Warning: Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 5.
Cobra Kai season 6 may still be far ahead, but the show already has three perfect candidates to win the Sekai Taikai. After two editions of the All Valley Karate Tournament – one in season 1 and the other in season 2 – Cobra Kai is now expanding its universe with the Sekai Taikai, a global tournament set up during season 5 and that will most likely be the main storyline in Cobra Kai season 6. Considering the results of the two All Valley tournaments, plus the character arcs seen during Cobra Kai season 5, it is possible to predict who will win the Sekai Taikai.
Continuing Cobra Kai’s tradition of alternating between tournament-focused and not-tournament-related seasons, Cobra Kai season 5 was mainly about Terry Silver’s expansion plan and it focused on combats that were not fought for points. The stakes for Cobra Kai season 5 were higher than they had ever been, and a lot of it has to do with the lack of a tournament. Cobra Kai’s best moments, such as season 2’s school fight and season 3’s house fight, happened when there was no tournament involved – which creates a challenge for Cobra Kai season 6’s Sekai Taikai.
Cobra Kai has so far seen three characters win the All Valley. Miguel won Cobra Kai season 1’s tournament while Tory and Hawk were the champions in season 4’s All Valley. Now, in order to raise the stakes even further and avoid the show becoming repetitive, Cobra Kai season 6 is heading to a global tournament. It’s difficult to say in what format the Sekai Taikai will be fought, as there will be fighters all over the world representing their dojos. What is known is that most of Cobra Kai’s characters now fight for the same side – Johnny and Daniel’s still unnamed dojo. Based on what has been established in terms of power levels as well as the narrative of the show, Robby, Sam, and Miguel are the most likely candidates to win the Sekai Taikai. Neither Robby nor Sam has ever won the All Valley, while Miguel hasn’t had a significant victory since season 1.
Robby Winning The Sekai Taikai Honors His Character Development
Robby Keene has made it to the All Valley finals two times in a row, yet he lost twice. From a narrative standpoint, Robby was not ready to win in either of those cases. For most of Cobra Kai season 1, the only reason why Robby trained under Daniel LaRusso was to irritate Johnny – who had by then grown close to Miguel. Robby was not sure what he was fighting for, a mistake he committed again during Cobra Kai season 4. Robby trained under John Kreese and Terry Silver for most of Cobra Kai season 4, and while he believed he wasn’t being used by Cobra Kai, his anger towards Daniel and Johnny had become a weapon for Kreese and Silver. Cobra Kai’s season 4 finale hinted at a redemption arc for Robby, which is now concluded following the events of Cobra Kai season 5. Robby has fixed his relationship with everyone around him, which includes Johnny, Daniel, Sam, and Miguel. Therefore, for the first time since the beginning of Cobra Kai, Robby knows what he is fighting for. As such, Robby is a perfect candidate to win the Sekai Taikai.
Sam Winning The Sekai Taikai Pays Off Her Season 5 Arc
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Another main Cobra Kai character who has never won the All Valley, Sam LaRusso was robbed of the title in Cobra Kai season 4 when Terry Silver orchestrated for Tory to win. Sam’s loss at the All Valley had a significant impact on the character, and it even led to her and Miguel breaking up. Sam was not sure what path to follow now that she had lost the All Valley, and it took most of Cobra Kai season 5 for the character to find herself again. Sam’s victory against Cobra Kai in the qualifiers for the Sekai Taikai was a nice conclusion to her season 5 arc, but given how Sam has never won a tournament and is one of the best fighters in the show, a victory in the Sekai Taikai will suit the character well. Also, considering how the entire Karate Kid universe started with a LaRusso winning a tournament in which he was the underdog, having Sam winning the Sekai Taikai would pay homage to the saga’s very first film.
Miguel Winning The Sekai Taikai Makes Cobra Kai Go Full Circle
While Cobra Kai has grown to have an ensemble cast, an argument can be made that Miguel is the show’s main character. However, given the constant addition of new characters into the mix, Miguel hasn’t been given as much focus in the past two Cobra Kai seasons compared to the first three. Cobra Kai is bound to shift the focus back to Miguel at some point, especially if the show is heading toward its final stretch, and there would be no better way to do it than having Miguel win the Sekai Taikai. If Cobra Kai season 6, which has yet to be confirmed by Netflix, ends up being Cobra Kai’s final season, then it would make even more sense for Miguel to win the Sekai Taikai.
The relationship between Johnny and Miguel and how they helped each other become better people is what shaped Cobra Kai. The friends and foes from Daniel LaRusso’s past have since taken over to show, which was a natural progression, but that cannot go on much longer. Having Miguel make it to the Sekai Taikai’s finals and then win would then make Cobra Kai go full circle.
The Sekai Taikai Will Answer Who Cobra Kai’s Strongest Fighter Is
Cobra Kai’s power levels are not very easy to keep track of – something the show itself acknowledges during a funny moment between Robby, Miguel, and Hawk. Johnny Lawrence did a quick recap of all the important tournament matches the trio had fought, and the former Eagle Fang sensei himself admitted that it is currently impossible to define who Cobra Kai’s strongest fighter is. That question cannot be answered by the metrics of Cobra Kai, as every character has had a chance to prove their value, which is why the Sekai Taikai can finally settle Cobra Kai’s power levels debate – at least in terms of the young characters.
There will be no other tournament with higher stakes than the Sekai Taikai, as it will involve competitors from all over the world. Therefore, whoever wins the Sekai Taikai naturally becomes Cobra Kai’s best fighter. All of that considered, how the Sekai Taikai will play out depends on two major factors. One is the format in which the tournament will be fought, and the other is how strong will Cobra Kai be now that all of its students have left the dojo.