Kim Da-Eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim) is a major antagonist in the YouTube Red/Netflix series Cobra Kai, serving as a mentioned character in Season 4 and the secondary antagonist of Season 5. It is possible she will return as the main antagonist of Season 6.
She is a South Korean karate sensei who is an acquaintance of Terry Silver. Da-Eun is later recruited by Silver to train the students of the Cobra Kai dojo following John Kreese's arrest.
History[]
Past[]
Kim Da-Eun watched as a little girl while John Kreese and Terry Silver sparred together under the guidance of her grandfather, Kim Sun-Yung. Kim Sun-Yung galvanized Captain Turner's teachings of no mercy and, in particular, taught them unfair tactics to attack their opponents when they are weak or even if the fight has not begun yet. Kim Da-Eun carried on these teachings.
Back in Korea, she, along with everyone else, would climb Chiri-san, the tallest mountain on the mainland. They would train for hours at the peak, long after the sun had set and the nights had become cold, wearing heavy packs filled with water.
Cobra Kai (Season 5)[]
Kim Da-Eun first appears in episode 6, where she meets Terry Silver at the airport with the senseis she had hired for him. Silver recruited her to get all the best martial artists she could find to head his dojos to further his expansion in the valley, and, ultimately, worldwide. He lures her in with promises that she will have her grandfather's teachings finally given the credit that they deserve.
During her training, she torments Tory Nichols and the other students through physical and emotional means, proving to be just as ruthless and dangerous as Terry himself, and even more sadistic. She forced the students to fight one another brutally, and even chastised Tory for protecting her partner during a match instead of letting her get beaten severely for the sake of winning.
Terry attempted to get Cobra Kai into the Sekai Taikai, the largest karate tournament in the world, and promised Kim that this would be how her family's legacy and teachings would be preserved. During the match, Terry paid off the referee to allow Cobra Kai to cheat against their opponent, Miyagi-Do, and still be given the victory. Kenny Payne uses Terry's technique called the "Silver Bullet" to cut off Hawk's airway and win the match.
After learning that Terry paid off the referee, Tory refused to compete and left, leaving them without an opponent and ultimately resulting in Miyagi-Do being allowed to compete in the tournament. In perhaps her most heinous act, she punished Tory severely by forcing her to smash through solid stone with her hand, almost breaking it.
In the season finale, following Terry's arrest for his numerous crimes, Kim Da-Eun was nowhere to be seen, having likely escaped in the denouement. It is possible that she will return in season 6, possibly as the main antagonist, as her obsessive plan to galvanize her family's legacy is still not yet complete.
Personality[]
Kim Da-Eun is an extremely dangerous, cold-blooded and ruthless individual. She seems to have more honor than Terry, but is even more violent and sadistic than him. Even Terry was stoic and somewhat shocked when Kim forced Tory to smash stone with her bare hands, which is saying something because he made Daniel LaRusso do something similar in 1985, albeit with wood.
Trivia[]
- Before the fifth season's release, it was rumored by the fans that Kim Da-Eun would be related to Terry Silver's sensei Kim Sun-Yung, who was mentioned in The Karate Kid Part III which was confirmed in a preview clip.