The following contains spoilers for season 6 ofCobra Kai.
TheCobra Kaiseason 6 part 1 finale finally unveiled the teams for the highly anticipatedSekai Taikai tournament. First teased in season 5 as an international karate competition, the Sekai Taikai is being treated as the final destination for Miyagi-do, with Daniel LaRusso even calling it his “karate swan song.” Whether that’s the case or not, there’s little doubt that the Sekai Taikai is the greatest stageCobra Kai’scharacterscould be competing on in the series.
After all, the tournament gathers dojos from all over the world. Rather than just fighting the best fighters in the Valley,Daniel and Johnny’s studentsare fighting at a higher level than ever in season 6 part 2, battling kids from dojos they’ve never even heard of. That creates a huge unknown factor for the show, with Daniel himself originally acknowledging to Johnny that they have no idea what they’re up against. While there is not time in season 6 for every person on every team to get the spotlight, there are still three major teams whose characters get plenty of time on the mat.
Cobra Kai
Senseis: John Kreese & Kim Dae-Eun
Cobra Kaiofficially returned, courtesy of Kreese and Kim Dae-Eun. InCobra Kaiseason 5,the dojo earned a spot in the Sekai Taikai when Kenny beat Hawkin front of the tournament’s executive officers.Cobra Kaiwas shut down, but Terry Silver’s downfall didn’t take it off the board completely. By reaching out to Kim, Silver’s partner in Cobra Kai, Kreese was able to get the dojo back on its feet again, complete with its own roster of students.
Prior toCobra Kaiseason 6 part 1, none were trained by Kreese, but still represent the founding principals of Cobra Kai, given that they’re overseen by Kim Dae-Eun and Kim Sun-Yung, Kreese’s karate mentor. Kreese is the one who has instilled his own particular brand of “fight” in them as they enter the Sekai Taikai.
That said, not all of Kreese’s students are new to him. In addition to Kwon, Kreese has Tory Nichols - who won him the championship in season 4 - back on his side.Tory is his female captain, with Kwon acting as his male captain. Four other students from Kim’s dojo are also on the team to give them the full roster.
What Kind Of Martial Arts Style Does Cobra Kai Teach Exactly?
Cobra Kai features a more violent style of karate that differs from Mr. Miyagi’s teachings, but how does it compare to its real world usage?
Miyagi-Do
Senseis: Johnny Lawrence, Daniel LaRusso, & Chozen Toguchi
…all of Johnny’s students now sport Miyagi-do gis, illustrating the complete dissolution of Eagle Fang Karate.
Following all the speculation regarding how the merging of Eagle Fang Karate and Miyagi-do would affect the name of the dojo, it was finally decided inCobra Kaiseason 6 part 1 that Johnny would simply join Miyagi-do in an official capacity. Ending theories that the two dojos would become “Miyagi-fang,” all of Johnny’s students now sport Miyagi-do gis, illustrating the complete dissolution of Eagle Fang Karate.
As for their Sekai Taikai team, Mike Barnes helped them select a mix of Miyagi-do and former Eagle Fang students, withtheir final roster consisting of Miguel, Robby, Sam, Devon, Demetri, and Hawk. Sam and Robby serve as the female and male captains respectively.Tory was originally going to be on the team, but her beef with Daniel over not being able to finish her fight with Sam drove her back to Kreese, paving the way for Hawk to take her spot.
Kenny likely would have been a member as well, but Devon’s cheating cost him an opportunity to earn his way to the Sekai Taikai. Of course,when Miguel is forced to pull out of the tournament briefly in season 6 part 2, Kenny gets his chance to join the rest of the team in Spain, proving himself to be a great asset to them.The team is rattled by the familiar faces in the tournament and their own insecurities about one another, making it difficult for them to focus during the competition.
All 13 Tournaments In Karate Kid & Cobra Kai (& Who Won)
Here is a timeline of all the karate tournaments from the Karate Kid franchise that have been the source & drivers of many overarching conflicts.
Sensei: Wolf
…the reigning champions.
The only other team of fighters that gets even close to the same spotlight as the two central teams is the Iron Dragons. The team is from Hong Kong with Lewis Tan starring as Sensei Wolf giving commands in both English and Chinese to his students. The team is as aggressive as Cobra Kai and even more skilled. They are said to be the reigning champions.
The main fighters spotlighted are the two team captains.Zara is a social media influencer who pretends to be a girl’s girl on camera, but is determined to take Tory down on the mat. Axel is physically abused by their sensei in order to get him to perform well for the team.He is seen as the perfect fighter by outsiders, but Sam LaRusso is one of the only people to see the truth in how he is treated.
The rest of the team does not get the chance to make a big impression as they often yield in group fights to allow the captains to run the show. Of course, as season 6’s part 2 demonstrates, there’s even more to the Iron Dragons than meets the eye.
Wolf isn’t just a sensei. He is also an underground cage fighter who is not afraid to break the law or take a life. He also happens to only be employed as a sensei for the Iron Dragons becauseTerry Silver bought the dojoand hired him to make the team as bloodthirsty as he is. By making Silver the person behind the Iron Dragons, the series brings all of the major players of the franchise back for the final season.
Zara Malik Is A Standout In Cobra Kai Season 6
Cobra Kai season 6 part 2 introduces Zara Malik of the Iron Dragons, played by Rayna Vallandingham, and she is one to watch.
All Other Sekai Taikai Teams
There Are 16 Karate Teams From Around The World
The last scene of theCobra Kaiseason 6 part 1 finale briefly showed off the other teams, but revealed no specific details about them, aside from their logos and gis. As part 2 demonstrates though, Miyagi-do and Cobra Kai fight a diverse list of karate dojos. As reflected by their names,they represent a variety of countries, including Japan, Ireland, Germany, Italy, and more. These are the other 13 teams participating in the tournament:
While season 6 part 2 does not allow the audience to get to know individual fighters on these other teams, it is worth noting that every single team is portrayed as even more aggressive than Cobra Kai at different points in the tournament. They also all make it clear that they are gunning for Miyagi-do, the only American team in the competition, and the newest team to be added to the tournament. It’s implied that everyone else is a veteran of the tournament.
Though teams from 16 different places compete in the tournament in season 6, there are flags from 20 countries in the tournament’s logo, implying that those 20 countries have competed in the tournament in the past and likely founded the competition. Flags for countries that do not have teams competing in season 6 include Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia, Argentina, Canada, Greece, India, Cuba, Israel, Philippines, and Ukraine.
The Fighting Dragons Did Not Appear
Jackie Chan’s Team Was Unlikely To Participate
One possible addition to the Sekai Taikai that would have been familiar to the franchise is the Fighting Dragons. In the Jackie Chan-led 2010Karate Kidremake, the Fighting Dragons were introduced as a Chinese martial arts team. At the end of the film, Chan’s character, Mr. Han, took over the Fighting Dragons. WithMr. Han soon to meet Daniel in the upcomingKarate Kidmovie, many fans were wondering if the Sekai Taikai could be used to bring them together.
While the international aspect of the tournament made that seem feasible, it shouldn’t be forgotten thatCobra Kaiseason 6 won’t be used to set upThe Karate Kidmovie. Not only that, butthe Fighting Dragons are not karate practitioners. Despite the film’s title, the style of martial arts featured inThe Karate Kidremake was kung fu, not karate. So, because the Sekai Taikai is strictly a karate competition, the Fighting Dragons would have no place inCobra Kaiseason 6.
Cast
Cobra Kai is a sequel series continuing the narrative of the Karate Kid saga, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It focuses on Johnny Lawrence seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.
