Cobra Kai Season 6: Everything We Know So Far

In a world of reboots, sequels, and spin-offs to boost a media franchise, Cobra Kai is a remarkable anomaly for how to tell an updated story to a classic that built its fanbase in the 1980s. 

Now it is coming to an end with Season 6. While the plan for a 3-part rollout of the final season is risky, we think the creators and cast have earned the benefit of the doubt that they can bring this story home with a fulfilling conclusion.

Here is everything we know so far about Cobra Kai Season 6.

What Is Cobra Kai?

Cobra Kai is a martial arts dramedy that continues the story of The Karate Kid film franchise that began in 1984, but it has updated the story to take place in 2017-19.

Between the original film and the success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the 1980s were a huge time in America for interest in martial arts and enrolling kids in karate classes.

Bringing this franchise back into a series that started on YouTube Red in 2018 sounded like a risky project. But you only need to watch a couple of episodes to see the hype is real. This is legitimately great TV and should be a blueprint for how to successfully resurrect an old franchise in a way that satisfies fans and attracts a whole new generation of fans.

One of the ways Cobra Kai pulls this off so well is by casting the same actors from the film series and having them reprise their roles. While Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi) is no longer with us, the show is carried well by William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence), Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso), and Martin Kove (John Kreese). The actors pick up their characters flawlessly, and their storylines are all updated for getting older and raising a family in LaRusso’s case.

But the show goes much deeper than that, bringing back a character like Terry Silver, played by Thomas Ian Griffith, who was a villain in The Karate Kid Part III (1989). It really is a great tribute to the original series while still focusing the plot on a new generation of karate students who square off in rival dojos led by LaRusso and Lawrence.

The show moved to Netflix for Season 3, and if you’ve never seen it before or want to catch up before the final season begins, you can stream all 50 episodes for Seasons 1-5 on Netflix right now.

Do Critics Like Cobra Kai?

Cobra Kai has consistently scored very well among critics and audiences. It is one of the few shows that has been able to maintain its quality through 5 seasons. Here are the Rotten Tomatoes scores for the seasons to this point:

• Season 1: 100% (49 reviews)
• Season 2: 91% (31 reviews)
• Season 3: 90% (51 reviews)
• Season 4: 95% (37 reviews)
• Season 5: 98% (44 reviews)

Past Netflix shows such as House of Cards and Ozark have been criticized for failing to deliver a good final season or ending. But we have faith that Cobra Kai will get the job done to end on a high note.

What Happened to End Season 5 of Cobra Kai? (Warning: Spoilers)

The last we saw of Cobra Kai in Season 5, Silver was defeated by Daniel. The students quit Cobra Kai, Silver was arrested, and the dojo was shut down. The main teenager relationships (Miguel and Sam, Tory and Robby) are still going on and will be explored further in Season 6.

But we also saw that Kreese faked his death in prison and escaped, so his whereabouts and next actions should be a major part of Season 6.

When Does Cobra Kai Season 6 Begin?

Netflix is taking a unique approach to the final season of Cobra Kai. While past seasons were always 10 episodes and released all at once for streaming, Cobra Kai Season 6 will debut on the streamer in 5-episode chunks for a total of 15 episodes:

• Episodes 1-5 will be available on July 18, 2024.
• Episodes 6-10 will be available on November 28, 2024.
• Episodes 11-15 (“The Finale Event”) will be available at an unspecified date in 2025.

The good news is we get the longest season ever for the finale. The bad news is we have to wait 4 months for Part 2 and then who knows how much longer for the final 5 episodes.

There has been a raging debate in recent years about if the Netflix method of dumping a series all at once is the best way to sustain fan excitement and maximize interest and ratings. Some feel a show should air an episode weekly, the classic method, to achieve maximum interest.

But dumping a final season in a trio of 5-episode chunks that could be up to a year apart is a gamble Netflix is willing to make with the end of one its best series.

I’m excited but damn this is going to be hard for me, I normally binge the entire season of this show in one day when it comes out because it’s so good

— Louis Lax (@LouisDLax) May 2, 2024

What Do We Know About Cobra Kai Season 6?

Details about the final season of Cobra Kai have been largely kept secret. Trailers have not shown new footage. But we do know the final season was delayed by the 2023 writer strikes, and filming only wrapped in June 2024.

One bit of information that has leaked is that the character Master Kim Sun-Yung will appear in Season 6. He will be played by C.S. Lee, who portrayed Vince Masuka in Dexter. Master Kim Sun-Yung appeared in flashbacks in the original The Karate Kid film in 1984.

A fan-favorite question has been if actress Hilary Swank, who played the lead in The Next Karate Kid (1994), would reprise her role as Julie Pierce in the final season of Cobra Kai. But earlier this year, Swank sounded like she won’t be appearing in the series.

Let’s just hope the creators do not opt for a hologram/CGI version of Pat Morita’s ghost as Mr. Miyagi. Learn from the mistakes of The Flash (2023), which used Christopher Reeve as Superman in a scene many felt was in poor taste.

But the creators have delivered an entertaining show for 50 episodes. Here’s to hoping the final 15 will cement its legacy as one of the best examples of reviving a franchise.