Everything you need to know about Cobra Kai season 6

Johnny and Robby Lawrence cheering in a restaurant in a scene from Cobra Kai season 5.
Netflix

In 2018, Sony Pictures TV teamed up with YouTube Red to produce Cobra Kai, a sequel series to the hit Karate Kid films from the 1980s. Most notably, both of The Karate Kid‘s surviving primary stars, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, signed on to reprise their respective roles as former rivals Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. The show picked up decades later, as Johnny revived the Cobra Kai dojo to turn his life around and mentor the next generation of martial arts enthusiasts. Daniel took that as a sign to start up his own dojo, and his rivalry with Johnny was born again.

Netflix picked up Cobra Kai after the second season, and the show has become an even bigger hit. Now, Cobra Kai is in production on its sixth and final season, but this series may not be the end of the Miyagi-verse that began in 1984 with The Karate Kid. Here’s everything we know about Cobra Kai season 6 to prepare you for the new season.

What happened in Cobra Kai season 5?

William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, and Yuji Okumoto stand in track suits in a scene from Cobr Kai season 5.
Netflix

In Cobra Kai season 5, the Cobra Kai dojo was ascendant after Tory Nichols’ victory in the All-Valley Karate Tournament. Daniel was despondent, and he disbanded his Miyagi-Do dojo. Meanwhile, Johnny did not give up on bringing down Terry Silver, the man who usurped control of Cobra Kai and was even more underhanded than Johnny’s imprisoned mentor, John Kreese. Eventually, Johnny and another one of Daniel’s ex-rivals, Chozen Toguchi, were able to reinvigorate Daniel’s fighting spirit to save the soul of the valley’s karate competition.

With the help of Tory and the other students who remained loyal to Daniel and Johnny, their combined dojo managed to get the evidence that Silver bribed judges at the All-Valley tournament to ensure Tory’s victory. That was enough to get Silver arrested. Meanwhile, Kreese faked his death in prison and successfully escaped to get his revenge on both Johnny and Daniel.

Is there a trailer for Cobra Kai season 6?

Yes, there is! After months of waiting, Netflix has debuted the first trailer for Cobra Kai season 6 part 1, and it reveals that there are still some simmering tensions in the unified dojo. That’s especially true for Johnny and Daniel, who just can’t seem to see eye-to-eye about what’s best for their students.

Cobra Kai Season 6: Part 1 | Official Trailer | Netflix

Netflix has also released a brief synopsis for the season, which may hint at a more international scope if the kids under Johnny and Daniel step up to face the best karate experts in the world. This also raises the question about which of the students will make the cut.

“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.”

Who is in the cast for Cobra Kai season 6?

The following cast members are either confirmed or extremely likely to return for Cobra Kai season 6.

  • Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso

  • William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence

  • Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso

  • Xolo Maridue?a as Miguel Diaz

  • Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene

  • Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso

  • Jacob Bertrand as Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz

  • Martin Kove as John Kreese

  • Peyton List as Tory Nichols

  • Vanessa Rubio as Carmen Diaz

  • Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny Payne

Following the arrest of Terry Silver in Cobra Kai‘s fifth season finale, it’s unknown if Thomas Ian Griffith will be in the regular cast for the final season. However, it would be shocking if Silver doesn’t show up again. Cobra Kai also has a large supporting cast of performers who have appeared regularly. Sony Pictures TV has yet to confirm which supporting characters will return next season.

Will Hilary Swank guest star in Cobra Kai season 6?

Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid.
Netflix

There is no definitive answer for that yet. The producers of the show seem interested in having Hilary Swank reprise her role as Julie Pierce from The Next Karate Kid, since she was the last known student of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). Since Macchio’s Daniel did not return for The Next Karate Kid, he never shared the screen with Julie, and it’s unknown if he ever met her.

During a December 2023 interview with Deadline, showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg noted that they are all fans of Swank, a two-time winner for Best Actress at the Oscars. The showrunners also left the door open for Swank or other veterans from the Karate Kid movies to appear in the final season. Swank most recently starred in Alaska Daily for ABC, which has now been canceled. Whether that will allow Swank to appear on Cobra Kai remains to be seen.

Who is C.S. Lee playing in Cobra Kai season 6?

C.S. Lee in Dexter.
Showtime

As revealed in November 2023 via Deadline, Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s C.S. Lee is one of the major additions to Cobra Kai season 6. Lee will step into the role of Master Kim Sun-Young, the man who originated the ruthless Cobra Kai fighting style, The Way of the Fist. Master Kim has previously appeared in flashbacks in The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai, with Jun Chong and Don Lee, respectively, playing the part.

Because Master Kim is dead, Lewis’ appearances in Cobra Kai are likely to be flashbacks. Master Kim is also the grandfather of Kim Da-Eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim), a character introduced in Cobra Kai season 5.

How many episodes will be in Cobra Kai season 6?

There will be 15 episodes in Cobra Kai season 6, making it the longest season to date. That’s also the reason why the season is being split into three five-episode parts.

Is the new Karate Kid movie connected to Cobra Kai season 6?

Jackie Chan in The Karate Kid (2010).
Sony Pictures

No. The new movie is not directly connected to Cobra Kai, but they will maintain continuity between each other.

“We share a universe, but it’s a big universe with lots of different planets on it so our show is existing in one ecosystem, and that’s in another,” explained Cobra Kai co-showrunner Josh Heald to The Hollywood Reporter. “They’re both part of The Karate Kid, and we’re proud that there’s that much interest in the world for more and more.”

Macchio will reprise his role as Daniel in the next Karate Kid movie alongside Jackie Chan, who starred as Mr. Han in the 2010 Karate Kid remake. Cobra Kai co-showrunner Jon Hurwitz noted that the “movie takes place after the events of Cobra Kai, so we had already told him where this series was ending so that he could have that headspace going into that.”

Ben Wang, who starred in the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, headlines the untiled Karate Kid movie in the titular role. Additional cast members include Joshua Jackson and Ming-Na Wen.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the untitled Karate Kid film will “bring the story to the East Coast and focus on a teen from China (Wang) who finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor (or two).”

Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) is slated to direct the new Karate Kid movie from a script by Rob Lieber. Sony Pictures has pushed the film back from its December 13, 2024, release date to May 30, 2025.

Will Cobra Kai season 6 expand the Karate Kid universe?

While plot details remain under wraps, Cobra Kai season 6 will continue to expand the Karate Kid universe. The show has frequently reintroduced former characters and settings from previous Karate Kid movies. However, Cobra Kai’s ability to grow the universe is one of the many reasons for the show’s success. Hurwitz tweeted that season 6 will be no different, with the addition of new characters and places in the Miyagiverse.

“Season 6 expands the Karate Kid/Cobra Kai universe more than the first 5 seasons combined,” Hurwitz tweeted. “The world building has been truly exhilarating. Excited for everyone to see the diversity of scenes we’ve been filming episode to episode. We’re going to so many new places in the Miyagiverse.”

Will Cobra Kai get its own prequel series?

Cobra Kai is one of Netflix’s biggest hits, so it will likely get some kind of continuation. During a July 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the showrunners suggested that a potential Mr. Miyagi prequel series could delve into the origin of Daniel’s mentor from The Karate Kid.

“I would say that we definitely want to do that and have been talking about that,” said co-showrunner Hayden Schlossberg. “But the focus has been on Cobra Kai. As we’re finishing that up, we’ll see exactly what path we take in terms of spinoffs, but it is definitely something that we’ve been wanting to do. It’s just that we want to wait until we get finished with Cobra Kai first before we get into that.”

When will Cobra Kai season 6 begin filming?

Cobra Kai Season 6 | We're Back! | Production Announce | Netflix

Following the announcement that Cobra Kai will arrive later in 2024, Netflix dropped a new video with clips from the cast that revealed season 6 is now filming. There are no spoilers in the video below, although there are some broad hints that don’t really go anywhere here. C.S. Lee, the newest addition to the cast, also appears and mentions that he’s going into training for his role.

Given the strike-related delays, it will take a fast turnaround for the Cobra Kai team to finish filming the final season in time for a 2024 debut. But now that the cameras are rolling, it’s not an impossible goal.

When will Cobra Kai season 6 premiere on Netflix?

A group of people stand in front of a house side by side.
Netflix

As promised in Netflix’s first-quarter earnings call, Cobra Kai season 6 will begin in the second half of 2024. The first five episodes of the final season will drop on July 18, with the next five episodes arriving on November 28. Netflix hasn’t set a date for Cobra Kai season 6 part 3, but the final five episodes will premiere in 2025.

Additionally, Netflix has released a behind-the-scenes photo of season 6 that features Johnny, Daniel, and their karate students standing in the backyard of the Miyagi-Do dojo. Cobra Kai was also featured in Netflix’s sizzle reel for 2024.

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