Terry Silver raises his fists, preparing for a fight in Cobra Kai season 5.
Warning: Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6, part 3.
Cobra Kai subtly introduced a secret partnership between Terry Silver and Dennis De Guzman in the season 4 finale. This surprising twist revealed that the tattooed fighter responsible for orchestrating Daniel LaRusso’s kidnapping in Barcelona was none other than Dennis, a minor villain from The Karate Kid Part III.
While The Karate Kid Part III is often remembered for its main antagonists—Mike Barnes, John Kreese, and Terry Silver—there were other threats to Daniel LaRusso. Two lesser-known henchmen, Dennis and Snake, worked under Silver, assisting Barnes in tormenting Daniel. Since Cobra Kai has a history of reviving Karate Kid characters, bringing back at least one of them made perfect sense. It now appears that the show had been hiding Dennis’ return in plain sight.
Cobra Kai Set the Stage for Dennis’ Return in Season 4
Terry Silver Dropped Hints About Rehiring His Karate Kid 3 Henchmen
When John Kreese was arrested in the season 4 finale of Cobra Kai, Terry Silver made a cryptic remark, telling Kreese he would bring back “old friends” to help manage the dojo. At the time, most fans assumed he was referring to Mike Barnes. However, considering Silver’s history, it was also possible that he meant Dennis or Snake.
Season 5 seemed to challenge this theory when Silver recruited Kim Dae-Eun and instructors from Kim Sun-Yung’s Tang Soo Do school in South Korea. Yet, looking back, it’s now clear that Terry Silver really was hinting at Dennis’ involvement.
The specific choice of words—”friends“—suggests that he may have been referring to both Dennis and Snake. This speculation gained more weight in Cobra Kai season 6, part 2, when Silver’s lawyer revealed that Snake had met an unfortunate fate after The Karate Kid Part III. Given this, it’s highly likely that Silver initially intended to recruit both men but discovered Snake’s demise during his search.
Terry Silver Hiring Dennis Explains the Mike Barnes Twist
Dennis Was Likely Working for Silver Before Season 6
Dennis may not have been directly involved with Cobra Kai in season 5, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t operating behind the scenes. Cobra Kai strongly suggested his secret role in one of its later episodes when Silver commanded him to target Johnny Lawrence’s family. Dennis responded by saying that kidnapping was different from burning down a furniture store—implying that he had already committed the arson attack in season 5.
This revelation connects to an earlier event: the destruction of Mike Barnes’ furniture store. While the true culprit was never explicitly confirmed, Dennis’ statement strongly hints that he carried out the crime on Silver’s behalf. This aligns with the idea that Terry Silver had secretly recruited Dennis after seizing control of Cobra Kai, using him for covert operations rather than direct confrontations with Johnny or Daniel.
Terry Silver’s mention of “old friends” now takes on a deeper meaning. Instead of using Dennis as a public enforcer, he kept him in the shadows, allowing him to execute tasks discreetly. This strategy explains how Silver managed to arrange the attack on Mike Barnes’ business without drawing suspicion.
By connecting the dots, it becomes clear that Cobra Kai hinted at Terry Silver’s secret Karate Kid ally in season 4, setting the foundation for his criminal activities in season 5.
