Why Netflix's Cobra Kai Is Ending With Season 6, According To The Creators
"Cobra Kai" Season 6 will say goodbye to Netflix's acclaimed "Karate Kid" spin-off. This is sad news for fans of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), and their hard-hitting students, but at least the show won't outstay its welcome. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, co-creator Josh Heald explained that he and fellow showrunners Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg want to conclude the story on their terms.
"Between Seasons 5 and 6, we approached Netflix and said, 'We're ready to bring this in for a landing.' We told them the story that we wanted to tell, and they supported the decision," he said. "It's always been a good relationship with Sony and Netflix. Everybody understands — you don't want to overstay your welcome. It's a franchise we intend to move with. We left the door open to revisit storylines that we are going to resolve in Season 6, and we just felt like there's value in not leaving the series bone dry."
Heald noted that major storylines will be wrapped up in the final season, some in dramatic fashion. With that in mind, let's refresh our memories and examine some of the events that will probably be explored in Season 6.
What to expect from Cobra Kai Season 6
"Cobra Kai" Season 5 ends with the wicked Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) being taken away by the police. This leaves the future of the Cobra Kai dojo hanging in the balance, but John Kreese (Martin Kove) will likely have something to say about that now that he's escaped prison.
Of course, there might be bigger obstacles than Kreese for Johnny, Daniel, and their students to contend with throughout "Cobra Kai" Season 6. With their Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang dojos set to enter the Sekai Taikai (the world's most competitive karate tournament), they might come up against even more tyrannical karate masters who believe in the philosophy of striking hard, striking first, and showing no mercy.
There are some interesting developments to look forward to heading into "Cobra Kai" Season 6. At the same time, fans who aren't ready to say goodbye to the franchise can rest assured knowing that Ralph Macchio will return for at least one more movie set in this universe.
The Karate Kid franchise will continue after Cobra Kai
The success of "Cobra Kai" has arguably overshadowed 2010's "Karate Kid" reboot, which stars Jaden Smith as a teenager who enlists the services of kung fu master Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) to teach him the fighting style. However, the upcoming "Karate Kid" movie merges the two iterations — an intriguing prospect, as it will give fans the best of both worlds.
Ralph Macchio and Chan have already signed on to star in the new film, directed by Jonathan Entwistle and written by Rob Lieber. As of this writing, the filmmakers are searching the globe for a young actor to play the next great karate champion. Their goal is to cast a Chinese or mixed-race Chinese actor.
It's unknown if other Karate Kid mainstays will make it into the movie. Many fans would undoubtedly love to see William Zabka reprise his iconic role, especially if Johnny and Daniel find common ground as co-teachers on "Cobra Kai" Season 6. However, it's good to know that the franchise will continue in some form, potentially opening the door for more films and series.