One thing I noticed in season 3 during the finale is when Robby was seen wearing Cobra Kai’s gi training in the back with Kreese. Johnny’s face was hurt with regret and sadness as he saw his son in the hands of such a manipulative being. The scene progressed with Johnny kicking Kreese’s ass and then trying to talk Robby out of his stupid decision to join the most evil man in his life, telling him that he can’t be trusted. The music during this scene felt almost operatic, and reminded me a lot of Anakin vs Obi-Wan. To me it was like Anakin was Robby, Johnny was Obi-Wan and Kreese was the Emperor.
Robby tries to defeat his father, his family, like Anakin tried to kill Obi-Wan, blaming him for all of his problems, telling him that Kreese he can’t be his own worst enemy, but Johnny can be. This just shows even more that Robbie is almost looking for a reason to hate his dad even more, as a means of fuelling his strength and resolve in Cobra Kai. This is much like Anakin, who in the end, completely turned on those he once cared for and loved, all in the name of achieving the power to save padme. Now in Robbie’s case, he has been seduced by the Emperor. By Kreese. Kreese has manipulated him in his time of abandonment and feeling alone. When his father let him down and Daniel turned him in, who was merely having his best interests in mind, but at the end of the day, in Robby’s eyes, he betrayed him, he turned against him. The only one who promises him power, is Kreese. Remember, Kreese’s teachings were what saved him in Juvie. He told him that Miyagi mumbo jumbo might work in a tournament, but now he’s in the real world, and sometimes he’ll have to strike first. It’s this lesson, this first lesson that Kreese teaches Robby, where he actually uses it and prevails. Unlike the teachings from his father and Daniel, which left him beaten and bleeding. He attacks the bullies in the jail and changes the outcome. Once Robby sees Johnny fighting Kreese, he attacks him from behind and defends his new master. This reminded me of Anakin and obi-wan on Mustafar on the levitating pods as Obi-Wan said Anakin Chancellor Palpatine is evil, and Anakin said from my point of view the jedi are evil. Robby’s perception is completely skewed at this point and he fully believes that his dad and Daniel are the villains. He has had his mind partially twisted by the devil himself, Kreese. And I say partially because Johnny was a terrible father to him all his life and Daniel is responsible for his life turning out the way it did, or at least, Robby blames him for it.
Robby at this point will need to be redeemed at the end. And I think this only is possible when his life is in critical danger. I don’t think Robby would stand by and watch his dad be killed by Kreese. It would take something extremely dire and in the moment for him to turn back to the light. I think we could get a reversal of Return of the Jedi, where we see Johnny dying, maybe getting absolutely beat to death by Terry Silver and Kreese, or maybe even Mike Barnes. In his last moments, Robby could blind side the two and save his father, or perhaps save both Daniel and Johnny. Wouldn’t the most epic battle be Johnny and Daniel teaming up to fight Silver and Kreese? You have to realize, everyone turned on Robby. He had no one left. Sam, Daniel, his Dad, and Miguel made his life hell. I know Robby is to blame, but the way he sees things, was that he was defending himself, as Kreese manipulatively tells him.
Until this moment happens where Robby is forced to turn on Kreese for his love for his father, he will continue to wreak havoc on the galaxy of Karate Kid. He will be the perfect student that Kreese always wanted.
We saw flashbacks with Johnny as a boy, and he was much more compassionate and weak as Kreese would call it, or any person would cite as being human.
Robby is cold and callous now. He’s numb. The only thing to bring him out of this state is his love for his father. I don’t think Sam or Daniel could bring him out of this. And for that reason, Robby will be an absolute machine by the time Season 4’s tournament rolls around. He will crush the competition, and bring Cobra Kai back on top.
Maybe Robby will be redeemed in Season 4, maybe we won't see that until seasons later. Either way, I think it'll take something very emotional for Robby to turn back and see his wrong ways, much like Anakin Skywalker breaking free from Darth Vader and of course, The Emperor.
My question is, if John Kreese is like Palpatine, then who is Terry Silver in Star Wars??