In season 5 of Cobra Kai, Daniel LaRusso has enlisted the help of another old rival, Chozen, to help him combat the threat of Terry Silver who has big plans for the Cobra Kai dojo. The episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
Terry Silver has now taken control of the Cobra Kai dojo and he’s overseeing a massive expansion of the franchise. Daniel has closed Miyagi-Do to keep the children safe but he still wants to take down Terry which is why he’s asked Chozen for help.
Miguel is in Mexico searching for his father while his family and Samantha are all worried about him back home. Johnny has taken Robby along on a father-son bonding trip but in truth, he’s going to look for Miguel. Robby isn’t happy with being lied to but stays with his father.
Samantha is disappointed with the fact that her father is closing the dojo and Miguel isn’t there by her side in this difficult time. She’s going through a real identity crisis, trying to figure out who she is outside of karate.
Tory is struggling to come to terms with the fact that Terry paid the referee to help her win at the All-Valley tournament. She confronts him about it but he says that he has no regrets about doing it. He also says that he still believes in her and that she still won on her own merit.
Chozen decides to go in as a mole to find out what Terry is up to but soon gets found out. Terry warns Daniel and Chozen not to cross him again or there will be real consequences.
Tory stays on at Cobra Kai but she has lost all trust in Terry’s ways and has been visiting John Kreese in prison for advice. Miguel finds his father but he realizes why his mother considered him a dangerous man.
Johnny and Robby eventually find Miguel and they all go back home safe and sound. Johnny wants Robby and Miguel to get along but the two of them have a lot of bad blood to get over so easily.
Sam breaks up with Miguel soon after he returns because she wants some time to figure things out. Miguel is gutted but accepts her decision.
The rivalry between the students of Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do remains strong as things get heated at a water park. Kenny is angry with Robby for leaving Cobra Kai while Miguel and the others don’t trust Robby yet either.
Johnny visits an old enemy, Mike Barnes, thinking that Terry Silver might reach out to him. Mike has changed over the years and he and Daniel hash things out. Terry finds out that Daniel reached out to Mike and burns down Mike’s furniture store.
Amanda is tired of Daniel’s obsession with Terry Silver and she tells him that she wants to take a break from him. Johnny and Carmen find out that they’re having a baby together which makes Johnny more determined to make things right between Miguel and Robby.
Daniel is turned towards Raymond ‘Stingray’ Porter as a possible lead but Stingray doesn’t reveal anything and Daniel loses it. He goes to Johnny for help in fighting back against Terry but Johnny gives him sound advice instead.
He goes back to apologize to Stingray but finds Terry there instead and gets beaten in a fight. Johnny has Miguel and Robby fight things out and they eventually get it out of their system and make peace with each other.
Terry brings in Kim Da-Eun and her senseis to teach at Cobra Kai. Kim is the granddaughter of Terry’s old master, Kim Sun-Yang. Terry and Kim want her grandfather’s teachings to spread across the world.
Daniel chooses to walk away from the fight after his beatdown but Chozen and Johnny want to keep it going along with the rest of Miyagi-Do. They convince Daniel that this time the fight is completely worth it and begin working towards beating Terry.
Daniel and Johnny visit Kreese in prison to find out what Terry’s plan is. He tells them that Terry plans to use the Sekai Taikai, a prestigious global karate tournament, to spread the Cobra Kai name and its teachings across the world.
When the organisers of the tournament show up to observe Cobra Kai, Daniel and the others show up and put forth their names as possible entrants in the tournament too. The organisers decide to host a competition between the two dojos where they will choose one.
They have the best male and female fighters go head to head in a traditional match with each dojo winning one. The organisers agree to have both dojos enter the tournament. Tory realises that the referee is once again compromised and ditches Cobra Kai.
She goes to Sam and admits the truth and while Sam hates her initially, Miguel convinces her to give Tory another chance. Daniel, Johnny and Chozon go on a celebration along with Amanda and Carmen after learning about the baby, but things spiral down.
The students of Miyagi-Do along with Tory try to get some evidence to take Terry down but they’re faced with some resistance.
Cobra Kai season 5 ending explained in detail:
What happens to Daniel and the guys at the end of the party?
After getting quite drunk and having a good time, Daniel, Johnny and Chozen decide to go to another bar while Carmen and Amanda choose to go home instead. The guys get into their limo but it turns out to be someone else driving.
After being thrown around in the back, the limo comes to a stop and Mike Barnes opens the door. He blames Daniel for the fact that his life came crashing down after the furniture store burnt down.
Johnny and Mike fight for a bit before Daniel stops them and tells Mike that all this is Terry’s fault. Mike suggests going to Terry’s house and beating him up and Chozen and Johnny agree, but Daniel stays behind.
What evidence is there against Terry?
Samantha and the others learn that Stingray was actually beaten by Terry and not Kreese. They visit Stingray to convince him to retract his original statement but he’s too scared.
Samantha visits Tory to make up and discuss how to take down Terry. Tory says that there could be a chance that the footage of Terry assaulting Stingray still exists on the flagship dojo’s server.
They decide to break into the dojo and find that footage so that they can upload it and expose Terry in front of everyone.
What happens to Mike, Johnny and Chozen?
Mike, Johnny and Chozen go to Terry’s house but he has his senseis there to protect him. Mike is knocked out early on while Johnny and Chozen take on the others.
Meanwhile, Terry and Kim see that the kids are breaking into the dojo so Terry sends Kim to take care of things there while he handles things at his house.
He gets away from the fight but Chozen follows after him. Johnny holds off the others for a while but they overwhelm him. Terry defeats Chozen and leaves him for dead before telling the others to kill Johnny too.
Johnny is almost beaten when the sonogram picture of his baby falls out and he gets a second wind after remembering what he’s fighting for. He manages to overcome the disadvantage and takes them before Mike eventually comes to and evens the odds.
Is Terry finally exposed for what he is?
The kids break into Terry’s office and get into his system but they find that the footage of him beating up Stingray is erased. Tory gives them another option to look up but they’re interrupted when the Cobra Kai students show up.
A massive fight breaks out as Miyagi-Do tries to ensure the new video is uploaded onto the internet. Stingray has a change of heart and rushes Daniel, Amanda and Carmen to the dojo to help the kids.
The video is finally uploaded and broadcast on the dojo screens. It reveals Terry admitting to Tory that he bribed the referee at the All-Valley tournament. Terry finally starts to lose the trust of his students and gets ready for one final fight with Daniel.
Daniel comes out on top and the Cobra Kai students abandon Terry once and for all as the authorities arrive to clear things up. Johnny, Mike and Chozen arrive as well to celebrate a major victory.
Tory and Robby get back together after their rough patch while Miguel and Sam also share their true feelings.
What happens to John Kreese?
When Johnny and Danieli visit Kreese in prison, Johnny tells him that he was a bad teacher and Johnny wants to erase everything associated with him, every memory and every lesson he taught.
Kreese admits defeat to the therapist and prison and accepts that he’ll spend his last days there. When a fight breaks out, Kreese tries to stop it but gets shanked.
Kreese is taken to the doctor where it is revealed that he’s faking it. Kreese overpowers the guards and walks out in the doctor’s clothes before using the therapist’s keycard which he swiped from her to get out of the security door and escape prison.
Also Read: The Imperfects ending explained: Are Abbi, Juan and Tilda cured?