How Cobra Kai bought out Tory and Hawk in Season 4
It is safe to say that conservatives (Peyton list) and Falcon (Jacques-Bertrand) had the greatest redemptive scenarios of Cobra Kaithe last season. Both characters were portrayed as villains, especially in seasons 2 and 3, having caused physical and psychological damage to rivals in the dojo. They were mostly told to strike first and have no mercy, which is a lesson both Tory and Hawk honor. That is, until this decision begins to harm their personal life and affects their interpersonal relationships. Now that they realized it was their choice to fight fairly, both characters were able to experience a change of heart in season 4. From bullies to heroes, here’s how the Netflix series gave Tory and Hawk front and center to kick ass and grow in the meantime.
Tory’s Journey to the Alle Valley
Ever since Tory was introduced to the dojo realm in Season 2, she’s been downright mean and eager to break the rules. Like her and Miguel (Xolo Mariduena) started dating and Samantha (Mary Mouser) got closer to Robbie (Tanner Buchanan), the rivalry between Tory and Samantha escalated over who possessed Miguel’s heart. Their hostility towards each other only grew until it reached the climax of the school brawl when Tory branded Samantha’s arm with a spiked bracelet. Although Samantha is the one who suffered the psychological damage from this attack, Tory is expelled from high school and is tasked with meeting all probation requirements or she would end up in detention.
As her mother’s primary caregiver and home care provider, Tory takes two jobs to pay the rent and leaves Cobra Kai. Although estranged from Samantha, Tory has no regrets about inciting the school fight and causing harm, which makes her a ruthless figure on the show. When she returns to the world of karate, Tory is more spirited than ever and leads the Cobra Kai students in both arcade combat and the invasion of LaRusso’s house. Either way, his main goal is to attack Samantha for everything she’s been through since the school war and makes it clear that their rivalry will never be over.
That is until Season 4 arrives and forces Tory to re-evaluate his decisions with unexpected advice from none other than Amanda LaRusso (Courtney Henggeler) herself. Other than Kreese being sympathetic towards Tory at times in the previous season, only Amanda was able to show the antagonist that she had a chance to change the course of his life. It was the necessary push the character needed to stay away from Samantha and focus on what’s best for her, her mother, and her brother.
Instead of listening to her aunt say that her only way would be to go to prison, Tory understands that she must work on herself instead of blaming it all on others. Her relationship with Robbie also makes her forget about Miguel, whom she was in love with before. Encouraged to fight fairly, instead of just listening to Cobra Kai’s callous dilemma, Tory fought with Samantha trying her best to play by the rules. When she accidentally punches Samantha in the eye, she apologizes. It shows that Tory doesn’t have the same mentality from before and is on his way to becoming a good person after all.
Hawk’s Journey to the Alle Valley
Unlike Tory, we met Eli (aka Hawk) before he adopted the terrifying Mohawk look. Him, Miguel and Demetri (Gianni DeCenzolisten)) were best friends and school outcasts, often mocked by bullies. Karate becomes the outlet that transforms Hawk into a fearless and ruthless fighter. The Cobra Kai mentality affects him on a personal level, tarnishing his friendship with Demetri. After Demetri shares a negative review on Cobra Kai, Hawk becomes enraged and attacks him alongside other mall students.
Things escalate when Hawk dislocates Demetri’s arm during the arcade fight, making him a total Cobra Kai convert. Although breaking Demetri’s arm made Hawk uncomfortable, it didn’t change his mind about staying in the dojo. It’s not until the Cobra Kai students invade LaRusso’s house that the character begins to notice the damage he’s caused by teaming up with his former bullies. When they try to hurt Demetri, Hawk instantly switches sides to protect his friend instead of hurting him even more.
At the start of Season 4, Hawk is seen joining the good side by returning to Sensei Lawrence (Guillaume Zabka) supervision, as well as teaming up with Miyagi-Do. He switches to the new fighting style and fixes his friendship with Demetri, who welcomes him with open arms. When Hawk loses his mohawk, viewers see him revert to his vulnerable self that we briefly encountered in Season 1, showing that he’s officially unarmed from the Cobra Kai influence.
Without the power the Mohawk look gave him, Hawk quit karate for good. Still, Demetri repeatedly tries to convince him to change his mind and join Miyagi-Do so they can continue fighting on the same team and win the championship. Still reluctant, Hawk returns to karate and relearns to fight fairly and ignore “no mercy” politics. This decision is what makes him change the way he fought against Robby in the All Valley tournament. While old Hawk wouldn’t be afraid to do whatever it takes to win, the post-redemption character gives it his all without breaking the rules.
What did the All Valley Tournament mean for Tory and Hawk’s Redemption?
After Tory and Hawk started changing their thought process to not strike first and show no mercy, they were now able to show that they could change for the better. Tory won the championship not because she just wanted to attack Samantha, like she used to. Instead, she won because she was the best fighter in the competition. The same goes for Hawk, who literally had to lose his mohawk to relearn how to fight confidently and not destructively. The All Valley Tournament was the perfect setting to show that the show’s two antagonists aren’t as bad as they seem, and that they can get even better on and off the karate mat in Season 5.
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