Cobra Kai season 6 has quietly confirmed that a long-missing character from The Karate Kid movies won’t be making an appearance in the series. Snake, a character Daniel LaRusso encountered in The Karate Kid Part III, seemingly died sometime before the events of the show’s final season. In the 1989 movie, Snake was played by Jonathan Avildsen.

Since season 4, the series has been pulling heavily from the third of the five Karate Kid movies. It made the film’s villain, Terry Silver, a cornerstone of its fourth and fifth seasons. It also gave a guest appearance to the movie’s main female character, Jessica Andrews, in season 5. Meanwhile, Mike Barnes – Daniel’s nemesis in The Karate Kid Part III – has now been in three episodes, including the Cobra Kai season 5 finale. The show’s connections to the movie extended further in Cobra Kai season 6 part 2, which added one more returning character – and ruled out another.

One Of Terry Silver’s Original Minions Died Before Season 6

Snake Was An Associate Of Terry Silver’s In The 1980s

Shedding light on what happened to Terry Silver after his arrest, a flashback scene in Cobra Kai season 6, episode 9 offered a surprising reference to one of his henchmen from The Karate Kid Part III. As an attempt to keep Silver from making any more poor life choices, his attorney told Silver, “I just don’t want to see you go on a downward spiral and end up in the morgue like your buddy Snake.” This was the show’s first-ever mention of Jonathan Avildsen’s character, a thug who helped Mike Barnes wreck Mr. Miyagi’s home in the 1989 film.

The confirmation of Snake’s death explains why William Christopher Ford’s Dennis was without his usual partner in Cobra Kai season 6 part 2. In The Karate Kid Part III, Snake and Dennis (referred to in Cobra Kai as “Mr. De Guzman“) were depicted as a team, but the series cut the duo in half. As for what exactly happened to him, the show didn’t provide a clear answer, but the fact that his death was used as a warning to Silver implies that Snake continued his life of crime. From the looks of things, that was what brought about his early demise.

Why Hasn’t Snake Returned For Cobra Kai?

Jonathan Avildsen Hasn’t Had An Acting Role In More Than 20 Years

With the show’s Snake reveal, Jonathan Avildsen has joined a small list of legacy Karate Kid characters to never appear on Cobra Kai. That list has shortened dramatically over the years, with Julie Pierce, Snake, and Dutch being among the few not to get a role of any kind (but admittedly, Julie’s situation could still change.) In the case of late Dutch actor Chad McQueen, a move away from acting has been attributed to his absence, and the same could possibly be the explanation for Snake, though an official reason hasn’t been given.

While it’s safe to say now that Snake won’t be surfacing, it’s possible that since Dennis’ return wasn’t a one-and-done cameo, more details on Snake’s death will be offered later.

Avildsen, the son of Karate Kid trilogy director John Avildsen, only has a few acting credits to his name and never became a prolific actor, as he hasn’t taken on a role since 2002. It’s unclear if he was invited back for Cobra Kai. But while it’s safe to say now that Snake won’t be surfacing, it’s possible that since Dennis’ return wasn’t a one-and-done cameo, more details on Snake’s death will be offered later.

Why Snake’s Death Could Be Important To Terry Silver’s Ending In Cobra Kai

What Happened To Snake Could Be A Plot Point Later On

Image via Netflix

The reference to Snake may have been nothing more than a nod to a Karate Kid character and a way to provide a canon reason for his absence from the story. But there’s also a possibility that its significance goes deeper than that, so much that it could have an influence on Terry Silver’s arc in Cobra Kai’s last five episodes. This reveal, combined with the lawyer’s comment about Silver barely being able to hold to his yacht, speaks to the idea that he’s lost so much due to his crusade against Daniel. This seemingly emboldened his nothing-to-lose mentality in Cobra Kai season 6 part 2, but also could lead to some somber, introspective moments in the final episodes.

After all, it’s true that Cobra Kai hasn’t done much with Terry Silver’s life outside his relationships with Daniel and Kreese. Bringing Dennis back into the picture helps fix that, as it gives him an ally with which he shares a personal connection as well as an unknown history. Through Dennis and Silver’s next appearances, the series can reveal more about the experiences they went through together over the years (which could very well include Snake’s death). If so, this could set the stage for Silver to make some important changes in his life, and get back on the path he was on before Kreese re-entered his life.