Warning! This post contains spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6, part 1.
Summary
Cobra Kaiseason 5’s ending raised some concerns about season 6’s villains, which have only worsened after the final season’s part 1. Despite being the penultimate season of the Netflix series,Cobra Kaiseason 5 resolved nearly all underlying rivalries. This paved the way for a final season where all main characters would be on Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence’s side, leaving no young characters with antagonistic roles. While it was good to see that the show was redeeming so many of its characters, it was hard not to be worried about howCobra Kaiseason 6 would raise the stakes.
As predicted,Cobra Kaiseason 6 begins with almost allcharacters gathering at the Miyagi Do dojoand training in harmony. Seemingly irredeemable characters like Kyler Park also get a shot at redemption in the season’s opening arc. This approach begins the season on a high note but creates some major villain issues that the season will struggle to overcome in parts 2 and 3.
All Sekai Taikai Teams Competing In Cobra Kai Season 6
Cobra Kai season 6 part 1’s ending finally unveiled the various karate teams that will compete at the international Sekai Taikai tournament.
Cobra Kai Season 6’s New Villains Seem Too One-Dimensional
They Lack The Depth That Made Previous Villains Relatable
To raise the stakes for Johnny, Daniel, Chozen, and their team of fighters,Cobra Kaiseason 6 introduces a new set of antagonists. After losing all the students because of Terry Silver’s mistakes inCobra Kaiseason 5’s ending, Sensei Kim brings together a new set of talented fighters, including Brandon H. Lee’s Kwon, hoping they will help her win the Sekai Taikai. After breaking out of prison inCobra Kaiseason 5, Kreese also joins forces with her and helps her train her students. However,since her new students were not inCobra Kai’s previous seasons, they seem a little too one-dimensional.
Even some of its most ruthless young villains, like Hawk and Tory, had redeemable qualities that often made them even more likable than the main heroes.
From its early seasons,Cobra Kaimade it hard for a viewer to root for one side exclusively. Even some of its most ruthless young villains, like Hawk and Tory, had redeemable qualities that often made them even more likable than the main heroes. The show’s new villains, in contrast, seem way less layered and nuanced and are only being portrayed as worthy rivals for the Miyagi Do students. They are stereotypical bad guys, which makes the show’s overarching conflict less compelling. At the same time, it also underminesCobra Kai’s previous portrayal of well-balanced, morally complex characters.
Every Time Sam Fought Tory In Cobra Kai
Tory and Sam have fought multiple times in Cobra Kai - while Tory has overpowered Sam in some of these showdowns, Sam has dominated her in others.
Cobra Kai Season 6’s New Villains Make It More Like The Original Karate Movies
Cobra Kai Is Back To Portraying A Shallow Conflict Between The Good And The Bad
Ralph Macchio once revealed the reasonwhy it took him so long to reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso after theoriginalKarate Kidmovies. He said that even though he got several opportunities to play the character again,he declined them because they did not give him a solid reason to return to the franchise.Cobra Kai, however, seemed to bring a unique spin to the original movies' overused formula, prompting him to step in Daniel’s shoes again. The firstKarate Kidmovie is considered one of the best martial arts movies ever because of its uplifting underdog story and familial themes.
Cobra Kaistood out and single-handedly revived the franchise because it was never about good (Miyagi Do) vs. bad (Cobra Kai) fighting against one another.
However, subsequent films in the original movie series failed to leave their mark because they kept emulating the first film’s formula by walking audiences through a familiar showdown between good and evil.Cobra Kaistood out and single-handedly revived the franchise because it was never about good (Miyagi Do) vs. bad (Cobra Kai) fighting against one another. From its opening seasons, the series highlighted how young students benefited from bothCobra KaiandMiyagi Do’s philosophies.
Unfortunately,Cobra Kaiseason 6 is not treading the same path as its predecessors. It is, instead, following the original movies' tried-and-tested approach of portraying a typical battle between heroes and villains. Despite this approach, the show is still fun to watch. However, it takes away everything that madeCobra Kaiunique in the beginning.
Tory’s Cobra Kai Return Still Keeps Season 6 Interesting
Tory Is Still One Of The Few Rootable Villains
Fortunately, even thoughCobra Kai’s season 6 initially suggests that Tory was on team Miyagi Do, it flips her script towards the end of episode 5. Despite warming up to Sam in the final season’s opening arc and embracing Miyagi Do and Eagle Fang’s training methods, Tory returns to representingCobra Kai at the Sekai Taikaiafter her mother’s tragic demise. Since Tory has always been one of the most well-written characters in the series since her arrival inCobra Kaiseason 2,this shift in allegiance adds significant emotional depth to the overarching conflict between the two dojos.
Owing to her redeemable qualities, Tory is still worth rooting for even though she has returned to join forces with John Kreese. These qualities will ultimately make her showdowns with Sam in the Sekai Taikai way more compelling than the ones between new villains and old heroes. Given how Tory is the only Cobra Kai team member who has been with the series for over four seasons, her presence adds more emotional heft to the battle between Cobra Kai and Miyagi Do dojos, especially because she had become friends with Sam before leaving Miyagi Do.
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“Peacetime in the Valley”
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“Best of the Best”
The Two Empty Spots In Cobra Kai’s Sekai Taikai Team Can Fix The Villain Problem
Kenny Could Take One Spot
A closer look at John Kreese and Sensei Kim’s Cobra Kai team at the Sekai Taikai suggests they still have two more spots to fill. This means that the team could include a few more familiar characters, which could eventually fix the show’s villain problem. Kenny was on his path to redemption inCobra Kaiseason 6 after he agreed to join the Miyagi Do dojo despite his history with Daniel LaRusso’s son, Anthony. However, after Devon spiked his water with laxatives to land a spot on the Miyagi Do team, he could not help but believe that Anthony plotted against him.
If Kenny, too, returns to representing John Kreese’s dojo in Cobra Kai season 6’s future installments, the show would finally have at least two compelling young villains.
To seek revenge on Daniel LaRusso and the Miyagi Do dojo for doing him dirty,Kenny could team up with John Kreese again. This would make sense because he never had a problem with Kreese’s mentorship. It was Terry Silver’s immoral and unethical methods that made him quit the Cobra Kai dojo. If Kenny, too, returns to representing John Kreese’s dojo inCobra Kaiseason 6’s future installments, the show would finally have at least two compelling young villains.
Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai is a sequel series continuing the narrative of the Karate Kid saga, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It focuses on Johnny Lawrence seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.
