Cobra Kai‘s six-season run showed how to celebrate a classic project while still modernizing it for younger audiences, but there are still a few storylines to be resolved before the Karate Kid legacy series wraps up. By juxtaposing Johnny Lawrence’s (William Zabka) old-school way of living with the younger, much more forward-thinking group of young students, Cobra Kai created its own identity and set itself apart from the Karate Kid movies. The abrupt way the films ended probably won’t be replicated in the show, but seeing as there have been so many similarities and connections, some sort of happy ending is expected.
Returning to the Valley resonated with fans of the original trilogy, while the fresh new cast brought in younger audiences. Cobra Kai’s final season was taken to a whole new level with the Sekai Taikai championship, whose current status remains up in the air. With the last part of season 6 set to drop in 2025, there are still some issues that need to be resolved. The dynamics between Tory and Sam, Johnny and Kreese, and Robby and Miguel are just a few examples of storylines Cobra Kai has to tackle before it ends this year.
10
Master Serrano’s Connection To Mr. Miyagi
He was teased as someone who may know something more
With the Sekai Taikai tournament in full swing in Barcelona, Daniel LaRusso is still distracted by the Mr. Miyagi mystery. Season 6, episode 7, “Dog in the Fight” sees Daniel put himself in danger. After getting a mysterious note from Master Serrano, he leaves his charges to investigate further. While the whole ordeal seems to just be a distraction organized by Kreese (Martin Kove), there could still be something more to the story that changes what both Daniel and viewers thought about the usually peaceful and subdued sensei.
It will definitely be one of the topics that needs to be addressed in more detail to help solve the ongoing mystery.
While Daniel manages to escape, the whole ordeal causes tension with just about everyone in Daniel’s life, including his wife Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) and even Johnny. It will be interesting to see if there is trouble in paradise for the normally strong LaRusso, or if his relationship with Johnny falls at the final hurdle. A tense face-off with Kreese raises even more questions. A definitive explanation as to how Serrano and Mr. Miyagi interacted in the past could be offered via flashback for ultimate exposition.
9
Chozen’s Uncle’s History With Kim Sun-Yung
There’s more to the story
When a character in Cobra Kai offers an ambiguous reply or deep, wistful look at the end of a scene, it’s clear there’s more to the story than meets the eye. Sato has been a big part of the history of many of the characters’ training, and the influence of Master Kim was clearly an important one. When Chozen realizes the connection between Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) and the teachings from Sato, audiences are left wondering what actually happened in the past.
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Cobra Kai: Breaking Down Every Main Character’s Fighting Style & Training
Each of the main characters in Cobra Kai have a fighting style influenced by their respective dojos & the senseis who have taught them over the years.
With so many different sub-plots unfolding throughout Cobra Kai season 6, it remains to be seen whether there will be time to settle all the mysteries involving Chozen’s past. There are no doubt more flashbacks in store that will hopefully shed more light on this past connection. With Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) such a big part of Miyagi-Do and sharing so much with Daniel, the conclusion to this storyline is sure to pack a punch. Hopefully, it won’t end in betrayal, or the ultimate sacrifice.
8
The Impact of Kwon’s Death
The consequences could be dire
Kwon (Brandon H. Lee) was one of those classic antagonists who was menacing and anger-inducing. Since his introduction, he managed to strike fear in his opponents with his fierce fighting style and biting words. The stakes in Cobra Kai had been rising with each season, but having a character die unexpectedly was a big shock to both the viewers and the characters. As the huge brawl rages on and the dojos all go at it, Kwon accidentally stabs himself with Kreese’s eunjangdo.
Having such a young character meet their demise in such a public setting is sure to have a knock-on effect.
The students will no doubt have many conflicted feelings about this tragedy, especially as most of them have interacted with him in some way. It’s also unclear how this will affect the rest of the tournament. It’s unlikely the whole thing will be canceled, but it could very well be postponed. Especially after such an outbreak of violence. It would be sad to cut such a prominent story short and leave it with no resolution, and it feels like someone should be held responsible for the loss of life. Silver or Kreese could be the ones to take the fall for this, seeing as it is their methods that incited a lot of the deadly tactics.
7
Robby and Miguel’s Conflict
Rivals till the bitter end?
The fight to become captain of the male and female delegations of Miyagi-Do was a big plot point for the first part of season 6. The biggest rivalries were those between Samantha (Mary Mouser) and Tory (Peyton List), and Robby (Tanner Buchannan) and Miguel (Xolo Maridueña). While Sam won the captaincy after Tory left due to her mother’s death, the fight between the boys was much more evenly matched. Ultimately, Robby ended up being the victor, but his leadership was taken into question during the first few heats of the Sekai Taikai.
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Every Sam vs. Tory Fight In Cobra Kai, Ranked
Sam and Tory have clashed more than almost any two characters in Cobra Kai, and as their relationship has evolved, so have their fights.
While Robby and Tory decided to put their relationship on hold for the duration of the tournament, especially since she joined the rivaling Cobra Kai dojo, the feelings between the two were still abundant. Robby was constantly distracted by Tory during many of the fights and nearly cost Miyagi-Do a fighting shot. Miguel’s natural leadership abilities came into play as he challenged Robby multiple times during the last part of season 6. The previous moments of camaraderie between Robby and Miguel certainly call for some sort of resolution between the two.
6
Johnny and Kreese’s Story
They have a whole lot of history
Johnny Lawrence was a completely different person in The Karate Kid, all the way back in 1984. Fully dedicated to showing no mercy, and very much striking first, he was unlikable throughout most of the original ’80s run, until his abusive relationship with Kreese was explored a bit more. A cruel and demanding sensei, John Kreese taught his students to live by way of the fist. When he was reintroduced to audiences in Cobra Kai, this past was explored even more. If the creators decided to incorporate some of the pent-up anger that still consumes Johnny, an explosive final fight could be on the way.
With a lot of animosity but also a degree of respect and gratitude, the two have had more than their share of ups and downs that are sure to spill over to the final installment. As Kreese had shown some glimpses of growth in the latter seasons, it remains to be seen if any type of redemption arc is still on the cards. He could potentially sacrifice himself for his former student in some way, or even defect to the ways of Miyagi-Do. Either way, this relationship is due to some sort of closure.
5
The Conclusion of the Sekai Taikai Tournament
Will there be a winner?
With rivalries and competition at the heart of the series ever since the first Karate Kid film, this thread has been taken even further by season 6. Not only Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai competing against each other, but more dojos have been thrown into the mix in the second part of the final season. With episode 10 descending into chaos, it’s unclear what the future of the Sekai Taikai competition will be. Assuming it goes forward, there are a few ways the tournament could end.
Viewers had been switching allegiances between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do (and Eagle Fang at one point) depending on who was on which team.
With previous seasons mostly focusing on fights between various members of the two main dojos, the global championships have introduced a few more players into the mix. Viewers had been switching allegiances between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do (and Eagle Fang at one point) depending on who was on which team, but with Cobra Kai more firmly in the bad-guy territory, it would feel strange for them to win at this point. A win for Miyagi-Do would solidify their way of fighting as the way forward, but things are usually not so simple in Cobra Kai.
4
Samantha and Tory’s Re-Match
An actual victor must emerge
Since Tory showed up in season 2, the two leading ladies of Cobra Kai had been at each other’s throats, usually quite literally. While many of their scuffles were either broken up or interrupted, their only official match-up was at the All Valley tournament when Tory represented Cobra Kai and Sam fought for Miyagi-Do.
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Tory won the trophy, but it turned out that the referee had been bribed by Silver to ensure she was victorious. The former rivals had since found common ground and fought each other with newfound respect, but they still have yet to complete a fair face-off. With both fighters extremely ambitious and talented, it would be good to see them finally compete in a fair match with a clear victor crowned at the end. Each fighter has their own fans, so picking a winner between the two is now in the hands of the writers.
3
The Mr. Miyagi Mystery
Mr. Miyagi Had Secrets
Since the show returned with a bang and an epic ’80s soundtrack, Pat Morita’s absence was palpable, but his memory was honored at every turn. From his teachings being celebrated by Daniel himself and passed along to a new generation of students, it was always clear that Mr. Miyagi had left a lasting impression on all the characters he encountered. There had been some closure into how his relationship with Daniel had progressed towards the end of his life, and it was lovely to see that the two stayed close until his death.
As the show dug deeper into his mysterious past, the actual intricacies of what had happened have not been resolved. The final five episodes are bound to shed more light on the great man’s past, and how it all ties in with what’s going on in the present day. It’s been clear that his most precious student will stop at nothing to find out more about his former sensei. Those lengths could land not only Daniel but his family as well as his charges in trouble. It would make sense for Mr. Miyagi to somehow be able to pull off one more big save.
2
Johnny and Daniel’s Relationship
The original rivalry
The rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence has been 40 years in the making, with their bickering and hilarious banter adding so many laughs to the show for the past six seasons. Both came from very different backgrounds and their relationship with karate started out completely differently. One was instructed to show no mercy, while the other was taught to lead with compassion and peace. When they came back into each other’s lives, sparks immediately flew, and their differences were only exacerbated.
Throughout Cobra Kai‘s six seasons, the rivals grew closer and eventually became partners, and, sort of, friends. As the stress of the Sekai Taiaki gets to both of them, Daniel is more focused on the Mr. Miyagi mystery, leaving Johnny to lead the dojo himself. They argue, with no apparent resolution and the mid-season cliffhanger leaves audiences wondering how these two will end the whole show. It could be too much to ask for the dojos to merge forever and Johnny and Daniel always work together, but having them end on friendly terms would feel right.
1
Will This Actually Be The End?
The Karate Kid Franchise Is Continuing After All
Cobra Kai season 6, part 3 might be the end of the show, but it will not be the end of the franchise. Karate Kid is returning to the big screen with the upcoming Karate Kid: Legends, which sees Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprising their roles in a crossover. Despite Daniel’s role in the story, Karate Kid: Legends is better perceived as its own thing and not necessarily a sequel to Cobra Kai. That said, Cobra Kai has opened a lot of doors for potential spinoffs.
With so much attention given to Mr. Miyagi’s past in season 6, a prequel series about Daniel’s master seems like a very plausible option. Cobra Kai‘s creators have talked about how this is not the end of the “Miyagiverse,” but which other projects will happen remains to be seen. Regardless, Cobra Kai‘s final episodes. should still feel like a conclusion and not just a backdoor pilot for other projects.
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.
- Release Date
-
May 2, 2018
- Finale Year
-
November 30, 2024
- Cast
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Ralph Macchio
, William Zabka
, Courtney Henggeler
, Xolo Mariduena
, Tanner Buchanan
, Mary Mouser
, Peyton List
, Jacob Bertrand
, Gianni DeCenzo
, Dallas Dupree Young
, Vanessa Rubio
, Thomas Ian Griffith
, Martin Kove
, Cameron Markeles
, Talin Chat
, Samuel Goergen
, Rob Garrison
, Brandon Gibson
, Alan Heckner
, Kristin Brock
, Randee Heller
, Lara Silva
, David Kronawitter
, Dominick Racano
, Tony Bravado - Writers
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Josh Heald
, Ashley Darnall
, Chris Rafferty
, Bill Posley
