Warning: This article contains spoilers for Cobra Kai season 4.
Cobra Kai season 5 has the potential to encompass three major team-ups, all of which involving characters from The Karate Kid trilogy. It’s possible that each of the three dojo leaders will have their own allies in the episodes to come. If this were to happen, it would be a shift from season 4, which centered on two partnerships.
Kreese (Martin Kove) working alongside The Karate Kid Part III’s Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) to defeat Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) was a plot point that factored heavily into season 4. Though the two villains got what they wanted, their alliance dissolved at the end of the season. Silver’s decision to betray Kreese and frame him for the brutal beating of Stingray (Paul Walter Hauser) secured his takeover of Cobra Kai and positioned him to be the show’s new main antagonist for the foreseeable future.
Silver’s rise and Kreese’s downfall are sure to be integral to what comes next for the Netflix series. These events will no doubt have a tremendous effect on the lives of the main characters, particularly Johnny and Daniel. In fact, they could serve as the catalysts for a new status quo in Cobra Kai season 5. Here’s why separate team-ups could be in store for all three of the show’s dojo leaders.
Chozen & Daniel Are Teaming Up In Cobra Kai Season 5
At least one team-up was confirmed by the events of the Cobra Kai season 4 finale. In the episode’s closing scene, Daniel was seen asking Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) for help in his efforts to stop Cobra Kai. This development signals a major change at Miyagi-do, as it suggests that its students will be taught by both characters in season 5. Daniel turning to Chozen came as a big surprise, but at the same time it also came across as a sensible decision. Despite his actions in The Karate Kid Part II, Chozen understands the principles of Miyagi-do and is well-suited for the role Daniel is giving him. Plus, his knowledge of the secret Miyagi-do move in season 3 shows that he can bring something to the table that Daniel doesn’t already have. There’s no telling what other karate techniques he can teach the kids.
Cobra Kai Hinted At A Mike Barnes & Terry Silver Team-Up
When Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) asked Daniel if any more characters tied to Cobra Kai could return to his life, Daniel didn’t necessarily rule out the possibility. That’s because there’s still one Karate Kid villain who hasn’t entered the picture yet (but still could). Played by Sean Kanan, Mike Barnes was the professional fighter hired by Silver to fight Daniel in the 1985 All Valley Karate Tournament. The prospect of Mike Barnes showing up in the Valley was seemingly hinted at in the season 4 finale when Kreese was arrested by the police. Terry teased that he might call on a friend to help him lead Cobra Kai in Kreese’s absence. This instantly raised speculation about Barnes being the person Silver had in mind. It’s likely that this is exactly the sort of reaction that show was aiming for when it dropped that line. Under the joint leadership of Silver and Barnes, the Cobra Kai students could become even more dangerous and ruthless than ever.
Why Kreese Could Reconcile With Johnny (& Join Eagle Fang)
A third team-up that could form in the show’s future already happened but could be inherently different in Cobra Kai season 5. In spite of all the bad blood that exists between them, there exists a chance that Johnny and Kreese will attempt to put their differences behind them and work together to beat Silver. Kreese finally proved that he still has some humanity left when he took Tory’s side in her dispute over fighting dirty with Silver. In doing so, Kreese took a huge step in his Cobra Kai journey. By speaking on Tory’s behalf, Johnny did what he couldn’t in The Karate Kid and picked his students over winning. This moment of sympathy was triggered by Johnny, who reminded Kreese of the time he forced him to use dirty tactics in the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. As noted by Silver, Kreese making this decision is a sign that after all that’s happened, he still has a soft spot for Johnny.
If Kreese realizes this and tries to reach out to Johnny, he could seek to reestablish their connection. Of course, an obvious obstacle to this is Johnny’s long-standing (well-earned) animosity toward his former mentor. It also didn’t help that Kreese played on Johnny’s sympathies before and tricked him into letting him back into Cobra Kai. Johnny making a huge turnaround and forgiving him could take a few episodes, but it’s at least possible that Kreese can convince him of his sincerity. What may make the difference this time is the fact that Kreese really does seem to care about his students’ best interests now. If he can somehow make Johnny see that, they might lead the Eagle Fang dojo together. Having a common foe in Terry Silver may provide further motivation for Johnny to take this course.
In addition to that, Kreese re-teaming with Johnny may simply be the best option for his character’s future after he gets out of jail. Now that he’s been forced out of Cobra Kai, there isn’t an obvious place for him in the show. Since adding a fourth karate dojo could make the show too crowded, putting him back with Johnny could be what the series ultimately does with him.
The Three Team-Ups Could Define Cobra Kai’s Season 5 Story
If Johnny and Silver really do copy Daniel by seeking their own partners in Cobra Kai season 5, the alliances they make could define the next season’s story. Not unlike the direction taken with season 4, this would allow each dojo’s arc to share the same theme. When Johnny and Daniel were preparing their students for the tournament, Kreese and Silver were busy with the same task. In Cobra Kai season 5, each dojo leader (not just Daniel) may be relying on a partner to assist them in training for a future tournament or whatever their next goal is in the series.
Such a narrative choice would further the competitive nature of the dojos and enable them to keep in pace with each other. With Daniel most assuredly joining forces with Chozen and Silver likely teaming up with Barnes, it’s hard to imagine Eagle Fang being the only dojo in Cobra Kai not to have two leadership figures. The disagreements each pairing could have, the influence they’d have on their students, and their respective relationships with each other could make for some interesting things to watch for when Cobra Kai returns for season 5.