History Heartwarming / CobraKai

* Miguel and Johnny's relationship is quite heartwarming in many ways. Johnny is in a way getting a second chance at being a father figure after screwing up with [[AntagonisticOffspring Robby]], and Miguel is getting a father figure he never had. This is nowhere more apparent than the scene where Johnny is begging Miguel's mother to allow him to keep training -- one gets the definite sense that these words are exactly what Johnny wishes he could say about Robby. The fact Johnny got through to her is sweet as well.

* When Johnny tells his friends about his dojo, one of the first things he mentions is what great kids the students are. Even though he just learned they trashed the Miyagi-do, and several of them quit to join ''his arch-nemesis Daniel'', he still cares about his students and holds them in high esteem.

* Daniel and Mike Barnes' reunion. It starts out with Daniel thinking Mike is still Silver's goon, but turns out he, like Chozen, has become a better person. He now owns a furniture business and genuinely felt bad for how he treated Daniel earlier. He is happy that Daniel is doing better and wanted to reach out to him to apologise but was afraid of opening old wounds. The two even have a friendly banter about a rematch, which leads to [[AbuseMistake Chozen believing he is attacking Daniel]] and rush to his rescue.

** After everything Hawk has endured throughout the series, having him win the All Valley is incredibly satisfying to watch. Especially considering the odds were stacked against him with his low confidence and the fact the referee had been bribed to cheat.

--->'''Johnny:''' "You had a good thing going with [=LaRusso=]. I got in the way of it. You don't blame yourself; blame ''me''."
--->'''Robby:''' "I'm sick of blaming you, Dad."

** Tory's HeelFaceTurn. Compare Season 2 where she tried to disfigure Sam to now when she's genuinely remorseful for cheap-shotting Sam ''by accident''. After the match, she even asks Sam if she is all right and tries to help her up, only for the other Cobra Kais to pull her away. Tory also looks none too happy in the end when she learns that she only defeated Sam because Silver bribed the referee.

* Johnny's genuine dedication to not only both Robby and Miguel, but his unborn child. He even makes a genuine effort to get a job and refurbishes his apartment. [[TookALevelInKindness He really has learnt from his mistakes.]]
* Anthony's CharacterDevelopment throughout this season, the best example being when he earns the respect of all of the Miyagi-Do/Eagle Fang Dojo by convincing them to unite. Once they pass Chozen's test they all rush to embrace him in gratitude and Chozen is also proud of him for being the one to unite the group. This firmly cements his position as TheHeart of the Miyagi-Do/Eagle Fang alliance.

* Chozen shows how good of a sensei he really is when he's undercover trying to get a job with Cobra Kai. He works with Tory and just in those few seconds is able to see how conflicted she really is and encourages her to be better. Even while keeping up a front, he does what he can to help a student.

* Carmen's wholesome 80's themed dream about her future with Johnny. Even better? When she wakes up next to him, Johnny holds her and happily asks her to tell him all about it.

* Big Red offers to give Little Red a ride home, finally ending the rivalry between the two brothers.
* [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure The police]], understanding that Raymond was under duress when he gave his initial false statement on who really beat him up, decide to let him go without facing any legal repercussions.
* After the final battle, when Tory has followed Robby's lead in leaving Cobra Kai for good, the two are unsure which of them owes the other an apology... a conundrum that Tory resolves by simply asking Robby to kiss her.
* Sam and Miguel ''finally'' confessing their love for each other and reconciling. Complete with a BigDamnKiss.

* While Daniel, Amanda, and Louie are coping with the news of Tom Cole's poaching Doyona away from [=LaRusso's=], Daniel thinks back to how his mother's station wagon was so faulty he and his mother had to push it to get it to start moving, hence why he was so excited when Miyagi gave him the iconic 1945 Ford Supe Deluxe on his 18th birthday. Miyagi was the one who pushed Daniel into sales, despite Daniel thinking car salesman are sleazy. He reminded Daniel to follow his passions, so Daniel opened the dealership because he wanted to make people feel the same excitement as he did when Miyagi gave him the car. His dealership is about making people happy and that's why they were so successful, in stark contrast to Cole's underhanded practices.

* While Daniel, Amanda, and Louie are coping with the news of Tom Cole's poaching Doyona away from [=LaRusso's=], Daniel starts reminiscing about how his mother's station wagon was so faulty he and his mother had to push to get it to start moving, hence why he was so excited when Miyagi gave him the iconic 1945 Ford Supe Deluxe on his 18th birthday. Miyagi was the one who pushed Daniel into sales, despite Daniel thinking car salesman were sleazy (which Louie calls a [[HypocriticalHumor bullshit stereotype]]). Miyagi reminded Daniel to follow his passions, so he opened the dealership because he wanted to make people feel the same excitement as he did when Miyagi gave him the car. In stark contrast to Cole's underhanded practices, his dealership is about making people happy and that's why they were so successful.

* Chozen's lesson to the combined Miyagi-Do/Eagle Fang dojo, teaching them the value of teamwork and unity. Particularly since it's not as though he couldn't have torn through them if he really wanted to; that's not the point. The point was to teach them that the dojo is so much more than the sum of its individual students. And that lesson really pays off in the finale, allowing Anthony time to play the video which directly leads to Silver's downfall.

* Anthony's CharacterDevelopment throughout this season, the best example being when he earns the respect of all of the Miyagi-Do/Eagle Fang Dojo by convincing them to unite. Once they pass Chozen's test they all rush to embrace him in gratitude and Chozen is also proud of him for being the one to unite the group. This firmly cements his position as the Heart of the Miyagi-Do/Eagle Fang alliance.

* Chozen shows how good of a sensei he really is when he's undercover trying to get a job with Cobra Kai. He works with Tory and just in those few seconds is able to see how conflicted she really is and encourages her to be better. Even while keeping up a front, he does what he can to help a student.
* Kreese's therapy session with the prison psychiatrist. While it's obvious he's trying to sway her to his side, he opens up a little and confronts some of his demons. For the very first time, he seems to acknowledge his own issues a little, even confessing that losing Betsy destroyed him and feeling regret for the way he treated others, especially Johnny. He even admits that in his own twisted way, he wanted his students to become strong, not so they could ''be like'' him, but so they could become ''better.'' It also subtly displays his affection for Tory. It's unclear how much of his is just an act, but it may hint that there are indeed still traces of good still in him, albeit buried deep, ''deep'' down.
* While at a bar in Ohio with Amanda, Sam finds a video of Anthony being bullied at the water park and asks why Anthony didn't tell her. Anthony admits that having her sister beat her up his bully will probably make things worse and explains everything that happened. Even though Sam clearly thinks Anthony as an AnnoyingYoungerSibling and doesn't hide the fact that he deserves Kenny's mistreatment, which [[KarmicNod Anthony agrees with]], [[EveryoneHasStandards she draws the line at Kenny and Cobra Kai bullying him even worse than Anthony did to Kenny]]. After they leave the bar, Sam offers to teach Anthony how to defend himself, which Anthony eagerly accepts. It's especially sweet to see them getting along after four seasons of not having the best relationship.

* Kreese attempting to get Tory to stay with Cobra Kai because of the perks that would come with it. While she doesn't see it this way, it's clear from the look on his face that he's urging this because he genuinely wants what's best for her.
** For that matter, the fact that Tory visited Kreese in prison to start with. While almost everyone else sees Kreese as a monster (and they're not wrong), it remains that he's one of the only people in Tory's life who ever had her back, and it's heartwarming to see her repay his loyalty now. When they plot against Silver together, there's definitely the sense that Tory is doing it as much (if not more) to help Kreese as to neutralize Silver.

* During the next episode, Robby gives Sam a big grin of approval when he sees her fighting well against Devon. When she wins, her dad is bursting his buttons with pride, and Chozen gives her a big grin and a hug.
* While it's mainly presented as a funny moment, Johnny launching into the story about "Shimpo Sensei" when the Taikai organizers are looking around the Miyagi-Do dojo. The fact that, months after hearing this story for the first and probably only time, he still remembers the details well enough to recite it at the drop of a hat, is yet more proof that he really took all of what Daniel said to heart.
* Robby is seen coaching Anthony, showing how much he wants to atone for his previous actions.
* When Kenny storms over and starts yelling at him, Robby genuinely tries his best to get through, and later walks into the flagship dojo by himself to try and get through to the other students as well. A far cry from the guy who thought all Cobra Kais were irredeemable only a year ago in-universe.
* While it backfires, it's nice that Eli agreed to go easy on Kenny, since both he and Robby know how seductive Cobra Kai is.
* Johnny and Gunther (the German Sekai Taikai representative) having a CommonalityConnection moment over their passion for ''Film/RockyIV''. Despite being worlds apart, it's a nice reminder that even casual geekdoms can help bond the least likely of pairs.

** The party afterwards is one big moment of heartwarming (until Sam sees Miguel making out with another girl, anyway).

* Keeping with the series' theme of people who seem to be entirely disconnected actually becoming friends, Tory and Devon bonding over similar upbringings, having a mom who was terminally ill and taking up karate because they felt they owed it to themselves to prove what they were capable of. While they do have a falling out, they reconcile towards the end.

* The entirety of Episode 9 is this for the adults when they celebrate Johnny and Carmen expecting their new baby by going out clubbing. After all of the stress and trauma they've had to deal with Cobra Kai, the sight of them having a brief moment of peace and relaxation is a refreshing one.
** Louie decides to plan the evening himself because he still feels bad about destroying Johnny's Firebird in Season 1 and wants to make things right with him. Johnny appreciates the gesture and merely requests that they go somewhere where they can dance since Carmen loves dancing.
** In a strange way, the fight between Louie and Anoush. It only started because Louie was worried (not without reason) that Anoush was taking advantage of his sister. Once he calms down, he gives them his blessing and the two even give a PlatonicDeclarationOfLove. Compare that to Season 1 where Anoush couldn't stand Louie and only tolerated him as a coworker.
* Chozen reveals that he has always been in love with Kumiko, but felt as though he was undeserving of her due to his past mistakes (especially after she and Daniel got together). Daniel encourages him, saying he is worthy of happiness and to take a chance with her while he can. This inspires him to leave her a very sweet voicemail asking her to meet him when he returns to Okinawa.
-->'''Chozen:''' I only make one mistake. [[CallBack I should have taken you with me.]]
** Season 3 revealed that after Chozen lost his fight with Daniel in Okinawa and became a DeathSeeker, Sato managed to redeem him. In this season, Chozen adds that Kumiko was the one who found him and brought him back to Sato.
* When Robby is being rushed by three Cobra Kai students at once during the final battle, Miguel runs to his aid and sends Kenny sprawling with a flying sidekick before beating up the other two kids, giving his step-brother in all but name time to recover.
* Now this might seem like a weird choice for a Moment of Heartwarming, but it's when Daniel [=LaRusso=] in his 50s[[note]]who was recently beaten to a pulp by a vengeful Terry Silver, which triggered his PTSD[[/note]] realized why [[BewareTheNiceOnes Mr. Miyagi]] in his 50s would walk away from a fight despite being an unbeatable [[OldMaster Miyagi-Do master]]. They avoid [[MartialPacifist conflict]] not because Daniel and Miyagi are too weak to fight. It's [[ForYourOwnGood because]] of how despite winning against foes, it's the [[InnocentBystander people around them]], especially their loved ones, that get hurt in the process, leading to [[NotQuiteTheRightThing Pyrrhic victories]] and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero unintentional suffering]] despite their [[DestructiveSavior best]] [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished intentions]]. It showcases maturity in the middle-aged Daniel, even if it happened during his [[HeroicBSOD lowest point]] so far.

* While Robby is expectedly apprehensive of Johnny's intentions to go get Miguel back from Mexico, he nonetheless acknowledges his father is finally committed to righting his wrongs and do right by both him and Miguel, and willingly helps him. The two's relationship also greatly repairs itself, to the point where the [[ParentChildTeam two thrash a group of scam artists]] and happily share drinks together.
** Throughout the season, Robby consistently refers to him as "dad," showing that, for the first time he really accepts Johnny as not just his biological father but a role model and parent.

* It took four seasons, but finally, Sam and Tory are, if not friends, at least no longer enemies. Tory comes clean to Sam about Silver fixing the All-Valley, Sam gets a good look at Tory's home life and finally understands why the girl has so much rage and need to vent it, and the two join forces to bring Silver to justice, fighting side-by-side to see it done. They may cross fists in the future, but they've achieved a level of respect and understanding for each other.

* As Daniel walks down the beach, he sees a man in the distance fishing, and wearing the same type of clothes Miyagi wore. When he walks towards him, he realizes it's just a random man, fishing. The man politely asks about Miyagi and then tells Daniel that the right fish will come to him -- he just needs patience. Definitely something Miyagi would say. (Daniel then comments that the man is more like Mr. Miyagi than he thought.) This not only serves as a happy reminder for fans who were sad about Pat Morita's andMr. Miyagi's passing, but also is a rare example of MistakenIdentity being used for heartwarming instead PlayedForLaughs.

'''Sam:''' [[YouAreNotAlone You're not alone anymore.]] So what do you say, Dad? Will you fight?
-->''The Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang students bow to their senseis. Daniel exchanges nods with Johnny and Chozen, and they bow to their students.''

* At Moon's party, Demetri tries to comfort Hawk as he mopes over his failed relationship with Moon and her new girlfriend, Piper. Considering how Hawk had assaulted Demetri over his Yelp review earlier in the season, Demetri attempting to make amends with his former friend is a touching gesture (even though it fails).

* When Johnny tells his friends about his dojo, one of the first things he mentions is what great kids the students are. Even though he had just learned they trashed the Miyagi-do, and several of them quit to join ''his arch-nemesis Daniel'', he still cares about his students and holds them in high esteem.

** Daniel being willing to give former Cobra Kai kids a chance even against Robby's opposition and willingly telling his students about his experience with Terry Silver which is clearly very personal to him so they will understand that people can change.

* As Daniel walks down the beach, he sees a man in the distance fishing, and wearing the same type of clothes Miyagi wore. When he walks towards him, he realizes it was just a random man. The man politely asks about Miyagi and then tells Daniel about that with patience, the right fish will come to him, when it comes to fishing. Definitely something Miyagi would say and Daniel then commented he is more like him than he thought. This not only serves as a happy reminder for fans who was sad about Miyagi's passing but also a rare example of MistakenIdentity being used for heartwarming instead PlayedForLaughs.

* Moon finds out that Hawk tried to attack Demetri over a Yelp review and since Demetri is her friend, she's upset by his actions and confronts him over it. When Hawk refuses to listen to her when she says that Demetri is still his friend, Moon tells him that while she stills finds him attractive, she doesn't want to date a bully which is an improvement since she used to follow Yasmine when she was bullying Aisha.

* When Johnny finds out that Kreese has been lying about his "resume", Kreese confesses that the events of his life after losing Cobra Kai are not only anything BUT badass, but in fact have left him a broken man. Johnny gently reminds him of the Cobra Kai motto -- "Defeat does not exist in this dojo" -- which inspires Kreese to return to the dojo under Johnny's leadership. (And while this moment is ruined by the fact that Kreese ultimately was playing him like a fiddle, but that takes nothing away from how Johnny ''wanted'' to redeem this man who was the closest thing he ever had to a father figure. The fact that Kreese once tried to murder him, and Johnny is ''still'' willing to try and help him, speaks volumes.)

** It's incredibly heartwarming in hindsight, as the bartender's advice helps Daniel find new balance in his life, allows him to reconnect with old friends, and gives him the means to save his dealership, (and thanks to Chozen) his ''life,'' his dojo, Miyagi-Do, and ultimately stop the BigBad of Season Five altogether. All of this, thanks to a bit of advice from a random bartender.

* While Daniel, Amanda, and Louie are coping with the news of Tom Cole's poaching Doyona away from [=LaRusso's=], Daniel starts reminiscing about how his mother's station wagon was so faulty he and his mother had to push to get it to start moving, and the excitement he had when Miyagi gave him the iconic 1945 Ford Supe Deluxe on his 18th birthday. Miyagi was the one who pushed Daniel into sales, despite Daniel thinking car salesman were sleazy (which Louie calls a [[HypocriticalHumor bullshit stereotype]]). Miyagi reminded Daniel to follow his passions, so he opened the dealership because he wanted to make people feel the same excitement as he did when Miyagi gave him the car. In stark contrast to Cole's underhanded practices, his dealership is about making people happy and that's why they were so successful.

* The morning after the party, when Robby is going through his father's old possessions, he finds that Johnny kept some of Robby's childhood drawings, including one depicting their biological family happy together and [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs one with a dinosaur]].

* Eli reworks his pectoral tattoo of the Grim Reaper to a stylized lotus trinity, symbolizing his more enlightened view and as an appreciation to Miyagi-Do for setting him on the right path.

* While at a bar in Ohio with Amanda, Sam finds a video of Anthony being bullied at the water park and asks why Anthony didn't tell her. Anthony admits that having her sister beat her up his bully will probably make things worse and explains everything that happened. Even though Sam clearly thinks Anthony as an AnnoyingYoungerSibling and doesn't hide the fact that he deserves Kenny's mistreatment, which [[KarmicNod Anthony agrees with]], [[EveryoneHasStandards she draws the line at Kenny and Cobra Kai bullying him even worse than Anthony did to Kenny]]. After they leave the bar, Sam offers to teach Anthony how to defend himself, which Anthony eagerly accepts. Its especially sweet to see them getting along after four seasons of not having the best relationship.

* Johnny and Chozen, both seeking to avenge Daniel beating at Silver hands to defend his honour. Also, counts as a BigBrotherInstinct in Chozen's case as he has become Daniel's close confidant and is outraged that his surrogate cousin was attacked and beaten.

-->'''Amanda:''' He said to me, "Amanda-san. In life, always easier to hide head in sand. He told me you could be a bit of a handful sometimes, but you would always fight for what you believed in. And there was nothing you believed in more than your family. Friends. And what I believe in now is standing up to Terry Silver. It's the right thing to do for you, for me, for our family. Sorry it took me so long to realize.\\

** In particular, seeing Robby and Sam standing side by side is just really wonderful, after everything they'd been through.