Geeks logo

Cobra Kai: Hawk's Redemption

Recapping one of Cobra Kai's best story arks

By Carlos GuerraPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
7

Season 4 of Cobra Kai came and went quicker than we'd hoped. By the season finale, we were left with plenty of cliffhangers to ensure that fans would be looking forward to season 5. One character ark that was left at a good place was Eli's or, as we know him, Hawk. We've seen Hawk go from a defenseless nerd to gaining his confidence, to becoming a villain, and then to finally becoming a hero. We're going to be covering the entire trajectory of his character ark throughout seasons 1 through 4. So if you have you aren't completely caught up, you should be warned, there are massive spoilers ahead.

Season 1

When we were first introduced to Eli, he was just one of Miguel's only two friends. At that point, he had zero confidence and was often bullied by other students because of the scar on his lip. Then after Miguel began training with Johnny Lawrence and kicked the asses of several bullies in the cafeteria, Eli couldn't ignore the massive improvement in his friends fighting skills and sparked his own interest in joining Cobra Kai with his friend. When he started his training as one of Johnny's students, he still had struggles gaining any confidence. So, Sensei Lawrence gave Eli the best advice he's probably ever heard... if he wanted things to change, then he needed to flip the script. At the start of their next training lesson, Eli walks into the dojo with a bright blue mohawk and a badass back tattoo, thus officially gaining his new identity as Hawk. The change brought a tremendous improvement to his self-confidence and his fighting skills. One could argue that was because of this change that he placed in the top 4 of the show's first All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament.

However, with all the self-confidence he gained, we see Hawk's dark side break through the surface as well. During the tournament, Hawk fights with his sensei's son Robbie Keen. In the middle of the fight Robbie and Hawk exchange insults, Robbie says makes fun of Hawk's haircut and while he has his back turned Hawk hits Robbie illegally, getting himself disqualified from the tournament. This altercation didn't just disqualify Hawk from the All Valley but it also showed us, for the first time, what he is capable of doing when he lets his anger get the best of him. Throughout the first season of Cobra Kai, Hawk's character saw a ton of development. He went from being a "loser kid" without even the slightest bit of self confidence, to a blue mohawked badass karate student with a cute girlfriend to boot. Unfortionately, we also see him take the first steps into a dark path that goes on until the final episode of the third season.

Season 2

The second season of Cobra Kai shows Hawk completely sucomb to the "Dark Side". As John Kreese, the original founder of Cobra Kai and Johnny's mentor, appears to take a personal interest in him. As this transpires, we see Hawk become angrier and more aggressive. Until, eventually, he becomes the very thing he joined Cobra Kai to stand up against.., a bully. He assaults his bestfriend, which causes him to lose his girlfriend because she doesn't want to be with a bully. Before long, the only thing he has left is Miguel and Cobra Kai. Hawk's mohawk goes through a huge change too, going from blue to crimson red. The difference in hair color reminds me of the difference between a Jedi's blue lightsaber and a Sith Lords red one. Hawk's character development in season 2 is really a tool used boost Dimitri's and him being sent through that trophey case by Dimitri in the season finale is the perfect representation of that.

Season 3

Unfortionately, Hawk's darker path doesn't end in season 2... In fact, throughout most of the third season, he seems to just become more of an asshole. On the other hand, we also see the slightest cracks begin to form in this version of the character, causing it to eventually crumble. For one, he begins to lose his faith in John Kreese as a sensei. He also loses his last remaining friend Miguel because he broke Dimitri's arm and refused to leave Cobra Kai. Although the biggest crack comes from the instant regret he feels after breaking the arm of the kid who used to call his best friend. As Dimitri lays on the ground crying because of the pain, we can see Hawk pause for a moment and a his face shows a hint of remorse for what he had just done. It's at this very moment that Hawk begins to really think about the kind of person he has become because of Cobra Kai. Then, while right smack in the middle of a karate rumble, he comes to the realization that this is not the person that he wanted to be when he began training and turns on Cobra Kaiso that he can help Dimitri and Miguel come out on top Thus bringing an end to Hawk's path with the "Dark Side" and begins his road to redemption.

Season 4

If season 4 were to be the last season of Cobra Kai, Hawk's story ark would probably be the only one to have a perfect ending. This is without a doubt Hawk's redemption season. His decision to change his mohawks color from red to purple is the ultimate proof that the darker version of him is gone. It's sad that we didn't get to see the new look for the entire season cause I personally thought it was dope. To get revenge for his betrayel on Cobra Kai, Robbie, Torrie, and the rest of the Cobra's ambush him at the tattoo shop and forcefully shave his head. This event is far more significant to his story than one might originally think. Once he lost "the hawk", he lost his identity as well and in turn his confidence. Throughout the rest of the season we see Eli struggle with his loss of confidence as if he wasn't sure who he was anymore. Although, he continues to train for the All Valley with Miyagi-Do in order to help his friends. This internal conflict remains within him until right before he is supposed to fight his original bully.., I could say his name but we don't like bullies so I won't. Moon can see Hawk struggaling with his self-confidence and decides to give him a reminder of why she was with him to begin with. It wasn't the mohawk or the tattoo but his confidence overall that made her find him attractive and she ends her words of encouragment with a kiss for good measure. As if that kiss possessed magical powers, it causes Hawk to snap out of his turmoil. He assures his sensei Danny that he knows exactly who he is now.., and I quote, "I'm the guy who's going to win this whole fucking thing." That's exactly what he does too, beating both his former bully and Robbie Keen to become the next All Valley karate champion. Eli/Hawk's story ark is by far one of the greatest within the entire show and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

entertainment
7

About the Creator

Carlos Guerra

Born on 09-07-95 in Miami, Florida.

Are you a fan of my work?

Follow me on Instagram @Carlos_War @Carlos_thewriter, DM me for requests/feedback

Writers & Readers need to stick together, if you enjoy my work, please subscribe 🧐🤔

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  2. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

  3. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  1. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  2. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

  3. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

Add your insights

Comments (5)

Sign in to comment
  • Dharrsheena Raja Segarran2 years ago

    This was amazing! I enjoyed reading this!

  • Well written synopsis filled with depth and detail.

  • Cathy holmes2 years ago

    Good review

  • Babs Iverson2 years ago

    Splendid review. Left a heart & insight!💖💕

  • Dawn Salois2 years ago

    Great article about a great series.

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.