Cobra Kai’s Tory Nichols: Why She Deserved a Better Ending in the Final Season

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In the realm of Cobra Kai, I’d confidently say that one character has a unique charm that lights up three full dojos – Tory Nichols. From the second season onwards, her unyielding determination and innate skill in martial arts have made her a standout figure.

Besides demonstrating impressive karate abilities, Tory’s narrative arc throughout the series was intricately layered. She developed a close bond with Sam LaRusso that eventually transformed into rivalry. Moreover, she found herself entangled in romantic relationships with both Miguel Diaz and Robby Keene. Her tumultuous childhood and her mother’s ongoing health issues added additional layers of complexity to Tory’s character, making her one of the most empathetic characters in Cobra Kai.

As a devoted fan of Cobra Kai, I found episode 5 of the series’ final season particularly heart-wrenching. The demise of Tory’s mother due to a pulmonary embolism left an indelible mark on her character and her emotional journey. While she eventually managed to find redemption in the last two episodes, I couldn’t help but feel that Tory deserved a more satisfying conclusion after losing her mother.

Tory Deserved Better In Cobra Kai’s Final Season After Losing Her Mother

She Was Relegated To John Kreese’s Subplot & Sidelined In The Finale

As a die-hard movie buff, I found myself at a low ebb when my mother passed away. In a surprising twist, I enrolled in John Kreese’s Cobra Kai dojo towards the conclusion of season 6, part 1. Even though the series later reconciled this questionable betrayal of the Miyagi-do dojo, it seemed like Tory’s narrative took a back seat within the broader storyline of Cobra Kai following that point.

She ended up playing a significant yet underdeveloped subplot in John Kreese’s redemption storyline, while the profound grief she harbored over her mother was seldom addressed in the series. A single instance of reconciliation between Tory and Sam LaRusso served to explore this aspect of her narrative.

In the final episode of Cobra Kai, Tory’s victory wasn’t given much emphasis. She defeated Zara Malik in a significant battle to win the Sekai Taikai around mid-season, but this part was quite short compared to Miguel’s fight which followed and took up almost twice as much screen time.

As a dedicated cinema enthusiast, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment when Tory, the character who stole many scenes throughout the series, was only present for fleeting moments in the final episode. Although she shared precious time with Robby, the man she loves, it was a pity that we didn’t get to witness her interacting with any of the Cobra Kai students she initially joined the show with or her mentor, Johnny Lawrence.

Cobra Kai Season 6 Should Have Had More Moments Between Miguel And Tory

It Was Miguel Who Introduced Tory To Cobra Kai, So Their Reconciliation Was Important

In the sixth season of ‘Cobra Kai’, although Tory and Sam had made up from their past altercations, there was no sign of Tory rekindling her relationship with Sam’s boyfriend, Miguel. Initially, Tory and Miguel were very close in the series, with Miguel being the one who introduced Tory to Cobra Kai karate. A scene showing these two characters reuniting as friends would have been a fitting resolution to their story arc.

In the last two parts of the final season of Cobra Kai, it felt strange that there were no significant interactions between Tory and Johnny, despite Tory betraying Johnny more than anyone else by joining Kreese’s side in episode 5. Since Tory had a special connection with Johnny throughout the early seasons of the show, it would have been fitting for the finale to address their relationship.

In the final part of Cobra Kai season 6, there was an excessive focus on John Kreese’s relationship with Tory, before and after his redemption. A reduction in Kreese’s screen time could have provided more attention to Miguel and Johnny. Given that Johnny Lawrence also experienced the loss of a parent at a young age, he was particularly suited to guide Tory through her mourning process.

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2025-07-06 04:18