- "I know that I haven't been there for you and I... God, it's been hard for me. I want to make things right."
- ―Shannon Keene to Robby Keene[src]
Shannon Keene is the formerly unstable and neglectful mother of Robby Keene and the ex-girlfriend of Johnny Lawrence. She is a secondary character in Seasons 1 and 2 of Cobra Kai. In Season 3, she appears in rehab while working to get her life on track and be a better person and mother for her son. Shannon returns in Season 4 to warn Johnny about Terry Silver, and in Season 5 after completing rehab to help Johnny with his job search and arrange for him to spend time with Robby.
Biography[]
Pre-Cobra Kai[]
Much of Shannon's early life is unknown, except the fact that she was a dancer at some point. However, it's more than obvious her own problems started long before she ever met Johnny. Shannon and Johnny got together at some point before 2002. There was talk about a crazy relationship that they had back then. Laura Lawrence was still alive during this time, and it is probable that they were still living off Sid Weinberg's financial backing. However, the couple had a bitter breakup and their feelings declined into animosity towards each other given the fact that their child goes by his mother's last name as his legal name, not Johnny's.
Regardless, Johnny ended up getting Shannon pregnant. She gave birth to their son and only child, Robby, on February 4, 2002. Johnny by his own admission failed to be there for Robby when he was born. Shannon had to raise Robby throughout his childhood by herself. She didn't care that Johnny's absence was caused by depression over losing his mother Laura and the fact that he was most upset about Robby never being able to meet his grandmother or even have a single loving grandparent in his life. It is also likely that Sid cut off Johnny financially and kicked him out of his mansion when Laura died so Johnny was fending for himself for the first time.
Shannon tried to be a good mother to Robby when he was young, taking care of him when he came down with mono and broke his wrist after riding a homemade half-pipe. Robby also mentioned his mother taught him to dance. Over the years though, she became a neglectful alcoholic who refused to take responsibility for her son as he became a delinquent.
Season 1[]
Shannon is a social alcoholic due to her near-constant presence at bars and taking various men home with her. She is also possibly unemployed as she mentions that she was at one of these bars to get a job application. When the bartender actually procures an employment form for her, she then declines. Shannon spends far more time bar-hopping and seducing men to get free meals from them, neglecting Robby not only directly, but also by failing to set any positive example. Even when Robby sets aside time to try and bond with her, Shannon leaves to go to happy hour anyway, blatantly stating her fear of being alone and needing a well-off man to take care of her when her son leaves, to the point of bringing men home when Robby is still there. Robby's school has a hard time contacting Shannon when he gets into trouble.
Despite her many flaws, she did choose to raise Robby, unlike Johnny. However, Shannon appears to be at her wit's end with Robby, letting him do whatever he wants, claiming that there are no do-overs in life, and that it was too late for Johnny to try and mend his relationship with his son. She also viewed Johnny's attempts at getting back into his son's life as superficial, surmising that his offer to mend fences with Robby and her is an effort to keep the law off his back about child support.
Season 2[]
Shannon gets a little more development, despite having much less screen time. She abandons Robby to travel with her new boyfriend Rick to Mexico. Robby only finds out when his mother sneaks back into their apartment to grab something, though Shannon insists she will only be gone for a few weeks. Robby starts living with Daniel LaRusso instead due to the poor housing conditions and lack of food. While Shannon was away with Rick, her apartment was taken away by the Los Angeles Police Department, as shown when Johnny tried to see Robby and found the eviction notice.
Shannon eventually returns towards the end of summer in the season's penultimate episode and is seen at the LaRusso House. When Robby arrives, she apologizes to him and explains how her decision to travel out of the country and leave her son behind was a terrible mistake that she greatly regrets. Shannon reveals that she is going to start rehab for her drinking and drug issues. She assures Robby that his father does care about him and admits that she was wrong to let her own problems with Johnny get in the way of how Robby views him. Shannon also tells Robby that he can go stay at his father's apartment.
Season 3[]
In Season 3, Shannon is in rehab. She is present when Daniel and Johnny go looking for Robby, who went on the run after being expelled for injuring Miguel Diaz in a school fight. She tells both Daniel and Johnny that the people are associated with Robby are his troublemaking friends, Trey and Cruz.
Robby visits Shannon in rehab after his 1993 Dodge Caravan was stolen by a goon. He is upset about everything that happened and she reassures him that everything will be okay, giving him a sandwich to eat. Shannon calls Daniel to speak with Robby but the police arrive at the rehab centre to arrest her son, which shocks her. She witnesses Robby get arrested and taken to Sylmar Juvenile Corrections (SJDC), causing her to cry and follow him. Shannon doesn't appear for the rest of the season but is likely still at rehab.
Season 4[]
In Season 4, Shannon hears about Robby being at Cobra Kai and under Terry Silver's influence when he gives Robby a car to take Tory Nichols to prom and wants them going "first-class, all the way." Concerned, she goes to see Johnny at his apartment, meeting his girlfriend Carmen Diaz in the process, to warn him about the situation. Shannon also shows Johnny a large wad of hundred-dollar bills that Silver gave her and reveals he offered her a job "doing God knows what". Since this situation involved Cobra Kai, Shannon asks Johnny to handle it, and he promises that he will.
Season 5[]
Shannon completes rehab this season. She initially plans to take Robby with her to Bainbridge Island for the summer to stay at her parents' cabin. Shannon drops by Johnny's apartment, having been unable to call him since he was busy job hunting, to pick up her son's belongings. Upon observing the cleaned up and redecorated space with new furniture and the lewd artwork removed, she deduces Johnny got Carmen pregnant, recognizing his fear and uncertainty from when she was pregnant with Robby. Johnny reveals he isn't a sensei anymore and wants to be a good provider for his future child. Shannon is supportive of this and advises he get a rideshare gig, connecting Johnny to a Tech Town representative who can set him up with a new phone.
Later while packing her clothes, Shannon receives a call from Johnny, who has changed his mind and wants to take Robby in.
Personality[]
Shannon tends to spend more time hanging out in bars and seducing men rather than with Robby. However, she does love Robby and did spend most of Robby's childhood taking care of him due to Johnny neglecting him. Shannon's relationship with Johnny is strained, due to the latter not being there for Robby and basically forcing her to raise him alone. When Johnny begins to express a desire to mend his relationship with Robby, Shannon doesn't think he is being genuine. Despite her own large flaws, Shannon is more than willing to point out his faults and failings, and views Johnny as someone who ruined her life.
At the start of season 2, she leaves Robby to travel with some man called Rick to Mexico. However, when she returns, she admits to Robby that she made a mistake leaving him and that she is going to rehab to fix her drinking and pill problem. Despite her anger with Johnny, she encourages Robby to have a relationship with him, as she knows that he truly does love Robby.
In season 3, Shannon, who is now in rehab, appears to be more wiser and considerate. She cares about Robby and is friendly with Daniel, but is still at odds with Johnny when he meets her at rehab, though agrees to provide whatever information she can on their son. She tries her best to comfort Robby when he sees her. When Robby is arrested by the police and taken to Sylmar Juvenile Corrections (SJDC), Shannon is deeply saddened and concerned for Robby's well-being and state.
In Season 4, Shannon has improved further. She grows concerned about her son's position at Cobra Kai and being under the influence of Terry Silver. Shannon even attempted to get Robby to listen to her about Silver, but because of Silver's influence, it doesn't work. Unfazed by Silver's charity, she went to Johnny to ask him to take care of this situation, indicating she's making amends with him.
Appearances[]
Season 1[]
- Strike First (Mentioned)
- Cobra Kai Never Dies
- Counterbalance
Season 2[]
- Back in Black
- Fire and Ice (Mentioned)
- The Moment of Truth (Mentioned)
- All In (Voiced)
- Pulpo
- No Mercy (Pictured)
Season 3[]
- Nature Vs. Nurture
- The Good, The Bad, and The Badass (Mentioned)
Season 4[]
Season 5[]
- Molé (Mentioned)
- Downward Spiral
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This is the second time Diora Baird and William Zabka played a couple. The first was in the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine.
- Shannon is a huge fan of Patrick Swayze, whose last name she gave to Robby as his middle name. Robby lives up to the namesake of Swayze when he and Tory danced at prom.
- Shannon has been nicknamed "Shan".
- In season 2, Shannon claimed that her former boyfriend, Rick, would pay the rent for the apartment her and Robby were staying in. However, it looks like he never did, as the apartment was taken away, shown eviction. The reasons behind Rick not paying the rent are unknown.