Tory's Path to Redemption Takes an Unexpected Turn in Season 6 of 'Cobra Kai' (SPOILERS)

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 6, Part 1 of Cobra Kai.

Following the events of the Season 5 finale of Cobra Kai, the "Queen Cobra" herself, Tory Nichols (Peyton List), leaves the titular dojo and joins forces with Miyagi-Do for the highly anticipated Seikai Taikai tournament.

Season 6, Part 1 sees Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny (William Zabka) — with the help of Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) — select Tory as one of the top six fighters to represent their dojo at the ultimate karate championship.

However, by Episode 5, titled "Best of the Best," things take a dramatic turn. Tory receives hopeful news about her mother's health, only to return home and tragically find her dead.

Overwhelmed with grief, Tory abandons Miyagi-Do and aligns with John Kreese's (Martin Kove) newly established Cobra Kai. What, why?! After all she's been through with Kreese, what drives Tory to switch sides at the last minute and rejoin Cobra Kai? Let's find out.

OK, there are actually a few reasons why Tory rejoins Cobra Kai. For starters, the fifth episode of Season 6 sees Kreese resurface and attempt to persuade Tory to return to his ranks. She initially rejects his offer, reminding Kreese that he abandoned her when she needed him most.

"You have every right to be angry," Kreese acknowledges. "But I could not involve you in my plan to... liberate myself. I know it seemed cold, but I was only trying to protect you. And now that I'm out, we have an opportunity to dominate."

She rejects Kreese's notion of "we," and that's when he discovers Tory has joined Miyagi-Do. He criticizes her choice, telling Tory that "when push comes to shove, they'll always figure out a reason to keep you second fiddle to LaRusso's kid."

After her mother's passing, Tory begins to spiral — but still arrives to challenge Sam for the captaincy. However, Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) receives news of Tory's loss and insists Daniel stop the fight immediately.

Tory subsequently shares her loss with the group but urges them to proceed with the fight. Amanda, however, refuses to permit Tory to continue. In response, the teen remarks, "You just don't want me to be your daughter, because when push comes to shove, you're gonna choose her over me!"

Thus, it seems Kreese has successfully manipulated Tory yet again. Her emotional turmoil prompts her to ditch Miyagi-Do — the only positive influence in her life — and realign with her former sensei and his merciless dojo.

While it's tempting to feel frustrated and upset by Tory's choice, her return to Kreese does have a logical explanation. If you recall, Kreese shows sympathy for Tory in Season 3 when she explains she can't go back to Cobra Kai due to her ill mother and a nasty landlord who repeatedly threatens eviction.

Kreese takes action by confronting Tory's landlord and demanding he leave her alone. The landlord agrees, which allows Tory to resume her karate training at Cobra Kai.

So, Tory's decision to rejoin Cobra Kai in Season 6 of Cobra Kai is directly influenced by his constant support during her challenging circumstances.

Cobra Kai is now streaming on Netflix.