Alicia Hannah-Kim on Tory joins Cobra Kai

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Season 6, Part 1 of “Cobra Kai,” now streaming on Netflix.

Although Kim Da-Eun – Alicia Hannah-Kim’s character in “Cobra Kai” – was one of the main antagonists last season (and seemed to have disappeared for good), you shouldn’t have left her out. Kim is back and teams up with Kreese (Martin Kove) to take their new generation of Cobra Kai fighters to the next level in the global karate championship, the Sekai Taikai.

The duo takes on all of Miyagi-Do, led by Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). “Cobra Kai” originated as an original script on YouTube in 2018, chronicling what happened decades after the 1984 film “The Karate Kid.” (To read an in-depth interview with “Cobra Kai” showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg – covering Part 1 of Season 6 – click here.)

In the franchise’s four-decade history, Hannah-Kim is the very first female sensei in the “Karate Kid” universe, something she says she is “hyper-aware of.” Her character was introduced in the series’ fifth season, where she was enlisted by Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) to train his cohort of Cobra Kai karate kids. She is also the granddaughter of Master Kim (CS Lee), a karate expert who trained Silver and Kreese and essentially laid the foundation for Cobra Kai’s brutal, win-at-all-costs values.

In episode 5 of season 6, Tory (Peyton List) – the series one finale – left Miyagi-Do after her mother died. Tory’s return to Cobra Kai to fight for Kim Da-Eun and Kreese at the Sekai Taikai in Barcelona was the breathtaking final moment of the episode.

In a recent interview with VarietyHannah Kim talked about Kreese and Kim’s “friendship,” only watching “The Karate Kid” 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 discover your character’s evil, mean personality?

It’s honestly very satisfying. If you think about all the times in your life when you had to control your temper or be socially acceptable, I don’t think Kim Da-Eun has these safeguards. She is very free to express her anger or disappointment. With every emotion that comes to the surface, I see her just letting it out, and that’s really satisfying to live vicariously through.

Did you have any inspiration that helped you channel Kim Da-Eun’s evil inner rage?

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 at all for me to gain access. I don’t know what that says about me.

I like watching villains. I took a lot of weird inspiration from Kylo Ren, Adam Driver. There’s an Adam Driver quality of just letting go, and that’s really exciting for me to see.

Before joining the series, were you a fan of the “Karate Kid” universe?

I hadn’t actually watched “The Karate Kid” as a kid; it just missed my household. I knew who Ralph was, of course, 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 lived in Canada for most of that year. It felt very much like coming out of a cocoon, and I was completely unaware of it, so I didn’t have much pressure. I took each experience as it came and I had no premeditated fear or intimidation whatsoever 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 very pure introduction. Of course, once I finished season 5, I went home and threw everything away, and had a belated, inflexible reaction.

What was it like carrying on that legacy alongside “Karate Kid” legends like Ralph Macchio, Billy Zabka and Martin Kove?

I am hyper aware that I am the first female sensei; I am the only woman of color among the senseis. In the 40 years of ‘Karate Kid’ lore, taking that place is exciting and unprecedented. I really feel that energy when we’re all in a scene together – it’s a very welcome change. It’s a great balance between feeling really honored and just excited to add something different to it.

What does it mean to you to be the first female sensei in the ‘Karate Kid’ universe? Since there are so many strong women in the series, how do you hope to further female representation within the franchise?

I think it was a fantastic decision by the showrunners to introduce this character because it’s dual: it’s a Korean representation and a female representation. I’m going to represent those two things, and also just be a beacon for young Asian girls who watch the show and can see themselves in me. I know the other female characters, especially the students, especially Vanessa [Rubio] and Courtney [Henggeler], we have a lot of very strong female characters on the show. So I didn’t feel like I brought anything 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 who can see me on the screen and feel seen.

What was it like working with Martin Kove, who plays Kreese?

I was looking forward to that because in season 5 we obviously alluded to the fact that Kim Da-Eun had come to America on behalf of Kreese. And of course that went wrong. So we can finally find out what their relationship is all about. They have a truly 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 a 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: ‘Oh my God, you’re working with Marty Kove! What is he like?”

Marty is very entertaining. He likes to joke between takes. He has a lot of resilience and perseverance. 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 late into the night. It took about twelve hours in extremely cold temperatures, and Marty didn’t complain once. I was so impressed by that because he gave a lot.

In episode 3, Kreese reviews your original teaching style in your dojo. How do you think this will affect your Sekai Taikai students?

It’s like when you get together with a friend and you keep bugging each other a little bit. It is clear that they are 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 keep going one step further. Kreese is determined to take Cobra Kai to the Sekai Taikai, 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 started training with Miyagi-Do after what happened last season, but now she’s back with Cobra Kai. What’s next for you guys’ relationship, especially after your character pushed her so hard last season?

Tory returning to Cobra Kai feels tumultuous for the entire cast. All the Miyagi-Do children, especially Kim Da-Eun, have a very complicated relationship. It’s controversial, but it’s also almost a mentor-mentee relationship because I think Kim Da-Eun sees all that potential and similarity. She sees herself in Tory and knows exactly how to use those emotions to win and mold her into a kind of mini version of her.

What can I say that isn’t spoiling? We get to explore their relationship in new ways this season, and that was very satisfying for me as an actor.

What was it like working with Peyton?

I love Peyton. She’s so impressive. I know she has been in this industry for a long time; she has been working since she was a child. What 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 try to make it as light as possible. I remember singing Taylor Swift songs with Peyton between takes.

Wait, I like that. What songs would you sing?

’22’, and then we would like to floss. Because when 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 shout ‘cut’, and we’re both Swifties, so that’s where we connect and get the levity between takes.

What is it like filming some of those intense karate scenes?

That’s the best part. That’s the biggest fun of playing “Cobra Kai” – when you’re halfway through a fight scene, and you’re spinning and completely in the moment. It’s especially exciting when you and your scene partner get it right in one take. That’s my favorite part, really.

What can viewers expect from your character in the next two parts of the season?

Kim Da-Eun experiences life-changing moments in all three parts of the series. Part 1 is very much a setup for what is to come. Stay tuned for part 2: It’s going to be crazy, funny and unexpected. And shocking!

This interview has been edited and condensed.