Miguel's father has been teased throughout both seasons of Cobra Kai and, based on the information, it could be setting up the reveal that it's The Karate Kid Part III's main villain. Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) burst onto screens in 1984's The Karate Kid and quickly solidified his place as one of cinema's greatest underdog champions. Written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen, Daniel-san was trained by Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) and crane-kicked his way to victory at the 1984 All-Valley Karate Championships. In the process, he defeated each of those who had tormented him since arriving in town. The film spawned two direct sequels, as well as a belated spinoff starring Hilary Swank.

The saga has enjoyed a mainstream resurgence in recent years thanks to Cobra Kai. First debuting on YouTube in 2018, it eventually jumped to Netflix ahead of an already-confirmed third season. With each of the aforementioned films deemed canon, Cobra Kai has brought the established conflicts to the present day. Down on his luck and borderline alcoholic, former student Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) decided to reopen the Cobra Kai dojo. Though initially only having one student named Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), it eventually found success among Miguel's peers when he successfully took down a gang of bullies. Johnny's decision immediately drew the ire of Daniel, who established his own karate dojo to rival them and thus reignited their feud.

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Throughout Cobra Kai season 1 and 2, that conflict has spread to their respective students. Including even Daniel's own daughter, Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser), many battles have emerged between the dojos of Cobra Kai and Miyagi-do. The various tensions ultimately came to a head in the Cobra Kai season 2 finale, when a sprawling fight broke out between everyone on the first day of school. The show has also seen the return of some familiar faces, such as the villainous Cobra Kai founder, John Kreese. Fueling and exploiting the animosity, Kreese ultimately reclaimed control over Cobra Kai and many of Johnny's students. However, there have been subtle teases of another familiar villain potentially waiting in the wings - and that he may already have an extremely familial connection to Miguel.

What Cobra Kai Has Revealed So Far About Miguel's Father

Vanessa Rubio as Carmen Diaz Cobra Kai

In Cobra Kai season 1, episode 8, "Molting", Johnny is invited to have dinner at Miguel's house. While he's there, Miguel left to take a phone call from Sam and Johnny learned more about Miguel's family history from his mother, Carmen (Vanessa Rubio). Johnny was informed that she had gotten married at 18 and pregnant not long after. During those nine months, however, she "learned the truth about my husband's job". Though Miguel's grandmother opted for some harsher words, Carmen merely stated that "he was a very bad man and that she had to get far away from him."

She never revealed anything about the nature of his work. However, it was heinous enough to prompt an escape to America. Carmen also revealed that, since then, they have had to move around a lot. The implication was clear that Miguel's mysterious father had continuously searched for and pursued them. In Cobra Kai season 2, episode 5, "All In", Carmen reiterated that Miguel's father was a very bad person. After consoling Johnny and learning about his history with Daniel, she revealed that her ex-husband had many enemies. As she encouraged Johnny to be the bigger man and rise above the rivalry, she clearly suggested that Miguel's father had been very much the opposite and allowed anger to consume him. "The toll it's going to take on you, Johnny, it's not worth it. These things don't end well, trust me. I've seen it with my own eyes." Like Chekhov's gun, it would be a waste for these teases to not build to something (or someone) as substantial as Terry Silver.

How Karate Kid 3's Terry Silver Could Be Miguel's Father

Terry Silver in The Karate Kid Part III

Played by Thomas Ian Griffith, Terry Silver debuted in The Karate Kid Part III. An old friend and war comrade of Kreese, Silver vowed revenge against Daniel and Mr. Miyagi on his behalf. Part of that was recruiting Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) to antagonize Daniel and then brutally defeat him at the 1985 All-Valley Karate Championships. The move resulted in Cobra Kai's lifetime tournament ban. A deeper level of his plan, however, was to pose as a friend and manipulate Daniel into undertaking harsher and more violent forms of training.

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The extent to which Terry Silver went to in formulating this ruse was nothing short of pathological. He went above and beyond in choosing everything from the right clothes to the perfect car, all to make him seem poor, humble, and relatable. Such methods lined up with how Carmen described her ex-husband — who developed and maintained such a convincing ruse that she didn't see through the facade until after they were married. Terry was also depicted as something akin to John Kreese's rebellious younger brother. Based on that, and the actor's age, he would have only been in his forties when Miguel was conceived. Additionally, he's the exact kind of rich and sleazy individual to have married an impressionable 18-year-old.

Furthermore, Terry Silver wasn't merely a local villain like John Kreese and the others. As the head of DynaTox Industries, Silver had the kind of fortune, connections, and reach that would make even some Bond villains weep with envy. In The Karate Kid Part III, it was shown that Silver had business interests all over the world. More often than not, these interests were corrupt in nature. He arranged for toxic material to be dumped in Borneo. He had his assistant transcribing threats aimed at separate rivals. He even organized bribes of judges, district attorneys, and grand juries. As such, Terry Silver having frequently ventured to Ecuador and crossed paths with Carmen would be easily explained. Similarly, he's already demonstrated the kind of commitment and patience needed to pursue her under the aforementioned false pretenses.

Though Terry Silver was defeated in The Karate Kid Part III, there has been nothing to suggest it would have damaged his wider business ventures. In Cobra Kai season 2, episode 4, "The Moment of Truth", John Kreese even mentioned that an old war buddy had offered him a job after the fall of the dojo. Therefore, it stands to reason that DynaTox Industries has probably grown and evolved over the decades - in terms of scope and corruption. With these means, it would be easy for Terry Silver to continue an extended search of Carmen after she fled. Just as likely, Silver's means and connections would no doubt yield frequent success, explaining why Miguel and his family had to move so often.

What Terry Silver As Miguel's Father Would Mean For Cobra Kai's Future

cobra kai johnny

Cobra Kai has become very much a generational story, told through fathers and their children. Some of those dynamics have been biological, whereas others have been surrogate relationships. The latter was seen through Daniel LaRusso taking in Johnny's son, Robby. Most notably, it has been demonstrated through Johnny and Miguel. Johnny's training and guidance of his teenage neighbor have simultaneously furthered his redemption arc. Along the way, Johnny has learned lessons and developed skills that have enabled him to be a better man and a worthier father figure. That development will be severely tested by the events of the Cobra Kai season 2 finale and will continue throughout Cobra Kai season 3. However, Johnny will no doubt overcome and eventually defeat John Kreese in the end. In the process, he will have defeated the demons of his past that have continued to haunt him.

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In the wake of that, both Johnny and Daniel would need a new antagonist to face down (individually and potentially together). Terry Silver would be a perfect fit on that front. He already has a history with Daniel. By revealing Terry Silver to be Miguel's father, it would immediately provide a more broadly personal villain than Kreese embodied. As well as produce more tension than if Silver was the father of someone similarly villainous as Tory. Also, it would generate stakes and thematic resonance for Johnny. After all, what better way for Johnny to prove he's a genuinely decent surrogate father to Miguel than by facing down his corrupt, biological one? Terry Silver's arrival could also give Miguel some interesting conflicts, especially since he's previously demonstrated some similar traits to Silver. Equally, Miguel will likely be bitter and resentful following his injury, making him more prone to Silver's brand of manipulation. Plus it would open doors for such characters as Robby, especially if he returns to a life of crime and the kind of thuggish associates that Silver often utilized as minions.

Of course, it would be a tad contrived: another familial connection and Miguel's family having settled in a town tied to the man they are running from. That being said, they would have no way of knowing that, with Terry Silver's name only being spoken once, outside of their presence. Equally, that, in itself, could form part of the story — with Terry's resources influencing where they ended up. After all, one way to stop them running is to let them think they are free and clear. Meanwhile, watching from a distance and, in true Cobra Kai fashion, waiting for the right time to strike. Such methods would very much fall within Terry Silver's wheelhouse. The aforementioned defeat of John Kreese could even serve as what could finally prompt him to emerge from the shadows. It would mirror the events of The Karate Kid Part III while also adding fresh, emotional dimensions to the proceedings.

Whatever the case, one of Cobra Kai's creators, Hayden Schlossberg, expressed on Twitter that Terry Silver was his favorite character from the Karate Kid franchise. Therefore, the likelihood is high that they would want the character to return in one form or another. No doubt having that hope from the start, it's just as likely that they would have weaved him into their extensively planned out narrative and planted seeds for that potential return. All of which would culminate in an impactful reveal and a clash with a myriad of emotional stakes, a format that the show has frequently followed. Whether or not the reveal will come in Cobra Kai season 3 or later on, however, will probably have to remain unknown until the episodes are finally released.

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