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In episode 5 of Cobra Kai Season 5, Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) went to visit her cousin. Her cousin was very familiar to fans of the Karate Kid movies. However, if you’re not familiar with the films and only watch Cobra Kai on Netflix, Showbiz Cheat Sheet is here to help. 

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Cobra Kai Season 5 episode 5, “Extreme Measures”.]

'Cobra Kai' Season 5: Amanda (Courtney Hengeller) and 'Karate Kid' Daniel (Ralph Macchio) exit a limo
L-R: Ralph Macchio and Courtney Henggeler | Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix

Who is Amanda’s cousin in ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 5?

Amanda brings the kids, Samantha (Mary Mouser) and Anthony (Griffin Santopietro) with her to see her family. She’s had enough of Daniel (Ralph Macchio)’s obsession with Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) and Cobra Kai dojos. However, when she reunites with cousin Jessica, Amanda gains a new perspective on Daniel’s struggle. 

You see, Jessica is Jessica Andrews (Robin Lively), who also starred in The Karate Kid Part III, the film that introduced Silver. Jessica shares the lengths Silver went to to trick and manipulate Daniel. It makes Amanda understand the childhood trauma, and the potential for present day disaster when she returns to support Daniel. 

Who was Jessica in ‘The Karate Kid Part III’?

The Karate Kid Part III picks up when Daniel and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) return to California from their trip to Okinawa, Japan in The Karate Kid Part II. While they were gone, John Kreese (Martin Kove) called his old Vietnam War buddy Silver to help him get revenge on Daniel and Miyagi. 

Daniel and Miyagi were just trying to open a bonsai tree shop. Jessica was the girl who worked in the pottery shop across the way from their new space. Jessica met Silver when Silver played nice to trick Daniel into training with him. She also encountered Silver’s protege, Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan), who kicked Jessica in the stomach and threatened to cut their safety lines while they were climbing in a gorge. 

What this means for the ‘Cobra Kai’ Miyagi-verse

A surprise cameo from a Karate Kid Part III star isn’t that surprising at this point. Netflix already revealed that Kanan would return in an early still photo, and of course Silver joined the cast in season 4. What is surprising is that Jessica is related to Amanda. That just makes the whole Cobra Kai universe even tighter. Amanda isn’t some new girl Daniel met after the movies. Jessica alludes to fixing them up when Amanda went to L.A.

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This further rehabilitates the image of Karate Kid III, of which Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald are fans. In the film, Jessica got back together with her boyfriend so she did not date Daniel. Perhaps after Ali in the first film and Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita) in II, it would make Daniel a bit of a womanizer to have yet a third girlfriend in as many films. But now, Jessica fixed Daniel up with her cousin. 

Jessica also lent gravitas to Daniel’s struggle with Silver. Yes, grown men spiraling into conspiracy theories about karate dojos is a bit much. But, conspiring against teenage karate students and facilitating bona fide assault and battery is a much bigger deal. When Amanda returns, Daniel is ready to let it all go, but now Amanda can’t abide letting Silver get away with those crimes and whatever else he’s got planned. 

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