Cobra Kai season 5 is already fixing the biggest problem with Miguel’s character in season 4. Throughout the series, Miguel Diaz has been Johnny Lawrence’s star pupil and one of the show’s best teenage fighters. However, the winner of season 1’s All Valley Karate Tournament is hardly the ambitious champion he once was.
Cobra Kai season 4 saw Sam, Tory, Eli, and Robby all embark on difficult journeys to the 2021 All Valley Karate Tournament, as each one had their own reasons for wanting to win it all. Miguel was a part of that too, but he lost sight of that goal over the course of the season and didn’t even see the tournament through to the end. For much of the season, Miguel was plagued by self-doubts, jealousy of Robby, and a lack of motivation. The appeals of Miyagi-do and what Daniel LaRusso stood for worsened these issues, as they made Miguel question Johnny more than ever and take a more passive approach to the characters’ problems. In the end, the Miguel who lost interest in fighting was quite different from the young karate student who made a passionate plea for the tournament not to be canceled in season 3.
The Cobra Kai season 5 trailer promises an end to Miguel’s current phase, which is a step in a positive direction for his character. In the footage, Miguel is shown angrily confronting Robby and declaring that they are “not friends”. The trailer also previews a Robby vs. Miguel showdown in Los Angeles, as well as a fight where Miguel will take on gangsters in Mexico City. The amount of action he’s getting in Cobra Kai season 5 is a sign that the character is in the process of getting back his lost edge, which is a much-needed change in pace for Johnny’s star student.
Miguel’s dispirited demeanor and inability to pick a side in the Johnny vs. Daniel dilemma unfortunately contributed to his character taking a backseat to characters like Robby, Tory, Eli, and Sam, who all got their fair share of memorable season 4 moments. In contrast to the first three seasons, season 4 saw Miguel spend most of his time in a disheartened and disinterested state, whereas season 5 appears to be the story that will give Miguel something to fight about again.
Regardless of whether or not his search for his father ends in a satisfactory way, it appears that whatever happens in Mexico City in Cobra Kai season 5 will provide Miguel with the answers he needs to move forward. If that happens, Miguel can return to the Valley and find a reason to reinsert himself back into the conflict between the show’s warring dojos. As Johnny’s best fighter, he has the potential to be a potent weapon against Terry Silver’s Cobra Kai students in the battles to come.