Netflix’s Cobra Kai will roundhouse kick back into the dojo, finally, for a final and sixth season coming soon. This will happen sooner than expected but with a twist: the season will be a three-part package to deliver as proper an ending as possible. Remember, however, that “Cobra Kai will never die.”
That means that no matter what happens, The Karate Kid universe has received a rare example of a revival that matches the strength of the original project while always respecting what came before. Few people, if anyone, also would have expected this show to turn into such a juggernaut back when this was YouTube Red underdog show. Now, it’s hard to imagine not looking forward to another season of karate beefs. Let’s consider what is to come before this dojo closes for good.
Plot
Netflix has managed to regularly stoke the flames of curiosity about precisely what will add up to “the biggest season, the baddest season, the final season.” Filming is complete, however, and co-showrunner Jon Hurwitz delivered a formal farewell to Atlanta earlier this week to mark the occasion.
Thank you, Atlanta! #CobraKai
— Jon Hurwitz (@jonhurwitz) May 19, 2024
Additionally, Hurwitz dodged questions about whether Terry Silver or John Kreese will return, but he did reveal that the Miyagiverse is about to expand in ways that we’ve never seen before now:
“Season 6 expands the Karate Kid/Cobra Kai universe more than the first 5 seasons combined. The world building has been truly exhilarating. Excited for everyone to see the diversity of scenes we’ve been filming episode to episode. We’re going to so many new places in the Miyagiverse.”
With that said, every signal thus far is that Terry Silver is finally done and dusted (that crane kick is mostly cinematic, but — let’s get real — he probably can’t come back from that full circle moment in a narrative sense). Kreese, however, has freed himself from prison and even did so while on the cusp of exoneration from how Silver framed him. Surely, he’ll stay free, yes? Somebody has to try and resurrect that titular dojo, but that remains hypothetical. What appears to be more set in stone is that (as Ralph Macchio previously suggested to us) an international competition will be on the table:
“They’ve set up the international element of it, they’ve set up the master Kim in Korea. They set up Kreese, and they also set up that everything’s going back to normal and they’ve finally succeeded. But in a soap opera, as Cobra Kai is a karate soap opera, when one door closes, there’s always more that will open. There’s certainly room for that.”
That jibes with a very brief description (and no clear mention of whether Miyagi-do has fully absorbed Eagle Fang for good) provided by Netflix:
Picking up with Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley, our senseis and students must decide if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai – the world championships of karate.
How will Johnny Lawrence juggle fatherhood (again) while preparing his students for global karate domination? Perhaps a more compelling question is this: will Kenny react to the collapse of his dojo and tweak his personality to go from being bullied and bullying to a well-adjusted competitor? And on an equally emotional note: will Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz’s hair have grown back before the start of this season? Speaking of Hawk, actor Jacob Bertrand jokingly wanted to see his character team up with Kreese for “some illegal ring of some sort.” Actually, I want to see that happen because, c’mon, this is a karate soap opera. Anything is possible.
Also, even if there’s no crossover to be found in the upcoming franchise movie with Jackie Chan and Ralph Maccho, Cobra Kai proved that it’s able to deliver a superior form of nostalgia by infusing a project with a cast of characters who are irresistible to younger generations. That will remain invaluable.
Cast
This show wouldn’t exist without Ralph Macchio and William Zabka as Daniel and Johnny Lawrence, respectively. Expect to see Mary Mouser as Samantha, Peyton List as Tori, Jacob Bertrand as Eli/Hawk, Xolo Maridueña as Miguel, Griffin Santopietro as Anthony, Tanner Buchanan as Robby, Gianni DeCenzo as Demetri, Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny. Courtney Henggeler will also return Amanda with Vanessa Rubio as Carmen, and we don’t yet know if there will be a Stingray (Paul Walter Hauser, who’s been very busy lately) onboard.
Did you want official enemies? Big Bad Terry Silver is likely outta the game, which means that (sadly) we won’t be seeing Thomas Ian Griffith, but Kreese (Martin Kove) is fresh outta prison, and I’m not sure how he will evade authorities, but he will surely be stirring up chaos.
Release Date
The first third of the season will stream on July 8.
Trailer
Netflix will likely be dropping a first trailer soon, but until then, this date-announcement video really wants us to believe that Kreese is back.