Summary

• Tommy, a loyal Cobra Kai member, passed away in season 2 of Cobra Kai & actor Rob Garrison died shortly after in 2019.
• Tommy was known for his iconic line during the All Valley finals, and Garrison’s final acting performance was in Cobra Kai season 2.
• Despite Tommy’s death, producer Jon Hurwitz expressed hope for his return in season 3 through flashbacks, keeping his legacy alive.

Tommy, one of the original members of Cobra Kai, died in season 2 — shortly before the death of actor Rob Garrison, who played him, in 2019. In 1984’s The Karate Kid, Tommy was one of Johnny Lawrence’s (William Zabka) loyal Cobra Kai gang. They were all students of Sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) and practiced Cobra Kai’s aggressive “no mercy” brand of karate. Tommy and the rest of the Cobra Kai gladly intimidated and beat up Daniel — until a truce so that LaRusso could train to compete at the 1984 All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament.

During the All Valley finals, Tommy cheered Lawrence on and uttered his most famous line of dialogue: “Get him a body bag – yeah!,” before Daniel won The Karate Kid tournament with his infamous crane kick. In Cobra Kai season 2, Tommy was hospitalized and dying of cancer; Johnny, Jimmy, and Bobby sprang Tommy from the hospital so they could take a final camping trip up to Big Bear Lake. Tragically, Tommy died in his sleep overnight. More tragic still was that Cobra Kai Tommy actor Rob Garrison passed away the same year.

Rob Garrison Died Shortly After His Cobra Kai Character

The Actor Died From Liver & Kidney Problems

In real life, Tommy actor Rob Garrison died at 59 in September 2019, a few months after Cobra Kai season 2 originally streamed on YouTube Premium. The actor had been hospitalized for a month with liver and kidney problems, and his organs finally shut down. After The Karate Kid, Garrison acted in Iron Eagle (Johnny’s favorite movie, which is likely no coincidence), and he had roles in Coach, St. Elsewhere, MacGyver, and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.

The Cobra Kai season 2 episode “Take a Right” was Garrison’s final acting performance. There was also a touching moment between Johnny and Tommy around the campfire when Tommy confessed that he was in love with Ali, but Johnny started dating her first. In fact, Tommy idolized Johnny Lawrence and joined Cobra Kai so that he could gain Johnny’s confidence.

Jon Hurwitz said he had hoped Rob Garrison would reprise his role in season 3.

Despite Tommy’s death during Cobra Kai season 2, producer Jon Hurwitz said he had hoped Rob Garrison would reprise his role in season 3, possibly via flashbacks. Before Garrison’s death, the actor engaged with his fans on social media and said he was looking forward to returning to Cobra Kai season 3. Hurwitz also admitted that the final shot of Tommy in “Take a Right” is an Easter egg and a clever callback to his immortal dialogue from The Karate Kid since Tommy is last seen being placed in a body bag.

What Did Rob Garrison Do Outside The Karate Kid?

Garrison Had Limited Film Roles & TV Appearances

With Cobra Kai season 6 potentially featuring more cameos from The Karate Kid universe, Hurwitz may just get his wish of somehow continuing the story of Rob Garrison’s Tommy in the future — by further exploring the impact of his death — which would be great for Garrison’s legacy. Garrison wasn’t a full-time actor — he worked as a restaurant manager and acted in local theater productions in his hometown of Wheeling.

While acting wasn’t Rob Garrison’s main career, he’s appeared in multiple movies and TV shows both before and after starring as Tommy in The Karate Kid. His last TV role before Cobra Kai was as “Sheriff Blaine” in the 1995 sitcom Kung Fu: The Legend Continues starring David Carradine. Many Rob Garrison roles outside Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid have been similar cameos that, while under the radar for most, were nonetheless appreciated by Karate Kid fans who spotted him.

Rob Garrison’s career was born of passion rather than an attempt to reach stardom.

Like many of the former Karate Kid actors in Cobra Kai, Rob Garrison’s career was born of passion rather than an attempt to reach stardom, and his love for what he did shows in his performance throughout Cobra Kai. He was incredibly well-regarded by those who knew him — especially by the Karate Kid fandom, which Garrison actively engaged with throughout the years before Cobra Kai. Rob Garrison wasn’t a huge celebrity, but his death remains a great loss for his friends, family, and the fandom of Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid.

The Tommy Story Was An Early Look At Cobra Kai Paying Homage To The Films

Returning Cast Members, Props, & More

It seems strange that someone like Tommy, who had only one major line, would receive such a touching tribute, but that is what this legacy TV show is all about in the end. Cobra Kai has done so much to pay homage to the Karate Kid movies that fans anxiously await to see if Hilary Swank shows up. While the show hasn’t gone that far yet, there has been so much that it has done to honor the films that came before. This starts, of course, with cast members and cameos.

The first few seasons included the return of Martin Kove as John Kreese and Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver, villains from the theatrical releases that remain antagonists on TV. Randee Heller returned as Daniel’s mom, Lucille, Elisabeth Shue appeared in season 3 as Ali, Tamlyn Tomita reprised her character, Kumiko, and Yuji Okumoto returned as Chozen. Add in Ron Thomas and Tony O’Dell joining Rob Garrison as Bobby and Jimmy, and Cobra Kai went a long way to honor the original cast.

There were also several Easter eggs that reference the original Karate Kid films. Cobra Kai included a look at the framed medal that Daniel gave to Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid Part 2. In season two, Robby found Daniel’s toy drum from The Karate Kid Part 2. Even small things play into the new series to pay homage to the movies, including a moment in season 3 where Daniel and Sam go fishing on the same boat seen in The Karate Kid. Rob Garrison was just the start of this trend.