Karate Kid legacy sequel show. At a time when many reboots struggle to kickstart new franchises, Cobra Kai proved that there is a perfect balance between nostalgia and creating something new. Now, almost five years after Johnny Lawrence became the “Mr. Miyagi” for a new karate kid, Cobra Kai is heading toward its sixth and final season.
Cobra Kai season 5 was arguably one of the show’s best as it raised the stakes with Terry Silver’s Cobra Kai expansion plans and delivered several unexpected crossovers.​​​ As such, and considering how popular Cobra Kai has become in the past few years, it may be surprising at first that Cobra Kai season 6 will be the show’s final. However, considering where season 5 left things off, Cobra Kai ending with season 6 makes a lot of sense.
Cobra Kai Season 6 Is A Natural End Point
An argument can be made that Cobra Kai season 5 could have already been a perfect ending for the show if not for the Sekai Taikai tease and the John Kreese cliffhanger. Cobra Kai season 5 wrapped up most of the show’s storylines, including the seemly never-ending rivalries. Johnny and Daniel’s decade-old feud no longer exists, and even the conflicts between the young characters have also been settled. Miguel and Robby are pretty much brothers right now, for example. Sam and Tory have also found common ground, plus most of the main characters are now training in the same dojo. Cobra Kai season 6 is a perfect endpoint.
In hindsight, season 5 was a clear setup for Cobra Kai to end with season 6. After two All Valley Karate tournaments, four considering the ones from The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid Part III, there could not be a better endgame for Cobra Kai than a global karate tournament. The latter half of Cobra Kai season 5 was dedicated to setting up the Sekai Taikai, an international karate competition for which both Cobra Kai and “Miyagi-Fang” have qualified. Seeing all the Cobra Kai characters come together in a global competition testing their skills and the teachings of their dojo is an exciting way to end the show.
Cobra Kai Season 6 Means The Show Can End On A High
Not all shows get to have a planned-in-advance series finale, which is why having the Cobra Kai showrunners decide to end the show with six seasons is a good thing. Some Cobra Kai storylines and character moments were already starting to become repetitive, such as Daniel and Johnny promising to work together only to start fighting again. There can only be so many tournaments or sensei fights before Cobra Kai starts losing its magic, meaning that Cobra Kai ending on season 6 is the best scenario. By knowing in advance that the show is ending, Cobra Kai season 6 can deliver the show’s “biggest, baddest” season yet.
While it was never said where the Sekai Taikai tournament would take place, Cobra Kai season 6 will most likely take place mostly outside of Los Angeles. With a different setting and perhaps a new set of characters as the Sekai Taikai tournament fights, Cobra Kai’s final season can be the endgame of the Karate Kid and Cobra Kai universe. As big as this universe has become, Karate Kid started with a tournament. As such, it is most fitting that, almost 40 years later, it all come downs to another karate completion – except that now the stakes are much higher.
How Will Cobra Kai Season 6 End?
Given that Cobra Kai season 5 did not leave too many unresolved storylines, Cobra Kai season 6 will likely focus on the Sekai Taikai competition. There will probably not be time for many secondary storylines, especially if most of the season takes place during the actual tournament. The rules of Cobra Kai’s Sekai Taikai tournament are still not clear, and it’s difficult to say whether there will be a winning dojo or if the championship title will be individual. It is also not clear whether there will be a division for the sensei, something that could help Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence have a few fights before Cobra Kai ends.
Cobra Kai started with Miguel, and while the show grew into a Karate Kid legacy sequel bringing back characters from the first three Karate Kid movies, it should focus on its own legacy ahead of the sixth, final season. Season 6 will also be the last chance for Cobra Kai to bring in The Next Karate Kid’s Julie Pierce, who is part of the “Miayagiverse”. Cobra Kai season 6, the show’s final, will most likely end with a high-stakes tournament in which one of its main characters becomes a world champion – thus expanding on the legacy of Johnny Lawrence and “the karate kid” Daniel LaRusso.