Movies - TV
How Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi Returns In Cobra Kai Season 6
Part 2
By PAULI POISUO
Spoiler Warning!
This story contains spoilers for the "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 2 finale, "Eunjangdo."
Netflix's "Cobra Kai," which expands the story of "The Karate Kid," has always dealt with one key issue: the lack of Mr. Miyagi, whose actor, Pat Morita, passed away in 2005.
To solve this, "Cobra Kai" has Miyagi's successor Daniel LaRusso put his old teacher on a pedestal, eliminating the need for new scenes. However, this changed in season 6 part 2.
In part 2, Daniel learns that Mr. Miagi once killed a man during a match, and in the episode "Eunjangdo," we actually see Miyagi on the screen once again, courtesy of AI.
In the episode, Daniel battles a young Miyagi in a nightmare. The Okinawan master soundly wins while pointing out Daniel's flaws, morphing from young to old in the blink of an eye.
While co-creator Josh Heald stated that the use of AI was necessary, the creators did discuss the scene with Morita’s estate and put in plenty of work to keep things respectful.
The last five episodes of "Cobra Kai" coming in 2025 may shed more light on Miyagi's past, though whether it’s via flashbacks to the original film or more AI remains to be seen.