| “ | Stay Gold, Ponyboy. Stay Gold. | „ |
| ~ Johnny Cade's last and most famous words. |
Johnny Cade is the deuteragonist of S.E. Hinton's epic 1967 novel The Outsiders, its 1983 film adaptation, and one of the two posthumous overarching protagonists (alongside Dallas Winston) of the 1990 sequel TV series. He is the most kind member of the Greasers and is Ponyboy's best friend.
He was portrayed by Ralph Macchio, who also played Daniel LaRusso in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, the 1986 sequel The Karate Kid Part II, the 1989 sequel The Karate Kid Part III, and the YouTube Red TV series Cobra Kai.
Biography[]
Johnny was a sixteen-year old Greaser who lives with his alcoholic parents on the lower-class east side of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has been beaten up by his father and was ignored by his mother, unless if she was hacked off. Four months before the book was published, Johnny got jumped by the Socs and was severely injured. He got a temple-to-cheek gash by his eyer, caused by the guy with the rings, which he would have for the rest of his life. Ever since that moment, he was extremely jumpy and always brings his switchblade with him.
Appearance[]
Johnny was smaller than the rest, with a slight build. He had big black eyes in a dark tanned face; his hair was jet-black and heavily greased and combed to the side, but it was so long that it fell in shaggy bangs across his forehead. He always had a nervous, suspicious look in his eyes." Johnny reminded Ponyboy of a little puppy that had been kicked too many times.
Personality[]
Johnny is very quiet, not getting in the way of the gang very often. This is a result of constantly being neglected by his mother and beaten by his alcoholic father. He is able to hold his own at a rumble, but distances himself from the running and common conflict of being a greaser as often as he can manage, this being because of the stigma that follows the greasers. He was nearly killed by a group of socs' one night when he was jumped while walking alone. Since that day the gang always made sure that they kept an eye on Johnny, knowing that they would be less vulnerable if they were at least in a group of two. However, this proves not to be the case when Johnny and Ponyboy are jumped one night after they ran away from their neighborhood. While he was in the hospital he mentions to Dallas that he thought that rumbles were pointless and that they don't amount to anything.
Role[]
He is first seen walking with Ponyboy from the movies. On the way to seeing Darry, they are jumped by some Socs and are saved by the rest of the gang. Later he goes to see another movie with Ponyboy and they meet two girls, Sherri Valance (Also known as Cherry), and her friend, Marcia. He stops Dally from sexually harassing them. He later meets the girls boy friends who take the girls away. On the way home they go the park, and fall asleep. Ponyboy wakes up, realizing that it's past his curfew, and rushed home. Johnny stay behind and later Ponyboy returns saying that Darry slapped him. Johnny comforts his friend then five Socs turn up. The same ones that had jumped Johnny during the summer. While they try to drown Ponyboy, Johnny kills one with his switch blade. He is horrified afterwards. He also is shown to care for Ponyboy and the group. Even some children whom he saved from a fire that got him killed. And his last words “Stay Gold” to Ponyboy. This puts Dallas in distraught causing him to rob a store and eventually get shot by the police. Ponyboy and his friends and family (being mostly Greasers) moves on with this situation after a trial at least.