Cobra Kaiwas an incredible show throughout, but some seasons were better than others. AlthoughCobra Kaihad been great from the start, the show became a lot more popular once it moved from YouTube Red to Netflix. Since then,Cobra Kaihas been one of Netflix’s flagship shows, with each season being marketed as a must-see event.Cobra Kai’s series finalewas a pitch-perfect ending, bringing not only the show but theKarate Kidfranchiseas a whole full circle.
By making Johnny Lawrence the hero of the story,Cobra Kaithrew everything we could expect from aKarate Kidshow out of the window and reinvented the very franchise it was trying to honor.Cobra Kaiseason 6’s cast, which included both major and minor characters from all threeKarate Kidmovies starring Ralph Macchio, is just an example of how much the show respected the source material. However, the series was more than just aKarate Kidsequel –Cobra Kaialso created amazing new characters and made us all invested in a six-season karate soap opera.
6Cobra Kai Season 4
2021
Cobra Kaiseason 3 ended with the promise that Johnny and Daniel were finally going to work together, only for season 4 to quickly reverse things. WhileDaniel and Johnny’s banter was part of the show’s identity from the beginning, season 4 was when some conflicts and story beats started to feel repetitive. That doesn’t mean the show didn’t try to shake things up, particularly with the return of Terry Silver and the introduction of a new generation of rivalries in the form of Anthony and Kenny.
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Season 6
88%
After two seasons in which the characters were quite literally fighting for their lives, returning to the tournament routine felt a little anticlimactic.Cobra Kaiseason 4 was also redundant in the sense that it ended the same way season 3 had concluded, with Daniel and Johnny accepting that they had to work together and the promise that Terry Silver was now going to be the main villain. Apart from Robby and Johnny fixing their relationship at the end,Cobra Kaiseason 4 didn’t change the status quo of the show that much.
5Cobra Kai Season 6
2024-2025
Cobra Kai’s biggest and boldest installment, season 6 had 15 episodes instead of the usual 10 and was released in three parts. Given how divisive Netflix’s multi-part release strategy had been,Cobra Kaiseason 6 was bound to face some criticism in that regard. The release model itself was not too big of a problem since each part felt satisfying enough on its own, butthe best moments ofCobra Kaiseason 6 were saved for the final episodes.Part 1 felt like one big setup forthe Sekai Taikai, whereas Part 2 was all about the action.
It was only in Part 3 that we got to the moments everyone had been waiting for since the day the final season was announced, including but not limited to the resolution of John Kreese’s story,Johnny Lawrence reclaiming Cobra Kai, and Miguel returning to his original dojo.Some of the best, most well-acted scenes ofCobra Kaihappened in season 6, part 3, with the final five episodes elevating the rest of the final season and ending the show on a high note. That said, parts 1 and 2 were just not as strong.
4Cobra Kai Season 3
Between the Miguel cliffhanger from season 2, the pandemic, and the fact that the show was now available globally on a different streaming platform,season 3 was a new beginning forCobra Kai.Although the way the show handled Miguel’s recovery was not very satisfying and too rushed, the rest of the third season wasCobra Kaiat its best. The fights were more intense than ever, with most of them happening outside of the mat.
Every Karate Kid & Cobra Kai Cameo In Season 6’s Final Episodes
Cobra Kai’s final 5 episodes touched upon the legacy of The Karate Kid and the past of the Netflix series with many familiar faces returning.
Topping the school fight was arguably impossible, butCobra Kaiseason 3 managed to escalate things in a way that was both fun and concerning. The “karate war” that began in season 2 was now all over the Valley, and some characters, such as Hawk and Tory, were consolidated as villains – at least for a period. John Kreese’s takeover of Cobra Kai changed both the dojo and the show, as his influence was felt in every character. From Hawk breaking Demetri’s arm to Robby fighting his dad,season 3 had Kreese’s fingerprints all over it.
WhileCobra Kaiseason 3 was originally ordered by YouTube in 2019, the show was acquired by Netflix in 2020, with the new season arriving in 2021.
Ironically,season 3 is also whenCobra Kaibegan to flesh out John Kreese in a way that theKarate Kidmovies had never done.The flashbacks to Kreese’s time in Vietnam worked perfectly with the rest of the story and culminated in one of the best finales of the show. Seeing Johnny fight Kreese as we learned about the first time Kreese showed no mercy was an incredible way to wrap up the season, not to mention how theTerry Silver storylineconfirmed that the infamousKarate Kid3 villain was about to join the show.
3Cobra Kai Season 5
2022
Terry Silver may have returned in season 4, but it was in season 5 that theKarate Kid3villain stole the show. WithKreese in jail and Cobra Kai having just won the All-Valley, there was nothing or no one that could stop Silver.This allowedCobra Kaiseason 5 to have fun with one of the most charismatic characters of the franchise while making Silver a genuinely scary villain. Almost 40 years after Daniel was tricked into learning the Way of the Fist, Silver once again manipulates LaRusso and makes his life a living hell.
Bringing Chozen back was one of the best decisions Cobra Kai could have made.
Cobra Kaiseason 5 showed us Daniel at his lowest, which was a nice change of pacing after four seasons in which LaRusso seemed to have everything figured out. Unlike season 4, which went back and forth with the rivalries and never committed to settling them for good, season 5 embraced the fact that most of the characters were now becoming friends with each other. Miguel and Robby fought their problems out, whereas Sam and Tory realized they didn’t need to be enemies forever.
Everything Cobra Kai Season 6 Revealed About Mr. Miyagi’s Secret Past
Through a box full of Mr. Miyagi’s belongings, Daniel learns a lot more about Mr. Miyagi’s mysterious past in Cobra Kai season 6 than he ever expected
What truly makes season 5 a standout, however, is the return of Chozen Toguchi. From a villain who was willing to kill Daniel to the best friend someone could ask for, bringing Chozen back was one of the best decisionsCobra Kaicould have made. Wise as Daniel and reckless as Johnny, Chozen was exactly what we needed to counter Terry Silver.Season 5 also had one of the best finales of the show, with all three main villains Daniel LaRusso fought in theKarate Kidmovies teaming up against Terry Silver and his men.
2Cobra Kai Season 1
2018
Daniel LaRusso’s story continued for two more movies after the1984 All-Valley Karate Tournament, but what happened to Johnny Lawrence after the beginning ofThe Karate Kid Part IIis a question that no one had answered untilCobra Kaipremiered on YouTube. The premise of the show was simple yet fascinating –aKarate Kidstory where Johnny Lawrence, the bully fromThe Karate Kid, was now the masterwho would have to guide a kid who needed a role model and could use some karate.
Miguel was the new Karate Kid, yet he was learning Cobra Kai.
Cobra Kaiseason 1 is a fantastic lesson in how to honor something from the past and have fun with nostalgia while still doing something fresh. A few minutes into the first episode, it becomes clear that those behind the show areKarate Kidfans who love everything about that universe. However,Cobra Kaiseason 1 also introduced an all-new set of compelling characters, all of whom defied the expectations we could have based on the movies. Miguel was the new Karate Kid, yet he was learning Cobra Kai.
All 16 Karate Kid & Cobra Kai Villains, Ranked Worst To Best
The Karate Kid movies and Cobra Kai have introduced some excellent villains, but some have been far better developed (& are far eviler) than others.
Sam was Daniel’s daughter, yet, after training as a child, she was currently not interested in fighting. Instead, it’s Robby, Johnny’s son, who becomes Daniel’s first student on the show.Cobra Kaiseason 1 was a better sequel toThe Karate Kidthan all of the movies, but it was also a great show on its own even if you had never seen theKarate Kidfilms.
1Cobra Kai Season 2
2019
Cobra Kai’s moments of nostalgia are fun, but the show arguably shines the most when its original characters are the ones in the spotlight. This is whyCobra Kaiseason 2 is the best entry in the series.Following Kreese’s return and their victory at the All-Valley, the Cobra Kai dojo Johnny brought back was no longer just a place for kids to find strength and learn how to fight back. Johnny had opened a dangerous Pandora’s box, and now anything could happen.
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“Head of the Snake”
9.3/10
With the introduction of Tory and the start of her relationship with Miguel,Cobra Kainow had a complicated love quadrangle that, combined with the karate war between the dojos, split the main characters into two factions.Cobra Kaiseason 2 was no longer about tournaments and fighting against bullies, meaning there were characters we cared about on both sides. It all culminated in the school fight, which is not only the best season finale of the show but arguablyCobra Kai’s greatest episode.
Cobra Kai
Cast
Cobra Kai is a sequel series continuing the narrative of the Karate Kid saga, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It focuses on Johnny Lawrence seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.
