‘Cobra Kai’ And Great Characterization In Unlikely Places

It is strange the places that great characterization can be found. Sometimes, a story is obviously a character tale that’s meant to showcase one particular person’s growth from beginning to end. Other times, supporting characters can prove themselves very versatile and experience unexpected arcs. Surprisingly, this took place in this past season of Cobra Kai from a very unlikely place. Throughout its first three seasons, characterization came from a lot of its main characters. But some truly remarkable storytelling was done in regards to one of its smaller roles: the character known as Stingray (Paul Walter Hauser).

Initially, Stingray was introduced as a bit of comic relief. Much older than the typical students at the Cobra Kai dojo, he created an interesting dynamic as he isn’t exactly the most athletic. He is also immensely arrogant and overconfident, which further adds to the character’s humor. Then, he was used as a key plot point as he lied to the authorities in order to get Kreese (Martin Kove) arrested. At that point, he wasn’t developing great characterization as the storyline mainly happened to him rather than be about him.

This took a turn later on as the main characters sought to use Stingray as a means to bring down Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). In order to keep Stingray quiet, Silver essentially bribed him with a prominent place in the dojo and a luxurious lifestyle. Audiences were led to believe he was merely a doofus cashing in on his luck. Viewers soon learned there was more behind Stingray than met the eye. In an emotional scene, he more or less confesses to the main characters his vulnerabilities and insecurities as a man simply trying to fit in. This is the surprising turn as the revelation came out of left field and just goes to show that great characterization can come from anywhere and when audiences least expect it.

Cobra Kai is streaming now on Netflix.