Robby Keene

"Robby Keene not knowing how to adapt? That's a first. You've never had things easy, Robby. You've been knocked down every which way more times than anyone I've ever known. But you've also gotten back up more times too. You stood up to Kreese. To Silver. Whenever you knew something was wrong, you stood up. Even when you had to do it alone. You turned your rival into your best friend. You patched things up with your dad. No one has adapted more than you. So tell me. Can you do it again?"

―Daniel LaRusso to Robby about him^[src]

Robert Swayze "Robby" Keene is one of the four main protagonists (alongside Miguel Diaz, Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso) of the Netflix show Cobra Kai.

Robby is the son of Shannon Keene and karate sensei Johnny Lawrence, and the first pupil of Daniel LaRusso’s reborn Miyagi-Do Karate. Initially a troublemaker that broke the rules, Robby began to change his ways when Daniel entered his life. He learned discipline, acceptance, and to control the anger within him. He became the first student of the new generation of Miyagi-Do Karate and had a blossoming relationship with Daniel's daughter, Sam. His feelings for her led to a bloody rivalry with Miguel Diaz, which came to a head during a brawl at West Valley High. With Miguel now hospitalized, Robby was arrested and sentenced to Sylmar Juvenile Corrections Center for the remainder of his sentence. Robby was left conflicted over who to trust, as he considered Daniel had betrayed him by turning him in, while Johnny favored Miguel. His loneliness left him susceptible to the smooth-talking John Kreese, who recruited him into the newly reinvented Cobra Kai Dojo.

Having cut ties with his absentee father and his former sensei, Robby established himself as Kreese’s top student. He learned to lead and to be ruthless. He became an unlikely mentor to Kenny Payne, though the boy's transformation from a kind boy to a ruthless bully forced Robby to face the ugly truths of Cobra Kai. With nowhere left to turn, Robby reunited with Johnny in hopes of making things better for himself. Robby subsequently made amends with his father, Daniel, and Miguel and rejoined Miyagi-Do.

Things look good for him with Cobra Kai supposedly shut down, as he and Miguel are on good terms, he and Tory are going strong, and Kenny joins Miyagi-Do. He even beats out Miguel to be one of the captains for the Sekai Taikai tournament. However, things appear to start crashing down for Robby when he notices that a grief-stricken Tory, who has just lost her mom, has rejoined Cobra Kai at the Sekai Taikai.

Arriving in Barcelona for the Sekai Taikai, Tory's decision to rejoin Cobra Kai causes Robby to struggle during the tournament. He continuously lets the team down in the first few rounds not being able to find balance. Miguel’s jealousy and frustrations with Robby not being able to get his act together only worsens the situation. Robby continues to let the team down unable to find any form of balance and struggling with his attachment issues, Miguel pressures him further by telling him to either step up or hand the captaincy over to him.

Johnny makes Miguel realize Robby’s struggles and how hard he's been on him when he's already dealing with a lot. Miguel sees everything from a different perspective; this pushes him to apologize and help Robby. Miguel snaps Robby out of his funk making him realize he deserves the captaincy and he is a natural born leader. This conversation with Miguel fires Robby into becoming balanced and leading the team to ultimately face Cobra Kai for a spot in the semifinals.

During Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai's tag team elimination round, Robby and Tory go up against each other, and after their fight, Robby confronts Tory telling her she can't be mad because she's the one who put their relationship on pause, and Tory informs Robby that her and Kwon were never a thing, and that the latter played him to get to his head. Their match comes down to a fight between Robby and Kwon, with Robby wiping the floor with Kwon, advancing Miyagi-Do to the Sekai Taikai semi-finals. Robby goes on to face the Iron Dragons' male captain, Axel Kovacevic in the semi-finals, whom he struggles against, but their match is halted by an all out dojo brawl, ultimately leading to the unintentional death of Kwon.

Following the brawl, Robby is informed of the tournament continuing in the Valley and will ultimately face Axel once again in the semifinals. After Robby trains with the help of Miguel and the binary brothers, he fights Axel again in the Sekai Taikai which is now held in the All Valley Sports Arena. Robby becomes the first to score a point on Axel. Throughout the course of the fight, he adapts and goes blow for blow with Axel, but as the fight continues, Axel brutally injures Robby's leg, causing him to later drop out of the tournament due to his injury. Despite the circumstances, Robby is happy with the things he's achieved by doing karate and is not upset. After Johnny's Cobra Kai returns to the Sekai Taikai, Robby and the rest of his friends help Miguel and Tory train for their respective final fights against Axel and Zara. During Tory's fight with Zara, she struggles and is taunted by her so Robby helps her find her balance while also rekindling their relationship. He witnesses Tory defeat Zara, Miguel defeat Axel and his father defeating Sensei Wolf, ultimately leading to Cobra Kai winning the Sekai Taikai. Afterwards, because of their impressive performances in the tournament, both he and Tory get a lucrative career travelling the world together and marketing karate worldwide.

Roles

During Cobra Kai, he is an antagonist-turned one of the two tritagonists (alongside Daniel LaRusso) of Season 1, one of the four main protagonists (alongside Miguel Diaz, Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso) of Seasons 2, 5 and 6, the main anti-hero turned final antagonist of Season 3, and the main anti-hero throughout Season 4, before being redeemed in the finale.

Biography

Robby was born to Johnny Lawrence and Shannon Keene on February 4th, 2002. According to Johnny, few days before Robby birth, his paternal grandmother Laura died, which sent his father into a downward spiral of alcoholism and depression, however in "Ex-Degenerate" reveled she died on Sectember 23, 2007. Subsequently, Shannon gave birth to Robby alone while Johnny was across the street getting drunk. He didn't believe he could be a decent father, so he decided not to even try. This would have meant that Laura, like many grandparents, had to step up to help raise Robby with Johnny abandoning them.

Based on a photo of a young Robby on Johnny’s fridge, Robby used to play soccer during his childhood and won a championship. Shannon raised Robby in a lower income apartment building. Though she tried to care for him, her addictions often outweighed her duty as a mother. Robby began to resent his father for abandoning him and fell into the wrong crowd as a teenager. He unknowingly followed his father's footsteps as a troublemaker and juvenile delinquent.

Cobra Kai

Season 1

Robby Keene is the estranged son of former Karate champion-turned-deadbeat Johnny Lawrence, and a distant alcoholic mother named Shannon Keene. Due to Robby's estrangement from his father and his mother's perpetual absence, Robby falls into the wrong crowds and quickly becomes a delinquent. He drops out of high school in favor of a life of crime in order to pay for his apartment rent, which results in Johnny being pulled back into his life. Johnny attempts to convince Robby to return to school and clean up his life, but the teen harbors resentment and refuses to listen to his father and mocks him for losing the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament to Daniel LaRusso. Their relationship is further strained when Robby sees Johnny hugging his new disciple Miguel Diaz. Johnny later reopened Cobra Kai Dojo with Miguel as his prime student. Wanting revenge for the years of neglect and absence, Robby launches a plan to befriend Johnny's rival, Daniel LaRusso.

He gets hired at LaRusso Auto Group under false pretenses and slowly forms a relationship with Daniel. Daniel takes Robby under his wing and teaches him Miyagi-Do Karate as a way to instil discipline. He finds a role model and healthy example of an adult in Daniel. Robby also grows close to Daniel's daughter Samantha, and the pair become friends.

Sam's relationship with Miguel Diaz complicates their friendship, due to Robby's disdain for Miguel and Johnny. Sam and Robby went to a party together, where Miguel picks a fight with Robby for arriving with Sam. When Miguel swings at Robby, Sam blocks the punch and is struck by Miguel. The pair breaks up that night with Robby and Sam retreating to the LaRusso residence. When Johnny outs himself as Robby's father, Daniel bans Robby from his home and dealership for lying. He believes that Robby only grew close to him for the benefit of Johnny and that everything was a lie.

With the All Valley Karate Tournament fast-approaching, Robby is left without a sensei or a dojo to represent. He decides to use the talent he procured from Daniel to enter alone, and earns a spot in the semi-finals. He is paired with Cobra Kai Dojo student and bully Eli. During the fight, Eli and Robby exchange belittle one another. When Robby disparages Eli's mohawk, Eli attacks him with an kick from behind and dislocates Robby's shoulder. Eli is disqualified while Robby advances to the finals despite his injury. He is nearly forced to resign from the competition, until Daniel emerges backstage. Daniel had been encouraged by his wife Amanda to help Robby, as she believes Robby had changed. Daniel forgives Robby for his transgressions and decides to help Robby in the tournament, even finding a doctor for his injured shoulder. Miguel, who held a grudge for the incident with Sam, viciously attacks Robby's injured shoulder. Robby shows positive sportsmanship and tries to help Miguel to his feet, only for Miguel to further injure Robby's shoulder. Robby ultimately loses the tournament, but upholds his dignity, focus, and fairness during the fight, as pointed out by Daniel. With Robby now having reached a positive mental state, Daniel re-opens his dojo with Robby as his first student.

Season 2

Robby begins training with Daniel. While training with Daniel, Robby's arm heals and he is able to take off his cast. While shopping with Daniel they run into Johnny. When Daniel goes to pay Johnny tries to talk to him, but Robby is still mad at him and he tells Johnny he is having a hard time forgiving him. When Johnny accuses him of trying to torture him by training with Daniel whom he refers to as a prick, Robby defends Daniel and says he is a better man than he (Johnny) will ever be.

Sam soon joins the dojo and starts training with Robby. Robby's home-life isn't great as Shannon soon takes off with some guy, leaving Robby home alone with no food or electricity as bills go unpaid. When Robby mentions to Sam about his mom leaving and Sam tells Daniel, who has Robby come stay with him, Sam and Amanda.

Robby along with Sam and Daniel have trouble getting students to join the dojo at first mainly due to Cobra Kai out-promoting them. However, after sometime their luck changes when a bullied victim named Demetri requests to join and they gladly accept. At the mall Demetri is cornered by Eli and other Cobra Kais, but Robby and Sam come to rescue him. Robby's, Sam's, and Daniel's luck further improves when a handful of Cobra Kais leave because of the vicious teachings and join Miyagi Do, though Robby and Sam are at first unhappy that the students joining are the ones that tried to beat up Demetri in the mall.

Robby and Sam develop feelings for each other. While Robby initially thinks it is a bad idea for them to date, the two soon realize they cannot hold their feelings back and start dating. When someone knocks on Sam's door Robby opens it and sees Miguel. He asks him why he is here, and Miguel says he came to give back Miyagi's Medal of Honor which Eli stole when he trashed the dojo earlier. Not wanting Sam to know Miguel gave it back because he does not want her to rekindle with him, Robby hides it in his pocket and later puts it outside so someone could find it which Demetri does the next day.

Eventually Robby and Sam agree to tell her parents about their relationships, but put that on hold when they see Shannon in the house. Shannon apologizes to Robby for leaving him, and tells him she is going to rehab so she can get better.

Robby and Sam go to Moon's house for a party the night before the first day of school. During the party Sam gets drunk, and unbeknownst to him Aisha tells Sam that Miguel returned the Medal of Honor and a drunken Sam and Miguel share a kiss. Other events occur with Demetri mocking Hawk in front of everyone, this leads to Robby and Chris to jump in and face off with the latter. Soon after the cops arrive, Robby tells Sam he will take her home but Sam tells him not to because she does not want her parents to see her drunk. He then takes her to Johnny's house and the two spend the night with him.

The following morning Robby tells Johnny that he will tell Daniel that it is his fault he and Sam did not come home, but after Daniel comes into Johnny's house he tells Robby he has lost his trust and forces Sam to leave. Johnny takes Robby to school which he appreciates. Before class he tells Sam that Miguel gave him the Medal of Honor. Sam, who already knew, asks why he did not tell her before, to which Robby replies he was scared their relationship would be put at risk if he did. They kiss and then go to class.

When Cobra Kai student Tory reveals that Sam and Miguel kissed at Moon's party, Robby has a shocked look on his face. Tory then attacks Sam, causing Robby to push Tory against a wall and try to stop the fight. However Miguel arrives and, unaware of Robby's true intention, tackles Robby which causes the two to fight and a huge brawl between the Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do students. Robby and Miguel have a long fight. At times Robby has the upper hand and at times Miguel has the upper hand. When Miguel tells Robby that Sam loves him more than Robby, an enraged Robby aggressively attacks Miguel and gains the upper-hand, but this is short-lived as Miguel recovers, and flips Robby over and traps him in an arm lock. Miguel decides to let him go after remembering Johnny's advice to show mercy and even apologizes to him. However, an enraged Robby after dealing with everything Miguel has done to him continues the fight, attacks Miguel and kicks him off a railing, severely injuring him. Robby is shocked at what he just did. When Sam screams, Robby runs off from the scene.

While at the hospital, Daniel expresses shock over what Robby did to Miguel. At the Cobra Kai dojo, Eli angrily tells Johnny that his lesson to Miguel about showing mercy, which Miguel followed by showing mercy to Robby, led to Robby severely injuring Miguel.

Season 3

Robby is on the run from the police and officially a fugitive, wanted for the part he played in kicking Miguel over a railing at West Valley High School. He has also been expelled from West Valley High. The police make urgent appeals to find the boy, and show a photo of Robby during a news segment that Johnny watches. He and Daniel decide to work together to find Robby, who has stolen a '93 van from the LaRusso Auto Group. Robby knew that the company wouldn't notice the van was missing as it is a trade-in and nothing flashy. He removes the GPS tracker from the van and ditches it far away from where he ultimately resides. He cuts his hair rather short and appears homeless, in an attempt to be unrecognizable by the police and general public.

Robby visits his mother, Shannon, at her rehab center. She gives him a sandwich and reassures him that things will be okay. Daniel arrives and tries to reason with Robby, explaining that he spoke to a lawyer and his sentence will be much lighter if he turns himself in. Before Daniel can explain, the police arrive and Robby realizes that Daniel turned him in. He tries to run but is apprehended by the officers and ultimately handcuffed. Daniel promises to visit everyday, but Robby ungratefully and coldly tells him not to bother. He is then sentenced to sever time Sylmar Juvenile Corrections Center. Robby has a difficult time adjusting to the lifestyles in juvie, as he is targeted by a fellow detainee Shawn. He attempts to stay out of trouble by reading a book and remembering Daniel's teachings. He also refuses to speak with Daniel when he call, despite Daniel having Robby's best interest.

One day, while watching TV and eating lunch, Robby sees Sam on the news hosting a fundraiser for Miguel's surgery. She mentions that she hopes that Robby did not mean to hurt Miguel. However, Shawn approaches him and begins to mock Sam for her remarks, and Robby snaps at him to shut his mouth. Shawn then challenges him to a fight and attacks him, but Robby counter blocks his punches, though he is overwhelmed by Shawn's friends and brutally beaten by the gang. The guards lock down the detainment center and send a battered Robby to the infirmary. But when he returns, Shawn takes his pillow and shreds his book, taunting him further.

Johnny arranges to see Robby accompanied by reverend Bobby Brown, but is occupied with Miguel's surgery turnout and misses the meeting with Robby. Bobby tells Robby to give it more time but Robby refuses as he knew this would be a waste of time. He takes part in community service to make himself eligible for early release. Johnny attempts to talk things through, and seems to be following through with his attempts for the first time. However, when Robby found out the reason for missing the meeting, Robby turned sour, pulled away, and push his father away, spilling the soup he's attempting to serve. When he returns to juvie, Shawn mocks Robby by saying he has no one and that both his father and girlfriend left him. He also vandalized Robby's bed.

In the days that follow, Robby's old resentments over his perceived betrayals at the hands of those he came to trust and the overall state of his life resurface. He is visited by John Kreese, who talks to him about Johnny and advises him to strike first rather than using Miyagi-do's philosophy to survive juvie. Robby initially tells Kreese to leave him alone, but is intrigued by the man and researches him. He also checks his email and begins to respond to Sam when Shawn unplugs the computer. He challenges Robby again but a security guard interrupts. The next day, Shawn makes a fake friendly gesture to Robby, but Robby, who has reached his limit with the abuse he's receiving in juvie, retaliates by striking Shawn first. They engage in an intense fight and Robby gains the advantage over Shawn rather quickly, though the fight spreads into the halls. Two guards pull the boys apart, and Robby smiles at Shawn while bloodied. After meeting with the warden, Shawn and Robby both admit to not "snitching", which leaves them with a mutual respect.

After being released from juvenile prison and assigned to probation, Johnny and Daniel attempt to reconnect with him, but Robby cuts ties with both of them. He goes to the nearby probation office to fill out probationary forms, when Tory comes from the office. Robby stands and looks like he is about to attack Tory. Tory warns him not to and if he fights, he will go back to juvie. He calms down and they exchange insults as Tory started the fight and Robby ended it. Tory tells Robby that she and Miguel broke up a few days ago. She warns him about Sam and attempts to explain that Sam will go to Miguel, but Robby defends Sam. He believes Sam is a good person but Tory isn't so sure. Before she leaves, she tells him to write check the "stable" box next to home life.

After leaving the office, Robby goes to see Sam at the Miyagi-Do Dojo and wants to rekindle their relationship. After being warned by Tory that Sam will go back to Miguel, he walks in on Sam and Miguel training together and they are in a compromising position. This angers Robby who believes they are dating behind his back. He harshly insults Sam and accuses her of cheating. He believes that her relationship with Miguel is why she stopped writing, and she counters that he stopped replying. He snaps back that it was hard to write back when he was "getting his face busted in" daily. She is surprised by this, while Miguel tries to explain that it's not her fault. Things escalate quickly between the boys, and Robby attempts to throw a punch at Miguel. Sam blocks Robby and pushes him away, telling him to stop. Thinking she has been dating Miguel before the brawl, Robby ends his relationship with Sam and tells her that they deserve each other, Later in the night, Robby realizes he doesn't have anywhere to go and ends up in the Cobra Kai Dojo.

He sleeps at the dojo and is taken under the wing of John Kreese, though Robby is reluctant to trust the man. Eli nearly tries to attack him and still has a grudge at him for what he did to Miguel, but Kreese refuses to allow the fight to happen. He is noticed by Tory who sees him packing his bags. Robby explains he doesn't belong here. Tory convinces him to stay and makes him realize that running away isn't going to work. Tory then invites him along to a mission with Kyler, Eli, and some other Cobra Kais. The group breaks into the zoo to steal a cobra for Kreese, but are interrupted by a security guard. The group runs away but Robby stays to steal the snake. Thinking the mission failed, the group retreats but Robby appears with the snake. He befriends the Cobra Kais. Kyler calls Robby a natural cobra, but Eli's anger toward Robby remains. Robby begins training with the dojo and stays relatively focused on his karate training.

When Johnny arrives at Cobra Kai after the attack on the LaRusso family home, he sees Robby training with Kreese and is surprised by the alliance. Johnny and Kreese begin fighting as Johnny refuses to re-join the dojo, with Kreese now wanting to kill Johnny. The fight is eventually stopped by Robby, who defends Kreese and attacks Johnny for being responsible for his suffering and trauma throughout his life. Johnny instantly switches to the defense and refuses to fight his son, though Robby is intent on unleashing his pent up anger. He shouts that Johnny is responsible for everything bad that's happened, and lunges. Johnny blocks Robby's attack easily and accidentally pushes him into the lockers, knocking Robby unconscious, much to Johnny's dismay. Robby eventually regains consciousness, just as the fight between Johnny, Daniel, and Kreese is over. Robby stands next to Kreese much to the shock of Daniel, Johnny, Miguel, and Sam, who have all gathered outside the dojo. Robby coldly tells them to all leave, before retreating into the battered dojo with Kreese. He begins his training with Kreese to defend Cobra Kai in the tournament to determine which dojo will stay in the valley.

Season 4

On the first day back of practice, Kreese reprimands Robby for being late, though Robby reminds Kreese that he never said he was going to join Cobra Kai. He also states that he has no intention of being a pawn in the fight against Daniel or his father. Kreese doesn't view Robby as a pawn but as a king, reminding him that the outcome of a championship will follow him for the rest of his life. He references Daniel and Johnny as examples of the impact winning or losing can have. Kreese also states that Robby stay in the dojo as long as he needs. Robby has an unexpected confrontation with Tory, who chastises him for not being present at the LaRusso house fight. He counters by asking Tory if everything will be normal again after invading the LaRusso house and tells her that she's lucky that the LaRusso's didn't call the police. She calls him out for still defending Sam and being on the defense - something that won't work in Cobra Kai. He is then approach by Sam at the skating place when she tries to get him to return with her to Miyagi-Do, and he coldly denies her request. He has no interest in starting over with his father, or giving Miyagi-Do another chance. In fact, Robby decides to join Cobra Kai by leading the class in warm-ups. While they initially refuse to work with him, he proves himself by dodging every attack made by the students while incorporating Miyagi-Do to defeat them. Tory is the only one to put up a fight and while Robby does take her down, he drops his guard afterwards by asking her if there weren't any hard feelings, only to be kicked by Tory. However, Tory believes he should stay in the dojo, despite honoring their deal. As he leads class, he explains their enemies are working together, which is precisely why he's teaching them Miyagi-Do karate - so they can beat Miyagi-Do.

He becomes a mentor of sorts to the young Kenny Payne, whose bullying at school brings him to Robby, per the request of his older brother Shawn. Robby recalls Shawn's bullying in juvie, and takes Kenny under his wing when Cobra Kai makes him a pariah. He teaches the boy to use his speed, not to flinch away from a fight but run towards it, a lesson that helps Kenny join the dojo.

Kenny tells Robby that he got everything down but Robby leg sweeps him. Terry Silver then spars with him but is easily defeated by the sensei. Later, Robby goes to Johnny's apartment where he confronts his father about Eagle Fang bullying Kenny. When Robby says there will be payback, Johnny warns him not to do anything bad and reminds him of his expulsion. He also tells him about Cobra Kai and how Kreese is brainwashing him the same way he brainwashed Johnny. He goes to a drive-in with Cobra Kai where they end up in a confrontation with Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang. Miguel tells Cobra Kai to go to the baseball diamond but Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang show up and Cobra Kai gets drenched by the sprinklers.

After a class session, Robby and the Cobra Kai's ambush Eli at a tattoo shop and nearly cut off his mohawk in revenge for betraying Cobra Kai, drenching them and bullying Kenny.

During another class session, Kreese has Robby and Kenny spar with each other. Robby kicks Kenny but when he apologizes, he leg sweeps him and wins, causing Terry to win the whole sparring match.

He asks Tory to the high school prom and she accepts. While at the prom, Robby and Tory dance with each other. Unbeknownst to them, Sam and Miguel were watching. During Stingray's afterparty, Sam insults Tory but when Tory retaliates, Sam attacks her and tackles her to the ground. Miguel tries to stop her but then tackles Tory when the latter tries to attack Sam. Robby arrives and attacks Miguel, believing he is attacking Tory. Tory then kicks Sam to the ground. Sam and Miguel then fight Tory and Robby, but Sam, Tory and Miguel are pushed into the pool by Robby. Stingray jumps in the pool as well thinking it was part of the party. Following the party, Robby and Tory go to a carnival in a Ferrari borrowed to him by Silver. Both Robby and Tory celebrate and think about the events about what happened at prom before he explains that he has to return the car while Tory says that she needs to return the dress. They then both kiss for the first time.

On the day of the All-Valley, Robby shows off is offensive skills in the skills competition. After defeating his opponent, he advances to the semifinals. Robby is quite pleased with his fellow Cobra Kai’s who have used what Robby taught them to defeat the remaining Miyagi-Do students, much to the displeasure of Daniel and Sam who knew it was Robby who taught them. Before his match, Daniel confronts him about how he taught Miyagi-Do to Cobra Kai. Robby tells him his goal is to win but Daniel tells him that if that is the goal; then Robby got nothing out of Miyagi-Do except wasted time and effort. Robby tells Daniel that him, Johnny and Cobra Kai thinks their way is the only way and says that it doesn't matter which way you fight as long as it works and finishes that he will do whatever it takes to win. Daniel then questions Robby what is he fighting for. He ends by teaching them another Miyagi-Do lesson: "never put passion over principle. Even if you win, you lose". In the quarterfinals, he is matched with Kenny despite being classmates. He goes easy but after talking to Kreese, he begins fighting serious and brutally beat Kenny, advancing to the semifinals. He faces off with his former classmate Demetri and easily defeats him and advances to the finals.

Robby then witnesses Kenny beat up Anthony LaRusso out of revenge for Anthony's bullying. Robby yells at Kenny to calm down and breaks up the attack. After Kenny threatens Anthony, Robby chastises him but Kenny clarifies that he's Cobra Kai. Robby tries to help Anthony up but he refuses, saying he wants to be left alone. At this point, Robby realizes that his mentorship with Kenny has now corrupted him. The finals of the boys division is between Robby and Eli. Robby scores the first point since Eli was only using Miyagi-do, something Robby was too familiar with but Eli ties the match after Daniel told him to use Cobra Kai since Eli was in Cobra Kai longer than Robby. Their then goes on even for a while until sudden death, the first since the 1985 All-Valley Tournament. Before the match, Robby bows to Eli, upsetting Terry Silver. Kreese tells him to use his anger to win. Robby and Eli's fight becomes intense, during the sudden death round, Robby has the upper-hand but gets distracted when Kenny tells him to finish the fight. Eli takes advantage of the distraction and kicks him off. Eli then landed a scissor kick on Robby, causing Eli to become the boys champion. Robby was frustrated and hit the mat with both of his hands. Prior to the girls' division, Robby wishes Tory good luck on her fight against Sam. Despite his loss, Cobra Kai becomes grand champion after Tory defeats Sam, but Robby is unaware that Silver bribed the referee to ensure their victory. As Tory wins, Robby gets on stage to congratulate her, but during the trophy presentation, when looking at his own father despite winning, having realized that his dojo's victory was hollow due to being led into the wrong path just like how the lesson Daniel told him "even if you win, you lose". After the tournament, Robby sees Johnny at Cobra Kai and tells him that the dojo is expanding to different locations including the original building following their victory. Johnny praises his tournament performance, telling him it could have gone either way, but his visit wasn't about the tournament. He tearfully explains how Kenny had been bullied and it was his hope that he could guide Kenny into standing up for himself, but his lessons had a corrupting effect and now he has created another bully. Robby adds that he thought his time in Cobra Kai would help him but made everything worse for him. Johnny counters with how he got in the way of Daniel and Robby's relationship and takes full responsibility. Robby replies that he is sick of blaming his father, his shortcomings, or everybody else but himself for his problems in life. The two hugged and started reconciling.

Season 5

Johnny and Robby head to Mexico for a "father-son bonding trip". Robby questions what they're really doing in Mexico, as they could have done something 500 miles closer. Johnny admits they're here to get Miguel, who is searching for his long-lost father. Robby is upset about the lies and Miguel's involvement, as he could be back in the valley with Tory. Johnny is sorry that he lied, but he wants him and Miguel to put their bullshit aside. He's ready to fix his past mistakes and knows he can't do that without actions this time. After changing a flat tire from nearly hitting a caravan, Johnny gives his son the option to take the bus back to America, but hopes he'll stay so they can make some real memories together. Johnny heads to the beach to ask some surfers if they had seen Miguel, nearly getting pick-pocketed in the process. He recognizes the con and asks for the map that shows where they sent Miguel. The surfer refuses to give it without a fight. Another surfer is about to strangle Johnny with a surfing cord, until Robby does a flying sidekick and saves him. They fight the surfers in a beachside brawl, ultimately winning.

Their next stop is refreshments, though Johnny's inability to speak Spanish results in his truck being towed. They're left a hundred bucks short of getting the truck back. They search for ways to earn fast money, with a chili pepper contest seeming the most effective. Johnny prepares to enter, but Robby stops him, as he can do this himself. Johnny cheers him on and he wins the contest and money. Once in the car, Robby reveals that he didn't eat the last pepper - he swapped it for a candy, - in a move Johnny calls "the most badass move ever". A tip from Carmen has them chasing down potential spots for Miguel, until they end up at an MMA fighting ring.

They ask around for Hector Salazar, unknowingly getting attention from one of Hector's men, who mistakes their "FBI" shirts as being real. The MMA fighters stop Johnny from going near Hector. Robby prepares to help his dad fight the men, but Johnny refuses to let him as this is his fight. The group brawls it out as the ring side reporter broadcasts a play-by-play, dubbing Johnny the "White Lightning". Johnny is beaten up by the MMA fighters, nearly losing a chokehold until Robby tosses him his uneaten pepper. He rubs it in his opponent's eye and wins. The time they lost in the fight is enough for Hector and Miguel to leave. Johnny ultimately finds Miguel outside of a convenient store, calling Carmen over the emotional turmoil of learning his father isn't the man he thought he was. They hug in the middle of the street, as Johnny comforts the broken boy. Robby gets out of the truck and watches the scene unfold, realizing how much Johnny meant to Miguel.

Following their return, Robby and Miguel remain at each other's throats as their rivalry continues despite Johnny's best efforts to get them to reconcile. Finally, Johnny unleashes Sensei Lawrence and allows the two boys to fight it out without any rules until someone drops. While the fight started out evenly, Miguel eventually gained the upper-hand and was left in a position to knock Robby over the rail as Robby had done to him during the school brawl. However, Miguel held back, and he and Robby make amends with Robby admitting he wished he could take he did to Miguel back. With the news moments later that Johnny and Carmen are going to have a baby, Robby and Miguel are brought even closer together and subsequently become best friends, often hanging out with each other. After, the two have an Olive Garden dinner to celebrate.

Robby begins trying to convince Kenny and his other Cobra Kai friends to leave Terry Silver without any success. He joins Daniel's family, Johnny, Chozen and their students in convincing Daniel to rejoin the fight against Cobra Kai. Although Daniel believes that he had failed Robby, Robby reassures him that Daniel didn't, and he apologizes for not understanding what Daniel had been trying to teach him until he saw Kenny go down the same dark path as himself. He also praises him for turning his life around. With Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang reopened, Robby rejoins Miyagi-Do. Although the other students are at first hesitant to trust Robby due to his earlier betrayal, Miguel stands up for him and Robby gains acceptance from his peers fast.

During his first day back in Miyagi-Do, he and the other students are training with Chozen Toguchi. The group hides eggs but are all picked off by Chozen. Later, he and Eli argued about Cobra Kai, Robby's and Eli's past actions. Anthony's gaming knowledge comes to fruition and tells the group that they need to work together in order to protect the eggs. In the end, the idea works after Chozen surrenders.

While having dinner at the LaRusso's, Robby explains that he and Miguel agree to let Eli represent the boys for the boys portion of the Sekai Taikai demonstration since Eli beat Robby fair and square. Despite Eli's loss, Sam wins her match and Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang qualify. To celebrate, they have a party at Miguel's apartment where Eli and Robby fully reconcile and become friends.

After Tory betrays Silver, Robby takes part in the effort to expose Silver's crimes. Robby offers to break into the dojo, recalling his criminal past, before Tory offers up the simpler solution of her key card and saves Robby from breaking his probation. When the Cobra Kai students show up, the Miyagi-Fang's were surprised that Mitch betrayed them and switched back to Cobra Kai as their undercover mole. Robby tries without success to convince Kenny to turn on Silver, but he doesn't believe him. The Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang students fight the Cobra Kai students. Robby tries to reason with Kenny, but the latter attacks him. While Robby pushes Kenny away, he got hit by another student right into Kenny's "Silver Bullet", which leads to Robby losing his breath to an extent. Robby is then being beaten up by Kenny and a few Cobra Kai's, but is saved by Miguel. Finally, the security footage of Silver confessing to Tory about bribing the tournament referee is uploaded to YouTube and played for the Cobra Kai students, shaking their faith in Silver. After Daniel defeats Silver, Kenny leads the students in abandoning Silver and Cobra Kai. Outside, Robby tries to talk to Kenny, but his friend isn't ready to speak to him for now. Also, Robby reconciles with Tory and the two share a kiss, rekindling their relationship.

Season 6

Part 1

Robby is now fully balanced and in touch with everyone around him. Robby got reinstated back into high school after his expulsion for his involvement in last year’s fight, much to Tory’s joy as they make out. He and Miguel are friends and also appear to have formed a brotherly bond through Johnny. Due to Tory and Sam still not being okay with one another, both he and Miguel decide to take them out on a double date in order to help them get along better. The double date did not go well at first. Robby spots Kenny at the arcade and tries to reconcile with him telling the boy that everything will be okay however things are cut short when Kenny’s older brother and Robby’s former rival Shawn appears. Things get heated which leads to Shawn attacking Robby. Robby refuses to fight either brother and uses his defensive skills to avoid their attacks until Shawn hurls Robby to the floor with his immense strength, Miguel then steps in along with Sam and Tory who manage to stop the fight from escalating. Robby with the help of his friends manage to convince Kenny to let go of his anger and join Miyagi-Do.

Meanwhile, Robby is one of the students chosen to advance to the next phase of Mike Barne's Seikai Teikai selection. In the end, Robby, Sam, Tory and Miguel are the ones chosen go to Barcelona. However, Robby and Miguel have to fight to earn the title of captain for the team.

Robby tells Tory about Kreese reappearing and that they are in this together and aim to share the champions podium together as girlfriend and boyfriend as the two share a heart warming moment. The day prior to the fight Robby and Tory plans to have their own training session at the park. However, in the park, Tory doesn’t show up for their training session even after Robby has tried to call her all day and hasn't saw her at school, he is unaware that her just mother died and she is currently in a deeply saddened state losing all her emotions and blocking everyone out of her life.

Robby continues to train outside the apartment block where he is living with his dad. While training, flashbacks are showing Robby coming in second place in the 2 All-Valley’s as he continues to train, the words ‘second place’ continue to echo through his mind as his training intensity ramps up. Robby is purely determined not to let something like this happen again. Miguel shows up to greet Robby but their conversation becomes tense when Miguel says he needs to be captain to be accepted into Stanford, which angers Robby who feels he needs to be captain because he feels that karate is the only thing he has going for him. Before their conversation escalates, Carmen offers them burgers but Robby declines. After, he tries to call Tory but to no avail.

On the day of their fight, Miguel scores two quick points but after seeing Tory, Robby finds his balance and mounts a comeback to win the fight. When he and everyone learns about Tory's mother's death, he tries to calm her down, but she storms off and quits Miyagi-Do. With the captain's match over, he and Sam are appointed captains. The six people representing Miyagi-Do are Demetri, Devon, Miguel, Eli, Robby and Sam. They go to Barcelona but are shocked to see that Tory has rejoined Cobra Kai.

Part 2

Once they arrive, Robby participates in a kicking contest against Kwon, betting one of Miyagi-Do's rooms to the latter but he loses. This forces Robby, Miguel, Eli, and Demetri to share a room.

Upon arriving in Barcelona, Robby is still struggling after what happened with Tory. The two have a conversation where she suggests they focus on the tournament instead of their relationship in which Robby gets upset and tells Tory that she doesn't trust anyone but herself. He completely throws his mental state off as his attachment issues get in the way again causing him to become unbalanced. This causes Robby to be the weakest member of the team, losing every fight he is involved in, with him to not know how to centre himself.

Miguel’s resentment for losing the captain spot and anger towards Robby for blowing his position as captain reaches a boiling point, causing the tension between the two boys to escalate further as Robby feels completely lost. Miguel tells Robby he needs to either step up or admit that he is fighting much better than him and hand the captaincy over to him because it does not matter if Miyagi-Do advances since the captain fights in the semi-finals and finals.

At the bar, Kwon taunts and somehow managed to gaslight Robby into believing that Tory is romantically involved with Kwon. This only causes more turmoil with Robby causing him to get drunk for the first time and sleep with Zara. The two make out before he leaves her room, unaware that Tory saw them.

Returning from their trip back home, Johnny and Miguel are back on the team, joined by Kenny. Miguel ultimately apologizes to Robby and makes him realize that he is a natural born leader and deserves to be captain. With the help of his stepbrother, Robby begins to find balance again. Miyagi-Do are forced into an elimination match with Cobra Kai to determine which team will advance to the quarterfinals. Tory confronts Robby for his hookup with Zara while reminding him of her decision to put their relationship to a pause. Robby learns from her that she never had a thing with Kwon and Kwon was just messing with his mind. The fight is very close, with Kwon tying the score. Miguel gets up and tags a fueled-up and fresh Robby. The fight for the last point seems even at first but Robby turns the match into a punishment for Kwon who can’t seem to get any type of consistent offense. After Kwon gets repeatedly blocked by Robby, he exhumes a frustrated noise of rage as both he and Robby charge at each other. They both jump into the air as Robby manages to pull off a diving serpent kick clean to the face of Kwon scoring the final point for Miyagi-Do. Robby, along with his friends eliminate Cobra Kai from the tournament and celebrate. However, Cobra Kai gets a second chance after Tiger Strike's been disqualified.

In the semi finals match against Axel, the size difference is very evident as Robby struggles not being able to find an opening against the giant. After being taunted by Axel, he throws him to the Cobra Kai students where Kwon cheap-shots him, much to Miyagi-Do's shock. While he confronts Kwon for what he just did, the skirmish leads the Tiger Strike sensei's to start an all out brawl. Robby tries to fight the other students managing to double team Kwon and Yoon with apparent ease until ultimately Axel gets involved attacking Kwon. Robby saves Tory from Zara, making it clear that he chooses Tory over her. Kwon tries to attack Axel with Kreese’s knife but the whole fight ends when Kwon is tripped by Axel landing on the knife. He dies almost instantly as Robby, Tory, Miguel, Sam and everyone else watches in horror and sadness.

Part 3

A month later, Robby returns home, and him and his family meet with Counselor Blatt to talk about his progress in school. She tells Carmen and Johnny that he would have to reconsider other options since he can't go to college with his records.

He then trains for the Sekai Taikai but can't progress due to him losing focus and believing he can't beat Axel due to their previous fight. Miguel, however, gives him a motivating pep talk helps him get back on track and the training ends successfully. At the start of his match against Axel, he uses his defensive tactics to win a point, making him the first contestant of the tournament to score a point on Axel. However, Axel then changes his tactics, leading to him dominating and getting off to a 6-1 lead. Despite being dominated, Robby gets a pep talk from Daniel who reminds him of everything he has overcome. Now motivated, Robby fights Axel on even terms and trade points with him. By the next break, Robby is down 6 to 11 but he has gained momentum. Unfortunately, after the break, Axel under the order of Wolf breaks his leg while making it look like both just fell, causing him excruciating pain and forcing him to forfeit the match.

He later helps train Miguel and Tory for their respective final matches against Axel and Zara at the old Cobra Kai dojo. When Tory struggles against Zara and is taunted by her during their fight, Robby expresses his love for her and the two rekindle their relationship, motivating her to beat Zara. He also shows his support for Miguel during his fight against Axel and after the former wins, the two hug each other, celebrating his victory. On the day of the tiebreaker match between Johnny and Wolf, he shows his support for his father by donning the black Cobra Kai gi for the first time since the 51st Annual Karate Championships; he would see his father ultimately defeat Sensei Wolf to win the Sekai Taikai.

Afterwards, he and Tory become representatives for Icon Branding because of their impressive performances in the tournament. A few months after the tournament, Robby, who has since fully recovered, represents Icon Branding alongside Tory by breaking boards.

Personality

"He's a good kid, he's just had a rough go of it."

―Daniel LaRusso to Amanda LaRusso^[src]

Robby is the definition of a troubled teenager who never experienced real commitment, authority, or stability. His father abandoned him before he was born, choosing to be absent instead of trying to be a better parent than the one he had. Robby's mother tried to raise her son well, but her issues with substance abuse made her unreliable. Robby had to learn to take care of himself and his mom from a young age. He learned how to protect himself from those who wished him harm. His anger towards his father and his situation festered until he began to lash out in unhealthy ways. He befriended a group of delinquent teens who committed petty crimes, mainly for the fun of it. Robby was primarily the brains behind their little operation. He used his good looks, charm, and cleverness to his advantage. He is also intellectual in both academia and street-smarts, an attribute that he combines to survive his difficult home life. He has a sharp wit, sarcastic nature, and blunt attitude. His tough exterior results from parental neglect and minimal adult guidance. His abandonment and anger issues deepened when he witnessed Johnny with Miguel, another boy around his age. He wanted revenge and hatched an elaborate plan that included befriending Johnny's arch rival, Daniel LaRusso.

Daniel's teachings, coupled with the influence of Daniel's daughter Samantha, slowly began to change Robby for the better. Though he was reluctant to trust the LaRusso's, a symptom of his abandonment issues and lack of parental figures, he gradually realized that Daniel's kindness wasn't a ploy or an act, but genuine empathy. Through Daniel and Miyagi-Do, Robby learned to channel his anger, find balance within, and an understanding of not only his enemy, but himself. His kind nature came through the more he was exposed to good people. He cared deeply for Sam, and let his guard down for the first time so he could present in their relationship. He regretted his motives for befriending the LaRusso's, and apologized profusely when the truth came out. He won back Daniel's trust the right way. Despite his advances, Robby struggled to let go of both his resentment towards Miguel and deep-seeded anger. Both of which led to jealousy over Miguel's former relationship with Sam, fueling their already tense feud.

As Robby befriended the Miyagi-Do students, he showed an unwavering loyalty to them, even in situations where he didn't know the full story. His loyalty stretched to Daniel, who Robby held in high regard both as a man and as a sensei. During the school brawl, Robby's unresolved anger blinded him to not show Miguel the same mercy he was offered. He accidentally kicked Miguel off of a railing, which resulted in Miguel breaking his back. After Robby realized the depth of his actions, his fight or flight instinct went into overdrive. He immediately reverted back to the scared boy who would run from his problems, afraid of the consequences that would ensue. He was truly lost for the first time, unsure of who to trust, where to go, or what to do. He felt deep remorse for his actions against Miguel, and turned to his rehabilitated mother for help. She contacted Daniel in the hopes he could help, but when Robby realized Daniel turned him into the police, he felt a deep betrayal from the man he viewed as a father figure.

During his time in juvie, Robby became bitter over his arrest, angry at Sam for not contacting him, and ultimately felt betrayed by her actions on television. The longer he was inside the more his anger at Johnny for consistently choosing Miguel festered, especially when Johnny doesn't show for their scheduled visitation - instead, seeing Miguel. Robby took John Kreese's advice of using Cobra Kai instead of Miyagi-Do to handle another inmate, ultimately brawling with the boy. They became allies after refusing to "snitch" on the fight. His time in juvie hardened him and gave him a harsher, cynical, and bitter view of the world and everyone in it. After his release, he witnessed Miguel and Sam train. He thought she cheated on him the whole time he was gone and cruelly ended things with her. Angrier than ever and alone, Kreese offered Robby an outlet for his rage in Cobra Kai, an alliance that brought Robby to fight Johnny in defense of Kreese.

With Robby's sense of loyalty to Daniel, Miyagi-Do, and the LaRusso family deeply broken, he leaned heavily into his new support system - the Cobra Kai Dojo. He taught the students tactics from Miyagi-Do, dismissed Sam's attempt at a peace treaty, and accepted that his friends had become his enemies. He had no desire to make friends or new allies, as he was a loner now. He supported his classmates when they needed it, but didn't seek out anything more than his duties as a fellow student. He found a kinship in Tory Nichols, a girl that he once viewed as an enemy. She understood his new behaviors and he saw through her tough exterior, recognizing her defense mechanisms, as they were similar to his. When Kenny Payne entered the dojo and was humiliated by Silver and Kreese, Robby decided to help the kid out of residual loyalty to Kenny's brother, Shawn. The two grew closer as he taught the boy not to be afraid, to use his strengths, and turns his weaknesses into weapons. He became a mentor to the kid and refused to let anything, or anyone, hurt him. His compassion didn't affect how he performed at the All Valley, as he beat Kenny to win the tournament. He expressed remorse as he made the kid bleed, but witnessed Kenny ruthlessly attacking Anthony LaRusso in the locker room, unprovoked. When Robby saw the hate, anger, and resentment that Kenny now held, he was stunned. Even more so when Kenny lamented that he only did as Robby taught him. This moment made Robby realize how deeply flawed the logic of Cobra Kai was, as he witnessed the kind boy turn into a ruthless bully before his eyes. He was nearly crippled by the realization of how badly he messed up.

With the loss of Cobra Kai, Robby turned to his estranged father for guidance. He was tired of hating him, of blaming him for everything that went wrong in his life, as he had to take responsibility for his actions. He cried as he realized that he had messed everything up. He believed it would never get any better, finally having hit rock bottom. Robby went on to make amends with Daniel, finally understanding what he had tried to teach him and his friends. After a rematch with Miguel, Robby made amends with Miguel as well for hurting him. Robby admitted that during the school brawl, he just had tunnel vision and had wanted to win the fight so badly he had made the worst mistake of his life. With Robby showing genuine remorse for his actions, he and Miguel finally made up with each other and became best friends.

Things look up for Robby after the supposed closure of Cobra Kai, as things are good with Tory and Miguel. While Kenny initially refuses to talk to him, Robby refuses to give up on him and Kenny later comes around. He, however, is unhappy about his second place finishes in the All Valley Tournament, which really makes him want to be the captain for the Sekai Taikai. Unfortunately, things take a dark turn in his life when Tory's mom dies, which causes Tory to spiral out of control and much to Robby's shock, re-join Cobra Kai.

Despite being captain, Robby constantly loses focus due to Tory being in Cobra Kai. Miguel warns him to regain his focus or give up his role. However, a later pep talk from Miguel rejuvenates Robby and Miyagi-Do advances deep into the tournament.

When preparing for his rematch against Axel, he is initially not confident after how their first fight went, but a pep talk from Miguel helps him regain his confidence. Despite being forced to withdraw from the Sekai Taikai due to Axel breaking his leg, Robby, unlike his father after his defeat to Daniel in 1984, is at peace due to all he has gained. He later helps restore Tory's confidence during her match against Zara, whole also rekindling their relationship.

Fighting Style

"I've got to admit, you're more of a natural than I was."

―Daniel LaRusso to Robby Keene^[src]

In Season 1, under Daniel LaRusso's training, Robby develops into a smart student and well-rounded fighter. When he is able to maintain focus, his fighting style revolves around a solid defense and counter-striking, which is evident in both his semi-final matches and to the final rounds of the 2018 All Valley Karate Tournament. However, when his emotions gets the better of him, he becomes blindly aggressive. His karate techniques also mix solid basics with the occasional use of high-risk spinning or other numerous aerial moves. According to Daniel, Robby is naturally talented and this seems to be justified, as he is able to execute Mr. Miyagi's double-leg handstand kick (even after only hearing a description of it). Furthermore, despite an injured shoulder, he is able to put up a tough fight in his final match against Miguel Diaz.

In Season 2, Robby further improves his fighting style and karate skills under Daniel's training. By becoming a better student and more skilled fighter through Miyagi-Do, he is easily able to fend off several Cobra Kai students during the mall fight and school brawl (he in particular beat Hawk easily) and put up a good fight against Miguel during a school brawl. However, his emotions still gets the better of him at times, resulting in him fighting more aggressively and blindly, which is evident during the school brawl where he aggressively attacks Miguel when the latter said that Samantha LaRusso loves him over Robby. Even after Miguel lets Robby go, the latter still attacks him, which results to accidentally kicking Miguel off the railing, severely injuring him and rendering him unconscious as a result.

Despite his injured shoulder putting him at a disadvantage and causing him to lose to Miguel in the 2018 All Valley Tournament at the end of Season 1, he came close to beating him, showing that Robby was the better and more skilled fighter. In Season 2, despite beating Miguel by kicking him off the railing, he could only do so when Miguel, who had pinned him to the ground, showed mercy by letting him go, showing that Robby was the inferior and less skilled fighter at that time.

In Season 3, while in Sylmar Juvenile Corrections (SJDC), Robby still maintains his skills, which he is able to use to fight and gain the respect of his bully Shawn Payne. Later on, when he fights Johnny Lawrence (much after he is released from juvie), he goes against him from what he learned at Miyagi Do by fighting his father with hate. However, the more skilled and experienced Johnny counters his strikes, before accidentally pushing him into the lockers. Unfortunately for him overall, Robby doesn't seem to have gained more skills in Season 3 due to him being in juvie for most of the season, and joining Cobra Kai just near end of the Season.

In Season 4, Robby's previous skills in Miyagi-Do Karate allowed him to easily take out Kyler Park and defeat the remaining students of Cobra Kai by himself, including the top student Tory Nichols. After training with Sensei John Kreese and Terry Silver, he learns Cobra Kai's karate style and becomes a more oriented fighter who now skillfully starts combining both defensive moves and offensive techniques at the same time. In the final rounds of the 2019 All Valley Tournament, Robby goes up against Eli and fights evenly with him which therefore causes a draw between the two. During the sudden death round, Robby initially has the upper-hand against Eli, however, he is distracted by Kenny Payne, which allows Eli to take advantage of this situation by kicking him off at his chest. In the end of their respective match, Robby loses to Eli after a very close fight. Nevertheless, Robby is still one of the top fighters of the new generation at 2019's Cobra Kai Dojo.

In Season 5, Robby participates in several fights. He helps Johnny beat up a group of thugs in Mexico. Days later, he fights Miguel again and they are even until they get to the balcony. However, Miguel's remembrance of the school fight leads to him overpowering Robby and putting himself in a position to knock Robby off the balcony like how Robby knocked him off the raining during the school fight. Fortunately, Miguel calms himself and stops fighting, ending the fight as a result. Later on, he fights several Cobra Kai students including Kenny during the Cobra Kai Dojo brawl, though he initially tried to reason out with Kenny. While he is able to push Kenny away at first, during the brawl, he is soon severely injured when Kenny uses the "Silver Bullet" on him, but is saved by Miguel. Besides that, Robby consistently maintain the upper hand and handled several cobra kai students without showing any signs of giving up. When the Miyagi-Fangs tried to protect Anthony by forming a circle around him, Robby was one of the five remaining fighters standing in the circle as the rest were being pulled away from the group by the cobras.

In Part 1 of Season 6, Robby continues fighting and getting stronger. He initially holds his own against Shawn and Kenny in the batting range, before being thrown to the side by Shawn. However, after Miguel arrives, the two defeat Shawn. He is one of the six contenders selected to compete in the Sekai Taikai, and one of the four contenders for a captain spot in the tournament. When fighting Miguel for a spot as the male captain, he initially finds himself down 2-0, but after Tory arrives, Robby becomes more focused, leading to him making a comeback and defeating Miguel to become the captain.

During Part 2 of season 6, Robby was off balance for most of the Sekai Taikai due to Tory being on Cobra Kai again and putting their relationship on pause, leading to him losing every preliminary fights as well as several elimination fights, one of which to his new rival, Kwon, putting Miyagi-Do in danger of elimination. However, after a pep talk from Miguel, Robby begins to get back in form and makes a comeback. During his second fight against Kwon, having learned that Kwon played him by making it seem like he and Tory were hooking up, a now 100% focused and enraged Robby easily defeats Kwon, with the latter managing not to land a single strike on him before Robby land the 1 point Miyagi-Do needed to win. He, however, struggles against Axel in the semifinals, as Axel easily counters his strikes with ease and lands several hard hits on Robby, leading to Robby going down 5-0. While Robby performs better once he starts using his defensive tactics, the score remains the same, and the fight is ultimately paused when the all-out dojo brawl erupts. During the brawl, Kwon and Yoon gang up on him, but he recovers and gains the upper hand on them, defeats Zara who was attacking Tory, and defeats several students alongside Miguel.

During his fight against Axel in Part 3, he is initially being dominated, but after getting a pep talk from Daniel, he fights him on even terms. It is possible that he could have (big if) beaten Axel had the latter not been forced by his sensei to break his leg, as despite still being down in points, he was slowly gaining ground.

Due to his natural skill, the resounding ability to learn fast, utilizing the power of muscle memory, and near-perfect balance between offense and defense. Robby’s mastery of both Cobra Kai’s aggressive, hard-hitting techniques and Miyagi-Do’s defensive precision allows him to fluidly switch styles, making him unpredictable and incredibly difficult to defeat. His speed, agility, and reflexes enable him to demonstrate an impressive degree of consistency in taking down multiple opponents with ease, while his experience and composure in high-stakes fights give him a strategic edge over nearly everyone. His focus, balance and impressive adaptability are his best attributes as a fighter, and his growth as a martial artist has made him one of the most well-rounded teenage fighters in the whole franchise.

Robby quickly established himself as the best student in Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do Karate, and is currently considered one of the strongest overall amongst all the teenage fighters on this show. The only ones who can truly contend him — or are possibly stronger — are Axel and Miguel.

Relationships

Johnny Lawrence

"Robby: Karate's given me the best things in my life. It's given me my friends, it's given me my girlfriend. It's given me my dad.
Johnny: I'd say that makes you a winner in anybody's eyes. Especially mine. I love you, man.
Robby: I love you too.
Johnny: I'm so proud of you.
Robby: Thanks."

―Robby and Johnny^[src]

Johnny is Robby's father, whom he had a strained relationship with for a long time. Throughout Robby's childhood, Johnny neglected him, which eventually caused Robby to dislike and resent him. In season 1, he disrespects Johnny and enjoys seeing him in pain. Even when Johnny gives him advice, he treats him poorly. While he expresses desire to make amends after learning from his mother Shannon that Johnny wanted to start a closer relationship with him, Robby visits the Cobra Kai dojo to talk to his father, but after seeing him hug Miguel, he goes back to disliking him, as he feels he loved his student more than him. However, he does accept Johnny's apology following his loss to Daniel in the All Valley tournament.

When they see each other at a store, Robby tells him that he still has a hard time forgiving him, even though he forgave him at the tournament. However, after Sam gets drunk at a party, Robby brings Sam to Johnny's house. The following morning after Daniel takes Sam back and angrily tells Robby he has lost his trust, Johnny takes Robby to school, which Robby appreciates, leading them to reconcile.

Johnny arranges a visitation time with childhood friend Bobby to accompany him due to his probation but misses the date due to him being preoccupied with Miguel in the hospital. Bobby encourages him to give it time and Bobby offers to talk to Robby instead, but Robby leaves and resents his father even more. Johnny tries to see Robby at the Community center where the SJDC are doing CS and Johnny gets through to Keene. However, Johnny accidentally reminds him about putting Miguel Diaz in the hospital. He then apologizes, but Robby doesn't accept it and cut ties with Johnny. After Robby is released from juvie, his resentment towards Johnny and Daniel is still present, which upsets Johnny.

After later learning that Robby is now apart of Cobra Kai, he attacks Kreese, but he is stopped by Robby who attacks him for ruining his life. Johnny tries to reason with Robby, but Robby refuses. When Robby attacks, Johnny counters his strikes, before accidentally knocking him into lockers. Horrified at what he's done, Johnny apologizes and tries to get him up, but to no avail. Robby eventually wakes up and coldly tells Johnny Daniel, Miguel and Sam to get out, upsetting Johnny as a result. They end up on opposite sides and cease contact with one another, though Robby tells Johnny to get the Eagle Fang's and Miyagi-Do's to stop bullying Kenny, his new mentee. Johnny makes a plea that he's being brainwashed, but Robby doesn't want to hear it. After the 2019 All Valley, Robby sees the error in trusting Kreese and Silver, seeing first-hand how the Cobra Kai mentality corrupts students. He finds Johnny and breaks down over letting all the hate and anger inside him get the best of him. He expresses a desire to make things right, but also thinks things will never get better. Johnny hugs him and tells him they'll figure it out, together.

The two head to Mexico in order to look for Miguel. As Johnny was about to get strangled by a surfer, Robby kicks him and the two fight the group, winning in the process. They both go to an MMA event where they find Miguel but an MMA fighter prevents Johnny from finding him. However, Johnny defeats him in the process with Robby's help when he gives him a pepper. Later on that night, the two pick up Miguel and head home. Johnny also has Robby fight Miguel to get their grudge out of their systems. After the fight ends, Robby congratulates his father when he accidentally mentions the baby and have an Olive Garden dinner to celebrate.

Shannon Keene

Shannon is Robby's mother. Robby cares for her, most likely because she spent his childhood raising him, unlike Johnny. However, their relationship is a little strained in season 1 due to Shannon spending more time picking up guys than spending time with him, making him upset. Early in season 2, she leaves Robby and travels with a man to Mexico, which causes Robby to stay with the LaRusso family. When she returns later in the season however, she admits she shouldn't have left, says she is going to rehab, and encourages him to have a relationship with Johnny.

In Season 3, Robby sees his mother in rehab as she is the only person he could reach out to and not turn him to the Police and she has changed a lot. Robby opens up to her about what he done to Miguel Diaz at the brawl over 3 weeks ago and Robby feels like he should leave town and far away from everyone. However, Shannon is warming to him and gets him to eat a spinach tuna sandwich with a cup of water, as she notices that he hasn't eaten properly due to being homeless and having such little money and eating little food while on the run for 2 weeks and a half, which shows that Shannon cares about her son. Shannon witnesses her son is getting arrested making her shocked and upset, she accompanies him to cops car and says it's going to be okay in there and says goodbye to Robby. After Robby is released from juvie, she sends Daniel to collect him because she is still in rehab so she can't collect him and got evicted from their house. She asks Daniel to live with him, but Robby refuses due to he thinks Daniel betrayed him.

Daniel LaRusso

"You didn't fail me. You know when you first met me, I was a messed up kid. But you gave me a job, and a home, and a purpose. You can't just give up."

―Robby to Daniel LaRusso^[src]

Daniel is Robby's friend and father figure. Robby begins working at Daniel's dealership halfway into season 1, in order to get revenge on his father Johnny for spending more time with Miguel than him. However, Robby thrives in his job and gets along with Daniel. After seeing Daniel practice karate, Robby gets interested, and Daniel starts training him. With Robby training with Daniel, he begins to bond him with him. However, after learning that he is Johnny's son, Robby is banned from Daniel's house and dealership. Despite his anger, he roots for Robby in the All Valley Tournament, most likely because of his anger towards Johnny. After Robby is injured by Hawk in the semifinals, he forgives Robby, and becomes his coach for the finals. Despite Robby losing the finals to Miguel, Daniel is proud of him for fighting honorably. Robby then becomes Daniel's first student at Miyagi-Do Karate.

Robby has more interactions with Daniel in season 2, because of Miyagi-Do, and Robby coming to live at his house following Shannon taking off with some guy early in the season. The two continue to bond. However, when Daniel finds Robby and Sam at Johnny's house the morning after Sam got drunk in a party, an angry Daniel rebukes Robby and says he lost his trust. Daniel then leaves, making Robby upset. Robby however still respects Daniel, as he tells Johnny that staying with the LaRusso's was good for him, and he (Johnny) could learn some things from him.

In Season 3, their father-to-son surrogating figure becomes strained when Shannon calls Daniel to talk to Robby, and Daniel tells Robby that he turned him to the Police to get a shorter sentence of a few weeks at Juvie. Robby thinks Daniel betrayed him. After Robby is handcuffed and taken away by the police, Robby orders Daniel to not visit him in Juvie as he thinks Daniel betrayed him. The next day after being questioned and placed in juvie, the officer calls him to a phone call and Daniel calls him from the dealership with Amanda by his side and tries to talk to Robby, but Robby hangs up on him which makes Daniel upset. When Robby is released from juvie, Daniel and Johnny tell him that he always has a home with either of them, but Robby tells Daniel and Johnny to leave him alone and walks away. After Daniel defeats Kreese at Cobra Kai, Robby coldly tells Daniel, Johnny, Miguel and Sam to leave. During this time, Robby and Daniel were enemies. Daniel even warned Robby about Silver's tactics which Silver heard. However, Robby chose to side with Kreese and Silver during the 51st All Valley Tournament, visibly disturbing Daniel. Daniel confronts Robby for teaching the moves of Miyagi-Do Karate to his Cobra Kai friends. Robby replies that he did what he had to do. Daniel then gave him a Miyagi-Do teaching that he told he can pass to his friends. Daniel told Robby to never put passion before principle and even if he won, he lost. This was the lesson that Mr. Miyagi taught to Daniel.

Following the 51st All Valley, Robby reconciles with both Daniel and Johnny. Daniel admits to believing that he'd failed Robby and tries to apologize, but Robby reassures Daniel that he didn't fail him and Robby just didn't understand what Daniel had been trying to teach him until he witnessed someone that he was mentoring make the same mistakes. Robby helps convince Daniel to rejoin the fight against Cobra Kai while rejoining Miyagi-Do himself.

On the day of the gender captain's match on who will lead Miyagi-Do in the Sekai Taikai, Robby and Miguel are first to fight with Daniel as their referee. After Robby wins and becomes male captain, Daniel congratulates his first student. During the continued semifinals match at the All Valley Sports Arena, when Robby struggles against Axel, Daniel gives him a pep talk, reminding him of everything he's done including fixing his relationship with Johnny, befriending Miguel, and standing up to Silver. This gives Robby more confidence to continue the match.

Samantha LaRusso

Samantha is Robby's ex-girlfriend and best friend. They first meet each other at the LaRusso's house when Robby was being trained in karate by Daniel, though she had a boyfriend at the time in Miguel Diaz. Despite being virtually strangers, Robby pitied Sam when she's grounded and unable to attend her friends party. He faked a sprained ankle so they could attend the party. When Miguel saw them together, he became jealous and picked a fight that ultimately ended his relationship with Sam. When Daniel learned that Robby lived alone, he invited the teen to stay with the family. Robby and Sam were paired together inside Miyagi-Do, which allowed them to gradually grow closer. They worked seamlessly together in karate, being the perfect partners for one another. They acted as extensions of one another in a fight. The pair progressed into a romantic relationship, but hid the truth from her parents as to avoid Robby being kicked out of the house. While he respected the decision, he always wanted to tell Daniel the truth, though he respected Sam's boundaries and choices.

They went on dates, one in particular being to the roller skating rink, with Robby acting defensively when the manager reprimanded Sam for her fight with Tory. As their relationship progressed, Sam became intoxicated at Moon's party, and to protect her, Robby took her to his father's apartment where she could sleep off her drunkenness. Robby took the blame for Sam's drunken nature, which made Daniel lash out at him. The next afternoon, Tory began the school fight, in which Robby learned Sam kissed Miguel at the party. He still tried to protect her from Tory's onslaught of attacks. though he later paired-off with Miguel. He kicked Miguel, albeit accidentally, over a balcony. The fall hospitalized Miguel and broke his back. Robby was eventually arrested for his role in the fight, with Sam heartbroken over the outcome. She wrote him each day but he stopped responding, as he was assaulted daily by the other inmates. She didn't know of his pain and suffering, but did see Miguel struggle. She helped him raise funds for a surgery, which was broadcast on television. Robby watched the newscast and believed she had continued to date Miguel.

After being released from juvie, Robby went to see Sam in the hopes of reconciling, but caught her and Miguel sparing together in a compromising position. He accused her of cheating and the trio got into a fight, but it ended when Sam physically defended Miguel from Robby. Robby angrily believed Sam cheated on him the whole time, snapped they deserved each other, and admitted their relationship was a mistake. The pair reconciled after Robby left Cobra Kai Dojo to join Miyagi-Do, learning to trust one another as friends. While convincing Daniel to rejoin the fight against Cobra Kai, Sam told Robby what Daniel has gone through, and Robby admitted that Daniel was right along about Cobra Kai. He also didn't know Johnny and Daniel had gone to such lengths to find him, seemingly forgiving both LaRusso's. During the demonstrations for the Sekai Taikai, Robby and Sam are partners performing on the board floating on the pond.

Miguel Diaz

"You turned your rival into your best friend."

―Daniel LaRusso to Robby^[src]

Despite the fact that they barely know one other, Miguel is Robby's main rival and enemy. They have disliked each other since they unknowingly saw each other respectively. They first met at Cobra Kai's party at the canyon in the Season 1 episode, "Different but Same." Miguel sees Robby and Samantha holding hands when Sam couldn't go down the hill. This causes Miguel to get furious at both of them. Miguel asks Sam, "Who's this guy?" Sam doesn't seem impressed on how Miguel is talking to Robby. She asks Miguel, "Have you been drinking?" Miguel seemed to be not focused on her question. Robby then politely asks Miguel to calm down. Miguel doesn't seem to get the hint and pushes Robby to the ground, Miguel then tries to hit Robby back again, but it accidentally lands on Sam. They compete against each other in the final round of the 2018 All Valley Karate Tournament. Miguel illegally yanks Robby's already injured arm in a dispute of anger. This causes Robby to get further injured. Miguel then wins the fight.

Miguel takes the stolen medal of honor from Hawk. He knocks on the LaRusso's door to see Robby. Robby doesn't seem to happy to see Miguel at the door, due to their history. All Miguel wants is to return the medal of honor. Miguel gently gives it to Robby, fearing that he might lose Sam over to him, Robby places it in the backyard, which is later found by Demetri the following morning. They're next seen at an ice skating place, along with their respective girlfriends (Tory and Sam). Miguel greets them nicely. During the school brawl in the final episode of Season 2, Miguel attacks Robby, believing that Robby is attacking Tory, while Robby was really trying to stop the two girls from fighting and wanted himself, Miguel and the two girls to figure it out. Robby tells Miguel, "You can't cheat your way out of this one." He is referring to when Miguel exploited his injured shoulder in the tournament; Miguel later headbutts him and teases Robby by saying he learned this from Johnny.

While they're both upstairs and resuming their fight, Robby makes a kick and tells Miguel, "That's for taking advantage of Sam", referring to Miguel kissing Sam at Moon's house party the night before. While Robby is going on a rant about protecting his girlfriend, Sam, Miguel says to Robby, "She doesn't love you, she loves me." Robby is furious at this comment and gets the upper hand, but Miguel eventually pins him down. While Miguel is about to break his arm, he remembers of Johnny telling him to sometimes show mercy. Miguel remembered this because he knew that Robby is Johnny's father and that Johnny would never forgive him if he broke Robby's arm. Miguel tells him that he's "sorry" for kissing Sam. A reversal of last year's tournament, Robby doesn't take this and attacks Miguel, and the former kicks the latter off the second floor balcony and injures Miguel, paralyzing him. Like most people, Robby is horrified by what he did to Miguel and went on the run for two weeks and then eventually, was sentenced to Sylmar Juvenile Corrections (SJDC) after Daniel called the police on him.

The two rivals don't see each other again until Robby is released from SJDC and catches Miguel sparring with Sam in a compromising position. Robby accuses the two of them for cheating behind his back. Miguel defends Sam, causing Robby to angrily tell him to stay out of it, When Miguel refuses, Robby attempts to punch Miguel until Sam blocks his punches and pushes him away. This is when he tells Miguel and Sam that they deserve each other and admits their relationship was a mistake, ending things with Samantha.

Although Robby helps his father find Miguel in Mexico, the two boys remain at odds with each other despite Johnny's attempts at getting them to reconcile. Finally, Johnny forces them to fight it out without any rules to hold them back in the hopes that Robby and Miguel will get it out of their systems. The fight ends with Miguel poised to knock Robby over a railing, just like Robby had done to him, before Miguel finally relents and they talk it out. Robby admits to being deeply remorseful for hurting Miguel and the two finally reconcile. Moments later, Johnny reveals that he and Miguel's mother, Carmen are going to have a baby, exciting both of the boys and bringing them closer together. Following their fight, Robby and Miguel finally bring an end to their rivalry and become friends, often hanging out together. When Robby rejoins Miyagi-Do, Miguel defends him against the initial distrust of the other students. When Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang faces against Cobra Kai for the Sekai Taikai qualifiers, Miguel and Robby agree to make Eli fight against Kenny. When they manage to get their dojo to qualify, the two hug each other, and when they later have to stop Sam from attacking Tory, they do so without arguing with each other. In the end, both of them helped the other Miyagi-Fangs get Silver arrested.

In the final season, the two boys continued their brotherly relationship and became two of the six students to head to the Sekai Taikai, which would take place in Barcelona. However, they were pitted against each other for the position of male captain, with Miguel determined to earn said position, which would help him win the tournament, which subsequently would allow him to attend Stanford University. The match ultimately ended in Robby's victory and there were no hard feelings between the two. In Barcelona, as they entered with their teammates in the venue with other dojos in attendance, they were shocked to see Tory back in Cobra Kai after she was denied to fight Sam for the position of female captain due to her clouded judgement shortly after her mother's passing. Robby, who's struggling with Tory's return to Cobra Kai, performs horribly in the first rounds of the tournament. This frustrates Miguel, who wanted the male captain position so he could get into Stanford. The two have a confrontation, and Miguel selfishly tells Robby to either to step up or hand over the captaincy to him. After Miguel returns to Barcelona, who temporarily left to visit his mom in the hospital, he gives Robby a pep talk and apologizes for getting angry at him while not knowing what he was going through and assures him that he deserved to be the captain, and the two reconcile. During Robby and Axel's (the Iron Dragons' male captain) semi-final match, Kwon cheap-shots Robby, and Miguel tries to come to his defense, but he is pushed down by Axel; an all-out brawl between all dojos erupt, and Miguel and Robby fight alongside each other during most of the brawl, but it comes to an end after Kwon's accidental and unfortunate death.

Robby and Miguel later train together to help Robby prepare for his upcoming fight with Axel, using virtual reality goggles and an AI program so that Miguel appears to be Axel to Robby. Shortly afterwards, Carmen goes into labor, giving birth to Robby and Miguel's half-sister Laura Lawrence. Johnny proposes on the spot to Carmen, and they are married by Bobby Brown with Robby and Miguel -- who stand side by side -- amongst those in attendance. Johnny and Carmen's marriage causes Robby and Miguel to become step-brothers, something that they both excitedly accept.

John Kreese

John Kreese was Robby's new sensei during his time in Cobra Kai, though to Kreese he is clearly a weapon and a tool, not a student. when Kreese visits Robby in juvie, he convinces Robby to act more aggressively, which he does against his bully Shawn. Preying on the already crestfallen and distraught Robby's anguish and confusion, Kreese poisons his mind to further turn him against Johnny and Daniel and to join Cobra Kai, which Robby does after being released from juvie. When Johnny is beating up Kreese, Robby defends him and attacks Johnny, only for Johnny to accidently knock him into lockers. Robby gets up and stands next to Kreese and tells Miguel, Sam, Daniel and Johnny to get out of here. He aligns himself with Kreese for the entirety of the tournament, but doesn't follow the Cobra Kai creed as dutifully as the others. He doesn't trust Silver and resists falling prey to the man's charm. Robby loses the All Valley and witnesses Kenny's severe shift in behavior from being in Cobra Kai. Robby leaves the dojo and forfeits his relationship with Kreese.

Tory Nichols

Tory is Robby's girlfriend and former enemy.

Tory initially dates Miguel Diaz, the ex-boyfriend of Robby's girlfriend Samantha LaRusso. The tension between the two couples is apparent for this reason, with Robby disliking Tory for her bullying of Sam. He actively tries to protect Sam from Tory. After the school fight, Robby does a brief stint in juvie. Following his release, he collides with Tory in the probation office. He is initially aggressive towards her, as she started the fight that led him to be in juvie. She reminds him that he ended it. She believes they are in the same position, alone, and that Sam will turn on Robby. He decides to join Cobra Kai at the insistence of Kreese, a choice that Tory supports. She tries to help him form connections and friendships in the dojo, even inviting him along to a zoo heist. Things become complicated after the LaRusso house fight, as Robby isn't present when the rest of the Cobra Kai's ambush the Miyagi-Do's and Eagle Fang's. Tory views this as a betrayal, no longer believing he's one of them.

Robby earns back Tory's respect and trust by honoring a deal to leave the dojo if any of the students can land a hit on him; Tory is the only one to do so. She allows him to stay, and their tension grows throughout training. They are often impressed by one another's fighting skills, and are both gifted fighters. They work harmoniously together, defeating even Miguel and Sam who were fought together. Tory and Robby attend the West Valley High junior prom together, with Robby serving as her plus one. While their plan is initially to get under the skins of their exes for the sake of playing a mind game, they share a passionate and fun dance that ultimately brings them closer together. Their mutually difficult pasts and troubled natures gives them a bond unlike their former relationships, as neither has to hide the darker truths of their lives. They understand one another's troubles including financial stress, but are capable of having fun together despite their stresses. After the events of junior prom, Robby and Tory kiss.

Robby and Tory start their relationship, but things go south when Robby admits he is leaving Cobra Kai and thinks Tory should leave with him. Ultimately, despite their attempts to make their relationship work, Robby cannot be with her if she is still in Cobra Kai, forcing them to break up, despite still caring deeply for one another. Tory's secret partnership with Kreese and admittance over Silver rigging the All Valley surprises but also impresses Robby. He knows how hard it is for Tory to break the Cobra Kai mentality by telling Sam the truth.

Robby shows concern over Tory's severely injured hand, and she appreciates his concern. She says she's okay for now. Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do team up with Tory to take down Silver, resulting in a massive brawl between the dojos at the flagship Cobra Kai dojo. Robby and Tory fight both together and apart. After the fight, they check on one another and begin talking about their relationship. She isn't in the mood for the mushy heart-to-heart stuff, asking him to just kiss her instead. He smiles and they kiss in the parking lot of the dojo.

On the first day of school, Robby and Tory share a kiss after he was reinstated. They continue their relationship while training together at Miyagi-Do. To bring Sam and Tory together, Miguel and Robby takes them on a double date at Golf N' Stuff, but it goes awkward at first. When the couple has their own conversation, Robby confesses that it was Miguel's idea and he convinces Tory to give Sam a chance. Tory, Miguel, and Sam were able to assist Robby fighting Kenny and Shawn, this apparently leads Sam and Tory become friends. While training for the Sekai Taikai, Robby and Tory make a deal to share the champions podium together no matter what. However, after Tory's mother dies that caused her to distance herself from everyone from Miyagi-Do including Robby, she reluctantly defects back to Cobra Kai.

Upon arriving in Barcelona, Robby tries to get Tory to talk to him over her decision to return to Cobra Kai and gives his condolences towards her mother's death. Throughout the first matches of the competiton, both could not be totally focused because of their feelings for one another, causing them to inadvertently let their respective teams down. Tory suggested to Robby putting their relationship on a break, which left Robby devastated. Things went from bad to worse when Tory's fellow Cobra Kai teammate, Kwon Jae-Sung pushed Robby's buttons by pretending to being attracted to Tory, which eventually culminates in Robby having a one-night stand with Tory's new rival and Iron Dragons' female captain, Zara Malik. But fortunately, Tory eventually reveals Kwon's scheme which fuels and infuriates Robby and the latter would later save the girl he loves from Zara during the all-dojo brawl, which had ended with Kwon's tragic demise.

Following the cancellation of the tournament, Robby and Tory continue to be in touch despite the events in Barcelona. On the day of the rekindled Sekai Taikai events in the Valley, when Robby gets injured by Axel in the semifinals and is forced to forfeit, Tory comforts him for the loss while assuring that she'll make the Iron Dragons pay for what they did to him only for Robby to tell Tory to focus on her fight. After Johnny retakes Cobra Kai, Robby helps train Tory and Miguel for their matches against Zara and Axel respectively. On the day of the finals, Zara gets into Tory's head with her taunts which Robby noticed. During timeout, Robby confesses his love for Tory and the two kiss, repairing their relationship and regaining Tory's focus, allowing her to get the upper hand. After Tory defeats Zara, Robby celebrates her victory. On the day of the tiebreaker match, while signing an autograph, Robby and Tory receive and accept an offer from Julia, a person who works at Icon Branding, to promote karate worldwide. They later support Johnny during his fight against Wolf by donning the black Cobra Kai gi and witness their sensei's victory. Following the tournament, Robby and Tory begin their new lives together representing and marketing karate.

Kenny Payne

"Robby: No matter what happens, the fact you made it this far at your age is a huge deal. Your brother's going to be impressed.
Kenny: I owe it all to you. You changed my whole life."

―Kenny and Robby^[src]

Robby first met Kenny when the latter entered Cobra Kai Dojo looking for him at Shawn's behest. as Kenny needs Robby's help against the bullies targeting him. Robby sees an opportunity to take the boy under his wing, become the mentor that he never had growing up. He teaches Kenny to use his speed as a weapon, defend himself from attackers, and ultimately, help him earn a spot in Cobra Kai. Robby continues to look out for the boy, assuring him that the other student will come around after the hazing. He becomes protective over Kenny, with Kenny seeing Robby as a protector and someone to be trusted. Robby retaliates against Eli for picking on Kenny at school by shaving Eli's signature hairstyle. During a training exercise to find and target weaknesses, Silver specifically chooses Kenny to fight Robby. He knows Robby cares for the boy and won't be capable of hurting him. Silver's assumption is correct, ultimately leading Kenny to manipulate the kindness by faking an injury and winning the exercise. As Robby becomes distracted in his personal life, Kenny slips deeper into the mentality of Cobra Kai and the teachings of John Kreese. During the All Valley Karate Tournament, Robby sees Kenny cheering for him to hurt Demetri. While Robby ultimately does defeat Kenny in the All Valley, he does it knowing it's the only way to advance to the next stage. He later has to pull Kenny off Anthony LaRusso, chastising him as this wasn't how he taught Kenny. Kenny rejects his teachings, citing the Cobra Kai mantra, before threatening Anthony. Later, Robby emotionally admits to Johnny how he wanted to be there for Kenny, but watching the boy at the tournament was like looking into a mirror. He feels he's messed everything up despite helping Cobra Kai win the tournament.

After the tournament, Robby decided to leave Cobra Kai and wants Kenny to leave with him, but Kenny became extremely loyal to Cobra Kai and he excused Robby as a traitor. Despite leaving to rejoin Miyagi-Do, Robby is still protective of Kenny, wanting to reason with him. However, despite all the warnings about Cobra Kai, Kenny will never leave as long as he can use the dojo's lessons to get back at Anthony and others who bullied the former. It's until the fight at the flagship dojo, where Anthony sent the video of Silver's confession of bribing the All-Valley referee to Tory, that Kenny realized that Robby was telling the truth all along. After Daniel defeated Silver, all of Silver's students, including Kenny, took off their Cobra Kai clothing and threw them on Silver, showing that they quit. Outside, Robby tried to talk to Kenny, but the latter's too ashamed of his aggressive behavior that Kenny's not ready to talk, needing some time alone.

Following the summer, Robby tried to talk to Kenny in an arcade but the younger kid kept ignoring him until his recently-released brother Shawn ordered Keene to stay away from his brother. Later that day, Miguel and Robby faced off against Shawn whereas Tory and Sam fended off Kenny's attacks before the fight stopped as security guards were on their way. Encouraged by his brother to let go of Cobra Kai's dark and toxic philosophy, Kenny decided to join Miyagi-Do, leaving everyone, particularly Robby, happy. Robby would end up being chosen as one of the six students for the Sekai Taikai tournament in Barcelona whereas Kenny ultimately lost a challenge due to someone spiking his water with laxatives. Fortunately, Kenny ends up joining Robby, Sam, Miguel, Eli, Demetri and Devon in the tournament and helps Miyagi-Do advance in the competition, with Robby and the others lifting him up for his victory.

Kwon Jae-Sung

Ever since the arrival of both Miyagi-Do and the Korean branch of Cobra Kai to Barcelona for the Sekai Taikai, Kwon became Robby's new archrival. During a kicking the wall challenge, Robby was beaten by Kwon and was forced to surrender his and his teammates' rooms to Kwon and his fellow Cobra Kai's. The rivalry between the two only worsened when Kwon pretended to start falling for Robby's girlfriend Tory, who had reluctantly rejoined Kreese and Cobra Kai to win the Sekai Taikai to honour her late mother, causing Robby to hold severe resentment towards Kwon. However, Tory eventually cleared up the misunderstanding and informed Robby that Kwon had played him. This revelation caused Robby to regain focus in the competition and he managed to beat Kwon, securing Miyagi-Do a spot among the semi-finals and eliminating Cobra Kai from the competition.

Just as Kreese, Kim Da-Eun and their students were about to leave Barcelona, Kwon arrogantly told Robby that he was a "lucky bastard" and if they ever fought again, he would not be humiliated again. Much to the chagrin of the senseis and students of Miyagi-Do, Cobra Kai was given another chance in the competition after students from the Russian Tiger Strike dojo had taken steroids to boost their performance. When Robby was facing Iron Dragon captain Axel Kovacevic, he unexpectedly throws him into the arms of Kwon, who attacked him with an elbow to the ribs. Tensions escalated when Tiger Strike senseis refused to leave Barcelona and instigated a war between all dojos after knocking out the tournament's chiefs. Robby faced off against Kwon and his fellow Cobra Kai's, except Tory, and Kwon beat him up severely for humiliating him.

When Kwon kicked Robby's teammate Samantha away from him, Axel, who had developed feelings for Sam, attacked Kwon and overwhelmed him in combat. Enraged and determined to eliminate Axel, Kwon grabbed the eunjangdo dagger Kreese had accidentally dropped earlier and tried to attack Axel, only for the latter to counter his aerial kick attack, causing Kwon to fatally stab himself by accident with the dagger. Once Kwon was revealed to be dead, the brawl came to an end and horror struck the faces of everyone, including Robby, proving that despite his enmity with Kwon, he never wished death upon him.

When the Sekai Taikai resumes in the Valley, everyone including Robby takes a moment of silence to honor Kwon.

Axel Kovacevic

Axel is Robby's rival. They first met when they're selected to fight each other in the Sekai Taikai semifinals. During the fight, Robby struggles against Axel who scores the first points even when he brutally punched him that caused him to spit blood. Robby switches to defense to prevent Axel from scoring another point. This caused a frustrated Axel to grab and taunt him for only defending instead of fighting. However, their fight is on hold when Axel unexpectedly throws Robby to their common arch-enemy, Kwon Jae-Sung, who cheap shots Robby and an argument leads to an all dojo brawl which resulted with Kwon's death.

Two months later, the Sekai Taikai moves to the Valley, with Robby and Axel continuing their match. Robby manages to score six points on Axel, but the latter scores a lot more points on him. However, in the final round, Silver and Wolf enforced Axel to break Robby's knee, which puts the fight on hold. When he is informed that he can't continue and needs to forfeit, Robby isn't disappointed with his loss.

Other Relationships

• Demetri Alexopoulos (Friend/Ally)
• Chris (Friend/Ally)
• Anthony LaRusso (Friend/Ally)
• Shawn Payne (Friend/Ally)
• Trey and Cruz (Former Friends/Enemies)
• Terry Silver (Former Sensei/Enemies)

Gallery

Trivia

• Robby is the only teen-aged main character to not appear in the pilot episode, Ace Degenerate. He debuted in the second episode, Strike First.
• Robby's skills with skateboarding is similar to Dre Parker, who was the protagonist in The Karate Kid remake. Dre was also a skilled skateboarder.
• Robby's middle name is Swayze, named after the late actor, Patrick Swayze. Shannon was a big fan of the actor before his death.
  • Patrick Swayze shared the screen with Ralph Macchio in the 1983 film, The Outsiders, known for propelling both their careers. Robby's middle name is a nod to the off-screen friendship between Macchio and Swayze.
• Hawk attacking Robby after the completion of a point during the semifinals of the 2018 All Valley Tournament mirrors Bobby Brown illegally kicking Daniel's leg in the semifinals of the 1984 All Valley Tournament.
  • Additionally, in the same tournament, Miguel targeting Robby's injury in the finals mirrors Johnny's actions against Daniel in 1984. Robby losing to Miguel also mirrors Johnny losing to Daniel in 1984.
• Robby is the only student to fight unaffiliated in the All Valley Tournament.
• Robby joining Cobra Kai after circumstances drove a wedge between him and everyone else mirrors Daniel's story in The Karate Kid Part III.
• Robby training Kenny karate after he is bullied by Anthony somewhat mirrors Mr. Miyagi training Daniel after he is bullied by a younger Johnny Lawrence and his gang.
• He's also one of the characters to have gotten struck by the silver bullet from Kenny, the other being Hawk.
• Robby technically had no hits when fighting the Cobra Kai's at the dojo and defeated all of them, had he shown no mercy to Tory or not let his guard down he would be the second person to receive no hits from anyone, the first being Mr. Miyagi.
• As of Best of the Best, he has finally beaten Miguel in a sparring match after losing to him in the 2 All Valley Tournament.
  • Although he did beat Miguel in No Mercy, it wasn't a safe win due to Robby severely injuring Miguel.
• While Miguel and Sam have referenced “Rocky” from 3 ninjas, either by their leadership, clothes, or fighting attributes, Robby along with Hawk represent “Colt” by their speedy fighting styles and snarky remarks.
• The Rise is so far the first and only episode where Robby gets emotional and breaks down.
• To date, Robby is one of two of the only Sekai Taikai competitors to land a hit on Axel Kovacevic; the other being Miguel, so much to the point that Axel got frustrated and broke his sensei’s rule about not speaking to his opponent. Yoon Do-Jin also technically landed a hit on Axel, but it was voluntary, so it does not count.

References

Navigation

Villains

Main John Kreese | Terry Silver | Kim Da-Eun | Kyler Park Season I Kyler Park | Yasmine | Brucks | Rory | Tom Cole | Louie LaRusso, Jr. | Sid Weinberg | Trey | Cruz | John Kreese Season II John Kreese | Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz | Tory Nichols | Mitch | Doug Rickenberger | Trey | Cruz | Tom Cole | Armand Zakarian Season III John Kreese | Tory Nichols | Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz | Robby Keene | Kyler Park | Mitch | Doug Rickenberger | Brucks | Tom Cole | Trey | Cruz | Sid Weinberg | Captain George Turner | Shawn Payne | David Season IV Terry Silver | John Kreese | Tory Nichols | Robby Keene | Kenny Payne | Kyler Park | Anthony LaRusso | Shawn Payne Season V Terry Silver | Kim Da-Eun | Kenny Payne | Kyler Park | Mitch | Hyan-Woo | Odell | Min-Jun | Suk-Chin | Bacaria | Morozov | Hector Salazar | John Kreese | Kim Sun-Yung Season VI Terry Silver | Sensei Wolf | John Kreese | Kim Sun-Yung | Kim Da-Eun | Kwon Jae-Sung | Yoon Do-Jin | Dennis de Guzman | Axel Kovacevic | Zara Malik | Min-Seok | Chung-Hee | Cara McAllistar | Ivanov | Oksana | Vlad | Draga | Zenker