Warning: Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6 part 1
Summary
AfterCobra Kaiseason 6 part 1, it’s worth wondering if Mr. Miyagi and Kim Sun-Yung came to blows at the Sekai Taikai. In one ofCobra Kaiseason 6’s biggest twists, Daniel LaRusso found a headband that carried the same symbol as the ones that Sam and Robby will don at theupcoming Sekai Taikai tournament. The obvious implication behind this reveal, as noted by Daniel himself, is that Mr. Miyagi himself was a participant in the Sekai Taikai.
Clearly, the revelations surrounding Mr. Miyagi will be a major plot point going forward. For now, there’s so much that Daniel doesn’t understand about his mentor, all because of the box he found at the start of the season. Its contents have raised all sorts of questions, and it would seem - based on theCobra Kaiseason 6 part 1 finale’s big tease -Mr. Miyagi’s connection to the Sekai Taikaicould be the key to unlocking this mystery.
Mr. Miyagi & Kim Sun-Yung May Have Been Enemies At The Sekai Taikai
What happened to Mr. Miyagi when he was at the Sekai Taikai (and why he was competing in the first place) is unclear, but at least part of the answer could relate directly to Kreese’s storyline. As it turns out, the martial arts master who trained John Kreese and Terry Silver is alive and well, making him a real factor in season 6’s story. Partially for that reason,it’s not hard to imagine Kim being tied to the reveals about Mr. Miyagi, especially since he’s arguably the only existing character who could fit into that mystery.Kim Sun-Yung’s agedoes indeed make that scenario a theoretical possibility.
Kim and Mr. Miyagi are close to the same age inThe Karate Kidtimelineand were active in martial arts during the same time period. Mr. Miyagi was born in 1925, and since Kim was old enough to train soldiers during the Vietnam War, it appears that he too was born close to 100 years ago. While the idea of the two meeting each other may come across as unlikely, it’s not unfeasible, especially with the Sekai Taikai, which is said to be “more than a century” old. The Sekai Taikai is a competition that gathers talented fighters from all over the world, and with Kim and Miyagi being renowned for their martial arts skills,it certainly is possible that both were drawn to the same competition in the same year.
Kim Sun-Yung Could Explain Why Mr. Miyagi Kept His Past A Secret From Daniel
Fighting Kim Sun-Yung & His Teammates Coul
If a match with Kim Sun-Yung at the Sekai Taikai inCobra Kaiseason 6 part 2 is a battle that really did happen, that could help explain some key details aboutMr. Miyagi’s secret past, including his decision to keep it a secret from Daniel. In episode 4, Mike Barnes tried to impress upon the kids how challenging the Sekai Taikai will be by saying that people have actually died during the event. Death or extreme violence being part of his reason for not telling Daniel does make sense, considering that there was blood on the headband.
Though the series has shown little of Kim Sun-Yung personally, the violent legacy crafted for him by Turner, Kim Da-Eun, Silver, and Kreese underscore his capacity for brutality.
That aspect of the competition goes hand-in-hand with what’s known about Kreese and Silver’s mentor. In light of that, it could be that proximity to Kim Sun-Yung in the Sekai Taikai scarred Mr. Miyagi in some way. A death that he may have witnessed at Kim’s hands, for instance, could have made him wish to put his participation in the Sekai Taikai behind him. It could be that he even lost a teammate to Master Kim. Though the series has shown little of Kim Sun-Yung personally, the violent legacy crafted for him by Turner, Kim Da-Eun, Silver, and Kreese underscore his capacity for brutality.
A Kim Sun-Yung Twist Would Make Cobra Kai Mr. Miyagi’s Oldest Enemy
Cobra Kai And Miyagi-do’s Dojo War Could Have Started Before 1985
Adding further credence to the theory that Mr. Miyagi and Kim Sun-Yung met at the Sekai Taikai is what such a discovery would mean for the wider story. First of all, a link between them would go a long way toward streamlining the stories. For the time being, Daniel’s search for answers about Mr. Miyagi feels like nothing more than a subplot with no real consequences for the main narrative, but that wouldn’t be the case at all if it is ultimately tied to Kim Sun-Yung. Given that Kim is the leader ofCobra Kaiseason 6’s villains,he could be what makes the Mr. Miyagi mystery relevant.
That direction would fit in perfectly with the conflict that has driven the story since the beginning of the series - Miyagi-do vs. Cobra Kai. In terms of the timeline, that feud actually began in 1985 when Daniel and Mr. Miyagi first attracted the attention of Kreese and Johnny. Butif the series reveals that Mr. Miyagi fought Kim Sun-Yung at the Sekai Taikai during their youths, it would retroactively make Cobra Kai a lifelong enemy of Mr. Miyagi.
Cobra Kaimay have been officially founded by Kreese and Silver, but Kim’s history has proven that the ideas behind it are actually very old. Kim Sun-Yung may not have come up with the name “Cobra Kai,” but as the person who shaped Kreese and Silver’s values and fighting styles, he - in essence - is the true founder of Cobra Kai. If it turns out that Mr Miyagi was in conflict with him before training Daniel, it could mean that Mr. Miyagi’s history with Cobra Kai is deeper and older than Daniel ever imagined.
That being the case would give greater meaning to what’s ahead inCobra Kaiseason 6. If Daniel becomes aware of this and sees Kim Sun-Yung as an old nemesis to Mr. Miyagi, he could recognize that he isn’t just fighting for himself and his students anymore. By beatingKim Sun-Yung and Kreese’s students, he could be continuing - and possibly finishing - a dojo war that dates all the way back to the 1940s.
