Cobra Kai Season 5: 5 things to know about Johnny Lawrence

Johnny Lawrence, played by William Zabka, will make a return in Cobra Kai's fifth season, which is set to be released on September 9, 2022 on Netflix.

The series is a sequel to the popular teen drama movie series Karate Kid and follows the events of the movies with fresh faces and the inevitable Karate rivalry. Cobra Kai initially aired on YouTube before Netflix picked it up, serving a much larger audience.

The series is action-packed with killer karate moves and complex characters - ones that are not entirely good or bad. The show features Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Xolo Maridueña and Tanner Buchanan playing the main characters.

Johnny is one of the central characters that goes back to the Karate Kid days. Although he is quintessentially an antagonist, Lawrence has had his share of ups and downs in life. There have been many defining moments and events in his life that have shaped and bent his character to become what it is.

---

Things you probably don't know about Cobra Kai's Johnny Lawrence

1) Rough childhood

Johnny Lawrence was born to his mother, Laura Lawrence, and there is no mention of who his father was, just that he abandoned Lawrence and his mother. While growing up, Johnny did not have a father figure to look up to, but it was probably better than having a stepfather.

When Johnny was still young, he remembers his mother coming home and telling him that she was marrying Sid Weinberg, a wealthy man who would look after them. It was only a matter of time before Johnny became the victim of his stepfather's abusive nature. Sid would abuse the little boy, which ultimately left a deep mark on Johnny, who grew up to become a broken man who's emotionally unstable and resorts to alcoholism for comfort.

---

2) Lost his sweetheart to alcohol

In a rather funny and unromantic encounter, Johnny Lawrence met his first sweetheart, Ali Mills, at a movie theater. Johnny went to watch Rocky III with a bunch of his high school friends. One of his friends, called Dutch, thought it'd be funny to throw milk-duds at the girls sitting in front of them. Unsurprisingly, the girls were not amused by Dutch's goofiness and Ali Mills got up to confront him.

This is how the favorite couple in the Karate Kid franchise uneventfully met. They were in a two-year long relationship before Ali called things off because of Johnny's behavior. The exact reason behind what drove her to call it quits was revealed in Cobra Kai Season 2.

Johnny was a dysfunctional, emotionally troubled boy who often consumed too much alcohol to escape his feelings. This is what happened on the night of Ali's birthday. Johnny got way too drunk and forgot to attend her birthday party. It was the last straw and Ali got fed up with Johnny's behavior and ended their two-year long relationship.

---

3) Almost went to jail when he was young

Johnny Lawrence was a wayward man haunted by the demons of his past. He couldn't keep his head on his shoulders and got himself knee-deep into all kinds of trouble.

It happened many a times that under the influence of alcohol, he committed crimes that could have landed him in jail. However, thanks to his abusive but affluent stepfather, he got away with it every time.In 1994, Johnny and his partner-in-crime, Dutch got into trouble big time. While Dutch got prosecuted, Johnny didn't because of his stepfather's influence.

Another time, Johnny destroyed police records of public fighting and intoxication but was spared harsh penalties because of Sid.

---

4) Made the same mistake as his own father

Johnny Lawrence's entire life was turned upside down when his father abandoned him, leaving him with abandonment issues. He channeled fear and anxiety in the most brutal way possible and became a big bully at school. Even after growing up, he was rash and often got involved in petty crimes, drank way too and hurt the people around him.

History repeated itself when Johnny Lawrence met a fellow alcoholic, Shannon Keene. The two got along and were soon ready to welcome a child into their lives. However, a week before Shannon was due, Johnny Lawrence lost his mother, who, according to him, was the only person who believed in him. She was his rock and he couldn't cope with the grief.

He sunk deeper into depression, so much so that he was nowhere to be seen when his only son, Robby Keene, was born.

Johnny Lawrence was drunk that afternoon, and said:

"I failed my kid on his very first day in this world."

Johnny left the child to his mother to raise alone and made infrequent visits. The same gaping hole that Johnny felt throughout his life quickly creeped into Robby's too.

---

5) Mortal enemy

It is no secret that Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso do not get along, but do you know how this never-ending animosity began?

The tale is as old as time, the boy crosses paths with any guy who comes close to his sweetheart. Even after the girl had already refused to be with him. Classic.

After Ali Mills parted ways with Johnny Lawrence, she was at a beach party talking to a boy called Daniel LaRusso. Johnny happened to be there at the same time and lost his cool when he saw the two of them talking.

As irrational as he is, he walks up to Ali to confront her and she naturally refuses to speak to him. In the midst of all this, Daniel tries to take Ali's side and intervenes and gets into a messy brawl with Johnny.

Things went downhill between them after that.

---

Cobra Kai is a sequel to the Karate Kid movie franchise, and is releasing its fifth season on Netflix on September 9, 2022.