The final episode of Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 1 introduced a shocking twist to the tale when Peyton List’s Tory Nichols lost her mother. To make matters worse, Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence’s handling of the situation drives away Tory and she makes the decision to go back to John Kreese’s Cobra Kai dojo. Fans now have an insane theory that it was Kreese’s plan all along.
These fans are suggesting that Martin Kove’s character had something to do with Tory’s mom’s death. However, other fans defend Kreese, saying that he would never go that far and commit such a heinous crime.
Fans Speculate John Kreese Had Something To Do With Tory’s Mom’s Death In Cobra Kai Season 6
Peyton List‘s character Tory gets the most upsetting news in Cobra Kai Season 6, right around the time when she is getting ready for the Sekai Taikai tournament. Her mother dies of kidney disease and an emotionally devastated Tory decides to back and fight Sam in a match to decide the captain of the Miyagi-Do dojo.
She tries to channel her grief through fighting, but Ralph Macchio‘s Daniel LaRusso doesn’t let her fight after knowing about her mom. Tory goes to the only person who would understand her and let her fight—John Kreese. Her decision to become Kreese’s champion shocked many and some came up with a theory that Kreese had a hand in how the entire situation panned out.
During a Reddit discussion of the Season 6 Part 1 finale, u/Busy_Skirt_9728 was one of the many fans to wonder whether Kreese had something to do with Tory’s mom’s death. The fan shared that Martin Kove‘s character is a “master manipulator” and he might be using Tory’s grief and anger to use her. The theory is quite popular among the Cobra Kai fandom, with some outright dismissing it.
One X fan shared their thoughts on the matter, sharing that the theory sounded insane yet believable. Several other X users also agreed with the theory, sharing that Kreese indeed was a master manipulator. One fan even shared some of their findings that supported the theory.
However, one fan dismissed the theory sharing that Kreese too lost his mother when he was 19 and understood Tory’s situation. The fan shared that Kreese could be narcissistic and ruthless, but he wouldn’t go that far as to commit such a crime. Some of the fan reactions read:
i just read a theory that kreese could’ve killed tory’s mom and the worst part is even though that sounds insane like why is it believable pic.twitter.com/nJe56J9xmO
— liz (@migueIdiazs) July 19, 2024
JOHN KREESE MASTER MANIPULATOR https://t.co/rIsz6nIm0X
— Andrew Dodderidge (@yooooooooRIPPSH) July 21, 2024
Tory was a victim of kreese’s abuse and his manipulation. And I have a feeling he had a role to play in what happened to her mother. You can tell by the look in her face she’s not there by choice. #CobraKaiSeasonSix https://t.co/WKLLxF8MVV
— The ship above all ships (@BlossomAboveAll) July 18, 2024
[cobra Kai season 6 spoilers in tweet ‼️]
— yohan 💌 (@honeyelevator) July 18, 2024
I fucking hated the way part 1 ended
I think kreese killed Tory’s mother because why did she die with her hand in a fist? I think she was trying to protect herself and died in the process it
was just a plan to get her to work with him +
“lalalala kreese killed tory’s mom” im sorry kreese LITERALLY LOST HIS MOTHER when he was 19. i understand kreese can be narcissistic and ruthless but he would NOT go that far and that man has gone out of his way to look out for tory. he’s LITERALLY been in the same shoes.
— holydongbird || CKS6 SPOILERS GALORE🐍🖤🐍 (@holydongbird) July 19, 2024
All the insane theories apart, Tory’s decision may not be the wisest at this point. The grief and rage would only make her less focused during the Sekai Taikai tournament. With two more parts left for the finale season, fans sincerely hope that Peyton List’s character ends up back on Daniel and Johnny’s side.
Cobra Kai Showrunners and Peyton List Opened Up About Tory’s Cobra Kai Season 6 Situation
During an interview with ScreenRant, Cobra Kai showrunner Josh Heald opened up about Tory’s mom’s death in Season 6. Heald shared that the writer’s room always knew Tory’s mom would pass at some point in the storyline and they didn’t know exactly when. However, they decided that it would happen at a crucial moment for Tory.
The showrunners felt that the tournament was the right time to do this. Heald shared that more than tapping into the traditional melodrama, they wanted it to happen at the worst possible time that would ignite some Cobra Kai drama in the storyline. Heald shared with ScreenRant:
But we always knew that [her] mom would go, we didn’t know exactly when, but we knew we wanted it to be at a crucial moment for her character. It wasn’t just something that’s happening and we’re cutting to that and seeing a more traditional melodrama about a kid going through something. We wanted it to have the Cobra Kai gasoline and the sparks that come with that.
This was the worst possible time that this could have happened, which made it the best possible time to do it. And it it just becomes the alchemy of putting together the recipe in the writers room about when and why and how, and the pieces of the puzzle have to fit together.
During an interview with Collider, Peyton List shared that her character went to Kreese of all people because she thought she could only be his number. She added that Tory “can’t be anyone else’s number one.” Tory’s journey is definitely one to watch out for in the upcoming parts of the series.
Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 1 is currently streaming on Netflix.
