Although he was officially announced to be part of Cobra Kai season 5, Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) was conspicuously not spotlighted in Cobra Kai season 5’s trailer, but this could also be a clue as to the karate bad boy’s role in the new season. Cobra Kai season 5 picks up after Terry Silver’s (Thomas Ian Griffith) ultimate triumph at the All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament. Cobra Kai’s victory forced Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) to shut down their rival dojos, which gives Silver dominion over karate in the San Fernando Valley.
Mike Barnes was one of the villains of The Karate Kid Part III. In 1985, “Karate’s Bad Boy” was handpicked from a karate magazine by Terry Silver to be the newest recruit of Cobra Kai. Barnes was paid handsomely to force Daniel LaRusso to defend his All Valley Under 18 Karate Championship against his sensei, Mr. Miyagi’s (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita), wishes. Mike was a more vicious and all-around better fighter than LaRusso, but at the All Valley tournament, Barnes followed his senseis, Terry Silver and John Kreese’s (Martin Kove), instructions to a T and fought dirty against Daniel-san. Ultimately, LaRusso only needed to score one point against Barnes to win the match, and he came through in the clutch. Silver’s plans to expand Cobra Kai all over the Valley were foiled by Cobra Kai’s defeat. Barnes hasn’t been seen since losing to LaRusso.
Cobra Kai‘s promotional photos for season 5 let the cat out of the bag that Sean Kanan has joined the Netflix series as Mike Barnes. Kanan was one of the last remaining Karate Kid legacy characters that fans clamored to see in the continuation series, and he’s the final ex-opponent of Daniel LaRusso to appear in Cobra Kai. Kanan himself has been actively promoting his return on social media since Cobra Kai made it official. Yet Mike Barnes was curiously hidden by Cobra Kai season 5’s trailer. While Mike Barnes’ presence in Cobra Kai season 5 is no longer under embargo, the karate bad boy’s role in the story is, and that makes for some very interesting possibilities. Because even though Barnes was Terry Silver’s hired gun in The Karate Kid Part III, that was over 30 years ago, and it can’t be automatically assumed Barnes works for Silver again. Rather, Mike Barnes appears to be a wildcard in Cobra Kai season 5.
Whose Side Is Mike Barnes On In Cobra Kai Season 5?
Terry Silver is actively recruiting new Cobra Kai senseis as part of his massive expansion plan. One would think Mike Barnes would be at the top of Terry’s list to teach Cobra Kai karate, but perhaps this isn’t the case. After all, Barnes’ experience working for Silver in The Karate Kid Part III was a humiliating one for him, and Mike may have decided to steer clear of the ponytailed billionaire for good. And yet, Cobra Kai is actually split in two as of the end of season 4 because John Keese also hates Terry after Silver betrayed him. Kreese is in prison and accused of attempted murder, but perhaps any animosity Barnes feels towards Silver doesn’t apply to Kreese. John has shown himself to be remarkably resourceful throughout Cobra Kai, and maybe this time, Mike Barnes is Kreese’s ace in the hole to take back control of Cobra Kai in season 5.
However, another possibility that may necessitate obfuscating Mike Barnes’ Cobra Kai season 5 role is that he could be revealed as Miguel Diaz’s (Xolo Maridueña) father as many fans have theorized. Miguel left for Mexico to find his birth dad in Cobra Kai season 4’s finale but season 5’s footage shows Miguel back in the Valley with no hint of what happened with his father in Mexico. Maybe Mike Barnes really is Miguel’s dad, and that’s what brings him back to the Valley to embroil him in Cobra Kai’s affairs once again. As for what will happen if and when Mike Barnes and Daniel LaRusso cross paths again, that’s another secret to be revealed in Cobra Kai season 5.
Cobra Kai Season 5 premieres September 9th on Netflix.
