'Cobra Kai' Season 5 Is Perfect Continuation of 'The Karate Kid Part III' (Review)

Cobra Kai is in an interesting position. After seeing Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) frame John Kreese (Martin Kove) for the attack on Stingray (Paul Waler Hauser) and the Cobra Kai dojo winning the All Valley tournament at the end of Season 4, the fifth season of the Netflix series is all about power. Silver has taken over the valley with multiple Cobra Kai dojos and it's up to Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) to stop him. Cobra Kai has always been consistent when it comes to paying tribute to The Karate Kid films, and Season 5 is no different as it is a continuation of the events after The Karate Kid Part III.

Compared to the first three Karate Kid films, the third was the worst in terms of its Rotten Tomatoes score (15%), and Macchio has said he was disappointed with the film as he believes LaRusso never moved forward. Likely, Macchio isn't disappointed with Cobra Kai Season 5 because Silver has more power and proves to be a more dangerous villain than Kreese. LaRusso does everything he can to take down Silver, but the Cobra Kai leader is three steps ahead of him. One big move Silver makes is bringing in a new sensei named Kim Da-Eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim) who is arguably the strongest fighter in the season. 

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(Photo: Courtesy of Netflix)

For LaRusso, he recruits The Karte Kid Part II villain Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) to help him in his battle of the valley. Johnny Lawerence (William Zabka) is on his own mission as he's looking for Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) who went to Mexico to find his father. He also gets some big news that changes his outlook on everything.

Silver's former student and Karate Kid Part III villain Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) appears in Season 5 which was previously announced. It's safe to say fans won't be disappointed when they see him in the new season. Additionally, there's another cameo appearance that explains a big part of the Cobra Kai story. 

When it comes to the students, Kenny Payne (Dallas Dupree Young) takes a big step in his progression at the Cobra Kai dojo. From where he was at the start of Season 4 to where he is in Season 5, it's clear that Payne is all-in with Cobra Kai and could be the most dangerous fighter in the dojo. 

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(Photo: Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix)

And while we see our share of Samantha (Mary Mouser), Tory (Peyton List), Robby (Tanner Buchannan), Demetri (Gianni DeCenzo) and Hawk (Jacob Bertrand), Anthony LaRusso (Griffin Santopietro) comes into his own in Season 5. He may not be on the same level as the other students in terms of karate, but he has other ways to make an impact in the fight. 

Ultimately, the fifth season of Cobra Kai is about LaRusso vs. Silver and how the events from The Karate Kid Part III affected both of their lives. The film didn't hit the same way as the first two, but Cobra Kai makes up for the loss with its consistent storytelling and non-stop action. It's hard to say that Season 5 of the best of the entire series. But it's easy to say that the new season lives up to expectations and more. 

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