As the first and only female sensei in the “Karate Kid” franchise’s 40-year history, Alicia Hannah-Kim is walking into the finale of “Cobra Kai” with mixed emotions.
The final five episodes of Netflix’s spinoff of the 1984 hit, out Thursday, have her feeling honored to be part of the series, but also admittedly wondering why it took so long.
“It’s a double-edged sword because you’re excited to be the first, then you’re asking yourself, ‘Why are you the first?’” she told NBC News. “I’m very conscious of the responsibility of it. We have to be conscious of celebrating the first, but then make sure we’re opening the door for everyone coming after us to make it.”
The 37-year-old Korean Australian actor said she moved from Sydney to Los Angeles in 2008 because she was stuck with stereotypical roles in Australia. She made several guest-starring roles in “Two and a Half Men” and “Hawaii Five-0” before being cast as the antagonist South Korean sensei Kim Da-Eun in the fifth season of Netflix’s “Cobra Kai.”
“I really welcome the choices that they’ve made in the last couple of years … making space for me in that lineup of predominantly white male senseis.”
Alicia Hannah-Kim
The show faced criticism over cultural appropriation in the first two seasons due to the lack of Asian representation in front of and behind the camera. The third season saw the return of Tamlyn Tomita and Yuji Okumoto to reprise their “Karate Kid 2” roles as Kumiko and Chozen, respectively.
Once a love interest to Karate Kid lead Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Kumiko remained in Okinawa. She befriended their former foe, Chozen, who has now turned a new leaf as the sensei of Miyagi-Do in Japan.
Okumoto remained in the role since then. Hannah-Kim said she appreciated the efforts made in the last couple of years by including Chozen and her character. “I really welcome the choices that they’ve made in the last couple of years … making space for me in that lineup of predominantly white male senseis.”
Hannah-Kim recalled co-creator Josh Heald telling her that Da-Eun was “very important in the Karate Kid lore” as the granddaughter of Master Kim Sun-Yung, the man who laid the foundations of Cobra Kai’s “No Mercy” tactics. Initially seen as cruel and calculated, Da-Eun was always about following her grandfather’s footsteps and bringing glory to the dojang.
Hannah-Kim said she made it a point to avoid a “dragon lady” stereotype, working to help give Da-Eun a multicultural background, one whose accent was “more global and modern.”
Hannah-Kim said she made it a point to avoid the “dragon lady” stereotype. She was aware of how easy it would be to pigeonhole a mysterious Asian character who is skilled in martial arts into an archetype. So she spoke with creators Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg on giving Da-Eun a multicultural background, one whose accent was “more global and modern.”
Hannah-Kim notes that Da-Eun is not a one-off character who comes and goes in a season but has a consistent storyline throughout the series. This includes an unexpected romance between Da-Eun and rival Chozen after a crazy night in Barcelona, unlocking a softer and more feminine side to the austere Da-Eun. Hannah-Kim believes this fling opened Da-Eun’s eyes to the fact that there was more to life than “just winning tournaments.” She is also dealing with the aftermath of the death of her student, which Hannah-Kim says will lead the character to “some choices that will change her life.”
“In season six, we have very distinctly, in the three parts, a breakdown of her emotional defenses, her history, childhood, and her reasons for being,” Hannah-Kim explains. “Particularly, in part three, we’ll see the most honest representation of who she is and why she is this way. That’s been meaningful to see that journey through to the end.”
Although Da-Eun was introduced as the antagonist in season five, her character has transitioned into a redemptive phase, like many former “Karate Kid” and “Cobra Kai” villains. But she said it’s anything but a traditional arc.
“She had her heroic moments throughout season six, but her intention isn’t to be a hero or villain,” said Hannah-Kim. “As a woman, so much of our work is breaking barriers, embodying ‘the first’ and pushing into spaces that traditionally haven’t been open to us.
Hannah-Kim acknowledges the redemption but doesn’t label her character as a villain or hero but as the “queen of her own story.”
“Her legacy is one she created on her own creed and her own way forward, especially as an Asian woman in a [white] male-dominated world. That’s female empowerment.”
