Cobra Kaihas enough compelling characters to fill three dojos, but one stands out from the rest as arguably the show’s best young karate master. Tory Nichols was introduced in season 2 of the show, and her fighting spirit and natural talent for martial arts soon set her apart.
In addition to her karate skills,Tory’s personal journey throughout the show was full of complexity, from her friendship-turned-rivalry with Sam LaRusso to her romances with both Miguel Diaz and Robby Keene. Her difficult upbringing and mother’s chronic illness complicated things further for her, ultimately making Tory one of the most sympatheticcharacters inCobra Kai.
In episode 5 of the show’s final season, Tory’s mother died from a pulmonary embolism. This tragic event took its emotional toll on Tory, and transformed her character arc for the worse. Although Tory does get her moment of redemption inCobra Kai’s last two episodes,she deserved more of an endingthan she gotfollowing her mother’s death.
Tory Deserved Better In Cobra Kai’s Final Season After Losing Her Mother
She Was Relegated To John Kreese’s Subplot & Sidelined In The Finale
After hitting rock bottom with the death of her mother,Tory suddenly joined John Kreese’s Cobra Kai dojoat the end of season 6, part 1. Despite the show redeeming this controversial betrayal of the Miyagi-do dojo later in the season, it felt as though Tory’s story was less central to the overall story ofCobra Kaifrom that moment on.
She was relegated to the level of a useful subplot in John Kreese’s redemption arc, while the overwhelminggrief she inevitably felt over her mother wasn’t factored into the showanywhere near enough. Only one moment of reconciliation between Tory and Sam LaRusso developed this aspect of her story.
Tory only appeared for two brief moments in the final episode of the series, as she signed a deal to become a karate influencer.
Meanwhile, even Tory’sending in theCobra Kaifinalewas somewhat muted. She beat rival Zara Malik in a climactic fight towin the Sekai Taikaimidway through the penultimate episode, but this scene was relatively brief before Miguel’s fight took center stage, and lasted almost twice as long.
Tory only appeared for two brief moments in the final episode of the series, as she signed a deal to become a karate influencer. While she was with Robby, the love of her life,we never got to see her alongside any of the Cobra Kai students she started the show alongside, or her sensei, Johnny Lawrence.
It Was Miguel Who Introduced Tory To Cobra Kai, So Their Reconciliation Was Important
Despite Tory and Sam getting overprevious fights inCobra Kaiseason 6, we didn’t see her reconnect with Sam’s boyfriend, Miguel. Tory and Miguel were inseparable when she first appeared in the show, and it was Miguel who introduced Tory to Cobra Kai karate. Seeing the two characters become friends again would have been the perfect full-circle moment.
Tory and Johnny moments were also weirdly absent from the last two parts ofCobra Kai’s final season, even though Tory betrayed Johnny more than anyone by going over to Kreese’s side in episode 5.Tory was the karate student Johnny most related to during the early seasons of the series, and the finale could have acknowledged their bond.
Instead, the last part ofCobra Kaiseason 6 spent too much time on John Kreese’s treatment of Tory, both before and after his redemption. Less of Kreese would have meant more of Miguel and Johnny. Having lost his mother at a young age, too, Johnny Lawrence, in particular, was the perfect person to help Tory through her grief.
