Cobra Kai Needs Sam LaRusso To Finally Lose (To Complete Her Redemption)
Sam LaRusso has struggled with tough challenges in Cobra Kai, but she usually ends up winning. Here’s why she needs to lose to truly be redeemed.
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Sam LaRusso has been through some tough situations in Cobra Kai, but she hasn’t properly lost yet in the show – something she may need to do to complete her redemption. Though Sam has generally been pitched as one of the heroes of the series, her behavior has often clashed with that narrative, leading some fans to see her as more of a villain. Before Sam can fully become one of the heroes of Cobra Kai, she’ll need to finally lose.
As the daughter of Daniel LaRusso and one of the main students of Miyagi-Do Karate, Sam was positioned from the start of Cobra Kai as a central protagonist. Sam’s treatment of Tory, however, has complicated that image. Though Tory has taken her rivalry with Sam to unjustifiably extreme levels, Sam was largely responsible for that rivalry’s beginnings; falsely accusing Tory of theft (based on prejudice), physically accosting her because of those false accusations, kissing Miguel when she knew he and Tory were dating, and completely disregarding Tory’s own challenging life circumstances when Miguel tried to defend her.
Of course, that’s not to say that Sam hasn’t gone through plenty of struggle of her own. Tory’s brutal vendetta against her was traumatic, but even in those moments of fear, she was able to win. Sam beat Tory in the school brawl, and again at the house brawl in season 3. The closest she’s come to losing was when Cobra Kai attacked Miyagi-Do near the arcade, prompting Sam to hide in fear rather than fight. That’s all to say, Sam has never truly lost yet in Cobra Kai, which has allowed her to continue believing that she’s completely in the right. If Sam actually lost, it might push her to recognize the ways she too has been a villain.
Losing would help Sam identify more with Tory’s own struggle. Sam’s life has always been easy, from her perfect family to her giant house, whereas Tory has had to fight through real loss just to hold on. If Sam experienced a genuine loss, in or out of the ring, it might prompt her to relate a bit more to Tory and thereby realize that she’s been just as much a part of the problem. That “loss” could take many shapes. Sam could lose at the All-Valley Tournament in Cobra Kai season 4. Aisha could return and tell her off for her pompous behavior. Or Miguel could break up with her for the same reason. Regardless of how it happens, Sam won’t be able to become the hero she’s been pitched as until she experiences what it’s like to lose.
A Cobra Kai season 4 arc where Sam acknowledges her own misdeeds would also beautifully parallel Daniel’s season 3 story, which saw him finally reconcile with Johnny after admitting that he, too, was to blame for the events of The Karate Kid. Cobra Kai has always been a show about morally complicated characters, but Sam hasn’t been forced to come to terms with her shortcomings in the way other characters have. A significant loss in Cobra Kai season 4 could give her a proper redemption arc, and set her up as the hero she’s supposed to be in the story.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/cobra-kai-season-4-sam-larusso-defeat-redeem/