When the sequel series “Cobra Kai” first began streaming, fans of the first “Karate Kid” surely experienced a big wave of nostalgia. Not only do we get to see Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso as an adult, but we also get to witness what happened to Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) after he finished last in the All Valley Karate Tournament when he was a young man. A fresh batch of bright college students are also added to the mix, and they are just as fascinating as the original cast members. They experience many of the same problems, in fact.
Bullying, dysfunctional families, issues with impulse control, and a lack of confidence are still common now just as they were when the original movies were produced. Even now, growing up and discovering who you are may be challenging, especially in the absence of good role models. This is true for the unfortunate Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), the son of Johnny Lawrence and a clear example of how negative tendencies may persist within families over several generations.
Robby is one of the primary offenders when it comes to making dubious judgments, however he is not the only character that tests the limits (almost everyone in “Cobra Kai” might have been jailed on numerous occasions throughout the series). He has, however, been able to stay mainly out of trouble. On “Cobra Kai,” there were numerous occasions where Robby ought to have been placed under arrest.
Robby attacks a man in his apartment
In Season 2, Episode 2, Robby awakens on the couch in his dark apartment to a man murmuring, “Let’s get out of here,” as he stands by the front door. Robby attacks the trespasser after believing someone has broken into his home. Robby hits the man while flying through the air, slamming him into the front door, only to learn the man was with his mother. Shannon, Robby’s mother, says she’s heading to Mexico with this man after turning on the light.
Depending on the situation, physically assaulting someone or simply threatening to hurt them justifies an arrest for assault, battery, or aggravated assault. This circumstance is a little complicated. Robby believed that this individual was a burglar in his house. According to castle doctrine, if we believe “impending harm” is imminent, we can protect our homes with physical force, even lethal force. Robby believed the target to be an invader, hence the attack was probably legal.
He wasn’t an intruder, though. This man was a visitor of Robby’s mother, who is the registered tenant of the apartment. Although Robby’s attack on this man may not have technically been a crime, this is the first time we see Robby resorting to physical force to deal with his problems. This pattern continues throughout Season 2 and ends in a fatal incident. Was it an assault or a miscommunication? Your choice!
Robby cuts off Hawk’s hair
In order to give the dojo an advantage at the All Valley Karate Tournament, Robby devotes himself to Cobra Kai in Season 4 and starts teaching the students Miyagi-Do defence tactics. In Episode 5, Robby surprises Hawk in the tattoo parlour with the help of a few Cobra Kai students. Hawk’s disagreements with his former Cobra Kai pals have gotten worse ever since he changed sides during the altercation at the LaRusso residence at the conclusion of Season 3. Hawk is restrained by the Cobra Kai pupils, and Robby threatens him by threatening to shave his mohawk off with a straight razor.
Despite the fact that he wasn’t wounded physically, the behaviour was unacceptable in these conditions and might have resulted in Robby and the other Cobra Kai pupils being accused of assault. Hawk was restrained, and Robby brandished a weapon as a threat. Even if this might seem insignificant in comparison to, say, being thrown off a balcony and onto a set of steps, it is nonetheless unlawful, spiteful, and malicious. These children ought to feel bad for themselves.
Robby fights his father for Kreese
By the end of Season 3, Robby had allowed his resentment of Johnny and Daniel to influence him in a bad way, John Kreese. In episode 10, Johnny confronts Kreese at Cobra Kai over the theft of his dojo and trainees. When Johnny wins their argument with Kreese, Robby steps in on Kreese’s behalf. Robby attacks Johnny, who resists, but Johnny pushes him into the metal lockers and unintentionally knocks Robby out.
Once more, Kreese threatens Johnny, but Daniel LaRusso arrives in time to defend him. In order to confront Kreese about his students vandalising the LaRusso home and attacking Daniel’s students, Daniel came to the Cobra Kai dojo. Using a move he picked up while visiting Okinawa, LaRusso knocks Kreese out but then walks away from the conflict. While Robby and Daniel were defending Kreese and Johnny, respectively, everyone engaged in the incident might have been charged with violence.
By this point, every student at both dojos has resorted to violence to get their problems solved. Although martial arts can instil attention, control, and patience in students, when used by a group of aggressive people, they can also lead to increased conflict. It’s wonderful to see Daniel and Johnny working together to rid their neighbourhood of Kreese’s corrosive influence.
Robby fights in juvenile hall
When Robby is sent to a juvenile detention facility, Shawn Payne, one of the other inmates, starts to bully him (Okea Eme-Akwari). Robby turns away from the taunts because he doesn’t want to fight and cause more trouble. However, in Episode 5, Robby’s determination wanes as a result of Johnny’s decision to forego a visit and instead stay at the hospital with Miguel. A knockdown and dragout brawl breaks out between Robby and Shawn in the center’s hallways. Although Robby may have started the fight, Shawn eagerly joined it.
Even though a fight is mutual, each person involved can still be prosecuted with battery under Penal Code Section 242. Even though there were no injuries, they are still subject to charges. Guards break up the fight, but Robby and Shawn both refuse to turn on the other boy, earning the other boy’s reluctant admiration. We may infer that none of the boys were charged for their brawl because this is the last we hear about the fight and Robby’s stay in the juvenile detention facility is about to come to an end.
Robby forged Johnny’s signature
Johnny receives a further contact from Robby’s high school in Season 1, Episode 4. Robby’s absence from school for nearly a month is discovered by Johnny. Robby created a fake letter claiming Johnny was taking him on a father-and-son rafting vacation down the Colorado River. Johnny is irate that Robby is skipping school, not that forgery is a felony. Robby claims he is quitting school after Johnny confronts him about missing classes for over a month. Robby, of course, thinks it sounds hypocritical coming from Johnny, who hasn’t exactly achieved success, when Johnny attempts to persuade him he has the rest of his life ahead of him and begs him to not ruin his chances for a successful future.
Robby’s father’s signature forging on a school note is technically a white-collar felony and is criminal in California under Penal Code 470 PC, even though it is highly improbable that Robby would have been arrested for it. Johnny shielded Robby from the legal repercussions of his actions by keeping the school in the dark about the forgery of his signature. When Robby skipped school for more than a month, he may have committed another infraction that could have cost him. His parents might have faced consequences under California’s truancy statutes for his unexcused absences. In the state where Robby resides, children between the ages of six and eighteen are required by law to attend school, therefore he got away with this offence twice.
Robby has cannabis at his house
In the season one, episode four, Robby’s flat, Johnny confronts him about skipping class. When Johnny arrives, Robby and his buddies are smoking marijuana, playing video games, listening to music, and watching obscene movies. Although Robby and his buddies are never seen smoking in this moment, it appears like Robby is getting ready to dispute with Johnny by packing a pipe. It isn’t a great stretch to assume that this disobedient youngster is also consuming marijuana with his friends given that they caught him with molly in Episode 2.
Robby’s state may allow the recreational use of cannabis, but it is still a restricted substance for minors. In the state of California, everyone over 21 may possess up to one ounce of marijuana. If you possess this controlled substance and are under 21 but over 18, authorities may punish you $100. Robby, who is 16 years old, might be penalised, and minors could also be made to perform community service or go to rehabilitation for substance usage.
Naturally, Robby escapes punishment for possessing this narcotic because Johnny doesn’t report his son’s activities to law enforcement. Robby might have been taken into custody but wasn’t. Robby got away with a lot in Season 1, and it’s very clear he harbours a lot of resentment toward his absent father. Additionally, Robby’s need for a mentor is demonstrated in Season 1 along with how he develops and flourishes once Daniel LaRusso takes him under his wing.
Robby injures Miguel during the hall brawl
By the end of “Cobra Kai” Season 2, the majority of the karate students still believe that using violence to resolve their issues will actually make them worse. The tension has reached a breaking point since Sam, Robby, Miguel (Xolo Mariduea), and Tory (Peyton List) have grown resentful of each other. Robby is envious of Miguel and Johnny’s new father-son bond, and he grows more envious of Sam’s love for Miguel. Tory feels envious of Miguel’s feelings for Sam in the meanwhile. Tory is envious of Sam’s family’s comfortable lifestyle and wealth because she needs to work to provide for her own family. These resentments flare up in the high school’s hallways in Episode 10.
An quarrel between Tory and Sam develops into a full-fledged brawl between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do pupils in the hallway. Sam is hurt by Tory as the altercation progresses, and Robby kicks Miguel over a railing, throwing him to the stairs below. After the battle, Miguel is unconscious and in the hospital, and viewers are left wondering if he will wake up.
Naturally, assault, battery, and aggravated assault are crimes, and Robby must have been thinking about that after the altercation. Robby and every other member of Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do could have been accused of disturbing the peace. California treats charges of disturbing the peace on school property seriously, and conviction carries additional penalties.
Robby is caught with molly at school
Robby is busted having molly at school in the second episode of Season 1. The punishment for possessing a category 1 narcotic in the state of California, where Robby resides, depends on how much of the substance you have. Small amounts for personal use could result in a misdemeanour conviction, while big amounts and charges of intent to sell constitute felonies (per Johnson Criminal Law Group). Due to rules created in the 1970s known as “Drug-Free Zones,” selling narcotics on a school campus carries significant penalties in California.
The school calls Robby’s father Johnny after they are unable to reach Robby’s mother. When Johnny learns that Robby was found with Molly at school, he first doesn’t realise that his son was using narcotics there since he thinks Molly is a girl. The kid refers to Johnny as a “pathetic loser” and warns him not to start attempting to be a father right away after Johnny begs to talk to Robby about it. The vice principal decides to continue attempting to contact Robby’s mother after overhearing the exchange.
We may conclude Robby just had enough narcotics for personal use because this is the only time we hear about him having drugs at school, and the vice principle chose not to notify the police. For the first time in “Cobra Kai,” Robby got lucky and escaped incarceration when he ought to have.
Robby steals a laptop
In the fourth episode of Season 1, Robby steals a laptop by impersonating a store employee and taking advantage of a customer. Robby takes the laptop and lists it for sale online, where he contacts several possible purchasers. Robby could divide the price in half and sell it to whoever arrives first, offers Trey (Terayle Hill). Robby doesn’t like the concept, even if he stole the laptop. His expression reveals his unease. It is clear from this exchange that Robby’s friendship with Trey and Cruz (Jeff Kaplan) is pushing him toward a life of crime.
Naturally, theft is illegal. Grand theft in the state of California is defined as taking something worth $950 or more, and many laptops are worth much more than that! Grand theft is a “wobbler” act that can be punished as either a felony or a misdemeanour based on the circumstances and the person’s previous history, according to the Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center. Another “wobbler” offence in California is the receiving or sale of stolen property. Depending on the extenuating circumstances, you may be prosecuted with a misdemeanour or a felony. In Robby’s home state, violating Penal Code 496 PC might result in a three-year prison sentence, so he should consider himself lucky to have avoided arrest for stealing or selling that laptop.
Robby steals a snake from the zoo
Robby is stuck in a place after being freed from the juvenile prison facility and put on probation. He finds up staying the night at the Cobra Kai dojo, where he becomes influenced by John Kreese, who has taken over the place after Miguel’s injuries. After the altercation at the end of Season 2, Robby and Tory hang around and get along because they are the only two karate students still on probation. In the ninth episode of Season 3, Robby participates in a task Kreese given to Tory and the other Cobra Kai students. To steal a snake, Robby, Tory, and a few other Cobra Kai pupils break into the zoo.
The group splits up to flee when a security guard closes in on them before they can grab the snake. After meeting the Cobra Kai kids outside the zoo’s fence, Robby stays behind to take the snake. This may appear to be a small infraction that is more akin to a prank than a criminal in comparison to other offences Robby has committed and gotten away with. But stealing is illegal. If they value this snake at more than $950, Robby has once more committed grand theft. Robby may still have been arrested for petty theft if the snake’s value was less than $950.
Robby steals a van and goes on the lam
Robby is seen eluding law enforcement at the start of Season 3 following the altercation that sent Miguel to the hospital. The LaRusso family discovers that a car is gone from the dealership’s used car lot in Episode 1. Robby knew no one would find the van missing until he was gone, therefore it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out he stole it. Armed with a cell phone to follow the low-jack GPS of the van, Daniel sets out to find Robby. However, Robby remembered to take the tracking device off before running away, as it is shown when Daniel discovers it in a park. Eventually, we find out that Robby sold the van to a junkyard.
The fight was mutual, but Robby was eventually taken into custody (when visiting his mother in treatment) for sending Miguel to the hospital. Given the severity of Miguel’s injuries, Robby was probably facing charges of severe assault. Robby escapes prosecution for grand theft auto under California Penal Code 487d1 PC. Daniel never reports the van as stolen to the authorities, which allows Robby to get away with selling the stolen van, which is also against the law. Robby naturally resents Daniel for reporting him to the police, which gives him additional reason to be angry.
The mall brawl could have ended with everyone in jail
Demetri (Gianni DeCenzo) joins Daniel LaRusso’s dojo in “Cobra Kai” Season 2 because he is tired of being teased at school. Additionally, Eli (Jacob Bertrand), who took the name “Hawk” after undergoing a transformation under the guidance of Johnny Lawrence and John Kreese, is under the influence of Cobra Kai, which he dislikes (Martin Kove). Demetri, Sam LaRusso (Mary Mouser), and Robby visit a mall together in Episode 5, where Demetri stops by a comic book store and gets into a fight with Hawk and other Cobra Kai pupils.
In an effort to find Sam and Robby, Demetri runs back to the food court after leaving the comic book store. Sam and Robby arrive just in time to defend Demetri from the Cobra Kai students as he is being cornered. Robby and Sam may have begun the “mall brawl” by defending Demetri, but it intensified after Robby kicked Hawk to the ground. Fortunately, Hawk’s head didn’t strike the ground and cause any significant injury.
If the mall security officer wasn’t too busy eating his lunch with headphones on, as we saw when Demetri rushed past him on his way to the food court, Sam, Robby, and all the Cobra Kai kids might easily be charged with assault if the incident was reported to the police. If police had caught these youths, they may have been charged with disturbing the peace in addition to assault.
The prom fight
The kids attend junior prom in Season 4 Episode 8. Tory and Robby make a pitiful attempt to ruin Miguel and Sam’s night, and they are successful. Sam and Miguel manage to get through a shaky dance, but Sam and Tory get into an altercation at Stingray’s after-party due to jealousy. Although Robby and Miguel become involved, the situation is resolved amusingly with everyone in the water, easing the tension. All parties involved in this minor altercation may have faced charges of assault or perhaps violence. It seems like pushing it for two teens who are on probation to fight while attending a party with underage drinking (with a neighbour already threatening to contact the police with a disturbing the peace complaint).
By the end of Season 4, Robby seemed to be settling down and maturing. He observes that Kreese and the new sensei Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) have a detrimental influence on his fellow Cobra Kai students. Robby is clearly sick of getting into trouble by the end of Season 4. He is becoming aware of the fact that the anger he harbours inside is just depressing him and dividing him from others who care about his well-being. We hope that Season 5 will mark the beginning of Robby’s transition from lawbreaker to potential-fulfilling citizen. We believe he has a good heart hiding beneath all of that suffering, despite all of his mistakes.
