Cobra Kai is a martial arts comedy-drama television series and a sequel to the original The Karate Kid films by Robert Mark Kamen. Original stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence and pick up over three decades later. It follows Johnny as he decides to re-open the Cobra Kai karate dojo and rekindles his old rivalry with Daniel.
There are four seasons of Cobra Kai following Johnny and Daniel on their journeys, which features new students and epic fights. The fourth season was released at the end of 2021 and continued the series' success and impressively high viewership. Considering this and the show's critical acclaim, it only makes sense that they release a fifth season, which will hit our screens on September 9th.
With a fantastic cast bringing the story to life, one character has had a particularly hard time since their debut in season two. With new information on season five's plot, cast, and release date, let's see what is in store for Tory, played by Peyton List.
Tory Becomes Queen Cobra
Tory first appeared on Cobra Kai in season two, and we could tell from the beginning that she wanted to prove herself. She wasn't afraid of speaking her mind and fighting anyone who crossed her. While she is a brilliant student at Cobra Kai Dojo, she is unfortunately dragged into the ruthless teachings of her sensei, John Kreese (Martin Kove). This causes her to become even more aggressive, especially towards her rival, Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser).
Her rebellious behavior causes her to be expelled for starting the school karate war, where she also finds a bond with Kreese. Tory becomes troubled and begins to fly off the rails and become one of Kreese's most aggressive students, gaining the title Queen Cobra.
Tory and Samantha's rivalry towards each other became heightened throughout the show, which really hit the rocks when Sam accused Tory of stealing her mother's wallet and Tory dated Sam's ex. Their issues accelerated to a point where all the students at Cobra Kai became involved and spread violence and vengeance across the school. Throughout the show, there have been multiple fights between the two, although their most vital moment within the storyline was right at the end of season four during the All Valley tournament. When both of them made it to the final round of the female competition, it was clear to the viewers that this would be an epic fight.
In an intense and brutal battle, both Tory and Sam gave it all they had, and Sam would have been a clear winner, but one of her points didn't count. Eventually, Tony landed the final point, becoming the winner of the Cobra Kai tournament. The trophy might have been in Tory's hands, but in a moment of victory, Tory showed some compassion by going over to her enemy, Sam, and asking if she was okay. For the first time, Tory felt extremely confident, but it didn't last long when she saw Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith0 paying the referee. Suddenly Tory realized what had happened, and she didn't win out of talent or luck. She won by cheating.
Tory's Revenge on Silver
It was a dramatic and gob-smacking season finale. Viewers were left on an extremely exciting cliffhanger, wondering what would happen to Tory. Lucky for us, we were given a season five teaser back in May, which looks like it will be even more eventful. It showed Tory struggling with the fact that her sensei was a cheater and that she wouldn't have won the fight otherwise. This gives us a clear indication that season five is going to highlight Tory as her story continues.
With only a couple of weeks to go, fans surely have plenty of questions running through their head; who will she let her anger out on? Will she be angry at Sam for beating her? Now that she knows she would have lost, will she be mad at herself? Although, one thing we know for certain is that she will definitely be resentful and hurt due to Terry Silver. Fans better prepare for the biggest fight of Tory's life as there's no doubt she will speak her mind.
Not only does Tory have to deal with Kreese behind bars, but she also has to deal with difficult home life. But we also saw her showing kindness to Samantha. Is her softer side going to come out? Will she be turning to Sam for support? Her difficult situation might cause her to take another look at Sam's mother, Amanda's (Courtney Henggeler) offer of help, which means we could see more of the pair and if their relationship develops. Either way, fans will soon find out, and they don't have long to wait.