Warning: SPOILERS for Cobra Kai Season 5At the end of Cobra Kai season 5, feuds between the teenage students of Miyagi-Do, Eagle Fang, and Cobra Kai were settled but thankfully, one rivalry is still happening. Before they all teamed up to take down Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffth), Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser) and Tory Nichols (Peyton List) buried the hatchet while Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) and Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan) made peace, at last. Robby also put out an olive branch to his ex-protege, Kenny Payne (Dallas Dupree Young), but Kenny still has beef with his former bully, Anthony LaRusso (Griffin Santopietro).
Nothing was settled between Anthony and Kenny, which is a valuable story for Cobra Kai season 6 to continue. Kenny still hasn't forgiven Anthony for his abusive bullying in Cobra Kai season 4, and that anger is what has driven Payne to excel at learning the Way of the Fist. Meanwhile, Anthony turned over a new leaf in Cobra Kai season 5 after he felt Kenny's rage in the season 4 finale. The youngest LaRusso even confessed how he bullied Kenny to Sam, and Anthony has decided to finally start taking learning Miyagi-Do seriously. For his part, Kenny has to work out his epic disappointment after learning that his sensei, Terry Silver, is a liar and a criminal. But Kenny's Cobra Kai season 5 story mostly centered around his broken friendship with Robby, and he's made no strides toward forgiving his former bully, Anthony. This creative choice means that Anthony vs. Kenny will still come to a head in Cobra Kai season 6, keeping the show's central theme of teenage karate rivalries alive.
Anthony Bullying Kenny Was A Great Reversal Of The Karate Kid
Kenny's introduction in Cobra Kai season 4 not only opened the door to a younger generation of teenage characters, but it was also an ingenious reversal of The Karate Kid's core story. Kenny was the newcomer to the Valley who didn't have a father figure present, and he was relentlessly bullied by Anthony and his friends. It cleverly made a LaRusso the obvious bad guy, which was a meta nod to the fan theory that Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) was the real villain in The Karate Kid.
The cruelty Anthony heaped on Kenny was appalling. LaRusso and his cohorts catfished Kenny in his favorite online video game, ambushed him in the park, and humiliated him by planting gallons of milk in Kenny's locker that left Payne soaked to the bone. Kenny turned to Cobra Kai to give him the confidence and skills to fight his bullies, and the Way of the First worked its magic. Kenny quickly became proficient in Cobra Kai, and he fearsomely turned the tables on Anthony. Let Kenny remains sympathetic because his anger at Anthony is justified.
Will Anthony Learn Karate In Cobra Kai Season 6?
In Cobra Kai season 5, Kenny rose to become one of Cobra Kai's top fighters, but Anthony's karate skills are still remedial. With nothing between Kenny and Anthony settled even after Terry Silver was hauled off by the police, it puts LaRusso at a huge disadvantage. Anthony and Kenny are also now freshmen at West Valley High and there's bound to be a flare-up when they run into each other at school.
The question is whether Anthony will devote himself to learning Miyagi-Do to defend himself against Kenny. A big difference between Miguel vs. Robby and Sam vs. Tory is that Kenny is so much more advanced at karate, which makes his rivalry with Anthony completely one-sided. After all, Anthony can't rely on his big sister to protect him and fight his battles for him. It remains to be seen if Cobra Kai season 6 will settle Kenny's rivalry with Anthony or if it will be the one teen feud that continues to run hot.
Cobra Kai Season 5 is streaming on Netflix.