Sony’s new Karate Kid movie will have a major villain challenge due to Cobra Kai. Sony announced a new movie in The Karate Kid franchise in 2021, but the real surprise was the news that it would not directly connect to Netflix’s Cobra Kai. Given the cultural phenomenon that Cobra Kai has become, not linking the new Karate Kid film to it initially seemed counter-intuitive, but makes more sense after the news that Cobra Kai season 6 will be the show's last installment.
Cobra Kai has not just given The Karate Kid franchise a second life, but it has arguably surpassed the level of acclaim the Karate Kid movies themselves initially achieved. As a blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling, Cobra Kai has brought characters both new and old to the Karate Kid universe, including its old villains John Kreese (Martin Kove) and Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). Kreese and Silver's strengths as Cobra Kai's principal villains might also prove to be the new Karate Kid film’s number one challenge to overcome.
Cobra Kai Has Many Great Villains
The returns of Kreese and Silver on Cobra Kai have brought both their harsh training methods and Machiavellian plotting into the show’s story. As Johnny’s (William Zabka) former mentor, Kreese becoming his most sworn enemy has made the conflict of Cobra Kai as intense as it could possibly be. Even more ruthless on Cobra Kai is Terry Silver, who is nothing less than a sociopathic genius, only stopped at last in his and Daniel’s (Ralph Macchio) final showdown in season 5.
Even among the kids of Cobra Kai, the rivalry has produced great antagonists in Robby (Tanner Buchanan) and Tory (Peyton List). Neither is anything like that kind of ruthless villain Kreese or Silver is, but both are driven by their anger at bad circumstances and betrayals, leading them to make bad decisions they later come to regret. With Cobra Kai being as adept at storytelling and interpersonal conflict as it is action, Sony’s new Karate Kid film has its works cut out for it in reaching the same standards.
How The New Karate Kid Can Meet Its Villain Challenge
Depending on the tone of Sony’s Karate Kid 2024 film, a muscled up, gargantuan martial arts villain could be just what it needs to elevate the scale of the franchise’s villainy. The goal of any great martial arts fight scene is to pit the hero or heroine against a worthy opponent to make their triumph feel as hard fought as possible. A Karate Kid villain who towers over the protagonist of the new Karate Kid movie could easily do exactly that, especially if their initial battle ends in defeat for the protagonist and leads them to develop a new strategy for their rematch.
The new Karate Kid movie could also take its cue for Terry Silver’s intellectual villainy, presenting a villain even more clever and meticulous in their planning against their enemies. It has been Terry Silver’s masterful skill at planning and martial arts expertise that has made him such an unforgettable villain on Cobra Kai. A follow-up villain who actually outdoes him in this regard would be the kind of villain the new Karate Kid movie needs to meet Cobra Kai’s villain standards.