It’s March 2025 and Cobra Kai has finished its 6th, final season, multi streaming platform run.
First time we came back to the Valley and Johnny’s broken life was back in May of 2018 on the then streaming platform Youtube Red (now Youtube Premium). One of their first, experimental shows on the platform to draw in potential viewers.
Luckily it was picked up by Netflix for its 3rd season and found its home there ever since with a much more accessible platform.
Okay, time to be honest here, when I first heard about a Karate Kid sequel series starring a washed-up Johnny Lawrence, I did think, “What in the name of Mr. Miyagi is this?!” We get it. The Karate Kid franchise was not an in demand revisit, particularly after the poorly received ‘reboot’ in 2010. But then something magical happened. Cobra Kai drop-kicked its way onto our screens and became the ultimate guilty pleasure, a show so ridiculously entertaining that myself and millions of others could not help but love it.
Cobra Kai throws us back to the 80s with the force of a flying car in Back to the Future. We get to see Johnny and Daniel, all grown up but still bickering like the teenagers we first met in 1984. Remember that time Johnny wore a skeleton costume to a Halloween party? Gold! The show is packed with callbacks and Easter eggs that’ll make you scream “Get him a body bag! (Yeah!)” But it’s not just a nostalgia trip. Cobra Kai cleverly uses the past to fuel new rivalries, hilarious misunderstandings, and enough karate drama to fill a whole valley’s worth of dojos.
The characters in Cobra Kai are where the show shines the brightest. Johnny Lawrence, the original bad boy of the Valley, is now a lovable loser trying to redeem himself (while still basing his entire personality around the lessons learned in Cobra Kai and never quite growing up). Daniel, our former hero, is now a successful car salesman who may or may not be a little ‘too’ obsessed with karate. And don’t even get us started on the new generation of karate kids, a chaotic mix of angsty teens, bullies, and underdogs who switch sides more times than a pendulum.
We’re given a flurry of young cast members all with complex stories to weave through, interchanging between Miyagi Do and Cobra Kai. Their struggles end up revolving around the lifelong bickering between Johnny and Danny as everyone even remotely close to the pair end up drawn into the chaos eventually, no matter how much they fight it.
One of these is a young man named Miguel (played by the incredibly talented Xolo Mariduena) who has something to prove to the world, Robbie (played by the equally talented Tanner Buchanan) the guy who wants nothing to do with his ‘deadbeat’ dad Johnny, Samantha (played by Mary Mouser looking like a perfect gender flipped version of Danny in 1984) a beautiful popular young daughter of Danny, ‘Hawk’ and Demetri who wish to stand up against their school bullies and Tory (played by the hugely successful Peyton List) who is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, plus many many more! all played by a bright and talented group of young actors with bright futures ahead of them.
The protagonists are not the only highlight of the show though, as the series keeps drip feeding us the villains of All Valleys past, Johnny being the first films main antagonist, we’re slowly given the villains of the other movies and Kreese the original Cobra Kai Sensei who we last saw beating a defeated Johnny in The Karate Kid Part 2.
It was such a nostalgic treat to see these actors return to these roles and up the ante each time!
Let’s face it though, we’re all here for the karate action, and Cobra Kai delivers with flying colors (and flying kicks). The fight choreography is top-notch, with epic showdowns in school hallways, parking lots, and even laser tag arenas. But the show also knows how to balance the action with laugh-out-loud moments. Whether it’s Johnny’s hilariously outdated slang (“Quiet, LaPusso!”) or Daniel’s over-the-top attempts to be “hip” with the kids, Cobra Kai proves that karate can be both badass and funny.
You can bet, each season ends with some big ass brawl with the cast. It’s firmly 80’s fight cheese though which grounds it in the same universe as the original movies. But each battle leaves behind some big consequences for the characters, whether it’s burned bridges and changing allegiances or life changing injuries. It leaves us guessing what happens next each season.
Believe it or not, Cobra Kai isn’t just about karate and cheesy one-liners. It actually tackles some surprisingly deep themes like bullying, redemption, and the complexities of father-child relationships. Who knew a show about karate could make you contemplate the meaning of life (while simultaneously craving a cold beer and a slice of pizza)?
It delves deeper into the flaws and personalities of Johnny and Daniel far more than the films were able to achieve, that there is no such thing as just designating people as good and bad, hero or villain, that it’s the experiences that define them and the issues they chose to carry. The show beautifully fleshes out almost all of these characters, even going into the dirty and scared pasts of Kreese and why he is the way he is, a subplot I had no idea I needed.
Cobra Kai is the TV equivalent of a pack of biscuits – you can’t just watch one episode. The cliffhangers are brutal, the drama is addictive, and the characters are so darn entertaining that you’ll find yourself saying “just one more episode” until the sun comes up.
There has not been another show that has held my attention from start to finish quite like Cobra Kai. I needed a new season fix as quickly as the previous season finished.
Objectively I knew the show had a thick layer of cheese on it as outside friends were not as grasped as me, although it is worth noting they had never seen the original Karate Kid films when they were younger.
Whether you’re a Gen Xer reliving your childhood or a Gen Z’er discovering the magic of The Karate Kid for the first time, Cobra Kai has something for everyone. It’s a show that can be enjoyed by the whole family (just be prepared to explain some of the 80s references to the newer generation).
So, embrace your inner karate nerd, grab your gi, and prepare to be swept away by the glorious whirlwind that is Cobra Kai. It’s the guilty pleasure we all deserve and need in this crazy day and age.
You can watch all 6 seasons of Cobra Kai on Netflix but be sure to also watch The Karate Kid films for the added vibes and wisdom of Mr Miyagi first hand!
