CONTINUED

FINAL ROUND

Miguel kicks Robbie in the face, knocking him to the ground for the final point.

REFEREE

And the winner of the All-Valley Karate tournament, Miguel Diaz!

The referee holds Miguel’s arm high in the air as a crowd cheers him on. Most proud are Johnny and Daniel. The victory is short-lived as Kreese marches in and side-kicks Miguel in the head. The crowd gasps in horror. Kreese then grabs Robbie by the hair and pulls his fist back to punch him in the face.

JOHN KREESE

I told you to win, you ungrateful little twerp. Your weakness will be the end of you.

Johnny and Daniel rush to Robbie’s aid as Johnny screams Kreese’s name. Kreese looks up to see Daniel running at him in slow motion. Before he can react, Johnny sweeps Kreese’s leg, and Daniel kicks him in the face with a crane kick as he falls backward unconscious.

Daniel and Johnny check on Robbie, who is shaken, but otherwise alright. Johnny then rushes to Miguel, who is being attended to by paramedics. They are putting a neck brace on him and moving him to a stretcher. Carmen is crying. Johnny looks toward Robbie, who nods at him to go with Miguel.

Johnny is about to, but as the paramedics lift the stretcher to take Miguel away, Kreese slowly starts to stand up. Johnny quickly moves to Daniel’s side, and they both get in their own respective offensive and defensive stances. Kreese just chuckles.

DANIEL LARUSSO

What’s so funny?

JOHN KREESE

Nothing. It’s just that it looks like my job here is done. I’ve nothing left to teach you.

JOHNNY LAWRENCE

What the hell are you talking about!? Talk before we kick your teeth in.

Kreese turns around and spreads his arms out to his sides and then towards Daniel and Johnny.

JOHN KREESE

This. All of this. I have finally achieved what I set out to do when you first came to Cobra Kai.

Johnny and Daniel look at Kreese quizzically.

JOHN KREESE

Johnny, when you came to Cobra Kai, you were a lost soul without direction. I instilled in you the confidence needed to make something of your life. To do good in this world. You were well on your way to being the man you were destined to be who you were meant to be. That is until a cocky young outsider came and threw a wrench into everything. That was when I realized I had two students instead of one.

DANIEL LARUSSO

What are you talking about? I was never your student.

 JOHN KREESE

Oh, weren’t you? You may not realize it, but you came to me. When you showed up, you were a brash, arrogant little punk. I had hoped to mold you into a better person, but unfortunately, Hideo Miyagi fostered and cultivated that arrogance before I had a chance to breed it out of you.

DANIEL LARUSSO

You’re full junk. Mr. Miyagi taught me discipline. Self-control. How to be a decent person.

JOHN KREESE

Is that so? I seem to recall Johnny controlling himself back in ’84, only fighting in self-defense or the defense of others. And yet you seemed to instigate everything, as you have continued to do well into adulthood. All of your conflicts with Johnny have happened because you didn’t stop to listen. Because you didn’t stop to consider the other side. Johnny may have been my favorite student, but you were my most difficult.

Daniel glances over at Johnny and has a brief moment of shame.

JOHN KREESE

Because of Hideo, I wasn’t able to do much with you, Daniel, but I was able to set the groundwork for yourself and Johnny’s paths to intertwine again in the future. I had to disappear for a time as Hideo’s arrogance wasn’t going to allow me to help you both.

JOHNNY LAWRENCE

Help us? You tried to strangle me to death for second place!

JOHN KREESE

I tried to help you break out of the shell that you were still in, but Hideo interrupted, and I realized that I would get nowhere as long as he was around. So I left and waited my time. When I heard that Cobra Kai had returned, I realized I could now complete my original mission.

DANIEL LARUSSO

And that was?

JOHN KREESE

To save two young boys who had now become men.

Johnny’s face scrunches up in rage.

JOHNNY LAWRENCE

Don’t talk to me about salvation. You tried to destroy my life. You’re a selfish pussy who gets his rocks off manipulating people.

JOHN KREESE

Manipulate? Perhaps. But I manipulate them into better individuals.

DANIEL LARUSSO

You call attacking my house making better people? You call Eli breaking his best friend’s arm better?

JOHN KREESE

All of those actions were of their own accord. I had nothing to do with that other than giving them the confidence they needed to succeed in life. How they chose to use that confidence outside of the confines of my dojo is on them.

Robbie stands up, ready to attack Kreese, when Johnny waves a hand to tell him to stop. Robbie backs down.

ROBBIE KEENE

You were about to break my face for losing. You call that making better people?

JOHN KREESE

I had hoped that it wouldn’t get that far, and my hopes were correct. My goal in all of this finally came to fruition, and through Karate, Johnny and Daniel eventually became friends, and as friends, they can do anything.

Daniel and Johnny look at each other, completely confused, and then back at Kreese.

DANIEL LARUSSO & JOHNNY LAWRENCE

What!?

JOHN KREESE

Why do you act so surprised? Did you not overcome your differences? Did you not overcome all challenges before you? Did you not become friends?

Daniel and Johnny think this over for a moment and answer almost begrudgingly.

DANIEL LARUSSO

I guess you’re right. We did become friends.

Johnny looks annoyed and stares Daniel coldly in the eyes.

JOHNNY LAWRENCE

No. Best friends.

The two nod at each other in approval and do a power handshake like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers in the movie Predator. Kreese smiles and approaches.

JOHN KREESE

Now you see. Now you understand. Real karate isn’t about defending yourself or being a badass. No! It’s none of those things. The real karate is…

Kreese puts a hand each on the shoulder of Daniel and Johnny.

JOHN KREESE

The real karate is the friends you made along the way.

The three smile and give each other warm hugs. Then Kreese looks over towards Robbie and then back at the two friends.

JOHN KREESE

Now, why don’t you take that real karate and spread it to those you love. They need you. My work here is done, but yours is just beginning.

Robbie walks between Johnny and Daniel, and they each put their arms around his shoulders. Kreese turns around and begins to walk away.

JOHNNY LAWRENCE

Hey! Sensei.

Kreese stops and turns his head back slightly.

JOHN KREESE

Please, call me John.

Johnny smiles and shakes his head.

JOHHNY LAWRENCE

Okay. John. What will you do now? Where will you go?

JOHN KREESE

Oh, I was thinking about heading to Oklahoma. There’s a group of young teens who’ve been given trouble by a brash hooligan that recently moved into the neighborhood. Figured I could lend them a hand and show them that they’re not so different after all.

Johnny and Daniel laugh.

JOHNNY LAWRENCE

I’m sure you can, John. Take care. And thank you.

DANIEL LARUSSO

Yes, Kre… I mean, John. Thank you.

JOHN KREESE

No need to thank me. I’m just doing my job.

And with those words, Kreese exits the gymnasium. Daniel, Johhny, and Robbie all look at each other with newfound respect.

DANIEL LARUSSO

Hey. What say we all head over to the emergency room and meet Diaz with a cake and his trophy?

JOHNNY LAWRENCE

Oh, I know just the one to get. There’s a sweet little bakery that makes his favorite kind.

ROBBIE KEENE

Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.

The three friends jog towards the exit.

JOHNNY LAWRENCE

Gimme the keys, Daniel; I’m driving.

DANIEL LARUSSO

Are you kidding me? My wife would freak if you scratched this car.

JOHNNY LAWRENCE

Don’t start with me, LaRusso. Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean I won’t still kick your ass.

DANIEL LARUSSO

Ha! In your dreams, pal.

ROBBIE KEENE

Guuuuuys!

GUITAR RIFF BEGINS:

FADE OUT:

THE END

ROLL CREDITS