Netflix’s Cobra Kai dropped its explosive fourth season last December, and it left fans with a number of major questions. One of those queries revolved around what lies ahead for Sensei Terry Silver, who has now taken control of Cobra Kai. The grinning, ponytail-wearing narcissist will surely continue to be a dangerous opponent for Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso. However, the presence of a newly announced character could spell even bigger trouble for the on-again, off-again karate teaching duo in Season 5.
Cobra Kai is set to introduce a new character named Kim Da-Eun, played by Alicia Hannah-Kim. According to Deadline, Da-Eun is a cunning South Korean sensei who will play a key role in helping Terry Silver expand his chain of dojos. Those are the only details we have on this new face as of right now but, I’d imagine that she’ll also be instrumental in training the students. This means pupils like Tory Nichols and Kenny Payne (who’ll likely play a bigger role now that Dallas Dupree Young is a series regular) could learn a few new tricks this year.
The imminent arrival of Alicia Hannah-Kim’s Kim Da-Eun is further proof of just how much of an impact Thomas Ian Griffith’s Silver has had in only one season. When the returning Karate Kid Part III character entered the show, he seemed to be a changed man. Though John Kreese was quickly able to bring out his darker side, which proved to be even more than Kreese could handle. In the season finale, Terry not only rigged the All-Valley Tournament in his students’ favor but he also framed Kreese for assaulting Raymond a.k.a. Stingray.
Interestingly enough, Season 4’s ending also hinted that Terry Silver intended to “dig up” some old Cobra Kai alums. One might be tempted to assume that he’s referring to Part III’s Mike Barnes and, in the past, actor Sean Kanan even seemed open to his famous villain returning. Yet the show has thrown us some major curveballs before, so Silver could be referring to another veteran character. Whatever the case though, it’s clear that he’s building a braintrust, and it won’t be good for either Miyagi-Do or Eagle Fang.
But Daniel LaRusso is also making moves, though, and made a particularly shrewd choice at the end of the season. It was revealed that he’d recruited his Okinawan enemy-turned-ally Chozen to assist in the battle against Cobra Kai. Based on the Season 5 trailer, the two seem to have no problem “playing with fire” while taking on Silver.
The new pieces are being put in place, and the stakes have never been higher on the karate-centric dramedy. Her brief character description alone has me incredibly curious as to how Kim Da-Eun will shake things up. And when the new season drops, I’d keep a very close eye on her dynamic with Terry Silver because, as this show has taught us, it’s hard for two strong personalities to co-exist.
Cobra Kai Season 5 premieres in its entirety on September 9th, so be sure you have that Netflix subscription in tow. You can also take a look at CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule for more on the small-screen offerings coming your way this throughout the rest of the year.
