Cobra Kai has reached its conclusion on Netflix bringing the popular karate action series to a close after six seasons. Starting its journey on YouTube Red back in 2018 Cobra Kai wrapped up its story with a final season consisting of 65 episodes navigating Hollywood strikes and a platform change to Netflix.
Every Cobra Kai character received a satisfying resolution in the final five episodes of Season 6 Part 3 after years of striking first and showing no mercy. The Sekai Taikai tournament which faced disruption due to a tragic event is back on track much to the delight of Daniel (Ralph Macchio) Johnny (William Zabka) and their students.
The championship matches narrowed down to the Iron Dragons led by Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan) and Cobra Kai now under Johnny's guidance after a meaningful reconciliation between him and Kreese (Martin Kove). Tory (Peyton List) secured victory in the girls championship against Zara (Rayna Valladingham) while Miguel (Xolo Mariduena) substituting for an injured Robby (Tanner Buchanan) won the boys final against Axel (Patrick Luwis). A tie in points between Cobra Kai and the Iron Dragons led to a final showdown between the senseis. In a full circle moment Johnny triumphed over Wolf finally claiming a championship more than four decades after his loss to Daniel in The Karate Kid.
Ultimately Johnny graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and purchased a home for his expanding family. He and Daniel forged a genuine friendship teaching offense and defense to new Cobra Kai students. Robby and Tory became karate ambassadors and Sam (Mary Mouser) embarked on an exchange program to Okinawa but not before Miguel postponed his Stanford move to travel with her.
Speaking with Variety creators Josh Heald Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg discussed the final episodes cameos and the future of the Cobra Kai universe. They also talked about recreating Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi for the episode “Skeletons” where Daniel confronts his past alongside his late mentor.
What The Cobra Kai Series Finale Means For The Karate Kid Universe
Johnny Lawrence's Redemption Arc Concludes In A Satisfying Way
Josh Heald explained that they always intended to reach this ending. "This is the ending we wanted to build up to" Heald stated. "That’s not to say every word of dialogue and every character who’s on screen for the last episode was firmly in our heads — that would be insane to keep that much story in there — but in terms of the the big story beats themes moments the way that Johnny lands the way Daniel resolves all those big feelings we had that plan in our heads." Heald added that while the Sekai Taikai's specifics were unforeseen they were pleased to achieve their intended conclusion for the series.
Hayden Schlossberg highlighted the emotional depth of the final scenes particularly Johnny's reconciliation with Kreese. "The one that stands out to me is the scene between Johnny and Kreese where they have this intense talk and Johnny airs out all his grievances and Kreese apologizes" Schlossberg shared. "You see this student who wants to forgive and can’t forgive but at least can accept the fact that Kreese gave him certain qualities that he does like. That allows him to move on and be able to take back Cobra Kai." He emphasized the intensity of the scene amplified by the actors' 40-year on-screen relationship making it deeply affecting for fans.
Jon Hurwitz emphasized Johnny's evolution while staying true to his core character. " Johnny Lawrence is Johnny Lawrence till the end but he’s a more evolved version" Hurwitz noted. "We didn’t want him to suddenly be Mr. Nice Guy and soft. He’s still a badass. He’s still gonna tell it like it is but we now understand that it’s coming from a good place." He described the final Cobra Kai dojo scene as powerful showing Johnny finally mastering Cobra Kai's ethos to inspire his students positively.
The Cobra Kai Credo Remains But With Evolved Interpretation
Heald discussed the extensive deliberations about the Cobra Kai credo. "We had every type of discussion you could imagine about the Cobra Kai credo. 'Does it change? Is it there at all? Is it something new? Does it evolve?'" Heald said. They decided to maintain the original credo focusing on the teacher's role in interpreting and wielding its power. "We landed where we landed because it felt the most authentic to Cobra Kai. This show wasn’t about Cobra Kai in and of itself changing. It was about the person who’s teaching those lessons wielding its power and teaching everybody in that room what it means and interpreting it for them."
Mr. Miyagi's Return Through AI Was A Homage
Hurwitz detailed the process of bringing Mr. Miyagi back using AI. Don Lee the fight choreographer served as the body double. "That was actually Don Lee our fight choreographer. He’s built similarly to Pat Morita. He’s a little bit thinner than Pat was so he had to put a pillow up his shirt." Hurwitz explained. He mentioned Ralph Macchio's input and the desire to give Daniel a final lesson from Miyagi. Schlossberg described the iterative process of refining the AI to make it believable and less jarring recognizing the inherent challenge. "You just keep at it. You see each version evolve and it gets less disturbing and horrific each Time . Those first ones are very dispiriting and you’re like 'Oh my God did we go down the wrong path here?'" Schlossberg admitted.
Heald clarified that no archival footage was used. "There’s no archival footage in there. We shot Don the fight and the entrance practically. So that existed in camera." He explained the use of deepfake technology and numerous iterations to refine the likeness. "We went through 50 iterations and then we bring in a voice-soundalike actor to deliver the lines and emote like Pat Morita might and like we remembered. Then you apply an AI filter that uses archival audio from Pat Morita to get that voice dialed as close as possible." Heald emphasized it was an homage rather than a true recreation aiming for the closest possible likeness while acknowledging the audience's awareness of Mr. Miyagi's absence.
Creators Had Meta Cameos
Heald mentioned their cameos in a meta scene at the "Best Friend" restaurant. "Gratuitously Jon and I were looking to do a little something in the show. Hayden ingeniously cast himself as Terry Silver’s attorney." Heald stated. They aimed for a subtle cameo that didn't disrupt the plot. The scene involved discussing an 80s property revisiting aligning with the show's meta-narrative. "Since we’re in LA they can be producers and they can be talking about an inspired revisiting of an ’80s property. It was very meta for those two characters to be having that kind of discussion within the context of this show." Heald added.
The Karate Kid Universe Will Expand
Regarding the future Heald confirmed plans to expand the Karate Kid universe. "We have plans to overstay our welcome in this universe as much as they’ll let us" Heald revealed. While details are under wraps they are in ongoing discussions about continuing stories within this universe. "Cobra Kai never dies but the series 'Cobra Kai' is ending. This is the finale of the mothership but that’s not to say we’re never going to see these people again." Heald concluded hinting at potential spinoffs and continuations.
Our Take On The Cobra Kai Series Finale
A Fitting and Emotional Conclusion With Room For More
The Cobra Kai series finale delivers a satisfying and emotionally resonant conclusion to the main storyline while cleverly leaving the door open for future expansions. Johnny Lawrence’s journey reaches a high point with his championship win and personal growth offering a rewarding payoff for long-time fans. The use of AI to bring back Mr. Miyagi is a poignant tribute adding a layer of nostalgia and emotional depth even if it treads slightly into uncanny territory for some viewers. The creators' dedication to character development and franchise authenticity is apparent throughout the finale. While Cobra Kai series concludes the spirit of Cobra Kai and the wider Karate Kid universe looks set to continue. The finale manages to be both an ending and a beginning suggesting exciting possibilities for the franchise.
Source: Variety, Time, ew, Screenrant