Summary
- Kreese's prison escape puts a target on his back, raising questions about his future in Cobra Kai and how he can avoid being on the run all season.
- Kim Dae-Eun's admiration for Kreese and possible alliance with him foreshadows a team-up in Cobra Kai season 6, especially considering her role as a big part of the next arc.
- The possibility of Kim and Kreese co-leading Cobra Kai in another country, such as South Korea or Japan, can elevate Kreese back to the role of main villain and set up the final karate tournament of the series.
A Cobra Kai theory reveals where Kreese fits into the Sekai Taikai plot, and how he can avoid going back to prison in season 6. With Terry Silver's downfall looking imminent, Cobra Kai seemed to have an easy way of bringing Kreese back into the main narrative.
It's for that reason that it was so surprising that Kreese's season 5 story ended with the villain meticulously planning - and successfully pulling off - a prison break.
Had Kreese stayed put, there's a good chance he would have been exonerated and free to do as he pleases in Cobra Kai season 6. But Kreese, unaware that Silver's crimes were about to be exposed, escaped from prison and subsequently put a target on his back.
His decision naturally raised several questions about how his story will work going forward. After all, it's hard to imagine Kreese becoming ingrained in the narrative if he's on the run all season. For now, he's in no position to lead a dojo. However, one theory accounts for how Kreese avoids this problem and makes a major impact on the final chapter.
Cobra Kai Season 5 Already Hinted At Kreese's Next Team-Up
When looking at what Kreese's future is in Cobra Kai, it's important to consider that the show has already teased a potential ally for the character. In the same episode where Kim Dae-Eun was brought into the picture, it was strongly implied that Kim would be open - perhaps even eager - for an alliance with Kreese.
The first thing she wanted to know upon meeting Silver was where Kreese was. When Silver mentioned Kreese's "legal troubles," Kim called the news "disappointing." Clearly, Kim came to the Valley expecting to build up Cobra Kai alongside Kreese.
It was clear from the start that Silver was never a fitting or ideal partner for Kim. She pointed out right away that she wasn't impressed with Silver's "extravagance," which was a key part of his strategy and style. First and foremost, Silver was a businessman, which heavily influenced his handling of the dojo. Whereas Kim, by her own admission, isn't interested in money.
She was motivated by honor and a desire to give recognition to her grandfather's teachings. These goals align her more closely with Kreese, who is less business-oriented than Silver and more focused on the warrior side of things - like Kim.
What's more, a Cobra Kai season 5 flashback supported the notion that Kim holds some level of admiration for Kreese. A young Kreese was seen winking at KIm when she was a child during an episode 7 scene.
The inclusion of this scene is interesting, considering that the present-day versions of Kreese and Kim share no screen-time in season 5. It could be that the point of this, and Kim's earlier exchange with Silver, was to foreshadow a team-up with Kreese in Cobra Kai season 6.
Why Kim Dae-Eun Is Likely To Be Very Important To Cobra Kai Season 6
Kim's fondness for Kreese and possible interest in joining forces with him are particularly significant when taking into consideration what her own role will likely be in Cobra Kai season 6. C.S. Lee has been cast as Kim Sun-Yung, which all but confirms that Kim Dae-Eun will be a big part of the next arc. As Kim Sun-Yung's granddaughter, she represents his legacy.
Lee is 52 years old, indicating that his scenes will be set in the past. If his history as the founder of the Cobra Kai style is still relevant to the overarching narrative, then it's all the more likely the person trying to keep his teachings alive will maintain a major presence on the show. In fact, the flashbacks that include him may even be Kim's.
Kreese & Kim Can Co-Lead Cobra Kai (In Another Country)
If Kim has students of her own in South Korea or acquires some during a time skip, she can work together with Kreese to get them properly trained. Potentially, Kim and Kreese could as act as co-heads of a dojo, which, as noted above, may have been what Kim wanted from the start. As for what the dojo may be, it could be an international, reinvented version of Cobra Kai.
That would be a sensible move for Kim, especially since the Sekai Taikai executives already granted Cobra Kai a spot in the tournament. Unless his cheating in the exhibition match is found out as well, Silver's arrest shouldn't affect Kim's ability to participate in the Sekai Taikai.
Kim could use it as a ticket for both her and Kreese to oversee a group of students in the Sekai Taikai. If Kreese is indeed in charge of preparing teenagers for the fights to come in Cobra Kai season 6, the series will have a way to elevate Kreese back to the role of its main villain.
With Kreese's ruthless tactics and skills, he does have an opportunity to turn his next students into real tournament contenders if given enough time.
Kreese taking this route and making Cobra Kai the biggest concern for Daniel and Johnny's dojo would be an appropriate way to set up Cobra Kai's final karate tournament, and in turn, the end of the series.
