Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 3 Ends With A Fun Karate Kid Callback You May Have Missed

Contains spoilers for "Cobra Kai" Season 6, Episode 14 and 15 — "Strike Last" and "Ex-Degenerate"

It's been a long, hard road for Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), but by the time "Cobra Kai" wraps up, they've learned how to take advice from one another and actively listen. During the resumed Sekai Taikai, Johnny even takes coaching from Daniel and leads Cobra Kai to become the number one dojo in the world. He relaunches Cobra Kai with a new attitude, working in partnership with Miyagi Do and Daniel to provide their students with a better, more well-rounded karate education. 

Johnny and Daniel meet for lunch as the show winds down, and after Johnny heads to the bathroom, Daniel hears a fly buzzing. He is reminded of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) telling him that a man who can catch a fly with a pair of chopsticks can rule the world. Unfortunately, his plan is wrecked by Johnny, who returns and mashes the fly with his palms, then recites the Cobra Kai motto: "No Mercy."

In case the flashback footage from the original movie didn't give it away, this is definitely a callback to one of the most iconic things in "The Karate Kid": Daniel's first attempt at catching flies with chopsticks — which he does successfully, as Mr. Miyagi scoffs that he's experiencing beginner's luck. Daniel's strong bond with Mr. Miyagi has been an important part of "Cobra Kai" throughout its run. He even manages to come to grips with Mr. Miyagi's reputation — and discovers that his late mentor still has something to teach him.

Daniel spends a good chunk of "Cobra Kai" Season 6 worried that his mentor had a secret, dark past. Mr. Miyagi's backstory is eventually revealed, and Daniel learns the worst thing his mentor ever did was that he may have killed an opponent at the Sekai Taikai. Daniel struggles with this news — he even has a nightmare about his former sensei coming back to life to beat him violently down in a karate matchup, a confrontation in which Mr. Miyagi tells him he can't handle darker truths.

During Episode 13, "Skeletons," Daniel dreams of Mr. Miyagi again and berates him for leaving him alone without answers. But dream Miyagi reminds him that winning or losing isn't what matters. Daniel finally realizes that his mentor was flawed and human, but that doesn't mean what he shared wasn't worthwhile. "Teachers may seem all-knowing, but they're just human beings," he tells Johnny.

Episode 15 delivers even deeper closure for Daniel in the form of a revelation from his mom Lucille (Randee Heller) about a string of pearls, which were handed down from Mr. Miyagi's mother to Mr. Miyagi, who gave them to his late wife. They ultimately end up with Lucille, who gives them to Samantha (Mary Mouser). Lucille reveals that when his wife died in an internment camp, Mr. Miyagi tracked down and attacked the guard who stole them. "He did what he had to do," Daniel muses, confirming for himself that his flawed teacher had a noble side too — a fitting way to bring "Cobra Kai" to a close.