The gis worn by the Miyagi-Do and Eagle-Fang students in Cobra Kai have a clever woven-in easter egg. Cobra Kai has many hidden details that audiences won’t catch during a first viewing. An example from the latest season is how the students’ gis pay tribute to their senseis in a subtle way.
Despite Daniel and Johnny combining their students to go against the Cobra Kai, each dojo still wears its own respective gi. The Miyagi-Do students wear a white gi with the classic bonsai symbol on the back and Eagle-Fang students wear a more creative red gi. However, upon a closer look, the students have a small Easter egg on their gis indicating who their prime sensei is and which dojo they align themselves with despite learning both styles of karate.
The Miyagi-Do Gi Pays Homage to Daniel’s Headband
The Miyagi-Dos have a small token on their gis indicating that Daniel LaRusso is their prime sensei. On the bottom of the gi, the design of Daniel’s headband can be seen on the placket. Now that Daniel has numerous students in his dojo, this is the perfect homage to their sensei as Daniel was the first student of Miyagi-Do Karate. This headband is synonymous with Daniel LaRusso and Miyagi-Do, so it is the perfect choice for an easter egg to put onto the gi. The headband is also special as it was originally Mr. Miyagi’s, he is even wearing it in his first appearance in The Karate Kid.
The Eagle Fang Gi Pays Homage to Johnny’s Headband
The homage to Johnny Lawrence in the Eagle-Fang gis is a lot harder to spot. On the red gi, there is a black line running down the left side collar and placket. At first glance, this is a cool design choice. With a closer look, however, this is a perfect homage to Johnny’s black headband. Johnny’s headband is one of the few things that has remained constant for Johnny since his Cobra Kai journey began. As Eagle-Fang was founded by Johnny, it makes sense that the gis would have a subtle nod to the man who created this dojo.
Daniel and Johnny have come a long way from where they started at the beginning of Cobra Kai. They have proved they make a perfect team when they work together and their combined styles of karate have transformed the students of both dojos into incredible fighters. However, Miyagi-Do and Eagle-Fang have yet to fully merge into one dojo, and until then, Cobra Kai made a clever move in paying tribute to the two senseis with this costume design choice.