Warning: Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6 part 1

Summary

• Daniel’s belief that Terry Silver won’t return in Cobra Kai is flawed; history proves he can still be a threat.
• Terry Silver’s wealth and past tactics suggest he could build a new team to compete at the Sekai Taikai tournament.
• Silver’s obsession with winning the Sekai Taikai in season 5 makes his return in Cobra Kai season 6 likely to provide closure.

What happened in The Karate Kid Part III proves Daniel LaRusso is wrong about Terry Silver’s potential to return in Cobra Kai. Ever since Cobra Kai season 5 ended, there’s been speculation as to whether The Karate Kid sequel series is really done with Thomas Ian Griffith’s character. The first five episodes of the final season didn’t answer this question, but addressed the possibility of the villain eventually coming back into the picture via a conversation between Amanda and Daniel in the season premiere.

Despite his defeat, Terry Silver’s return never seemed unfeasible. After all, only his arrest was shown and there was no way of knowing if he’d actually be convicted. Amanda put voice to those suspicions in the episode when she pointed out that he could get the charges dropped. But according to Daniel, Terry Silver probably won’t be a problem even if that does happen. The way Daniel sees it, “no one will ever fight for that guy again.” But while he’s right that Silver has lost the loyalty of his students, that’s not to say he has no path back to the series.

Karate Kid Part III Proves Daniel Is Wrong About Terry Silver’s Chances Of Returning

Daniel’s Logic About Terry Silver Returning Is Extremely Flawed

Not only could Terry Silver get out of going to prison just as Amanda says, but he could also overcome the obstacle that Daniel mentioned as well. Daniel has a point about Silver losing all of his students, but his history in the franchise offer evidence that he certainly can become a threat again. In The Karate Kid Part III, Mike Barnes fought for Cobra Kai in the All Valley Karate Tournament simply because his services were paid for by Silver. In other words, loyalty is hardly an issue for Silver; he can buy the allies he needs.

In Cobra Kai seasons 4 and 5, his wealth was used as a recruitment tool, but only in an indirect way. Students were lured to Cobra Kai by its superior facilities and resources, which came courtesy of Silver’s money. However, he didn’t pay people to fight for him like he did with Mike Barnes in The Karate Kid Part III. But now that he’s lost all of his students, he may feel that falling back on this old tactic is his only way of achieving his goals at this point.

Obviously, it would take a long time to build up a whole new roster of inexperienced kids until they’re on the same level as the students in Johnny and Danie’s dojo. Such a move would amount to a shortcut, which is perfectly in line with his tendencies in the franchise. In addition to hiring – rather than training – a fighter for the All Valley in The Karate Kid Part III, Silver paid off referees to get wins for his students in season 4 and season 5. This goes to show that even now, Silver isn’t above using shortcuts to reach a victory.

One Of The Sekai Taikai Teams Could Be Lead By Terry Silver

The same method that he used to get Mike Barnes on his side could be replicated – and magnified – to make him a factor at the Sekai Taikai tournament. If his lawyers do indeed put an end to his legal troubles, he can see about finding a way to compete in the Sekai Taikai. If he can recruit fighters of a similar caliber as Barnes in The Karate Kid Part III, he should be able to put together a formidable team of six who could pose problems for both Miyagi-do and Kreese’s group.

As for how Terry Silver can enter the Sekai Taikai, that issue would need to be addressed at length if the series does go down this road in Cobra Kai’s remaining episodes. Silver and Kim attained a spot for Cobra Kai in the Sekai Taikai, but episode 5’s ending indicated that Kim used it for her own dojo. That could prevent Silver from entering a separate dojo into the tournament, but it’s important to note that as an original co-owner of Cobra Kai, he has a strong claim on the name that theoretically could have posed challenges to Kim and Kreese.

It’s possible that the complexities regarding who owns Cobra Kai will be dealt with in the next batch of episodes, which are likely to shed light on what went on during the big time skip. During the months that passed between the selection of the team captains and the start of the tournament, much could have transpired, including Silver and Kreese working out a deal with the Sekai Taikai committee so that both can have their dojos enter the Sekai Taikai tournament.

A storyline where Terry Silver builds his own Sekai Taikai team could also explain where Kenny fits into the picture. As important as he’s been as of late, it’s hard to imagine Kenny not being a factor in the tournament in any form. He’s now unable to fight on Miyagi-do’s behalf, but could realign himself with Terry Silver, especially since the two did seem to have a bond. Kenny was disillusioned with Silver at the end of season 5, but a desire to compete in the Sekai Taikai could help him look past that, and in turn, give Silver his male team captain.

Terry Silver Returning For The Sekai Taikai Would Honor His Season 5 Story

By having Terry Silver get involved in the Sekai Taikai, Cobra Kai can provide a meaningful conclusion to his arc in the series. As Kreese explained, Silver’s top priority from the very beginning was to win the Sekai Taikai. It’s something he was working toward ever since the 1980s when he and Kreese were still under the wing of Kim Sun-Yung. Finally, Silver scored a chance to compete in it in season 5, with his efforts being what set up the entire story for the show’s final chapter. To not have Silver be a part of that would be to ignore his importance to the narrative.

None of the characters in the series would be participating in the Sekai Taikai if it wasn’t for Terry Silver’s obsession with winning the competition. Given how important it is to him and his desire to leave a legacy for himself, it would be a service to his character (and season 5 as a whole) for Terry Silver to return in Cobra Kai season 6 to finish what he started. After all the extreme methods he’s already used, Silver letting his defeat in season 5 stop him from accomplishing his ultimate goal feels quite unlikely.