The demonizing of John Kreese.
Anyone watching Karate Kid or Cobra Kai will tell you the bad guy isn't Johnny or Daniel but John Kreese, right?
Wrong!
Let's look at Kreese prior to the All Valley in 1984.
A decorated war hero and successful karate coach. His Cobra Kai dojo has had a lot of success at the local All Valley tournament over the years. His classes seem to be full, so despite his hard ass manner students appreciate and respect him.
One day a bunch of his top students come in sporting injuries. They tell him they were jumped by an adult. Said adult then turns up to the class and Kreese acts like anyone would in that situation. When Miyagi gives a different account saying it was 5 on to 1 (Daniel) Kreese offers to make sure it's one to one. when Miyagi says too much advantage to his student as it is his dojo, Kreese agrees and asks where Miyagi would like his student to fight. He then agrees to the All Valley challenge. He then goes on to agree to stop his students hassling Daniel until the tournament. In fact he couldn't have been any more accommodating.
Then come tournament day all of a sudden he says 'Out of commission' to Bobby. He wants the opponent injured so he can't fight in the final despite Bobby believing he can beat him.
Now that has never sat right with me. Here is a guy, who whether or not you like him, is a man of principal and honour. He might well be a hard ass but he is trying to make these kids the best they can be by pushing them beyond their limits. Then all of a sudden it's 'Out of commission'.
What follows after is KK2 in the parking lot and KK3 with the whole revenge plot, but it was that moment and that alone (for me) which made that character arc. As I said, going by Kreese prior to that moment, it never felt right. If anything that part should never have happened and at the end of Karate Kid it should have been Kreese saying to Johnny 'Go and shake his hand'.
Thoughts anyone?