Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead for Cobra Kai Season 6, Episode 10, “Eunjangdo”.I was sure I had already seen all the fights Cobra Kai I could have imagined that, but the final season of the Netflix show took me completely by surprise with its shocking confrontation between two characters I never would have expected to meet on the mat. Cobra Kai The Season 6, Part 2 cast gained a new member that really made me gasp when they showed up, and for more reasons than one. Even though it checked a box for me that I didn’t even know existed, I still have mixed feelings about the scene in question.
THE Karate Kid The show’s sequel wasn’t restricted to fights between its original characters. For every fight between Robbie and Miguel in Cobra Kaithere is also the union of two or more franchise legends trying to settle old scores with their fists. Although almost all of the major players in the Karate Kid films appeared in Cobra Kaithere has been a glaring absence for a long time. While this is understandable, the show finally found a way to include them and pitted them against a very unexpected opponent.
Daniel LaRusso vs. Miyagi is one of Cobra Kai’s biggest surprises
Cobra Kai finally made the bold decision to recast Daniel’s late sensei
Pat Morita’s death in 2005 meant he was never able to reprise the role of Mr. Cobra Kai premiered in 2018. Instead, the show respectfully killed off Morita’s character, but not before providing an off-screen extension of his backstory and revealing that he lived with the LaRussos for a long time. Although Miyagi’s legacy loomed large over the narrative of Cobra Kaithe show, understandably, never showed it. Cobra Kai Season 6 Episode 10, “Eunjangdo,” changes all that, allowing Daniel to fight his late sensei in a mind-bending dream sequence.
With Cobra Kai With season 6 set to end the show for good, it makes sense why the writers would make the decision to include Miyagi now.
With Cobra Kai With season 6 set to end the show for good, it makes sense why the writers would make the decision to include Miyagi now. The show’s obvious lack of supernatural elements means a dream sequence is one of the only ways Miyagi’s franchise return can be achieved. So, it’s not really a big surprise that this is the avenue Cobra Kai would lead to exploring the possibility. However, having him fight Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso is certainly the most unexpected facet of the scene.
Although Daniel’s relationship with Mr. Miyagi wasn’t always perfect in the Karate Kid films, never degraded to the point where they exchanged blows. Instead, Miyagi was also portrayed as a calm man who only resorted to violence in scenarios that required self-defense or protection from another person – and the person he usually saved was Daniel. Seeing a younger, fiercer version of the character is very interesting. The character is simply a figment of Daniel’s unconscious mindbut is informed by the disturbing knowledge that Miyagi killed a man in the Sekai Taikai.
I Don’t Know How I Feel About Cobra Kai’s Pat Morita Miyagi Deepfake
I’m not sure the coolness of Morita’s posthumous return was worth it
Seeing Mr. Miyagi being recast seemed very strange at first, but I quickly discovered that Brian Takahashi was an incredible choice to replace Pat Morita. I fully believed in his performance as a younger version of the iconic personality originated by Morita in 1984. Then Takahashi disappeared and was replaced by a deepfake of Pat Morita himself, and it was then that I found myself caught between two different mindsets.
I saw Morita play roles very similar to Miyagi outside of the franchise after 1994 The Next Karate Kidbut nothing that could be considered part of the Karate Kid/Snake Kai canon. So initially, I was thrilled to see Morita as Mr. Miyagi again, especially since he hadn’t officially played the role in 30 years. While the shot lingered, I was a little uncomfortable seeing Morita’s Miyagi being brought back to life via CGI. I know it’s not an unheard of occurrence in the modern era, but this particular case just didn’t sit well with me.
Not only did the deepfake feel a little cheap the longer it went on, but it also raised the question of why Takahashi was cast in the first place.
Not only did the deepfake feel a little cheap the longer it went on, but it also raised the question of why Takahashi was cast in the first place. The actor did an impressive job, and the shocking return of Morita’s face from beyond the grave hurt Takahashi’s efforts a bit. General, I think Cobra Kai should have committed to using Takahashi or just deepfaked Morita over the course of a much shorter dream sequence. That being said, I generally enjoyed the entire scene.
Mr. Miyagi’s brief return may not be the last we see of Daniel’s late Sensei in Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai’s final season may yet feature a genuine Mr. Strange flashback.
A dream sequence wasn’t the only option Cobra Kai had when it came to how they could achieve Mr. Miyagi’s return. Flashbacks were also a possibility and remain in play when Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 3 will air in February 2025. Cobra Kai included several flashbacks throughout its runso it’s very possible that Mr. Miyagi will appear again before Cobra Kai concludes. However, the “Eunjangdo” dream sequence would be cheapened if something very similar to this happened again.
The potential problem I see arising with a Miyagi flashback is that earlier glimpses into the characters’ prehistoryKarate Kid the past is usually reserved for those who are still alive. For example, Kreese’s time in the army could only be shown because Martin Kove’s character is still alive – even though he’s played by Barrett Carnahan in the flashbacks. However, the advantage of suspending this rule would be that Cobra Kai would be able to bring Brian Takahashi back for a slightly more substantial appearance as Mr.
Cobra Kai has done flashbacks before, so it’s possible to see what happened on the mat in Miyagi’s fatal fight, which would mean the return of Brian Takahashi’s version of the character.