Cobra Kai (Season 6)

Creators: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Starring: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Peyton List, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni DeCenzo, Dallas Dupree Young, Vanessa Rubio, Martin Kove, Thomas Ian Griffith, Yuji Okumoto, Oona O'Brien, Griffin Santopietro, Alicia Hannah-Kim, Brandon H. Lee, Carsten Nørgaard, Lewis Tan, Patrick Luwis, Rayna Vallandingham
Original Airdate: 2025

**The Following Review Contains Major Plot Spoilers**

★★★★ (out of ★★★★)

After eight years, six seasons and two streaming services, the most creatively successful legacy sequel yet takes its final bow and the timing feels just right. It's a far cry from when the mere suggestion of a Karate Kid follow-up set decades after the original's events prompted skepticism and ridicule. But creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg had a clever hook. And while it's one thing to come up with a great pitch, it's another to make that a reality by following through as skillfully as they have with Cobra Kai. 

In speculating what became of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) following his devastating loss to Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) in the 1984 All-Valley Karate Tournament, the showrunners devised a plan that not only answered that question in endlessly satisfying ways, but bridged an elusive audience age gap by giving equal attention to the original characters and the generation following them.

As it turns out, neither Johnny, Daniel or ruthless Sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) ever really moved past what happened, as Johnny's resurrection of the Cobra Kai dojo (along with its "Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy" karate philosophy) had far reaching implications over these past six seasons, spawning even more conflicts and alliances. 

At the series' heart was always Johnny's struggle to escape his troubled past, resulting in a redemptive arc that's now reached its climax. With the show's mission largely accomplished, only a few more puzzle pieces remain, along with one of Miyagi-Do's biggest challenges in preparing for the world's toughest, most respected karate tournament. And just when you thought Cobra Kai was dead, it's back as a new, more dangerous incarnation led by a pair of familiar faces. This combined with Johnny's personal trials and Daniel's attempts at reckoning with a recent discovery help make for a jam packed send-off.

Fresh off the heels of Cobra Kai's demise and Terry Silver's (Thomas Ian Griffith) arrest, Miyagi-Do begins training for the prestigious Sekai Taikai karate tournament under the tutelage of Daniel, Johnny and Chozen (Yuji Okumoto). But with the senseis clashing over their conflicting philosophies, Kreese arrives South Korea following his prison escape to revive a lethal new version of Cobra Kai alongside Kim Dae-Un (Alicia Hannah-Kim). 

As Miyagi-Do teammates vie to compete in the tourney, Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), Robby (Tanner Buchanan) and Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) contemplate their post-karate futures, while Sam (Mary Mouser) and Tory's (Peyton List) burgeoning friendship gets interrupted by tragedy. Upon their arrival in Barcelona, Myagi-Do must not only contend with Cobra Kai's bloodthirsty new captain Kwon (Brandon H. Lee), but Sensei Wolf's (Lewis Tan) even more sadistic Iron Dragons dojo, With Daniel distracted by a shocking revelation about Mr. Miyagi's past and Johnny nervously preparing for Carmen (Vanessa Rubio) to give birth, their biggest threat waits in the wings, plotting to enact revenge at any cost.

From the moment this kicks off, the clock starts ticking down to when and how Silver will reemerge. And considering we last saw him being  dragged off to jail after framing Kreese, it was always a safe bet he wouldn't stay down for long. The reveal itself is worth the wait, but before that comes Miyagi-Do's tournament preparation, which revolves heavily around Daniel and Johnny's shaky alliance. 

Since the show's always excelled at taking the uncontrollable Johnny out of his comfort zone and  letting hilarity ensue with Zabka's performance, having him work for Daniel at LaRusso Auto Group is one of those great ideas you can't believe they were able to hold off on until now. And it's no surprise Johnny excels at it since he's always been a used car salesman of sorts, playing up the confident bravado despite considering himself a failure as a father, sensei and competitor. But lately, he's come closer to overcoming that, with Zabka and the writers gradually adding layers to a character who before this series was better known as an iconic but one-dimensional 80's bully.

If Kreese's salvation was teased throughout Season 5, he spends a good portion of this one reminding us of his true colors. And if there's endless entertainment found in Johnny selling cars, there may be even more in his former mentor getting bitten by and attempting to behead an actual cobra. 

Utilizing Kwon as Cobra Kai's secret weapon, Kreese is more determined than ever to bring down Miyagi-Do, temporarily blinding him from the real enemy. Only this time his actions have horrific consequences, the least of which involve swaying an extremely vulnerable Tory back to the dark side following her mother's death. Understandably, her heart isn't in it anymore, lashing out the only way she knows how.  

As the series' unheralded MVP for a few seasons running, Peyton List again believably demonstrates how Tory, like Johnny, can be her own worst enemy, often unable to stop self sabotaging any shot she has at potential happiness. But despite pushing away Robby, Sam and the rest of Miyagi-Do, you get the impression she's grown tired of being angry, as if she needs to get it all out of her system before somehow finding the strength to continue on. 

The Sekai Taikai stands out from other competitions we've seen on the show not just due to venue, setting or how its shot, but by giving viewers an opportunity to see Miyagi-Do pulverized by superior opponents. That's especially true for the distracted Robby, whose concern for girlfriend Tory causes him to falter, leading Miguel to emerge as the team's true captain as he attempts to motivate his friend and former rival. 

Known for its thrillingly choreographed fight sequences, the show still manage to raise the bar in a season that features multiple antagonists on and off the mat. But their biggest physical challenge comes from The Iron Dragons, captained by the intimidating, Dolph Lungren-like Axel (Patrick Luwis) and social media superstar Zara (13-time Taekwondo world champion Rayna Vallandingham), both of whom are dynamic enough to top any wish list of candidates for a potential spin-off. Led by the abusive Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan), it'll come as no surprise who he takes his marching orders from. 

Keeping with tradition, there's a chaotic, drag out brawl that earns comparisons to some previous cliffhangers like the second season school fight. But what sets Sekai's smackdown apart are the horrific consequences caused by Kreese, who crosses a line in his obsession with Silver that's officially too far to walk back, nearly destroying everything and everyone around him. It's only after this that it becomes painfully clear what he needs to do.

One of the season's more prominent sub-plots involves Daniel's investigation into Miyagi's past, especially considering he even leaves the team high and dry to follow a false lead. As Daniel considers his idol may not have been as morally flawless as he thought, we're reminded how the series has always fared best when incorporating Miyagi's legacy through his teachings. So while nothing he allegedly did decades ago could really diminish Daniel or anyone else's opinion of him, we know there's a logical explanation coming. 

What we do get out of this are a couple of memorable dream sequences, and even if a digitized deep-fake Miyagi distracts more than impresses, Brian Takahashi's performance as his younger counterpart hits the mark, as does the concept behind a scene involving Daniel being attacked by a gang of costumed skeletons from his past. 

Whether it's a rejected, despondent Chozen's surprising bond with adversary Kim, the culmination of Kenny (Dallas Dupree Young) and Anthony's (Griffin Santopietro) long running feud or Devon's (Oona O'Brien) secret prank, the writers get much of the supporting characters' business out of the way early. They also wisely tackle the birth of Carmen and Johnny's baby and his inevitable proposal well before the finale, clearing a path for those last two episodes.

The explanation for how the Sekai Taikai could possibly continue after what happened to Kwon is actually a pretty good one. And as much as Silver wants it resumed for purely selfish reasons, it's equally hard for everyone else to deny they need it to continue also. The argument that this tournament can't end in disgrace is about as good a defense as it gets, if just suitable enough for Sekai's hard nosed director/emcee Gunther (Carsten Nørgaard in an underappreciated turn) to accept. 

While the tournament finds a new home in the Valley, there's still the issue of a decimated Cobra Kai that can't possibly return with a culpable Kreese at the helm. So it's only fitting that after Miyagi-Do's loss, Miguel and Tory again don the black and yellow to take down The Iron Dragons under Johnny's guidance. It also feels right that Robby and Sam have reached the point where they no longer need this, internalizing Miyagi's biggest lesson about karate's true purpose. Despite lying on a stretcher with a broken leg, Robby realizes he couldn't be more grateful for what this entire experience has done for him. As for Sam, she's gotten all she can out of this and just seems excited to move on.

Even if the plot machinations behind getting Johnny on that mat for a final shot at redemption against the formidable Wolf seems crazy on the surface, it needs to happen for his story to come full circle. And while seeing Daniel in his corner wearing Cobra Kai black is a trip in itself, Johnny still has unfinished business left with a somber, remorseful Kreese.

Since the first film's aftermath remains a debated topic even among diehard fans, it's surreal watching Kreese tearfully admit that Johnny's display of sportsmanship after that loss proved how much more of a man the student was than his teacher. It wasn't the losing that destroyed Johnny, but when Kreese berated and assaulted him in that parking lot, failing a kid who saw his sensei not just as a mentor, but the father he never had. Now as Kreese finally takes responsibility for his role in Johnny's downward spiral, Zabka and Kove deliver the best scene of the entire series, giving their characters a catharsis that feels forty years in the making.

When a winded, bloodied Johnny miraculously defeats Wolf to earn the self respect that's long eluded him, it's Daniel offering the same congratulations Johnny did in their '84 fight, bringing it all back around. But Kreese is busy finishing his own war after recognizing that vengeful look in his ex-Vietnam buddy's eyes. With Silver determined to use what little time he has left for the most vile act possible, Kreese sacrifices himself to save Johnny. It's not about redemption or forgiveness, but a chance to set things right, finally using his violent methods for a noble cause.  

Curiously, we're led to believe Johnny and Daniel haven't a clue their arch enemies perished in that boat explosion, or at least there's no indication they do. Besides a passing nod to Silver's mysterious absence during the big fight, it remains a small, dangling thread. Whether that's due to time constraints or a conscious creative decision not to distract from Johnny's otherwise uplifting ending, details like this aren't usually accidents.

Johnny's visit to his mother's grave could have easily been a trip to Kreese's, but wasn't, making us wonder if they're leaving some wiggle room for the possibility he survived, which isn't a stretch seeing how Johnny already began this series believing his former sensei had died. But assuming the bodies and wreckage were recovered, it still wouldn't have hurt to get Johnny and Daniel's reactions, if only to see how they'd process it. Either way, the last minutes are well spent, giving these characters the closure they deserve and offering reassurance their world will continue long after those credits roll. 

From "Ace Degenerate" to Ex-Degenerate," this was always Johnny's story, and now it's complete, with Sensei Lawrence back in his Cobra Kai dojo, still insulting and motivating students with his tough love approach. Armed with the knowledge that a multi-faceted method works best, he's realized there's no Cobra Kai without Miyagi-Do or vice versa. And just as those two disciplines can now peacefully co-exist, so too can Daniel and Johnny.

While certain questions remain, Heald and Hurwitz stick the landing, with a major caveat being that this may not be over. With a Karate Kid spin-off feature on the horizon, it's entirely possible for more chapters to be written in the "Miyagiverse." And after seeing what they did here, that hypothetical pitch for a Back to the Future series suddenly doesn't sound like such a crazy idea after all.