Why Cobra Kai Season 5 Was Tory’s Toughest Yet, According To Star

Peyton List, who plays Tory in the Karate Kid revival series, opens up about why Cobra Kai season 5 was the toughest yet for her character.

Cobra Kai‘s Tory actor, Peyton List, explains why season 5 was the toughest yet for her character. List initially joined the cast of Cobra Kai season 2, taking on the role of Tory Nichols, a troubled teen with a temper who joins the Cobra Kai Dojo. Throughout her story arc, Tory has found romance with Miguel and Robby and been in a bitter feud with Miyagi-Do’s Samantha LaRusso, proving to be a stand-out character in the Karate Kid revival series.

While speaking with PureWow, List delves into the factors that made Cobra Kai season 5 tougher on Tory. The season saw her struggling to do the right thing as she aided Kreese in stopping Silver, all while taking care of her family and attempting to mend relationships. After several seasons, much of Tory’s story came to a head, shifting audience perceptions and ultimately giving List a challenge. Check out her comments on Cobra Kai season 5 below:

“[Tory] had some closure from the Silver situation and everything is sort of out in the open, so she doesn’t have to carry all of these different weights, on top of taking care of her mom and her brother and everything else. That was just the most stressful season for Tory. I think she just had to grow up really fast, very quickly.”

Related: Only 1 Missing Karate Kid Character Must Be In Cobra Kai Season 6

What’s Next For Tory In Cobra Kai Season 6

Much of Cobra Kai has seen Tory act as an antagonist, channeling her personal struggles into karate and creating tension along the way. Tory bought into Kreese’s manipulative ways, becoming a loyal member of Cobra Kai. However, over the course of season 5, after Kreese is sent to prison and Terry Silver takes over the dojo, she begins to see the error of her ways, working in secret to stop Silver from within. Throughout this, she succeeds in ending her rivalry with Sam and working toward her best self.

With Cobra Kai season 6 ending the show, lingering storylines are likely to be wrapped up. A unique change of pace for Tory will be seeing how she can thrive now that she has converted to one of the good guys. While she’s likely to be a more positive influence on those around her, she is known to have a short temper, which could still make her new path challenging. Tory may also be struggling with her loyalties to Kreese while attempting to distance herself from Cobra Kai.

The most pressing Tory question on viewers’ minds is her parentage – many believe her mother will prove to be Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce from The Next Karate Kid. While this is yet to be confirmed, Swank is one of the last legacy stars yet to appear, fueling speculation. Other theories revolve around her father being someone like Kreese or Silver, with others hypothesizing that her parents will be original characters. Still, no matter the resolution, Cobra Kai season 6 will have plenty of riveting stories left for fans when it debuts later this year.

More: Cobra Kai: Every Theory About Tory’s Mom & Dad (& Which Is Most Likely)

Source: PureWow