Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for the first part of Season 6 of Cobra Kai, now streaming on Netflix.
While Kim Da-eun—Alicia Hannah Kim’s character on “Cobra Kai”—was one of the main antagonists last season (and seemingly gone for good), she shouldn’t have been left out. Kim is back, and she’s teamed up with Chris (Martin Kove) to take the next generation of Cobra Kai fighters to the next level in the world karate tournament, Seikai Taikai.
The duo competes against both Miyagi-Do, led by Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). “Cobra Kai” originated in 2018 as a YouTube original, detailing the story of what happened decades after the 1984 film “The Karate Kid.” (To read an in-depth interview with “Cobra Kai” producers Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg — detailing the first part of Season 6 — click here.)
In the 40 years since the series began, Hannah Kim has been the first female instructor in the Karate Kid universe, something she says she is “very aware of.” Her character was introduced in the fifth season of the series, where she was brought in by Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) to train his group of karate kids in Cobra Kai. She is also the granddaughter of Master Kim (C.S. Lee), the karate master who trained Silver and Kreese, and laid the foundation for Cobra Kai’s fierce, win-at-all-costs values.
The fifth episode of season six saw Tori (Peyton List) leave Miyagi-do after her mother's death, and Tori's return to Cobra Kai to fight for Kim Da-on and Kris at Sekai Taikai in Barcelona was the final, surprising moment of the episode.
In a recent interview with diverseHannah Kim She talked about Kris and Kim's “friendship,” not watching “The Karate Kid” until after filming season five of “Cobra Kai” — and what's next for her mentor-mentee relationship with Tori.
What was it like for you to explore the evil, villainous persona your character possesses?
It's really satisfying. If you think about all the times in life when you've had to hold back your anger or be socially acceptable, I don't think Kim Da Eun has any of those guarantees. She's so free to express her anger or disappointment. I can see her letting go of whatever emotion comes to the surface, and it's really satisfying to live that out on behalf of others.
Did you have any inspiration that helped you channel Kim Da Eun's inner evil rage?
We all have a dark side. The work is to process that in a healthy way, and be an accepted member of society. But it's not hard for me to get to that at all. I don't know what that means about me.
I love watching villains. I get a lot of weird ideas from Kylo Ren and Adam Driver. There's this whole Adam Driver thing about him being a total jerk, and I find that very exciting to watch.
Before joining the series, were you a fan of the Karate Kid universe?
I didn't watch “The Karate Kid” as a kid, I missed my family. Of course I 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 world, which I think was helpful for me.
I came out during the COVID pandemic, it was the end of the pandemic. I was living in Canada for most of that year. I felt like I came out of a cocoon, and I wasn’t aware of it, so I didn’t have a lot of pressure. I took each experience as it came and had no anxiety or deliberate intimidation about joining this huge franchise that had a history of 40 years. I got to meet them very much as people, as they were. It was really pure introduction. And then, of course, once Season 5 was done, I went home and watched the whole thing, and my reaction was belatedly starstruck.
What was it like carrying on that legacy alongside Karate Kid legends like Ralph Macchio, Billy Zabka and Martin Kove?
I'm very aware that I'm the first female instructor; I'm the only woman of color among the instructors. And in the 40-year history of The Karate Kid, to be in that position is exciting and unprecedented. I feel that energy a lot when we're all standing together in a scene – it's a really welcome change. It's a great balance between feeling really honored, and excited to bring something different to it.
What does it mean to you to be the first female instructor in the Karate Kid universe? Given that there are so many strong women on the show, how do you hope to further female representation within the franchise?
I think it was a great decision by the showrunners to bring this character in, because she's a duality: she represents Korean, and she represents female. I represent both of those things, and I also serve as a beacon for young Asian girls who watch the show and can see themselves in me. I know the other female characters, definitely the students, and then also Vanessa. [Rubio] And Courtney [Henggeler]We have a lot of really strong female characters on the show. So I didn't feel like I was doing anything different in that sense, because we're all strong on the show. But it's very powerful to think that there are Korean or Asian girls out there who will be able to spot me on screen and feel seen.
What was it like working with Martin Kove, who plays Chris?
I was looking forward to it, because obviously in Season 5 we referenced the fact that Kim Da Eun came to America on behalf of Kris. And of course, things went wrong. So we finally got to explore what their relationship entailed. It was a really pure mentor-mentee friendship. We got to see that relationship and the history, where Kris really defended her and protected her when she was a child with her grandfather.
Marty is just a legend on set. His character in the original “Karate Kid” movie was the source of nightmares for many “Karate Kid” fans. I got so many text messages from friends saying, “Oh my god, you're working with Marty Kove! How is he?”
Marty is so funny. He loves to joke around between takes. He's so flexible and brave. And in those early scenes when we were in Korea, it was during a really cold snap in Atlanta. There was a polar vortex, and it was 20 degrees outside, and we were shooting late into the night. We shot for about 12 hours in freezing temperatures, and Marty never complained once. I loved that, because he gave so much.
In Episode 3, Chris reforms the original teaching style at your dojo. How do you think this will affect your students at Sekai Taikai?
It's kind of that thing where you get together with a friend, and you keep outdoing each other. They're clearly aligned in their goals. And then they're – I don't want to say they bring out the worst in each other – but they keep raising their game. Chris is hell-bent on achieving his goal of reaching Sekai Taikai with Cobra Kai, and that seems like a tall, contemplative ambition for him.
You'll have to wait and see what happens, it's absolutely disastrous.
We know that Peyton's character Tori didn't go to train with Miyagi-Do after what happened last season, but now she's back in Cobra Kai. What's next for your relationship, especially after your character pushed Tori so hard last season?
Tori's return to Cobra Kai is a huge headache for the entire cast. All of the Miyagi-do kids, especially Kim Da-eun, have a very complicated relationship. It's a contentious relationship, but it's also a mentor-mentee relationship, because I think Kim Da-eun sees all this potential and similarity. She sees herself in Tori, and she knows exactly how to use those feelings to win her over and shape her into a kind of mini-version of herself.
What can I say without spoiling things? We get to explore their relationship in new ways this season, and that's been really satisfying for me as an actor.
What was it like working with Peyton?
I love Peyton. She's so impressive. I know she's been in the business for a long time; she's been doing it since she was a kid. What struck me when I met her was how easy she was, but also how incredibly professional and thorough she was. That really speaks to her experience in the industry. She's a really impressive actress, and a deep, honest person.
Because we're in such a tense relationship, we try to keep it as light as possible between takes. I remember so many times singing Taylor Swift songs with Peyton between takes.
Wait, I like that. What songs will you sing?
“22,” and then we want to floss. Because if we yell, I yell at her a lot, and she stares at me with these big beautiful eyes. And then she yells, “Cut,” and we're both Swift fans, so that's where we connect, and we get to have fun between takes.
What was it like filming some of the intense karate scenes?
That's what I enjoy the most. That's the biggest joy of Cobra Kai – when you're in the middle of a fight scene, and you're spinning and you're in the moment. Especially if you and your scene partner can nail the scene in one take, that's exciting. That's my favorite part, really.
What can viewers expect from your character over the next two parts of the season?
Kim Da Eun goes through life-changing moments in the three parts of the series. Part 1 is a prelude to what's to come. Stay tuned for Part 2: It's going to be crazy, funny, unexpected, and shocking!
This interview has been edited and condensed.
