There have been theories lingering that Karate Kid Part III’s Snake (Jonathan Avildsen) is Terry Silver’s (Thomas Ian Griffith) son, and this theory means Cobra Kai season 5 must bring him back. Cobra Kai has already had numerous legacy characters return, including John Kreese (Martin Kove), Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita), Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), and Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue), so it's plausible that more characters will at least have a cameo in season 5. With Cobra Kai season 4 having Karate Kid III’s Terry Silver return, it only makes sense for two of his star students, Snake and Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan), to also come back.
Karate Kid III (1989) follows John Kreese and his fellow Vietnam War comrade Terry Silver, who try to gain revenge on Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). Terry hires students Mike Barnes and Snake to harass Daniel to join the All-Valley Karate Tournament, yet Daniel ends up beating Barnes in the last match. Although many fans believe Mike Barnes will return to Cobra Kai season 5, there hasn’t been as much of the same buzz surrounding his friend and fellow bully of Daniel’s, Snake.
Not only should Snake return to help seek revenge on Miyagi-Do, but the possibility that he is Terry Silver’s son would also add a compelling father-son dynamic that Cobra Kai touches on frequently with other characters. Now that John Kreese is no longer the leader of the dojo and Terry is the sole teacher and fighter of Cobra Kai, he will need a little help to keep it at the top. He has already asked Mike and Snake to defeat Daniel and Miyagi-Do in the past, and he very well could again. In Karate Kid III, Snake does just about anything that Terry tells him to do, and because of this, many fans speculate that Snake is his son. Not only do fans theorize this, but many assume it as fact. If this is the case, it would only make sense that Snake would go to extraordinary levels to help his dad and be a part of Cobra Kai again.
The series is known for comedy and good fights, but Cobra Kai also touches on generational trauma and father-son dynamics. Almost every lead character in the show either has a poor relationship with their father, or they don’t know their fathers at all. These relationships are shown within Johnny and his estranged relationship with Robby (Tanner Buchanan), his strained relationship with his own stepfather Sid, and Miguel’s (Xolo Maridueña) non-existent relationship with his biological father. The show touches on this trauma and what these relationships, good or bad, do to one’s psyche and how it affects future relationships down the road. If the group assumption that Snake is Terry Silver’s son is valid, this would add to the significant father-son dynamics in Cobra Kai, and who better to call to help defeat Daniel than his own son?
There are many different characters that fans hope to see return to Cobra Kai season 5. Since Mike Barne’s possible return has already been teased, it only makes sense that Snake needs to return as well. Along with Mike and Terry, they are the only ones who could genuinely defeat Miyagi-Do for good.