo Maridueña Has Renewed My Faith That Cobra Kai S6 Will Fix Miguel & Johnny

Johnny & Miguel Are Going Back To Their Roots

Thankfully, I have reason to believe that Cobra Kai season 6 will dedicate time to Miguel and Johnny's relationship. Actor Xolo Maridueña has said he most looks forward to "going back to [his] roots" in the coming seasons. "My favorite dynamic is always the Miguel-Johnny relationship. So, to get to finish strong with that is my only goal," he said. This certainly seems to indicate that I will get my wish and that Cobra Kai will the relationship that made it work so well in the early seasons.

As comforting as this is, my big question is how Cobra Kai season 6 will go about it. There's no denying that Miguel and Johnny's relationship has changed due to the neglect their connection has faced, which means the series can't just dive right back in. The writers and Netflix can't just give audiences some one-on-one scenes and call it good. There will need to be some genuine development in Johnny and Miguel's relationship, paired with the types of moments we saw earlier in the show. Making this feel authentic won't be easy, but I have hope that Cobra Kai season 6 will pull it off.