It’s true—the legacy of Cobra Kai never dies. But the show, in fact, does. Netflix’s original series, Cobra Kai, aired its third and final part of season six on February 13th, 2025. A spin-off of the original Karate Kid movies, Cobra Kai brought fans back to where it all started—the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California—with a ton of nostalgia mixed with trite jokes. Since the start of Cobra Kai in 2018, fans from all over the world have been wanting more, resulting in five additional seasons to season one. Indian Hills senior Tal Yoffe comments, “Cobra Kai was the best show on Netflix. Cobra Kai’s corny jokes were funny and added a great part, but keep in mind the karate was the best part with the rivalries between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso.”
Cobra Kai has brought in many characters from the original three Karate Kid movies, all played by their original actors. Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) returns as a main character alongside Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the antagonist from the first film. The series follows Johnny’s journey from rock bottom in Season One to redemption in Season Six, symbolized by the first episode titled “Ace Degenerate” and the final episode, “Ex-Degenerate.” Some other characters include Martin Kove’s John Kreese, Thomas Ian Griffith’s Terry Silver, Sean Kanan’s Mike Barnes, and Yuji Okumoto’s Chozen Toguchi, who redeemed himself and became a friend after being the second Karate Kid movie’s antagonist. While Kreese and Silver remain true villains, most of the former antagonists become allies to Johnny and Daniel.
Despite the presence of old favorites, Cobra Kai’s new characters significantly contributed to the show. Daniel’s daughter, Sam LaRusso (Mary Mouser), and Johnny’s son, Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), navigate their own conflicts influenced by their fathers. Initially, Robby harbors resentment toward Johnny, but over time, their strained relationship evolves into a strong bond. Similarly, Sam and Daniel drift apart during her teenage years but gradually reconnect.
Among the younger cast, Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) stands out as a fan favorite. Miguel was a teenager getting bullied in school after just moving to the valley, and with no father figure in his life, he looked up to Johnny, who was living across from him in an apartment complex. Miguel trained with Johnny, quickly becoming the best fighter in the valley and winning the all-valley karate tournament. Indian Hills junior Dean Tully remarks, “Miguel was kinda the main person in Cobra Kai, and he went from a troubled teen to someone who reflects discipline and growth. He became a skilled fighter because of it. He also kinda tied a lot of people together.” Though Miguel doesn’t always make the right decisions, his ultimate goal is for everyone to get along. Tully adds, “I liked him as a character. He wasn’t always my favorite in the first season because he seemed a little on edge, but he grew on me.”
While Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso had their problems, teenage drama also swarmed into the show along the way. One of the most intense moments came in the Season Two finale when a fight between Robby and Miguel left Miguel paralyzed. Initially, he resents Johnny, but their bond is restored as Johnny helps him recover. Later, in Season Five, Miguel and Robby reconcile after Johnny forces them to settle their differences in a fight.
The series finale also featured the high-stakes Sekai Taikai Boys Championship, where Miguel’s victory tied Cobra Kai with the rival dojo, the Iron Dragons. This led to a dramatic sensei battle between Johnny and the Iron Dragons’ younger instructor, Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan). When all odds were against Johnny, he suddenly used everything he learned from Sensei Chozen and Sensei LaRusso and beat Sensei Wolf because he wanted it more than anything. There are so many parallels between the original movies and the show, like when Daniel LaRusso beats Johnny Lawerence in the first Karate Kid movie, Johnny says, “You’re alright, LaRusso,” and after Johnny beats Sensei Wolf in the final episode, Daniel says to him, “You’re alright, Lawrence.”
Other notable teenage characters include Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz (Jacob Bertrand), Demetri (Gianni DeCenzo), Kenny Payne (Dallas Dupree Young), Devon Lee (Oona O’Brien), and Miguel’s longtime bully, Kyler Park (Joe Seo). Yoffe reflects, “I saw a big reflection on the characters and different karate styles, and how it all merged together at the end. Cobra Kai Never Dies!” Adult characters also played a key role, including Johnny’s love interest and Miguel’s mother, Carmen (Vanessa Rubio), and Daniel’s wife, Amanda LaRusso (Courtney Henggeler).
Indian Hills junior Danyal Mohani laments, “I will see that something will be missing next year when I’m looking for a show to watch.” Fortunately, fans at Hills might not have to say goodbye forever. One of the show’s creators, Hayden Schlossberg, has hinted at future projects involving Cobra Kai’s new characters, ensuring that, in some way, Cobra Kai truly never dies.
