The end of "Cobra Kai" is on the horizon. The Netflix series based on the "Karate Kid" movies is set for a super-sized sixth and final season, which will be released in three parts over the course of nearly a year. That's a lengthy send-off for the show about once and future martial arts rivals Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio).
"Cobra Kai" began with Johnny reopening the Cobra Kai karate dojo, reigniting the competition between himself and Daniel, who reopened his own Miyagi-do dojo, in honor of his late sensei Mr. Miyagi. The competition between the two one-time enemies spilled over to their respective students, who clashed both in and out of the official martial arts arena.
In the most recent seasons, Johnny and Daniel have teamed up against more sadistic villains: Johnny's old sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) and the business mogul Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). They've gotten help from two of Daniel's other former rivals, Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto) and Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan).
The sixth season of one of the best Netflix original series will wrap up the story of Johnny and Daniel, with the possible return of a past enemy, plus new storylines and long-awaited resolutions for the numerous supporting characters.
Here's everything we know so far about "Cobra Kai" season 6.
'Cobra Kai' season 6 release date
There's good news and bad news for "Cobra Kai" fans about the release of the sixth and final season.
The good news is that the season will consist of 15 episodes, which is expanded from the 10 episodes in each of the first five seasons. The bad news is that viewers will have to wait nearly a year for all of those episodes to be available, since Netflix is splitting up the release of the season into three parts. The first five episodes will premiere on July 18, while the second set of five episodes is set for Nov. 28.
The third and final part of "Cobra Kai" season 6 (subtitled "The Finale Event") will premiere sometime in 2025, and it's likely to be out before the new "Karate Kid" movie, which opens in theaters on May 30, 2025.
That movie will feature Ralph Macchio continuing his role as Daniel LaRusso, alongside Jackie Chan reprising his Mr. Han role from the 2010 "Karate Kid" remake, with newcomer Ben Wang as their young trainee. The movie's release date was moved in order not to conflict with "Cobra Kai," which means that those final episodes will definitely premiere first.
'Cobra Kai' season 6 trailers
Along with the date announcement for "Cobra Kai" season 6, Netflix released a short teaser with some quick glimpses of what to expect from the final season. In less than a minute, the trailer shows students training in the Miyagi-do Karate backyard, along with brawls in what look like an arcade and a batting cage. "Cobra Kai is back," says John Kreese (Martin Kove), a reference not only to the return of the show but also to Kreese's return from prison to possibly restart the Cobra Kai dojo.
There's even a brief clip from Johnny and Daniel's fight in the original "Karate Kid" movie. It's not a lot to go on, but it offers an enticing tease for the excitement to come in the final season.
'Cobra Kai' season 6 cast
All of the major cast members are expected to return in "Cobra Kai" season 6, led by William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence and Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso.
They'll be joined by Martin Kove as John Kreese, the former owner of Cobra Kai and Johnny's abusive mentor, as well as Yuji Okumoto as Chozen, the sensei of Miyagi-do in Okinawa.
Johnny and Daniel's families will also be in the mix, including Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso (Daniel's wife); Vanessa Rubio as Carmen Diaz (Johnny's girlfriend and Miguel's mother); Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso, Daniel's daughter; Griffin Santopietro as Anthony LaRusso, Daniel's son; Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, Johnny's son; and Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz.
The official Netflix cast list includes other major students and karate enthusiasts returning as well, including:
- Peyton List as Tory Nichols
- Jacob Bertrand as Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz
- Gianni Decenzo as Demetri Alexopoulos
- Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny Payne
- Oona O'Brien as Devon Lee
One major new casting announcement for "Cobra Kai" season 6 is C.S. Lee as Master Kim Sun-Young, a much-discussed character who's appeared (played by other actors) in flashbacks in both the original "Karate Kid" movie and in previous episodes of "Cobra Kai." Although he's been presumed dead, he may very well be the main antagonist of "Cobra Kai" season 6.
Alicia Hannah-Kim, who guest-starred as Master Kim’s granddaughter Kim Da-Eun in the fifth season, has been added to the main cast, making it even more likely that she and/or her grandfather will play a major role in the final storylines.
Season 6 may also bring back Sean Kanan as Mike Barnes, formerly known as the "bad boy of karate" who once worked for Terry Silver. As for that villain, we wouldn't be surprised at all to see Thomas Ian Griffith again as Silver — possibly in prison. Given his past association with Master Kim, he'll probably make an appearance.
The series has now drawn past characters from three of the Karate Kid movies — which gives fans hope of seeing Hilary Swank reprise her role as Julie Pierce from "The Next Karate Kid." As of now, that doesn't seem likely, since Swank told Collider simply, "I don't think I am, unfortunately," when asked about the possibility of appearing on "Cobra Kai." That doesn't rule out a surprise cameo, of course.
'Cobra Kai' season 6 plot and season 5 ending, explained
The Cobra Kai season 5 finale features an epic showdown divided into two parts. Johnny, Chozen and Mike take on Terry Silver and his sensei thugs at Silver's house, while the Miyagi-do/Eagle Fang students break into Cobra Kai to swipe footage that will reveal Silver's evil doings to the world.
While Silver manages to slice Chozen across the back, Johnny is able to subdue the thugs — with an assist from Mike.
Meanwhile, Daniel races to the Cobra Kai dojo, where his students (including daughter Sam and son Anthony) are brawling with their foes. The Miyagi-do kids are able to upload video of Silver bribing a referee to give Tory the win over Sam in the All Valley tournament.
Silver arrives on scene and challenges Daniel to a karate duel. Fortunately, Daniel prevails. The Cobra Kai students, disgusted with Silver, toss their uniforms. Johnny and Chozen show up, reuniting with their friends and loved ones. Sam and Miguel kiss and makeup, as do Robby and Tory.
Behind bars, John Kreese appears dead after being stabbed by a fellow inmate. It turns out to be a ruse and the blood is merely melted red Jello. Kreese knocks out the guards, takes a doctor's coat and uses a stolen pass to waltz out of prison. Cobra Kai truly never dies.
The official season 6 synopsis from Netflix reads: "Picking up with Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley, our senseis and students must decide if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai — the world championships of karate."
That description implies that the Sekai Taikai tournament will be the main focus of the extended final season, and it seems likely that Master Kim and/or his granddaughter Kim Da-Eun will provide an obstacle for the students of Cobra Kai and Miyagi-do in competing in that important championship.
In season 6, Kreese may also seek revenge on Johnny and Daniel for tricking him into helping them fight Silver. He likely will want to regain control over Cobra Kai. It's unclear if Silver's legal troubles will bar Cobra Kai from competing, but Kreese could find a way to lead them instead.
Another unknown factor is Daniel's main role in the upcoming "Karate Kid" film. Although the creators of "Cobra Kai" are not involved in the movie, it's clearly meant as the next chapter in the franchise, and Daniel's final fate may set up a new status quo for him going into the movie.
No matter what happens, "Cobra Kai" will get a proper send-off as the creators intend. "We wanted to go out on our own terms," co-creator Josh Heald told The Hollywood Reporter. “We grew up with the 'Karate Kid' franchise, and we have so much respect for the universe. We wanted to expand the universe in all the ways we have. Between seasons five and six, we approached Netflix and said, 'We're ready to bring this in for a landing.' We told them the story that we wanted to tell, and they supported the decision."
