SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Season 6, Part 1 of “Cobra Kai,” now streaming on Netflix.
While Kim Da-Eun — Alicia Hannah-Kim’s character in “Cobra Kai”— was one of the main antagonists last season (and seemed to be done for good), you shouldn’t have counted her out. Kim is back, and teaming up with Kreese (Martin Kove) to take their new generation of Cobra Kai fighters to the next level in the worldwide karate championship, the Sekai Taikai.
The pairing are going up against all of Miyagi-Do, lead by Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). “Cobra Kai” originated in 2018 as a scripted original on YouTube, and detailed the story of what happened decades after the 1984 “The Karate Kid” film. (To read an in-depth interview with “Cobra Kai” showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg — breaking down Part 1 of Season 6 — click here.)
In the 40 years that the franchise has been around, Hannah-Kim is the first ever female sensei in the “Karate Kid” universe, something that she says she’s “hyper aware of.” Her character was introduced in the fifth season of the series, in which she was brought in by Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) to train his cohort of Cobra Kai karate kids. She is also the granddaughter of Master Kim (C.S. Lee), a karate expert who trained Silver and Kreese, and essentially laid the foundation for Cobra Kai’s vicious, win-at-all costs values.
Episode 5 of Season 6 saw Tory (Peyton List) — which is the finale of the first batch of the series — leave Miyagi-Do after her mother died. Tory’s return to Cobra Kai to fight for Kim Da-Eun and Kreese in the Sekai Taikai in Barcelona was the episode’s gasp-inducing final moment.
In a recent interview with Variety, Hannah-Kim talked about Kreese and Kim’s “friendship,” not watching “The Karate Kid” until after filming the fifth season of “Cobra Kai” — and what’s next for her mentor-mentee relationship with Tory.
What was it like for you to explore the evil, villainous persona your character has?
It’s honestly very satisfying. If you think about all the times in life that you’ve had to hold back on your temper or be socially acceptable, I don’t think Kim Da-Eun has any of those safeguards in place. She’s very free to express her rage or disappointment. Any emotion that comes to the surface, I can see that she just lets it out, and that’s really satisfying to vicariously live through.
Did you have any inspirations that helped you channel that evil inner rage Kim Da-Eun has?
We all have a dark side. The ongoing work is to process that in a healthy way, and be an acceptable member of society. But, it’s not difficult for me to access at all. I don’t know what that says about me.
I love watching villains. I took a lot of weird inspiration from Kylo Ren, Adam Driver. There’s this very Adam Driver quality of just letting go, and I find that really exciting to watch.
Before joining the series, were you a fan of the “Karate Kid” universe?
I had actually not watched “The Karate Kid” as a child — it’s sort of just missed my household. I of course knew who Ralph was, and Billy and I knew that “Cobra Kai” was a really big show. But I wasn’t very familiar with the universe, which I think was good for me.
I showed up during COVID, it was the tail-end of the pandemic. I had been living in Canada for the better part of that year. It very much felt like coming out of a cocoon, and I was very unaware, so I didn’t have a lot of pressure. I took every experience as it came and I didn’t have any premeditated anxiety or intimidation about joining this massive franchise universe with 40 years of history behind it. I met them very much as people, as themselves. It was a really pure introduction. Then, of course, once I wrapped Season 5, I went home and binged everything, and had a belated starstruck reaction.
What has it been like carrying on that legacy alongside “Karate Kid” legends like Ralph Macchio, Billy Zabka and Martin Kove?
I’m hyper aware that I’m the first female sensei; I’m the only woman of color amongst the senseis. In 40 years of “Karate Kid” lore, to take that place is exciting and unprecedented. I very much feel that energy when we’re all standing in a scene together — it’s a really welcomed change. It’s a great balance of feeling really honored, and just excited to infuse it with something different.
What does it mean to you to be the first female sensei in the “Karate Kid” universe? Since there are so many strong women featured on the show, how do you hope to promote female representation within the franchise?
I think it was a fantastic decision from the showrunners to introduce this character, because it’s twofold: It’s Korean representation, and female representation. I’m getting to represent those two things, and also just be a beacon for young Asian girls that are watching the show that can see themselves in me. I know the other female characters, definitely the students, and then also with Vanessa [Rubio] and Courtney [Henggeler], we have a lot of very strong female characters on the show. So I didn’t feel that I was bringing something that different in that sense, because we’re all strong on the show. But it’s very emotional to think that there are Korean or Asian girls out there that will be able to spot me on screen and feel seen.
What was it like working with Martin Kove, who plays Kreese?
I was looking forward to that, because obviously in Season 5 we alluded to the fact that Kim Da-Eun had come to America on Kreese’s behalf. And, of course that went awry. So we finally get to explore what their relationship entails. They have this really pure mentor-mentee friendship. We get the insight into that relationship and history, that Kreese had really advocated and protected her when she was a child with her grandfather.
Marty is just kind of the legend on set. His character in the original “Karate Kid” was the source of many a nightmare for many a “Karate Kid” fan. I got a lot of texts from friends going, “Oh, my God, you’re working with Marty Kove! What is he like?”
Marty is very entertaining. Between takes, he loves to joke around. He has a lot of resilience and fortitude. In those early scenes when we were in Korea, it was during a particularly cold snap in Atlanta. We had an arctic blast, and it was 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and we were shooting well into the night. It was about 12 hours in extremely cold temperatures, and Marty didn’t complain once. I was so impressed by that, because he was giving a lot.
In Episode 3, Kreese overhauls your original teaching style at your dojo. How do you think that will affect your students at the Sekai Taikai?
It’s kind of that thing when you get together with a friend, and then you just keep sort of one-upping each other. Obviously, they’re aligned with their goals. And then they sort of — I don’t want to say they bring out the worst in each other — but they just keep taking it up a notch. Kreese is hell-bent on his goal to get to the Sekai Taikai with Cobra Kai, and that feels like a long, ruminating ambition for him.
You’ll have to wait and see. It’s quite catastrophic.
We know that Peyton List’s character Tory had gone to train with Miyagi-Do after what happened last season, but now she’s back to Cobra Kai. What’s up next for your guys’s relationship, especially after your character pushed her so hard last season?
Having Tory come back to Cobra Kai feels tumultuous for the whole cast. All the Miyagi-Do kids, and especially for Kim Da-Eun, they have a very complicated relationship. It’s contentious, but it’s also almost a mentor-mentee relationship as well, because I think that Kim Da-Eun sees all that potential and similarity. She sees herself in Tory, and knows exactly how to harness those emotions to win and to mold her into a sort of mini version of her.
What can I say that’s not spoilery? We get to explore their relationship in new ways this season, and that was really satisfying to me as an actor.
What was it like working with Peyton?
I love Peyton. She’s so impressive. I know she’s been in this business a long time; she’s been working since she was a child. The thing that struck me when I met her was how easygoing she was, but also how incredibly professional and precise she is. That really speaks to her experience in the industry. She’s just such an impressive actor, and a deep and genuine person.
Because we’re in this very contentious relationship, between takes, we’re trying to make it as light as possible. I remember many a time of singing Taylor Swift songs in between takes with Peyton.
Wait, I love that. What songs would you guys sing?
“22,” and then we’d like do the floss. Because if we’re yelling, I’m yelling at her so much, and she’s kind of staring at me with these big, beautiful eyes. Then they yell cut, and we’re both Swifties, so that’s where we’re connecting, and getting the levity in between takes.
What is it like filming some of those intense karate scenes?
That’s the most fun. That’s the biggest joy about being in “Cobra Kai” — when you’re halfway through a fight scene, and you’re spinning and just completely in the moment. Especially if you and your scene partner nail it in one take, that’s exciting. That’s really my favorite part, truly.
What can viewers expect for your character within the next two parts of the season?
Kim Da-Eun goes through life-changing moments in all three parts of the series. Part 1 is very much a setup for what’s to come. Stay tuned for Part 2: It’s gonna be insane and funny and unexpected. And shocking!
This interview has been edited and condensed.
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