Just like the titular Cobra Kai,
the drama never dies. ‘Cobra Kai’ season 5 knows how to keep its fans guessing.
In many ways, the Cobra Kai brand's value is at an all-time high. Terry
Silver infused plenty of capital to give the dojo a modern facelift. Also,
he expanded marketing and began acquiring other dojos to create a karate monopoly in the Valley.
Terry's ultimate goal is to go global after a stellar win at the Sekai Taikai world tournament.
Of course, now that Stingray has altered his statement of events concerning the
assault he suffered at the hands of Terry, the conniving karate master
is now looking at serious time behind bars. Or is he? Terry is, after all,
a wealthy man who likely has connections to the finest lawyers in the Valley. Still,
Cobra Kai is leaderless for the time being as the main dojo sees a mass exodus of karate
students after Terry is revealed as a cheater. However, the other dojos Terry acquired are
still standing. But who will operate them? And could Kim Da-Eun take control of Cobra Kai?
For a moment, it seemed like everything would end with a grand face-off in yet
another tournament. Only this time, the combat would play out on the world stage.
Terry courts the tournament officials to have his dojo accepted as a participant.
The endgame? Terry has his sights set on Cobra Kai achieving global domination,
as his goal is to establish a dojo that will become an empire. To achieve this,
he would need the clout that comes with winning the prestigious Sekai Taikai tournament.
Through a bit of manipulation on Daniel's part, the heroes learn from Kreese exactly
what Terry's ambitions are. Daniel, Johnny, and Chozen interrupt Terry's meetings with
the Sekai Taikai officials in an effort to become participants themselves. The
match-up ends with both dojos securing a win and being granted entry into the tournament.
As this season ends with the takedown of Terry Silver and most of the main Cobra Kai dojo's
membership disbanded, their entrance into the Sekai Taikai tournament hangs in the balance.
However, it's possible that with new leadership in charge, a group
of fresh-faced fighters could rise up to face the challenge. After all, Cobra Kai never dies,
so it's always possible that the dojo could still make an appearance at the global tournament.
"Cobra Kai…” “...never dies."
No one may like John Kreese for the torment he inflicted on those who challenged him,
but he has technically been jailed unjustly and doesn't
belong in prison. He is framed for a crime he didn't commit by his longtime friend,
Terry, the same man who assaults Stingray and nearly beats him into the grave. Stingray makes
amends by explaining to the authorities that Terry was the actual perpetrator
and that his original accusation was made under duress and threat of reprisal. Now
that Stingray's testimony of the incident has changed, will Kreese's sentence be commuted?
Whether this happens or not, Kreese just broke out of prison, which carries its own
set of consequences. If he would've just waited a little longer, he might've got out legally. Now,
Kreese is an escaped convict. Still, he seems to have his eye on a prize. What is that prize
exactly? Freedom? Cobra Kai? Certainly, he can't just waltz into a Cobra Kai dojo and take over
again like nothing ever happened. For one, he'd be reported as a fugitive. Second, no one would
give him the time of day after what Terry has done to the dojo's students and affiliates.
However, Kreese seems to have some tricks up his sleeve. Daniel and Johnny don't do
themselves any favors when they drive a wedge between themselves and the former sensei. Daniel
promises Kreese the use of his lawyer should Kreese reveal Terry's endgame. Kreese lives up
to his part of the bargain, but Daniel doesn't honor his word. Kreese won't make that mistake
again. Everything Kreese does from here on out will likely be illegal and aggressive, given
that he's a wanted man. So just what, exactly, is Kreese planning next? It certainly won't be good!
Season 5 saw the delightful return of Chozen, a former nemesis of Daniel LaRusso. Of course,
now Chozen is an ally and friend, having accepted Daniel's act of mercy when they were young. Chozen
has been brought stateside by Daniel to help thwart Terry Silver's grand schemes. That said,
the Okinawan fighter is a bit overzealous in his role as Daniel's sidekick. It
sometimes gets him in trouble, such as when he attacks Mike Barnes before learning that
Mike is an ex-Cobra Kai fighter who now runs a furniture store. Still, Chozen is a good,
loyal friend to Daniel and even strikes up a friendship with Johnny. In a vulnerable
moment with Johnny, Chozen reveals that he is in love with a woman named Kumiko.
Daniel knows exactly who Kumiko is, as she was Daniel's love interest during the events of "The
Karate Kid Part 2." When Daniel accompanied Mr. Miyagi on a trip to his home in Okinawa,
Daniel met Kumiko and the two became inseparable. The pair even met once again in their adult years.
However, Chozen, having grown up in the same village, apparently always had a fondness for
Kumiko. Daniel encourages Chozen to pursue her, and Chozen does so by leaving her a drunken but
endearing voicemail. Will Chozen find a bit of happiness and connect with Kumiko upon
his eventual return to Okinawa? Let's hope we get to see a happy ending to that story.
"Okay, bye."
Once again, Daniel and Johnny put everything on the line as they prepare their students for
a fight with Cobra Kai. This time, however, the fight's results will determine whether
they would have a place in the global Sekai Taikai tournament. Hawk is chosen as the male fighter and
Sam naturally takes center stage as the female fighter. Hawk loses his bout with Kenny due to
some shady calls from the referee and a brutal but apparently legal strike to his sternum. To
get around the compromised referee, Sam must make each point she scores clear and undeniable.
She succeeds and impresses the Sekai Taikai officials enough to allow her dojo to come aboard.
However, when Daniel and Johnny are asked what the dojo's name is,
they offer up both Miyagi-do and Eagle Fang. They want to recognize that their dojo is a melding of
two opposing philosophies that came together and managed to find common ground. As such,
they've formed a unique mixed style. While the officials acknowledge the legacy of their group,
they still require a single name for entry. However, they didn't need the name right away,
meaning that Johnny and Daniel can get back to them later.
Despite accomplishing their ultimate goal of defeating Terry Silver,
there's no way Daniel and Johnny will pass on the opportunity to compete in the global
arena. So what will their dojo be called? Will they officially adopt Miyagi-Fang,
or will they come up with a new name altogether? Knowing how these two bicker
about absolutely everything, maybe the name might become a point of contention in Season 6.
Kenny Payne may be small, but he quickly proves that size isn't everything. For a time,
he was relentlessly bullied by Anthony LaRusso and his pals. He carries that pain with him into the
next chapter of his life as a karate master. Robby takes Kenny under his wing in Cobra Kai to help
him to master his abilities as a fighter to defend himself. Later, Robby realizes how detrimental
Cobra Kai is to the members and leaves. However, Kenny stays and quickly turns his newfound skills
into a tool for his rage. Then he flips the script and starts bullying others in Season 5.
"Cause you're gonna be in a world of pain.”
Kenny shows his ruthlessness, much of which is rooted in the crowd he now hangs around with,
since many of Cobra Kai's students are also bullies. Robby attempts to talk sense and make
him snap out of it, going to great lengths to show that he cares about Kenny's well-being. Sadly,
Kenny is now just a ball of rage and threatens all those who were once close to him, including Robby.
At the end of the season, when Terry's sins are revealed to Cobra Kai,
Kenny is the first to rip his apparel off in shame and lob it at his fallen leader. Now,
he seems totally lost. Even after Robby approaches him in the aftermath,
Kenny dismisses his former friend as he's not ready to confront everything. Will
Kenny undergo a transformation like many of the former Cobra Kai students? And will he finally
learn how to let go of his anger and forgive Anthony for their past? We can only hope.
Terry's reign of terror leaves plenty of broken pieces to be picked up. One of his victims is the
former Cobra Kai fighter, Mike Barnes. Daniel visits Mike believing that Terry is going to
recruit his former student in his fight against Daniel and Johnny. After a brief misunderstanding,
Daniel learns that Mike has put his karate days behind him and is now a family man who operates
a furniture store. He is living a busy, happy life, away from all the drama. However, during his
conversation with Daniel, he reveals information that could jeopardize Terry's future with Cobra
Kai. In turn, Terry retaliates by having Mike's furniture store burned to the ground.
In the final episodes of the season, Mike is furious over the loss of his business.
He goes to Terry's house to beat him to a bloody pulp. Johnny and Chozen join him,
but it doesn't go the way they envisioned, as Terry has plenty of muscle on standby. Ultimately,
Mike, Johnny, and Chozen survive the bout but with plenty of bruises, cuts,
and blood to show for their efforts. Mike also walks away with one of Terry's valuable paintings.
Hopefully, Mike wasn't merely a means to an end for the writers. The police don't
go into specifics about the crimes Terry is charged with,
but arson should be one of them. In addition, Daniel promises to help Mike get back on his
feet. Perhaps Mike will join Daniel at the dealership. Anything is possible,
and we can only hope that the former bad boy of karate has a better future ahead of him.
Perhaps one of the best things about Season 5 of "Cobra Kai" is that Johnny and Carmen learn that
they are going to have a baby. While at first terrified, Johnny quickly resolves to be a far
better father to the youngster than he was to Robby. He experiences a real transformation in
his life. He researches childproofing his home to make it safer for an infant. Plus,
Johnny shows that he's serious about fatherhood and sets out to make things right between Robby
and Miguel before breaking the news to them. Once he does, they are overjoyed.
This leads to some of the brightest moments of the entire season. It also
gives Johnny a better reason to confront Cobra Kai and ensure that his child grows
up in a community that isn't terrorized by thugs trained by brutal dojos. When Carmen
and Johnny go to the doctor for an ultrasound, Johnny insinuates that the baby will be a boy,
but the doctor says it's too soon to know. Of course, Johnny clarifies
that whether it's a boy or a girl, he's ready for the adventure of being a parent.
Now the only question is: what will they name the baby? In a show that's all about honoring
the legacy of "The Karate Kid" films of the '80s, it'd be a surprise if the writers don't take this
opportunity to include another reference to the history of the franchise. It'd be presumptuous
for us to make any guesses at this stage, but there are plenty of options on the table.