Cobra Kai season 6 left a lot of questions unanswered when it unearthed Mr. Miyagi’s box of secrets, but I think I have a good idea of where all this is headed. In its first batch of episodes, Cobra Kai created a new headache for Daniel LaRusso when it revealed that he didn’t know Mr. Miyagi as well as he thought. Supposedly, Mr. Miyagi was involved in an assault and robbery in 1947, thus muddying the image The Karate Kid movies created for him all those years ago.
Adding to all this was the surprise reveal that Miyagi was a participant in the Sekai Taikai tournament at an unspecified point. What this has to do with the crime he allegedly committed, if anything, isn’t immediately clear. Why Cobra Kai suddenly starting raising mysteries about a highly revered figure in The Karate Kid franchise isn’t altogether obvious either, but there’s clearly a purpose to all this. There are some suspicions that a Mr. Miyagi spinoff is in the cards, but my theory is that it relates more to the threat currently facing Cobra Kai’s characters.
Mr. Miyagi May Have Been Involved With Kim Sun-Yung’s Dojo
Cobra Kai has yet to offer an overt connection between Mr. Miyagi and Kim Sun-Yung, but I’ll be surprised if that has nothing to do with the discoveries Daniel found in his mentor’s box. As Kreese’s mentor and the true founder of the Cobra Kai style, Kim Sun-Yung is essentially the antithesis to Mr. Miyagi. The two would be natural enemies – if they met. There’s no evidence that they have, of course, but it’s not implausible, especially since Kim Sun-Yung did know Sato, Mr. Miyagi’s martial arts rival and childhood friend.
Chozen confirmed that Sato had some sort of history with Kim in Cobra Kai season 5. Whatever it was could also involve Miyagi in some way. That being the case would make a great deal of sense and go a long way toward streamlining season 6’s story. It would give the new accusations against Mr. Miyagi and his role in the Sekai Taikai a proper place in the narrative, in that it would tie in directly with Cobra Kai’s final villains. Plus, it would mean that Cobra Kai and Mr. Miyagi have been tied together since before first Karate Kid movie.
How Kim Sun-Yung Could Explain Cobra Kai’s Mr. Miyagi Mysteries
As for how Kim Sun-Yung could fit into the new Miyagi storyline, it’s possible that the Sekai Taikai is the key. Given Kim Sun-Yung’s age, experience, and reputation, it’s likely that he and his dojo have taken part in the Sekai Taikai before. One of these times could have coincided with Miyagi’s stint at the Sekai Taikai. With the Sekai Taikai’s seemingly loose rules when it comes to violence and Kim’s aggressive tactics, there’s a good chance that these factors contributed to Miyagi’s dislike of tournaments and decision not to share this part of his past with Daniel.
Master Kim could also very well be the reason Miyagi competed in the event in the first place. I think it was curious that Cobra Kai made a point of revealing that Miyagi fled the United States, a detail that was not previously known about the character. Since the Sekai Taikai was primarily held in the East, it stands to reason that Miyagi had to leave in order to compete, so I think he may have entered the Sekai Taikai (in exchange for a way out of the country) and made an alliance with Master Kim that he later regretted.
