The Karate Kid Callback Moment Cobra Kai Fans Are Waiting To See
With its third season on the way to Netflix and the news of a fourth making the rounds on social media, Cobra Kai is quickly becoming one of the hottest shows on streaming. Even though its primary objective is to carry on the narrative established by the Chojun Miyagi-inspired Karate Kid films into the modern-day, it has become so much more than a mere sequel. It is steadily growing legs of its own and cultivating a viewer base that doesn't have a decades-old attachment to the exploits of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita).
However, that doesn't mean longtime Karate Kid fans have given up on the series: rather, they've grown increasingly fond of it over the years. A big reason for this is Cobra Kai's proficiency at seamlessly injecting callbacks and references from the source material, ranging from insignificant set details to obscure plot-driving story beats. This has inadvertently created a strong expectation among many viewers that their favorite scenes, lines, and more from the movies will eventually play a role in the program.
For example, the Cobra Kai Reddit community recently questioned if, and when, one of the first Karate Kid film's most iconic music tracks will debut on the small screen.
"You're the Best Around" is surely on its way, right?
In The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi and Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue) help Daniel prepare to take Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), and the Cobra Kai dojo, down a peg by defeating them at the All Valley Karate Tournament, but they know it'll be no easy task. They study his opponents extensively, leading to a string of victories for Daniel that take him straight to the finals. As he's climbing the event ranks, "You're the Best Around" by Joe Esposito plays, providing the finishing touch to this over-the-top eighties montage.
There are few scenes more recognizable in film history — and in the Karate Kid series — than this one, and according to Reddit user u/thewalkingwhit, a number of scenarios could bring the song out of retirement. "You can't beat the nostalgia of you're the best.... around!" they said, adding that "It has to be an epic Johnny moment. Complete redemption arc. Or at another tournament when they defeat Kreese's Cobra Kai? Or when Daniel and Johnny have their Rocky III rematch?"
In response, Reddit's Cobra Kai devotees chimed in with their thoughts on the matter and most agreed with the original post. darknessflamegundam thinks it'll appear "when Daniel and Johnny go up against Kreese and beat him. Either that or maybe when their combined dojo's students win the next All Valley Tournament," while Sloan430 remains unsure but optimistic, saying "No idea, but I can't wait until they do-so iconic."
User -random1234- offered their theory on when "You're the Best Around" would play once again, and their prediction is a fitting one, "It's probably gonna be for the final scene of the show. What better way to end it than that?" Even though Joe Esposito's legendary song hasn't made its presence felt in a Cobra Kai episode yet, it popped up in the season 3 trailer Netflix put out on October 7, 2020, keeping the hope alive that it'll soon feature in a future installment.