Season 2 of Cobra Kai finally answered one of the oldest questions from The Karate Kid: why Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue) broke up with Johnny Lawrence (William Zapka). Multiple decades after The Karate Kid hit theaters and launched a franchise, Cobra Kai brought Johnny and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) back to continue their stories. Although Johnny was framed as the villain of The Karate Kid, the TV series has been praised for how it has put more focus on him and makes him a sympathetic character to root for.
Through the first two seasons of Cobra Kai, viewers have watched as Johnny turns his life around from being a fired repairman to running his own dojo after relaunching Cobra Kai. While his rivalry with LaRusso returns, Johnny has also dealt with his son Robby (Tanner Buchanan) training with LaRusso and the return of John Kreese (Martin Kove). Cobra Kai has also delved into Johnny’s past on multiple occasions. The show has revealed what his childhood was like and put a new perspective on LaRusso winning the All Valley Tournament. But, Cobra Kai is also responsible for explaining why Johnny and Ali broke up before The Karate Kid.
Ali played a pivotal role in The Karate Kid, as LaRusso’s interest in her fueled Johnny’s hatred of him. Ali and Johnny had only recently broken up when Daniel came to town, and even as Ali falls for Daniel instead, the movie never explains exactly what led to their split. It is insinuated that Johnny’s general behavior played a part in it, but the exact details were revealed in season 2. When Johnny spends time with his old Cobra Kai pals, he says that Ali broke up with him because he missed her birthday to hang out with them. That was apparently the last straw for Ali, as she broke up with Johnny shortly thereafter.
Cobra Kai‘s explanation for Johnny and Ali’s break-up might have answered one of the looming questions from The Karate Kid, but it didn’t provide any resolution for Johnny. He was clearly broken up about the split as a kid, which fueled his rivalry with Daniel. But, Cobra Kai shows that Johnny still isn’t over it. He still has feelings for Ali, even as he pursued Carmen Diaz. The season 2 finale even included Ali sending Johnny a friend request on Facebook, teasing that the old flames might be rekindled.
The potential return of Ali in Cobra Kai season 3 could provide a further explanation of the reasons why she broke up with Johnny. Missing her birthday likely isn’t the only reason that she decided to end the relationship. If Ali and Johnny do meet up again after all these years, it would hardly be a surprise for Johnny to ask what else might have caused the break-up. Of course, this could also present Cobra Kai with the opportunity to show how Johnny was a good boyfriend to Ali for a time instead of solely focusing on the negative parts of the relationship.
