Warning: Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 5
Cobra Kai’s decision to include two huge Karate Kid characters in a single season begs the question: who’s left for the series to use in season 6? Thanks to the release of an official photo, it was known at the start of the season that the Netflix series had plans to use at least one character from the original trilogy. A second character appearing was theorized, but came as a massive surprise nonetheless.
Cobra Kai unexpectedly found room for both Mikes Barnes and Jessica Andrews in season 5. After walking away from the Valley in defeat over 30 years, Sean Kanan’s Karate Kid Part III villain returned as the reformed owner of a furniture store. After seemingly wrapping up his story with a single-episode arc, Cobra Kai pulled off another surprise with his character by bringing him back as an ally for the final showdown with Terry Silver and his minions in the season 5 finale. As for Jessica Andrews, who debuted in the same movie as Barnes, she returned to provide some perspective for Amanda who had no way of truly understanding Daniel’s issues with Silver. Making Jessica her cousin gave the show an easy fix for this problem.
In addition to the two main stars, Cobra Kai has gradually found room for an impressive number of legacy characters connected to the original Karate Kid timeline. At this point in the series, it’s used the love interests and main villains of all three films, which severely limits the options for future seasons. At this point, only two characters who hold of any level significance in the franchise are left for the show to use. Played by Hilary Swank, Julie Pierce was Mr. Miyagi’s new student and the main protagonist of The Next Karate Kid. Both Julie and Chad McQueen’s Dutch from the first Karate Kid have yet to appear in any capacity.
How Cobra Kai Can Use Dutch & Julie Pierce In Season 6
It’s not hard to imagine either character fitting into Cobra Kai season 6. Per a season 2 reveal, Dutch is currently serving time in prison, but the show left no timetable on when he gets out, which means he could easily get released and meet up with someone like Johnny or Kreese in a future storyline. Dutch would be an interesting choice for the show because he represents the worst part of the Cobra Kai legacy. Johnny, Bobby, Jimmy, and Tommy all turned their lives around and became good people in the long run, whereas Dutch apparently stayed on the wrong path. Plus, with Silver defeated, it would make sense for Cobra Kai to find new villains for the main characters to fight.
Like Dutch, Julie would certainly be relevant to the story if she showed up in a later episode. With Johnny, Daniel, and Chozen all acting as senseis to the kids, there’s no need for a fourth karate instructor at their dojo, but a cameo from Julie would be fitting, regardless. Her arrival in the Valley could come as a shock to Daniel, especially since it’s unlikely that he has any knowledge of Mr. Miyagi having a second student. Given their respective connections to Pat Morita’s character, a meeting between the two has the potential to be a huge moment for Cobra Kai.