In order to talk about the final scene in Cobra Kai’s “Ouroboros,” we should look into the meaning of the episode’s title. An ouroboros is a symbol that essentially showcases a snake (or a dragon) eating its own tail, representing the never-ending cycle of destruction and rebirth—an infinity sign of sorts, without the bright notion of forever latched onto it. Still, despite the episode’s title, past members of Cobra Kai (current members of Eagle Fang) coming together alongside members of Miyagi-Do marks a moment bound to break the chains of destruction.
There’s hope for the first time in the show’s five-season run. In an episode that marked a lot of devastation, the group of kids coming together to show Daniel his impact broke barriers in the overtly violent cycle by exhibiting that people can make a better impact through these choices. If the world sees a united front with Daniel and Johnny, Silver doesn’t stand a chance despite having the upper hand.
Still, breaking down this scene from Cobra Kai’s “Ouroboros” ultimately requires starting from the start, and it’s about the people who push us beyond what we feel we can take because they know we’re capable of more. It’s Amanda taking Daniel to Mr. Miyagi’s room because she understands, now more than ever, that he will need the reminder of what he’s fighting for and for whom. It’s the way she quietly steps back and watches him piece the things he needs together, giving him the agency to find his strength while she provides as much as she possibly can.
The choice, then, to tell him about coming here to see Mr. Miyagi the night before they got married because she was so nervous is her means of being vulnerable enough to allow him the comfort to understand that it’s okay if he’s hurting now. “In life, always easier to hide head in the sand;” that’s what Amanda did when she took the space to be away from Daniel; she hid in the sands, understandably so. But the decision to return after learning the truth and ensuring that he understands how much she believes in him made for a scene so achingly vulnerable that it broke my heart and put it back together again.
The lighting of this scene and the aching tenderness of the distance between them made it feel like they were closer than ever. You felt it through every look Courtney Henggeler passed along, as though giving the strongest parts of Amanda’s faith to Daniel.
And then there’s the brilliant moment where Robby interrupts to counter Daniel’s fear that he could fail the kids by confirming that he didn’t fail him. (The shot of Amanda and Sam walking out of frame at that moment, allowing another person to pass on strength, marks yet another beautiful moment.) Robby, like Amanda, brings vulnerability front and center by letting Daniel know that he, like Mr. Miyagi, gave him a purpose. And Robby’s declaration is the iceberg to confirm the depth of these truths—so much of Daniel’s losses started when Robby joined Cobra Kai, and the first domino fell.
These two moments, leading up to Sam saying he’s not alone anymore, mark the start of something bigger than any of them were prepared for, and it’s a direct result of the strength that’s unveiled in found families. It’s the strength Mr. Miyagi instilled.
Between the music, the emotionally driven screenplay, and the subtly evocative performances, Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang coming together made for the kind of scene people will talk about for years to come. This is the very scene that made it easy to stomach the perils of the season finale because we knew at this moment that strength in numbers would equate to these characters coming out on top, somehow. They’d find a way, no matter how impulsive the decisions.
Yet, Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang coming together in Cobra Kai’s “Ouroboros” wasn’t an impulsive decision like the events of the finale. Instead, this moment is a strategic and careful decision to choose the side that will matter in the future. This moment was all about reminding Daniel that his belief in Mr. Miyagi and all his teachings weren’t in vain. And it’s this very belief that all the kids have in him that led to the kind of fight which defeated Silver in the finale.
The belief in Mr. Miyagi’s teachings that Daniel steadfastly carries with him is the same belief he passed on to the kids. And this very belief had changed people for the better, giving kids a home and a place to belong when nothing else made sense. Daniel chose to understand everybody with grace and honesty, including Johnny, which ultimately (and finally) led to a friendship between the two. This moment in Cobra Kai’s “Ouroboros” isn’t so much about picking a side, or both sides, as it’s about reminding someone of the fact that their goodness and beliefs are worth fighting for.
Later, while Johnny is driven by the sonogram of his unborn child and his love for Carmen, Robby, and Miguel, the previous moment in their yard, along with Amanda standing by Daniel one more time at Cobra Kai to remind him that they’re all beside him, ultimately leads to victory. Belief is a compelling form of strength, and at this moment, with words and actions, the kids show Daniel that they believe in him—they’re rooting for him. They’re beside him. Thematically, this scene bleeds into the rest of the season beautifully as it sets up why the tree continues to grow no matter how deep people try to cut it down.
This scene is powerful on its own, but combining it with the final few seconds in the finale makes it that much more telling. This belief in Daniel, Johnny, Chozen and each other will carry them through the incoming battles with Kreese because, as an ouroboros suggests, one snake continues to feed into destruction. They’re all going to need each other now more than ever, and when we get to that place where we see it come to pass one more time, something inexplicable will occur in the ethers, I’m sure.
Cobra Kai Season 5 is now streaming on Netflix.