Warning: Spoilers ahead for Cobra Kai season 6, part 2!Hilary Swank made her franchise debut in 1994's Julie is still the biggest Karate Kid character yet to appear in Netflix's legacy spinoff show, and another cameo perhaps makes it even less likely to happen when Cobra Kai season 6 concludes on February 13, 2025.

Of Cobra Kai season 6, part 2's cast.

The Karate Kid Part III's Dennis De Guzman Somehow Got His Franchise Comeback Before Hilary Swank

De Guzman appeared very briefly in the third Karate Kid movie

If Julie is going to show up in Cobra Kai, time is rapidly running out for her to do so. By the William Christopher Ford's Dennis De Guzman.

Given the gulf in significance between the two characters, it becomes even more confusing why Ford was invited to return ahead of Swank. De Guzman - known simply as "Dennis" in 1989's The Karate Kid Part III - was given very little to do when he made his franchise debut, and the same is true of his role in Cobra Kai. Although he does get to engage in an exciting face-off with Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso for the first time in decades, Ford's lines are non-existent, and his screen time is very sparse - making his comeback over Swank even more confusing.

Mr. Miyagi's Shock Return Strengthens The Argument That Julie Won't Appear In Cobra Kai Season 6

Cobra Kai season 6 found a way to bring back Pat Morita's iconic character

There is, of course, still time for Julie to show up in Cobra Kai's final season. Unfortunately, the recent return of another huge Karate Kid makes Swank showing her face far less likely. Due to Pat Morita's death in 2005, no one would have expected Mr. Miyagi to show up in the Netflix show. Surprisingly, Daniel's late sensei did make a brief cameo in "Eunjangdo." As shockingly brilliant as Daniel vs. Mr. Miyagi in Cobra Kai was, it also ticked another box in of debuts-per-season.

Although De Guzman may only have been a bit player during his first time out, that doesn't change the fact he fits into the same category as figures like Thomas Ian Griffith's Terry Silver and Sean Kanan's Mike Barnes.

The show has long spaced out the re-introduction of its Karate Kid legacy characters. Although De Guzman may only have been a bit player during his first time out, that doesn't change the fact he fits into the same category as figures like Thomas Ian Griffith's Terry Silver and Sean Kanan's Mike Barnes. So, paired with Miyagi's return from out of nowhere in Cobra Kai - a role shared by Brian Takahashi and a Morita deepfake, the show's final season could be a little too stacked with comebacks, which could distract from the Sekai Taikai storyline and Kwon's death.

Hilary Swank Could Still Return As Julie Pierce After Cobra Kai Ends In 2025

Karate Kid: Legends is a great chance for Julie's comeback

Cobra Kai's ending doesn't mean the conclusion of the Karate Kid franchise. With Karate Kid: Legends' release date scheduled for May 30, 2025, fans won't be waiting long at all to see more from the same universe. Interestingly, Macchio is currently the only confirmed actor to be carried over from Cobra Kai and into Legends. The cast and crew have also been very vocal about the fact that Legends will be the beginning of a new era for the larger Karate Kid saga. So, although the canon won't be reset, it'll serve as a great jumping-on point for new fans.

With Jackie Chan also coming back to play Mr. Han for the first time since 2010's then-remake of The Karate Kid, the movie clearly has something special in store. As the final franchise protagonist still to reprise her role, it would make perfect sense for Swank's character to also return in Legends. Furthermore, it would also explain her ongoing absence from the Netflix show. If Julie Pierce had made the jump from The Next Karate Kid to Cobra Kai, it would have made it even more difficult to keep the spinoff show separate from the legacy sequel.