Warning: Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 5
Cobra Kai season 5 gives the impression that in spite of what happened in The Karate Kid Part II, Chozen was always a better fighter than Daniel. In the second installment in The Karate Kid trilogy, Daniel succeeded in beating Chozen in a fight to the death. Over 30 years later, Chozen proved his superiority over his former enemy by defeating him in a rematch.
The fight between Daniel and Chozen indicated that the latter is one of the franchise’s best fighters. The way he beat Daniel positioned him above the two-time All Valley champion, Johnny, and even Kreese. Cobra Kai season 5 further showcased his skills by showing him effortlessly beating a handful of karate instructors and defeating Terry Silver in a one-on-one match. All things considered, Chozen made a strong case for being the franchise’s second-best martial artist behind only Mr. Miyagi himself. Clearly, the character has come a long way since losing to Daniel in The Karate Kid Part II. All of his years of martial arts training have paid off immensely.
Originally, there was a sense that Chozen had surpassed Daniel over time, but Cobra Kai season 5 suggests that Chozen was actually a better fighter from the beginning. While having dinner with Silver, Chozen talked about the events of The Karate Kid Part II and admitted that he lost a fight he should have won. Elsewhere in the story, Chozen discussed the personal challenges he had, his struggles with cowardice, and the issues he had in overcoming them. What this indicates is that Chozen’s state of mind – rather than his skill in karate – is what stood in the way of him beating Daniel all those years ago. How he fared against him at other points in the movie support this idea that Chozen lost because he let his inner demons get the best of him.
How Chozen’s Fighting Skills Compare To Other Cobra Kai Characters
Over the course of the series, Chozen has gone up against three returning Karate Kid characters. In addition to being a better fighter than Daniel, he’s also demonstrated that he has what it takes to defeat Silver, who at one point was thought to be the show’s best fighter. He also had a short but interesting fight with Sean Kanan’s Mike Barnes, who held up surprisingly well against The Karate Kid Part II villain, but the fight didn’t last long enough for a clear winner to be revealed. As for Johnny, he didn’t fight Chozen, but since his skills are comparable to Daniel’s, it’s likely that Chozen would emerge victorious if the two were to come to blows.
How good Chozen is at karate is a promising sign for the future of Johnny and Daniel’s dojo. Unless he returns to Japan after Silver’s defeat, there’s a good chance he’ll continue on as their third sensei and possibly serve as an equal partner to them going forward in Cobra Kai season 6. Having someone of his skill around on a long-term basis can only make Johnny and Daniel’s dojo stronger, thus increasing their chances of staying ahead of Cobra Kai and winning the Sekai Taikai.