What [SPOILER]His death could spell for the finale

Key recommendations

• Cobra Kai Season 6 features a tournament-level brawl at the Sekai Taikai, leading to the tragic death of a character.
• Sekai Taikai's cancellation could serve as a reset for Cobra Kai, focusing on the character's reflections.
• Kwon's death could tie into Miyagi's past, potentially revealing more about his karate philosophy.

If it's a thing Cobra Kai love, it's a karate fight. Season 2 culminated in a school-wide brawl that resulted in Miguel being seriously injured. In Season 3, the Cobra Kai students descended on the Lawrusso residence, and Eli stepped up and defended Demetri. Season 5 featured an amazing reunion of all of Daniel's former rivals as they team up to take on Terry Silver and his team of evil senseis. Cobra Kai uses these fun and rewatchable not only to introduce the action, but also to mark the turning points in the series. Season 6 Part 2 introduced the biggest feud of all, with a tournament-level battle breaking out at the Sekai Taikai. Its tragic ending, resulting in the death of a character, is the most important ending of any of these battles.

Cobra Kaiin true sports anime fashion, it revolves entirely around karate, from teenage rivalries to tournaments to teaching philosophies for the soul of the entire San Fernando Valley. Daniel's wife Amanda has pointed out throughout the series how things have gone too far with the karate wars. In the past, feelings were hurt, homes were destroyed and bones were broken. However, Kwon Jae-Sung, the hot star of the newly revived Cobra Kai dojo, is the series' first karate victim.

During the chaos of the Sekai Taikai brawl, Kwon finds John Kreese's eunjangdo. He tries to use it to fight Axel Kovačević, one of the captains of the ferocious Iron Dragons, but ends up fatally stabbing himself instead. With Kwon's life interrupted, now more than ever, his characters Cobra Kai they will have to reevaluate how they see karate, as well as each other.

Sekai Takai may be cancelled

Tensions were high during the match between Axel and Robby. Axel, frustrated with Robby's defense strategy, asked him if he was going to fight and pushed him to where some of the Cobra Kai fighters were. Kwon elbowed Robby in the side, causing Miguel to defend him. Axel, who had a crush on Sam, jumped in, eager for a chance to fight Miguel. Sekai Takai host Gunther Braun was about to stop the fight when he was knocked out by Tiger Strike's Sensei Ivanov.

Team Tiger Strike was disqualified for doping and returned to seek revenge. With Gunter out, no one could stop the ensuing chaos. Students fought with students. Senseis fought senseis. Kwon went to attack Axel, but ended up plunging the knife into his own body, resulting in his death. Gunther woke up just in time to see what had happened and ask for the cameras to be turned off.

While this season revealed that the odd death can happen during these tournaments, there's a chance there's never been one televised before. Furthermore, the lack of sportsmanship during an international tournament that is meant to celebrate the skills of competitors from around the world would undoubtedly lead to families and news outlets questioning the ethics of the Sekai Taikai.

While it may seem anti-climactic, the cancellation of Sekai Taikai could serve as a reset for Cobra Kai. Instead of the competition, the remaining episodes could focus on the characters saying their goodbyes and reflecting on what learning karate meant to them. It was never about trophies. It was always about the bonds these characters formed.

Old enemies can make amends

At its base, Cobra Kai and the The Karate Kid movies are about relationships between fathers and sons. Daniel, whose father died before the events of the first The Karate Kid film, he found a positive father figure in Mr. Miyagi. In Cobra KaiJohnny explains that his father left when he was in kindergarten and his mother married Sid Weinberg, who had no interest in being a real stepfather. Johnny became who he is under the fierce tutelage of John Kreese. While Daniel flourished largely thanks to Mr. Miyagi, Johnny was not so lucky, living as a down-on-his-luck man at the beginning of the series.

While Daniel and Johnny have grown as both father figures and fathers to their biological children throughout the series, their relationships with their mentors still have a profound effect on them. In Season 6, Part 2, Johnny gives the Miyagi-Do students a less-than-stellar pep talk that stems from him projecting his own past. Despite all his growth, he still worries that his students will end up like him, and out of fear uses the same harsh rhetoric that Kreese used.

Cobra Kai may have some great antagonists, including the wonderfully diabolical Terry Silver, but John Kreese has always emerged as the ultimate nemesis of the series. Kreese himself struggled with his affection for Johnny, referring to it as a “weakness” and trying to banish it. Despite this, Johnny proves to be the bigger man when he defends Kreese from Silver. This act could finally set in motion a reconciliation between these two men. Despite their efforts, they mean a lot to each other and are as much a family as Daniel and Mr. Miyagi.

Kwon's death will tie back to Miyagi's past

Kwon's death was foreshadowed by the revelation earlier this season that Mr. Miyagi, the franchise's most beloved mentor, once killed another contestant in Sekai Taikai. (Not an uncommon trope in the martial arts genre.) Daniel is understandably shaken by this, but just looking at the contest sheet might not tell the whole story.

After all, Axel had no intention of killing Kwon; Kwon accidentally stabbed himself. Miyagi's situation may be similar. Or maybe Miyagi killed a competitor in an accident, which led him to change his karate philosophy, choosing to teach Daniel a defense-centered approach. Perhaps the only reason he agreed to train Daniel for a tournament in the first The Karate Kid the film was because he recognized Kreese's relentless approach as similar to the one he had once shared. Regardless, even if Daniel couldn't get answers this part of the season, chances are he'll get some answers before the finale.

It's hard to say goodbye Cobra Kai. It's a rare sequel series that not only dominates in the ratings, but also received critical praise/ It doesn't just bask in nostalgia, it builds on it with great action and big heart. Now that the show has thrown down its biggest drama gauntlet ever, the stakes are higher than ever. That being said, with the love these creators and actors have for their characters, it will undoubtedly end with a bang.