Johnny Lawrence is the very first bad boy of karate, the original bully. He was demeaning toward Daniel in the original film, culminating in his sweeping Daniel’s leg in an illegal move in order to win the All-Valley Karate Tournament. Even after 40 years, in “Cobra Kai” he is rude, mean, cruel, and offensive, and he constantly mistreats his students.

Of course, the whole point of “Cobra Kai” is redeeming Johnny Lawrence. When he decided to bring back the Cobra Kai dojo, he did it for the same reason Mr. Miyagi decided to teach LaRusso — to help some kids being bullied. Throughout the show, he actually has used the teachings of Cobra Kai — not the “no mercy” part, but the strike first and defend yourself part to help kids gain confidence and be better people. So, sure, he’s done some evil things, but deep down he is a good guy and has proved so time and time again.