Tory (Peyton List) could have several different paths open to her if she were to leave Terry Silver’s dojo in Cobra Kai season 5. If that were to happen, Tory could become the latest of many Cobra Kai characters to jump ship. Over the course of the series, Robby (Tanner Buchanan), Dimitri (Gianni Decenzo), and Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) have all been students of more than one sensei in the show.
So far, Tory has only been in one dojo. She’s been a part of Cobra Kai ever since she first joined the fold in season 2, back when Johnny (William Zabka) was still in charge. Since Kreese’s takeover, she’s emerged as one of his best and most dependable students. All the training she’s received throughout the series paid off in the Cobra Kai season 4 finale when Tory beat Sam (Mary Mouser) in the final round of the All Valley Karate Tournament’s girls division. However, Tory’s victory was hardly a satisfying one. As it turned out, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) paid off a referee to ensure her win.
Normally, winning the tournament likely would have strengthened her desire to be in the dojo, but finding out the truth has jeopardized her future at Cobra Kai. Considering what she knows, there’s a good chance that Tory won’t be with them for much longer. Similar to what other characters have done after quitting a dojo, she could find herself practicing karate somewhere else or under a different sensei. Here are the options Tory has after Cobra Kai season 4.
Tory Stays At Cobra Kai
Tory has every reason to be angry at Silver, but there’s at least a possibility that she’ll try to stay at Cobra Kai. What she decides to do may depend largely on what she thinks about Kreese’s involvement with Silver’s cheating and what he tells them about Kreese’s incarceration. As demonstrated by the entire plot of The Karate Kid Part III, Silver is good at manipulating others and finding ways of getting them to do what he wants. If he can get Tory to believe that he isn’t responsible for Kreese’s predicament, she may reluctantly remain at the dojo and wait for her true sensei’s return. For her, leaving may feel a knee reaction. The problem though, is that what Silver did may be a bit too much for her to just set it aside and get over it.
Tory Quits Cobra Kai (& Waits For Kreese's Return)
Quitting the dojo feels like the most obvious choice for Tory to make in Cobra Kai season 5. Silver cheating could easily sour her interests in karate and destroy her motivation, thus causing her to take a break from karate for a while. And not only did Silver cheat, but he also ousted Kreese from Cobra Kai and framed him for the brutal beating of Stingray (Paul Walter Hauser). It’s important to note that Kreese – and not Silver or even Johnny – has always been her true mentor. She never had any real loyalty to Silver, and he certainly didn’t improve their relationship when he ordered her to fight dirty against Sam. So while Silver may succeed at manipulating the other students into sticking around even without Kreese on hand, he may be able to do the same with Tory. She got a taste of his true colors in the season 4 finale and may not be interested in giving him another chance.
Tory may only rejoin Cobra Kai if Kreese comes back, removes Silver from his position, and resumes his role as its sole sensei. Silver being defeated does seem like a scenario that will eventually come to pass, but that may be a story that takes an entire season (if not more) to unfold. It’s hard to imagine Cobra Kai leaving Tory in limbo for any length of time.
Tory Joins Miyagi-do
An alternative to Tory not being in a dojo in Cobra Kai season 5 would be for her to be taken in by Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) at Miyagi-do. Across three seasons, she’s had a bitter and violent rivalry with Sam, but their conflict may soon reach a resolution. Tory expressing sympathy for Sam after hurting her shows that she may be willing to move on. If that happens, Cobra Kai would be free to put the two characters on the same side at Miyagi-do and perhaps continue their rivalry in an entirely different fashion. As for what she could learn from them, Tory’s volatile demeanor suggests that she may have not much interest in what Daniel has to offer, but it’s possible that she could benefit much from Chozen’s guidance. Not unlike Tory, The Karate Kid Part II villain was once a reckless and impulsive character. How he managed to control and overcome the issues of his past could be applied to Tory’s training at Miyagi-do.
Robby & Tory Join Eagle Fang
Another theory about Tory’s future postulates that her romantic relationship with Robby will result in her joining Eagle Fang. She was a student of Johnny’s once before and could be once again in season 5. Now that Robby and Johnny are in the process of a reconciliation, the door is finally open for the two to train together under one roof. If the two do work out their problems – and the season 4 finale indicated that they will do just that – Robby won’t have any reason to remain with Cobra Kai. If he leaves, her issues with Silver may make it easy for him to convince Tory to follow him. Having both young fighters on his side could make Johnny’s Eagle Fang Karate the strongest of the three dojos in the Netflix series.
Tory Continues To Be Kreese's Student
Kreese speaking up for Tory and taking her side against Terry Silver in the final round for the tournament was a major character-building moment for him, as well as a testament to the strength of their bond. While Tory may be ready to leave Cobra Kai after season 4, she may not be so quick to turn her back on Kreese, who deserves a tremendous amount of credit for how she’s grown as a fighter. In fact, Tory could be the one person on Kreese’s side when Cobra Kai season 5 kicks off. Once he gets out of jail, Tory could continue on as his student, but at someplace other than Cobra Kai. If Johnny and Kreese repair their partnership, she could join Eagle Fang. Or, Kreese could open up a fourth karate dojo with Tory as his star pupil.