A fight in the Cobra Kai season 6 trailer supports a massive theory about how the Sekai Taikai will work. As it stands, very little is known about the Sekai Taikai, the international karate tournament that Terry Silver has been wanting to win since the 1980s. However, that’s soon to change, as it’s become abundantly clear that the prestigious competition will be at the heart of Cobra Kai season 6’s story.

Aside from the fact that it’ll feature karate dojos from all over the world, it’s hard to set expectations on the Sekai Taikai, as it’s not been said what the rules are. Theoretically, it could be akin to the original All Valley Karate Tournament but with many more participants, or it could have a format similar to season 4’s tournament, which was broken up into three separate categories. Or, it could lean in an all-new direction, one that’s been heavily theorized about since Cobra Kai season 5’s ending. And interestingly enough, that idea is reinforced by the trailer.

Cobra Kai’s Cage Fight Supports The “Two on Two” Tournament Theory

The Sekai Taikai may put an emphasis on teamwork

One of the fights teased in the Cobra Kai season 6 trailer involves Miguel and Kenny, with two other combatants lying on the ground, seemingly defeated. Tennis balls are fired at them during the battle (which takes place within a fence), indicating that it’s some sort of practice match and not a serious fight. Official photos from season 6 shed additional light on the match, as they confirm the identities of the other two fighters: Shawn and Robby. Based on the photo, it can be assumed that Robby and Miguel were teaming up against Kenny and Shawn, and during the fight, both Robby and Shawn were beaten.

Confirmation that the upcoming fight between Miguel and Kenny started out as a two-on-two match-up goes hand-in-hand with a common theory about the Sekai Taikai. It’s been speculated for a while that the tournament will put students in pairs, rather than rely on one-on-one fights like all past Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid tournaments. Part of why this made sense was owed to the fact that Terry Silver’s senseis had the Cobra Kai students practice in pairs during season 5’s training. Knowing that the tournament would call for two-on-two fights would perfectly explain why Silver was so heavily focused on pushing teamwork in season 5.

Johnny and Daniel suddenly adopting a similar tactic as Kim and Silver could be a sign that they’re adapting to the new tournament rules their students are about to be fighting under in Cobra Kai season 6. After all, it’s important that this is the first time characters in Johnny and Daniel’s dojo have participated in two-on-two practice fights. By having Miguel and Robby battle it out with Kenny and Shawn, they can let all four characters get some worthwhile experience in this format ahead of the Sekai Taikai.

Why Two on Two Matches Make Perfect Sense For Cobra Kai Season 6

It’ll be hard to give every character their deserved ending if only one person can win

Adding credence to the theory is how sensible of an approach it would be for Cobra Kai’s final season. As noted above, this route would be a major departure from the usual formula of a karate competition in the franchise, hence why it may be such an appealing option for the show. When Cobra Kai made season 4’s event unique by adding in a weapons category and creating two different tournament brackets, the series expressed a willingness to keep things fresh in terms of the tournament format. If it keeps that strategy, it may look to go even further in season 6, and dropping one-on-one fights would certainly be a way of pulling that off.

What’s more, pairing off the characters would help the show avoid picking a single winner. Typically, only one character can win a martial arts competition, but given the size of Cobra Kai’s ensemble cast and its rapidly growing dojo roster, it’s easy to imagine many – if not most – of the show’s major players getting sidelined quickly. Creating pairs could make this situation easier to navigate and also enable the series to make the most of its cast size. If it heads in this direction, Cobra Kai can reward not one, but two of its heroes with a victory at the end of the tournament. That number could be as high as four if the boys and girls are divided again.

What Character Pairings Are Likely To Happen If The Theory Holds True

Cobra Kai has several chocies for character team-ups

For the most part, Cobra Kai won’t have to invent new pairings for the tournament, as the show is already full of these sorts of relationships that it can use as a basis for these team-ups if it does turn out that the Sekai Taikai is using this theorized format. In addition to pre-existing character dynamics, the progression of the story and released details on Cobra Kai season 6 offer a possible preview of teams Johnny and Daniel will end up assembling. As the trailer suggests, Miguel and Robby will most assuredly make up one of these teams, which is an appropriate move, considering how foundational their rivalry has been to the series.

Something similar can be said for Tory and Sam. Like Miguel and Robby, they’ve gone from hated enemies to reluctant allies, and by making them rely on each other in the Sekai Taikai, the show can further evolve their dynamic in Cobra Kai with a new challenge – learning to work as a team. Another likely character pairing is Demetri and Hawk, who have been both best friends and enemies in the series. Pairing them up would be an easy choice for the show. Bert and Nate, as well as Chris and Mitch, are also ready-made combinations.

Of course, Cobra Kai could also have some fun with building up new character relationships. Though they’re brothers, the show has only offered one scene thus far with Kenny and Shawn, and based on the season 6 photo, the two indeed will be a pair. Less certain is what the show will do with Anthony and Devon. Neither has an obvious partner ahead of season 6, meaning Cobra Kai could introduce new characters for them to work with or build a dynamic between them. Since Kyler is suspected – but not confirmed – to be a new roster addition, he could also be part of the equation.