Warning: Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6 part 1
Summary
Miguel Diaz was - and still is - my predicted winner for the Sekai Taikai inCobra Kai’sfinal season. Going into the season, the obvious favorites for winningthe Sekai Taikai tournamentwere Miguel, Sam, Tory, and Robby.Cobra Kaiseason 6 part 1 ended with the impression that Miguel is no longer in the running, but I’m not convinced.
WithRobby getting a massive win over Miguelin a heated contest at the Miyagi-do dojo, Tanner Buchanan’s character completely changed the narrative revolving Miguel. Before his loss, he was arguably in the strongest position to win the Sekai Taikai, but now the series has indicated that Robby is actually the superior fighter. But what’s even more consequential for Miguel than that is how the rules of the Sekai Taikai work; based on what’s been established, Robby is supposedly the only male competitor on their team that technically can win it all.
Miguel Winning The Sekai Taikai Would Be Even Better After His Loss To Robby
As The Underdog, Miguel Is Now The Perfect Candidate To Win The Sekai Taikai
BeforeCobra Kaiseason 6 started, I was of the opinion that Miguel, being the character who kicked off the story in the first place, would be the one who would ultimately win the Sekai Taikai forJohnny and Daniel’s dojo. To me, the skills he’s displayed throughout the series - including his victory over Robby inCobra Kaiseason 5 - validated that theory. This scenario may seem less likely now, but from my perspective, the prospect of Miguel winning became even stronger. Becausenow, Miguel perfectly fits the mold of aKarate Kidprotagonist.
There was a time when Miguel’s story paralleled Daniel LarRusso’s journey inThe Karate Kid,but the character has evolved well beyond that point in season 6. As the winner of the first tournament and a few other major fights, Miguel was hardly a character anyone would underestimate, which was the source of my one doubt about him winning the Sekai Taikai. But after what happened in his fight with Robby,it’s much easier to see Miguel in the underdog role.Not only is he now perceived as second to Robby, but he’s not even expecting to compete in the individual competitions.
At its heart,The Karate Kid- much likeRocky- is an underdog story. In the movie,Daniel LaRusso was physically weaker than Johnny Lawrenceand someone with only a few weeks of training going up against the defending Ally Valley champion. Johnny had every advantage in his favor at the tournament, yet it was Daniel who walked away with the championship.Cobra Kaiwould have struggled to go down this path with Miguel at the Sekai Taikai, but having him lose to Robby should help build his underdog status.
How Miguel Can Still Enter (& Win) The Individual Competition At The Sekai Taikai
Kwon Could Force Miguel To Substitute For Robby
According to the rules laid out in the show, only the male and female captains get to compete in the one-on-one tournament format. This seemingly ruled out Miguel even having a shot at the title, but I still see a way for it to work. Were Robby to sustain an injury or pull out of the tournament for some other reason, it makes sense that his spot in the bracket would have to be filled by the Miyagi-do’s next-best male fighter, which would of course be Miguel.
Miguel replacing an injured Robby is anything but a far-fetched, hypothetical scenario. Such a twist happening would be right in line with season 6’s connections to season 4. From the looks of things,Cobra Kaiis going out of its way to recreate the circumstances of season 4’s All Valley Karate Tournament. During the event, Cobra Kai and Miyagi-do were rivals for the championship, Johnny and Daniel were on bad terms, and Tory and Sam were clearly headed for a collision in the finals. In all three of these areas, history looks set to repeat itself.
With that in mind, it’s worth wondering ifthe parallels toCobra Kaiseason 4will extend to Miguel’s role. In the tournament, Miguel withdrew from the semifinals, paving the way for his opponent, Hawk, to take what likely would have been his place in the finals against Robby. Based on everything it’s already borrowed from season 4, it’s not hard to imagine season 6 taking a page from this development as well, with Robby - rather than Miguel - taking a heavy hit and the team needing someone else to step up for the final match.
Strengthening that possibility is whatCobra Kaihas revealed about Kreese’s team. Kwon’s vicious beating of Yoon provided an early look at what he’s capable of and how far he’s willing to go to win. And considering what Mike Barnes said about how brutal the fighting it can be, I think Kwon can get away with a lot of things that wouldn’t be permitted in most cases. That could wind up including some excessively violent attacks against members of Miyagi-do’s team, specifically Robby since he would be Kwon’s opponent in the individual competition.
How Miguel Could “Win” The Sekai Taikai Without Taking Robby’s Place
The Team Events Could End With Miguel As The Last Fighter Standing
Additionally, I don’t believe that Miguel becoming the hero of the tournament is completely reliant on the prospect of him filling in for Robby. Another avenue toward that could come in the form of the “team events” teased for the Sekai Taikai. Presumably alongside Robby and his other four teammates, Miguel will participate in team matches against thevarious Sekai Taikai teams. Though the Sekai Taikai representative indicated that the individual competitions are more important because that’s where spotlight will be, it’s possible that the championship will wind up coming down to who prevails in the team events.
Similar to season 4’s tournament, multiple factors could decide the winning team, especially if the male and female individual competitions don’t end in the same team obtaining first place. Because of that,Cobra Kaicould make a team match the fight with the highest stakes in the tournament. Whether that battle is an all-out six-on-six fight or a two-on-two matchup, it could wind down with Miguel and perhaps Kwon as the last fighters standing. If that happens, I can picture Miguel as the de-facto winner of the Sekai Taikai and the key to their team becoming world champions.
