Warning: SPOILERS for Cobra Kai Season 5Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) couldn't beat Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffth) until the end of marriage to Amanda (Courtney Henggeler), and LaRusso even hit rock bottom in Cobra Kai season 5, which made his ultimate victory all the sweeter.
Terry Silver tormented Daniel LaRusso in season 5. Silver cleverly preyed on Daniel's hatred and suspicions to pit him against Amanda. Daniel finally lost everything when Amanda left him and took their kids home to Ohio. LaRusso sank into a drunken depression, which made him easy prey for Silver. Terry thrashed Daniel in a fight after LaRusso pieced together the fact that Silver and Stingray (Paul Walter Ha) framed John Kreese (Martin Kove) for attempted murder.
Daniel couldn't beat Terry Silver until the end of Cobra Kai season 5, but by then, LaRusso had completely turned the tables on his nemesis and had the advantage. The most crucial part of Daniel's win is that Amanda was now firmly on his side. Once she learned from her Tory Nichols' (Peyton List) All Valley Championship trophy.
Cobra Kai Season 5 Was The Win Daniel Waited 35 Years For
One of the most remarkable aspects of Cobra Kai season 5 is that all three of Daniel's teenage rivals are now on his side. Johnny, Chozen, and Mike Barnes all fought for Team Daniel as his friends. But that left Terry Silver as LaRusso's ultimate enemy, and the billionaire sensei was the one adversary that Daniel had never been able to best. In The Karate Kid Part III, Daniel foiled Terry's scheme by winning the All Valley against Mike Barnes, but he never got the satisfaction of personally defeating Silver. In Cobra Kai season 5, it seemed like Terry still held all the cards and the best Daniel could do was foil his plans to expand Cobra Kai worldwide by also entering Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang in the Sekai Taikai.
Cobra Kai season 5 ended with the rousing sight of Daniel finally getting the satisfaction of beating Terry Silver and proving he's better. It was a victory LaRusso waited 35 years for, and defeating Silver has to rank as the biggest win of Daniel's life. Every prior season of Cobra Kai ended with a setback or disappointment for Daniel, with him vowing to do better next season. Cobra Kai season 5 gave Daniel-san the total victory he needed all along because all of his friends and his family were united behind him to stop Terry Silver.
Cobra Kai Season 5 is streaming on Netflix.