Cobra Kai Season 6 - Cast, Writer, And More Info
Much like Daniel LaRusso went from underdog to All-Valley karate champion, "Cobra Kai" has gone from a legasequel no one asked for or had too much faith in, to one of Netflix's biggest hits. The TV sequel to "Karate Kid" became a shining beacon amidst the fast-decaying YouTube Red streaming platform, offering a thrilling, compelling, and endlessly watchable story with complex characters and a fascinating story of legacy, rivalry, and generational patterns. All of this wrapped in a juicy karate-themed soap opera where everything and everyone revolved around the martial art.
When the show made the jump to Netflix, it became the closest thing to a live-action anime that we've got. Somehow, just like the "John Wick" movies revealed that the entire planet revolves around hitmen, "Cobra Kai" does the same with karate. Gangs are formed around competing dojos, no one seems to call the cops even when houses are broken into and kids are attacked at school. Everything gets resolved in karate tournaments.
The fifth season left off with the promise of the ultimate anime trope of them all — a tournament arc. Sure, we've seen tournaments in the show before, but none like the Sekai Taikai. Season 6 of "Cobra Kai" promises an epic, worldwide tournament to find the best karate dojo around. Still, there's a long way to go before we get to the final trophy. Here's everything we know about "Cobra Kai" season 6.
When does Cobra Kai season 6 premiere?
Unfortunately, we don't yet know when "Cobra Kai" will be released. Like many other shows, "Cobra Kai" was impacted by the dual strikes from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA hitting pause on production. Speaking with Collider, star Xolo Maridueña (now officially the first hero of the upcoming DC Universe) said that they managed to film one episode of season 6 of "Cobra Kai" before the strike. Now that both strikes are over, production is expected to resume soon. That being said, it is unlikely that the show will be finished and released until, at the very least, very late in 2024. Still, we'll update this post once we know more about the release of "Cobra Kai" season 6.
This just makes the anticipation for season 6 of "Cobra Kai" run even higher considering that Netflix is ending the show with this upcoming season. Cobra Kai may never die, but it will not go beyond six seasons. And it makes sense, given how the show is teasing the ultimate karate tournament, the one to end all tournaments. Once you compete against dojos from all around the world, where else is there to go?
What are the plot details of Cobra Kai season 6?
As mentioned, the show is heading to its very own anime tournament arc, and what's more fitting for the end of a "Karate Kid" story than a massive tournament?
Season 5 ended with both Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang qualifying for the international karate tournament Sekai Taikai while Cobra Kai crumbled and fell after the defeat (and arrest) of the psychopathic Terry Silver. This would mean there is no immediate threat or villain for the upcoming final season, but this is essentially anime now so evil never truly dies. In the final moments of season 5, we see none other than John Kreese escaping from prison. Not only that, but Kreese now has the loyalty and aid of Kim Da-Eun, a Korean sensei and the granddaughter of Kim Sun-yung — creator of the Cobra Kai style of karate, also known as the Way of the Fist.
In an interview with Variety, show co-creator Hayden Schlossberg said that part of the inspiration for the show going international in its final season came from the "Rocky" franchise. "Once it gets to that craziness [of fighting Mr. T], how do you top it?" Schlossberg asked. "Well, you get Russia and America and Drago."
Season 6 will also have to deal with the leftover drama of Cobra Kai (as we knew it) closing, and what happens to all the students therein. Given how brainwashed they were, will they join Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang? Will they form their own group? Or will Kreese get his hands on them? We'll find out soon enough.
Who is the cast of Cobra Kai season 6?
While we don't know a lot about season 6 of "Cobra Kai" yet, we do know most of the cast is returning, as Netflix did release a video of the first day of table reading for the sixth and final season. Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso, also set to appear in a "Karate Kid" movie with Jackie Chan) and William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence) are set to return, as are Xolo Maridueña (Miguel Diaz), Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso), Tanner Buchanan (Robby Keene), Peyton List (Tory Nichols), Dallas Dupree Young (Kenny Payne), Jacob Bertrand (Hawk Moskowitz), and Gianni DeCenzo (Demetri Alexopoulos) are all set to return, with Vanessa Rubio (Carmen Diaz) and Courtney Henggeler (Amanda LaRusso) returning too.
Additionally, it is all but given that Martin Kove (John Kreese) and Alicia Hannah-Kim (Kim Da-Eun) will show up, too. The question is how much of an anime finale this will be. Will Yuji Okumoto (Chozen) come back? How about Elisabeth Shue's Ali? Or Tamlyn Tomita's Kumiko? Will "Cobra Kai" finally bring Hilary Swank back as Julie Pierce, aka the "Next Karate Kid"? Or even Walton Goggins as Charlie? Fingers crossed that they do.
As for new faces, we know that C.S. Lee has been cast as Master Kim Sun-Yung, a character we had only seen in brief flashbacks played by Don Lee so far. Master Kim is the sensei who created the Way of the Fist style of karate that inspired Cobra Kai.
Who is the crew of Cobra Kai season 6?
There is no official list of directors or writers who are working on "Cobra Kai" season 6, but that doesn't mean we have no idea who is making the final season. For one, Josh Hald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg are back as creators and executive producers. The trio have been involved since the very beginning of "Cobra Kai" back when it streamed on YouTube Red, and they're not about to stop now.
As for other collaborators, on the writers front we have a good idea of who could be involved in season 6 given some of the more seasoned writers that have stuck with the show for years. Writers like Michael Jonathan Smith ("Twisted Metal"), Mattea Greene, Joe Piarulli ("Galavant") and Bill Posley ("Shrinking") have been involved with "Cobra Kai" for years, including the most recent fifth season. This means it is easy to assume they would return for the final season.
As for directors, there are seasoned directors like Jennifer Celotta ("The Office," "Abbott Elementary"), Joel Novoa ("Arrow"), and Marielle Woods ("Outlaw Empires"). Again, these directors have worked on the show the longest and for the most episodes, so it's unlikely they won't at least direct one episode of season 6 each.
Is there a trailer for Cobra Kai season 6?
We don't have a proper trailer teasing the story of season 6 of "Cobra Kai" just yet — likely since they haven't really filmed much of the season just yet. That being said, eager fans can see the very first tease of "Cobra Kai," with Netflix releasing a short video from the first day of production.
The video doesn't show anything about the story, but it does show the main cast returning to do a table read. Everyone from Ralph Macchio and William Zabka to Jacob Bertrand, and Mary Mouser are there, and we do hear a tiny bit of what the last season of "Cobra Kai" is about — the tournament. "Victorious dojos are immortalized, and for individual competitors, the sky is the limit," Gianni DeCenzo (Demetri) reads in the video, referring to the Sekai Taikai. "But before we throw our hats into the mat, there's one thing we need to do ... Decide our dojo name." That's right. In addition to the massive tournament, we're finally getting a proper, unified dojo combining Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do. We'll have to wait a bit longer to find out the new dojo name.