Tommy was the member of Cobra Kai at the 1984 All Valley Karate Championship tournament who prefaces the final point in Johnny and Daniel LaRusso's (Ralph Macchio) bout by screaming the infamous line "Get him a body bag! Yeah!" and maniacally laughing as a limping Daniel makes his way back to his starting place. Tommy's line is heard mostly over shots of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) and Daniel, but like many throwaway moments from the original film series, it's had a long afterlife, first thanks to the film's iconic status, and second thanks to Cobra Kai. Like so many other fan-favorite moments, Cobra Kai is bringing the body bag line into the 21st century.
As series creator Jon Hurwitz explained to Entertainment Weekly as part of a piece examining the show's Easter eggs, the joke is just about the perfect summation of their show. "When making Cobra Kai, our goal is to deliver a product that is impactful, earnest, and heartfelt like the original Karate Kid," Hurwitz said, "but also has a second humorous layer for anyone who both loves the franchise and enjoys the comedic sensibility we've shown throughout our careers."
