Cobra Kai for life!
No, but seriously, can we talk about how good Cobra Kai is? While it started off as a YouTube Red TV series, it was acquired by Netflix years ago and is now beginning its fifth season after so much anticipation as part of the 2022 TV premiere schedule. It’s had some badass fights, some sick moments, and some truly awesome story that has continued the legacy of the Karate Kid series.
In addition to Karate Kid stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, who reunited for Cobra Kai and have remained on the series since the beginning, with every new season, we usually get to meet some new faces. With Season 5, we not only get new faces, but also one character who's been promoted to a bigger role. While you're surely familiar with the stars of the Netflix series, here are some new and familiar faces who we'll be seeing in Season 5.
Sean Kanan (Mike Barnes)
First up on the list, we have Sean Kanan, who is playing Mike Barnes in Season 5 of Cobra Kai. If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because Mike Barnes was one of the antagonists in Karate Kid III. Last month, Deadline shared some early look photos of Kanan's return to the Karate Kid universe for Season 5.
Since his role as Daniel's fighting opponent in Karate Kid III, Kanan has appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows. Some of his biggest roles on television have been playing A.J. Quartermaine on General Hospital, and Deacon Sharpe on both The Bold and the Beautiful as well as The Young and the Restless, two very popular soap operas. He’s also appeared in a few films as well, such as Sons of Italy, My Trip to the Dark Side and more, but Cobra Kai will mark his return to the famous karate series.
Alicia Hannah-Kim (Kim Da-Eun)
With the Cobra Kai businesses thriving under Silver’s leadership (in a bad way, of course, but still thriving), he’s trying to find more teachers in Cobra Kai. And that’s where new character Kim Da-Eun comes into play. Alicia Hannah-Kim is playing the role, and we are introduced to Kim in Season 5 of Cobra Kai as a new instructor for Cobra Kai, per Deadline.
Hannah-Kim has appeared in shows such as Minx, Alone Together, the medical series Grey’s Anatomy, and Crash, and had small appearances in films like A Nice at the Silent Movie Theater and Heatwave. I can’t wait to see her kick some butt in this new role.
Dallas Dupree-Young (Kenny Payne)
Last but not least, we have Dallas Dupree-Young, who plays Kenny Payne in Cobra Kai. If you can recall from Season 4, Payne was the boy who was getting bullied in Season 4 and decided to join Cobra Kai in order to stand up to his bullies. And according to Deadline, he’s been promoted to a series regular for this season.
Young has done a lot already, in addition to his introduction to Cobra Kai. He’s appeared in TV shows such as The Fosters, The Mayor, The Good Place, Cousins for Life, The Big Show Show and more.
It’s always fun to add on new cast members or upgrade cast members in a show, and Cobra Kai does seem to do that in the best way. I’m eager to see what these characters do next - and how many fights they’ll get in. This Netflix new release is sure to capture all the audience's attention.
