Showrunner explains the death of a main character in Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 1

This article contains HUGE SPOILERS for Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 1.

Cobra Kai Showrunner Josh Heald has explained the death of a major character in Season 6, Part 1, and also explained the overall significance that this death has for the series. Throughout the martial arts series, it was implied that Tory’s mother, Grace Nichols, was suffering from an illness that would eventually kill her. Then, during the events of Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 1, the character tragically died. It was a painful development for her daughter’s character development and will no doubt have massive implications for the upcoming Season 6, Part 2.

Speak with Screen Rant, Heald explained why Tory’s mother died in Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 1which ultimately shows the significance it will have on the young martial artist’s story. The showrunner also explained why the timing was right, as she was preparing for the high-stakes Sekai Taikai tournament, and hinted at the impact it had on her time there. As Tory must balance her personal loss with her obligations as a martial artist, her mother’s death will continue to play a major role going forward. Read what Heald had to say below:

There are some “always” and some “sometimes” when it comes to the writers room. After Season 1, it became a living organism, we had Season 1 completely in mind when we walked into the writers room for Season 1, and it was more about telling the troops what we’re doing, who’s going where, we’re taking the castle and we’re doing it. When Kreese entered the story, we started asking questions like, “Okay, we knew he was coming back, where does he live?” That sparked a lively discussion, the idea of ​​Tory coming in and creating this antagonist for Sam left a lot of new questions to consider, and some answers we had long leads for, and some became branches of a tree that was still growing.

But we always knew (her) mother was going to leave. We didn’t know exactly when, but we wanted it to happen at a pivotal time for her character. It wasn’t just something that happens and we cut right to it and see a more traditional melodrama about a kid going through something. We wanted it to have the Cobra Kai fuel and the sparks that come with that. This was the worst time that this could happen, and so it was the best possible time to do it. And it just becomes alchemy of putting the recipe together in the writers’ room to determine when, why and how, and the puzzle pieces have to fit together.

What killed Tory’s mother?

Grace Nichols’ illness was never disclosed.

Much of Grace Nichol’s story takes place off-screen. She spends years in bed trying to survive in an increasingly desperate situation. She underwent regular dialysis treatments, which is typical for patients with kidney problems. A pulmonary embolism was the final blow that Tory’s mother took, and that’s pretty typical of kidney problems. Taking all of these signs together, Tory’s mother probably died from complications of her kidney disease. The embolism was an unfortunate result of the disease that had been slowly killing her for years.

Grace was generally a character who was portrayed entirely off-screen. Since she was bedridden for so many years, She was only fully characterized when Tory spoke about her family. One of Tory’s stories revealed that Grace secretly brought home food for Tory and her brother and was eventually fired after she was caught doing so. It’s these moments that explain why Tory values ​​her mother so much despite the sacrifices and hardships, and ultimately show why she is interested in karate. Also, given how it is portrayed, her mother would likely have been more involved in Tory’s life if she was well enough to compete in her tournaments.

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From Cobra Kai At the end of Season 5, Grace’s condition worsened. She was taken to the hospital, where she was likely placed on a ventilator. She recovered and returned home after feeling well enough to move around freely. Tragically, however, this was only a fleeting feeling of recovery, as Tory eventually came home to find her mother had collapsed. The pulmonary embolism that doctors had failed to diagnose was the cause of her death. Tory now has to fight for custody of her brotherShe has been fulfilling her role as a mother for several years, but her mother’s death requires a legal response.

Tory’s mother’s death will still have an impact in Season 6, Part 2 of Cobra Kai

The Tories have just lost their main driving force

Tory’s mother was constantly ill throughout the show, forcing Tory to take care of her family. She had to balance her obligations to her family with her desire to follow her karate dreams. However, after her mother’s death, Tory decides to leave Miyagi-Do for the new version of Cobra Kai. This wasn’t the only reason she decided to switch teams, but the fact that both events happened in the last episode means she will have no choice but to join her new team. It will undoubtedly affect her performance in Sekai Taikai as well.

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In Season 6, Part 2, it seems that Tory will be at a loss what to do, even with the tournament right around the corner. With Kreese now acting as her trainer, she will likely start learning his fighting style, but she could very well change her view of the world and Miyagi-Do if Kreese influences her. This could negatively affect her competition, as her grief and anger could make her less focused. If this happens, she could learn the hard way that joining Cobra Kai was not the right decision.

However, two more episodes are still available. Tory could still end up on Johnny and Daniel’s side until the end of the series. Since then Cobra KaiAlthough the cast of The Last Man: A Tribute to the Dead has a host of heroes who can convince her that she’s making a mistake, it’s unlikely that she’ll stay on Kreese’s team for the rest of the show. However, the journey she must go through is personal, meaning only she can determine her destiny and what she truly wants to do after her mother’s death. The loss of her mother will undoubtedly change Tory forever.

Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 2 will be released on Netflix on November 15, 2024.

Cobra Kai

Set decades after the events of the Karate Kid series, Cobra Kai switches directions and puts viewers in the perspective of a former rival/antagonist, Johnny Lawrence. In his 50s and down on his luck, a chance encounter with a bullied young man leads Johnny back to karate. Johnny agrees to help him and takes the opportunity to revive his former home, the Cobra Kai dojo – turning it into a haven for outcast teens.

Pour

Tanner Buchanan, Xolo Mariduena, Mary Mouser, Connor Murdock, Ralph Macchio, Nichole Brown, Jacob Bertrand, Griffin Santopietro, William Zabka

Seasons

6

Authors

Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Michael Jonathan, Mattea Greene, Bill Posley, Stacey Harman, Joe Piarulli, Bob Dearden

Directors

Jon Hurwitz

Showrunner

Jon Hurwitz

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