Why Robby’s All Valley Result Had To Happen In Cobra Kai Season 4

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Cobra Kai season 4.

Robby’s loss in Cobra Kai season 4’s All Valley Karate Tournament was a necessary development for his character and the right choice for the show. Despite months of training and several episodes of buildup for this moment, Robby (Tanner Buchanan) ultimately fell short of his goal in the season 4 finale. Robby focused so much of his energy on winning in seasons 3 and 4, but still wasn’t able to get a victory over the Miyagi-do and Eagle Fang dojos.

For a long time now, Robby’s actions have been driven by his anger toward the people he feels have either failed him or turned their backs on him. That includes Johnny (William Zabka), Daniel (Ralph Macchio), and Sam (Mary Mouser). This helped invigorate Robby, who was already one of the most talented students across all three dojos. He’s also been training longer than most of the teenagers. Robby made it all the way to the finals in season 1, but couldn’t get past Miguel (Xolo Maridueña). He made it that far in the second tournament too, but this time it was Eli (Jacob Bertrand) he had to face. Eli, the same opponent that Robby had to beat in the first tournament’s semifinals, stopped Robby from winning it all in their rematch.

Robby’s hard work and dedication to his training didn’t get the satisfying payoff he had hoped for, but it was a result that needed to happen. First of all, Robby had been in need of a teaching moment like this for some time now. Ever since the high school brawl in the season 2 finale, Robby has been on a dark and vengeful path. Most of the decisions that he’s made since then have been motivated by anger and resentment. There’s no denying that his alliance with Kreese (Martin Kove) has been fueled by his desire to get back at Johnny and Daniel. He of course knows how much both of them despise Kreese. He also sees Kreese and Cobra Kai as a way of getting what he wants. For Robby, winning the tournament would have provided vindication for everything that he’s done, rather than comeuppance.

Because Robby lost, he now has an opportunity to reflect on his mistakes, grow, and perhaps bond with his father, who he reconnected with in the finale. This result can serve as setup for Robby’s Cobra Kai season 5 story, which could see him embark down a path to redemption, as opposed to bitter revenge. It’s possible that the next time Robby fights in a tournament, he’ll finally get over the hump and prevail in the finals.

There’s also the matter of what Robby’s loss meant for his opponent. After all, he wasn’t the only one who’s been on a long journey to the All Valley Karate Tournament. Eli was on the wrong side for much of the series, but for him, season 4 was all about being better and trying to get away from Kreese’s teachings. Instead of realigning himself with Johnny, Eli made a surprising choice by sticking with Daniel. He wasn’t able to win the tournament with Cobra Kai, but did find the success he wanted with Miyagi-do. Similar to the situation with Robby, the results of the tournament can propel Eli’s story forward and open up new pathways for his character in Cobra Kai season 5.

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