Who is Miguel’s father on Cobra Kai? Fans suspect that this character, who has long been absent from Miguel’s life, has been set up to return in his son's life in season 4 — providing conflict not only for Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), but also for Johnny (William Zabka). Over the course of Cobra Kai, Johnny and Miguel have grown close, and the sensei has even been sort of a father figure to the teenager. In season 2, Johnny began a romantic relationship with Carmen (Vanessa Rubio). Both of these things could place Johnny at the center of a new storyline if Miguel’s father were to come to town.
Miguel is one of two major characters in the Netflix series to be the subject of various theories in regards to his parentage. Many feel that Miguel or Tory (Peyton List) could be the children of established characters from The Karate Kid trilogy. Before season 3, some thought that Tory’s mother could be Ali Mills (Elizabeth Shue), while others remain convinced that she’s the secret daughter of the show’s main villain, Kreese (Martin Kove). Another theory is that her mother is The Next Karate Kid’s Julie Pierce (Hillary Swank), but so far there really hasn’t been a strong indication that the identity of either of her parents will become relevant to the story.
The situation with Miguel, on the other hand, is quite different. A conversation at the dinner table in Cobra Kai season 1 seemingly set up his dad being a factor in a later story. According to Carmen, she made the decision to leave their home in Ecuador after finding out the truth about his job and what kind of a person he really is. Cobra Kai has yet to follow through on this tease, but it does seem like something the show could explore in season 4. It’s worth noting that Vanessa Rubio has been promoted to series regular. Carmen getting more screen time could mean that the series will finally find an opportunity to explore her past and the identity of her ex-husband.
Mike Barnes
It’s possible that Miguel’s father is Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan), who was the main opponent of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) in The Karate Kid Part III. In the movie, Mike was a professional karate expert hired to beat Daniel in the 1985 All-Valley Karate Tournament. Mike, shown to be a vicious fighter, proved to be more than a sufficient challenge for Daniel and was certainly more skilled than Johnny was during their fight in The Karate Kid. Another difference he had to Johnny was that he didn’t seem to possess any redeemable qualities. William Zabka’s character was a bully, but the end of the movie made it clear that he took issue with the things Kreese was expecting from him. Mike Barnes, however, had no such qualms about violence and took a great deal of pleasure from inflicting harm on people like Miguel. That’s why it would make sense for him not to get the same treatment that Johnny and Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) received if he were to be added in Cobra Kai. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all if the show revealed that Mike continued down his dark path.
It could be that Mike’s activities eventually brought him to Ecuador where he met Carmen. There have been small moments on the show where Miguel’s movements and actions have curiously mirrored Mike’s in The Karate Kid Part III [via Reddit]. Some have speculated that these similarities aren’t coincidences and that Cobra Kai was secretly foreshadowing a big Mike Barnes reveal.
Terry Silver
Another original trilogy character who fits Carmen’s description of a “bad man” is the villain who was behind Mike Barnes in The Karate Kid Part III, Terry Silver (Ian Thomas Griffith). Using his vast financial resources as the head of a nuclear waste company, Terry schemed to humiliate Daniel and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) for the disgrace they brought to his good friend, Kreese. A young version of Terry appeared in the flashbacks that told Kreese’s origin story. Terry promising to repay Kreese for saving his life and Kreese making a mysterious phone call to an old acquaintance in the season 3 finale set the stage for the character’s long-awaited return in season 4. Terry being in Cobra Kai hasn’t been outright confirmed, but it became abundantly clear that this is where the story is going. Terry Silver coming back has caused fans to wonder if the show will also use this opportunity for another surprise twist. Miguel could find out that Kreese’s mysterious ally is really his dad. If Terry were to find this out as well, he could try to make the boy his protégé.
Apparently, Carmen was fooled into thinking her husband was someone he wasn’t, and based on what is known about the manipulative and suave Terry Silver, it’s not hard to imagine him being able to hide his real self from the people in his life, including his wife. It could be that she found out Terry was using his money and position as the CEO of a company for nefarious, criminal activities. Admittedly, there’s a sizable age gap between Terry and Carmen, as he would be around fifteen to twenty years older than her. That being said, it’s not impossible that she had a relationship with a much older man when she was still living in Ecuador.
Miguel’s Father Could Be An Original Cobra Kai Villain
Miguel’s father being either of these two Karate Kid villains is a fun idea, to say the least, but a twist of this nature would also feel highly coincidental. It would make a lot more sense if Miguel’s father was an original Cobra Kai character. Plus, the show could benefit from the addition of a main antagonist that’s not from the Karate Kid films. As for who he might be, it’s possible that he was a member of a drug cartel or a gang in Ecuador. Him being involved in a criminal organization would explain Carmen’s issues with his job, and why she felt it was necessary to escape from his life. It may be that he’s been looking for her ever since. If he’s able to track her down, he could show up in the Valley in Cobra Kai season 4 or season 5. Learning about Miguel’s existence could prompt him to want a relationship with his son, and this would obviously be a big problem for Carmen, who would see him as a threat to their happiness. Another obstacle to him getting close to Miguel is Johnny, who already has a strong influence him. This could cause Miguel’s dad to regard Johnny as an enemy.